Once Upon a Time

Quite a few events have taken place over the course of this first month of the new year. A little too many for my taste. I prefer a gentler flow of time. I like to be able to observe the rays of the sun as they glide across my tablecloth. One such ray stumbles upon a teacup or a tangerine. It freezes for a moment. Then it jumps over the object, and continues on its way. With all the concerns that I have had to settle in the last little while, I haven't even been able to find a moment to visit High Park. And that should tell you a lot. My stress levels are pretty high at the moment.

Many thanks to all those who are leaving me comments and visiting my blog. I promise that, after a bit of time, I will answer all of your questions. And, of course, I will recall our move from Moscow to Toronto, once upon a time.

Happy New Year to all those who celebrate the Chinese New Year.

A Сouple of Things, and a Thought

If you start packing up the things you have acquired over the course of 11 years, you're bound to make some interesting and unexpected discoveries.

I have found the shoes that I had brought from Moscow, which you can now safely call vintage. I even thought "What if, instead of a Little Red Riding Hood, there was a Little Red Shoes? The fairy tale would have a completely different ending".

Eat, Pray, Pack

This image isn't mine; I found it on the Internet. However, it reflects our current state of affairs pretty well.

With the chaos that has overtaken our home due to packing, lots of love and one cat can save the day.

Also, I wouldn't refuse some extra help in the kitchen. Any volunteers? I'm tired of eating takeout.

Marry Christmas to all Eastern Orthodox People!

I'd like to wish a Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate it on January6/7th!

I hope you spend it with the people you love.

New Year's Resultions and Some of My New Blogging Rules

I'd like to wish you all a Happy New Year, and hope you have a great one. Thank you very much to everyone who commented on the previous post. Also, thank you to my new followers; I really appreciate you reading my blog. Those of my readers who have been following me for a while know that my family is about to move to a new house. The month of January will be devoted to packing our stuff. Because of this, unfortunately, I will not be able to carry on with my usual active blogging life. I will update as often as I can, and let you know how the changes go. I regret to say that, at the moment, I will not be able to respond to each comment individually. However, I will visit your blogs in whatever spare time I may be able to find.

Now, on the subject of my New Year's Resolutions. Last year, I had only one wish: to learn how to live in the moment. This year, I have chosen a different direction; I am going to try to be more active on my own, and try to learn and use as many new skills as possible.

And now, here are some bits and pieces from my holidays:

I have met this Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. He gave me a hug, and also a candy cane. I think it's a good omen. 

Our cat is a little confused on the subject of why the bookshelves are now empty of books. He decided to use them as best as he can.

I have been going through my old photos, and I have found this one, of my daughter, jumping into the sea on our holiday in Turkey. I feel about the same right now.

Happy Holidays!

I wish you all happiness, good health, success, and a fulfilling blogging life for the next year!

Where to Buy Your Gourmet Food in Toronto

Whenever I want to buy deliciously prepared food, find an excellent selection of cheeses, add a quality olive oil to my collection, sample some interesting sauces, taste a variety of aromatic teas and coffees, discover a new type of organic snack, or buy a luxurious box of chocolates for my friends, I don't need to bounce around different stores all over the city. I can just pop down the street and visit Max's Market at 2299 Bloor Street West in Toronto.

Our Christmas Tree's New Friends

When I was little, I would take out Christmas decorations, which I have inherited from my grandparents, and I would have conversations with each one of them. After moving to Canada, our family had to buy our decorations all over again, because we couldn't transport fragile, breakable things. We have decided that, each year, we will try to find something unique.

Speaking of Politics

Some of my readers have asked my opinion on the subject of what's going on in Russia.

As you might have noticed, I usually don't touch on political topics, for the simple reasons that I'm not very good at it. I think people ought to be public only on the subjects that they are good at.

Closer to Christmas

I love it when weekends start a little earlier - for example, on a Thursday. This weekend began just like that, with a visit to my Italian friend Emanuela. She made me some tiramisu herself. I probably shouldn't say that every Italian women is an excellent cook, and when you eat something made by her, your state can only be described with the word "Heaven". It's very convenient when you have such a friend living across the street.