christmas – SOAR Coaching and Personal Insights

Advent Calendar Blog 2022 – That’s A Wrap

Has it already been twenty-four days since I started on this year’s Advent Calendar Blog? I intended the topic for 2022 to be a reflection on change, and how to face it with courage and dignity, whether it was brought in intentionally or not into our life, yet it seems there were a few otherContinue reading “Advent Calendar Blog 2022 – That’s A Wrap”

Advent Calendar 2021 – Dec 20 – Nobility and Perseverance

I am not exactly sure when I started noticing reindeer as a Christmas symbol, beyond just the figure pulling Santa’s sleigh but my fascination with reindeer has grown over the last few years, and I have been compelled to dig deeper into its significance and symbolism not just as it relates to Christmas but alsoContinue reading “Advent Calendar 2021 – Dec 20 – Nobility and Perseverance”

Advent Calendar 2021 – Dec 14 – Away in a Manger

Every home I visited at Christmas in my childhood had a nativity scene under the tree, and as children we naturally gravitated towards the miniature scene carefully examining the delicate figurines and rearranging them while the adults enjoyed their visit. When I married, we inherited my husband’s childhood nativity scene from his family and itContinue reading “Advent Calendar 2021 – Dec 14 – Away in a Manger”

Advent Calendar 2021 – Dec 9 – Star Guidance

Stars have long been spiritual symbols of divine guidance and protection for many religions all over the world including the star of Bethlehem which we also know as the Christmas star. In Christian tradition, the Star of Bethlehem, revealed the birth of Jesus to three wise men who followed it to meet the new King. Continue reading “Advent Calendar 2021 – Dec 9 – Star Guidance”

Advent Calendar 2021 – Dec 5 – The Spirit of Giving

At this time of the year, we are reminded of how meaningful it is to be in the “spirit of giving”. Certainly, our minds turn to adequately expressing how much our loved ones matter in our lives. In our desire to express an intangible feeling, we sometimes feel helpless and resort to buying extravagant giftsContinue reading “Advent Calendar 2021 – Dec 5 – The Spirit of Giving”

Advent Calendar 2021 – Dec 4 – Oh Christmas Tree!

Have you put up your Christmas tree yet? I usually get it up the first week of December but there have been years where we left it ’til very late. When you have children in the house the tree usually is decorated early but as empty nesters I remember a few years where we finallyContinue reading “Advent Calendar 2021 – Dec 4 – Oh Christmas Tree!”

Advent Calendar 2021 – Dec 2 – The Date

I admit to having squawked loudly in frustration in my younger days that whoever chose December to celebrate Christmas did not have to get to Christmas parties trudging through snowbanks in fancy Christmas attire. True, it is only half the world that has to deal with snow and cold as part of Christmas and IContinue reading “Advent Calendar 2021 – Dec 2 – The Date”

Advent Calendar 2021 – Dec 1 – The BIG Story of Christmas

We find ourselves once again on December 1. For many, the day signals the start of the Christmas season. It’s time to get the tree up, and also to seek the treasure hidden behind door no. 1 on the Advent Calendar. As for me, I have decided to take up the task once again ofContinue reading “Advent Calendar 2021 – Dec 1 – The BIG Story of Christmas”

Advent Calendar – Dec 24th: Final Comment

More than three weeks have passed since I started this Advent Calendar blog, faithfully delivering a post each day to follow through on my promise. It has been a very interesting experience, and I confess that I had not considered all the challenges an Advent Calendar blog could present when I came up with theContinue reading “Advent Calendar – Dec 24th: Final Comment”

Advent Calendar – Dec 22nd: The Music of Your Life

“Hey Google, Play Jewel 98.5” And just like that, our favourite radio station is pulled in from the airwaves, and begins to fill the room with music, and we go about our business, having never even moved from our seat to turn on the radio. For the millennials reading this article, it used to beContinue reading “Advent Calendar – Dec 22nd: The Music of Your Life”

Advent Calendar – Dec 16th: My Favourite Things

Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens Brown paper packages tied up with strings These are a few of my favorite things I have fallen behind on delivering one fresh post every day in December as part of my Advent Calendar series, and to catch up today, IContinue reading “Advent Calendar – Dec 16th: My Favourite Things”

Advent Calendar – Dec 14th: Skating (or walking) Ottawa’s Rideau Canal

If you have ever been spent time in Canada’s Capital as a visitor or a resident, then you likely know of the Rideau Canal. The narrow channel weaves through Ottawa landmarks and neighbourhoods along an 8km stretch, connecting the metropolitan’s two universities while delivering the most picturesque scenery a city can provide. Many of usContinue reading “Advent Calendar – Dec 14th: Skating (or walking) Ottawa’s Rideau Canal”

Advent Calendar – Dec 13th: The Twelve Dates of Christmas

Yes, you read that title correctly and it was not a typo. Traditions have always been big in my family, thanks mostly to my husband who was a big fan of repeating events and activities that our daughter enjoyed while growing up. Camping out in the backyard to mark the last day of school, endingContinue reading “Advent Calendar – Dec 13th: The Twelve Dates of Christmas”

Advent Calendar – Dec 8: Priceless Family Traditions

St. Nicholas was a Bishop who lived in the fourth century in Turkey. He was a kindhearted and generous man, and because he had inherited large wealth from his parents at an early age, he developed a reputation for helping the poor and giving secret gifts to people who needed it. The stories of thisContinue reading “Advent Calendar – Dec 8: Priceless Family Traditions”