Puzzling? Not Really.

I do jigsaw puzzles. Not the 3-D kind -- those are too flipping hard! but the flat lay on the table kind with interlocking pieces. If you come by my place on any given day there's a 50/50 chance there will be an in-progress jigsaw on the dining room table. Go ahead and plunk a few pieces in -- I'm not territorial about them; they're for everyone.

You see I didn't always like jigsaw puzzle. I'd say my fondness for them started about 5 years or so ago. I was strictly a 200-300 piece two to three times a year kind of person before but as the kids got older and we acquired more puzzles we started doing them more often. If I attempted a 500 piece one there would be much grumbling and I'd inevitably get Gunther to "help" me with the big blank spots and I swore he was crazy wanting to do a big 1000 piece one. I was sure that one would NEVER get finished.

But along the way, and as we worked out way through more puzzles I discovered something interesting. Gunther and I talk when we're working on the puzzles. We tease and joke and sing and play and it's actually FUN to work together. Not only that, but there is something really fulfilling about finishing one together. It reminds us that we can get things accomplished more easily, faster and with more enjoyment when we focus on it as a team.

I joke often that jigsaw puzzles are my marriage counseling and to be honest it's only half tongue in cheek. I have noticed that we are closer now than we were before, that we truly enjoy spending time together and that we are getting along better as a family now. Part of that is that the hard part of babyhood/toddlerhood is over and the girls can finally give us the much needed time, space and sleep we need to connect again. But part of it.. well part of it I'm sure is remembering how well we fit together.

Man On A Mission

My husband is a collector. He has collected a few different things over the course of our 11 year marriage (which always seems strange to say to me because we've been together for 13 years and so what? the first 2 don't count? Do I say over the course of our 13 year relationship rather than our 11 year marriage? Never sure on that one.. but I digress) but the last few years his big thing has been blu-ray movies (and yes we collected DVDs before that so we have an s-load of those too).

But every November he stops buying movies. You see, come November he starts gearing up for Boxing Day. Boxing day to Gunther is what Christmas morning is to the girls. It's a day filled with endless possibilities where you just know magical wonderful things are going to happen and you'll spend the evening making piles of your new stuff and lovingly and excitedly cataloguing your loot. Boxing Day (or week) is what Gunther looks forward to all year long.

You can't really blame him. Not only does he have to follow me down to Ottawa every Christmas and spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with my family which celebrates Christmas Eve by stuffing our faces and then ripping through gifts like a band of rabid howler monkeys, but then he spends Christmas Day driving the 4-5 hours home again only to be greeted with a supper that's usually frozen pizza or some other ready made meal I picked up at Costco the week before.

But Boxing Day.. oh there's magic on Boxing Day. The night before he checks online for all the deals and makes lists by store of what he wants to hit and how much they should cost (because if he can't find it in one store you bet he'll get the other one to price match it.. oh yes he will!). And then armed with our cell phones we will send the kids off to the toy section of Best Buy, Future Shop and Walmart while G and I, each toting a basket or cart, meticulously set out to collect the Blu-Rays on the list. We are machines and nothing distracts us from our mission -- to gather the movies we want/need/might possibly be interested in/don't already own/or just seems like a deal too good to pass up -- and to get them for the lowest price possible.

This year we hit two Best Buys, three Wal-Marts and 2 Future Shops before I finally had to say ENOUGH and call it quits. We've likely purchased about 200 movies without ever paying more than $15.00 for any one and usually paying much less. Yes, that's still a lot of money. Yes, we probably don't need that many movies and yes, we're obvious examples of consumerism gone amuck -- but the only thing G gets under the tree every year is a Toblerone bar and gift cards (to Best Buy obviously) and it's the one thing (other than electronics to build a home server to store all the movies) that he spends his money on so who am I say to say no to him especially when he's the only bread winner in the family. Also, to be perfectly honest, it's the only money we spend on entertainment since we don't go out and rarely eat out anymore.

So yeah, I'll be watching some movies over the next few months. We don't have cable - we get free-to-air TV with an antenna so I should have plenty of time. All I can say is I'm glad that's over for another year... and super glad that Costco sells clubpack of popcorn!

Day After My 41st Birthday

I turned 41 yesterday. It was a quiet day which included phone calls from my family wishing me a happy birthday. Gunther had to work and I wanted to have lunch with him so I packed us all up some lunches and the girls and I spent the day in the office boardroom while G worked in his office. Then we hit the library, Harvey's (my birthday tradition) and Loblaws. I love shopping at Loblaws and bought some great ingredients for recipes from the Looney Spoons Compilation cook book I bought myself for Christmas.

I'm excited to have so many wonderful flavourful foods in the house: fresh mint, cilantro, lime, lemon, fresh parsley, cherries, watermelon, etc. Over 80% of my cart was produce which just goes to show how empty my fridge was! We were down to a handful of apples and some cooking onions. Today I'm excited to make spring rolls and a ginger/orange pork stir fry with quinoa. Not sure if the girls will eat the quinoa (at least not without complaining) but it's time to take this family's health back in hand so they're going to get some with or without complaints!

I spent a lovely holiday with my family before my birthday and enjoyed much good food, good company and good port. I'm not generally a booze fan but this stuff is lovely. So good in fact that I plumb forgot about my annual glass of plum brandy. That's big people. My sister Carolyne's plum brandy is to die for!

I'll be going "home" again in February for a big Leap Year celebration. My sisters, who are foodies, put on a big 10 course meal on February 29th every 4 years because it's an extra day and extra days are to be celebrated. This will be the first year I'll be able to attend and I'm sooo excited to eat all the good food and enjoy the great company.

The girls will be home for the next week and a half. They got so spoiled over Christmas that I'm sure they'll have plenty to keep them occupied. I'm trying to spend more time in the real world and less online so I'm hoping that this new year will bring some interesting changes. I started by writing a real letter to my sister Marie. It wasn't long, but it was in ink and on paper and I even mailed it with a stamp and everything. Can't remember the last time I did that! I hope I do it again. I miss her and I adore her so I really do need to take the time to reach out to her more often.

Anyhow, that's some of what's going on in my life. I'm sure if you read this you've likely heard it all before from my FB updates. Still, it's probably a good idea for me to start writing here again -- might actually get those creative juices flowing again.

Be well,

Julie

My Posh Wishlist

I'll be honest.. I'm not actually getting any of these items. I'll also admit that I'm already getting far more spoiled for my birthday/Christmas this year than any other so it's not like I have single thing to complain about -- I don't. But that doesn't mean that making up a dream wishlist isn't fun all the same...

So here you go; five items I would buy for myself if I won the lottery:

1. Giulia Shoes from Fluevog Shoes. At a mere $345 CAD they are an absolute bargoon no? I do covet them though. Ah feet.. wouldn't you like to shod yourselves in some wearable art?

2. Silpada's Sterling Silver Tassel Necklace. Coming in at $329.00, I'm thinking we need to get a set of matching Mother/daughter/daughters ones at the very least!

3. A red Vespa scooter. Prices range from $3,000 to $8,000 and I'd also need jazzy helmet, motorcycle licence and obviously motorcycle lessons... but I would totally rock that bad girl whose name would be Scarlett Crimson of course!

4. A Coach bag. Because every one I've bought I've given away and I somehow feel I need a Coach bag. This $439.00 would be nice:

5. And of course this Anne-Marie Chagnon bracelet -- an incredible bargain at $138.00 AND it's reversible so it actually counts as two bracelets at a dirt-cheap $69/bracelet.

Of course I'd also happily accept a brand new 3+car garage estate home, a British racing green Jaguar XJS with tan leather interior, tickets for a two week sail on any Royal Caribbean Cruise ship, and a pony.

Actually I'm just kidding about the pony ;)

Ho Ho Ho!