Christmas- Noël

Well we are only a few days away and we are pretty much ready. No gifts this year, it was a year for downsizing and we really don't want anything. In many ways it is better this way. We have good friends, we have family, we have our puppies and we have each other. The tree is up and my sister and brother with their spouses are coming up to Canada for Christmas. The menu, lots of goodies has been arranged by my Dad. It is all catered, so no anxious moments or getting tired trying to cook and then cleaning up.
The weather appears to be promising some snow for Christmas, it was really cold today -20C. Puppies find it really difficult, being from Rome they have never seen such weather. They will be 3 yrs old in February 2012. They have their coats and their boots.

Lights in Roppongi Tokyo

Will says it was a difficult year, in a way it was, we did spend 4 months in suitcases and leaving so many friends in Rome and a very nice apartment and the life we had in Italy, all these changes were difficult. A lot of adjustments in returning to Canada, life here is very different, values, culture, attitudes, sometimes parochial, the food, heavy and starchy or too sweet. We are adjusting piano, piano, as we say in Italy.

The old Star on our tree, the same star for the last 34 years.

We have good friends here and we have been lucky to find an apartment by the Rideau Canal, making it easy to walk to work, to shops and other venues in the Capital.

some of the decorations on our tree.

Our tree is full of memories, every decoration from the Star on top bought in a dollar store, to all the other decorations, bought in all kinds of places around the world, many hand made or part of a tradition.

Best Wishes to our friends and to all a Happy Christmas. Who knows what 2012 will bring, we can only wish for Health, Happiness, Prosperity and Peace. It does not have to be peace in the world, that is too complicated, but just peace in our lives and of those we love and care for is quite enough for me.

All the best to all of you!

Almost Christmas

Well we are almost there, the tree is up, Will again did a wonderful job on the tree and despite my having to be careful, I got to put the star on the tree as is the custom in our house every year. This is probably the one single thing I like the most about preparing for Christmas. So many souvenirs in those accumulated decorations from different parts of the world, all chosen from many cities or gifts from friends, some from Neiman Marcus, our favorite discount store. We use to shop there in the days of Stanley Marcus and Alfred Neiman, now it belongs to some other company, I think it's Federated, still a nice store.

This year has been a bit slow off the mark, work at the office kept me really busy and many people are away, so we will not see them during the Holidays.  But on the 24th we are going to have a very nice dinner with friends, then on the 25th we are having Carré d'agneau, the 26th drinks with friends and possibly another dinner at a restaurant in Rome just entre nous with 4 other people.  For New Year's Eve we are having dinner at home with old friends and we all share in dish preparation.

The New Year will be with us all too soon. But for now let's play some Christmas music from Southern Poland, Mazowsze Polskie Koledy i Pastoralki and from Michael Praetorius, Lutheran Christmas Morning Mass of 1620 and enjoy a glass of two of Champagne.