Merry Christmas!!!

Another Christmas has come and gone. Most people seem to think this felt a little less like Christmas due to the lack of snow. It is more like spring with all the rain and above seasonal temperatures. I think there is something to this climate change after all.

Weather aside, Christmas went off much as usual (and so it should) with lots of love and laughter with friends and family. My sister and her partner hosted a fantastic dinner with everyone bringing a little something. Mother was in charge of canapés, my sister-in-law brought a few side dishes and I was in charge of desserts.

From the pages of my ‘Great Canadian Pies’ book I managed to bake a cranberry/apple and a sweet potato pie. I also managed my first ever Christmas pudding that I set aflame with brandy. Next year I shall have to start this endeavor sooner as it could have used a few more days of rum. For right out of that gate, not too bad though.

This Christmas also brought with it proof positive that my memory is going the way of the dodo. Each year our family draws names for stockings. Any new additions to the clan during the course of the year are usually the responsibility of whoever brought the newcomer into the fold. This year however, we had two; the boyfriend and my sister’s partner. Some time ago my sister supposedly proposed that they switch and do each other’s stocking. This making sense, I apparently promptly agreed and then just as quickly forgot.

So there we sat, each stocking opened as we all watched. Then my sister asked me for the last one. I looked around completely oblivious asking where it was. My kind hearted sister, as subtly as she could pointed a discreet finger at me. I sank into my chair as did the boyfriend.

You would think something would have dawned on me after he opened his and he thanked me. I told him to thank my sister-in-law as this is who my memory told me had done it. He thanked her and she said it wasn’t her but that she would take the hug anyway. We then found out it was my sister’s partner. That still didn’t clue me in and a couple more stockings were opened until we reached the aforementioned situation.

Once again I apologize for my social gaff and assure you I am in the process of correcting it. There will be a sinfully delicious stocking for your flight back to Calgary. I obviously did not get a merit badge in scouts for keeping an accurate calendar. I did however get one for housekeeping.

In addition to our family gathering, the boyfriend and I hosted a Christmas morning brunch. I have bragged in the past about getting a housekeeping badge (and it being a good indicator of my now fastidious ways) when I was in Wolf-Cubs and the subject came up over mimosas.

I managed to find my jersey tucked away at the bottom of some drawer so everyone could see the inverted yellow triangle with a vacuum on it. It sits proudly on the left sleeve all by its lonesome. It rests under a plain white triangle which I think is faded pink. This of course got a few laughs as did the ’76-77’ date badge. Apparently I was a Wolf-Cub before the boyfriend or Alberta Boy were born. Pervert. What do you call a male cougar anyway?

On the right sleeve are seven other little badges that I felt, as a young cub, did not warrant a distraction to my housekeeping. There are badges for reading, swimming, cycling, sailing and orienteering. There is also one with a football on it that I guess is for athletics in general and another with a figure akin to DaVinci’s Vitruvian Man with a red triangle in the background. First Aid perhaps???

Wrapping the jersey back into its tissue paper, we headed off to my sister’s where, unfortunate stocking incident aside, we had a wonderful day eating, laughing and sharing. Merry Christmas everyone and in 2007 let’s all try to get our merit badges for Saving the Environment!