Wintery Tuesday Random Ramblings

• I know it's not "officially" winter yet, but winter has arrived with a bang nevertheless.  The snow started on Sunday morning and basically continued right into the night last night.  It was accompanied by blustery winds that have resulted in drifting snow and a lot of cranky people around here.  And because I love the snow and have said so a time or two, it has made me Public Enemy #1. *sigh*
  
  
  
  
• I still make no apologies for loving the snow.  As much as I love summer and enjoyed this past one to the max, this is the time of year that fills my heart with delight.  Sunday afternoon, I was so excited to hunker down.  I was in a big cozy sweater and leggings, fuzzy wool socks, curled up on the couch in a blanket while the snow and winds raged outside.  I ordered Christmas presents on-line with the fireplace on TV, then I watched the Toronto Santa Claus Parade. I made popcorn and hot chocolate with lots of little marshmallows.   For supper, I made one of my favourite "winter" meals of macaroni with hamburger and tomato.  With my house already decorated for Christmas, it was literally my perfect kind of day.  Welcome back, winter!!!
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• On Sunday evening for a few hours, I was totally wrapped up in the closing of our church's fundraising Facebook Auction.  The bidding wars really heated up in the last hour, and it was so much fun.  In the end, it was a huge success, making over $5000 towards the building fund project for our church, which is in desperate need of a new roof and other repairs and upgrades.  I was once again reminded of what an amazing community we live in, as so many different people donated items and services for the auction, and so many more were bidding on them.  The support was incredible!!
• Well, thanks to the convenience of on-line shopping, I would say I now have about three-quarters of my Christmas shopping done.  Pretty much everything I can get online has now been ordered.  I have next Monday booked off for a shopping day to finish up the odds and ends and stocking stuffers, and then I should be completely done my shopping!  That's the one part about Christmas that I find really stressful, so I'll be happy when it's complete.  Then it's just the fun stuff:  Baking and wrapping!!  I LOVE the baking and wrapping!!
• Friday is our company Christmas Party, and I'm really looking forward to it.  We always have this delicious turkey dinner for lunch, and I'm literally drooling just thinking about the stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy... mmmmm!  I always feel sad that we don't get to have Thanksgiving again with our American pals, but this year I basically will!  And then when it comes to the drinks, I'm going to try to walk the fine line between having fun and being silly, and getting so drunk I throw chunks of ice at other peoples' heads.  (true story, unfortunately.)
• For the past few weeks, as I've decorated and listened to my favourite Christmas tunes, and watched a few Christmas movies, I've felt the need to clarify that "I know it's too early" - but after this weekend, I don't have to worry about that anymore.  After Friday, the holiday season will officially be open and I don't have to hide my Christmas spirit any longer! YAY!!!
• The one thing I keep forgetting amid all this holiday hype is that the Grey Cup is on Sunday, and our Ottawa Redblacks are making an appearance in the big game for the second year in a row!  I don't pay a whole lot of attention to football, but I'll be rooting them on on Sunday.  GO REDBLACKS!!!
  

Happy snowy Tuesday, my friends! :)