Beautiful, freezing

It has been exceptionally cold here the last week so there’s been very little done outside the house. Today we also wouldn’t have left the house but for a good friend Lenore who invited us to go for a walk. It was lovely out there but very, very COLD. -47 Celsius with the windchill.

Christmas tchotchkes

I have a love of little special Christmas decorations, especially if the involve candles. This year I got this lovely German “smoking house“. 

You put an incense cone inside the house and the smoke comes out the chimney. I love it.

 Then Christopher also got me these lovely self assembly stars. I can’t remember with the German name for them is but there something like a Moravian Star?

Christmas Dinner

We’re having our turkey tomorrow. Today my treat was salad, smoked mackerel and a special akvit made in BC. 

Christmas Eve

Christmas is a really cozy time for us, spending time with friends and family- blurry photos and all. 

Christmas eve walk

It was -28°C here today but with clear skies and little wind   

The sun is so low in the sky, I have to climb small hill to even feel it my face. 

The Christmas Tree

Always a good time had when acquiring the annual tree. The weather was making a turn to the cold when we venture out this year so we made our choice quickly and decisively, although perhaps not well. It looked good from the ground. 

The Christmas Roundabout

We’ve had this for two Christmases and we still struggle to get it just right so it will turn with the heat of the candles. We love it any way. 

Vancouver Christmas Market in a Downpour

Garbage Truck Santa

Years ago a local garbage man stared dressing as Santa and putting lights on his truck. When the old trucks were retired and the new ones could not have lights on them there was an outcry (or at least that how I remember it). A local business donated a truck and Garbage Truck Santa was back! He is now retired, but every Christmas he still goes driving around visiting schools and bringing good cheer to our dark roads. 

I made Isla pose for a photo. 

Aladdin’s Cave

Secondhand shopping can be like exploring Aladdin’s cave, or at least that’s how I think of it sometimes. 

My Kingdom for a Corkscrew

This morning, it being a holiday weekend Saturday for me, I thought I’d like to have a Mimpala  with my breakfast. This necessitated opening the bottle of bubbly that Christopher bought. Our wonderful hostess had neither a bottle opener nor a corkscrew nor any other tool that could be used open the bottle of bubbly. I tried a spoon, to my regret. I’ve got a nice gash in my finger now. Today we hit the secondhand shops and bought our hostess a corkscrew/bottle opener and two wine glasses. Joy in the little things.

And here’s the wine glasses we got for free when we bought 10 plates. Instant hygge. 

East van Flea

We love alt shopping. AKA second hand, difference engine, enigma machine - consumer style. William Grinson predicted this weird economy of living on the dregs of the manufacturing world gone by- a kind of synergy of new/old/ cyberpunk/hippie. You can get a cocktail, a costume whole new lifestyle for cash. Credit cards excepted by some. 

Van Deusen Festival of Lights

After years of trying this year we finally made it to VanDusen‘s Christmas festival of lights. It was fantastic, totally worth the price of admittance in the taxi ride out there. My favourite I think was the small connecting title between one of the lakes and into the Heather garden felt like being underwater. If you have a chance make the time and go.