Bird & Blend Tea : Advent Calendar Revew

I don’t think it’s a secret that I whole heartedly love the Bird & Blend brand. 

I love their flavours. I love their commitment to making reusable or recyclable packaging. I love how they market for everyone from the newbie to the experienced tea lover. 

What I don’t love is how they are located on another continent. 

Last fall I began seeing their marketing on Instagram and Facebook about their Halloween countdown but then they starting promoting their Christmas advent boxes and I KNEW I had to order. I got both the Halloween countdown and their special Tea Lovers Advent. 

The shipping was very fast through DHL. The original price of the Christmas advent was $49 USD plus conversion to CAD plus duty and import fees. 😵‍💫 Yikes, I started thinking maybe I shouldn’t have done that. But I did, and there was no turning back and as soon as I’d received them I knew I treated myself well. 

The Halloween countdown was GLORIOUS and if you’d like a review of that on its own let me know. 

What I always feel is important that with a lot of European brands they curate in smaller amounts than what we’ve come to expect in North America.  For instance, one B&B tea bag makes 6-8 ounces of tea so if you use a large mug which is often the case in my house you need at least two tea bags for one cup and then you have to prepare yourself that it still may not be as strong as you are accustomed. There were 2 teabags behind every door of the 24 day Christmas advent calendar. Sometimes I used both and sometimes I only used one, depending on the cup I was using. So…the cup makes all the difference!

It’s a dream to visit the UK so it was very special that the Tea Lovers version of their calendar included blends that are curated especially for their different Bird & Blend locations and what their best sellers are. At first it seemed weird to have a tea from the seaside in something Christmas themed but I soon appreciated it because these boxes are so carefully curated with everything in mind so the holiday flavours soon followed. My favourite may have been the Christmas Cake or Mince Pie flavours.  I don’t know how they do that but they taste EXACTLY like the real thing. 

There was a terrific balance between caffeine and decaf tea blends. That made it easy to decide when or how I was going to drink each day. There were instructions on the box for making regular tea or lattes or whatever they recommended. Each tea tag had clear details of whether it had caffeine and if you should use milk or not and even if it should be enjoyed hot or cold! 

Bird and Blend just does it right. They had a digital advent option for each calendar which took you to a special page which had details on each tea, the ingredients and tips on how it’s best enjoyed. They also had a downloadable tea tasting journal! I admit that I tried to keep up with it but I just lost track…

Would I buy this again? OHMYGOD YES! Sadly, due to the cost of shipping it’s not likely it’s going to be soon though. I’m glad I purchased it and fully enjoyed it. Yes I’d recommend it to everyone but beware there could be extra fees depending on where you live…

…but maybe you live right there and can enjoy Bird & Blend whenever your heart desires. 

Lucky you!

I hugged it…I seriously did!

Cookies! (Recipe Included)

 

From "Christmas Cookies" by George Strait

I saw a meme last week that says every recipe blog starts off with how the blogger was out for a wintery walk and it reminded them of tobogganing as a child and yadda yadda yadda and the poster just wanted to hurry up and get to the recipe and who cares about the other stuff.  While I do feel the pain of having to navigate all that nonsense to get to the real information, I think we all want to share our warm fuzzy memories of the season with our readers, family and friends.

There's a Roughrider fan in every crowd!

Some of my fondest Christmas memories are of my Mom and me baking cookies. I remember having to kneel on a kitchen chair at the cupboard and watching with wild anticipation as Mom would roll out the dough and then we'd choose just the exactly right cookie cutters.  I was really blessed to have a childhood which contains sweet memories like these.  I was equally fortunate to have a niece and nephew who I was close to, so when I was older and married, I'd invite them to my house to make cookies.  One year in particular, my niece was sick and couldn't come for cookie decorating so my nephew and I did it but put some aside in a special care package to take to her.  She proclaimed that the Christmas cookies held special healing powers because upon eating them she immediately was feeling better.

Jingling Rider Fan Medicine Woman.

Flash forward to when I became a more enthusiastic Saskatchewan Roughrider fan.  I purchased a set of Wilton Football Themed cookie cutters.  The set includes shapes for pennants, footballs, jerseys and helmets.  I only used the jerseys and helmets pictured below, although the recipe, which is coming up soon, makes enough cookies for the whole neighbourhood and then some so you can use your whole array of cookie cutters.  I do have a very extensive collection from all the obvious Christmas shapes to Snoopy and that cute truck with a tree in the back.  Of course, you may already have your own favourite sugar cookie recipe, or you might not have the time to make it and in that case the cookie dough in the cooler section will do just fine.

Makes 5 dozen cookies

Without dragging it out farther... here is the recipe for Mom's Sugar Cookies.  There aren't any special instructions except throw it all in a mixer to combine.  Form it into a roll, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.  If you don't refrigerate the dough, it will be pretty much disastrous and frustrating as the dough won't be able to be worked with.  Roll out the dough and cut into shapes, football themed or otherwise and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 8 minutes.  I use silicon mats on my baking sheets, so the cookies don't get overly brown and so cleanup is a snap.  One substitution you can make is the butter/shortening.  You can use margarine instead and the recipe still turns out wonderfully.

Once the cookies are completely cooled you can frost them with your favourite method.  Back as a kid we'd just use your regular butter cream homemade frosting with a myriad of sprinkles.  These days because my Hubby calls sprinkles "gravel" I bypass that method.  One year I purchased Cakemate Cookie Icing in various colours and although it didn't turn out to be my favourite product the cookies turned out pretty and tasty.

Go Riders!

Another year, I coated the cookies in white frosting and then used food markers to decorate.  These turned out to be my favourite cookies although the process was very time consuming because the markers had to dry completely, or they'd smudge.  That was also the year, where Hubby didn't know of how I'd toiled over the cookies and a good portion of them had "disappeared" before I'd found out.  

The table display for New Years Eve 2019

Maybe you want to make a batch of these for your favourite Riders fan or just make some sweet memories with some close family members.  I hope this blog was enjoyable to read and if it was, please share it with others on your Christmas list.  Nothing says love like a homemade gift-wrapped stack of sugar cookies shared with your family and friends.

Oh Snap! Looks pretty happy for a guy who just lost a leg!

CFL Advent Calendar

Fridays around here are either for football or flashbacks and sometimes it's both!  I've had a flood of ideas recently and I was thinking about a post I wrote called CFL Subscription Club on ABC Football.  The entire blog is talking about how you can subscribe to all kinds of services to bring you monthly boxes of anything from food to underwear and my argument was why doesn't one exist for the CFL?  Well, since it's Christmas, this got me thinking, (by the time you read this I'll already be into my advent calendars) why doesn't a football, a CFL in particular, advent calendar exist?

Well, likely because no one in marketing has thought of it.

* crickets * - CFL marketing department probably.

Imagine, as Grey Cup hysteria winds down, that you could purchase a CFL advent calendar.  24 days of CFL football items behind little doors of some kind of football themed box.  Hey, I can't have allll the ideas now, can I?  I'm not talking about big ticket items, but I know for a fact that the Roughrider Store has pins, stickers, tattoos, earrings, keychains, Christmas ornaments and likely other small items which would tuck very nicely into a decorative box.  December 1st you scramble over to your CFL advent, peel back the door and reveal...

With my luck it would be a Blue Bomber pin.

Every person who purchased an advent calendar would end up with a nice collection of memorabilia from all 9 CFL teams.  The items could be traded on social media and Facebook groups.  Fans could wear their items to events for the upcoming season. 

"Hey, where did you get that cool Gainer pin?" 

"Oh, it was in my CFL advent calendar!"  

The entire Christmas Countdown calendar would culminate in day 24 where there could be a coupon to be redeemed in team stores!  Then every fan could flock to their local team CFL store on Boxing Day to purchase an item of their wildest dreams.

* sigh *

My little green Roughrider heart swells with the thought of it.  Let's face it, there hasn't been much for us Rider fans to be excited about this last year.  It's too late for this year of course with Christmas already a couple weeks away, but hey, CFL get with it - get with the times.

Something like this could be marketed for the countdown to the 2023 CFL season and debuted during training camp and then the 24th door of the calendar would coincide with the home opening weekends...

...but I'm just the ideas person.  Just a fan.  Just a girl writing little ol blogs - wishing there was something football related to go with her tea and jam Advent Calendars.

Any Way The Wind Blows

There hasn't been much going on in the CFL lately.  Pieces of news have been few and far between.  They've resorted to articles about players pets and who can be named best dressed CFLer.

Meanwhile...

* crickets *

...a dog barks in the distance...

🎵 a birdie chirps...

With this lull in activity every off season I find that my own rabid fan status wains and I wonder over to other activities and my influences change.  Some people turn to other sports - Saskatoon Rush, Nascar and hockey of course. Many of you haven't known me a long time but March seems to be a time for when I explore.  There was the Dean Martin infatuation of 20-something.  We won't discuss the whole vampire thing. Last year I researched my family tree and actually found a cousin living in Montreal who I didn't know existed. This off season was going along like normal and then in February I watched (finally) Bohemian Rhapsody and it seemed like everything changed for me.

I've made no secret that while I write this blog and am administrator for ABC Rider Fans, that in "real life" I am a piano teacher.  While I've always maintained that music is what I do - it's not my life...it's an illusion because it really does consume my life.   Where I am able to strike a balance is that I only teach after school hours so while you are likely gearing up to go home after your work day, I am gearing up to start teaching.  'Tis the life of a musician I suppose.  What these hours allow me to do is follow football during those off times except when I need to do research or find music or actually come up with a plan or strategy for my lessons, which by the way is unpaid time but I'm dedicated and I do it happily.

So there I was coasting through CFL off season and coping with some other health things that always seem to crop up at this time of year but you know everyone has "stuff" to deal with.  One of my students...my best student if I'm honest (and fav but don't tell the others!), is playing Bohemian Rhapsody for the SAM music festival in May which runs close if not at the same time as Roughrider training camp.  We had decided on this selection before Christmas so it had nothing to do with my off season doldrums but everything to do with the reason one quiet Saturday night I decided I should watch the movie.  I called it Professional Development. I actually streamed A Star is Born the same night but for whatever reason (I'm heartless?) it had zero effect on me, yet the story of Freddie Mercury made me feel a whole myriad of things that I can't even begin to sort out or explain in any form.

I was 18 when Mercury died from Aids in 1991 and when I think back to "me" back then I often refer to myself as a stupid teenager.  Maybe I was just oblivious? I remember the news but life went on.  I didn't realize until now how excruciating that event actually was.  Is it possible to mourn someone nearly 30 years later?  Well just like I seem to be stuck in this musical cycle, many football fans are stuck as well.  Bring back Dressler is one of the newest cries.  When will Rider fans move on?  Are we still in 2009 mourning too?  The Roughriders need to continue to move on to the future instead of looking back.  Unlike, Queen's front man, most football players are replaceable even if we've loved their character and personality.  To everything there is a season.  The show must go on.

With most things in my life even when I don't think music plays a roll it's there in the background noise.  If you're still with me here and wondering what any of this has to do with the football blog you've grown used to reading well it made me realize how much I've grown in all ways and continue to evolve and how fortunate...blessed really, I am to have a slightly successful page which is somewhat accepted by a mostly male dominated sort of hobby and industry.  No one ever told me I couldn't and I always knew I could do things, mostly artistic types of things with extreme ease.  I can do anything! I've often said. So while Roughrider football is an obsession in my life, music is a thread weaving itself deeply through it.  A team wins a championship - We Are The Champions.  A Calgary Stampeders game comes to an end - Sweet Caroline.  The Saskatchewan Roughriders score a touchdown - Green is the Colour.

"Like" and "Follow" ABC Football on Facebook for my latest musings.

When the city of Regina hosted the 2013 Grey Cup they knocked the halftime show out of the park by having flying snowmobiles and a rocking Hedley (at the time) group.  Randy Ambrosie said that the Riders pitch was so good they could have landed the Olympics so naturally that makes me question what kind of half time show was pitched.  Does the halftime show need to be Canadian or should they reach farther into the stars to bring the most epic halftime ever?  Can both be done?  What's your opinion on this and who would you like to see as the 2020 halftime show? 

This time of year - March, the cold snap finally comes to an end and we are looking for signs of life.  While it'll be a while until we see daffodils here in Saskatchewan, birds are returning and the snow is sinking as the sun grows higher and higher in the sky.  Our beloved CFL teams will be re-awakening after all the moves in free agency.  The CFLPA negotiations will get settled.  Soon it'll be draft day. Some people are already looking forward and talking about training camp in Saskatoon.  Our passion is renewed.  The season is renewed.  We feel anew.

I'm ready for the next chapter.

Go Riders.

Out There

When I was a kid I saw the movie I Wanna Hold Your Hand.  It was on one of our then called Super Channels which was a 24 hour movie channel.  I've never watched the movie since but I remember how it showed the hysteria of the culture surrounding the Beatles and their fans.

When I was in junior high school I went through a whole 50's and 60's phase.  I made mixed tapes [remember those?] of music from that time period.  I borrowed records from the library and recorded them onto cassette tape.  I borrowed all the Beatles greatest hits albums and transferred them to cassette tape.  This was also around the time Duran Duran hit it big and I quickly transferred my obsession to them and the new British Invasion.

In a million years I would have never thought I'd ever have a chance to see someone of the calibre of Paul McCartney in concert anywhere near my home.  People like that only toured in the US and maybe had one or two concert dates in Canada.

As a piano "mackdaddy", I've taught many students to play Let it Be, Hey Jude, and Yesterday.  I've felt it is my duty as a music teacher to educate the up and coming about relative music.  I teach the songs and I try to teach the story behind it.

In 2012, I went to New York and saw the building John Lennon was killed in front of.  I walked through Central Park which contains Strawberry Fields and a memorial to John Lennon.

This year.  I got to go to Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan for an evening of magic with 40,000 other people.  I saw Sir Paul McCartney in concert for the final night of the North American Out There tour.

It was EPIC.

We drove into Regina about 4pm and checked into the Days Inn which has the highest beds of all time.  Seriously, when I stood beside the bed, it was hip high.  We couldn't find a restaurant so we had to get a quick and untastey burger at McDonald's before we lined up for the shuttle buses to the stadium.  We were there at what we thought was early.  Within a very short period of time the line traveled around the entire parking lot.  The buses could only take 45 people at a time.  There weren't enough buses.  Some people were opting to drive instead but the city strongly urged people to take the SGI sponsored shuttles instead.  So we stuck with the shuttles.

That wasn't the worst of it.

When we got to the block before the stadium there were streets blocked off with police everywhere.  The line up for the gate to our seating was a city block long.  The signage inside the stadium was poor.  It was hot and we had been standing forever.  Bottled water was $4.  So finally we found our seats and settled in.  I use the word 'seat' generously because it was a bench basically.  The guy on the isle got the worst of it by only  half perching on the seat.

Because it was taking such an enormous amount of time for fans to get there the concert did not start on time.  It started an hour after it's supposed initial start time of 8pm.  But something was happening and does tend to happen when 40,000 people are in a stadium together and the sun is setting making the moon [and I'm not talking about Jon Cornish here] over Mosaic a magical place. 

 

A spontaneous wave broke out.  Have you ever seen that amount of people participating in the wave?  I bet we set a record.

Finally, Paul appeared on stage and from there on out.....it was purely 3 hours of legendary music spanning 50 years.  We heard tributes to Lennon and Harrison.  We heard songs dedicated to two of his wives.  We heard stories of recordings and playing with Jimmy Hendrix and it was all incredible.  At one point he took a certain section of the stage to himself.  It was himself and his guitar, which he played about 5 different types.  McCartney talked about telling people how much you love them while you have the chance and how he didn't with John Lennon.  Then he sang a song about him and the stage began to rise up while water falls emerge on the screens below.  Paul wiped away a tear when he was done.

At another point in the concert, he took to his piano to sing Let it Be.  I've heard it billions of times.  This was the most emotional time I've ever experienced it as the entire stadium lit up with lighters and cell phones.  Again, Paul was clearly moved by the outpouring of emotion from the crowd.

The most mind blowing part of the concert was the rendition of Live and Let Die.  I can't even hardly explain the jaw dropping excitement as flames were shot off the stage and fireworks streaked into the night sky.  Wow.  Just plain WOW.

During the 1st encore Hubby pulled my arm and said we should go and catch our bus.  We were clearly leaving early as by the time we hit the bottom of the stairs Paul had broken into Yesterday.  So we stood outside on the street with tons of other people listening in the night.  When it was over we headed to our bus while more fireworks went off and could be seen for blocks around.
                                                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today we were lucky and beat the rush to the continental breakfast which was delish!  We needed it because we were sight seeing before heading home for the 3 hour drive.  The first place we went was the Legislature Building.  This is the massive building which our Premiere Brad Wall conducts all provincial business.  It is on the bank of Wascana Lake and features immaculate gardens, sculptures and walking trails.  There was a tour which takes a half hour but we had other places to get to.

Rider practice!!!!!  We got a little lost trying to find Leibel Field but finally found it.  It was 32*C so we didn't stay as long as originally planned.  It was fun to watch the team practice.  It was cool to hear the 'wolf pack' howl in unison a number of times.  I snapped a few shots before we left for lunch.

Lunch was at the Star Italian Deli.  The main objective was cannoli.  And yes, they did have cannoli!  It was really good too.  We also got assorted Italian meat sandwiches and an orange Boylan soda, another treat from our NYC trip.

Because of the heat, we decided to drive and eat.  We found the highway and zoomed off with enough vivid memories to last a life time.  I am still drinking it all in.  It is amazing to be Out There.

Sand Bucket Update 2 ~ A Weekend with Family ~

On Friday I scheduled a substitute teacher so Brandy and I could pick Hubby up from work at 4:30.  Hubby's "Brodder", Sister in Law & their grandson was visiting the In Laws for the last week.  Also, Hubby's Sister's two children were spending the month at their grandparents.  It was important to make the trip while everyone was home.

It is a 4 hour drive south east.  We stopped after driving for 1 hour in a town called Humbolt.  I had coupons for A&W.  We had two-can-dine-for-$9.99.  It was so yummy!  It was two teen burgers with fries and a drink.  We had to share some fries with Brandy.

On the way we listened to 620 CKRM and the pregame show.  It was the first Rider preseason game.  It made the trip go really fast!

"The Home Place"

When we arrived the TV was quickly turned on so we could watch the second half of the football game.  The Riders beat the Edmonton Eskimos 31 - 24.  WAHOO!

For some reason, Friday night Brandy thought it would be best to sleep with her head under this table.

It was a very rainy weekend, but Saturday afternoon it stopped long enough for the boys to get outside and find something to do.  Brodder in Law got some guns out and set up water bottles.  The guys loved...LOVED shooting the water bottles and soon ran out of targets and had to switch to bricks!  They laughed that when the bullet hit the brick there would be a poof of dust.  Hubby called it "shoosting."

Left to Right: Hubby, Brodder in Law & Father in Law

Baron is Brodder in Law's 8 year old German Shepherd.  Baron does not know he is a big dog.  He has the friendliest face and it is so expressive too!  He wasn't sure what to make of Brandy.  They'd met before.....twice even, but it's been a long time between visits.  There was a slow motion chase in the family room.  Picture this....Baron trying to get away from Brandy by walking away with Brandy trotting behind panting all the way!  In the end, they were BFF's and even shared each others dog food and water dishes.

Sunday was the last day of our visit.  Hubby's Grandpa came for lunch.  Grandpa turned 95 a few months back but is still as spry as ever.  You should have seen his face light up when we mentioned there was pie!  I'm pretty sure he had both the coconut cream and banana cream!

I was responsible for the whipped cream & decoration.

 It was a good visit but it went much too quickly.  We gave the kiddos gifts because we don't normally give presents except for Christmas and even then we are never together.  Nathan will be 10 and is devouring Hubby's Hardy Boys books.  We took 6 more books for him.  For Ava, we bought a toy pony that walked.  Cole was the lucky recipient of Hubby's baseball glove and ball.  He was so surprised with his gift!  It was awesome to see their happy faces.

Great Nephew, Nephew & Niece.

We set out for home and had fairly good weather the whole way.  I was happy that I only had the 4 hour drive and not the 3 day drive like Brodder in Law.  We made vows that we'd go visit them next year for sure.  I'm pretty excited to think that we'll maybe hopefully be able to make the trip to Oregon and Idaho!

Sand Bucket Update 1

Football CHECK!

5.  Football!  OMG FOOTBALL!  Even before the football season starts.....there will be training camp and if you've followed the news or not....Roughrider training camp is taking place in my very own city.  I hope to be able to attend at least once.  That starts June 2nd.  At the end of that week they hold their annual Green & White Day which I've attended for many years now.  Check out Riderville North for what I might be up to!

If you are interested in reading about my experience at Training Camp click the following link for my Football blog:  What I Learned At Training Camp

To keep tabs on my bucket list, check it out here:  10 Thought Tuesday ~ Sand Bucket List ~

10 Thought Tuesday ~ Sand Bucket List ~

The idea behind the bucket list [which I personally feel is overused, but here I am using it] is to make a list of things to do or accomplish before you kick the bucket.  Well, I don't plan on kicking the bucket soon, but I do feel summer days are numbered.  I have 6 more Tuesdays until I am on summer holidays.  I don't want to miss out on anything and since when we go to the beach in the summer we use sand pails, I decided this list would be dedicated to things I want to make sure I do this summer.  I present to you....my Sand Bucket List.

1.  In the downtown across the street from the historic and possibly haunted Bessborough Hotel is a red double decker bus called Bus Stop Refreshments.  I have never gone there.  The reviews are mixed.  It's been there forever so I don't think we have anything to worry about.  It might be fun to have lunch and eat it in the park or have an authentic froyo.  I want to make sure I hit this place up! The Wheels on the Bus Go....Hot Diggety Dog!

2.  Last year I vowed I'd go on a river boat cruise.  How did that work out?  We didn't do it.  It only costs $40 and is a beautiful cruise down the South Saskatchewan.  I've been on cruises in Seattle and NYC....why haven't I done it in my own city?  Shearwater Riverboat Cruises.   A One Hour Tour

3.  Of course I will spend time reading books.  I think that's a given.  I want to spend some time at McNally Robinson book store.  I always forget what pretty gifts they have there.  Inside the bookstore is an eatery called Prairie Ink.  I want to browse books and enjoy some time in the restaurant. There is no blog for this one.  I didn't do it.  Well, I sort of did it.  I went to Indigo books because I had a gift card.

4.  This weekend we are going to get out and scratch in the dirt.  My flower/shrub bed looks a disaster.  Lot's of plants are already poking through.  It's tough on me to get out and work in it during the day due to my sun allergy, but I plan on spending many an evening tending to it.  The best part is then enjoying time on the patio swinging in out deck glider, hopefully not swatting mosquito's, but gazing at sunsets.  My Natural Habitat

5.  Football!  OMG FOOTBALL!  Even before the football season starts.....there will be training camp and if you've followed the news or not....Roughrider training camp is taking place in my very own city.  I hope to be able to attend at least once.  That starts June 2nd.  At the end of that week they hold their annual Green & White Day which I've attended for many years now.  Check out Riderville North for what I might be up to!  Check out this blog to read all about it!  What I Learned At Training Camp

6.  Hubby's brodder is going to be coming this way....to the In Law's for a visit.  I'm sure we will travel to Norquay to see him, our sister in law and our great nephew!  Check this blog out for details of our trip!  Weekend with Family.

7.  August 14th is the day Hubby and I will go to Regina to the Paul McCartney concert at Mosaic Stadium.  That is going to be so thrilling.  While we are there.....I've found the Italian Star Deli which has cannoli!!!!  My quest for cannoli is never ending.  I hope to stop in and bring some home. My Paul McCartney Out There experience.

8.  Did you know Saskatoon has a Broadway?  It's true.  I want to spend some time wandering up and down the street.  I also want to stop in at the Broadway Cafe.  It's done up in 50's 60's decor and although reviews call it trashy....it looks pretty cool from the outside.  I think it might be a fun stop after an afternoon of browsing the interesting shops on the street.  As time went on I wanted to do this less and less.  I've shopped on Broadway before but there were two armed robberies on this street this summer.  I didn't feel safe doing this alone and it just didn't seem as important anymore.

9.  Taste of Saskatchewan.  This happens downtown near the Bessborough Hotel as well.  It's where restaurants open food booths and you get to try different cuisine from all over the province.  The last time we went it was what felt like the hottest day of the year.  We found a tiny square of shade under a tree.  There's entertainment in a band shelter.  We haven't gone for a few years and I think this year is the time to go. Our new Taste of Saskatchewan visit with amazing flambe dessert!

10.  Picnic!  I want to pack up the wiener sticks, the cooler and head out somewhere for a good old fashioned picnic.  It feels good to get out of the city, build a fire and cook over it and come home smelling all woodsy.  If we don't get to go camping this summer.....a picnic will fit the bill.  Wieners weren't involved but I think it still counts!  Day Trip & Picnic to Gardiner Dam

I don't know if I'll get to do all of these things or just some of these things.  I know I will probably get to do things that are outside this list as well.  I just don't want to waste a minute after enduring the longest winter ever.  What's on your Sand Bucket List?

Ten Thought Tuesday ~ Christmas Present ~

Yes, I am well aware it is late late Wednesday.  Give me a break.  I've been busy fa-la-la-ing and eggnogging and rumming it up.

Hubby and I have had a very exciting 2012!  In April, we took the trip of our lifetime [so far] to New York City.  We were there for 10 incredible days over Easter.  Our hotel was in Queens, we rode the subway every day and saw the sights from bus tours, river cruises and a helicopter ride!  There are too many highlights to list but as you can see from the above picture seeing the Statue of Liberty was amazing.  We also made it to Rockefeller Plaza, The Guggenheim, The Museum of Natural History, Central Park and Yankee Stadium.  The food was incredible.  There is nothing like a New York pizza and we will never forget the Italian pastries.  Mmmm….Cannoli!

Brandy~puppy celebrated her 13^th birthday in November.  She’s had an interesting year.  Last Christmas she underwent throat surgery for laryngeal paralysis.  It was very scary for us all.  But she recovered very well although her voice has changed.  Now her bark sounds a little more like a gangster!  I know that we are on bonus time but   Brandy continues to bring happiness into our lives with her spunky personality.  

Hubby continues to work at the Fedorated Co-Op.  I’ve got another full teaching schedule at the Saskatoon Academy of Music.  On weekends you can find us cheering on the Riders, going for car rides and running errands.  

What will be in store for us for 2013?  We’re hoping to go on another epic vacation and spend more time camping and fishing.  Saskatchewan is a beautiful place in the summer and we are so fortunate to work and play here.

We hope our newsletter finds you happy, healthy and full of holiday spirit!  We wish the very best to you and yours for the next year and always!

Garden Kermie, Hubby, our fleurs, Rider Legend George Reed & Kory Sheets with myself.