Happy NEW Year!!

The Year in Review:

Make an online slide show at onetruemedia.com

All the best for 2007, internets! You all rock!

Irish Church Lady , ICL

Christmas Traditions Meme

If you're looking for Saturday Photo Hunt, please go to me Photoblog "ICL is at Home"



Stolen from Tug, she lives in HELL. No really she does. But it's uber cool there. She gets to say "when Hell freezes over" alot.


Where do you spend the Christmas holiday?
We usually spend every third Christmas away at our in-laws, otherwise we stay at home. We have spent a few Christmases in Florida with my parents as well, but sadly those days are gone.
Do your kids write letters to Santa?
Not anymore. My daughter works for a company affiliated with the post office and has written letters from Santa back to kids.
Do you hang mistletoe?
I hang MistleToad. No really, I have a frog called MistleToad which I hang.
Do you leave cookies and milk for Santa?
Yes. Sadly, this Christmas was the first that we have not. Things were kinda mixed up with being out of town. We didn't even stuff the kids stockings.
Do you open your gifts Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
Morning, though hubby's family used to open them after midnight mass. I think that is more the tradition in the French Canadian families.
When do you put the gifts under your tree?
Family gifts go under the tree as soon as they are wrapped. Santa gifts go on the fireplace with the stockings placed on top of them.
Do you hang and stuff stockings?
Yuppers.
Do you leave the lights on your tree on overnight?
Usually, especially the first few days before and after Christmas.
Do you take turns opening gifts, or is it a free for all?
We try to take turns.
What is your traditional Christmas meal?
Turkey, rice stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables (usually broccoli, maybe beans, yams), trifle for dessert (my Mum used to make plum pudding with brandy butter)
Do you buy or make gifts for your pets?
Always buy gifts, even if it's only a can of tuna.
Do you have any other Christmas traditions?
Christmas morning, the kids wake us up with a big "Merry Christmas" to go and see what Santa brought, however, they're not allowed to wake us until 7 a.m. This was instituted when they were younger and they seem to follow it still today, even if the girls do need to drag their brother upstairs as part of the tradition. We usually buy the Christmas Crackers with the hats and prizes and wear these as part of the Christmas meal. This is something that my husband's family does not do. I think it's more of a British thing rather than a French thing.
If you celebrate a winter holiday other than Christmas, what are some of your customs and traditions?


Irish Church Lady , ICL

Christmas 2006 ~ Happy Holidaze

~My Christmas holiday photo shots~

Make an online slide show at onetruemedia.com

aka Kwanza with the Kwanks

Irish Church Lady
ICL

Hi Ho ... Happy Holidaze ... I'm back

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Just got back from my in-laws where we spent 5 days for Christmas. Here's a selection of shots. We were able to bring my FIL out of the nursing home for Christmas Day and Boxing Day for a few hours. I think he really enjoyed it. It was busy and hectic but a good time was had by all.

The kids enjoyed spoiling their Grandpa and giving him lots of love and kisses. I think he really enjoyed that too. Here's a mosaic of shots taken at the nursing home.


Oh yeah, and we were able to bring the doggies into the nursing home which was great fun for them and the residents. They were a big hit! I call them my therapy dogs now.

Today is recharge and veg out day to rest up from our trip and to psych myself up for a bunch of stuff I want to get done at home for the rest of the holidaze. I won't be blogging much so that I can focus on the task at hand.

Have a great rest of the week!!

Irish Church Lady , ICL

The Reason for the Season

My Christmas wish

is that you experience

the peace and joy

in a different way

than you've ever felt before

this Christmas.

Irish Church Lady , ICL

Hear ye Hear ye

Things to Do:

1. Go read the blog survey results (something for everyone)
2. Go here to fill ICL's stocking. I don't want much, but see if you can guess what I'd really like.





3. Have a great Christmas Holiday, Internets!!!!
   

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!




I'm just startin' 3 weeks of holidays! Wooty Woot Woot!


Doin' the reindeer dance!


All the prezzies are now bought!

Saturday Photo Hunt - Lines

This weeks theme is
Lines
Photo Theme. Join the blogroll. Grab the Scavenger Hunt code.
~Brought to us by TNChick ~

How many lines can you count?


Irish Church Lady
ICL

3 days to go ...

Sorry I haven't been around visiting much internets. 'Santa's' been busy, plus she's been going to a lot of parties.

Here's her list of Christmas Things to Do, better check it twice.

• Start shopping ~ check
• Have Dad over for dinner ~ check
• More shopping ~ check
• Werk Management Dinner ~ check
• Finish shopping ~ checky, check, check~!
• Werk Department Luncheon ~ check
• Start wrapping ~ check
• Dinner & comedy club with family & local cousins ~ check
• Finish wrapping
• Sit and enjoy our Christmas tree

Don't forget I have laundry and housework interspersed amongst that stuff too so give a girl Santa a break mmmm'kay?

I would love to try to catch up on some this morning with me coffee.

The shopping malls were actually not too bad. I never had to line up for a long time at all to pay for my purchases. All the Christmas decorations were 50% off. I got some cool bells for great prices for decorating my relatives gifts with. (Me daughter's Martha Stewart tendencies influencing me there a bit!)

I also treated myself to a little white Christmas tree for my living room, which I have adorned with all pink ornaments. I will take a picture once I have finished decorating it. I still have some more to put on that I picked up yesterday.

OK my coffee has now arrived at my bedside (I am a spoiled girl, I know). So off I go a visitin'!

Toodles~
Irish Church Lady (ICL)

Thursday Thirteen

Get the T13 code or view other thursday thirteen players
Week #72 my 25th TT

Adages I can Relate To

1. Time flies when you're having fun ~ Time also flies when you're busy and not having so much fun doing cleaning and shopping and wrapping.
2. It ain't over until the fat lady sings ~ Christmas will be over on Dec 25th whether I'm ready or not. This is a comforting thought. After the 25th I don't need to do any more preparation ~ no more shopping, wrapping, baking (although I did none this year). Just get to lay around and eat after that.
3. Money doesn't grow on trees ~ nor does it grow in my bank account at this time of year. It shrinks ... rapidly. Actually it kinda disappears. I hope it shows up again.
4. I breathe, therefore I am ~ breathe deep, you'll get there.
5. Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy and wealthy and wise. ~ What about a woman? 'Cause I've been staying up really late, at least later than usual for me, this week because I am off work and because my son is home from school so it's stay up and blab time. Kinda fun but I'm in a little bit of a fog the next day.
6. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well ~ yes, I cleaned my kitchen from top to bottom, totally decluttered the countertops and it looks and feels so much better. I'm motivated to try and keep it up now. I relegated my canisters to the pantry. Maybe not as convenient but worth my piece of mind to have a kitchen that makes me feel better about it.
7. Laughter is the best medicine ~ I've had some good laughs with my family this week and have been able to spend some good quality time blogging which has brought me lots of smiles, laughs and giggles.
8. It's nicer to give than to receive ~ I was kind of dreading doing my shopping this week because I had left it all until now when I had some time off. I was worried about scarce stock, no ideas, no money. I've actually made out pretty well and have enjoyed it.
9. Better safe than sorry ~ when you see something you really like for a Christmas gift for someone, buy it. Don't wait to look around some more and then go back the next day 'cause it may be gone :(
10. Whistle while you work ~ or play nice Christmas music. It makes it more enjoyable, lifts your spirit and has you signing in no time.
11. Penny for your thoughts ~ I heard that found penny's are thoughts from well wishers who have passed on. As I've been going about my business, I feel like my Mum is with me. Little things I see and find remind me of her, almost as if she is pushing them out front to my attention. This makes me feel good.
12. Things aren't always as they appear or Looks can be deceiving ~ sometimes you see people who on the exterior look like they have everything going for them and have it so much better than you do. Look again.
13. Make hay while the sun shines ~ when you are able to do things because you are healthy, rested, resourceful or reflective, take advantage of that and get things done so that when things are maybe not quite going your way, it won't matter that much if you miss a few beats.

Thanks for reading my Thirteen Adages I've recently lived through again or had reinforced.

Next week: Thirteen Things about Pool Boy

Irish Church Lady , ICL Irish

A-Z of me

Got this from Carol at The Turning Point. She's got a Virtual Holiday Cookie Scrap ... ah, er ... I mean Swap * goin' on at her place. Join in!

A - Available/Single? ~ Married to Pool Boy for 17 Years but I'm available ha ha. Pass the yogurt please.

B - Best Friend? ~ Piano Gurl, my BF since I was 4. Also my running partner (I haven't run since last Thursday ... boy is she going to whip my a$$ by the time Jan 8 rolls around!!)

C - Cake or Pie? ~ Let me eat Cake.

D - Drink Of Choice? ~ pass the caffeine please, Coffee!!! (followed by white wine, then Ricker's Red Beer, milk, Guinness)

E - Essential Item You Use Everyday? ~ toilet paper ~ I'd be lost without it.

F - Favorite Color? ~ mostly all ~ I'm a colour geek!!

G - Gummy Bears Or Worms? ~ Worms ~ you tend to be able to get them in the sour version which I like

H - Hometown? ~ That's rather personal isn't it? Okay I'll give you the airport code: YOW

I - Indulgence? ~ chocolate, boring. Something different, scallops or mussels.

J - January Or February? ~ February because it has Valentines Day and it's closer to the end of winter.

K - Kids & Their Names? ~ read "It's Time to Name the Kids"

L - Life Is Incomplete Without? ~ a soul

M - Marriage Date? ~ August 5

N- Number Of Siblings? ~ Tree *speaking in me Irish accent here*

O - Oranges Or Apples? ~ Apples, though me Mum loved oranges.

P - Phobias/Fears? ~ Big Fish

Q - Favorite Quote? ~ "You have to eat .6 kg of dirt before you die" by Irish Church Lady, not sure where the original saying came from "You have to eat a pound of dirt before you die".

R - Reason to Smile? ~ you don't need a reason

S - Season? ~ all of them on good weather daze!

T - Tag People: ~ ooouu, my precious, whom shall I tag?

U - Unknown Fact About Me? ~ that's really difficult because I'm such an open book on this blog. I'm not fussy about cabbage rolls. There!

V - Vegetable you don’t like? ~ oops, should have saved the last one for this. But I do like coleslaw....hmmmm....maybe parsnips but I do like all vegetables that I can think of right now.

W - Worst Habit? ~ Blogging, I fear. It consumes too much of my time that I probably should be using more productively.

X - X-rays You’ve Had? ~ back, teeth ... I think that's about it.

Y - Your Favorite Food? ~ Indian or Mexican or anything with some spice!

Z - Zodiac Sign? ~ Libra - I need to be balanced, when I'm off kilter I suck.

Oh and apparently I've done something like this before although I've slept since then.

* (Guess I've been watching too much Wife Swap ... which I've dubbed Wife Scrap)

Irish Church Lady , ICL , Irish

You Tubesday ~ fa la la la la

Stacie hosts You Tubesday were you post a video on your blog. She had trouble getting hers to load today but there's a few more linked on her site. Check 'em out. Here's mine. I would like to point out that it is my son's music playing starting partway through the video.

Sign me,
Proud Mama



Irish Church Lady
ICL
Irish

Still giggling ...

Found at Fleur de Lisa's

Dashing through the snow,
In an one-horse open sleigh,
O'er the ICL we go,
Laughing all the way.

Jingle Bells
from the Christmas Song Generator.

Get your own song :

I'm still giggling. I think if I drink all the Tullamore Dew whiskey that Lifecruiser left in my stocking then this song will be very appropriate!!

How oft at Christmas-tide the sight
Of green Irish Church Lady gives us delight.

O Christmas Tree
from the Christmas Song Generator.

Get your own song :

Irish Church Lady , ICL

Bring me flesh, and bring me Irish,
Bring me pine logs hither.

Good King Wenceslas
from the Christmas Song Generator.

Get your own song :

WHAT a HOOT!

My Elf Name ...

...is Cheerful Bubba Louie but according to Blogthings it is Trixie Helper. I think Trixie Helper is my third alter ego since she is always so helpful trying to add to my blog content.

Your Elf Name Is...

Trixie Helper

What's Your Elf Name?

Hey, what's up with Blogrolling? Is your's working. Mine's not ~ either that or no one is posting or pinging. Help a girl out. Tell me I'm not crazy.

Irish Church Lady , ICL