Five for Friday

Last NaBloPoMo Friday!

1. So I just read Swistle's post mentioning breakout out her pine-scented soap right after Thanksgiving, which reminded me of ccr in MA saying she hoped my snowdrop soap smelled as good as it sounded, which is a funny collision of thoughts because - wait, what even is a snowdrop? Oh, it's a hardy herbaceous plant that perennates by underground bulbs. Huh. Anyway, the soap DOES smell lovely, but last year I bought some Pecksniff's pine-scented soap at Homesense because I had bought two kinds of Pecksniff's liquid soap before, in lovely rectangular containers with lovely subtle scents, but friends, this was the very OPPOSITE of subtle. It was, in fact, like being waterboarded in a bucket of Pine Sol. I offered it on my community giving group and someone else took it, and if they had almost no olfactory receptors I'm sure they were very happy with their free soap. 

2. My kitchen smells amazing and not remotely piney right now. Tomorrow is an annual overnight at a friend's cottage with a group of girlfriends and I am making the soup I almost always make for it. The LCBO, our provincial liquor control board, puts out a gorgeous quarterly magazine full of recipes and, well, ads for booze. I love looking at it but most of the recipes are a little too fancy for me. The two exceptions are an amazing ribs recipe, and this soup recipe from 2012, which I've made at least annually (usually more often) since then. 

The mirepoix

3. I had a date to go to a Christmas market at the museum where a friend works with another group of girlfriends. I suggested the day myself a month ago, but when I suggested it I pictured it being crisp and snowy, and instead it was dreary and rainy. My friend Dani (HI DANI) drove me and told me her "U" theory of making plans - you make them at the top of the U and are all excited about going out and seeing your friends for something fun, then the date approaches and you're at the bottom of the U - tired and anxious and regretting making plans - and then you actually force yourself out and find yourself at the top of the other side of the U because it actually is amazing to see your friends. But godDAMN I am hating the dark evenings and feeling bitter about DST. Dark in the morning is better! You know the light is coming soon! Dark in the evening just leads to more dark! Okay, last time complaining about this this year. Maybe. 

The great hall at my favourite museum

4. My friend Jody (HI JODY) and I have gone to the One World Bazaar twenty minutes away in Manotick three years in a row. They have a bunch of fun stuff for Christmas shopping. The first year I took note of the whimsical wooden ducks scattered around the entire venue but didn't buy any. I knew when I went back the second time I was buying one. I had to decide between two, and I went back this year thinking I would probably buy the second. I was correct, as it turned out.

The turquoise boot one came first. I thought after the purple one I would be done, but THIS year there was a new one with yellowy-orange boots, so I might have to buy one more - three is kind of a magic number for me anyway. Then I'll be done. Probably. 

5. I have started writing my Christmas cards uncharacteristically early. By which I mean I have started writing one very long card + letter to Matt's aunt who I met at Nana's funeral and found out that she knew a surprising amount about me and my family just from talking to Nana. I sent her a Christmas card that year, and got a reply November of the next year, cementing my impression that we were kindred spirits. Unfortunately, this meant that I did not get to her card the next month (last December) and then January came and I fell off a cliff mentally and emotionally, so here we are. It is a very long letter, which I hope makes up partially for the lateness.