photo dump!

a couple of months in a couple of photos (in no particular order):

Xanadu

Dorothy

Bombay

 My Ophelia has adapted very well to all the changes. She is in love with the outdoors, and has become a playful kitten all over again.

 (This is Ophelia's first experience with snow. We didn't get a lot more snow the rest of the season).

I finally (and to my relief) found Christmas photographs:

Christmas Eve on Salt Spring Island at James' Family Farm

Christmas Morning

James and I love to make fresh pasta for dinner. It does not take a lot more time or effort, and it is worth every delicious bite. (Can you tell that James has gained some precious pounds)?

We made a factory load of Hamentaschen for Purim, and had a ridiculous amount of fun at a Beatles-themed Purim Party.

Those are some seriously healthy lungs. (Thank you, Heather Armstrong, for these gorgeous photographs).

We are finally at home in Victoria.

Chanukah

It would be impossible to not love that smile. 

James has been out of the hospital for two weeks and is feeling stronger and stronger each and every day. We seemed to have found a resolution for James' gastrointestinal issues, and James has been able to return to eating as a full-time job. His white cell counts are back within an acceptable range for immunosuppression, but James is still mostly housebound (aside from appointments at the hospital and physiotherapy at the Transplant Gym) to reduce the risk of infection. We are really looking forward to Christmas at my father's house. We need to take as many precautions as possible to remain healthy for the holidays.

We celebrated the first night of Chanukah over this past weekend (and will have another Chanukah party on Saturday). We have plenty of leftovers, and the house still smells of latkas from the weekend (and other fried deliciousness from the holiday). We played driedel for candies with my siblings, and sang traditional Chanukah songs. We have been lighting the candles each night before dinner. My Bubie has been close at mind and in our hearts. She would have been the first to sing and dance, and of course, to burn the latkas.

James' mother sent some lovely Christmas ornaments from James' childhood for our little apartment tree. Unfortunately, Ophelia got to the tree this evening, and James and I returned home from grocery shopping to scene of pine needles and broken glass in every corner of the apartment. Ophelia was prancing around with pride at all the toys she had discovered on our tree. We will have to replace the tree with an artificial plant. It has fallen a few times prior to this incident, and with Ophelia's new found interest, I can't imagine it would remain upright for a lot longer. 

 love love love

holidays away from home

We are getting ready for the holidays with the mixed emotions of love for the holiday season, and a longing to be back home with James' family, (and of course, curled up with feline friends in front of our fireplace). James insists that all he needs for the holidays is to be with me, but I also sense a sadness for the separation from his family. We are looking forward to receiving some of his childhood ornaments in the mail to bring some of his tradition to our temporary home. 

We will travel to my father's house for Christmas. He lives in a rural area close to Port Perry, Ontario, with several pets that will occupy James' every moment of attention during the holiday. We will still be surrounded by family, and the love and warmth that the holidays are meant to represent.

We will also celebrate Chanukah with my family in Toronto. The party will come to us, because my mother's house has several flights of stairs that would be completely inaccessible for James. We have many special and meaningful traditions. These have become more and more important over the years. The holidays come with comfort of memories. As with the last few holidays, I will feel the absence of my Bubie. She has been gone for almost 10 months, but in many ways, it could have been only a few weeks. There is not a single day that she doesn't cross my mind, and I feel that loss even stronger as the holidays approach without her around the table.

We have also been getting the apartment ready for the holidays, and bringing some of that festive cheer into our small space.

  

We bought a special ornament to represent the year of our marriage:

and another for the blending of traditions:

Our dear friends and family have also sent loving cards in the mail, along with a beautiful angel, and some delicate homemade snowflakes to bring the holiday spirit to our little home in Toronto: