A Christmas Season Smorgasbord in Belleville, Ontario.

The final countdown is upon us as we head into a busy weekend of last minute shopping and festivities. Tomorrow at the Empire Theatre, which is owned by our broker, Mark Rashotte, we're having our annual office Chinese food luncheon up on the stage. It's always a festive time with many funny tales, some songs, a fine luncheon and greetings all around.

We received news today, via email, that all of the children on our 'Wish Tree' had been taken care of. The 'Wish Tree' is a Christmas tree at our office decorated in gold stars with the ages and sex of each child currently staying in a local woman's shelter with their Mom.
We each pick a star and purchase gift(s) for that child, wrap them and place them under the tree. The gifts will be delivered to the shelter this weekend and each child will have a special gift to open on Christmas day. My star was a little girl 9-10 years old. I enjoyed picking out special gifts for her and wrapping them all lovingly before placing them in a giant snowman Christmas bag tied with a colourful bow and ribbon.

This time of the year, more than ever, we are reminded of how life is not ideal for all people, and the ones who feel this the most are the children who are going through troubling and hard times.

My heart breaks for all of these children and I ask the universe to bless each one of them, keep them safe and warm and dry, bring plenty of unconditional love their way and help them to believe in themselves and to know that they have the ability to fulfill any dreams that they may have. Most of all I wish that all children, the world over, could be kept safe from abuse, hunger and homelessness.
The suffering of children in the world is something I will never be able to understand. I hope that everyone takes time out this busy season to bring some special joy into the life of a child. We can never tell our children we love them often enough and helping them to believe they are capable of accomplishing anything, will always be held close to their hearts as they grow older and face their own trials and tribulations.

I've heard that a child will turn out well and have good self-esteem as long as there is at least one person who believes in them and consistently shows it by word and deed. Perhaps you could be that 'one' person in the life of a child.

We received plenty of snow this past week. The homes in the Old East Hill are all decked out for the Christmas season.

As you drive around town, evergreen wreaths dress many a fine old door and porches are adorned with cedar swags and pots of spruce and pine.

The streets and sidewalks are carved between snowbanks and everywhere there are smiling people gaily clothed in bright wool hats and wrapped in scarves. Even dogs are sporting their colourful little parkas these days.

For many years I used to make Amaretto balls every Christmas. They were a welcome treat on the holiday plates and have a delectable flavour, especially if you love chocolate and almond.

Every Christmas Eve I make a smorgasbord of special foods for visitors. This Christmas Eve I'll set out a buffet of many traditional foods once more, amongst them being my Mother's tortiere ( a French Canadian meat pie that is always served on Christmas Eve) and her Sweet and Sour Meatballs.

They'll also be the traditional giant scallops with seafood sauce.

I'm a vegetarian however that doesn't stop me from serving meat dishes when I have guests over. President's Choice makes a delectable little meatless meatball that can be used in Sweet and Sour meatball recipes this time of year.
It's great for any vegetarians who may be visiting your home.


Mom's French Canadian Tortiere

1/2 lb Lean ground beef
1/2 lb Ground pork
1    Onion, chopped
Garlic powder            
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Savory 
1/4 tsp Celery salt
1/4 tsp Ground cloves
1/2 cup  Water
  
   Brown the beef and pork together with all other ingredients. Add 1/2 cup
of bread crumbs and allow to cool. Pour into unbaked pie shell and add a top crust 
(cut little maple leaves out of extra dough and place on top). Bake for 25 minutes in 450 
degree oven.   

Joyeux Noel !!  

Christmas Day will be spent at my Mother's in Trenton. I'm almost finished my shopping and have already had one Christmas celebration with my brother Curt and his family this past weekend.

We had a wonderful dinner at the Golden Valley Restaurant in Trenton on Saturday night and then we opened gifts and visited at my Mothers. The little ones enjoyed themselves and were on their best behaviour at the restaurant, as always.
My brother and his family left on Sunday morning to travel back to Ajax and made it home safely, even though the snowstorm had begun.
They'll spend this coming weekend and Christmas at their summer home on Moose Lake in Haliburton County.

If you're ever looking for the most beautiful enchanted retreat to take either in winter or summer, be sure and visit the Domain of Killien. It is the turn off directly before the windy backwoods road that leads down to my brother's gorgeous lakeside cottage.

The Domain of Killien is one of those places that immerses you in luxury all within a forest setting on the shores of sparkling clean lakes and 5000 private acres for you to explore.
This special place is a member of the Relais du Silence association and aims to offer you a peaceful and quiet time surrounded by nothing but nature and gentle ambiance.
In such, there are no televisions or radios, so bring your eyes for observing the beauteous wonders of the precious planet we live on, and bring a few good books to relax by the fireside with.
I could spend a lifetime there and want for practically nothing.

Clayton, my other brother, will be arriving this coming Saturday with his family.
Saturday we'll have a gathering at my Mother's and Sunday will be at my Dad and Stepmom's for another Christmas get-together.

This is what Christmas is all about, seeing our loved ones , sharing in conversation, hugs and watching the smiles and sparkling eyes of the children in our families. Everyone seems to have grown at least another 6 inches everytime I see them!

Things aren't the same as the old days when all relatives lived within a short distance of one another or just the farm over.

I'm thankful that we have hung on to traditions such as Christmas get-togethers and only wish our loved ones did not have to travel so far to be with us.

I'm enjoying having my son Rob home from university this past week and we've shared in many wonderful conversations amongst the muffins and cookies and meals and shopping. He was fortunate to find a part time job this past week while he was home and earned some extra spending money for himself.

Tonight a friend picked him up and he is off with his gear for a day of snowboarding in Batawa, a nearby village where I lived and attended school for grades 1 and part of 2.
The house we lived in is gone now, in fact the whole street of homes where I lived is gone.

Now there are fairly new homes lining the street and the small village ambiance has taken flight along with our quaint little houses. My old church where I used to attend Sunday School, is now the village library and my old school has been remodeled into a senior's residence.

All of my Christmas cards have been sent and I've included a little calendar in most of them; one of my yearly traditions. This way people always have my contact information on hand should they want to call me just to say hello of if they have a real estate inquiry.

Already some of my past clients have called me to say they received my card and would like to get together in the new year. I'm so thankful for the wonderful people I've had the pleasure to serve over the past 12 years and I enjoy hearing from them and being brought up to date on the happenings in their lives.
Babies born, older children flown the nest, new jobs, trips taken and general news about their journeys through time.

I hope you're all enjoying the season and things are going along smoothly for you. Remember to stay stress-free, take time out for you, and smile as you immerse yourself in the joy and love that surrounds you.

Jo