So it’s a spectacular day here in Southern Ontario and I set my alarm for bright and early.

You see

I needed to be up and preparing for my coffee guest. You know me! I like to have something fresh and even warm, to serve when someone arrives at my table.

I was pretty excited when I went to bed because I had come up with a fantastic Loaf idea. It’s Christmas season so obviously it needed to have some red in the ingredient list. I adore dates and find them to be a most excellent sweetness source, so clearly the recipe needed some dates. Walnuts are good for us and who doesn’t like a little crunch in their loaf?
A bit of citrus zest always adds some depth of flavour and since I had a couple of navel oranges and two lemons sitting on my fruit plate, I knew the recipe would include one or the other.

Now to digress for just a minute, I woke up this morning in a bit of a sweat as the result of a Terrible dream. A nightmare really.

You see

in my dream/nightmare, my daughter in law was not speaking to me and her mother was on side with her silence. Now, I have never had an altercation with my almost perfect daughter in law so you can maybe understand my angst. “Not Speaking to people” is not an activity we practice in the Staley family.  The crux of the issue was my
“grandma name”. Jenn had decided it should be
Nafasshhhaashshsshhhh (I may be spelling it wrong but you get the gist and I’m trying to forget)
The reason for this name was that I sometimes talk too much and Jenn thought it a good idea to have strategic
ssshhhhh’s in my grandma name. Well the trouble came about when I decided I really must speak up and I expressed my dislike of the name.
Since Jenn had taken it upon herself to have the name inscribed on slippers, name tags and hair clips (not sure why she felt I would be interested in hair clips) and had gone to a whole lot of work and expense
she was not Happy!

I woke up in a sweat, as I mentioned.

However, my relief was enormous when I realized this had actually been a (terrible) dream and not only that, but I had a special guest to look forward to this morning.
I jumped out of bed and came to the kitchen to begin preparing.
I decided my new creation would be called
Date, cranberry, orange breakfast Loaf and although it is a rather long name, each of the mentioned ingredients deserve recognition in the name.
I’m telling you, it is DELICIOUS.

Well back to my story!

I prepared the table and lit the candles and got out my best cake plate and arranged everything nicely.
I put my favourite spotify play list on.   It’s called Acoustic Christmas!
Then I realized it was 9:45 and she was coming at 10:30 so I raced upstairs and jumped into the shower. Wouldn’t you know it, today was hair wash day which was going to take longer. I hadn’t decided what to wear so I figured that out while applying shampoo.
Jumped out and got myself dried and coiffed.

Rob’s grandpa used to say to his beloved wife
“there’s no harm in trying, Izzy” (Her name was Isabel. My mom’s middle name was Isabel. I Love the name Isabel)

I arrived at the kitchen with 10 minutes to spare and got the coffee pot turned to ON.

And then

10:40 came and then 10:45 and I started to wonder,
if she had forgotten,
Dear Soul.
She likely wouldn’t want me to call her elderly, but 80 has come and gone on her calendar, so, well, a little extra grace is appropriate.
HOWEVER
You may or may not know that I have a tendency to get times and dates
WRONG!

I went to my phone and checked and rechecked the day and time of our get together and low and behold
it wasn’t my friend who was mistaken.

It was me. She is coming

Tomorrow!

Since Fresh and Warm is my favourite, I will decide whether or not I will make something else for our Coffee Table!

Nevertheless
I now have some beautiful Date, cranberry, orange breakfast Loaves to give away and that is a lovely thing.

I hope you have a joy filled Last Week of November and whatever may be frustrating you as the sun shines outside, remember that there is always Something to be thankful for and excited about, regardless of your inadequacies and concerns.

♥

Hi Mom!
It’s me!
You aren’t here to listen but I’m just going to get started, as if you were on the other end of the phone, or maybe even sitting beside me with your knitting.

This morning we sang Ten Thousand Reasons at church and it was okay. I felt a bit quivery for a second but I sang it out, with vigor.
And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
still my soul will sing your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

With Vigor, mom.

Yesterday was the third annual Brunch and Apron Get Together.  It was a ton of work of course, but I know that you know how worth it work is.  Do it and watch others enjoy your efforts.  Such Joy it gave you and such Joy it gives me.  Thank you!  Actually I have been thinking lately about work and what a privilege it is to be healthy and strong and able.  As long as God allows me to be strong I will do what needs doing, keeping my eyes on Him and not on the obstructions along the path.

I told you often, before you went to Jesus, that I have the Best friends. You met so many of them over the years and You knew that God blessed me with people who could be my family since my own family was so far away. God was kind to give me family who were near.  I know if you could actually hear me and talk back to me you would ask if Fiona was here yesterday.  She sure was and as usual, she was such a huge help.  And Becky, she was amazing.  After the goings on were over and everyone was gone, the afternoon was also gone.  I needed to get to Fabricland before it closed because one of the fabrics I had made up into aprons sold out.  It was pretty, mom.  You would have loved that it had cardinals all over it.  Anyway, I need to make six more and I didn’t want to take a chance that it would be gone so off I went to get six more metres.  When I got home Becky had the dishwasher loaded, Again and the table cleaned off and the table cloth ready for the wash and the aprons back in the sewing room and I was so so thankful.  Between Fiona’s help and Becky’s help the work load was  much lighter.  I was thankful.  Oh I almost forgot, Becky has started to paint little cards.  They are just beautiful and she even had her own “booth” yesterday at the brunch.
HAHA

You knew me pretty well.
HAHA
did you Ever.
More People More Better. You understood that,
even though you weren’t really of the same conviction. You enjoyed some fellowship but you liked your alone time too.  That’s likely how you were able to survive and even thrive, albeit sadly at times, after dad was gone.

You were more sensible than me and I guess the apple fell close to the tree but rolled away a bit.
LOL

Friends
they are just such a blessing. These friends, well Some are oooollld. Not old in age although I guess that’s happening too, but oooold as in I’ve known them
long and hard
deep and wide
Some of them are Not old friends and I don’t really know them well, but new friends can become dear quickly. New or old, friends are a gift.  We don’t take them for granted do we mom.

It wouldn’t surprise you to know that I didn’t have a lot of time to stop and chat yesterday. I was running around and serving food and showing aprons. It was so much fun. I was extremely tired at the end of the day but as always, it was worth the effort.

You used to love hearing about my menu. It’s a thing that makes my heart hurt, that I can’t tell you about it.
I like to have a selection of food, as you know and everybody seemed to enjoy the choices yesterday.
I made
Fennel and cheese dip. It was delicious.

I also made Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake. You would have loved the coffee cake.
I know you would like it best, warm from the oven.
Oh, that reminds me, I wanted to tell you that I went to a coffee shop recently and ordered a sort of date pastry. The young man serving me asked if I wanted it heated. Well for goodness sake, I looked at him and said
“Yes, I do, thanks for asking” and I thought of you right then and there. I felt a bit sad that I couldn’t call you up and tell you about it. Dates remind me of you and I have a date square whenever I can find a good one. I still haven’t found the perfect recipe but I Have found a couple of places that employ chefs who can produce a good date square, with lots of dates. Of course the heating of muffins and pastries Always reminds me of you. I wish I could remember who I was telling the other day that if you asked for a muffin and were told that it couldn’t be heated, you would usually change your mind. What’s the point in having a cold muffin? Oh I know the answer, but it seems many don’t.
HAHA

The fritatta was so good mom. I know it would not have been your favourite, not loving eggy dishes, but I know you would have tried a piece and you would have told me how good it was and that would have been special seeing as how I would have known it wasn’t your first choice of brunch options.  A piece of toast and a fried egg was your first choice, for sure. And maybe a piece of bacon. Oh and marmalade of course.
HAHA

You would LOVE this year’s fabrics. I have taken a few trips to the fabric store this fall.
HAHA

That’s for sure.
I know, I wish you could have gone along with me. I was telling someone last week how you used to feel the cotton and tell me what you thought of the quality. I think you would be impressed with my fabric judgement decision making skills. I’ve learned alot.
Practice makes perfect.
HAHA

While I was cooking, late on Friday night, I was thinking about the best gift you ever gave me. It was when you left that first package of chicken out on the counter when you started your job at Murchies, back in 1973. Man, I was fourteen. Can you believe how fast time flies? You asked if I would “do something” with it and make dinner that night. I can’t remember exactly but I’m pretty sure I said “sure”. I had No experience but accepted the challenge and that was the beginning
of a whole new World for me.
After that you would just leave the meat out and the vegetables were in the fridge and when you came home, dinner was ready. It gave me something to do after school and mom
I Love creating recipes now. Remember some of the times over the years when you would call and ask what I was doing and I would tell you and you would say
“Oh My, Dear. Let me know how it turns out”. I don’t think I ever told you how warm and cozy I always felt, even when I was 50, when you would call me “Dear”. Such a little word and I loved being Dear.
Memories can be good and bad.  I have some of each.  It’s funny how so many past times seemed insignificant and weren’t.  You maybe wouldn’t even remember how I liked  petting your little beaver jacket when we were sitting in church, leaning against you and not listening to a single word but just petting you and knowing I was Loved with a capital L.

I’m going to say “see you Later” now. It’s been fun to talk to you, even though I can’t hear your voice answering me back.  I think I’ll do it again.  I hope you and dad are together and I wonder with such curiosity what it’s like there
in Heaven. I can wonder all I want, but I won’t know until I get there
and that’s okay. I have lots to keep me busy here. I’m trying to listen carefully mom. You and I both know that’s no easy task for me but I’m learning bit by bit and I have things to take care of and look after between now and then.

I Love you mom

♥