Happy New Year!

The four of us wish you all a happy and healthy New Year! May it be filled with joy, laughter, love and health!

So, here we are, about to start a brand new year in a few hours. I'm not sure if we will stay up until midnight but we might give it a try. Our New Year's Eve is quiet, just the way we like it. We just got back from visiting with mom and dad. It was a nice visit and we brought the kids with us. Dad will be having another sleepover so that he can ring in the New Year with mom.   She continues to be stable and is looking very good. We're in a good place now and are enjoying these moments.

This morning, I was reflecting back on 2017.  The first half of the year was very good. The second half was a bit more challenging, having to deal with my mom's serious health issues, and my parents move to their retirement home. But, right smack in the middle of the year,  our lives got a little spicier....our little girl Spicy came into our lives.  What a joy she's been.  Both Coop and Spicy bring us such happiness and make the not so good days look so much brighter. We love them to the moon and back.

Christmas day was good. We all had lunch with mom. It was nice and relaxing. In the evening, my brother came over for dinner and stayed the night. It was a no muss no fuss kind of night. Our pooches really enjoyed having him around, so did we.

The weather has been frigid, everywhere. We went for a couple of short walks but that's about it. The cold temperatures didn't stop us from visiting Russell's dad's grave on the 16th anniversary of his passing. It was a beautiful sunny day.

This is the last blog of 2017. I hope you all have a very nice start to the new year. My only thought, going into the new year, is that life is short, whether we're young or old, healthy or sick, so let's make the most of each day. Be safe and stay warm! Love from our little family xo

From our home to yours...Happy New Year 2018 !
Health, happiness and love to all.

Mom and Dad enjoying the family celebration on
Christmas Day 2017!

The Pelletier family in all its glory on Christmas Day 2017 with
Dad, Mom, Lynn, myself and Francois.

Dad and mom with their grandchildren, Sean and James!

Russell joined the celebration while my nephew, Sean,
managed the camera....perfect moment with Mom and Dad.

Russell, Cooper and Spicy visit the resting place of his parents
on the 16th anniversary of his father's passing.

The kids just chilling while visiting mom
at Vivalis on New Years Eve.

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noel!

Happy Christmas Eve! Russell, Cooper and Spicy join me in wishing you all a wonderful Christmas. May it be filled with love and joy!

I just finished prepping our Christmas Eve festivities, we're ready. We are about to have our favorite holiday cocktail...a glass of Prosecco with a touch of Pomegranate Liqueur. Very festive and very delicious. I made a shrimp and scallop gratin for dinner tonight. Another favorite holiday dish. It will be just the four of us, quiet and peaceful.

My dad is having a sleepover with mom tonight and tomorrow night. They are both looking forward to it. Mom is doing remarkably well. She looks very good. It's actually hard to believe the change in her. We are making the most of those moments.

Tomorrow, we will all be joining mom and dad for lunch.  The staff at the Vivalis was kind enough to set aside a table for us in the dining area, near my mother's room.  We are doing a pot luck kind of lunch, it will be nice and yummy. Mom is overseeing the preparations in her usual fashion. It will be a Christmas to remember.

It's a short blog today. Our holiday cocktail awaits us! Be happy and be safe!

Cooper and Spicy wish everyone a very Merry
Christmas and all the best for 2018...lots of
love, health and treats!

The Duncan family stocking are hung with care....knowing
Saint Nicholas soon will be there...woof, woof!

T'was the week before Christmas

Happy Sunday everyone! Just think, one week from tonight, it will be Christmas Eve.  Everyone will be waiting anxiously for Santa to make his appearance in our homes. The countdown has begun.

Mom is doing quite well and looks much better than when she was in the hospital. This is partly due to the environment where she is now and the fact that her medical condition is stable for now. She had a hair cut last week and is getting her hair done again this coming Tuesday. Her room is nicely decorated for Christmas. We savour each good day.

This past week was good. I went to the gym four times...I had planned on five but I just couldn't fit a 5th class into my schedule. That's OK. It felt good to work out. I got all my baking done and froze most of it. Russell was kind enough to offer to do the "Christmas Baking Tasting". You gotta love this guy!

We had our first real snow fall on Tuesday. We didn't get nearly the amount of snow predicted, about 10 cm. Although we shovelled paths for Coop and Spicy, we quickly found out that our Spice Girl needs more than paths in order to do her business....you see, Spicy likes to spin in circles before finding the right spot, totally hilarious to watch, so, guess what... mommy opened up a whole area, free of snow, so she can spin in circles for as long as she wants. The things we do for our pooches!

Today, we had auntie Lorraine over for lunch, a pre-Christmas celebration. We had a wonderful time. She is such a nice lady.

This coming week is kind of busy. Russell has his phlebotomy tomorrow afternoon, we both have dentist appointments on Tuesday, we get our hair cut this week and our pooches are getting their Christmas bath on Friday, this is in addition to the other stuff that we have to do. It will all get done!

That's it for my blog. I wish you all a great week. Will do a short blog on Christmas Eve.

Auntie Lorraine has the Spiced one in her arms...while
Russell has a grip on Coop in front of the
Christmas tree...me on camera! 

Cooper and Spicy decided the chair was the spot for
the photo session with Auntie Lorraine and me.

Cooper worn a string of lights as he pondered
what he is getting for Christmas.

Spicy likes to hang with her Teddy friends at
Christmas.

Cooper was happy to soak up some sun in a snowy backyard.

Spicy is a diva and she struck a pose in the backyard today.

The smell of Christmas baking

Happy Sunday to all! A cloudy day and getting colder tonight. We are expecting our first significant snowfall on Tuesday. We are ready for it, so are Cooper and Spicy.

All is good with us. We are slowly getting into the Christmas spirit. Today, I baked my first batch of Christmas cookies. I am two weeks behind in my baking but I will catch up, I promise. I will bake more tomorrow.

Last week was a difficult one for us. My mom was transferred to Vivalis Palliative Care. What a wonderful and serene place and we can't say enough about the caring staff. Mom is very comfortable and I will say that she is adapting very well to her new surroundings. Dad got her a CD player and we have been playing her favorite CDs, one of them is by Jesse Cook. I will not dwell on this other than to say that we now live each day to the fullest and try to bring mom all the pleasures that she so likes. On that note, I took Spicy to visit her on Friday. Needless to say that it brought a smile to her face, and my dad's. She was the perfect therapy dog. Next visit will be with the Coop.

Russell and I are managing the best we can and support my dad every way possible.  Having said this, we try to go about our day to day life in a normal fashion. I skipped the gym a few times last week but plan on going five times this coming week. As for Russell, he's doing well and he's been my rock, that's all I can say. But he also has a medical issue that he's dealing with. A few months ago, he was diagnosed with Hemochromatosis, a genetic blood disorder in which the body loads too much iron. If not treated, it can cause severe damage to internal organs. Luckily for him, he was diagnosed early and his internal organs are not affected. The only way to treat this condition is by giving blood (phlebotomy) once a month. So, next week, Russell will be doing his second treatment. For now, he expects to have to give blood once a month for 5 months and then a few times a year. He is getting regular blood testing to determine the iron level.  Hoping his condition continues to improve the way it should.

Yesterday, Spicy graduated from Obedience Level 1. She did very well and I look forward to doing Level 2 in the Spring. As for Cooper, we are done with our Fun Obedience training until mid-January. He's such a good boy and LOVES training.

That's it for my blog today. I leave you with some photos of our doggies and our special Christmas decorations for them. Have a great week!

Spicy and Cooper have their ornaments hung with care....
knowing that treats will be there!

Spicy providing my Mom some
comfort.

Spicy can always be counted upon to
make herself comfortable...
even on mom's bed.

Me and Spicy in the line up....waiting for next instructions.

Focus is the key and Spicy has it!

Spicy says, yum turkey bacon!

Me and our newest graduate form Level 1 Obedience...
Spicy!

A sunny December Monday

Happy Monday everyone! I hope your Christmas preparations are going well. Three weeks today. It's hard to believe, especially when we look at the weather. Sunny, warmish and no snow yet.

Russell and I got back from Toronto late yesterday afternoon. We had a wonderful getaway, so did our pooches. Our time in Niagara-on-the-Lake was really nice. The town was all decked out for the holidays and full of tourists. We treated ourselves to a much needed 80 minute deep tissue massage. Oh, it felt so good. Too bad the feeling cannot be bottled and applied as needed. We had a great dinner at Noble, the restaurant at the Prince of Wales Hotel and tried the tasting menu, which was delicious.

On Saturday, we drove back to Toronto and went to the Christmas Market in the Distillery District. The weather was perfect for strolling through the market.  It truly is worth going.  The ambiance was wonderful and we could feel the magic of Christmas all around us. The market was packed with people, lots of kids and lots of doggies. We wished we could have had Cooper and Spicy with us.

Saturday night, we had dinner with our good friends the Lulhams. We went to Cibo, in Yorkville. We had a great time and shared some good laughs.

So, our magical weekend came and went and my mother was never far from my thoughts. I found myself feeling quite nostalgic at times. Mom's condition has not improved. She is not in pain, which is a blessing, but is getting weaker every day. We are now at the point where we must think about finding a more comfortable environment where she can continue to receive the care she needs. Heartbreaking times for my dad and all of us.

That's it for my blog. I leave you with photos of our weekend. We created new memories that we will always cherish. I wish you all a wonderful week.

Russell and I under the heart in the Distillery District
at the Toronto Christmas market.

People everywhere at the Christmas Market.

There were sights, sounds and smells in the air at the
Market....truly a feast for the senses.

A children's choir entertained the large crowds

The Market Christmas tree was over 40 feet tall.

The setting sun cast golden light on the skyline just outside the
Toronto Christmas Market as seen on Mill St.

Just 22 days till Christmas....and counting! 

Russell and I in front of the lovely Christmas tree
of the Prince of Wales hotel after a marvelous meal
in NOTL.

The Big Night is four weeks away

Happy Sunday everyone! What a difference a week makes. A week ago today, things looked pretty grim for my mom. Once again, she beat the odds and she came out of ICU on Friday. She is still very sick and, being the ever so realistic person that I am, I take every bit of improvement with guarded optimism. Having said this, we are all breathing a little better now and we plan on celebrating mom's birthday on Tuesday, in her hospital room.  Rather than eating the wonderful hospital food, I asked her what she would like to eat and she immediately said, a cream of asparagus soup. So asparagus soup it will be for her birthday lunch.  I will bring enough so that dad and I can share a meal with mom. It will be a birthday to remember.

This past week was crazy busy with gym, dog training (for both), some walks with the doggies, house stuff and hospital visits. I cannot believe that in four weeks tonight, it will be Christmas Eve. I was thinking of putting up our Christmas trees tomorrow afternoon. I think it's time to get into the Christmas spirit, despite the difficult times we are going through. Everyone who reads my blog has been so supportive and it makes it easier for me to get through these times. Some of you I only know because you're friends with Russell, you know who you are. Your support and encouragement mean the world to me.

Off to a totally different topic...Black Friday. People who know me well know how much I hate shopping.  So, I set aside some "free time" on Thursday to go to Fairview to buy a few things that I really needed, like a new pair of boots and some nice smelly body products from Bath & Body Works. I figured Thursday would be a good day, before Black Friday....what a mistake that was. Thursday was the Black Friday at Fairview. Nothing else to add other than I bought a pair of boots and found my coconut smelly body cream called "At The Beach". It's all good.

Yesterday, Russell had lunch with his cousin Kirk. He hadn't seen him in 30 years. The two had a lot of catching up to do. It was truly a nice reunion.

This coming week will be busy in a good way. Other than celebrating my mom's birthday on Tuesday, we will be going to Toronto on Thursday for a little pre-Christmas getaway. In addition to having dinner with friends on Thursday and Saturday, Russell and I will be spending Friday night in Niagara-on-the-Lake and take part, or watch, the Christmas Candlelight Stroll, always on the first Friday of December, We look forward to this getaway and making new memories. Coop & Spicy will be at Talemakers having a wonderful time!

That's my blog for this week. I leave you with pics of our two pooches. Russell was working on his portrait photography and the only "subjects" he could find were Cooper and Spicy. Have a great week everyone!

The guardians at the door...Spicy and Cooper on the
bench in the front hallway, waiting for daddy to come home.

Cooper took time out of his busy treat schedule
to pose for some portrait practice.

Spicy is her elegant diva as she practiced her
posing skills.

Hoping and Praying

Hi everyone. A very bleak day all around.  It rained today,  a few snow flakes here and there. A typical November day. Our day has also been sombre. My mom was transferred back to ICU this morning. Her condition is critical. At this point, we can only hope and pray.

Ironically, on Friday, mom's admission to the rehab centre came but she had a set back and couldn't be released from the hospital. My dad, brother, sister and I have come to terms with her condition. Truly heart wrenching, that's all I can say.  I just came back from seeing mom and despite having the CPAP mask on, she was able to speak and she was quick to say that she loves us all. She is not ready to leave us and her very sick heart just keeps on ticking. Her birthday is coming up on the 28th, hoping we can have a little celebration with her.

Needless to say that we are going through some difficult times. Somehow Christmas doesn't sound very appealing right now but we will get through this. Russell knows how much I love decorating the house and listening to Christmas music.... despite everything, I will do my very best to make Christmas happen in our home.

On that note, on Thursday, we got the Christmas stockings that we ordered for ourselves and our two pooches.  Today, we got our family Christmas photos. They are beautiful! So, some happy moments are happening even through tough times.

That's it for my blog today. I wish you all a wonderful week. My thoughts and prayers are for my mom. Good night maman, we love you!

Spicy and Cooper alerted us to the leaf-blowers
across the street...ever vigilant on the front porch even
though having a bad hair day!

New Christmas stockings for the Duncan clan ready
to be filled and hung with care.

My husband, the model

Happy Sunday everyone! A true November day, gloomy and damp. We had a couple of pretty darn cold days last week but no snow. It was a rude awakening to get up to -8 celsius on Thursday morning. The good thing about the cold weather is that the grass is hard, so cleaner for our little paws.

This past week was good and busy. I probably sound like a broken record when I say there are not enough hours in a day, these days.  I do what I can and make the most of my time.  I had two excellent training classes with Cooper and Spicy. Tuesday's training with Cooper was awesome. Oh boy, he loves to jump and loves to train, especially when it's fun! As for my Obedience class with Miss Spicy, well, we had a breakthrough on Saturday. Spicy loves to train but she has a little bit of a "stubborn streak" in her. Our practice paid off and we did really well, actually extremely well. I was so excited during the class, her heeling and focus were perfect. I think that if there was a prize given out to the handler who shows the most excitement, I would win it!  I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I am using all the good tips that Wanda has given me..."ready ready ready", using a positive marker, praising, etc. It's all good and I can't wait for next Saturday.

On Thursday, we had Auntie Lorraine over for lunch. It was nice to see her and she brought us two hand knitted doggie blankets. Spicy and Cooper love them to pieces and love to nest in them. On Friday, my dad came over for dinner. It was a good change for him and our pooches always enjoy his company. On Saturday, I decided to make my Winter pots. The soil in the pots was not quite frozen so I figured, why not do them now. Off we went to buy what we needed and the pots are done for the upcoming holiday season.  Tick, done.

This morning we had our family Christmas photos done by Erika, a photographer in Beaconsfield. It was fun and we got some good shots of the four of us, as a family, and of Cooper & Spicy together. Can't wait to see the final product. Another little Havanese that we know was also getting her Christmas photo taken. Very special to be able to do this.

Now, let's talk about my hubby. He was a model at his photography class a week ago last Sunday. He was told that he is very photogenic. I agree, which is why his "portrait" is the first picture of my blog. The topic of the class was how to use natural light for portraits. Kind of cool!

A little bit of news about my mom. She is still at the Lakeshore Hospital waiting to be admitted at the rehab center. This could take another week or two, we don't know. In the meantime, there is a bit of rehab being done but not a whole lot. She is very tired, both mentally and physically. Tough times for her, my dad and all of us.

That's it for my blog today. I hope you all have a great week!

Hold that pose....got it!
Who knew Russell was a natural
born model?

Christmas basket by the front door!

The front yard Japanese maple is
still holding its leaves.

The new TV zone upstairs...seems that Cooper and Spicy
approve central to the kitchen...what more could they ask.

Cooper stands on guard while Spicy catches a quick nap.

Backyard wind chime
a long time member of our
family.

Fall back

Happy Sunday to all! I just came back from visiting my mom at the hospital and casting my vote for the municipal elections. Not a good day to be out and about, lots of rain and it's already getting dark. Getting back to daylight saving time is good as we get an extra hour in our day to do whatever we want...some say we sleep it off, I don't. Truthfully, these days I could use extra hours to do all the things I want to do. On the flip side, falling back in time means the nights get darker that much sooner. Oh, I so don't like that but I do like the brightness that we get in the morning when the time changes...so all this to say that there is a positive to everything.

Back to visiting my mom. She is doing quite well, although a bit tired, both of being at the hospital and of not being mobile. For some reason, the staff at the hospital has not been very proactive in getting her out of bed. Her doctor is on it and hopefully this week will bring some form of physiotherapy. Having said this, a requisition has been put in for her transfer to a rehab facility. Fingers crossed that it will be near where my parents live so that my dad doesn't have to commute a long distance to visit her.

This past week was good but busy. Between my four weekly workouts at the gym, two weekly training sessions with Coop & Spicy, including doing some "homework", being there for my loving supportive hubby, house stuff, visiting my mom and doing what I can for my dad, my weeks have been going by pretty quickly. The thought of going to Barbados in three months sounds pretty good right now. Such is life and we do what we can.

Halloween came and went and it was fun. We had about 40 kids and our two pooches were very good. The first batch of kids came earlier than expected so the door bell got Cooper & Spicy excited. But after that, Russell kept an eye on the street and I was keeping our two little guys busy, doing a bit of training. We shut it down at 8 pm.

Not much else is going on with us. We will be going to Toronto at the end of the month for a little getaway and meeting some friends. Looking forward to it. When we come back, it will be time to get ready for Christmas.

That's it for my blog this week. My dad is coming over for dinner tonight. It will be nice to see him and I know he will love seeing Coop & Spicy. I leave you with a few Halloween pics, one of a beautiful sunrise taken last week and our famous NYC doggie clock....we spotted this clock in New York City just before Russell's mom passed away. She wanted us to get something special for our new home in Huntsville, so it has a loving place in our hearts. Have a great week everyone!

Did you remember to fall back? Cooper and Spicy
slept through the whole extra hour!

Cooper and Spicy on the trick or treat training trail...
"good quiet - no bark"!

Caught in the act, I got treats too!

Spicy and Cooper took time to get in a nap at the gate
between trick or treaters.

The door bell rang, new kids at the door...
Spicy and Cooper were perfect greeters.

Mr. Pumpkin in all his glory!

Sky was on fire for an instant as the rising sun kissed the
clouds in our backyard this week.

A weather bomb for today

Happy Sunday to all! A wet day for us. We have a couple of weather warnings issued at the moment, rain and wind. According to what we have been reading in the news, this weather event is called a "weather bomb", apparently a normal occurrence in the Fall due to the contrast in temperatures. So far, this bomb hasn't been that bad but we are expecting lots and lots of rain with very high winds tonight. We seem to be in a lull now, the rain has stopped. It may not be a bomb after all LOL!

We are not complaining as the month of October has been so spectacular. Even yesterday, we had sunshine and temperatures of 18 celsius.  I got some good yard work done, prepping for the Winter. Russell and I sat on our deck until 6:30 last night. It was so nice!

So, today is a day to get some house work done. While Russell was at his photography class this morning, I did some laundry, cleaned the kitchen and prepped a few meals for the week. I then visited my mom at the hospital. She was transferred from ICU to a regular room on Friday. She is a strong woman who doesn't give up. She is looking quite good and her spirits are excellent. She now needs to regain her strength, not having walked for two full weeks. We will know more this week what the next steps are in her recovery.

Our little girl Spicy celebrated her 7th birthday on Friday. She tells us she had a great day, filled with fun, love, a walk in the park and lots of little treats. She shared her cake with Cooper, how sweet is that.  Yesterday, I started training with the Spice girl. She did really well. I did this class with Coop last year so I have a little more knowledge under my belt. There were 8 dogs in total, all big except for Spicy and a Jack Russell puppy. The big dogs, and their barking, didn't bother her in the least. I was very pleased with how she conducted herself. Well done Spicy!

Coop and I had fun at his training class last Tuesday. There were lots of agility type exercises and he did really well. Good boy Coopster!

This coming week should be relatively quiet. Tuesday night, we will give out Halloween candies to the kiddies. I will be glad to finally give away all those mini chocolate bars that I bought way too early....I think I've had more than my fair share of those little gems!

I leave you with a few Fall pics, a couple of Spicy's birthday, two from Iceland (the last of those photos) and one that I took this morning. I caught Coop & Spicy just staring at me, as if they wanted something...hmmm.  Have a great week everyone, November is just around the corner.

A splash of brilliant Fall color on the maple in our
front-yard, as the sun was rising yesterday.

A 10 shot panorama to capture the Fall color
and the Lake of Two Mountains as
seen from Jack Layton Park in Hudson.

Spicy was the birthday girl this week and she gobbled
up the cookie that was on top of her cake...it was
lip smacking good!

Spicy graciously shared her cake with Cooper and she
even managed to show Coop how to take a big bite!

Spicy and Cooper were staring at me this morning...OK, what's next, it's pouring out there! 

Hallgrimskirkja (a Lutheran Church) dominates
the main street in Reykjavik.

The Perlan Planetarium is due to open soon,
this image was taken from our hotel room.