(I will put this in the Lifestyle as that category has been a bit neglected.)
Dear readers, here I am with a seasonal ramble to wrap it all up. I had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. It was a deep freeze here in Alberta with snow and temperatures in the minus 20s and 30s Celsius, and I need not go on about the Covid anthem with the Hark the Omicron chorus
I am not being sarcastic, it was a wonderful time. My son and daughter-in-law came from Vancouver Island for a marvellous two-week stay. My daughter and family are just a chilly dash across the road. We hunkered down and talked and played and cooked and ate and drinks were mixed.
How lovely is that and how lucky am I!
The 2022 calendars are up, and there is the usual dilemma as to what to do with those beautiful old ones. How many can one keep? Grandchildren are expected to admire and arts and crafts with them… Leftovers, not many left, we still have turkey-veggie soup, chocolates and some of that yummy Christmas cake (the Nigella Lawson one with chocolate, fruit and prunes..) The tree went up and came down.
January 6, Epiphany, the Coming of the Three Kings, Twelfth Night, is the day traditionally when the decorations are to come down. My mother taught me that it was bad luck to keep them up after that date. Where did this superstition crop up in my Mother’s otherwise churchy traditions? Never mind. It is a lovely clean-up when that tree comes down and goes out (or away as in our artificial-tree case.}
Normally my Christmas cards would come down at this time too, all carefully gathered up, read again, secure with an elastic band, marked with the year, and then put in a safe place. However, every time I went to do this task this year, I just floated away to another activity. Then last night, brushing my teeth at bedtime, it struck me! These cards are the wishes and love from friends and family. Of course, I want them to surround me and feel all that warm joy. So today I went through the cards, read them, pruned out the corporate and political ones (sorry PM – jolly scene with his family, MLA – Xmas picture by local children, the investment team all in Christmas hats and sweaters). With a bit of reorganizing and straightening out, there they are, all glorious, colourful, beautiful and loving.
