The Christmas tree looks so pretty with my glasses off.
The rays of the fuzzy coloured lights bleed out into broad holy halos of unfocussed festive delight. It's like my own private light show. It's come to this, Dear Reader, that by the end of the year I am so practiced in mindfulness, gratitude and seizing every moment that simply walking into my living room without my glasses becomes a moment of rapture. This year I may have actually become whole, enlightened and self-actualized. Yes, it must be true. This leaves what to strive for in 2016 wide open. This time of year being more 'rush-y than usual, I have been reflecting more often on my ancestors. I do this when I feel like I want to sit down. Which is most of the time. When I think I can't possibly fit in a load of laundry before bed, I think that kind of defeatist thinking would have had me drowned in the cold Atlantic or worse,have had me putting out an untidy clothesline for all my neighbours to see. (Atlantic Canadian in-joke). My daughter watches cooking shows with her dad. They like Jamie Oliver. Yesterday they watched an episode where Jamie catches some fresh scallops and cooks them on the boat. Apparently, she was enthralled by this. The idea of cooking food that fresh. This kid has been lucky enough to eat a lot of seafood and some of it that fresh, She's spent time with my dad on his boat catching crabs and then watching him cook them up. But Jamie Oliver is Jamie Oliver I suppose. My daughter is also not scarred as I am, from watching my dad pick oysters off the beach, shuck them with a screw driver and slide them into his mouth. That's fresh. Also, that's gross or at least my 10 year old self thought it was gross and now I can never eat bi-valves. Solstice is here today. The days will start getting longer, but there is still plenty of dark time for reflection. Tis the season. Another year and what have you done, etc.. I for one am still here, still in love with world and also saddened by it. I suspect I am not alone as all the best Christmas songs capture the idea that we are caught up in both emotions at the end of the year. Let your hearts be light Dear Reader. Happy Holidays.
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Dear Reader, I have missed you! I know there are a few of you out there and believe me nothing makes me happier than knowing I'm being read. A very close second is writing this blog. I am happier when I'm regularly posting. But alas, I have been busy. There is no other way to describe it. Busy is a lazy word. But I'm still using it. I hesitate using the word 'busy' because it almost means nothing these days. Everyone is busy and as all writers know, 'busy' is the least valid excuse for not writing. You gotta make time. Yet here I am tonight, mid December, with nary a Christmas task complete, surrounded by laundry, overdue bookkeeping and writing a blog. With this I feel buoyed enough to tell you about this morning. What you should know is that I've become one of those people who start up conversations with store and restaurant staff. Sometimes it works, sometimes it backfires. The results don't bother me, I just keep doing it. This morning I walked into my favourite independent coffee shop on the way to work. and Led Zeppelin was blaring. Led Zeppelin in the morning! I couldn't help myself, as I was paying for my coffee, I blurted out to my hipster server, (quite loudly so she could hear me), "This music is an awful contrast to what Starbucks must be playing two doors down. It being the Christmas season and all." I meant to say 'drastic contrast' not 'awful', I quite like Led Zeppelin, but it was before 8 o'clock and I had not yet had coffee. I can get the Led out like anyone else, but not at 7:50 am on a Thursday morning. She studied me carefully, not smiling, the coffee scented air blowing through her gaping earlobes. Eventually, she figured out that I was just one of those harmless old people who think they're funny. She politely turned the music down and explained to me that in fact Led Zeppelin is mentioned on their store receipts, As if this somehow explained the decibel level of the music. Not that I have ever seen one of their receipts and even if I had, I probably would not be able to read it because the type is too small. Whatever, Sister. You turn the damn music down, get me a coffee and next time I'll keep my mouth shut. Unlikely, but maybe. |
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