Dec 14, 2014 – willowdot21

HOLIDAY CHEER

Welcome to Willow’s weekly coffee and tea garden. My name is Paul and I’m happy to be here once again inside Willow’s home where it is nice and toasty, tending to your needs for a cuppa, and sweets. We’ve moved inside to beat the winter cold in the garden.Willow has fluffed the cushions and stared a blaze in the fireplace to make a cozy place to sit. I’d be pleased to bring a pot of whatever beverage you prefer – we have a wide range of teas and coffees to satisfy our world-wide readership. We can relax with a cuppa and calorie free electronic sweets while we discuss the affairs of the week both personal and/or worldwide. How has your week been?

In the spirit of the season, I found the following video over at LifeBuzz it is Titled, He Asked 13 Homeless People What They Wanted For Christmas. Their Answers Made Me Feel Shallow. Gifts for the Homeless

This little video follows a gentleman as he asks many homeless people what they would like for Christmas and then provides it for them. It really speaks to the joy of giving and the meaning of Christmas. The looks on the faces of those to whom nothing has ever been given, is priceless. It did my heart good to watch.

Let me pour you a cuppa of your favourite beverage and have a sweet while you enjoy it as well. So the temperatures have been dropping over the last week or so and it has snowed twice and the snow has stayed down. All this gets me to thinking about skating at the canal and eating those delicious Beaver Tails. Speaking of sweets, here’s some that I bet you haven’t seen before, Beaver Tails:

Beaver Tails with various Chocolate Fillings

These delicious hot pastries are fried dough covered with powdered sugar and filled with the topping of your choice – jam, chocolate, fruit, etc. (For scale – each Beaver Tail pictured above is about twice as long as your hand and about 1 1⁄2 times as wide).They are sold through out the winter at kiosks in and around Ottawa. Primarily Beaver Tails are sold on the Rideau Canal Skating rink. This is actually the largest maintained skating rink in the world, comprising over 4.5 miles (7 kms) of canal skating in the city of Ottawa from Downtown to Dow’s Lake. The canal is open for skating usually by January and stays open until early March. The length of the season depends on the temperature and can run anywhere from 45 days to 90 days. It is free and has changing/warm up rooms, food kiosks, washrooms, etc – all on the ice. You can see the little cluster of buildings with services under the bridge in the picture. There are a number of these clusters all along the Canal.

The night time skating is amazing and a real feast for the eyes.

That’s about all we have room for this week, so it’s time to settle in front of the fireplace with another cuppa. Sweets anyone? – we can even have the kitchen make you some Beaver Tails if you wish. Willow and I are honored that you dropped by today to visit. I hope you’ve enjoyed yourself and the conversation and please feel free to look around at Willow’s other posts while you’re here. Have a great week. We look forward to seeing you here for tea again next week.

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE: I would ask you if you would like another cuppa, or another cake . ! If we were having Coffee Original idea from http://parttimemonster.wordpress.com/

Welcome, come on in it is lovely to see you! If we were having Coffee . Come on in the fires are lit the cushions are plumped up and we have the coffee and tea and the cakes and sweets are set out. Paul and his guests are all here and they are enjoying the warmth and food and drinks. We have tea and coffee from all over the world not to mention all our cakes and muffins and as Paul calls them sweets! Every single one is calorie free! Plus of course we now have spirits and liquors to warm the coldest of you .

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE : I would say not a lot has been happening this week. I have been looking after hubby after he has been in hospital for an operation. Well two operations actually . How did this happen well he went in for one and when the surgeon came to speak to him he informed him he was going to perform a second procedure too!

I think the husband was quite taken aback, luckily it was too late to do anything but have the second operation but consent! 🙂 .

I was surprised too but not by the double operation. No I was taken aback the amazingly quick turnaround time of the hospital. In at 7am open surgery home by 2pm same day? Well honestly I know you are safer from MRSA CDiffC at home than in hospital but hey six and a half hours seems rather hurried! …. But hey I can be a good nurse and I have worked hard to look after and cope with all of hubbies’ concerns!!

What else can I tell you, IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE: well my eldest sister hurt her knee while she was at the library, she has to now wait to go for a scan to see what the damage is! All she needs just right now! Sister number two is also not doing so well, having trouble with he heart! Sister number three well she is still struggling with her shoulder after her shoulder operation. I go round each week to wash her hair! She is struggling now because she has three unexpected visitors for Christmas, her mother in law and her two sister in laws!

Eldest brother … well he was supposed to be having an operation to sort out a leg problem that has been troubling him for at least 18months! Unfortunately he has ha a problem with an ingrowing toenail. Sadly for him because of the toenail problem his long awaited operation has been postponed until the new year! …. Brother number two , well he seems healthy enough so fingers crossed for him!!

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE: I would say that it has been great fun over at Jean’s Social Bridge where she is hosting a party , come on over and join in here. Jean has a wonderful blog well worth taking a look at!

OH! were are my manners would you like another cuppa and maybe some cake?

These teddies look good don’t they! Mind you I have eaten way too much today!It has been one of those days when you just pick, pick and pick some more.

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE: I would say that we have had some really harsh weather this week here in the UK. We here in the South have been very much luckier than those in the North and West! Read more here!

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE: I will have to admit that although I have been really really busy this week not much of real interest has happened. I have told you all my news so maybe now you would like to tell me some of your news, personal or international.

But for now let us join Paul and his guests , it is so cold we could break out the liquors!