And so I was thinking . . .

And so I sat at my computer to write a Christmas message to you all.

I was thinking something along the lines of moon-shadows and snow, peace on earth, Bill napping in his chair, dogs snoring in front of the woodstove, the soft burr of propane lights and egg-nog and love and family and Christmas trees, chocolate, turkey and an expansive heart.

I was thinking of how we are all aging and getting more peaceful, wiser and fatter but that fat doesn’t really matter anymore because being peaceful and wise is so much more fun than worrying about getting fat – that is on the days when I remember to be peaceful and wise.

Then I thought of the mole I had removed from my temple earlier today and how the doctor asked if the pulling of thread for the stitches hurt and I said “this is what a facelift must feel like” and he said “oh, we’re doing that at the same time but I forgot to tell you,” and I giggled while he was stitching me up and everything was okay.

And I thought about how weird all families are, even the ones we’re not related to, the ones we make ourselves because we’ve somehow fallen into each other’s lives and come to love each other. I thought of how we can irritate each other beyond belief but that the love always wins out – sooner or later. I thought of all my weird family, the ones I am related to and the ones I call friends, and how I am their weird family too, and how I must irritate them sometimes, but that they love me all the same, I hope. I trust.

I was thinking all these things when the dogs awoke and thundered barking to the door, their hair stiff on their necks and I knew the fox had come into the yard or the neighbour’s truck had pulled into the driveway or the grader was making a moonlit pass along our road. And Bill awoke happy and refreshed so he could stay up late to watch the lunar eclipse.

Then I thought that before writing my inspiring message of peace and joy, I would look for an animated card to go along with it so I spent the next hour looking at animations on the Internet and giggling to myself.

I was having so much fun, the inspiring message of peace and joy never got written.

And I couldn’t decide on a card.

So I’m sending out two:

Xmas Blues

Sister Mary Margaret



Enjoy and Happy Christmas to you all.