Redneck Christmas

So, this'll probably be the last time I get to post before the New Year, so Happy Christmas and Merry New Year and Jolly Winter Festival and Cheerful Yule (I know I'm late but whatever) and all that. I'm really looking forward to spending time with friends and family.

I remember when I was little, Christmas was always so magical. There was the enormous Christmas tree (really its only about 6' but when you're 3 feet tall its huge) with the pretty lights and tinsel and the angel on top. We were allowed to get up early on Christmas morning and open our stockings and our present from Santa (they weren't wrapped). When we were really little, we'd always get a box of Honey Nut Cheerios at Christmas too. My mom doesn't buy sugared cereal so it was an extra special treat. We had a big meal with my mom's side of the family; often we had goose instead of turkey. Its funny the things you remember.

A few weeks before the Christmas when I was 9 or 10, my brothers and I went over to my grandma's and made salt dough ornaments. We spent all of Saturday using cookie cutters and shaping the dough by hand and then baking it. Sunday, we painted them. I made an angel and a mouse that are still in my mom's Christmas ornaments. I just remember feeling really special because Grandma was taking the time to spend a whole weekend dedicated to us. She was good at making kids feel special.

I'm not sure that it ever really happened at Christmas but we spent a lot of time tobogganing at my grandma's too. All my siblings and cousins as well as the adults would go out to the hill and sled. We'd have a fire and roast hotdogs and have hot chocolate. Sometimes Uncle Fred would hitch up the horse to the sledge and put straw bales on for seats. You had to be careful if you were sitting in the back because the bales tended to tip over when the horse started moving.

I wish y'all a holiday filled with joy and peace and love. Try not to stress about the burned pies or the imperfectly wrapped gifts. That's not what people are going to remember.

How odd

So last night while Davyd was teaching one of his new Dragonlance players the TROS system, I decided to paint my face. Just cuz. I have these watercolour pencils that make decent, although not great, face paint. Their good because they are water based and so wash off easily and don't add any extra oil to my skin; the pencil format is also helpful for my paintbrush-impaired hand. There is something strangely primal about drawing lines on your face. I was quite taken aback by how deep the experience was. Very strange.

This afternoon I'm getting together with my friend Kristal (who's name the spell checker wants to turn to "gristly" interestingly enough). I haven't seen her since my wedding and I've missed her. We met in Bible college and lived together briefly when I was going to MacEwan. She's one of those people that it doesn't matter how long we've been apart, we can just sit down and talk and have a great time like we've never been apart.

Happy NoMoreChemo Day!

Well, its been 3 years since I had my last chemo treatment. Let today be about celebrating life.

• Kiss someone you love
• Snuggle a baby
• Dance around in the wind
• Cook and eat and enjoy a good meal
• Play with a child
• Play like a child
• Make love
• Smile at a stranger
• Introduce yourself to a stranger
• Call your mother
• Laugh
• Make peace with an enemy

Live today.

Anyone else have any ideas?

The Cursed Essays is Done

Let there be rejoicing. I've already started to prepare for my next one. Its not due until the middle of February but if I start now, maybe it won't be so bad.

While sitting here at my desk, I've realised that there is a very real possibility that I could be crushed by the growing stack of books needing to be repaired. If it happens, Star can have my Fluvogs, Jeanne - my stripy socks, and Jenette and Liana can share my cows between them. I'm really looking forward to the week before Christmas and the one after New Year; perhaps I'll actually have time to fix some of the books. I'll be at work but there shouldn't be any students around.