Christmas Photo Album (part 2)

Well, it turns out most of the photos from the Miller side are of these two cuties! Up until a couple of years ago, my brother (now 19) and I (22) were the youngest of the Miller bunch, so it's really fun and exciting to have some little ones around at Christmas. They were both overwhelmed with all of their presents! I gave Tigger some rubber duckies (one dressed like an English 'bobby', one dressed like a Union Jack and one dressed like a palace guard) and he immediately asked his Mom to 'wash' him so he could play with his duckies in the bath. In the end, he was satisfied with using a large bowl full of water. And the little Elf in the second picture is such a sweet little ginger kid! He had fun playing with Tigger's 'Little Tikes' guitar!

Christmas Photo Album (part 1)

These are photos from the Patterson family celebrations! I had a really good time catching up with my family and playing 'Cranium' and 'Paper Telephone'. Also, look at these gorgeous snowy pictures! I love snow, even though it's cold and it made our long drive home ridiculously treacherous. (More photos to come from the Miller side and from my parents' camera)

Family Christmas Traditions!

Do you have any Christmas traditions that you take part in every year? In the Patterson household we have quite a few traditions. My Dad makes toffee from his secret family recipe, Mom's got her gingerbread and sugar cookies and my brother and I decorate the Christmas tree and set up the nativity scene.

One tradition that is as old as I am happens on our annual trek to the local park. We get bundled up in our warmest winter wear and head out to Fairy Lake Park to see the outdoor Christmas pageant that is put on by the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints. We sit high up on these wooden bleachers to watch the events unfold: Mary and Joseph arrive at the inn and settle in the nearby stable, the shepherds are visited by the angels and make the journey to see the Holy child and the wise men arrive to bestow their gifts upon Mary and Jesus. My favourite parts of the pageant are the old choral hymns and the big-voice-man narration that haven't changed since the first time I heard them! I am also a huge fan of the llama and donkey that are key performers in this Christmas play. In recent years, different organizations in the town have sponsored a 'Festival of Lights', which is actually a series of displays of Christmas lights. It's a nice addition, I think.

What traditions do you have in your family?

The Olympic Torch comes to Newmarket

Presently, the Olympic torch is making it's way across Canada and today, at around 12:30 pm, it passed by my neighborhood! The torch was carried by Louise Russo, who was paralyzed from the waist-down after being hit by a stray bullet in a Toronto shop in 2004. It was pretty cool to see her carrying the torch.

It was cool to see my Dad; he was SO excited! He ran with the torch in '88 when the Olympics were in Calgary.  He still has his jogging suit that he wore back then. '

The street was lined with well-wishers, applauding and cheering on the runners/wheeler. It made me really excited for the Olympics and also very happy to be in my home and native land, even if it's just for a couple of weeks.

From far and wide, Oh Canada!

I'm home for a white Christmas!

Everyone in my house is asleep right now. I am still a bit jet-lagged, so I got up really early. The only thing on TV this early is '18 Kids and Counting'. I am actually really enjoying it. I do think it is a bit crazy to have 18 children and still want more, but this family works! They are all really loving and patient with each other and they take care of each other, too. They all know how to share and listen and they all value each other so much. The parents, Jim-Bob and Michelle, really make an effort to spend one-on-one time with each kid and they teach them how to be polite and considerate of other people. But it must be expensive!

I left the house in Moseley at around 13:00 on Tuesday and took a taxi to New Street Station. I was pretty early for my train, but I thought it was much better than missing my train and potentially my flight. The train was SLOW! When I went a few weeks ago to see Stef, I took a more direct train and it was only an hour, but this ride was over 2 hours long! I arrived at Euston Station in London, only to drag my massive suitcase onto the tube to get to the airport. All together, the trip took about 4 hours. By the time I got through customs and had a bite to eat, there was only about 1/2 an hour until my flight boarded. When I got to my seat, I was sitting by the window with an empty seat beside me. I was getting ready to stretch out, when just before the seat-belt light came on, my seat-buddy arrived. He was pretty cool to chat to. His name was Brian and he has a PhD in Archaeology, focusing on ancient civilization in Southern Africa. He was born in Michigan, so he was heading back there for Christmas. We had fun talking about all the English stuff that we don't have/do in North America. The flight was so long! My bum was aching from sitting for so long and my eyes were burning from staring at my movie screen. I watched '500 Days of Summer' (highly recommended to me by Laura and it did not disappoint) and 'Funny People'. Both good films. Sleep was futile, as was reading with my sore eyes, so by the time we were in the air over New Brunswick, I was uncomfortable and ready to land! Plus, I was/am congested and headachy!

My Mom, Dad and Brother met me at the airport and greeted me with hugs! I am so glad to be home!

I'm sooooo sick :(

I went to the chemists' (pharmacy) today to stock up on nasal spray, cold medicine and Strepsils for the flight. Euugh.

Carols in the City

I'm feeling a bit poorly. I've got a head cold and a sore throat. Yuck.

On Friday, I was not feeling well at all. I felt quite dizzy, so I spent most of the day lying in bed. I felt much better in the evening, so I whipped up the balloon angel costume (pictured below) and headed out to a Christmas Fancy-dress party, hosted by my church's students and 20's group. There were some pretty good costumes: one of the three Magi, a Christmas tree, a gift… and a whole bunch of 'elves' (people dress in red or green wearing Santa hats). We did a Christmas quiz! It was awesome. Apart from the rounds about UK Christmas No. 1's, I was ruling the quiz! Man, do I know Christmas, haha. I didn't get home until quite late.

Saturday, I slept in quite late and woke up with a sore throat. But I bundled myself up and gathered up my balloons and headed to the Bull Ring. Oasis Church was taking part in a city-wide event called 'Carols in the City'. Many of the churches in the city participated. Each church was assigned a part of the city centre, giving out balloons, face-painting, singing carols and promoting the evening's event: A massive open-air carol service with a live band! It was just so cool to see the churches so visible in the city! I really enjoyed singing carols all day and getting to know some more people from church. We sang all the greats: Joy to the World, O Come All Ye Faithful, Away in a Manger, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlement. It was CLASSIC! In the evening, I watched the X-Factor final with Middle… which is actually not finished yet… it continues tonight… I'm watching it right now, actually.

Today, my sore throat has been joined by nasal congestion and a headache, yay! Consequently, I didn't get much sleep last night. I went to my last Oasis Sunday of '09 and then I met Aussie for a pub lunch in King's Heath. She is also feeling ill; we were both sniffling and clearing our throats over our roasts. It was nice to just sit and chat. I am so grateful to have become friends with Aussie. She has really helped me to settle in over here! I'm sure we'll go on lots more adventures in 2010!

Bah, it's another Mop-Day tomorrow. I'd better get my beauty rest.

OMG I am so tired

For some reason, I woke up at 3am and then tossed and turned all night. I can barely keep my eyes open.

My Costume for Tonight's Christmas Fancy Dress Party:

Wish List

Being a blogger— and a person who has spent the last four years of her life working towards and achieving a degree in graphic design— I spend plenty of time on my computer… mostly surfing the good old interweb. I've noticed that many of my fellow bloggeteers have recently posted their Christmas wish lists for their friends, family and I suppose Santa to peruse.

So, I've posted a list to. And I fully expect each and every item to appear in the coming weeks.

#1. Some new ink. 
I love tattoos. I have 2, but am definitely interested in adding to my collection. I have a design in mind, but am in serious need of the dosh to pay for it.

Beautiful Alphonse-Mucha-inspired tattoo by Lea Rizzo @ http://www.artbylea.com

#2. Yarn. To knit with.
I have this great new hobby that I want to do more of. Yay knitting.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chatiryworld/347771427/

#3. Homemade Cookies. Christmas Toffee.

There are only 2 people who can fulfill this wish for me. They know who they are.

hint hint

#4. Special Dish.

And a movie?!

#5. For the Posse to sing me "Christmas is All Around" with choreography.

 

Christmas.Is.All.Around

#6. For the cousins (and any significant others who are willing… and you all are) to go out dancing at the local Legion.

#7.  For my brother not to wake me up at 6 am on Christmas morning to open my stocking.

Seriously, I'm an adult, I can wait a couple more hours.

#9. Snow. 

#10. Lunch/Dinner/Mani-Pedis/A quick, yet meaningful catch-up over coffee with:

Tom

Laura

Shona

Barb

Mal

… and YOU!

Get to work loved ones! I'll be home soon so you can shower me with gifts!

Shameful

To my male readers… and maybe some of the female ones,

I just wanted to confirm that women do generally appreciate the odd compliment about our appearances. And there is an appropriate way to make your opinions known. For example, why not mention something like 'you are looking lovely today' or 'I really like the way you are dressed' or even 'you are having a great hair day'. However, some people like to use more…lewd methods in making their appreciation apparent. For example, today, as I walked down the High St to the Sainsbury's a man waiting at the bus whistled at me. Just don't do it, gentlemen (and ladies). Just don't. Please. Pretty please. It's just…unbecoming.

Borrowed from www.motifake.com

An English Christmas Begins…

Today was Youngest's Christmas play at school. It was actually very adorable. The play, entitled 'The Shepherd Boy', featured the school's students aged 2-7 (with a little help from the year 3 and 4 boys). The play was about a young shepherd who goes along to Bethlehem with Mary and Joseph and witnesses the birth of Jesus. It is a bit odd to me that a school would do such a Christian play. First of all, in Canada, religious-themed anything in elementary schools is strictly avoided to maintain political-correctness. Secondly, I would say that at least half of the school's students hail from Muslim families. They were singing songs celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Well… I guess Muslims do see Jesus as an important prophet. Maybe it's not that contrary to participate in a Christmas play. Except maybe for the reason that the children were singing about Jesus being the Son of God, which Muslims don't believe.

Anyways, it was so cute! And there were examples of every nursery-school-performance-stereotype imaginable. There was the sweet child with wide eyes that knew every word and action to every song. There were the children who stood smiling and waving at their parents throughout the play. There was the child singing the solo in the wrong key. There was the child who muffled all of his lines and the child who forgot all the words to his solo. Youngest was the kid that scowled and stared at his Mum the whole play and eventually ended up crawling into her lap instead of singing with his class. There was even the kid that stood with his back to the audience for most of the play. But it was wonderful. I had to wipe tears of laughter from my eyes, I enjoyed it so much.

Later, when I was driving the girls home from school, I noticed something that made me sad, but also really excited to come home. I only saw two houses that were decorated with Christmas lights. Can't wait to drive down my street at home!

Mmmmm… presents

Today, I made some yummy candy-cane bark for The Mum and The Dad for Christmas. I melted 2 bars of white chocolate and poured them into a pan scattered with crunched-up candy-canes. It was really easy and quick! I dressed it up a bit with this lovely mason jar and some ribbon. What do you think? Would you like to receive this gift?

I think my Christmas shopping is officially done! But I do need a costume for a Christmas-themed party I'm going to on Friday. Good thing I'm going into Oxfam tomorrow!

The Claret and Blue

This afternoon, I was fortunate enough to attend a real Premier League football match! Bill got Aussie and I some tickets to go along with him.

The energy was unbelievable! I couldn't believe the size of the crowd that was filing into the stadium! There turned out to be over 32,000 people in attendance and, honestly, it sounded like it! The fans were chanting, cheering and singing throughout the game. Not only did they react to every pass with cheers of approval or sighs of disappointment, they even have cheers written that everyone seems to know. The one I heard most frequently from the Aston Villa fans went to the tune of 'Que Sera'…

John Carew, Carew,
He's bigger than me and you,
He's gonna score one or two,
John Carew, Carew…

But the visiting fans were even more vocal! They lost by 3 goals, but they were singing and dancing right up to the end of the match. They came all the way from Hull in East Yorkshire, so you know they're die-hard. Canadian hockey fans do not even compare.

And because I love my dedicated readers, I decided to record some parts of the game to share my afternoon with you! Enjoy:

I am entertained!

You alrigh'? (That's how they greet you in this country)

On Thursday, I went to Oxfam. There is one lovely lady there who has been trying to get me to try on this dress in the window for WEEKS! So, I finally put it on. It is really cute. It has an empire waist, a sash and a tiered skirt and is in a lovely coffee coloured taffeta. It was quite big on me, though, so I'd have to get it tailored. They were all telling me I should buy it, but I think I'll leave it for someone else… but if it's still there next week…

Today, I finished my Christmas shopping!!! (except for one specially-requested chocolate bar). So, I packed up all my goodies and tea-cozies into my suitcase, which will soon be filled with all my clothes for coming home!

It is Middle's birthday sleepover tonight, so she has 2 friends over. They went to see 'Planet 51' and tomorrow, they will go to 'Build a Bear Workshop'. I was having second thoughts about the fashion portfolio gift I made her…

Yesterday, I was talking to her in the car and she told me that she didn't like girly things. I asked her if she wanted to be a fashion designer and she said 'no'. I was a bit worried about it, but I found some more of her design drawings int he study, so I added them to her portfolio. It all turned out well, though! She really liked her gift! And I think the Mum was pretty impressed with it as well. Yay!

Tonight, I went out to an event called 'Impact', that is put on by the uni-aged group at Oasis church. They had a couple of solo artists, one gentlemen that I've seen at Oasis before who sang with another young lady from church.  The other, Ross Davies (search his name on myspace) blew me away with his guitar playing! Unfortunately, the sound was a bit muffled, so I couldn't really understand what he was saying.

The headlining band was 'The Black and Reds'. They were fantastic! The band is made up of a drummer and a guitarist and holy moly, they can entertain! They just had so much energy! Their audience was quite small and relatively quiet, but they played as if they were trying to reach an entire stadium full of fans. I highly recommend checking out their stuff online. I tried writing a bit of a review on their music, but I really couldn't describe their sound without being super cheesy, so just check them out yourself!

Tomorrow, I am going to a footy match (soccer game). Aston Villa vs. Hull City. I have been advised to dress warmly and to take something to sit on. I shall arrive at the pitch prepared. More on that tomorrow night.

Gifts for the Kiddies!

I've been hard at work all day making Christmas gifts for Middle and Youngest (Oldest's cellphone case is already finished).

For Youngest, I have made a sticker book! It's a few sheets of craft foam bound with yarn into a book. I've drawn a few scenes on the inside for him to stick his alien and dinosaur stickers to and decorated the cover with his name.

Middle's birthday is coming up, so I made her a fashion portfolio. She has told me a couple times that she wants to be a fashion designer when she grows up and I've found pages of her designs around the house. So, I drew up an activity sheet with a blank model on one side and a hangar on the other side. I photocopied the sheet and packaged them in a lovely chemise. I've also given her a few ideas! On each sheet, I've challenged her to design an outfit for a film premier, a summer picnic, etc.

For Christmas, Middle will get a hand-knit headband to keep her ears warm this winter. I've personalized it with some pearly buttons and an 'S', which is her first initial.

I also went to the shops to get a whole bunch of biscuits and chocolate to share with all of y'all at home! Mmmmmmm…

A Perfect Sunday and the First Frost

Hello, my dears!

I had just a lovely Sunday! After church, I went out for a pub lunch with some of my friends from church. It was great to relax in a cozy English pub with some roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and beer. I highly recommend this Sunday experience.

When I got home, I worked on some of my homemade Christmas gifts. I finished Oldest's cellphone case and it turned out sooo well! It fits her phone perfectly! I knit my final tea cozy while watching some Sunday afternoon TV, mostly wedding shows and a bit of Supernanny. I also got to talk to a couple of friends, which was entirely lovely! It's so nice to chat and catch up. I also got to talk to my Mom and Dad about our Christmas plans. They had rum balls for breakfast. Yep. That's about right. I love my parents.

In the evening, I went bowling (that was nearly a typographic disaster) with The Dad, Oldest, Middle and Youngest. Every time I go bowling, I remember how much fun it is, even if you suck. It was 10-pin, which is so much more satisfying, because there are 2ce as many pins to knock down as I am used to, which makes it easier to feel like I am accomplishing something. I had a lot of fun!

This morning, I woke up to the first frost! It is so unbelievingly cold here!!! I know it's probably colder in Canada, but it is definitely at least 6 degrees colder today than it has been since I've been here! I don't have any toques here right now, so I will have to get a couple while I'm home. For now I'll wrap my scarf around my head.

I made some cakes (cupcakes) with the girls today. Oldest got this amazing gourmet cupcake book for her birthday, so I picked a recipe out of there. The Mum got this delicious vanilla extract (actual vanilla, YUM!), so I made vanilla cupcakes with dark chocolate icing. They are perfect. I mean, they may not look like Sarah Yoon's amazing creations, but I did make them under the direction of an 11-year-old and an 8-year-old.

In London

Hello world!

Yesterday, I hopped aboard a train to London to visit my good friend: Stefania! We visited the Natural History Museum (which is absolutely free to visit!) We saw an awesome exhibit about whales. They have this room with a life-size blue whale and a whole bunch of whale skeletons! I couldn't believe how massive they were! We also saw a pretty cool dinosaur exhibit, with a pretty alive-looking Tyrannosaurus-Rex. It was a bit frightening, but also awesome.

Afterwards, I got a tour of Stef's flat and she made some delicious moussaka for dinner. I also met a fellow med student of hers who actually did her undergrad in Toronto and knows my friend Melody! Of course, we shared our meal with Stef's lovely sister, Tina as well. And last, but not least, I met Stefa's wonderful boyfriend, Spyro! For all of Stef's friends at home: Spyro has a great sense of humour and he takes very good care of our Stef! You will love him (so, start making plans for a visit so you can meet him, too!)

We went to a house party hosted by one of Stef's doctor friends and I met everyone she goes to school with (including some Cambridge grads, oh la la!) There were quite a few Canadians at the party! I met a few Vancouverites and a young lady from Hamilton. It was a little more exciting to me than it should have been because they are the first Canadians I have seen (besides Stef) in a few months! Stef and I put ourselves in charge of the music and were soon playing everything from 'Pump Up the Jam' to 'Jump Around' to 'Sweet Child of Mine'.

Unfortunately, I locked myself in the loo at one point and had to lean out the window to yell at the smokers to send someone to rescue me. It was pretty embarrassing.

This morning, we slept in fairly late and then took a stroll around the V&A! We saw their photography gallery and a fabulous exhibit about live performance. My favourite part was a large wall of screen-printed posters advertising everything from a 'Sex Pistols' tour to a Victorian-era theatre company's upcoming shows. We spent some time in the shop, but didn't buy anything. I think museum shops have some of the most interesting things ever. There were so many awesome books about design and fashion and so many beautiful christmas ornaments, pieces of art nouveau-style jewellery and OMG the POSTERS!

We had a lovely pub lunch with Tina and Spyro and then, unfortunately, it was time for me to head back to Brum.

Dear Stefani: I had a wonderful time! Thank you so much for having me. See you soon, right?

I'll be home for Christmas…

(a shot of Newmarket's Main St @ Christmas time!)

So, I am REALLY excited to go home for Christmas. I will totally miss all my friends here, but man, am I looking forward to seeing my posse and my family and maybe even seeing some snow?!

I have been preparing for Christmas for the past few weeks, gathering gifts, making a list of the yummy British biscuits and chocolate I want to bring home to share and listening to Christmas music. I have even tried playing a few Christmas carols on my guitar. Tonight, I will start packing my bag (I know it's a bit early for that, but I can't help it!)

Last night, both The Mum and The Dad were very late getting home from work. I think there is something going on with the traffic lights and/or trains because the traffic has been extra horrendous for the past couple of days. That left me home alone with the children until about 20:00 (we use military time over here). I had some trouble with Middle, but Youngest was being quite good! He let me read to him and give him a bath and he went to sleep so easily! The Dad got home in time to say goodnight to Youngest before he drifted off to sleep and Youngest said that he missed me. Sooo cute! I mean, obviously he didn't actually miss me (I put him to bed 10 minutes earlier), but it is nice to have FINALLY built up a relationship with him. One down, two to go!! The girls are going to be much harder, I fear!

(Me and Stefa around this time last year!)

I am off to London town tomorrow to visit Stefa! It should be a good time… stay tuned for more!