Content

Winter in Toronto

“The people who seem to be the most content don’t focus on a time years ahead when they hope to have whatever they imagine it takes to be happy — money or time or a wonderful relationship. They live in the present and take their pleasure seriously. And they create their own pleasures.”

~ from the book Simple Pleasures

Bare Necessities

sprouts

“Have nothing in your houses that is not useful or you do not believe to be beautiful.”

~ William Morris

Not By Bread Alone

under an old tree

“When we lack proper time for the simple pleasures of life, for the enjoyment of eating, drinking, playing, creating, visiting friends, and watching children at play, then we have missed the purpose of life. Not by bread alone do we live but on all these human and heart-hungry luxuries.”

~ Ed Hayes

Sugar Cookies & Puppy Love

cutting them out

Well, my baking bonanza was a success. I spent the better part of 3 glorious hours in the kitchen, cutting out shapes, drizzling icing and sprinkling coloured sugar. It’s a good thing I had prepared and refrigerated the dough on the weekend when Melissa and Carvill and I had a cookie-baking day of our own. Otherwise, I might have been in that kitchen for at least a couple more hours. I did, after all, make a double batch.

lining them up

But all of my efforts were worth it. These cookies were gobbled up by my coworkers and at the end of the day when I went to check there were maybe 5 remaining in the tin, which I left for the night crew to enjoy. (Whoever got their hands on one before they were all gone, anyway.)

Piling up

After my busy day on Wednesday, I was glad to be working from home yesterday and today. I definitely needed the peace and quiet. And Daisy was definitely missing me while I was gone too. She followed me around on Wednesday night from room to room, where ever I went, keeping an eye on me and cuddling me whenever I sat down.

Sticky Fingers

To think that this is the same dog who was so independent and spurned my attentions when she was young, only to grow so attached to me in her old age. I can’t believe she’s gonna be 13 in February. Has it really been 13 years since I was 16, demanding that my parents let me buy her with the first earnings of my first job? Wow. It really is incredible how fast time flies.

One batch, done!

Have I Got Some News!

Well, well! I have some big news! The biggest news ever, actually. But first, let me start at the beginning.

So, this weekend was the (Dave’s and my) 3-and-a-half-year anniversary of our first date. I remembered that it was coming up a little while ago and so the two of us made plans to take a nice romantic walk on Sunday. As for Saturday, I made plans to get together with a friend of mine, leaving Dave to his own devices. However, my Saturday plans fell through and since neither of use really had anything better to do, Dave suggested that we play some rounds of our favourite card game: Fluxx.

Flux is a Great Game.

Well, Dave’s a sore loser and I’m sorry to say it, but I’m a sore winner. Not an excellent combination when I kept winning and Dave kept losing. He got grumpier and I just laughed. One hand, two. A third round, then a fourth. I just kept winning.

After I won that fourth hand, Dave was practically fuming. “You don’t wanna do that,” he said. “Take it back.” “Ha, ha!” I laughed. “Too late, too late! I win again!” Dave grumbled as I gathered up the cards for him to shuffle and he dealt out the fifth hand.

Especially When You Make Custom Cards.

Now Dave meant business. He immediately got rid of any cards I might use for a quick win. Then he made me discard all the cards in my hand so I had nothing left in my hand to win with anyway. Finally, he went on a “take another turn” rampage, playing card after card until finally, he played the “Love” keeper. And on its heels, he played a custom card he’d made that I had never seen before: the “Marriage” goal.

Custom cards that are very special.

“What the heck is this?” I asked, picking the card up off the table. I read it: “If both Love and the Ring are on the table, we both win.”

Because he Proposed!

Confused, I asked, “Does this mean I win too?” Then I looked down at the table in front of him. There, beside the Love keeper sat the most beautiful ring in the whole wide world. I looked up at Dave, saw him smiling and immediately started laughing hysterically with joy. He walked around the table and got down on one knee, slipping the ring on my finger. I hugged him tight, half jumping up and down in my seat, still laughing hysterically. He just smiled and smiled. And finally, I came to my senses long enough to shout, “Yes! Yes! We BOTH win!”

And it fits so perfectly on my finger.

So there we are, happily engaged and brimming with joy! We’re thinking Fall 2010 for the wedding, which will give us some time to plan. I’m so excited already, I can’t wait! Which means you can probably expect many more wedding-related posts in the months to come!

Yippee!!