Almost Done

A year end review is redundant. We were there, we know what happened, now lets move on. There were four major events of the last year that will have a huge impact on the immediate future and I would like to focus on that instead of simply repeating history. It is interesting that all four happened just very recently.

1. B. Obama became the president elect of the USA. A big story? Yes. But with the expectations so very, very high, it will be intriguing to see how it plays out. Will we really see the change that he promised and indeed was the cornerstone of his campaign? Or will his hands be tied by the cabinet he has chosen, the political realities of the day, and the economy he has inherited?

2. The attempted 'coup' in Ottawa in December. How will this flavour the politics of our land in the months to come? Will there be a conciliatory mood, or will there be pushing and shoving until another election is called? How will the new Liberal leader conduct himself. Will he become the leader the Liberals have been lacking for so long now, or will he also find disfavour and throw the party into even worse turmoil?

3. The continued spiralling downward of the world economy. We know it will get worse before it gets better, but how long and how deep will it infect our lives?

4. The recent air strikes against Gaza. Will world opinion continue to be against Israel? Will there ever be peace in that part of the world? Will Obama be able to use his influence to help those nations come to a lasting truce?

These are the four major history making events of the year. I would disappoint you readers if I did not have an opinion on each of these. Right? But that is for tomorrow.

Have a good time seeing in the New Year, but remember, all things in moderation. (except chocolate consumption)

Liam is Home

Liam came home this morning and is doing fine. He needs careful atention for 10 more days or so and then he can get back to playing hockey and discussing politics with his grand dad. (me)

Home Today?

We think Liam will be coming home today. Equipment will have to be rented and Liam will need treatments for 2 more weeks. We are so thankful that modern medicine and our payers have resulted in a little boy who is well on his way to recovery. Thanks again, everyone, for your encouraging comments and your prayers. Liam's two older brothers are missing him a bunch and it will be a happy reunion tomorrow.

Liam Update

Naturally, our thoughts and prayers have been toward our little grandson, Liam, in the last 24 hours. He is battling against pneumonia and needs Ventolin every few minutes to help him breathe. There has been a marked improvement in the last 24 hours for which we are very grateful. He is putting on a brave face and in spite of being in discomfort is smiling and seeming to charm everyone in the hospital who sees him. We miss him and want him back soon. Thanks to all who have called and emailed offering encouragement and prayers.

Liam in the Hospital

This is Liam on Christmas Eve, a picture of health and about as happy and contented as a 3 month old baby can be. And then the phone call early this morning. Liam had picked up a bit of a cough from his older brothers who naturally caught it at school. We saw him on Saturday night and his chest congestion was worse, but he was happy and eating well. That night at 4 am or so, he got admitted to the hospital. As those of you familiar with our health care system know, you have to be in a bad way before you are admitted. After various x-rays and tests it was determined that he has pneumonia, not good for someone so young. He has been getting treatments all day and as I write this (Sunday evening) there is an improvement in his condition. We and many others have been praying for him and continue to do so. It is amazing how much love and concern there is for someone who has only been in this world for three months. We are so endeared to him and love him so much already that we would gladly take his place in a heartbeat. For those who are reading this and say a prayer for Liam, may God bless you richly for doing so, and we thank you.

Soon Back to Normal

After last night's lovely extravaganza, there are only 3 more gatherings with accompanying over indulgences before we are back to our normal fare of soup and sandwiches. Our son-in-law's parents invited us to their Christmas/New Year open house. We met many new people, ate a lot of good food, and had a good time. We had been house bound for a few days, having many people in, but not getting out much so it was good to see the outside world once again. I discovered that there is not as much snow in the rest of our city as there is in our neighbourhood. This is not surprising as we have noticed this before. We seem to have our own little micro climate determined by the lie of the land. On a hot day in summer, it is just a bit cooler, on a windy day, just a bit calmer, and like the last few days, when it snows, we get just a bit more. But, the streets are draining, the snow is melting, our roof has stopped groaning, the basement is still dry, the power is on, and our bellies are full of chocolate. The year is ending in fine style.

And Then the Rains Came

I have lived on this street long enough to know what happens when there is heavy snow and then the rains come. With that in mind, I got out there early this morning and began to dig a channel along the curb so that as the rain and melted snow accumulated, it had a place to go. The storm drain is two houses down from me and my neighbour and I had it done in about an hour. He is new to the street so I was telling about the potential flooding and how the snow plow could come and ruin all our work and cause a big problem. Wouldn't you know it. The plow came storming around the corner up the street and fortunately was on the other side of the street. I knew he would be back, pushing all the road slush into our little man made channel. I have seen the street fill to a depth of 12 inches when this happens. By this time I was soaked from the rain and exhausted from pushing the heavy snow/slush. I simply stood in the path of the plow. He had to stop or commit a criminal act. He stopped. As he opened the cab door and turned off his stereo, a gush of warm dry air came spilling out and I thought he would not care about my plight. I explained the situation, he mildly protested but sensed my resolve, and when he put his massive machine back into gear, he carefully skirted my handiwork and saved the day for me. I am so grateful.
As I write this, my outer wear is drying by the fireplace, my belly is full of coffee laced with plenty of eggnog, and I know my street will not flood. But wait! What is that I hear. My roof is groaning under the weight of rain laden snow. I will have to get back to you later.

Tree Angel

This little beauty adorns our tree every year, as well as a few others like her. What is not to like, but is it not interesting how we look upon her differently from one day to the next? In the days leading up to Christmas Eve, and then Christmas Day, she represents the messenger of things to come, instilling in us a sense of anticipation. She reminds us of the angels who heralded the coming of the baby Jesus. Christmas is so much about anticipation because the Saviour was greatly anticipated by the Nation of Israel. Finally the day comes. All is so wonderful. Then the day fades, as does the wonderment and the waiting. And on Boxing Day and the days that follow, the little angel, as well as the other ornaments and adornments of Christmas, just becomes another thing to clean up so we can 'get on with it'.

So, was the whole thing pointless? No! There are many things in our lives that happen on a regular basis that we anticipate, either with joy or with dread, and when the event passes, we carry on, knowing that it will happen again. These events are reminders, and we need them to keep our lives in perspective. We know we cannot celebrate birthdays or anniversaries every day of the year, and yet they come and go, reminding us of the passage of time and give us opportunity to assess our lives and what we are doing with the passage of time. Christmas is a reminder that our Saviour has come, Easter a reminder that he is alive, and time in between is for living out this reality, not just looking forward to the next reminder.

Open Letter to God

Dear God: After hearing the songs of your people since the last week of November (I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas), we thank you for answering our prayers and dreams. The hills and side streets are laden with snow from your bounteous storehouses and we thank you.

We thank you for the beauty that now surrounds us and for the health and strength to pile it high beside the driveway. The crisp clean air is invigorating as we praise you for causing the cars and trucks to cease their driving and polluting, even if it means we too can no longer travel.

And as we think of tomorrow, even though you have advised us that we need not worry about tomorrow, we would ask, nay, beseech you Lord, that you would see fit to send the snow elsewhere.

We get it Lord. You have showed us in a very clear way that you are in control, that we, mere mortals, are not capable of changing the weather. If we were, would we have dumped all this snow on ourselves? So I ask, Lord, for the sake of my sore back, and my arthritic hip, that you would send no more snow to shower down upon us. It is falling on the just and the unjust and that does not seem to be fair. And one more thing. Thank you for my neighbour whom you chose to be blessed with a Bobcat, and furthermore, that you chose to bestow upon him a generous and compassionate heart, for he has cleared the road in front of my house once again. I am sure he has prevented a cardiac event in this humble servant of yours. Bless him and his family.

Amen

Christmas Day

It is Christmas Day, and if you have taken the time to peek into my blog, I thank you. It may be early in the day, and you are anticipating the activity to come, or it may be later, after all the excitement has died down. Either way, I wish for all my readers the joy and peace that we all talk about at Christmas. My hope for each of you is that when the day is done, there will not be a diminishing of your spirit, but may the glow of giving, goodwill, and generosity that was so exemplified by our loving God, extend to the days ahead. Blessings to all of you on this most special of days. Terry

Christmas

So what do we do with Christmas? It is not exactly like Valentine's Day which was invented by the Greeting Card industry, but it feels a lot like a contrived commercial endeavor. There is something in it for everyone, from toy manufacturers to credit card companies. I look forward to that aspect of Christmas less every year and I actually contemplate 'running away' in late November and returning sometime in early January.

As a Christian, I find myself searching, with great difficulty at times, for some meaning and profundity amidst all the flash and glitter. The fact that the Bible does not even suggest that we remember Christ's birth, makes it an even greater challenge. Should we even be doing this?

There is no doubt that Christ's birth was an incredible event, profusely and profoundly predicted, miraculously accomplished, and wonderfully told. Christ's life, His teachings, His death and His resurrection are the elements that define true Christianity. But in the light of Jesus' humble beginnings, there are some some incredible lessons.

The God of the universe came to Mary, a humble 12 year old girl of no special account other than that she was well versed in the scriptures and as a result had a sense that God knew what he was doing. Consequently, she was obedient and willing. Jesus' earthly father was a humble carpenter, a man who was probably deeply scorned because his betrothed was pregnant. Jesus was born in a stable, on a road trip, hardly what you would expect for someone of such great importance. Why the humble beginnings?

It is probably because God wanted to show mankind that he came for everyone, and each one of us has felt marginalized at one time or another. He did not identify with any power groups, the 'in' crowd, or people of influence. There was no agenda of concentrating power or privilege. This idea leads one to think that ' a saviour for mankind', and 'peace on earth and goodwill toward all men', is not in the collective sense, but more focused on the individual. I believe that God is in the business of dealing with us as individuals, more so than nations, peoples, and churches or denominations.

If this is truly God's intent, then we can rise above the madness of our modern day Christmas, see it for what it is and what it is not, and get down to the business of relating to this Saviour on an individual basis. Good will and peace starts with one on one.

If we really believe that God sent His son as a baby, to not only relate to us miserable humans, but to be a sacrifice for our wrongdoings, if we really believe that God is good, if we really believe that God loves us, if we really believe that God cares for us, it will impact our lives. For me, it will be the ability to rise above the worldly Christmas chatter, and meet God, through his son, face to face.

May each one of you have a very personal Christmas experience this year. May it happen while you are listening to a Christmas Carol, hearing or reading the Christmas story, watching your children or grandchildren taking in the wonders, or even in a quiet moment before or after the dinners and gift openings. May there be a point in time when you can say that you connected to the Saviour of the world, when you truly believed in Him and when you said to yourself that you totally trusted him.

Snow and More Snow

This is being written on Sunday, Dec 21. We had a few inches of snow last night and more is coming as I write. Four more inches are supposed to arrive by evening. What a beautiful morning and as it turned out, it was a good decision to take in the Kid's Choir program at church last night (Saturday). If you dare enlarge the photo of me, you will see a look on my face that says, " Alright already, so hit the shutter".

Here is my Snow Slave who voluntarily came out to help. It would have been better if she had come out before I was finished. We went for a walk in the snow afterward and both commented that it was like walking on the beach at Banderas Bay in Puerto Vallarta. The consistency of the snow and the depth at which our feet sank and slid back, were similar. What was not similar was the temperature. ( about 36 degrees Celsius difference)

Our wonderful neighbours were out a bit earlier than us, and helped shovel our sidewalk. They are very giving people. We could not return the favour because their driveway was already cleaned off, so we went to the neighbours on the other side and cleaned off their driveway and sidewalks.

Sleepover

Friday night we had our two grandsons to do with what we wanted. After rejecting the idea of taking them to the Thrift Store (and leaving them there) (hey, I'm just kidding, I wanted to leave Lis there,) (hey I'm just kidding, they know me there too well because of all the Christmas shopping I did there) (hey, I'm just kidding, OK?) we ended up doing some Christmas shopping at the mall. Now I know why I only go to the mall once a year. We did meet some lovely friends there and actually bought a few things. This is unusual because when Lis and I go shopping, we do just that. Shopping is not necessarily buying.
Anyway, after all that strenuous work, us guys were ready for some hearty food so we all went to Chad's "best restaurant in the whole world, White Spot" and had burgers and "pirate paks".
After a night of movies, popcorn, and computer games, we hit the sack but were up bright and early for the Christmas Program rehearsal for the kids at church. But before heading out, Lis threw us a 'waffle party'. Living like kings the way we did, makes me think that we should have them over for night more often.

Closed for the Season

There may never be enough Thyme in the garden but there is, at thymes, more than enough snow. This birdhouse just outside our kitchen window, is closed for the season. I was watching a few Chickadees trying to get into it today. I realised that they were the only birds I had seen in our garden for quite some time. They are hardy and appear to thrive in the cold when there seems to be no water or food for them. They travel in happy little gangs, flitting from one tree to the next, poking here, nibbling there, and doing a lot of it up-side-down. Of course they are happy. They don't have to shovel snow.

The Snowman Who Came in From the Cold

I have been putting off buying a new snow shovel for the last few years. It proved a good decision last year as I did no shovelling at all, although it was a tight call for a while. Would global warming save me from this detestable winter necessity? When I read earlier this fall that 80% of the earth recorded cooler temperatures than normal in '08, and Scandinavian scientists discovered that sun spot activity had virtually ceased, I connected the dots and my heart fell. And yes, it started snowing this week. When I arrived at the local store that was most likely to stock snow shovels, I was a bit concerned when I approached the entrance and three customers were coming through the door with new snow scoops. I needn't have rushed because there was a bin with probably 50 shiny new shovels waiting to be chosen. I hefted a few as though choosing a hockey stick or new set of golf clubs and decided on one sturdy looking fellow that had a straight and true grain in the handle and no warp in the scoop end. It looked quite capable of absorbing my blood, sweat, and tears. There were four others in the line at the checkout with the same purchase and I thought that a few hours later I would have been out of luck. I asked for a bag and fortunately I had a cashier with a sense of humour. She replied that it was good thing that they had doubled the price just the day before. I smiled as I wondered if it was really true.

I slipped and slid home, anxious to try my new tool. OK. I am exaggerating. I was hoping the temperature would suddenly rise and I could go back and get a refund on my purchase.

As I scraped and shovelled, I was quite pleased that I had 'taken the plunge' and bought a new hi tech shovel. It was going so well and I was not exerting myself as hard as in years past. Then it occurred to me that it was not the shovel, but the consistency of the snow. It was cold dry snow, very light and fluffy, not the cardiac arresting wet snow of years gone by. Maybe I could have used the old shovel one more year.

Mission Accomplished

There is accessorising left to do, and some wallpaper below the chair rail.

The new faucet against the new tile.

Here you can see that the blue cabinet doors are no more, the old hardware (hinges and door knobs) are gone and replaced with white, the range hood is replaced with a shiny new one (and very quiet) and the tile extends behind the stove.

New counter tops, new dishwasher, and new tiles against freshly painted (inside and out) 'White Down' cabinets.

The new colour, Bar Harbour Beige, more neutral and easier to live with.

In the Middle of it.

The new pot lights are in and it is like the sun came out!

Plenty of wet oil paint as we paint the cabinets.

More wet paint.

Lis finally gets her yellow Kitchen .......

And promptly hates it. It actually shows up so good in the photos that I might just change it back.

Getting Started

The pot light holes are cut. There was extremely limited working room in the attic.

Protecting the existing floor from dirt and wear.

The old kitchen faucet that had been repaired once and was leaking slightly underneath.

Say goodbye to the old grungy range hood and the tired blue cabinets with their dated hardware.

The cabinet had to be extended and everything plumbed and wired underneath to accommodate the new dishwasher. The old floor was in not bad shape but had a few bulges from some water spills over the years. It was also yellowing just a bit in places.

Only in Canada Eh?

The weather is cold and miserable. I came in from a bit of work outside and got this little poem emailed to me. How appropriate for a day like today.

WINTER Poem

It's winter in Canada and the gentle breezes blow,
Seventy miles an hour at thirty-five below.
Oh, how I love Canada when the snow's up to your butt,
You take a breath of winter, and your nose gets frozen shut.
Yes, the weather here is wonderful, so I guess I'll hang around
I could never leave Canada,
'Cause I'm frozen to the ground!

Before and After

What we started with!

Behold! The new kitchen.

Hey, I'm just kidding. But here is the funny part. Lis just walked in the door as I was putting on the last roller full of paint. She caught a glimpse of yellow from the front entry and exclaimed that finally, after all these years she got her yellow kitchen. She came running and stopped, like the Road Runner, just before it runs over the cliff. She was silent.

We have been married for 38 years and I can read her body language with amazing accuracy. I knew she didn't like it and I simply went and got the colour fan deck and we sat down to choose another colour. Most people re-decorate their homes every 8 - 10 years. We do it every 8 -10 hours. Pictures to follow.

Yearning for Warmer Days

Looking out into our frozen and barren garden, it is hard to believe that this flower was growing there only a few months ago. Right now, there is no living organisms in sight. Our power has not been interrupted since the 6 hour outage yesterday, and I have been able to complete the kitchen project.

The river is choking up with ice and the Albion ferry has been taken out of service for the first time in seven years. There is more snow forecast for tomorrow. My cousins in Saskatchewan tell me it is a deep freeze there, so I am happy to be confined to the refrigerator.

I look at all this and I cannot help but think of sunny Mexico. Or the palm lined beaches of Hawaii. I thought we would be booking that vacation right about now, for January, but because we had no work in all of December, and just picked up a big job for January, I now have to have my eye on February for the getaway. Our life has always been full of uncertainty, just like Forest Gump's box of chocolates.

Failure

I cannot remember the last time I was ill enough to spend the day in bed, but I can remember what it was like when I did. There are things that had to get done, but you lie there frustrated. You eventually give in to it, but it is not easy.
Yesterday our power went off and it was the same feeling. My intention was to finish the kitchen redo and I was anxious to get at it. I was just getting the tools ready and it went dark. Yes, it was a sunny bright day, but there was not enough light on that side of the house to see what I was doing. We are in an extended cold period with howling east winds and cold temperatures. This is unusual for our part of the country, but not unheard of.
I cranked up both gas fireplaces and managed to keep the indoor temperature at 18C. I thought it would be a good opportunity to detail the poor grout job I did on my tiles. Then I remembered that I needed power for the Dremel tool. Oh well, I can blog. Oops! That will not work either. I could not even phone out as we changed over to digital phone service a few months ago and it requires power. By this time it was getting brighter in the front room so I bundled up, got out my 1000 page novel and read, but all the while thinking that the power would go back on at any minute and I could resume my day. Well, it did. But not soon enough to get to the painting as the chief cook showed up from her busy day and began using the kitchen. "We have to quickly cook dinner before the power goes out again!" And here I thought that was what "Wendy's" was for.
So now the furnace is re-warming the house, the refrigerator and freezer are running wildly, and all the clocks are blinking. And we wait, as the wind howls, for the next outage.

Liam in a Box

My little grandson, all gift wrapped and boxed, ready for shipping ...... to my house. Sorry, he is one of a kind and you cannot order one for yourself.

Stay Out Of The Woods

When it happened, the parents of the two children were very reluctant to allow it to go public. It became common knowledge after some time, but the story was always told as a rumour, or a legend. The old woman who had kept them captive for several weeks, recovered from the burns she received during the escape attempt and was not seen for many years. If indeed she did return, she did not have the energy or the willingness to restore her house to its former condition. Those who saw it, say she had decorated the outside with the specific purpose of luring young children. It obviously worked, if the stories are true. Today, parents are especially safety conscious and would never let their young children play in the forest, even though I did it all the time as a young boy. What became of the two youngsters is not well known, but it has been rumoured that they took business courses at Grimm's College and soon after that opened a Bavaria style restaurant that served excellent schnitzel. They named it "The Hansel and Gretel".

In The Woods

This is where it happened. It was quite some time ago, or so the rumour goes. It could have been recently, and by all appearances, it could happen here again. There was an attempt to burn the old shack down, but the owner said she would come back one day, when she was ready. Not many people know of this place, and indeed many say it does not exist. I stumbled on it one day while searching the countryside for photo opportunities and knew right away that this was the place. There is not much evidence now, however, if one lets their imagination run wild, it is obviously the location. I did not dare go any nearer. Was it fear? Was it respect? I simply snapped the shutter, and with a shiver running down my spine, I crept back through the forest to the road. Upon close inspection of the photo, enlarged several times, I was half expecting to see her face in the window. It could be there, obscured by the old brittle panes of glass and by time.

Ground Hog Day?

Again, this photo has nothing to do with today's post, but is just a good reminder of the magnificent autumn we had in '08.

Last night we enjoyed the annual musical drama at our church. It is known as NBC or 'Night Before Christmas'. It is performed 12 times over 8 days and more than 10, 000 tickets are sold. It is a 'home grown' production with the drama being written by cast members, as well as some of the songs, and arrangements of musical offerings. The title of the drama this year was "All I Want For Christmas" making reference to the song about 'two front teeth'. The play opened in a dentist's office which made for a lot of laughs. It was about a fellow who got to live the same day over about three or four times until he got it right. He had the help of his own personal Angel but still had difficulty. It was very well done. The purpose of all this effort, of course, is to spread the true message of Christmas. Every year there are many folks in attendance who never darken the door of a church and they hear the gospel for the first time in their lives. There are always wonderful stories that come out of that. Our guests were a cousin of mine and his wife. We had a very interesting discussion later over a cup of coffee, that related to the issues brought up by the drama. It was a very good evening, time well spent and another time of bonding between my cousin and I.

Now, back to my kitchen. And yes, there will be before and after pictures. Just a few more days to go.

Another Interruption

I had another surprise interruption yesterday. I was in the midst of the kitchen face lift when my brother-in-law called and said he was in town. When he lived nearer, we used to love going out to see a movie on occasion. So, last night we went to see "Australia" What a pleasant diversion from painting cabinetry! The movie is actually quite good and quite a spectacle. It reminded me a bit of "Gone With The Wind", but in Australia. It shows off the country nicely and the little 'creamy' boy will absolutely steal your heart. Go see it.

PS The photo is not mine. How could it be, I have never been to the 'outback'. 'Outhouse' yes, but not 'outback'.

Interruption

I was in the middle of a stressful job Monday afternoon. I was grouting the tile I have installed in the kitchen and it was getting away from me a bit. Good thing I mixed only a small batch. The door bell rang and I was about to fire off a few expletives to the salesman I thought it might be. We have been getting a few of them lately. Before I could clean my hands and go to the door, a friendly voice called from the front entry and it was my grandson Liam. Well, not HIS voice, but his mom's. You see, he brought her along. A few minutes later I was taking a Liam break, holding him and watching him smile at me. Ya, I know, I look funny. I get such joy seeing him about once a week and being amazed at how much he is changing. I have to hold him and talk to him at least that often or he will forget me and I will become a stranger. A few minutes later they were gone and I was back to my grouting.

Strange how the rest of the afternoon went so much better.

Double Standard

So, now that Mr. Dion is gone, it seems that the Liberals are in the mode for picking a leader without a vote from the party he leads. If the coalition can do it, why not the Liberal party. The caucus will be choosing Ignatieff any day now, but poor Mr. Rae of former NDP fame is not liking it one bit, and I quote the news article I just read:

Despite rumours that Ignatieff would be installed as interim party leader, Rae said that he's still in the race to win.
"We've been whacked in two elections, we've got to make a comeback," Rae told reporters in Toronto Monday afternoon.
"I think that it's in the interest of both Mr. Ignatieff and me to have a process that's democratic," said Rae, who was joined by supporter and MP Gerard Kennedy.
Rae added that many Liberals reject the prospect that Ignatieff could be installed as leader without consulting with the party's grassroots.
"It's something that outrages people," he said. "That's a very widespread feeling."


I absolutely cannot believe he said that!! How does he think we felt about it when he and his coalition chose to run the country without a "democratic process"? "Widespread outrage"! Was this man not paying attention to what was going on in the country last week?

OOOps! How quickly things develop. Mr. Rae has dropped out and Mr. Ignatieff will be crowned sooner than later. This means that the coalition idea is as good as dead. But now what will Ignatieff do? He enthusiastically endorsed it only days ago, and now he has to distance himself from it because it was such a bad idea. ( He has been listening to the public) This will come back to haunt him. The poor Liberals. They are broke, have leadership problems, and now more baggage. How did they ever expect to run the country? If our Prime Minister plays his cards right, he will have a majority government in the next election.

The Last Warm Day

Yesterday we had a brief period of sunshine that was only slightly reminiscent of the warm day in fall that was recorded by this outdoor thermometer. After church and a light lunch,we went for a vigorous walk. After a few miles, our metabolisms got revved up and we threw open our jackets, deceiving ourselves into thinking it was fall again, or maybe early spring. The things we do to avoid winter.

Later, it was off to our second Christmas Season feed in two days, at our good friend's Frank and Elma's. They put on a great spread with plenty of good food and warm hospitality. With our stomachs full of natural sedatives (abundantly contained in Turkey meat) we sat around a table of more nibblies and played games and had a lot of good belly laughs. What would life be without good friends? I shudder to think.

The Old Blue Bicycle

This photo has nothing to do with my post for today. I just did not want to start in with Christmas theme photos just yet. But we did start our Christmas feasting last night. Now that one of us is employed by a rather large organization, we are tapping into some benefits. Our extended medical/dental etc will kick in any day now, and another perk was being invited to the Annual Christmas Banquet held in appreciation for the management and staff. I do not know if we have ever attended one of these before because we have always been either self employed or worked for a firm that only had a small dinner for staff without spouses. We had a great time and had a lot of laughs. I met some co-workers of Lis's, and saw some people from my past. The food was great and overall we had a good time. They are bunch of good people and as always, meeting new people is a pure joy.