Merry Christmas , Joyeux Noel

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas everyone! We hope your day is filled with joy, happiness and love. 

Russell and I count our blessings as we are celebrating this holiday. We have each other, our adorable pooches and our house is filled with happiness and love. Later today, we will have a small family gathering. It will be nice to get together.

We have a few friends who are currently facing serious health issues or have lost someone this year. Our thoughts are with them. We also are thinking of those who will not be able to visit families due to what mother nature brought some of us last week. 

Christmas time is often an opportunity to reconnect with some people that we haven't seen or heard from in a while. So, let me tell you about how we reconnected with someone last week through the magic of a Christmas card. You might remember me mentioning that we often met a nice man who would sit on a bench at the park where we walk. We saw him throughout the Summer and into early Fall. Then the weather started to turn and we stopped seeing him. Through our conversations with him, we knew where he lived so we sent him a Christmas Card. Last Monday, this nice man dropped by our house with a card of his own. I was out when he came but Russell had a nice chat with him. It was a very special moment. He is doing well and will resume his walks to the park in the Spring. Until then, we are now connected with him on Facebook so we can keep in touch. 

Cooper & Spicy are doing well and they had a fun morning. We got them a new snuffle mat, big enough for both of them to share. I set up a little Christmas station last night, very quietly. This morning, we took them downstairs and they were as happy as can be, which brought a big smile to our faces.  I took a few videos which I will post on my Facebook page tomorrow. 

That's my last blog of the year. I wish you all a wonderful day! 

Spicy and Cooper want to wish everyone a 
very Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year!

The new snuffle mat and lots of toys
under the watchful eye of Santa....waiting
on the arrival of Spicy and Cooper.

It did not take them long to enjoy all the goodies!

They truly do share and this mat was 
challenging.

They both make certain not a crumb is left
behind!

Our Christmas table decoration, full of 
bright festive colour!

The dream of a white Christmas has arrived

Happy Sunday everyone! Here we are,  one week away from Christmas and four months away from our trip to Italy. Time is just flying by folks! Very soon, the days will start getting longer and brighter. 

The four of us had a good week. Russell and I both had a Christmas pedicure, I chose Orly's Purple Crush polish. Very pretty and festive. Russell had a hot paraffin wax treatment. He has such beautiful feet and toes! On Friday, we got our first real snow of the season and a good chunk of the accumulation came during the night and into Saturday morning. This is probably the heaviest snow I've ever had to shovel....it was actually so heavy that I had to use our sleigh shovel to push it. There was no lifting it...this is what I call heart attack snow and I took my time....all for the love of our pooches 💗 Thank goodness we have a snow service for our driveway. 

I have to say it is very scenic with the snow on all the trees and shrubs. Russell took a few photos. For a very brief moment this morning, we had a pink sky and Russell was quick to capture it with his camera. It was simply beautiful! So, a white Christmas it will be 🎄

This coming week will be busy with appointments and errands. We both have our dental cleaning on Tuesday morning then a haircut for me in the afternoon. On Wednesday, Cooper & Spicy have an appointment with their cardiologist for their annual echocardiogram. We are hoping that their Mitral Valve Disease is stable and that their meds are working as they should. Fingers crossed.  On Friday, Russell will give the pooches a Christmas bath...they have to smell good for Santa!

I have to get my act together and make a list of "things to do" for our Christmas weekend. First thing on the list will be to thaw the turkey on Friday, to be cooked on Sunday.  Russell is already salivating just thinking about it 😋Our Christmas Eve dinner will consist of French Onion Soup, with some nice bread and cheese. I will also be baking a Guinness gingerbread cake for Christmas dinner.  Last but not least, I am planning a Christmas morning surprise for the Coop & the Spice girl. Always have to make time for the important things in life 😍

That's my blog for today. In a few minutes, I will go outside and clean up the snow paths for the doggies. The snow is lighter so it will be easier. This afternoon, while Russell watches football, I will watch the movie The Holiday. It's a chick flick that always brings a smile to my face. It's been a yearly tradition for me for three years now, I never get tired of it. 

Have a great week everyone! 

For a very brief moment, the sky was radiant with
colour against snow covered Tamaracks in
the backyard!

The crabapple draped in snow.

Spicy and Cooper look like they are in 
slow motion as they romp through the new
snow.

Spicy looks back at me as if to say, thanks
for clearing the snow paths so I can do
my business!

The picture of complete relaxation and security
by the Christmas tree.

Cooper enjoys his favorite spots...
here, he is keeping an eye on
Santa Claus.

Peek-a- boo!

Russell trying on new hair or is it
Cooper giving him a head massage.

Will it be a white Christmas?

Happy Sunday to all! It's kind of a dull day, cloudy, a little on the cool side although lots of sunshine on the way this week. Not sure if we will have a white Christmas or not....I read somewhere that we might get some wet snow next weekend. Will it stay until the big day? Time will tell. Either way, Christmas will happen on schedule, two weeks from today folks!

This past week was good. I got all my baking done.  Russell was kind enough to taste each batch. Some are on the counter top in a cookie tin, some are in the freezer. I've had a few myself and they are delicious. On Thursday, I also made a batch of Speculoos cookies. Since I wanted to follow the recipe to the letter, I ordered the Belgium Candi Sugar on Amazon as well as a ravioli cutter to make perfect thin square cookies. They turned out so good, crisp, not too sweet and nicely spiced. A repeat next year! Yesterday, I made a batch of my mom's Cheddar Cookies, made with the good old McLaren's Imperial Cold Pack Cheese. The dough is in the freezer and I will bake them on Christmas morning. They will make for a nice little nibble when our family arrives. 

Cooper & Spicy are doing well. They are getting quite proficient with their puzzles. Both now truly expect to either snuffle or puzzle in the morning. I usually indulge them but I've been varying the timing just to throw them off a little bit 😂They also enjoy the Christmas tree, especially when it is lit up. We often find Spicy napping near it. 

On Thursday, Russell was out in the backyard with his drone. He's been practicing lift offs and landings and getting very good at it. He is looking forward to launching the drone in a larger area, probably somewhere in Baie-D'urfe, further away from the airport, where it's allowed. The weather has to be mild though as the battery drains too fast in cold weather. 

Not much on the go this week other than both of us are getting a Christmas pedicure. It's always nice to pamper those little feet.

That's my blog for today. I hope you have a wonderful week!

Cooper and Spicy inspected the 
tree and it met with their approval!

Chilling on a lazy Sunday...waiting for whatever
comes their way!

Spicy loves to nap under the tree,
she truly is a gift!

The Christmas stockings have been hung
with care....

Cooper on Christmas cookie 
baking patrol...hoping for a few
crumbs, such a cutie pie!

Aerial view of our house from about 50 feet up,
our roof is looking good.

Looking South toward Lake St. Louis.

Coming in for a landing! 

Christmas is in the air

Good Sunday morning everyone! Another early blog for me while sipping on coffee. It's 6:50 am. Russell is catching up on the news.  Our pooches are patiently waiting for their breakfast, one hour after their meds. Cooper will eat at around 7:30, always eager and ready to chow down. Miss Spicy likes to take her time, she doesn't like to be rushed so she will eat around 8 am. Then their day will truly start. 

This past week was good. Our weather was a mix of sun, clouds and some rain. On Monday, I went to Bulk Barn to buy 20 cups of coconut for the coconut macaroons that I plan on baking today. Those macaroons are Russell's favorites. I make them every year and they freeze well. A nice little treat at this time of year.

The Coop and the Spice girl got to try their new puzzles. They got to sniff them first then the fun started. They need more practice but they both go at it the way we thought they would....Spicy is gentle, more precise in her movements. Cooper is a tad more aggressive. It's a fun way to work their brains and sense of smell. They enjoy it and it's a nice change from snuffling. 

On Friday, I met up with my friend Lillian. We had coffee at Le Marche de l'Ouest. It was nice to catch up on things. We always have lots to talk about. I got Blu-Belle a little Christmas decoration. Lillian sent me the photo of the ornament, so lovely how she displays it. 

Christmas is truly in the air in our house. Yesterday, I got everything done...the tree, the stockings are up (not filled) and our most precious "doggie tree" is on display on the countertop in the kitchen. For the past six years, we've been getting Cooper & Spicy a special ornament which is added to the tree. It makes for a wonderful display and a keepsake that we will always cherish.

That's my blog for today. Time to get breakfast ready for Cooper....he's now moved from the TV room to the kitchen...he knows it's soon time to eat. Spicy is still having a nap. Pics of our Christmas tree in next week's blog. Have a great week everyone!

Two new additions to the 'doggie tree' for 2022.

The Cooper and Spicy doggie tree all
set for another Christmas.

Blu-Belle's Christmas ornament proudly
displayed at Lillian's.

Spicy and Cooper are up to the challenge
of the new puzzles.

Three puzzles should keep the duo
busy for quite some time.

Nothing better than teamwork to solve a tricky
puzzle.

Four weeks away

Happy Sunday everyone! Writing my blog early in the morning seems to be a new habit....while sipping on coffee and eating a clementine. We woke up to another gorgeous sky. It's quite mild and a tad cloudy. Rain coming later today. 

This past week was good. We did a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Christmas is four weeks away and I haven't thought much about it. I suppose it's time to get my act together although I did buy our outdoor holiday planters. I will put up our tree next weekend and will start playing some holiday music. I'm not doing much baking this year, only two of Russell's favorites...coconut macaroons and cranberry/pistachio shortbread. My family will come over for Christmas dinner, first time since the start of the pandemic. Crazy! 

Our snow has melted, it took a while as we had cool nights and very little sun. We are enjoying mild temperatures now. 

Cooper & Spicy are doing wonderful. They now expect to play with their snuffle mats each and every morning...I started a "bad" habit. They wait at the top of the stairs or give me the stare down. I just laugh. Since I won't let them snuffle unsupervised, I now do it while I do my workout warmup on the bike. All three of us get to do our thing 😂We got them two Nina Ottosson dog puzzles last week and a third one is coming this week (thank you Lori for the recommendation). It will be fun to see how they do. I suspect Spicy will be curious, gentle and perhaps methodical like her daughter Pepper. I expect Coop to be more aggressive and frustrated if things don't go his way...time will tell and I will write an update in next week's blog.

It is bath day for the pooches. Russell said it was time, I looked at the calendar and it's been five weeks since their last spa day.  Time sure marches on.

We have a cute little bunny that has been residing behind our generator. He stays there during the day and moves around at dusk. He's quite cute to watch. It must be his safe zone.  Cooper & Spicy cannot see it from the backyard gate but they can smell it....they know it's there.

That's my blog for today. I will now get busy prepping my chicken pot pie for dinner. Have a great week everyone!

Another spectacular sunrise as seen from our
kitchen window this morning!

The workout/snuffle zone, everyone
is content!

Spicy in full rest mode...not a care in the world!

Cooper messing up his topknot in the 
comfort of his bed. What a cheeky 
lad he is!

A tad windy during a walk last week

Peter Rabbit likes the security found between
the wall and the generator...lounges there 
all day long.

Is it snuffle time yet?!

Some drone fun

Good morning and happy Sunday! I'm writing my blog early today. We got up at our usual time, around 6:15 am.  It's a bright sunny day so far, not too cold. My brother is coming for lunch, take 2 ... he was supposed to come two weeks ago but he forgot 😏

This past week was good. We had our first snow fall of the season on Wednesday, about 5 cm. Some of  it has stayed on the ground given the low temps at night. A nice layer of snow on the ground makes for clean paws so we're not complaining...especially when Cooper the scratcher likes to scratch the grass every chance he gets! 

I resumed my workouts after taking a break for a couple of months and it feels good. My knee is doing better thanks to the stretching exercises that I've been doing. I'm also taking Glucosamine Chondroitin as per my physician's suggestion and it is making a difference to my great surprise. He said to try it for three months then we would look at an injection if no improvement. So far so good. 

On Friday, my Havanese friends and I went to a puppy party at Elevage Amyla in Ile Perrot. Myriam has been breeding Havanese for quite some time and wanted to socialize her 9 week old pups. There were five of them, all delicious in every way. It was pure heaven 😊

Yesterday, Russell had fun with his drone. He flew it in the backyard and took some photos. Pretty cool to see our neighbourhood from up above. Cooper was quite intrigued by the sound, Spicy not so much. 

Our pooches are doing well. They live the best life. Their yearly echocardiogram is booked for December 21. Hoping for a good stabilization of their heart condition now that they've been on two medications for over a year. 

I suppose it's safe to say that hibernation has started. Having said this, I find that time is going by so quickly, especially when I think that Christmas is five weeks away so I'm thinking that Spring will be here before we know it 😂We are not going anywhere South this Winter, only to Italy at the end of April. Looking forward to that trip.

Those are my little news. Today is Pepper's 10th birthday, Spicy's gorgeous daughter. Happy Birthday to this sweet girl 💖I leave you with puppy and drone photos. Have a great week everyone!

First backyard flight of the drone.

Think we will call the drone the Red Baron!

Backyard neighbour's place, who knew they had
an addition 😂

Cooper had no challenge spotting the drone.

I took the opportunity to wave at the drone as
Russell looked around the yard.

The view straight down from about 40 feet up.

Cooper looking skyward for the buzz
of the drone.

Spicy looking regal and nonchalant about the
drone.

Few things better than puppy kisses.

My arms full of fun, these little
bundles of energy are adorable.

The great escape, puppies on the move!

Happy 10th Birthday Pepper...
doesn't she look like Spicy,
her Mom!

A gloomy November day

Hello everyone and happy Sunday! Our weather is not as glorious as last Sunday, it's rather gloomy. The perfect day to prep our meals for the week ahead. Also the perfect morning for Russell to watch an NFL game from Munich. Start time was 9:30 and Brady is playing and winning so far. The GOAT hasn't been all that great to date, unlike our HABS who are doing quite well. Those young players are growing and thriving, whether they win or lose. It's been wonderful to watch them play. 

This past week was good although Monday was a slow day for me. I had my 5th COVID booster in the morning and had flu like symptoms a few hours later. I didn't do much until Tuesday afternoon. No big deal, just had a few naps and took it easy. 

We had some nice walks with the pooches. This time of year can be quite messy with leaves, twigs and all but Fall walks are always lovely by the lake. 

On Wednesday, I met up with my former OT gym buddy, Kathy . It was nice to catch up. We had lots to talk about. On Thursday, Russell washed the venetian blinds from our bedroom. It was a nice day so he hosed them down outside and hung them up on the fence to dry. He washed all the windows and screens. Good job done!

November 9 marked 11 years since we brought our Cooper home. We will always remember that day. He was six months old and full of beans. I thought I would share some of the photos of his early days. Did you know that he came from Pocopayasos Havanese and his registered name is "Pocopayasos Sinfully Delicious", call name Sinner. We changed his name to Cooper when we got him but we often think that we should have kept Sinner.  He suited that name then and would suit it now 😂We do love his name though...there are so many variations.....Coop, Coops, the Coop, Coopster 💖

We woke up to another beautiful sky the other day. I quickly grabbed by phone to capture it. Seconds later, it was gone. Early risers catch beautiful sunrises.

That's my blog for this week. I leave you with a few pics of puppy Coops from 11 years ago, photos taken in our Mississauga home. Have a great week everyone!

Spectacular Fall sunrise from our kitchen window!

Wonder what time it is? These besties  
know it's snuffle time!

Snuffling for freeze dried chicken crumbs
is serious business, no distractions allowed.

Look mom....all snuffled clean. 
Spicy is proud of herself.

The Coop lounging in the kitchen in Mississauga,
at six months old with his favorite toy.

Coop exploring his forever home and making it
his own.

What a cute puppy Coopster was,
 still so handsome today.

Coops had mastered the 'stink-eye' at six
months old and still uses his cheeky looks
to this very day! That's a Sinner look 😂