Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving if you're celebrating that today. Now it's on to Christmas and all that goes with that. I have actually got a few prexents bought already!

Here's something I got today and sent on to some people:

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy (not forward) this entire email and paste into a new e-mail that you can send. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person that sent it to you......Tis the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags! My hands can no long do the wrapping thing.

2. Real tree or Artificial? One of each…We have a Balsam or Fraser Fir given to us each year from Somerville’s, a real beauty! This year I have an artificial for upstairs.

3. When do you put up the tree? First week in Dec. hopefully for the artificial, about Dec. 18th for the other….it has to last till Jan. 4rth for the office brunch!

4. When do you take the tree down? Likely Jan. 9th.

5. Do you like eggnog? Love it but can’t indulge too much and never with rum.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My pink stuffed pug dog, Floppy, which was a great pajama bag! Wish I still had him! Betsy Wetsy and Thumbelina dolls were up there too!

7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad

8. Easiest person to buy for? Myself!!! HA! any females actually.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? A wee plastic one that Dave gave his mom when he was 7! AW!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Real live cards. I love looking at and choosing cards!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Boy’s Clipper flannel pajamas that my Grandma got by mistake! I actually tried to pee out of the fly!!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Tie between A Christmas Carol (Alistair Simms) and Charlie Brown’s Christmas.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Right after Christmas at the sales and I shop for gifts all year long and put them away in the Gift Section of my attic!! I get surprised the next year when I re-discover what I bought and had forgotten!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? YES, a few times but they were good ones!

. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Marzipan Squares and shortbreads!

16. Lights on the tree? I LOVE lights, especially the mini-white ones. My house is full of them..

17. Favorite Christmas song? Coventry Carol and Mary Did You Know (Google it and listen to Kenny Rogers sing it! http://www.gospel-disco-network.co.uk/mary%20did%20you%20know.htm

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Near home.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? No. Only 5.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star when we were kids but now an angel that lights up.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning ..stockings first, then presents after breakfast.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Crowded malls…I avoid them by going early.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? White lights, wine colour and ivory,

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Gotta be traditional Turkey

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A big deep narrow salad bowl that you can toss salad in with bowls to match!

26. Who is most likely to respond to this? People who are not too busy….I don’t expect too many will.

World Diabetes Day

Today is World Diabetes day in honour of Dr. Frederick Banting's birthday. He is the man who discovered insulin and my personal hero. His birth place is quite near me and it is finally being restored after being saved from a developer's greedy clutches.

Today, across the world, there are places lighting up in blue to honour Banting, and to express unity and hope for a cure for this world pandemic.

Here is the letter I wrote which got published in a special Legacy magazine all about Sir Frederick Banting:

What the Discovery of Insulin Means to Me


To put it quite simply, the discovery of insulin has given me 42 more years of life on this great earth. Banting is definitely one of my heroes along with the co-discoverers.

I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (Insulin Dependent) at age 13 and was actually in a coma for a few days before the insulin did its magic. I was in the hospital for three months, recovering from my ordeal. The road has not always been smooth, dealing with this condition. I have developed many of the complications associated with diabetes but at the same time, I feel blessed.

Because of the discovery of insulin, I have had the opportunity to grow up through the teenage years, work at a summer camp for children with diabetes for 7 years, achieve a university education to become a teacher who has taught for 30 years, and I was lucky to have met and been married to a wonderful person for 28 years. I was also able to watch my sisters’ children grow up and marry. The many friends I’ve made over the years are precious and my wide circle of friends is quite amazing.

In my eyes, all this has been made possible because of the discovery of insulin. It is important that we continue to praise this Canadian discovery through the Restoration of the Banting Homestead. I say thanks every time I even drive by the sign on the road!

The cost of the restoration of the Banting Homestead? $600, 000.

Cost of the gift to me of insulin? Priceless.

I went to the old homestead if Sir Frederick Banting and I felt amazingly connected to him as I walked the very ground he walked as a young boy.

Here's to you on your birthday Dr. Banting. You will always be my hero!

Remembrance Day

You've probably all read this. I've posted this poem the last two years on Remembrance Day (Veteran's Day) and I think it warrants yet another read. Every Remembrance Day, I realise even more, how very proud I am of my dad.

On this Remembrance Day, 2007, I share with all of you a poem written by a very special person; my father.

He risked his life while carrying out his duty to his country and flying a Lancaster Bomber during World War 2.

He is now 89 and still gets together with his flight crew once a year. His rear gunner just died.

Last year he went down to Trenton to see the unveiling of the Halifax Bomber.

How lucky I am to still have this amazing man in my life.

Thanks for fighting, Dad.

Remembrance Day

Crippled, bent, alone he stays
upon a bench.
No more he plays with children there
upon the square.
It hurts too much for him to bend
to let the small ones condescend
to hear the story
of his glory.
Many years ago they said
as he lay still upon a bed
"You can bet
We won’t forget."
Have we forgotten then so soon
the ones who lived that afternoon
the shelling stopped
and war was not?
Remembering those who died in trench,
forget not him upon the bench.
When passing by give him a break
and stop, and smile and gently shake
his withered hand.
He’ll understand.

By Douglas E. Williams
November 1976
Copyright

Rapid Change and The Indecisiveness of Weather!

What a difference a day makes!!

Today, I took the coffee maker from the summer bedroom down to the kitchen. There will still be a few nights where it will stay around 0 or above but I 'm guessing we will have to make the official move into the winter bedroom within the next week. There comes a time when it is redundant (and not economical!) to turn on the heater at night!

We've already put some Christmas lights up on the new deck and the arbor in the back yard so my mind is straying from summer wishes to anticipation of the holiday season. So please, someone just tell me to just give it up already!

Hallowe'en!

Our Hallowe'en day was a beuty 17C and sunny and the evening was perfect for all the little kiddies going trick-or-treating.

I don't have a clue how to take pictures at night but here they are! Since when did people get into carving multiple pumpkins? My dad only ever carved one simple grinning face....and it was the best. But now people really get into it and decorate like crazy. They even have orange and purple outdoor lights.

Love how my camera caught the ghost flying by!!

This is such a cool effect that happened unexpectedly when I selected the night time button in hopes of getting a clearer picture! HA!

Yesterday, I dressed up as a Russian style witch and read, "Bony Legs to the Gr. 3's at my school. Then, I sang several songs with my guitar. I so miss that part of teaching!

Hope you all had a fun Hallowe'en!