Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas! Lorraine and I wish you a most wonderful Christmas celebration. Thank you for all the Christmas wishes. I am also excited to get messages from those of you who were happy to receive a Ship to Shore Chef gift from your loved ones. I was talking with Lorraine this morning and it is the first time in 40 years that I have not worked over Christmas. I started sailing in August 1981 and spent my first Christmas away from home on the Frontenac. I had bought a tiny little Christmas tree for my room. I remember that my mom promised to keep the tree up at home until we got home. (Lorraine, my sister, best friend and publisher was on the Fort William and also away for Christmas). When packing up our parents home I came across a "crying towel" that I had sent my mom and dad years before. I borrowed a long dish towel from the ship and using a red marker wrote a letter to my family on the long towel, suggesting that they could wipe their tears on the towel as they read that I wasn't coming home from Christmas. I love technology, text messaging and facetime but there is something about getting a written letter and how much fun it is to get a package in the mail. I spent every year until 1994 on a ship for Christmas. I always made sure to have a little tree for myself or some Christmas lights. Both Lorraine and I didn't mind working over Christmas because we knew we would celebrate when we got home.
my first Christmas away from home was on the Frontenac
I believe this was the old Oakglen, The cookies on the tray in this photo fell from the vibration of the ship and all broke.
I was chief cook on the Louis R Desmarais. Early 90’s when there was a porter (Bev on the left) and second cook (Hilda on the right)
I was on the Oakglen and we were in Owen Sound. They came onboard to do an article about spending Christmas on a ship. I brought my little tree from my room to place in the dining room for the photo.
Another Christmas on the Louis R Desmarais. I was on the Desmarais twice, so all together I may have been on there for 6 Christmas
my attempt at a gingerbread ship
Lay-up has its perks and I was able to invite a childhood friend and her little family to come onboard for a Christmas holiday dinner. As I look at this picture her son, now has a family of his own.
My mom and dad immigrated from Germany so Christmas tradition was to celebrate on Christmas Eve. Family was across the ocean so Christmas Eve was celebrated with friends that they made in Canada. They stuck with the tradition of opening gifts on Christmas Eve. My mom always shared the story that one year my dad made little wooden cradles for our dolls that Santa was bringing and that the paint was still a little tacky and got a little on the hair of the dolls. We are three sisters and we would always get gifts in three sizes and Lorraine being the youngest would always get the smaller version, I am the middle child and would get the middle size. As I am writing this I am starting to think that this is where my Goldilocks choice plays in my decision making. I also have to share that as I am sitting here writing to you about my mom and dad and German Christmas traditions the song "Oh Christmas Tree" started playing. This would not have grabbed my attention amongst the songs that spotify was randomly playing but it was being sung in German which was kind of like a visit from my parents. I asked Lorraine to send me some childhood Christmas pictures to share with you. I loved seeing pictures of my mother. She looks so beautiful and I love that she has her necklace on. In one of the pictures of the three of us, in the corner of the photo you can see my mom is wearing a traditional German dirndel. I remember asking to wear her dirndl years later when I was working at a restaurant-bar that was having an oktoberfest party. I also wanted to point out the decorations on the Christmas tree. Mom had brought them over in her travel trunk when she came to Canada. There were little clips for candles and the candles were lit on the real tree Christmas eve. Something you never see anymore.
my mom loved the color red! The candles on the tree are real. My mom wrapped the presents so beautifully. It makes me think of a present I made for Lorraine’s birthday one year. I made my own wrapping paper and she didn’t open her gift for a year, not wanted to ruin the paper.
Top left corner you can see my mom wearing a German dirndl. the candles are burning on the tree. I also remember the embroidered table cloth. I am in the red dress.
my mom looked so beautiful. There are the candles burning again. Christmas Eve opening the gifts. Lorraine is four months old there.
When we opened our restaurant in Mont Tremblant at the ski resort, we were always open over the Christmas holidays. It was the busiest time of the year and always very festive. When I returned to sailing in 2019 I continued working over the Christmas holiday.
The first restaurant 1994 to 2014
We moved to our own building in 2014 to 2019. You can watch the little video I made of a quiet night at the Restaurant. Just click on the following link https://youtu.be/UcVFUlW6He8?si=LEcVcQFrS1z9uGob
When I returned to sailing in 2019 I continued working over the Christmas holiday. This year was the first time I was home. It is a very quiet celebration. It gave me an opportunity to think of Christmas past. I received a message from the Captain on the Spruceglen that I will join tomorrow the 26th after lunch. They have already arrived in Port Colborne but the deck crew, cook and 2nd cook will only leave tomorrow. I was grateful that I didn't have to join today. I don't mind working Christmas but it would have been very difficult to make a special meal on the day I arrived. I am already wondering what leftovers I will have to work with. It will be interesting and I am up for the task. I am glad that I am familiar with the ship, and I am happy to be in Port Colborne.
December 2020 Thunder Bay
Featuring my homemade tablecloth
Algoma Hansa Christmas 2019
Rt Hon Paul J. Martin Christmas 2021
Christmas Eve 2021 extras treats Rt Hon Paul J. Martin
Christmas 2022 Rt Hon Paul J. Martin
This year was the first time I was home. It is a very quiet celebration. It gave me an opportunity to think of Christmas past. I received a message from the Captain on the Spruceglen that I will join tomorrow the 26th after lunch. They have already arrived in Port Colborne but the deck crew, cook and 2nd cook will only leave tomorrow. I was grateful that I didn't have to join today. I don't mind working Christmas but it would have been very difficult to make a special meal on the day I arrived. I am already wondering what leftovers I will have to work with. It will be interesting and I am up for the task. I am glad that I am familiar with the ship, and I am happy to be in Port Colborne. Today I am reorganizing my suitcase because I am only going for a short time and I am not cooking for very many. It's a beautiful day today and if not for the calendar saying it was December 25th I would think that it was October with the predicted high of 12 C/ 53 F. I will make sure to go out for a walk and enjoy this beautiful weather. I hope that you are all having a wonderful day. I look forward to sharing my layup stories and meals from the Spruceglen. See you soon. Merry Christmas.
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