Madness, yes; Merry, not so much

It is Advent. Advent, people! And yet our retailers are now done with Christmas, and have moved on to Boxing Day (which has become Boxing Week, which--hello!--is still Christmas, as in the Octave thereof, but don't try arguing that with most folk). Christmas is still ten days away, but we are exhorted by Canadian Tire to take part in "Pre-Boxing Week" sales! Oy vay. God rest ye merry, gentlemen. And do try to get some rest in the next ten days.

Compact, functional, and PINK

If I had the cash to do a complete bathroom overhaul, I would do something like this. So cute, so retro, so PINK!!

Of course, this would work best as a Master ensuite, not a family bathroom where five kids were trying to brush their teeth at the same time. I like the amount of storage--cabinets galore! Check out the pop-up vanity mirror (which appears to be lighted) and which would hide all your clutter when not in use. And the germaphobe in me appreciates the easy-clean corners where the floor meets the walls. I'm also loving the corner seat in the bathtub. Leg-shaving is so not fun when you have to sit on the narrow ledge of a tub. 

Picture found at this thoroughly delightful site: Mid Century Home Style.  (If you are a MidMod geek, prepare to waste time  be entertained.)

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Whenever I get the urge to correct bad grammar

I give in. The feeling never passes. 

Poster seen at a local bargain store. Some bargain.

1) The first line should read "work [space] out," not "workout."  "Workout" is a noun, not a verb/infinitive.

2) "Lie" not "lay". Lay is a transitive verb, requiring a direct object. You can lay bricks, or a wreath, or floor tile or an egg. You cannot "lay down."

Yes, I am a grammar geek. It's not about shaming people; it's about defending Western Civ. The way we speak (and write and spell) does matter. Just ask Professor Higgins. Or Dr. Jordan Peterson.
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"If You Have Cake Troubles"

And by golly, who doesn't?! My main Cake Trouble is that I eat too much of it, but that is a story for another day. This post is about cookbooks. Or rather, one cookbook in my collection. 

If there is anything more wonderful than a vintage cookbook, it's a vintage Church-Lady cookbook. This one is from the 70s, from the Bethel Christian (Dutch) Reformed Church in Saskatoon.

I'm not sure what to make of this

When we renovated the kitchen/dining area, Mr. P turned down my request for a fireplace or wood-burning stove to be included. I can't really blame him, since we didn't need it. The area is small, and it stays quite warm enough with the heat from the large windows (southern exposure) and cooking/baking. Plus, there is no seating/lounging area to speak of: I basically eliminated my living room in order to have a large kitchen and adequate dining space. (There goes the resale value...)  And YES, someday I will post Before-During-After pics of the reno, for which DOH fans have been clamouring! (Well, OK, one reader requested photos, on one occasion...but I digress.)

I love the ambience of a fire. And my hubby apparently agrees. I came downstairs the other morning to join him for coffee (he had been up for a while). This was on his tablet, and I thought it was funny. If not strange.  

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He is my hero.

One of many, but I feel a special devotion to him. I watched a documentary, Messenger of Truth, about Blessed Jerzy (Yair-zhee, not "Jersey") last night on EWTN. It was stirring and sad, but also very hopeful. He was instrumental in bringing down Communism in the 80s, in Poland and beyond. As a beatified martyr, Bl. Jerzy provides not just inspiration, but saintly intercession in our own battles with lies and oppression.  I feel blessed to have lived during his lifetime, and to remember the events surrounding his death. 

We need his intercession more than ever before. 

Photo found here. 

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Welcome, birdies!

Not.

Yikes, is that scary-looking frost or what? I've never seen it so spiky. But that's what you get when there is fog day after day, with no wind. These photos are from last week.

One of our regular visitors, a White-breasted Nuthatch: