The Christmas Blur

This Christmas as many others in the past was a bit of a blur! You always want to try and visit everyone and their dog during the few days you have.

I was off Christmas Eve...thank goodness! Work has been a bit of a nightmare for me...yeah, I know, big shock. My boss quit and I have been promoted...yeah, promoted by default I like to call it...something like frying pan into the fire. Then my back up has decided to leave the company. We turnover a person about every three weeks there and since the company only has 20-25 people (depending where you are in the three weeks) it makes it quite busy, at least on the HR side of things :)

Christmas Eve, Mike and I did our "gift analysis" and ran out to get our "panic gift". Graham was attending a basketball clinic put on by the Horton High coach. He and his buddy, Connor had a blast. Mike and I were in New Minas when Elysia called us from Josee's house to say she wasn't feeling well...so we left New Minas to get her, and as you can imagine, leaving New Minas on Christmas Eve is easier than it sounds...took us about 15 minutes to get out of the parking lot, so we headed to Wolfville rather than go through town. We managed to get Elysia, get home, scarf down lunch, get Graham at his camp, scarf down supper and make it up to Josee's for their annual Christmas Eve bash. Every Christmas Eve, they attend church and then have all their family and friends over for a little get together. In the past we usually were not able to attend as Mike was working Christmas Eve but since we came back to the valley, we've been able to make it.

Christmas Eve, Mom and her crazy little dog, Sofie spent the night. Mom slept in Elysia's bed and Elysia slept on the cot in the room with her. Sofie kept trying to sneak over to the cot with Elysia. We told Graham he was not allowed out of his room before 6 am...apparently he woke up at 5:20, went to the bathroom and then sat on his bed and stared at the clock. Christmas morning is the one and only time that he is allowed into Elysia's room to wake her up. Graham was in our room at 6 on the dot and ready to roll.

So Christmas morning, we came down and opened our gifts. The Wii from Grandma was the big hit as was the Guitar hero from us for Graham and the "Bench" sweater from us for Elysia. We had fun watching the kids and the dog open their gifts...took Sofie a few minutes to get into the gift giving but she did.

This is a picture of my living room after the Christmas Tree threw up!!

After the opening of the gifts, we headed up to Josee's to see them open their gifts. Here's a picture of Josee and I in our matching pj's from Mom, I am sure there was another set out in BC under Tracey's tree.After their gifts were open it was back to the house for some lunch and some R&R...Mike worked on our dinner we had planned for Boxing Day then he had a nap. Mike was upstairs on the bed, mom in our big chair and me on the couch. Elysia had her friend, Adam in for a while and Graham had his friend, Connor in and the four of them played with the Wii of course, lots of noise coming from that room. After our little nap we went to Josee's for some kid play time and supper of Christmas Eve party left overs. Elysia and Graham brought their controllers for the Wii and played on Sarah and Connor's, the four of them played tennis...definitely need to stay out of the way of that.

Boxing Day was a big turkey lunch at our house...I am just there for the cleaning, this is Mike's deal. We had a beautiful meal, lots of laughs (gotta love those Christmas cracker hats).

My friend, Janet had a terrible time with her turkey this year. Her mother bought a fresh turkey that didn't turn out so fresh. She asked Mike to make gravy for her (not that she can't but Mike's is soooo good) so he asked her for the neck and the other gross things that end up in that little bag inside the turkey. So when Janet opened up the turkey to get it, it was rotten inside...this happened at about 6 on Christmas Eve...thankfully one of our neighbors had an extra turkey and so Janet also ended up with her meal on Boxing Day (with Mike's gravy). They didn't want to keep the rotten turkey in the house, so I guess they put it out in their shed and some animal go into it and tore it apart...we figure there is a dead raccoon around somewhere.

Last night, our neighbor Jackie had some an open house...so Graham and I went over for a while, good company and good eats....and Jackie makes the best slushies ever!! I had three and I still think there was no alcohol in them...that's my theory anyway.

Went to watch Connor's team win their tournament today and then off to Elysia's soccer game. She scored a funny goal off one of the other defenders, they don't have to be pretty to count. Then Janet, Graham, Connor and I went to watch the Horton Basketball game...which was quite good, although we ended up leaving early because Graham had scarfed down two burgers before we left and then had a bottle of water and a bottle of juice, I think it was all sloshing around in there pretty good so he was feeling a little green. He's in bed now and feeling better...I didn't want him to yack all over the stands in the gym...

Anyway...a Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!

Bad Blogger

Here's a picture of mother's poor dog after she had to walk in the rain...and no, I am not choking her!!

My name is Annie McKinnon...and I am a bag blogger! I have been a bad girl this month and barely blogged...not to say there hasn't been much going on.

We've certainly had a good share of snow. They even have snow in Nanaimo...Tracey said the roads are terrible, they don't have much snow removal equipment and they concentrate on the main roads. Last night we had another dumping here. Drive to work wasn't too bad, I seemed to hit a good window but as soon as I got to work it was a white out. There was this little bird that tried to take off in the wind and got hit by a gust, he ended up in the other direction pretty quick. Drive home wasn't so nice...when you work in the middle of nohwere, you drive along roads that go through alot of farm fields, nice open farm fields. You know the ones that the wind loves to travel over and then deposit the snow in the road. Josee said it was so windy up on the mountain last night that she has a new address on the valley floor!

We have our Christmas decorations up, inside and out...the tree is done and the village is complete, although I didn't have the right snow for it...so I improvised and used some pillow stuffing I had...looks like there was either a major snowfall or alot of fog, or being in Nova Scotia, it could be a lovely combination of both. Mike and I want to name the village and we need something with a "Hollow" attached to it. Elygra Hollow, McKinnon Hollow, MikAnnie Hollow...not sure.

Mike and the kiddies are making a gingerbread house, I had better take a picture before the fight breaks out...you're copying me, your part is not the same, that looks stupid, you're using all the candies...aw, the Christmas memories. I'll post pictures of the masterpiece tomorrow. The kids actually want to eat it, it's one of those cheapy superstore kits. Some year, we will actually make a real one...Martha Stewart I am not, oh yeah, I married a chef!

The Christmas preparation is pretty much complete. There's a package on the way to BC, one on the way to Ottawa and one on the way to Cape Breton. I have a bag of gifts for the mountain, one for Halifax, one for Cherry Lane...still have a little wrapping to complete.

Mike and I did our Christmas grocery shopping the other day, it included a turkey, all the trimmings, the Christmas crackers for the table, plus the regular shopping and lots of marked down pork and chicken (gotta make the trip there at 7 am worth the while). Anyone who knows my husband knows how much he hates to spend money. I told the cashier to be prepared to perform CPR if necessary when she gave him the total, she thought that was funny and I think she took a little pleasure in giving him the total.

Busy Couple of Weeks

We've had a busy couple of weeks...lots of soccer and basketball, Christmas parties and snow.

The weather has been whacky...one day it snows, the next day it rains and it's 18 degrees...the water levels in the river in Kentville is high. Had a power outage for a couple of hours the other night and I think we should do it every few weeks...we had a lovely family evening...playing board games and just hanging out. Sad that it takes an act of nature to have quality family time.

Went to a ladies Christmas gift exchange in the neighborhood the other night. Thought it would be a good idea to take some cream cheese and red pepper jelly for a snack...so did Janet and Shelly...and then Lisa also had some ready to go when we got to her house. We had quite a laugh about that. It was the red pepper jelly Christmas party. We actually had quite a laugh about alot of things that night. Before I knew it the time was 12:30 so I headed out because we were going out again Sat night...so Sat night we headed to Halifax to the Russel Metals Christmas party. We had a great time...what a great bunch of people. Reta was kind enough to let us crash at her house and served us a lovely breakfast this morning. I think a few people were feeling their celebrations this morning but it wasn't me.

Graham and Elysia both won their games this weekend, Elysia scoring a nice goal and Graham and his friend Connor performing a successful "pick" in basketball...yeah...not quite so sure about it but Connor's mom (a bball player) was impressed by them.

We were going to get our tree today but the kids were tired and so were we so we are going to put it off until tomorrow...a little Scrooge, I know but didn't feel like losing my mind over a tree. Two tired adults trying to wrestle a tree into a house, does not happy memories make.

My mother had her birthday yesterday. She's now 61, I told her now she's gone from turning 60 to being in her early sixties...don't think she liked that. Josee had dinner for her and some cake with the kiddies.

This week should be a busy one, band and choir concert is Tuesday (it was delayed due to weather last week) and tree tomorrow...Wed seems free, maybe I'll wrap stuff...

Reading with a Saint Bernard

This is in the Chronicle Herald today about my friend Patti's son, Keegan and reading to a Saint Bernard!

Dog teaches new tricks One-on-one sessions a treat for kids, volunteers involved in library’s free Paws to Read programBy LOIS LEGGE Features Writer Wed. Dec 3 - 6:01 AM

Mark Grant and his partner Hercules, a St. Bernard, reads with seven-year-old Keegan Martin in the Paws to Read program at the Halifax Library on Spring Garden Road. Herc visits the library every Saturday to help children master reading skills. (INGRID BULMER / Staff)
THE LITTLE BOY’S hand meets the big dog’s paw.

The second-grader gently pats the 86-kilogram St. Bernard, moving from paw to head to neck, wrapping his arms around the retired championship show animal turned teacher.

Soon, seven-year-old Keegan Martin, shoes off, relaxing on a blanket on the floor with Hercules and his owner Mark Grant, starts reading books about other big dogs and boys and volcanoes, cheerfully moving through his weekly Paws to Read session. It’s a program of Therapeutic Paws of Canada that helps children in grades 2 to 5 who struggle with reading.

The free program provides a comfortable, non-judgmental atmosphere where reading flourishes and friendships form, says Grant, a Paws to Read volunteer at Halifax-area libraries for three years.

That’s the secret of the one-on-one program’s success, adds the volunteer, who leads Saturday sessions at the Spring Garden Road library in Halifax and Wednesday-night classes at the Tantallon branch.

"He’s focused on the dog," Grant says of Keegan, one of seven students he and nine-year-old Herc see on Saturdays. "And that’s the (core of) the program. It’s not about me. It’s not about the library. It’s the bond (between) the child and the dog."

That bond has helped Keegan’s reading skills soar, says Grant who first worked with the child last spring.

"His reading has increased 10 times" from what it was, and that’s also a tribute to his parents, who read with him nightly, Grant says.

"He just needs some extra help with reading, and to read with Herc it’s more of a pleasure," says Keegan’s mom, Patti Martin. "He’s very attentive . . . and Keegan would read to Herc every day."

"I’d never stop reading to Herc because he’s nice and he doesn’t interrupt," the Prospect Road Elementary School student chimes in as the St. Bernard nods off and starts snoring. "I didn’t like it as much, but now I like reading it with Herc."

His interest is obvious as the session unfolds, starting when Grant opens a book about Clifford the Big Red Dog.

"The boy sees the dog," Keegan begins. "Excellent, excellent," encourages Grant. "The dog sees the boy," Keegan continues, leaning on the sleeping pooch and smoothly reading through the book as Grant encourages and prompts when needed.

Then it’s on to a new book about volcanoes, Keegan easily tackling words like "erupted" and "scientist."
"Holy smokes, those are big words for a little guy like you," Grant praises at one point. "Excellent, excellent."
Keegan is keenly interested in the subject, stopping to fill in Grant on his extensive knowledge of volcanoes.
Herc gets up and walks away.
"Look what happened," Grant says. "You stopped reading and your buddy went away. You better go get him and bring him back."
And he does, guiding the large, lumbering animal— "so gentle," says Keegan’s mom — back to the blanket, where he flops down again.

Even though he’s getting on in years, Hercules still gets excited when Grant puts on his Paws to Read vest and gets him ready to go to the sessions, held at about seven local branches.
The library ( http://www.halifaxpubliclibraries.ca/) recommends calling your local branch to see whether the program is offered there.

The Bedford man, who has worked with more than 50 children through the program, is enthused too.
"It’s very rewarding for me personally to be able to give back to the community," he says.
"The dog and I, we’ve had a wonderful show career. (Now) we just get so much enjoyment out of helping folks move forward with their reading skills."

Keegan’s mom says her son has moved forward with skills and confidence since starting Paws to Read.
"It’s a great program," she says.
"I don’t know why there’s not more children banging at the door to come in and do this. For one it’s free, it’s short, it’s only a half an hour. Mark’s excellent. . . . He’s super with the kids and it’s such a treat for them. It’s not work; it’s just a pleasure for him to read to Herc."

Keegan is now finished his session. A Hercules pin in hand, which is also ink-stamped with paw prints, he agrees.
"Herc," he says, "is like the best friend in the whole universe."

The Paws to Read program is looking for more volunteers.