I think that it’s inevitable…once the page on the calendar changes to December, the pages in your daytime suddenly become filled with a steady stream of long lost friends and holiday cheer!
I know that a lot of people find the weeks leading up to the holidays to be really stressful and really tedious due to obligatory family gatherings and less than inviting office parties. It’s unfortunate really because Christmas is an especially unique time of year that somehow consistently mends the ties that bind and make all relationships become crystal clear.
For many, many years, I was one of those people that dreaded the onslaught of holiday obligations. I always cursed having to commit myself to an endless parade annual visits that resulted in the same conversation time and time again. However, over the past few years, Steve and I have managed to fine tune to pre-holiday season into weekend after weekend of the most wonderful company and delightful gatherings. I’m not really sure when the fine line got crossed from misery into snow covered bliss but, whenever it was, it’s made the month of December well worth the year-long wait!!
Our 2007 holiday madness started with a weekend in the company of some of my most favourite ladies!! Saturday afternoon, I met with Cathy and Baby Miles (and John was around briefly in between shopping excursions!). We certainly don’t see each other as often as we used to but, each time we do, we always pick up right where we left off, and it usually involves a book of some kind!! With our coffees in hand, we chatted about recent months and her new life as a mom. It’s nice to know that life can change so drastically but, at the same time, some things can always remain the same…like coffee dates with girlfriends.
Just after that, Steve and I headed to Orleans to have our annual Christmas dinner with France and Francois (and this time, with their newest addition as well!). We had some wine, enjoyed some terrific food, relaxed with some great conversation and enjoyed one of the most adorable little girls we know!! A few hours later, the four of us headed over to Helene and Mark’s house for the Donaldson’s Annual Cookie Exchange! All of us made dozens of our favourite holiday treats and everyone went home with enough baked goods to last them into the New Year!
What I love about this annual tradition is that we get to see each other as all our lives grow and evolve in new ways. Last year, Mark and Helene had just had Baby Cole…and this year, we welcomed Baby Virginie to the group as well as “warmed” Mark and Helene’s new and very beautiful home! It’s really a neat way to mark the years gone by.
France has been away on maternity leave since June and while business as usual tends to go on in the workplace, I just didn’t realize how much I missed seeing her everyday. France, Helene and myself were all hired around the same time (within a year of each other) and we were always very close as colleagues. Even when work became stressful and relentless, having such amazing people to work with always made it easier. Helene was away on her maternity leave last year and came back just after France left. It’s hard to say whether or not the three of us will ever be together in that office again but, at the very least, we’ll always have our first weekend in December!!
After a bit too much wine and way too many cookies, Steve and I dragged ourselves home long after our bed times! Morning came quickly as I met Jesper and Mary for our run and then it was right back to bed for this girl!!! That is of course, until the next round of holiday festivities began this afternoon; Gen and Julie all decked out for the Urban Element Cocktail Anniversary Party!! Step aside Carrie Bradshaw…there are two new girls in town!!
I’ve been told that the best remedy for a hangover is to drink more alcohol! Low and behold, it’s true!! I was a bit groggy when I met Julie this afternoon to head over to our party at the Urban Elements Cooking Studios but, after two cocktails, all signs of grogginess went right out the window!!! My stunning friend Julie has a very passionate love affair with cooking and over the past months, she has sparked a flame inside of me to help release my inner cooking goddess! With the excitement of our new kitchen only months away, she’s inspired a whole realm of culinary creations that I can’t wait to put to the test!! In pursuit of her hot love affair, she was seeking out some innovative cooking classes to act as a creative outlet. She ended up stumbling upon this very posh and absolutely decadent cooking studio in Westboro Village called the Urban Element. Think martini bar meets home education class all dressed up in art deco…it’s FANTASTIC!!! Housed in an old fire station, the Urban Element was the setting for the most fabulous Sunday afternoon of cocktails, cooking demonstrations, sampling and of course, a few uninterrupted hours with Julie before life takes over again!!!
This year, our social calendar for the month was booked solid about two weeks ago! While there used to be a time when this would have made me cringe, I realize now that having all of these commitments means that you are blessed with people to share them with. Loneliness doesn’t come in the form of Christmas parties and cookies exchanges. As I look back on the first weekend of what is sure to be a great month, I am thankful for some of the most amazing women to share my life with. Being so blessed as to have to divide your time amongst friends is truly a gift.
So, to my girls…Cathy, France, Helene and Julie…thank you for such an amazing weekend! I miss you already ;)
For more pictures from the weekend, click here.
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