and to all a good night

Ho Ho Hoooo

Santa has put something in me stocking early this year :D I’m honoured this Kissiemuch to be given this Christmas Spirit Award from Santa Robert at Black Tie & Sneakers. Me thinks he read too many of the seasonal ponderings, :D

The rules are, you must be a true Christmas lover to receive this award;

The person to whom you give the award must also be in love with Christmas.
You must link back to the person who gave you the award. P.S. Sorry folks I've tried but the linkie thingie is broken :( but you can find them over dere -->
You must list 5 things that you love about Christmas, if you can’t limit it to 5
things, then keep going till you run out of space!
Pass the award along to as many people as you like, that can be 1 or 50, it’s up
to you but, you must pass it one to at least one person in order to keep the
Christmas cheer going!
Let your recipients know that you have tagged them by leaving them a comment

Hhmmm, thingies I enjoy about this Silly Season

Spiritual, sacred music; Aaron Nevilles ‘Joy To The World’ will make you shiver and rejoice at the same time
Baking cookies :D
Lights, lights and more lights
PaperWhites and Amaryillieseses
Holiday Inn, Scrooged, Bad Elf, The Snow Queen, Shrek The Halls
only 5 eh Robert
Colours of red, gold and green
Sparkles, sparkles and more sparkles
Family, friends and love
Handing out the Christmas crackers and insisting everyone wears those paper hats
Okies I will admit, snow for Christmas Eve and Day and that’s it!


The one person who stands out during all the hustle and bustle is Santa Speedy over at Speedcat Hollydale. A bit ago he posted the most wonderful site dedicated to his granddaughter meeting the jolly ole fellow. I am sure all who read it had tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces. It is truly joyous and captures this season of wonderment and if you too have munchkins more so the better.

A very Happy Kissiemuch I wish for everyone and I thank you for pondering with me. Love & laughter to all, now break out the eggnog :)

Rogues Retreat

I’ve been on this internet thingie Blogging for over a year now and I never cease to be amazed with peoples Blogs. The diaries, wicked humour, beautiful gardens, poetry, very unusual house listings, stories and overall people just wanting their say, to express themselves whichever way.

A person very dear to me has decided to share his writings. Trust me, the man can write poetry, ponderings, and stories. And so I’m introducing you to him thru his Retreat. Crossing toes the coding works and if not his Blog is under Fellow Ponderers.

His story Dishonour now has two Chapters posted with more to come. If you do pop by, leave him a comment, constructively good or bad. This is how we learn what works or doesn’t. Thank you for your time and eyes. Now back to our regular scheduled programme :D

Say it with me, Monarrrrrdaaaa Diddddyma

Looking out on this barren landscape of white shite I pondered what plant I miss the most. Without a doubt tis Beebalm aka Oswego Tea aka Horsemint aka Monarda Didyma. The last being the fave as it rolls off the tongue. The blossoms have always reminded of a 40’s feathery hat. One worn by that crazy aunt on Sundays decked out in white gloves and of course a string of pearls around her neck.

I’ve grown this plant for years or I should say it has grown itself. And it certainly does. Thriving in one area then come Spring you find it 2’ from the spot last seen in. One begins the task of gently easing the suckers out of the ground, then returning to its original place.

Monarrrrrda has to be the funkiest perennial. Square, yes, square, hollow stems reaching 2-4’ high and blossoms on top. If one is lucky another blossom will sprout from the original one both blooming in sync. It never fails to remind me of characters in How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Don’t ask. :)

Clearing the garden in Spring one should always rake the plant. The leaves are used in Earl Grey tea and even after Winters sleep the scent is very strong. These may be harvested mid and late Summer, hung to dry and will see you thru til next growth.

Most of mine is the deep red though I have a much older plant of soft, light purple. Not as strong as the red but lovely planted with a Purple Sandcherry bush. The red is favoured by hummers, bees and butterflies. Hummers of course can fit their beaks perfectly in the individual blossom and will spend an hour sipping from each.

A bed of Monarrrrda also provides the bestest spot for a Summers pondering watching hummingbird toes but that tale is for another day...

Frosty Full Moon

The day burrowed
under its warm blanket &
I too was wrapped and waiting.

Slowly its glow peaked
over the river thru clouds
as a child playing hide and seek.

Its hue of peach
transformed jagged ice
into shimmering crystals.

As it rose higher
its hue slowly lost
becoming whiter then the snow.

Blinding brilliance
shone upon the landscape
creating shadows naught seen in a year.

The Frosty Full Moon
illuminates the night
while I settle watching no longer waiting.

Seasonal Sway

A few posts ago I described the race for winner of the seasonal blooms. My money was on the paper whites and I won. Okies ok, there may have been insider information. For a week they’ve been blooming and folks I have to tell you the scent is intoxicating. A combination of vanilla, jasmine and mockorange. Mmmmmm, even better then Kissiemuch cookies baking.

Well me thinks these have a life of their own. Allow me to explain. I’m use to the creaks and groans of this house, the rants from the forest pygmies not to mention those wayward creatures seeking winters warmth but the new sounds have me perplexed. So perplexed I open cupboard doors and do double takes at the tiniest shadow.

Yesterday morn I took a good sniff to begin the day and the stalks and blooms were bent over a lamp. They are now nearing 2’ high wrapped with a ribbon to keep them from flopping over. All day I would hear a crackle and just shrugged it off to the chill. By night fall they were standing erect, yes, straight up ! Nope the lamp was never turned on so there goes the theory of heat. Do I hear that tune, doo doo doo dooooo.

Before lights out I sniffed once more, I know what you’re pondering but really their scent is so mmmmmmmmm. At that time they were tilting so I moved the pot towards the wall just in case it fell over. Another noise in the night I do not need. This morn, their position remained. Whew, was it too high test tea yesterday?

As I write, they’ve resumed the position of a soldier, uh huh, straight up. I’ve grown paper whites for years and never have they moved like this. Just 5 bulbs placed amongst river stones in a pot nourished with water. That is it. I’m now pondering if the water is the culprit. Taken from the dehumidifier it has been purified kinda sorta. If this be true then if I drink from the vessel will I too sway like a belly dancer :D

I just wanna bake cookies

Tis that time of year when the urge to become Betty Crocker overtakes me. The house filled with delicious scent of cherries, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts, pecans, coconut and of course chocolate all baked into various doughs.

I began the ingredients shopping early to beat the other Bettys. Refusing to pay $6.00 for a 5 kg bag of All Purpose flour at the grocery store, I visited the local “health food / bulk store”. Strolling aisles looking for the almighty All Purpose, I finally stop at the flour bins. This mind was so unprepared for the assault on my knowledge of baking.

Laid out before me were bins and bins of flours. White, semi-white, dark white, ok there is white and only white. It reminded me of the Benjamin and Moore pallet of 101 shades of white. If one is so possessed with the colour white which in fact is no colour at all then I pity that soul and bet they never coloured outside the lines.

Moving on, I found bins of whole wheat, semi-whole wheat, whole grain, which are good for bread and buns but not cookies. Excellent flours but unless one is baking granolas and o so healthy treats for this season, avoid them. This time of year, I want fruits and nuts and sweetness all wrapped into one.

Next up, bins of smelt flour. Now at these I stood and shook me head. What in heavens name is smelt flour ? The only smelt I know is a fish and on that I’ll pass thank you. I will not give fish smelling cookies to anyone. To add insult to any baker it came in whole wheat hard and whole wheat soft. Does the hard mean there are bones in it and the soft only skin ?

At last, I find the All Purpose. Ahhhhh serenity has found me. I am whole again. Caught in a deep inhale I adjust me eyes and say wait a minute ! What in heavens name is this ? Labeled I see light all purpose, dark all purpose, whole wheat all purpose. This is just so cruel. No where else have I ever seen so many all purposes. All purpose means just that … all purpose. Shoulders droop and a sigh escapes.

Half an hour later I walk out of the grocery store with that 5kg bag under arm. Cradled just so, ensuring it will be cherished and revered during this season. And I will bake cookies :D