Merry Christmas (really!)

Christmas Day is nearly done. It wasn't as lonely nor as sad as I had been bracing myself for so I'm glad to have pulled through that mood. It did help me to confess it in my blog entry, because afterwards it lifted and I slept like an innocent child. Lovely.

My brother came onto MSN Messenger about in the afternoon and we then both turned on our webcams & mics, and spent the next 6.5 hours looking in on one another's homes. They had a few relatives stop in for a few minutes at a time, and of course there were phone calls on both ends that we sort of overheard wishing wells and Merry Christmases. We watched one another open our gifts, reminisced about some favourite childhood things, ... I had our laptop on the edge of my kitchen table so he and I chatted while I made a few traditional baking favourites of our Mum's... if I'd had smell-O-vision it might have killed him not to be able to taste. hehehehe.

It's so different between my brother's in New Orleans and me here in Calgary. It's sunny here, but it is definitely a snow-covered scene, and we enjoy the heat of our furnace and especially the hot oven used to cook. But he has on his air conditioning and they're wearing shorts and T-shirts.... very different to me and my association with the end of December.

So I find myself at the end of this big day, with a pleasant feeling and a countertop under cooling baking (mincemeat tarts, a pumpkin and blueberry pies, etc), and my darling husband has cooked the entire ham & scalloped potato dinner, served it, and cleaned up afterwards.... that is a delightful gift for Christmas, but he does that sort of thing most every day year round. I can scarce recall what I was feeling sorry for myself over now? Silly me.

Tomorrow is "Boxing Day" The Americans don't observe it, but since Canada is of British origin we do. Most folks have the day off work, but sadly it's become the biggest sales day of the year, with all the stores opening early (like 5:00 am!) and there are lineups and crazy shoppers everywhere. Rather like "Black Friday" in the USA. I can't think of anything I need badly enough to venture into the fray of commercialism. Might just go and visit friends, or declare it another mellow stay at home day, light a fire and read or watch movies under a quilt. Oh, wait, I do still have a few gifts still to wrap before I can take them over to give!!! Just one more way to stretch out the season hahaha.