Ellen 'n' polar bears...what's the connection...

So I checked out American Idol tonight, and I'm still trying to figure out whether Ellen was a good choice for the show. Don't get me wrong - I think Ellen's awesome - but is she right to judge musical contestants? She does add an element of humour, replacing the element of 'crazy' that Paula provided...perhaps it'll be an acceptable fit after all.

Has anyone out there tasted polar bear? One of my students had some in the back of his truck at school today, but I couldn't convince him to give me a slice. What I'm finding about country food here in Pang is that, although most enjoy seal (every bit of it), caribou will disappear at a community feast before those little sea creatures. Apparently polar bear tops the horned beast! Some day soon I'll get a taste and will report back to you then.

It was another beautiful day here in Pang...the mountains were all shades of blue and pink. The thing is, that's not new; it's always beautiful. What I have to say is that there wasn't too much noteworthy going on today...at least nothing crazy enough to keep me up typing. I'm going to log off then close these tired eyes.

Talk to you tomorrow!

Exhaustion in the time of apple tart...

I have an ongoing love affair with Judge Joe Brown. We don't talk, but I check him out through the tube every evening when I get home from work, drifting in and out of consciousness. These days, if I end up joining the dogs a bit earlier, I click over to 'The People's Court'...the lady judge who's funny in contrast to Judge Judy's 'Simon Cowel-ness'. I think my brain might be turning to jelly. Yup, it is.

So today I had hardcore leftovers for lunch. Yum! It's so nice to go from a peanut butter and banana sandwich to a hunk of lasagne with a few teeny cinnamon rolls (though, truth be told, the former is pretty kickass with a splash of milk). Food might be more expensive up here, but you certainly learn to appreciate it much more. Such gastronomical dee-lights!

I bought some great-looking record keeping software off of an educational website; it arrived last week. Complicated, yes. But hawt daaam!! It sure does make everything look purdy. I am having certain problems with it though...it takes up quite a few GB and my poor little netbook is bursting at the seams. I need a nice 'computer colonoscopy' to clean out the bits'n'pieces of random detritus in my hard-drive.

Oops...drifted off again. My eyes are all sticky with contact dryness and my body feels like it's been doused in some sort of exhaustion juice. I feel tired right down to the dried and split ends of my static-y hair. I wish I could head to bed, but the stack of essays next to me assures me that that's not going to happen today. "Work through the pain," I suppose.

Time to make some tea, scoop up some more leftover apple tart, and slice into that pile of papers. I hope my pen can work quickly.

Online again...

I love to cook. Improvising different tastes and style - hoping it'll work in the end. Up here, that's especially true. Not only are certain ingredients absolutely impossible to find, but if you're working on something and it starts to migrate south you run the risk of wasting all the other elements unless you can adapt. Adaptability drawn from necessity. I would campare it to cockroaches - the ultimate survivors - but that generally sketches a really dirty kitchen. My kitchen is not dirty. It has, however, been a busy one this weekend...squash, cream cheese, white chocolate chip muffins; jerk chicken caesar salad; lasagne with slowcooker sauce; cantalope sorbet; and crazy poutine gravy that starts with homemade pork stock which has been on the stove for about three hours already...the freshly cut wedge fries have been prepared already. Nice. All of this for the SuperBowl Party without the actual SuperBowl; just a bunch of teachers and 'significant others' taking some time out.

So, what have I been up to here in Pang. Lots'n'lots - too much, in fact, to catch everyone up. But is that what a blog's about? I'm not sure. One of the great things, I suppose, is that it can be a bit about anything, everything, or nothing...like a Seinfeld episode. Hmmm.

February already. I can't believe I've been here for half a year already. It seems to have flown by more quickly than I'd expected. I've also spent more than expected. Not too much, but enough. For example, I never would have considered putting in a $300 Epicure order at this time last year! Weird.

No literary genius tonight. Actually, I'd never really say there is any genious around, but I have my moments.

Online again.

NOTE

Well, things have been a bit crazy here recently. As a result, I won't be updating this blog for awhile. I do appreciate those of you who read and will still be keeping up-to-date with everything on the other blogs.

Be well...

Grrrr...

Hmm, I've just spent the last huge chunk of time trying to set up a wordpress.com blog; I've seen some great ones which seem to offer a lot more than blogger does. Is there anyone out there who has used both? Which do you prefer? Wordpress seems to have a huge learning curve. What do you think?

Thank you Mama Bear and Papa Bear...

My birthday / Christmas presents finally flew into Pang...yay! A beautiful Friday, a whole weekend to rest, and two packages to tear into. What do you think of my fancy star-stamped postal pick-up? Nice. Oh ya...and what do you think of my post-it privacy notes? I can't have you mailing me or my parents random scraps of snail mail. Actually, that might be a bit cool, but I have a strict policy of not putting personal numbers, addresses, or pictures of people who don't want to be there on my blog. Yes Amy, that means you!

After making it home I tore into them and this is what I found:

As soon as the top popped, I knew there was some kind of food in there. I can't smell anything, but the pups sure could!

Ah-ha! Aren't they all purdy? All wrapped up like that? That would be the work of my mom. When you take all the same items you were originally going to give, then wrap them individually, it's just so much more satisfying...

Ok, the funniest? Rain coats. For the dogs. Since my chiweenie's gained weight, hers won't fit, but the wee one looks absolutely hilarious. I can't wait for it to warm up and rain!

And what about this one...

So, the mass of treasures? Chocolate, calendars, CDs, puzzles, dog stuff, spatulas, incense, books, writing paper, and some kind of weird thing which is supposed to cook potatoes. Check it out...it's that black thing called the 'Muise Tater Baker' (yes, it's personalized). You're supposed to put some potatoes in it, throw it in the microwave, then wait with your sour cream and dill. Yum!

And yes, that is a Starbucks cookie laying out there in the front. I had to swat both the dogs away just to take this picture, but I wasn't quick enough to block the both of them...I will have to scrape off the layer of frosting they attacked before I eat it.

This is what we do to those southern polar bears up here...

Lots to say about my snowmobile today, but that's something for another post. Yay for Christmas and birthdays coming late!

Pups'n'plugs...

There are few things that will generally have me laugh straight out for an unsustained period of time...watching teeny dogs pushing each other for slurps of yogurt is one of them. So is watching them lick the rogue yogurt off each others' heads. Aww, so cute.

Tonight was my first real independent tinkering session with the Kitty Cat. I know it sounds stupid, but there was just such a feeling of satisfaction when finally got those spark plugs out the belly of that thing; I understand, now, why guys are prone to spending so much time with their noses under a hood! Unfortunately, I couldn't get that whole 'heat them up on the stove' thing to work...maybe because it was an electric burner? Tomorrow I'll be walking to the Co-op to get a few more plugs. Oh yay me.

But that's beside the point. Tomorrow is, after all, Friday. Sa-weet! Although there are no open roads to escape down, there is still the possibility of exploring the sea ice with a thermos of hot coffee. Perhaps I'll do that. Yup, that's what I'll do.

Final note: voting for the Nunies will be running until the 21st. Of course I would love your vote (wink wink), check out the other blogs listed...my work days generally start by reading those blogs instead of checking my work email. Now the cat's out of the bag. But, hey, that's why I go to work early.

Vote, vote, vote...and other such tales...

Ok, I'll admit it...I'm a shameless hussy. The nominations for the Nunie Awards have been compiled and I actually made it into both the Best New Blog and Best Blog Post categories! I have to say, being one of the top five is pretty awesome...and it's because of you guys!  Thank you for reading, thank you for nominating, and - I'll just put it out there - thank you for voting. You can head over here to place your votes.

Now, on to other issues...

Townie Bastard is right, today was a horrible day for thousands. Hundreds of thousands. It's difficult to fathom what such devastation is like - especially when living in northern Canada. Every channel has uncensored pictures of Haitian buildings and bodies, both crushed beyond repair. From here I suppose all I can do is donate money, but it still seems like a mere drop in the bucket. What a way to start the new year...

On a 'lighter' note...the sun seems to be stretching out the kinks in its rays and shows a little bit more of itself every day. Today I headed out at about 7:30 in the morning and you could actually see the outline of the mountains! Aaaand the sky didn't start up with its firey sunset until after 2pm. The spring is on the way.

Unfortunately, it seems as if sunlight and temperature are inversely related (this week, at least). It's so cold that I barely got my snowmobile started after school yesterday, and this morning it wouldn't even turn over. Fact: right now I have blistered palms and a ripped open index finger. After school I tried it out a bit more (yes yes, I know, be careful with the plugs), and got it going after what seemed like a hundred pulls. That lasted about a minute before it sputtered and died. Took out the spark plugs and, sure enough, black and greasy. "No matter," I thought...I had prepared for such an eventuality and had some stored in my porch. Wrong size. Crap. Tomorrow I'll try out that little trick of heating them up on the stove and see what happens.

These days Pang looks like some sort of weird smokey Avalon. The stars are bright sparks in the sky - very cool - but the air around the surface is this strange swirling fog. I think I have part of it figured out; well, I have a theory. The temperature is so low that most people mix more than a splash of Yamalube with their gas everytime they head to the co-op pumps to fill up their machines. Too much oil in the gas equals lots of black smoke. Warming up your sled takes a good 15 to 20 minutes...no joke! This means that you inevitably create billows of the black stuff several times a day. You know what's really funny? The 'rush-hour' smoke here is just as visible as the rush-hour traffic in the south.

Well, that's it for now...again, please head over to Clare's website and vote for the Nunie's; it's so great to know that you read.

Agility training and the Nunie Awards...

It took hours to pick apart the tree and peel down the Christmas lights, and now I sit with boxes piled around my 'empty-ish' place with the door blocked with a fake tree chopped and rolled into three bushy chunks. It's about this time every night that the dogs got their spurt of crazy energy; usually this involves flying up and down the stairs and wrestling, but this time it was complicated by the obstacle course of seasonal decorations. All I can do is sit, watch, and laugh. They definitely have some mad skillz...I should get them involved in flyball or agility training. I wonder if my purebred has what it takes to be the 'Best in Show'. Perhaps not...although he's a cutie, he's already been snipped. Most dog shows won't allow 'altered' dogs, right? Also, who ever heard about chihuahua agility (obstacle course) competions? I really can't imagine the breed jumping through hoops and up/down see-saws.

Anyway, enough about that. The nomination deadline has passed for the annual Nunie awards...did you get your nominations in? Did you find any blogger gems out there? I definitely found a few more things to distract me! Not cool - it takes me forever just to get through the normal stuff I have to do in the day; from this day forth there will be more listed in my blog roll...

Well, I suppose it would be best if I head back to work. Though it's 8pm and one of my favorite shows is on, a teacher's job is never done. Ciao!

Bits'n'Bites and a scalding splash of H2O...

Yesterday was the first day that it was actually cold. Sure, I've been through the -30, but that's not really so bad. Yesterday was the first day it felt like someone was pouring scalding water over my face. It was -40 with the windchill and, after warming my snowmobile up for what seemed like forever, the drive to work added even more wind. I'm not sure exactly how cold is was but like I said, scalding water on the face doesn't really feel the best. What I can say is that my Canada Goose jacket and my MEC snowpants are quite enough to keep me warm...too bad I can't say the same about my scarf!

It's January 9th and my Christmas decorations are still up. In fact, I just finished a big cup of tea in my snowflake and reindeer mug I bought in Iqaluit. The tree lights just make the room so cosy, it makes the 2 pm darkness bearable. I suppose I'll just have to deal with it and start peeling away the layers of stockings, lights, candles, candy canes, gingerbread...I'll be peeling away all the vestiges of Christmas for another year. Boo.

Today a girl came to the door convinced that I had stolen her dog. I have no idea how she got my name nor why she would think that I have a german shepard mix, but she was insistant all the same. She said she'd be back with a search warrent. What's that about?  Right now I'm a bit worried about my machine sitting out front; it seems so vulnerable and open to vandalism. I think I'll get some chains at the Northern tomorrow and hook it up to the stairs. Sure, it's not fool-proof, but it's something.

With only two days left, I think I'll mention the Nunies again. I know that some may not feel it's worth their time to nominate or vote, but try to throw us bloggers a bone! The rules are pretty straightforward; there are three categories: Best Blog, Best New Blog, and Best Blog Entry. As a reader, you can nominate up to five blogs in the first two categories; the blogs with the most nominations go on to the voting round. Let me say this...for the person keying in their entries it gives a weird sort validation. All too often I hear people tell me they read but never comment. Anyone out there?

Back to the point: Clare up in Arctic Bay runs this whole deal and has set up an email address to collect the nominations: nunavutblogs@yahoo.ca First, brew some tea and check out a few Nunavut blogs, then send in a few nominations. Happy reading!

Well, my puppies are getting a bit pudgy (what with not being able to take chihuahuas out in this weather), so I'd best sign out and throw one of their chewy toys around for a bit...they're as lazy as I am these days and basically only eat, sleep, and meet crazy people at the door on the weekend.

Cats and contracts...

Fffyyooo! I've finally finished all the schoolwork I need to have finished by tomorrow morning. Lots of scheduling. Lots of typing. Lots of classroom cleaning. Is it bad to say that I can't wait for the weekend already, or should I wait to say that on Friday?

The weather's been so wonderful here recently...temperatures haven't really dipped below the mid-teens. What does this mean in snowmobile terms? It's a lot easier to get around on the roads, you don't need to worry about gasoline antifreeze, and the electric start works most of the time. Today I got in a few pulls in to start it, but the engine was already warm; what's going to happen when it finally gets cold? Having that machine is so awesome and frustrating and painful and fantastic...so much better than a car.

My dad brought it to my attention yesterday that I'm halfway through my contract up here in Pangnirtung; it's passed quickly. I wonder what parts of this experience will have survived by the time 2020 comes along. I wonder how long I'll be here. I guess we'll see as the Arctic moon waxes and wanes. The chihuahuas are doing well and my house is cozy...it's an adventure worth spending!

Yeeouch! Better head to bed - the day before class 'n' all.

'The Northern Lights have seen queer sights'...

In the past, there have been many mentions on my blog about the frustrations of learning how to maneouver a new Arctic Cat...perhaps some of that has to do with the fact that it's my very first snowmobile, but AHHHH. Sometimes it's just impossible. Well, today it was something new - my starter isn't working properly. The engine will start with the spiked disc, but the part that pops out to do the job won't pop back in; it just results in high pitched grinding. I took the front end off this afternoon so I could tap it back into place, but I'm going to have to pay someone to actually fix it. Yay! More money!

As you can see on any northern blog, Clare's Nunies made their annual debut today. Feel free to nominate me...doesn't that sound pompous? Or desparate? You should at least surf through a few of the sites to check them out; there are a lot of great writers in Nunavut. Is it because we have nothing else to do? I thought about that idea for awhile, but I don't think it's true. I think it's more closely related to a Robert Service type of thing...although the Cremation of Sam McGee is a bit explicit, I like this passage from one of his other poems:

Have you ever known the Great White Silence, now a snow-gemmed twig aquiver?
(Eternal truths that shame our soothing lies.)
Have you broken trail on snowshoes? mushed your huskies up the river,

People in the north just have a lot to say...

Wow, I'm half watching the Rangers/Boston hockey game on tv right now and, I gotta say, there's one guy whose shorts are packed up in such a way that it really looks like a diaper. You know those Pamper commercials with the kid running around on his tip toes so he doesn't fall over? That's what he looks like when he skates!

I'm going to sign out now so I can go gaze at my tree with the Christmas lights. Like I mentioned before, the tree always stays up until after my birthday and the hours are ticking away...

Back to work...

Well my vacation is officially over. Even though tomorrow is my birthday, all I can think of is getting groceries and prepping classes. Weird. These past few days have been so lazy that even turning on the snowmobile is an adventure; I've just been feeling 'flu-ish'. Either that or just living in a trance-like sleepy state. Very probable actually.

Basically, tomorrow the textbooks piled on my coffee table will be piled on my desk, and I'll be back to drinking nasty coffee with powdered whitener. Sweet! You can't really appreciate the weekend when you don't work during the week.

In a teacher's world - especially those instructing at a college or university - work is broken into definite units. Semesters. I can't believe that the fall semester is already finished! The first set of marks are in, and the outlines for a whole batch of new courses are prepared.  I hope the next session doesn't have as many growing pains as the first.

I guess I'm speechless tonight; no real interesting words to tap out. I think I'll put on the kettle, make some hot chocolate, and try - yet again - to work with the dogs. Right now Gryphon is learning to sit, Scarlett is learning to stay, and both are learning to STOP BARKING! I think that last one might take awhile...

Last year's failures to this year's success...

Last night the full moon was so bright that every detail of Pang's landscape was visible...icy, blanketed in snow, and beautiful. It seems that time moves on, but incredible views remain. It is now 2010 and, as I look back, I can see how my life improved in 2009; I'm not going to make a list of important events - many of them are very personal - but I will remember them and how they've changed me.

This time of year always leaves me looking back; it's not only marked by New Year festivities, but it's also my birthday on Monday. Milestones that mark time (and its passing). I think that my pseudo-resolution should be to look to the future and focus on improvement. I used to make lists which were overly-ambitious and always led to failure. Is it overly ambitious to say you want to live? Try new things? That's what I'm going to work on; I will only commit to one - albeit difficult - resolution. I will live.

Everyone, join me and raise a glass to living. For those of you in a dry community (like Pang), raise something else. Cheers...

Flights and the future...

So...

My friend was supposed to leave last Monday - 4 days ago. Blizzard Monday. No connecting flight Tuesday. Blizzard Wednesday (yesterday). And today? Mechanical difficulties with the First Air flight turned the plane back to Iqaluit. Since it's New Year's weekend, there are no flights with First Air until Sunday. Fortunately, with lots of weedling the good folks at Canadian North squeezed her, as well as Sarah, on their 11:45 flight. Thanks, Susan, for the help; Siovone, thanks for the awesome visit; and Sarah, good luck in Winnipeg!

It's New Year's Eve at the close of another decade which leaves me wondering what I have actually accomplished; what difference have I made in the world. It seems rather depressing to think that we're all roaming around in our own little worlds without somehow being linked. This time 10 years ago I was in Ottawa, ready to party on Parliament Hill...what a madhouse. While living in the capital, I only did that once; there's just something much more attractive about being at a party where being crushed by crowds of drunk people is not on the menu.

So when looking to the future, what remains of the past? It's something that I've been pondering recently. Does it really make sense to make some sort of Bucket List of things to do? How do you know if you're taking on too much? I guess I'll just see how things go.

To those of you out there reading, thanks for taking the time peruse this blog; for those of you traveling, safe journeys; and for those of you hoping, may your wishes come true. Talk to you next year!!

Certs List :
1. flexible airport staff
2. caribou antlers
3. HazMat suits
4. the internet
5. Sean Connery

The New Year is upon us...

Christmas has passed. It was a great one, and I'm still enjoying the holiday, but it's official...Christmas has passed. This year was a great experience - my first Christmas in the north. I was fortunate enough to have a friend visit me, a few great dinner parties, and a wonderful snowfall to help me out with my snowmobile. Yay!

So Happy New Year a few days early! Anyone ruminating on resolutions yet? Anyone think that resolutions actually work? I know January has the highest enrollment rate at any gym, but I also know that that dies by March; is there any way to keep promises to yourself? Perhaps it's a time to just look at yourself more honestly...I guess that's what I'll do.

Well, I'm off - there's really not much to write about today. The blizzard swirling outside has storm-stayed my guest for another two days but also left us with enough snow to enjoy my Arctic Cat...

Certs List:
1. seal meat
2. word processing templates
3. file folders
4. play dough
5. snow without wind

Festivities, a feast, and a flip...

You know that weather that just makes you want to throw on your old sweats, big socks, and curl up with a hot drink? That's the type of weather we had in Pang today...actually, it's still going on out there. Heavy snow, crazy wind with even crazier gusts. Like I said...cocooning weather.

Unfortunately, Keisha needs to be taken out periodically as does my neighbor's dog, Sophie. So off I go, layered in snowpants, sweater, jacket - that coyote fur feels awesome around the cheeks - and open the door with all the force my mitts and fingers will allow; the wind is nasty right now. Earlier in the afternoon, I had to change the direction of my snowmobile: the wind was gusting from the east while my Cat was facing west. Sooo...it was the first time that I really had her going in 'real' snow and this is what I discovered: it's really difficult to cut a new path when the wind is gusting. Since it's holiday season, there aren't many people out in this end of town to start those tracks. I guess the job will be up to me tomorrow.

In my previous post, I mentioned the Boxing Day festivities out on the ice - we had great weather and a lot of fun. The afternoon/evening was also full of scheduled events like indoor games and traditional dancing.  I was looking forward to it all, but I guess it started late and fizzled early. We did make it over to participate in a few games and see the kids, literally, crawling up the walls. Ok, so there were bars to help them out, but they were still hanging around behind us all night!

The two main things about the evening that I'll remember most are actually unrelated to all that...

#1. Through some weird coincidence I ended up eating dinner with Ashley, a Cape Dorset blogger, and

#2. I flipped my snowmobile and pinned Siovone underneath.

The dinner thing was interesting; I had finally made contact with a friend of my family back in Nova Scotia and he and his wife invited us over for some amazing turbot and scallops. It turns out that their son - and his girlfriend - are in Cape Dorset and were visiting for Christmas. A happy coincidence. So an extra 'hallaa' out there to the Dorset readers.

Now, the Big Flip. Siovone and I were heading over to the school, and I ended up taking a route that I've only taken alone in the past. Actually, that would be true of about any route, but in this one that additional weight made a real difference...I got caught halfway up a ditch at an angle and rolled into the back end of a parking divider. Fortunately, though Siovone got pinned against the wall, I fell more into the dip and was able to use both legs to push the thing upright. It was more of a scare than anything else, but it's good to know that I can flip it over with my legs if I need to. Oh, but next time I should try to remember to hit the kill switch.

But here she is...proof that she's alive (though storm-stayed) in Pang...

I think I should head to bed for the night...it is, after all, after 3 am.

Certs List:

1. coyote fur

2. scones

3. good quality dish detergent

4. chihuahuas

5. snowpants

A morning on the ice...

Today, Boxing Day, things started out on the ice. It's the tradition here to gather in the morning when the light finally makes it out; as you can see, though, it's still pretty dark. In this first picture I took my 'sweet ride' out past the festivities to take a picture of the group and a few houses in the background.

And so here was the deal...everyone boogied on out on their machines to start up the outdoor fun. Kids made it with the cutest little snowmobiles I've ever seen...literally mini-machines. I remember when I first got my monster - I would watch them zooming around and wonder why I couldn't even start mine. A typical southerner. I worked it out though.

When Siovone and I first arrived, the ladies hustled us over to the ice golf. Yep, ice golf. I wasn't even close, but I'm not a Tiger Woods wannabe; it's all good.

Oh, you see those big orange glove-type things Siovone's sporting? Of course all her stuff was borrowed from friends who had some sort of northern experience, so the fit wasn't the best...but those gloves...oh, those gloves. They were huge! Right up to the elbows. As soon as we got off the snowmobile people were eyeing them; apparently they would be awesome for fishing. I wish I could've heard the exact words (I just got the translated report).

As the women golfed, the guys were having ski races. Well, actually, not skis...more like pieces of plywood with rope. Singles and doubles. Check out my pic with the bums.

It was really funny to watch. The ladies had their turn later, and the videos I took were classic...I paid for them with pretty icy fingers though!

Check out the parking lot with that beautiful white Arctic Cat...

My final shot...isn't it beautiful? My Cat, Mt. Duval, my Goose - all elements of Pang I would be lost without.

Christmas canine adventures...

I know not everyone is a dog person...in fact, there are people in my life who openly eschew the species. However, how could you look at this little chi in a Santa scarf without at least cracking a grin? Everyone is biased in some sort of way when it comes to animals, but I don't suppose there's any doubt about where my loyalties lie.

This year was Gryphon's first Christmas...he's only 10 months old. For him, he always gets attention, so I suppose it was just another day for him. Well, I think the bell on the collar freaked him out for a bit, but he loves posing for the camera.

Sean, my brother out on the west coast, provided the attire...matching sweaters for Scarlett and Gryphon. The latter - well he's always been a good sport when it comes to dressing up and sitting pretty. Don't get the wrong idea. I don't do the Paris Hilton thing. I do think, however, that a sweater is ok for a dog that should rightfully be in a hot location.

Scarlett, on the other hand, is never impressed when you pick up a piece of clothing...it always sends her running. Actually, it's kind of funny when you have to put her in a jacket to take her out; she's itching to get out the door but is always fighting some internal battle - she doesn't want to get near her wardrobe.

Here she is in her new sweater...

Halfway out...

Ahh, ready to relax...

Keisha, Keisha, Keisha...imagine this: a greasy carcus, a turkey neck, and a dog in full puppy mode racing up the stairs, down the stairs, around the table, under the table, on the table...ah, good times. Now imagine that with two girls chasing her around and trying to herd her out the door. And, of course, after her turkey dinner she raided all the bottom branches of the tree for cookies.

It's a good thing she's cute!

Certs List:

1. words

2. candles

3. strong collars

4. leftovers

5. care packages

Cookies, cookies, cookies...

When it comes to Christmas, there are many associations people develop - good and bad. Family, food, fun. It's all there. Since I'm in Pang this year instead of in the warm pocket of Nova Scotia where I grew up, family is something that alters. Sure, you make your phone/skype calls, but who's going to share your turkey?

This year I wasn't going to host any sort of dinner. It just seemed like too much. However, I just felt that I needed to do something to match my tree...it is pretty sweet. I started last night...

Although I know chocolate chip cookies aren't really holiday traditional fare, I found a fantastic recipe that makes your teeth rot just reading the ingredients. Sugar, sugar, sugar, chocolate, sugar.

When they came out of the oven, nice and soft, about a gallon of milk was required to make things just right. Imagine that smell. Amazing.

So, once the house smelled all nice and cozy, it was time to start with the Christmas foods. My cranberry sauce is where it started. It ended up perfect for today's feast...

I decided to start the meal early thins year because Christmas day preparation is bad enough without having all that extra stuff to do.

Now, there is one holiday tradition that I remember from the time I was a wee one. Every year, my mom would make some fantastic home-made gingerbread to put on the tree. Not like the puffy ones you buy in a store, but the kind that starts with a tablespoon of ginger and a tablespoon of ground cloves. Mix that with some sugar (yes, more of that), butter, flour...knead it, roll it, cut it, cook it, frost it, hang it. Yum.

Now, I know the frosting on those is pretty butchered, but I was not able to copy mom's delicate hand...I ended up cutting a hole that was just a bit too big on the end. Oops!

Today, before we started chowin' down on the turkey dinner, I got Sarah to lend a hand decorating the tree a bit more. There she is...Gryphon to her left, Scarlett to her right, and Sophie (my dog-sitting charge for the holidays) in front of her. Thanks for the help Newbie!

It may seem like a weird tradition - a lot of work - but it's something that is completes Christmas in my world. When I was growing up, our tree would generally go up a bit later than those that crammed the corners of our neighbors. In that same vein, ours was still proudly standing till January 5th while most people dumped a forest of icicle adorned trees before December 30th.

Now the question is 'why'...why would the Muise Tree stand in all its quirky glory until January 5th? Well, my birthday is on the 4th. My mom would always frost up a new batch of gingerbread to refill the tree before I had my party and, before everyone left, a cookie and a candy cane is the best addition to a treat bag.

You see? Home-made gingerbread cookies are very important to me.

As for the dinner itself, Sarah used her super-duper camera to take some good shots...I'll get them up as soon as I'm able - they should be really cool.

Certs List:
1. hot chocolate with eggnog
2. cranberries
3. icing sugar
4. eating
5. Christmas carols