Monday, December 11, 2006

Merry Christmas!

Grace comes unexpectedly, and I don't recognize it until it's right in front of me. A sunny day, a guy who offers to push my car that is completely embedded in the unplowed back-alley snow (and it's at least -30 degrees), the resident dog at the office (a seeing-eye German Shepherd) bounding down the hall towards me (the master was on vacation)...this may have something to do with all the dog treats I slip his way.


December 25, 2006
Christmas comes whether we're ready or not. This year, Mike & I decided to take nine days, from Dec. 14-23, to visit Ontario where we caught up with family and some friends - apologies to those we didn't get to - and caught Lost&Found Theatre's Christmas show. Which was fabulous (well done, guys!). OUr good friend Kai from Edmonton was in Ontario for work, and he managed to attend opening night with us. Great fun, and surreal - worlds collliding and all that. We did manage to pop into the old home front (orange kitchen at right) to see Lauren, Finn & Tomas, Barb & Patrick. Artists DO make great tenants!! Dec. 22 found us at Ed & Ginny's, having roast beef and drinking Featherstone wine (that's us, at right). The following night, we flew home to 3 happy cats and a tree that needed decorating. On our way to the airport, we stopped by the Schaefers in New Dundee - to our delight, they are now "cat people!"

Last night was Christmas Eve. We put up some decorations; this is a far cry from my Dec. 1 rule, but what with Mike's intense studies and my new job at the U of A and trying to get the living room painted, we had to amend our schedule. We ate seafood casserole, attended a church service at the end of the block and watched a bit of Battlestar Galactica (always a treat). And, while the decline of our environment is much on my mind these days, grace still happens. I don't know if I've ever felt more blessed in my "Canadian-ness" - there are friends and family we love on both sides of the country and, like so many others in this vast nation, we have more than one home.


Have a blessed & merry Christmas!

Kate & Mike

P.S. Take a few moments to peruse these websites over the holidays:

www.lostandfoundtheatre.ca
www.worldwildlife.org
www.sierralegal.org