Christmas in Calgary was heart-achingly wonderful. Wonderful to be with my family, but incomplete without Mom and Dad. No matter how old you are, when you’re blessed to be with your parents on Christmas morning, something magic happens. It’s as if time is suspended and you’re a child once again; even when you’re a grandmother.
One challenge of having my children scattered to the wind is trying to preserve family traditions. Meaghan brilliantly wove our family’s holiday rituals with Theo’s creating their own way of celebrating. We spent our time cooking, feasting, chatting, taking walks, but mostly marveling at Coen. He smiles from the moment he wakes up until he’s carried off to bed at the end of his day. Why wouldn’t he? He had a captive audience gushing at his every movement and sound. I suspect he’ll be looking for his crazy peanut gallery when he wakes up this morning. We came home last night.
A new year. A chance to start over, fix what’s not working, change what I don’t like. As long as I can remember, I’ve loved the new year; the idea of another chance to get it right. Funny thing is, I never do.
After fifty-four years, you start to see a pattern. I think, instead of trying to fix or change things this year, I’ll try understanding why I make the decisions I do. Maybe that’s the secret; figuring out the why rather than band-aiding the what.
One new year rite I’ll keep is my annual tea restorative. After all December’s rich food and wine, I need to slow down and cleanse with a detoxifying tea. It’s simple to make and lovely to sip as I begin once again.
Happy New Year!
Lemon Ginger Cayenne Tea
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 1 cup water
THE STEPS
- Bring water to a rolling boil.
- Place lemon, honey, cayenne and ginger in a cup.
- Top with boiling water and leave to steep for ten minutes. The ginger will smell amazing.
- Stir and sip.
THE LOVE: If you’d prefer not to eat the bits, make your tea in a pot then strain into your cup.
Thanks for reading.
