Merry Christmas!

We had a nice quiet morning, then a day of cooking and long-distance chats, interspersed with Lego building projects, followed by an excellent turkey dinner (we pre-ordered an organic free-range bird from Alderwood farms) and all the trimmings, with Lorna, John, and Jonathan. Christmas with a four-year-old is especially magical, and it was great to have three generations at the festive table. Happy Holidays to all!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Just imagine: I had exam invigilation duties on my birthday, so didn't arrive home until after 9:00 at night, when Steve came to pick me up at the ferry! However, Miranda stayed up to greet me: she and Nanny Lorna made a delicious lemon cake to celebrate my 44th, and we all had a festive evening, with flowers, presents and candlelight... Life just gets better and better! (I even got a card and some chocolates at my exam--for years I have been encouraging my students to attempt a little bribery, and the message finally seems to be sinking in...) :D

Santa Visits Bowen

Miranda got to see Santa three times! He arrived on the Island via water taxi for the annual "light up Bowen" festival the first weekend in December, then resurfaced for return engagements at Miranda's preschool party (shown here) and daycare party! Although somewhat timid, Miranda found the courage to clamber into the generous lap (and improbably hairy arms--see photo) of the jolly olde elf! 'Tis the season, after all!

Sunshine in December

Yes--that really is a ray of golden sun hitting the evergreen tree outside the kitchen window! This time of year can be quite bleak (usual forecast = rain, rain, and more rain) but we've been somewhat lucky for once! For me, December is really the cruelest month, with a final onslaught of assignments, term papers, and final exams to mark. However, there's always time to enjoy the light while it lasts--or at least to glance up from the computer screen (most of my teaching is online these days) and look out at the sunshine... I've even gotten into the habit of walking Miranda home from school in the afternoons. Rain, rain, stay away!