It is so incredibly beautiful up here at the cottage, that I thought I would just write and tell you about our Christmas and what we have been doing.
The trees as I look outside are white. It is more beautiful than a Christmas card. Every branch is covered with snow. If I was clever I would be able to send you photos of it, but I don’t know how! We have been snowshoeing, in fact I have just come in. We have snowshoed almost every day. We don’t take Mika with us but before we leave we walk (or, rather, she runs) around the outside of the house two or three times. She then waits inside for us to snowshoe and when we have finished, I let Mika out again and we walk around the house again two or three times. Jim has made Mika trails that go to the bird feeders and around the house. Mika just loves running on them.
We purchased a 14 lb frozen turkey. It took 7 days to thaw and there was still ice inside. We had it with all the trimmings on Christmas Eve which meant that Christmas Day was a lovely relaxing day. We had the leftovers that evening. It is now Sunday and we have had turkey sandwiches every day. We are having turkey with salad this evening and then I am cooking Turkey Tetrazzini tomorrow and that will be the end of the turkey! Like everyone else, this has been a really quiet Christmas. It has just been Jim and me.
I am in the middle of doing a jigsaw puzzle, which will then be passed to my niece when I see her. She also loves doing jigsaw puzzles. Every evening we play Rummikub before cheese and then bed. We read in bed (and other times) before we go to sleep. I am on my 45th book since we came up here in March. Even Jim is reading books. I think he has just finished his 4th.
Life here is pretty simple. We are able to walk and snowshoe without masks on as there is nobody around. We have approximately ten acres. Jim goes into Kinmountevery morning to get the newspaper as we have no television. We also listen to the 8 am CBC news and the 6 pm news. That is how we keep up with what is happening in the world.
Like many other people, I have been baking. For those of you who know me, you know that I am not a baker. However, we have been enjoying my scones and my date and nut loaf. For Jim’s birthday on January 10 I will be cooking lamb’s shanks and for dessert a rum cake! He doesn’t know that yet. I don’t have a gift for him so I hope he will be happy with the dinner!
That is life up here. We are doing OK and staying safe. I hope you are as well. We will all be able to celebrate this time next year. In the meantime it is important to stay well. Stay safe. Stay active.
I don’t think we will be staying up to welcome in the New Year, even though it should be a year of great HOPE. In any event, we wish you all a VERY HAPPYNEW YEAR 2021.
Sylvia, Jim and Mika
