Over the years, I’ve shared many of my favourite things about the holidays. To me, Christmas has never been about one day, or the presents under the tree. It’s about all the small moments and simple joys that make this time of year special and bring me happiness and peace.
Frosty cold mornings and snow laden trees And favourites like Elf, Home Alone and White Christmas on TV
Pretty green garlands of fresh spruce and pine Glasses of egg nog, hot cocoa and wine
Local church concerts and carols sung on high Finding the perfect gift then waiting for the Amazon guy
Filling the gaps in our old Christmas tree With shiny bright lights, homemade ornaments and memories
White chocolate-dipped Oreos and Mrs. Garrett’s butter tarts Nanaimo bars and haystacks and shortbreads cut in hearts
Candles glowing softly and red cardinals in the air Reminders of those we’ve lost but still with us everywhere
Bowie and Crosby, The Pogues and Buble Handel’s Messiah king of kings on Christmas Day
Gatherings with neighbours and laughter with friends A time to reflect and to make amends
Fighting over the chocolate in the advent calendar And constantly refilling the Scotch mint candy jar
The anticipation Christmas Day brings These are a few of my favourite things
This week’s #HappyAct is to enjoy your favourite things in the lead up to the holidays. What are your favourites?
This weekend, my girlfriends and I were talking about holiday traditions and lamenting the fact that “family time” over the holidays often involves each member of the household hidden away in different rooms on their devices.
We all decided we needed a new holiday tradition but had a hard time coming up with any good ideas. So I thought I’d reach out to you, my loyal readers to ask, what do you do in your house or with your family to spend meaningful time together over the holidays?
We’re only looking for answers that are an outing or activity–something we can do as a family that doesn’t involve screens (so not things like wearing the same Christmas pajamas, ugly sweaters or watching White Christmas on Christmas Eve).
Here were some of the ideas we bandied around:
Gingerbread house decorating contest
Family drive to see Christmas lights
Going to see a holiday concert or play
Playing indoor golf, bowling, laser tag or pool
Carolling around the neighbourhood
Sadly, while we think these would be fun, some are expensive for a family of four or six and there is a good chance our adult-grown children would groan and protest at things like carolling, so anything that is affordable and passes the Bah Humbug metre is a bonus.
Help us rediscover the joy of the holidays with our families and share your ideas by leaving a comment.
Read more about two of my favourite holiday traditions (although the first one is very unique to our family—you won’t want to adopt it!)
Don’t let anyone tell you there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
This past month, I’ve enjoyed four free lunches, making me an official pensioner. I come by it honestly. The Swinton family motto after all is, “You can call me anything you want, just don’t call me late for dinner.”
My first free lunch was the annual Celebration of Friends of Empire Life retirees and 25-year employees. It was a wonderful afternoon of catching up with old friends and colleagues at the Kingston Marriott. Three hours flew by, and I realized I didn’t get a chance to talk to even half the people that were there.
My second free lunch was a thank you from my dear friend Pamela who is turning 92 this month. I drive Pamela to writing class every other Friday and she suggested we have lunch before class at Hattie’s Cove, the Senior’s Centre restaurant. They offer a free lunch to members each month celebrating a birthday.
My last two free lunches were volunteer appreciation luncheons hosted by South Frontenac Township and Southern Frontenac Community Services where Dave and I volunteered this summer in their garden. They were catered by Rampart Kitchens, a wonderful local caterer and we enjoyed eating the delicious Greek-themed meals, chatting with other volunteers in our community and listening to live music at the Grace Centre.
So, the next time someone tells you there’s no such thing as a free lunch, follow the Swinton rule.
The holiday season and New Year always provide ample opportunities to snag free nosh. Shop at stores that offer free hot chocolate and snacks, attend a dinner or craft night at your local church, or watch for invitations to a New Year’s Levee in your community. Many service groups or churches also offer a free Christmas or holiday meal at this time of year. Happy munching!
Note: While this post is meant to be tongue in cheek and a thank you for my free lunches this past month, food insecurity is a growing issue in many communities. Food Banks are in desperate need of donations, so if you are able to give, please give to your local food bank this holiday season. And if you live in South Frontenac, the Verona Lions host a free Christmas dinner every year on December 25 at noon at the Verona Lions Hall. They ask you register on their website so they have an idea of numbers.
Conversation with Clare over FaceTime this morning. She’s cooking a turkey for the first time for her friends in Halifax. We’re in the car driving to our local conservation area to walk off last night’s Thanksgiving dinner:
“I’m cooking a turkey for our Friendsgiving tonight. How long do I cook it for?”
Dave: “How many pounds is it?”
“18 pounds.”
“6 hours at 350 then.”
“6 hours? I ain’t got time for dat.”
“I hope it’s unfrozen. Did you take it out of the freezer?”
“I don’t know, it’s been in the fridge.”
“You better check to make sure it’s unfrozen or it won’t be ready in time. What time are you having dinner?”
“6 pm” (it’s 12 noon in Halifax already). Yells to her roommates: “Make sure you turn the fire alarm off”. Then, “How do I tell if it’s unfrozen?”
“Stick your hand inside it and see if it’s hard.”
“Oh lordie, lordie that’s cold. It’s a little hard but I think it’s mainly unfrozen. What do I do next?”
“You have to look for the neck and giblets and take them out.”
“Jib what?”
“Giblets. They’ll be in a little bag.”
“Okay, I got them. What was the other thing?”
“The neck.”
“Huh?”
“It looks like 4-inch penis. You have to pull it out.”
“I don’t see anything that looks like that.”
I’m laughing so hard at this point I miss the turn to the conservation area. Dave has to stop giving turkey instructions to give me road directions.
Dave: “There might not be a neck. Not all turkeys come with the neck and it’s okay to cook it with the neck in if it is there.”
“Okay, now what do I do?”
“Just add some water to the bottom of the pan, cover it up and put it in the oven.”
At this point, she gets distracted and starts talking to Grace about her outfit. “Is that a pink Lululemon top? I love it.”
Grace: “Yeah, I’ll bring it to Halifax when I come see you on the weekend so you can steal it from me.”
She finally finishes covering up the turkey with foil and puts it in the oven. She holds up her happy face oven mitts wide with pride.
“Happy Turkey Day guys.”
To all my loyal readers, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. We were grateful for the family, friends and laughter around our table last night but missed our loved ones far away.
It’s the last weeks of summer. Whether you’re planning a final road trip with the family or just looking for staycation ideas, now is a great time to visit a museum. Here is my top ten list of little museums that are perfect for a one hour or half-day stop. Be sure to check their websites for any free admission days.
Miner’s museum in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia: while the museum itself is small, the experience is large, making this museum one of my favourites in Canada. Join a former miner as you walk down the stopes underground and learn about coal mining in Cape Breton.
Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough: We visited this terrific little museum in 2020 before it expanded and relocated to the shores of the Trent-Severn waterway. I’m itching to go back to see what new treasures and exhibits are on display. You can even now spend a morning or afternoon paddling on site. Read my post An Afternoon at the Canadian Canoe Museum for the full rundown.
Les Trois Pignons rughooking museum in Cheticamp, Nova Scotia: located near the end of the Cabot Trail, this museum features astonishing works of art made from rughooking, the region’s specialty. It costs only $7 and you can tour it in about half an hour, making it well worth the stop.
Bata Shoe museum in Toronto: Opened in 1995 after the Bata family’s private shoe collection outgrew its home, this famous little museum has been attracting visitors for more than 30 years. Current exhibitions include the history of the cowboy boot, how crime investigators use footprints and footwear in their work, and footwear through the ages.
Toronto Holocaust Museum: Opened in 2023, this new museum on Bathurst St. north of Sheppard inspires visitors to think deeply about the tragedies of the Holocaust and make connections between the holocaust and contemporary world events and Canadian life. Montreal also has a holocaust museum. It’s currently under renovation and will reopen its doors in 2026.
The Canadian Potato Museum in Prince Edward Island: quintessentially Canadian, we loved this little museum that celebrates PEI’s biggest export (20% of the potatoes in Canada come from PEI). Learn about how spuds are grown and their importance to the development of Canada’s smallest province and enjoy a selection of potato dishes in their restaurant. Bonus points for having one of the friendliest and accommodating staff around—our family arrived in late April when the museum was still closed, but they let us in for free and let us look around “as long as we didn’t mind the mess”.
Diefenbunker: located in Carp just west of Ottawa is a four-storey underground bunker built in 1959 by Prime Minister Diefenbaker to serve as the headquarters and communications hub during the Cold War.
Tim Horton’s Museum in Hamilton: located on the second floor of the original Tim Hortons store in Hamilton at 65 Ottawa Street, this little museum recently underwent renovations. Make sure you order a double double when you’re there.
Gopher Hole Museum in Torrington, Alberta: Touted as the “world famous” gopher hole museum, this museum is by donation and features vignettes of gophers and a gopher gift shop. You gotta see it to believe it.
Kingston Penitentiary Museum: eclipsed by the Kingston Penitentiary tours (fantastic by the way and free with the tour), don’t miss this fantastic little museum in the historic warden’s house across from the pen. Learn how famous inmate escaped and life behind bars—the perfect one-hour visit.
This week’s #HappyAct is to visit one of Canada’s great little museums. And my apologies to BC: even though I’ve been to British Columbia many times, I never visit museums because the province is so beautiful, I tend to spend all my time outdoors.
Here’s a bonus museum for when we’re all ready to travel to the States again: It’s a Wonderful Life Museum in Seneca Falls, New York. Still under renovation, plan to visit this wonderful little museum in the future. Read my Lessons on Life and Happiness from the museum.
Photos: above: Dave holding up a canoe at the Canadian Canoe Museum. Below: our guide at the Miner’s Museum in Glace Bay; Clare and I in front of the Canadian Potato Museum this spring; one of the incredible rughooking works of art of Confederation at Les Trois Pignons rughooking museum in Cheticamp, NS.
I just returned from a glorious two-week vacation to Scotland. You can’t visit Scotland without visiting some castles (some call it an “ABC” tour—“Another Bloody Castle”) and we toured several, including one yacht, the Royal Yacht Britannia.
In Europe, there are two kinds of castles: fortresses that served as settlements and outposts built for military reasons to keep out invaders, and castles typically built later in the 1700s and 1800s as grand estates. The last time I visited Scotland in the 80’s, I was very fortunate to have a private tour and tea at one of these grand estates, Brodie Castle in Forres.
The allure of a castle is hard to resist. History, mystery, intrigue and magnificent architecture, set at a stunning location. As you walk on the grey cobbled stones that have stood the test of time, close your eyes and you are transported to a time when royals reigned, nobles ruled and servants sweltered and swept in bustling constant motion. Throw in some dungeons, tales of valour, deceit and death, and ghosts, and the enchantment is complete.
Here were some of the castles we visited this trip:
Dunnottar Castle in Stonehaven: the hike to this castle from the picturesque seaside village of Stonehaven is stunning, along sea cliffs and farmers fields with flowing grasses and sheep and cows grazing. Perched on a 160 foot high rock and surrounded on three sides by the North Sea, the castle itself is largely ruins, but you still get a feel for the settlement that once thrived on the site. William Wallace attacked an English settlement in 1297 here.
Eilean Donan Castle near the bridge to the Isle of Skye: built in the mid thirteenth century on an island, this is one of the most photographed castles in Scotland, next to Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness. Just as we were leaving, two stealth fighter jets flew over the castle at the speed of sound, leaving us breathless. Pro travel tip: we arrived later in the day when the ticket gate was closed so were able to wander around the grounds for free.
Balmoral Castle, in Cairngorns National Park (pictured at top). The Scottish vacation home of the Royal Family, this 55,000 hectare park features the royal residence, gardens and acres and acres of rugged parkland.
Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye: home to the MacLeod clan for eight centuries, this castle served both a military purpose and as a stately home, with grand living areas, bedrooms and family heirlooms and antiques. (When I was visiting, one of the staff had to kindly ask a young gentleman to put down the 250-year old serving tureen he picked up to examine!) You can even stay at one of six holiday cottages on site.
Edinburgh Castle: one of the oldest fortresses in Europe, Edinburgh Castle has served as a garrison, royal residence, fortress and prison. Its chapel dates back to 1093. It is also home to the Scottish crown jewels. I enjoyed listening to the musician on site play various ancient instruments, including the hurdy gurdy. The photo below is taken from the Grassmarket, a trendy pub area beneath the castle.
This week’s #HappyAct is to pretend you are a king or queen for the day and visit a castle. If you can’t travel overseas, here are a few options closer to home:
Boldt Castle, in Alexandria Bay, New York or by boat from Rockport or Gananoque (**passport required**): built on an island by George Boldt, the owner of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel at the turn of the century for his new bride, this castle is still the jewel of the Thousand Islands.
Casa Loma in Toronto: built in 1914 by financier Sir Henry Pellatt and now owned by the City of Toronto, the 200,000 square foot castle is an excellent example of European elegance and grandeur. Be sure to check out their special events, like symphony in the gardens and sunset concerts.
Dundurn Castle in Hamilton: built in the 1830s, this 40-room palace was home to Sir Allan Napier MacNab, railway magnate, lawyer and Premier of the United Canadas (1854-1856).
They say people come into your life for a moment, a day, or a lifetime. Sometimes it’s for a week.
In 2013, Dave and I took the trip of a lifetime to Tanzania. We spent a week in Arusha, the Ngorongora Crater and the Serengeti before flying to Zanzibar for four days in the Indian Ocean. The image of thousands of zebras and wildebeest migrating across the plains of the Serengeti is still seared in my mind.
Our local guide was Fulgence Kenedy, a sweet, soft-spoken young father with a beautiful smile, a twinkle in his eye and wicked sense of humour. We became fast friends, bonding over parenthood, our love of nature, and Justin Bieber (don’t ask). Over the years, we’ve kept in touch with Fulgence through Facebook and Facebook messenger.
Our trip to Tanzania was one of the things that inspired this blog. In a nation that had so little, we were struck by how warm, funny, and happy the people were and it made me reflect even more on what makes people happy.
Over the years, as we enjoyed the videos and pictures Fulgence shared online of him on safari, I noticed his posts were often accompanied by inspirational messages of love, hope and joy.
Here are some reflections on life, love and happiness from my Tanzanian philosopher friend Fulgence:
“Don’t plan too much, life has its own plans for you. Remember that some of the most beautiful moments of your life are unplanned.”
“Every sunset is an opportunity to reset and brings a new promise of dawn. You cannot stop the sunrise.”
“One day, I was surprised when I came home from church with my neighbour. When we had nearly reached home, she poured warm water* on me and wished me happy birthday. The question was, how did she keep the water warm all the time we were in church? It’s all because of love.” *I asked Fulgence why his neighbour poured water on him on his birthday—he says it’s like when a child is baptized and is an act of love and acceptance
“Life doesn’t allow us to go back and fix what we have done wrong in the past, but it does allow us to live each day better than the last.”
“To succeed in life you need two things: ignorance and confidence.”
“The hardest test in life is the patience to wait for the right moment.”
“Everyone has a reason why you’re in this world, but to be in this world you pass through several people and make them happy or leave a wound in their heart…the bridge to cross is just a few short words. Sorry. I forgive you. Most of us don’t know how to say that when we hurt others. It’s time to love and care for others like you love and care for yourself.”
And finally,
“Happiness is a medicine”
I’ll leave you with this classic Fulgence joke. He asked me, “Laurie, do you know how to tell a male zebra from a female zebra? The male zebra is black with white stripes. The female zebra is white with black stripes.”
Ed. note: If you’re thinking of going to Africa on safari, we highly recommend you book with Access2Tanzania. Casey and the team here in North America will customize a trip for you. Ask for Fulgence—he’s featured on their website.
One of my favourite photos: a pair of zebras in the Serengeti. Fulgence shared they will rest their heads on each others’ backs so they can see predators from any direction. Can you tell the male from the female?
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I used to know Where treetops glisten And children listen To hear sleigh bells in the snow
Outside snowflakes are falling Our sleds and skis in tow A sense of joy fills the air We haven’t a care Playing in a wonderland of snow
The lake is frozen over The world is frosty and grand Birds share their singsong As we sing along In a wintery fairy land
Love and happiness surround us As we stroll hand in hand It’s a beautiful sight All is merry and bright Walking in a winter wonderland
The world is peaceful and quiet A bed of fresh fallen snow The sky sparkles with light Before the still, silent night With lights all warm and aglow
So throw your arms up to the sky In the snow on Christmas day May it be merry and bright Every Christmas be white And all your troubles be far away
Ed note: Living in Eastern Ontario, it’s not Christmas without snow. It will be a white Christmas this year and that makes me happy. I took these photos on one of my walks this week after a fresh snowfall and wrote this mash-up of several favourite Christmas songs that includes lyrics from Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Sarah McLachlan’s Wintersong, It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas by Meredith Willson and Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson, plus a few verses of my own. If you’re a musician, feel free to put them to music!
I hope everyone has a very peaceful and joyous Christmas. Be sure to check back for next week’s #HappyAct, my annual round-up of top happy acts of 2024.
On Friday, at my last writer’s group meeting of 2024, one of our group members Joanne wanted to share something she had written in the spirit of the season. She called it “So this is Christmas” and started with the immortal verse John Lennon wrote more than 40 years ago during the Vietnam War for the song Happy Xmas/War is Over.
As Joanne read her heartfelt piece of thanks and gratitude, I looked around the room and thought about how grateful I was to be a part of this interesting group of people and how much I have learned from them in the four short months since I joined the group.
I’ve learned about botany, the undercover world of police work and drug busts, life in the Congo in the 1950s, the wild ponies in the New Forest in Hampshire, growing up on the Isle of Wight and so much more.
Some of us are writing novels, others short stories, and some their memoirs. All of us share a love and passion for writing.
But as much as writing brought us together, it is the people and camaraderie that make us come back each week.
There’s Franklin, our kind, patient leader who reminds us he will ring the bell if we go over time when sharing our work, but hasn’t rung it once since I’ve joined.
There’s Dorothy Anne, our skilled master, always with an encouraging word, tip or suggestion to improve our writing.
There’s Wayne, our pastry muse who scours the local bakeries to feed our minds and souls and lets us choose not just one, but two delectable treats, one to eat in class and one to take home.
There’s Sister Maureen, Greta and Pamela who honour us by sharing a glimpse into the fascinating lives they’ve lived each week.
There’s Mo, who shared such a moving piece a few weeks ago describing the sounds of a home filled with children, and the heartbreaking silence when they become adults and move out, that it took three members to finish reading it as each person welled up with tears.
As I was thinking about this group and Joanne’s words, she shared this, “It’s true we cannot change what is happening around the world and often not even in our own communities, so we may think, ‘Why bother?’ or ‘What can I do?’. The answer is plenty, and it all starts with kindness.”
So, this is Christmas. What have you done? Another year is over and a new one begun. Let’s all take a page from my writer’s group, and start the year with kindness.
I love Christmas. Dave hates Christmas. This makes for an interesting dynamic in our household as the holidays become near.
To be fair, Dave doesn’t really hate Christmas. He laments the commercialism of the holiday and despises stores putting decorations out and playing Christmas music in November. But as December creeps upon us, my grinch’s heart warms to holiday traditions and Christmas cheer.
On Friday, I planned the jolliest of jaunts to help my humbugger of a husband get into the holiday spirit.
We drove up to Sharbot Lake for their annual Festival of Trees, a fundraiser for Villages Beautiful, a local organization that raises money for beautification projects in Central Frontenac.
As we walked down the street to the Oso Hall, a nearby church piped cheery Christmas carols that floated through the air like Santa’s sleigh.
We entered the hall where a band and choir were singing Christmas tunes and the smell of hot chocolate and cider permeated the air. We admired the festive trees decorated by local businesses and service organizations and placed our raffle tickets for our chance to win gift baskets, artwork and beautiful prizes.
After a quick visit with friends, we headed to our next destination: Riverhill Farm in Ompah to see North Frontenac’s largest light display.
We had read about this local family who began opening their 20-acre farm to visitors for their light display in 2014, but were still unprepared for the treat that lay before us.
We drove down a long driveway lined by cedar rail posts decorated with Christmas lights to the entrance. A beautiful log cabin surrounded by stately trees laden with lights greeted us, along with an animatronics display of four smiling Christmas trees singing Have a Holly Jolly Christmas.
We first took a drive through the light display (you can drive through it or walk), then parked and walked. A sliver moon peeped out from behind the clouds and we marvelled at the different displays: a small white chapel in a field, a grinch and his sleigh, a white present with red bow on top that was so big you could walk through it, candy canes, Christmas trees and glittering balls.
Sometimes light displays can almost verge on the tacky. Not at Riverhill Farm. My favourite was the beautiful large oaks and maples decorated with ribbon lights along the trunks and different coloured lights in swaths along the branches.
As we wandered around the 200,000 sparkling lights amidst the newfallen snow, my grinch’s hardened heart grew two times that night.
Dave said if he lived near Riverhill Farm, he’d come every night to see the light display.
This week’s #HappyAct is to plan a jolly jaunt to make even the hardened of Grinch’s hearts grow with holiday cheer.
If you plan to visit: The farm is open every night now until December 30. Admission is by donation. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights there are vendors, wagon rides and a concession stand selling hot chocolate, coffee, and our favourite, mini-doughnuts. For a special treat, plan on visiting Saturday, December 14 for the fireworks at 7 pm.
More Christmas light shows: My loyal readers will know I have a thing for Christmas light shows. Read more about the tradition of Christmas lights in “Enjoy the Wizards Light Show”.
Happy Act 