In My World

  You made it to another New Year's Eve! What are you celebrating from this past year? What are you most proud of?

From Jeanette: A Very Merry Christmas! During this joyful time of year, I would like to share with you three of the things that bring the most joy into my life: My Savior, my family, and Close To My Heart. My Savior, Jesus Christ, has been a driving and sustaining force to me throughout my life. The joy I feel in celebrating His birth at Christmastime is amplified by a lifetime of striving to know Him through prayer, reflection, and following His teachings. He has been a great source of strength to me in every endeavor, including in building and leading Close To My Heart. My family’s love and support means the world to me! From my caring and thoughtful husband, David, to my children, who have grown into such remarkable adults, and my grandchildren, who are so delightful to watch as they grow and develop. My family is my greatest blessing, and I love the time we are able to spend together—especially during the holidays. My company, Close To My Heart, has also been a source of great joy ...

According to 101 Interesting Facts About Canada  O Canada became the National Anthem in 1927.  That isn't exactly true. A slightly modified version was officially published for the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation in 1927, and gradually it became the most widely accepted and performed version of this song but was not the official national anthem. The tune was thought to have become the de facto national anthem after King George VI remained at attention during its playing at the dedication of the National War Memorial in Ottawa , Ontario, on May 21, 1939; though George was actually following a precedent set by his brother, Edward , the previous king of Canada , when he dedicated the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France in 1936. In 1970, the Queen in Right of Canada purchased the right to the lyrics and music of "O Canada" from Gordon V. Thompson Music for $ 1. The song finally became the official national anthem in 1980 with the passage of the National Anthem Act.  ~ ...

Describe something you love to do on cold winter nights?

I do enjoy fiddleheads.  They have a green bean-y, asparagus-like, pea-ish taste and they are just fun to look at. From Chateline Magazine: HOW-TO It’s Almost Fiddlehead Season! Here’s How To Cook This Springtime Veggie Properly Fiddleheads are a Canadian delicacy, but undercooking them can lead to food poisoning by Amy Grief  Updated Apr 9, 2019 Fiddlehead season is short, so when you see the adorable green curlicues at your grocery store or farmers’ market, buy them while you can. Before chowing down on these little springtime delicacies, there’s a few things you should know first since fiddleheads can cause food poisoning if they’re not cooked properly. What are fiddleheads? These tightly curled coils are ostrich fern fronds. They start appearing in late April and early May in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and are usually found in forests, marshes and by rivers and streams. Taste-wise, fiddleheads, which are popular amongst food foragers, are...

  What traditions in your family do you love most? How will you ensure those traditions continue?

What has changed since the beginning of the 2021?

Describe what you love most about Winter.

Carolyn Mark is a Canadian alternative country singer-songwriter. She has recorded as a solo artist and as a member of the duo The Corn Sisters with American colleague Neko Case, as well as with the bands the Vinaigrettes, Jr. Gone Wild, Showbusiness Giants, the Fixin's and the Metronome Cowboys. She has also provided backing vocals on recordings by The Buttless Chaps, Greenfield Main, Frog Eyes, NQ Arbuckle, Rhubarb Whiskey, and Blackout Beach. In 2006, Mark performed on CBC Radio One's Fuse in collaboration with the band Great Lake Swimmers, a collaboration which Mark herself described as "like putting a scorpion and a mouse in a tank together and seeing what happens". In 2009 she co-released Let's Just Stay Here with Toronto's NQ Arbuckle through Vancouver's Mint Records. The album was nominated for a 2010 Juno Award, in the Roots & Traditional Album category. The album was also one of PopMatters' top 10 album in their Best Country Music of 2009...

  What is your favourite childhood memory about Christmas?

  List 3-5 of your top priorities in your life. Does how you spend your time align with these priorities?

  Did you know Nunavut licence places are shaped like a polar bear? I know NOW!

I  posted about Kraft Dinner a couple of years ago here  . . .  https://inmyworld-pam.blogspot.com/2020/10/101-interesting-facts-about-canada_21.html Kraft Dinner has been called the de facto national dish of Canada. Packaged in Quebec with Canadian wheat and milk, and other ingredients from Canada and the US, Canadians purchase 1.7 million of the 7 million boxes sold globally each week and eat an average of 3.2 boxes of Kraft Dinner each year, 55% more than Americans. 

  How has this holiday season been different from last year? From 5 years ago?

What is a funny memory you remember from a past holiday season?

What are some fun crafts or activities to do indoors on cold days?

  A New Year of Creativity with Craft with Heart™! Start off the new year with a brand-new selection of layouts and cards from our  Craft with Heart™ subscription program ! These gorgeous scrapbook pages and cards are a perfect way to kickstart your creativity and get your artistic wheels turning in 2022! Every scrapbook element and card piece in a  Craft with Heart™  subscription kit comes pre-cut or in convenient punch-out die cut sheets, making it quick and easy to create all of the projects included in each subscription box. Some of the papers even come pre-printed for even more crafting ease! The newest  Craft with Heart™  subscription kits will be available in just a few days, on January 1, and we can’t wait to share the awesome cards and scrapbook pages available in this upcoming Craft with Heart cycle! As always, this round of  Craft with Heart™  scrapbooking pages includes two layout options per month. Craft with Heart subscriptions are a...

Carolyn Dawn Johnson was born April 30, 1971 in Grande Prairie, Alberta to John Johnson, a farmer and operator of a seed-cleaning business, and Loretta Johnson, a supervisor of a home for senior citizens. Johnson was raised on a farm in Deadwood, Alberta with two brothers, late older brother Derwin, who died due to an undisclosed illness on Christmas Eve in 1998, and brother Greg. who is a Canadian country music singer-songwriter. Johnson co-wrote Chely Wright's 1999 single, "Single White Female," which reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in September 1999. Johnson was signed, in 2000, to record label Arista Nashville. In 2001, Johnson released her debut album Room with a View. The album's first single "Georgia" reached No. 4 on the RPM Canadian Country Singles Chart for the week of November 6, 2000. "Complicated" was a Top Ten hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Her next single (...

What things help you feel calm?

What things make you anxious?

 In 1992, Inuit of the eastern Arctic began writing a new chapter in the story of Canada when they reached an agreement with the Government of Canada to create a new territory called Nunavut in 1999. Nunavut covers one-fifth of Canada – 2 million square kilometres, about three times the size of the island of Newfoundland – and is home to some 33,330 people, including 28,000 Inuit. It has 28 villages or communities, including the capital, Iqaluit, located on Baffin Island. That's where the territorial government is. About 7,250 people live in Iqaluit.  https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1303138100962/1536244277979?wbdisable=true

Caribou is an important part of our Northern diet and culture and has been for generations. Most parts of the caribou are eaten, providing us with a rich source of nutrients we need to help build and repair body tissues as well as giving us energy.    A single animal, the caribou, provides a remarkable array of materials used to provide tools, clothing, shelter and crafts, as well as food.  There is no waste of the caribou. In some areas, caribou hunting is managed to help herds continue to recover and increase in size. For that reason, caribou may not be as available to all northerners as in the past.  Check with your Local Renewable Resources Offices regarding hunting restrictions in your area. What do we know about caribou? Northerners have traditionally relied on caribou as a major food source.  Caribou can be eaten raw, frozen, aged, roasted, dried or made into jerky, sausage, roasts and steaks. Smoking or drying helps preserve the meat and increases the am...

  Write something creative about the holiday season such as a poem or short story.

What are FIVE things you are good at?

I didn't read the first book by Tom Rob Smith which introduced the main character of The Secret Speech, Leo Demidov.  I don't think it matters so much except that some of the reviews I read suggest Child 44 was a better book than The Secret Speech.  Since I haven't read the first book I can't compare them and I don't see that as a problem really. The book is based in post war Russia and involves murder and mayhem, action and adventure . . . and the attempt by Demidov to atone for his past as a security officer and torturer for the former Soviet state.  This may be considered a thriller or action adventure book by many but I think it is an historical novel because the author is writing about a real time and place in history and only some of the characters are fiction. It is a thrilling read and I recommend it highly.

  Gearing Up for a Year of Crafting! As we approach the close of 2021, we do one of the most human things possible and turn our thoughts to the future. We plan, prepare, and hope for things that are to come. Are you prepared, or are you preparing, for a successful new year? As you consider the possibilities that a new year brings, we would like to share several products to help organize your time, set goals, plan, and prioritize events. REMEMBER TODAY The exclusive  Remember Today  products are available in several kit options, one as a layout kit for creating 13 12″ x 12″ single-page scrapbook layouts, and two kit options using those same single-page layouts to create a 12-month calendar. With the  Remember Today stamp set , we can keep track of special dates, set goals, and even set reminders—and we can do it all in style with the beautiful designs included! Whether you use the layouts to build a calendar or a scrapbook album (or both!—scrapbook your calendar pages...