Half Of What I Say Is Meaningless

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

As all the Christmas cards and greetings come flying through the mail slot into the house each day, I cannot help but feel a little guilty. This delinquent friend, daughter, sister, niece, cousin, etc. did not mail out Christmas cards. But how I love receiving them all, from across Canada and the US. You are so sweet to think of us, of our family. I love reading the Christmas newsletters, seeing the pictures of your beautiful families. My boys fight over the stamps and stickers adorning the envelopes. It is another highlight of our holiday season.

In any case, you can think of my blog as a glorified holiday newsletter. Glorified to the extent that you are regaled with every obscure detail of my life throughout the year. I do know that lots of my family stops in to see our goings on. I appreciate that so much, and I am thinking of every one of you and sending love from all four of us. I'm so fortunate to have the family I do, I just wish we were closer. My parents are flying in tonight and my sister and her fiance will be arriving on Christmas Eve. But there are many others I wish we were closer in proximity to and we will be missing them this holiday season.

My In-Laws Joyce and Peter in Alberta will be spending the holidays with my husband's Grandma. Kevin And Jodi, and our nephew Ryder will be with them. Ryder is the only first cousin to William and Thomas. Hopefully will be seeing much more of them when we return to Saskatchewan. Trina & Darren, and Kent will be celebrating in Saskatchewan. Thinking of all of them this holiday season.

The rest of my family is in BC. Sending special holiday greetings to all of them.

My Auntie Nini and Uncle Norm. Thinking back to the Christmas holiday we spent with them on Cortes Island, the most beautiful place on earth. My cousin Lisa, her husband Rex, and their kids Jack, Jonah and Liam. My cousin Michael, his wife Stephanie and their kids. My Uncle Bruce and Evelyn. Thinking of you guys as well.

My Uncle Paul and Karen. We just received a card with a great photo of the two of them and their beautiful dog, a Labradoodle. So adorable! My Auntie Willa and Uncle Dennis, received their card. It was so awesome to see them last summer here in Ottawa, we had a short, but wonderful visit. My cousins Kristi and Michelle. You guys all need to come out and visit!

My Auntie Lori and Uncle Mike, my cousin Stacy, her husband Jason and their two little boys, Spencer and Noah, my cousin Mark. Thinking of all of you together this Christmas, I hope it is a wonderful one.

My Auntie Ging and Amalia. Thinking of both of you in Victoria. My Auntie Ging is the closest thing I have to an older sister, I'm lucky. :) That's all my family, I hope I didn't miss anyone. I love all of you, and wish you a year of blessings, good health, and joy.

There are two other families, who while they are not my own, I consider them family anyways. I'm so very fortunate to have had these amazing people in my lives for so many years.

Rita and Clair, love to both of you. Wishing I was in balmy Victoria. Hopefully see you sometime soon. Tracy and Blaine and their little boys Ethan and Gavin. Danny and Stephanie. Hope you have a wonderful holiday all together.

And finally to Ainsley and Susan. We love to receive your Christmas newsletter (always a highlight!), we laughed and laughed. How often does the phrase "man-bitch" (may have slightly improvised on the phrasing, can't find it now, after many re-readings) show up in a newsletter? We love to hear from you and about the boys and all the new additions to the family. Thinking of you up in Kitimat. Love to all.

And to all my amazing friends that make my life so full. Thinking of you and your families this holiday season. Joy and Peace to all of you.

So This Is Christmas

Reflecting this morning. John Lennon's Happy Christmas (War Is Over) playing in the background. We are celebrating a season of love, peace, life. Thinking back to last year, the devastation of the tsunami on December 26. Almost 300,000 lives lost, the victims of this massive devastation and tragedy, women and children disproportionartely impacted. My heart breaks when I think of it. The October earthquake in Pakistan killed 40,000 people, and up to four million people are left without shelter as winter arrives. Another tragedy. The devastation of the hurricanes in the southern US. In this season of giving consider a donation to the Red Cross (US), Red Cross (Canada). Or for those people who are impossible to buy for, make a gift in their name.

And within your own communities. On the radio this morning I heard that for each dollar donated to the Food Bank in Ottawa, allows seven dollars worth of food to be distributed within the community. What wonderful work these volunteers do to make that happen, 365 days per year. So give generously to your local food banks, charities, the Salvation Army. The best gift you could possibly give.

Here I Am

I have a theory, you never look quite as good as you do the moment you return from the hairdresser. Particularly me, the hairdresser is the only person on earth with the capactiy to tame my somewhat problematic hair.  So for once I remember to document the rare occasion. Forced my husband to take a few quick pictures. He has focusing issues, hasn't quite clued in to the fact that you don't have to reef down on the button (moving the entire camera in the process). In any case, there were a few that were good, for me, I'm not particularly photogenic. But I like my new hair, documented as it is for all posterity.

And one more thing. I just sent off emails to all the people you asked for the Chcoclate Crackles recipe. Hoping I didn't miss anyone. My email has been crazy (and not in a good way) as of late. If I accidentially missed you, please let me know. :)

In The Air There's A Feeling Of Christmas

With the exception of the cleaning, I'm pretty much done. And there's a lot of that to do before my parents arrive late tomorrow evening. I just finished off the teacher gifts and am about to run out for a haircut. I still need to wrap, but that's what Christmas Eve is for ;). Looking so forward to time with family over the next week.

Yesterday morning I visited William's jr. kindergareten class for cookie decorating and arts & crafts. It was wonderful to see all the children in action. Their French teacher led some songs, there was hot chocolate, and the children worked their way through different activity stations. Now the job of kindergarten teacher would certainly do me in. I was exhausted after that short excursion. Teachers are tremendous people, and I am just so full of gratitude for the work they do with both my children. Particularly with William this year as he attends every morning. He is fortunate to have three teachers, his classroom teacher, a student teacher and a French teacher. So I made little tag books for each of them, hoping they like them. To them I attached little gift cards to Starbucks and Chapters. Thought I would share in case you need a last minute gift idea.

I made three different books in different styles using the same template. I tried to make one of them (with the KI) a little less pretty (OK, masculine) as William's French teacher is a young guy. Enclosed that one with a binder ring. The other two are on bead chains and a touch more feminine. Different embellishments in each. I typeset the 2.5" square boxes with lyrics from Christmas carols and printed them with different colours for each of the books. I used one box on each of the five pages. Very simple, these came together so quickly. You can click on the photos to enlarge.

Be Bold

Relaxing weekend here, with the exception of my husband's pager going off all hours Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. We both have the worst sleep whenever he's on call. He worked all weekend, the other three of us were fairly laid back at home. Which was nice, preparations are in gear for the arrival of family later this week. I baked like I've never baked before. Don't worry, moment that the holidays are behind us, the baking posts will be relegated to the back burner.

I had previously picked up the Martha Stewart Holiday Cookie magazine, a special issue I believe. Lured by the beautiful photos as usual, the one with the gingerbread snowflake on the cover. I made two recipes from the issue. The lime meltaways, and the chocolate crackles. I'm a citrus type, so the lime ones were for my benefit, they were yum, though not exactly stunning to behold. The chocolate crackles were pretty through so I photoed them. The surface crackled perfectly even though I had my doubts mid recipe that they would be successful. The dough seemed particularly sticky, yet the situation was remedied by the 1 hour refrigeration time (as per Martha's instructions). These in particular were met with RAVE reviews.  I had a bite, they were stellar, amazing texture, crunchy outside, soft inside. But I don't like chocolate, weird I know. Good thing, because I like everything else. So I should probably relegate myself to making only chocolate items from here on in. If anyone would like any of the recipes, just let me know.

I also whipped up a batch of almond biscotti (for my sister), hopefully there will still be some left when she arrives. And I have a gigantic batch of gingerbread dough waiting in the fridge. I will bake and decorate them to be hung on the tree. Although forays into royal icing and food colouring are always fodder for a couple angst provoking hours. 

And I read. I have been holding on to James Frey's My Friend Leonard for a while. In fact I purchased it as soon as I had finished A Million Little Pieces (my thoughts on that one here). I hesitated to start Leonard, because when you begin, the end is too quickly in sight. I wanted to savour the anticipation for a time. For I had raced through AMLP, and I knew this would be the same. I had heard the rumours that this book was even better. I love Frey's staccato writing style. The book echos with "my son, my son", just as did the refrain of "hold on, hold on" in his previous book. Compelling, unbelievable, yet you know that it's true. Leonard. Different from his first, Frey has range and depth. I read it in a day and a half. Emotional and powerful, will stay with me. I felt it. That's all I will say. You need to read it. Looking forward to passing this book along to my parents who have both recently read A Million Little Pieces.

The man inspires me to write. A little excerpt from one of the seven questions that James Frey answered for Amazon:

"Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.
A: I've been working at the same desk since I started writing. It's old and beaten-up and  black. The rest of my workroom is empty, except for some crazy shit on the wall in front of me: pictures of people I admire, reproductions of artwork I dig, sayings that motivate me, things like--bare your soul, be bold, page a day motherfucker page a day. I listen to music while I work, have a pile of nicotine gum and a couple cans of diet coke. My dogs are usually a couple feet away from me. I've always worked this way, probably always will."

Page a day, love that. His voice, his words always honest and riveting. I wonder where he has his Picasso and his Matisse. I also love that he shared this: James Frey's List of Books You Should Read. 

Once Upon A Tart

In case you failed to notice the obvious, I like a cookbook. Particularly those with a little additional discourse beyond the recipes. The whys, the hows, the tidbits. Remember, I'm the perennial learner. On a whim about a month ago I bought Once Upon A Tart (the book) by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau. Soups, Salads, Muffins and More from New York City's Favourite Bakeshop and Cafe.  Beyond the amazing recipes, it chronicles the journey of the idea of a tarterie to a favourite food destination. Check out the beautiful website for a taste - Once Upon A Tart - the bakery. Yet another reason I must visit New York eventually. My husband was there this fall without me. :(

Back to the book. The food photography is stunning. Food photographer = a job I would undoubtedly enjoy. One of these days I will write up a list of all the things that I think would be my ideal occupation, of which there are many. However, they are far more ideal in theory than in actual practice, to be completely honest. Another job on that list = pastry chef. Completely fascinating to me, utterly impractical. So of course this book appealed to me on so many levels. But in the past my forays into baking  have yielded less than impressive results. My singular attempt at pastry, probably seven years ago was a bit of a monstrosity. I had decided to whip up a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, bizarre thought as I loathe pumpkin in all its incarnations. At the time I did not comprehend that baking requires precision, instructions are not merely recommendations. I likely over handled the pastry dough, the par-baking sans pie weighs resulted in a puffed up, shrunken crust. The taste reminiscent of the lard that went into it, the texture, heavy, the complete opposite of light and flaky. Add the pumpkin which I don't care for at the best of times and it was an entirely sorry state of affairs.

In the seven years hence, if I have garnered one thing from all the magazines and cookbooks I've read is that baking requires a fairly strict adherence to the recipe. When they warn not to over mix, to keep the ingredients cold, they do so for a reason. I read Once Upon a Tart, cover to cover inspired by the possibility of replicating the tarts, scones, and the delectable soups and salads at home. There is something about a tart, particularly the savoury ones. I love little French cafes and bistros. If there is a tart on the menu, I invariably order it. On my to do list are the sauteed spinach and mushroom tart with ricotta cheese and the caramelized fennel tart in a rosemary-whole wheat crust. But I'm still building towards those. I've made one tart thus far, I forayed into the sweet tart section. The Baked Lemon Tart, my favourite dessert. Now I've sampled my fair share from the lovely French bakeries here, or should I say boulangerie. My husband and I were not exactly holding our collective breath, about the outcome of my initial tart making attempt.

In preparation for the anticipated event I bought a tart pan with a removable bottom, a pastry blender, even pie weights. I was set, although I seriously need to buy a food processor. Key to success, read through the recipe completely prior to beginning. Check. As I begin to assemble ingredients for crust, all appears well under control. The butter is ice cold. I blend, I keep mixture cold in the fridge. Then I open cupboard to locate new tart pan. Missing. I'm whipped into a frenzy. Children have a tendency to hide baking paraphernalia. After a frantic search pan is located in the exact place I had looked ten times. About to mix the dough, need ice cold water (because I must follow instructions exactly). Open freezer, we have nary a single ice cube. I freak as I fill the ice cube trays, plans pushed back an additional hour while ice partially freezes. In this time I realize I have only three of the four necessary lemons. Despite squeezing the lemons into submission there was no chance that they were going to yield the required 3/4 cup of juice. Husband dispatched to grocery store. Patient, patient man that he is. I am already overwrought by all the delays, and I wonder when exactly the tart will be ready, perhaps this incursion will take all night. While I'm awaiting for the arrival of the lemon I realize that the dough must indeed rest in the fridge between mixing and rolling. Tack on another half hour.

Fast forward to post resting. I neglected to adhere to a single step in the instructions. To allow the dough to rest for ten minutes outside the fridge prior to rolling. Crumbly mess ensued, yet I did manage to roll it into some semblance of a crust. I gingerly transferred to tart pan, some anxious moments followed and I tucked and pressed it into those fluted edges. The result was passable if not entirely pretty. I loaded my new pie weights into here, and par baked (baking without the filling) for fifteen minutes. It emerged from the oven a smidgen shrunken although the result was magnificently more successful than the pumpkin pie crust fiasco of 1998.  I had already invested hours into the process and at this point the tart shell had to cool. I whipped up the lemon mixture, painfully simple. Put my new wooden lemon reamer to work. Filled the crust and baked for 25 minutes. I peered anxiously into the oven as the tart baked. My husband, still leery due to my previous pastry endeavours encouraged me not to expect too much.

The Lemon Tart emerged from the oven looking surprising like, well a tart. It had not leaked, or cracked or curdled, or burnt, or fallen victim to one of a multitude of baking disasters. Seeing as we had waited for hours already, I patiently waited for it to cool. Not wanting to risk disintegration this late in the exercise. I nervously balanced the tart on a large can (as per the instructions in Once Upon A Tart) to remove the outer ring. I imagined the devastation that would be the tart toppling off the can, fortunately this did not happen. The tart was freed and the visual result surpassed even my wildest expectations. It was well after 11:00 pm when it had cooled sufficiently to taste it. My husband generously proclaimed it the best lemon tart he had ever tasted. I the ever critical one was perhaps not quite as lavish in my exaltation. Yet it was indeed delicious. The crust seemed excellent, although I am not exactly a pie aficionado. A surprisingly fortuitous initial attempt. In an amusing twist it was the most tart, tart I've tasted. Very, very lemony. Four lemons will indeed do that. But we are lemon people, so all was well.

I have the other half of the dough waiting in the freezer. I can't just whip up tarts any time, as I'm just too inclined to eat them. And well let's face it, I rarely have an uninterrupted six hours of time to invest either. Though I suspect that I might pick up the pace with a second run through. I am planning to make one next week for our holiday guests. Crossing my fingers that my beginner's luck holds just a bit longer.

Panic

So here I was posting lists of all sorts of Christmas gifts to buy. And there I had neglected to actually do any shopping myself. How's that for irony. Two days ago I about had a conniption when I realized how quickly time had flown and I was under a two week deadline. All of you are probably far more organized than I and I imagine your shopping is virtually complete. Regardless, I will return to my lists. Perhaps you can instead use it as a guide for things to get yourself, when you have exchanged the presents you didn't want. ;) OK, maybe this only happens in my family.

In a frantic two days, I have bought and ordered all presents for my children. Visions of empty stockings and nothing under the tree compelled me to remedy my neglect of the situation. I'm almost done, thank goodness. Buying boy toys is no great thrill for me. Robopet, Power Rangers SPD, not exactly what this mother has always dreamed of. Although I am slightly partial to the Pirate Ship by Plan City that I chose for Thomas. It's a good thing they like books. In fact, they adore books, they come by it honestly. Bedtime routines have gotten completely out of control as they are requesting upwards of five books each per night. Have to address that situation sometime. But in case you need a few more children's book here are my recommendations.

Children's Books Under Our Tree This Year

Leonardo The Terrible Monster and The Pigeon Loves Things That Go by Mo Willems - we own all of the Pigeon books, both boys ADORE them. William has them memorized, his favourite being "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus", a Calldecott Medal winner a couple years bag. Love the illustrations, the humour, and the colour palettes. Check out Mo Willems' website.

You're Different And That's Super by Carson Kressley - Loving the message of this one.

Boynton's Greatest Hits by Sandra Boynton - We honestly have so many of these books already, but they are Thomas' favourite and I could not resist. Sometimes tried and true is the best course of action. Pyjama Time, Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs, Birthday Monsters, three all time favourites.

If I Were A Lion by Sarah Weeks - Beautiful illustrations, and I have someone here who adores lions.

Books I Still Want

Winter's Tale: An Original Pop-up Journey by Robert Sabuda - If you have never seen a Robert Sabuda book you must see one in person. I've seen him previously on Martha Stewart, I believe he is the most prominent and talented creator of pop-up books out there. This one is magical, giant paper scenes that explode from the pages of the book. This one is all in white, with sparkles. Amazing. The Christmas alphabet one is beautiful although less intricate. I hesitate to buy is as I fear the damage by destructo boys might do to it. Perhaps I will buy for myself. A few years back I found these Robert Sabuda books at the second hand book shop. Just little ones about endangers species from North and South America. They remain two of my favourite books to share with my boys, although the animals have suffered some significant wear and tear (emphasis on the tear).

A Family of Poems: My Favourite Poetry for Children - compiled by Caroline Kennedy - I browsed through this at the bookshop and was so tempted. She had previously compiled a collection of her mother's favourite poems in this book The Best Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. In this new volume she writes about their family tradition of memorizing the poems and how she and he brother John had created scrapbooks of their favourite poems handwritten. The illustrations are beautiful and it contains many of my all time favourites. This would make a wonderful family gift. Think I've convinced myself.

The Chronicles of Naria: Complete Boxed Set: Can you believe my husband has never read these? I have, ages ago, not exactly my thing. But for the man who voraciously reads each new Harry POtter as it is released and who read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy a few years back, in less than a week. I'm guessing he would probably like it. A must if you're going to see the movie.

Oh David by David Shannon - We have several titles by David Shannon. Alice The Fairy is the newest in our collection. Yet "No David" is our favourite, well Thomas in particular. Oh David is a board book, perfect for him as he loves to read "himself". Whenever we read it I think OMG, that is my child. Thomas = David. No wonder he loves it.

I would love to hear any more recommendations, what you kids will be reading this year. Books are always the best gift. :)

Twice Baked

Thanks all so much for the well wishes yesterday. No worries though you aren't going to get rid of me that easily. I'm continuing to work on projects with Autumn Leaves and there is so much cool stuff upcoming. So I'll continue to work and create, hopefully just at a less frantic pace. Savouring the opportunity to document the memories and experiences. Free up a little time to play, to relax, to bake more cookies in a figurative sense.

Speaking of baking, I have to get started. My family is coming for a week over the holidays and I need for once to do some advance preparation. I always make biscotti for Christmas, and I planning to whip up a couple batches this afternoon. With the exception of creme brulee it is the most coveted treat I make, and people invariably ask for the recipe. And it is so amazingly simple to make. Biscotti meaning "twice cooked" in Italian, is perfect for dipping in coffee or tea and makes a gorgeous gift. Wrapped in cellophane and tied with a ribbon or upright in a tall circular tin, they travel well too. I've tried a couple different recipes, and this is my favourite, probably because it is the most simple. Almond biscotti from Canadian Living Cooks Step by Step. Side note, if you are interested in a great cookbook this is my favourite. Another little gem by way of Canada, recipes all triple tested and there are step by step photos for every recipe. I've done a multitude of variations on these biscotti, I'll include the ones from the book. But I've also substituted pistachios, crystallized ginger, pecans, white chocolate. It's entirely forgiving. People seem to love the double chocolate variation. Instructions are at the right, scanned right from the book.

Almond Biscotti

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups          all purpose flour

2 tsp                 baking powder

¾ cup               whole unblanched almonds

2                      eggs

¾ cup               granulated sugar

1/3 cup             butter, melted

2 tsp                 vanilla

½ tsp                almond extract

1 ½ tsp             grated orange rind

1                      egg white, lightly beaten

Makes about 24 cookies. Tip: To prevent crumbling when slicing the partially cooked log of dough, use a sharp chef's knife and cut with a firm decisive stroke.

Variations:

Chocolate Chip Biscotti: Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips to flour mixture

Double Chocolate Biscotti:Reduce flour to 1 1/2 cups. Add 1/2 sifted unsweetened cocoa powder to flour. Omit almonds and add 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Dissolve 1 tbsp instant coffee granules in vanilla. Omit almond extract and orange rind.

Hazelnut Biscotti: Substitute 3/4 cup while hazelnuts for the almonds. Omit almond extract.

Missing

Missing my friends from the Garden today. Didn't think my departure would be such a cause for concern. I've had lots of emails, and a phone call from my Dad who asked if I got fired :). Everyone is so very sweet to be so concerned. It was such a difficult decision to leave a job I loved, probably the second best job I've ever had (in enjoyment terms). Problem was the first best job I've had (and continue to have) is that of stay at home mom, and I wasn't finding enough hours in the day to do both to the level that I strive to achieve. Working under a perpetual deadline, is such a challenge for me. I cannot relax, cannot focus on anything else, until everything is ticked off my personal to do list. And of course that never happened. I am forever indebted to Kristina for such an amazing opportunity, to work with such a talented, and authentic group of women. People I will always consider my friends. The past year has been such a journey, one of growth and creative exploration. I have a sense of confidence that I will take to whichever endeavours I pursue. So thank you to Kristina for that tremendous gift.

I will continue to scrapbook because I love it. I was on the verge of burn out which too played into my decision. This is something I want to do in the long term. Should I eventually have another child I don't want to face this scenario "Why do my brothers have ten full scrapbooks each, while I have none". Had I continued at the pace I was going, I feared that this hobby may have turned into a source of angst and frustration. Just in the past week, I have recaptured some of that creative spark that was waning, and I'm excited to create. I'm continuing to work on projects, and hopefully will have some time to just do pages for myself. I'm looking so forward to posting pages again in the regular gallery at 2Peas, just like the old days.  :) That makes me smile.

I want to spend more time working on my photography, writing more. Continuing my blog definitely. Connecting with people. Finding that elusive balance. Being a mom and a wife, the best job. These three people I live with have made sacrifices, have been patient while I pursued an amazing opportunity.  But it's not all about me, it's about us, our family, what is best for all of us. Together. Like I said, balance.

I hope you will continue to follow my work, because I'm far from done. This hobby has ingrained itself in me, become a part of who I am. I'm so fortunate for the paths I've crossed, the friendships I've made. And to my FGGs, you will always be friends. I'm little more than an email or phone call away. Love you. T.

All We Are Saying...Is Give Peace A Chance

I was ten or eleven, on a trip to England with my mother, my first and only visit to the place she was born, the place she spent her youth. She had grown up just outside Liverpool, attended the the Liverpool College of Art in the late 1950's, early 60's. As did John Lennon. I knew this, yet I did not understand the magnitude of his fame, of his place within popular culture. As children, my sister and I had listened to the music of the Beatles, usually Abbey Road because we were both enamoured with Octopus's Garden (what can I say, we were kids).

We visited Liverpool, and that day is still clear in my mind some twenty years later. For it is when I first heard the story, when it dawned on me who the "Beatles" actually were. How my mother's life had intersected with the phenomenon that was just on the precipice of becoming the most important rock band of the twentieth century. That day we visited the Cavern Club, long since converted to a shopping complex, with statues, memorabilia etc. She told me the stories. Of the dozens of times she had seen the band play. She was friends with John's first wife Cynthia. She knew them, John and Stu Sutcliffe (original member who left the band and died in 1962) more than the others. Before fame and fortune, I don't believe she thought much of it at the time.

And there is my tiny personal connection to John Lennon. As the tributes poured in yesterday on the 25th anniversary of his death, I realized that I could not remember the day he died (I was seven). Before my epiphany, before I learned just how I loved the music, before I understood John's message of love and peace. And yesterday that is what resonated with me, John Lennon's message of peace in his words, his music. That is his legacy. The music will continue to inspire new generations to imagine a world without hate, without violence, without fear, without boundaries. Yesterday people the world over celebrated the life of the most talented singer/songwriter of his generation, perhaps ever.

The Beatles are unquestionably my all time favourite band. You need to look no further than the title of my blog. Twenty-five years later, the music remains, fresh, innovative, compelling. I hope that my little boys will grow to appreciate it as I do. Won't be for lack of exposure in any case. I'm listening to the White Album at the moment. So here in no particular order are my favourite Beatles and John Lennon songs.

1. Blackbird - I consider this my all time favourite song. So poignant, beautiful. Paul sings it, but well I love Paul too. I sang this song so many times to my babies. Makes me remember them being tiny, tiny.

2. Imagine - The song that is most certainly the embodiment of John and his message. These are my favourite lyrics of any song ever.

3. Beautiful Boy - "Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans". I got me two beautiful boys, this one makes me cry.

4. Julia - John's tribute to his mother Julia who died when had was fairly young. If we ever have a daughter, she will be a Julia. :) I have a particular fondness for the White Album.

5. In My Life

6. Give Peace A Chance - Watched a little documentary on the CBC last night about the Love In in Montreal in 1969. Wonderful lyrics that especially resonate today.

7. Hey Jude - written by Paul for John's son Julian. I love hearing Paul sing this even today. If we ever have another boy, the name Jude is totally on the table. My husband unfortunately doesn't quite agree though.

8. Mother Nature's Son

9. Across The Universe

10. Helter Skelter - because they rock. Will stop here before I end up listing the entire White Album.

Would love to hear your thoughts and favourites.

Miss you John. Peace.