And to all my Scottish friends and family…

Happy Hogmanay!

I spent the second last night of 2011 in the best way possible. My girlfriend from South Wales arrived in Canada just before Christmas and is staying with her cousin. We’d talked all along that we must find time to meet up somewhere between where we live and her cousin’s home. Last night was the night! We decided to meet at a restaurant in Cornwall, ON. What fun! I can’t believe we’d not been together since 2005! First us at her cozy bungalow in late June and then she came to us (her first trip to Canada no less) that October.

But back to last night… it was wonderful to see her again. Our rendez vous was at Kelsey’s on Brookdale Avenue at 6-ish. I was afraid when we arrived we’d have a long wait because no one had made reservations and the car park was packed. They had arrived before us and when I told the girls at the hostess station we were meeting friends and didn’t know if they were there yet. She asked us if our last name was King and immediately took us to the table. Once I got around the corner, I immediately saw Anne at the table and rushed to see her. Her cousin took many pictures of her and I together, some with my husband, too, and her daughter took one of my husband and I together. I must get them to e-mail the photos to me.

The food and service were excellent but what impressed me the most was they had their menu available in Braille! You see my friend, Anne, is blind.

Long after we’d paid the bill, we were still sat around the table laughing and talking. Our waitress came back once and asked if she could get us coffee or soft drinks and there was no problem with us staying there and being silly longer. Finally between 9:30 and 10:00 we bid our farewells and made our way back home.

What will my plans be for tonight? After last night, it’s going to be hard to top so I don’t think I’m going to try. Still, I have nibbles in the freezer that can be warmed up and champagne chilling to wash them down. So that will be this afternoon then a glass or two of bubbly tonight. And if I can get a streaming webcam facing the right direction, I’ll watch the New Year arrive in Edinburgh or Glasgow or some other city in Scotland.

I hope Anne enjoys her first New Years in Canada as she has her Christmas. Cheers my friend and Happy Hogmanay!

SHOULD auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!

Chorus.—For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint stowp!
And surely I’ll be mine!
And we’ll tak a cup o’kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
For auld, &c.

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou’d the gowans fine;
But we’ve wander’d mony a
weary fit,
Sin’ auld lang syne.
For auld, &c.

We twa hae paidl’d in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
Sin’ auld lang syne.
For auld, &c.

And there’s a hand, my trusty fere!
And gie’s a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll tak a right gude-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.
For auld, &c.

Robert Burns

Another Christmas has come and gone. The next big thing on the calendar is New Years. So do you make resolutions? Better yet, if you do, do you keep them? Do you go out and celebrate New Years Eve?

Here, where I live, they have concerts in the churches beginning early in the evening and continuing to “the hour”. I’ve watched the celebrations online in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and London and on those nights I’ve managed to stay awake, the big “do” in Time Square in New York City, and in Toronto. This year’s celebrations in Niagara Falls look like they’ll be quite interesting. There’s only been one year in my memory that my town did anything huge for New Years and that was 1999 when we were flipping into 2000. For the entire year, a countdown clock had been affixed to one of the downtown stores, then on the big night, a ball was raised down at the waterfront followed by fireworks. It was a fun night.

If this year is like any other, we’ll stay in, maybe watch a movie and be in bed long before midnight.

To all my friends and family who are scattered throughout the globe, I wish you all a very Happy Christmas!

The angel on top of the Christmas tree is new this year as is the tree itself. I didn’t buy the treetop ornament because it was an angel so much but because her red “velvet” long coat trimmed in white fur reminded me of the gorgeous clothing the women wore in the movie White Christmas.

Things will get going here in earnest tomorrow. Deliver Christmas gifts to a few folks in the morning, last minute cleaning since I have a dog who sheds enough hair to grow another dog on any given day, so making one last pass with the Hoover is in order. Roast beef, potatoes, carrots, Yorkshire puddings are on the menu for tomorrow night followed by a Yule log and perhaps some pumpkin pie (if I remember to get it out of the freezer in time) with whipped cream.

The father-in-law will be joining us for supper so the two grandsons will get to open their gifts from him while he’s here. Our daughter and her youngest son, her partner and his daughter will be with us, too. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a three-year-old in the house – let alone a three-year-old girl. Sure they come over and visit but not at meal time and this will be the first time she’s been with us at Christmas! Once everyone is gone home, Santa snacks laid out, and the dishwasher running, then it’s time for our Christmas Eve movie – A Christmas Carol. And it has to be the black & white version with Alastair Sim as Scrooge (good thing I have it on DVD).

Christmas morning, the chaos begins. Our daughter and her entourage will be heading over after they’ve done their thing at her place. Her oldest son lives here and at fifteen it’s not quite so frenzied in the morning. I’ve been led to believe that he’s spending the night at her place Christmas Eve, so we’ll have even more downtime in the morning to prepare for the onslaught.

There’s usually an endless pot of coffee going starting sometime between 6:00 and 7:00 (the alarm dog won’t let us sleep past that) so there’s Kahlua and Baileys for it for those who are feeling so inclined. Once the presents are opened, I start our Christmas morning fry-up – bacon, eggs, tattie scones or fried bread, mushrooms, and the piece de resistence – sliced haggis!

About the time I start cooking breakfast/brunch, the champagne comes out along with the orange juice and we have mimosas. Clean-up from this over with, the kids go home for a while, I crash because Ifinally get a chance to sit down and my two Christmas Day movies get played – Holiday Affair with Robert Mitchum and Christmas in Connecticutt with Barbara Stanwyck. Love them both! And again, I have them on DVD so can watch them as and when.

The kids come back later in the afternoon and we have more champagne along with munchies. Sometime during their absence, I’ll get the feast on for our supper. Ham and turkey, sweet potatoes and squash along with potatoes and stuffing are the meal this year for Christmas Day – probably about 6:00 – followed by pumpkin pie with whipped cream or my favourite – plum pudding with caramel sauce.

I think my shopping is done. At least I hope it is. If not, I’ll walk downtown to the supermarket at the far end of our High St and pick it up there and there are plenty of other shops along the way if I need any last minute loot.

Sometime between now and gift delivery tomorrow, I need to make a start at wrapping presents! The bedroom is stacked with them but not a one wrapped. Well, two were and both delivered – one for our gift exchange at work (took place last week) and one for the venue where we hold our local writers’ group meetings.

And that folks is the insanity that is Christmas at The House of King!

Happy Christmas to everyone! And as Tiny Tim says in A Christmas Carol – God bless us, everyone.

To all my fellow Canadians, Happy Thanksgiving!