To thine own self be true

took place in little ole Spy Hill, SK when a Via Rail train froze and its 95 passengers were comfortably accommodated by the village’s firemen who took it upon themselves to provide food, entertainment, and beds for the unexpected visitors. Spy Hill itself is very small and doesn’t have many more people than those it hosted. Only on Christmas in Canada could something like this happen. Real Canadian heroes, hospitality, and spirit, eh?

Welcoming the new year.

The biggest party animal.

Peanut: the other, quieter party animal.

The ‘Kids’: The Globe and Mail year-end crossword fiends.

The amazing 6-year-old grandson doing 6 shape-puzzles simultaneously.

So many ingredients, so little time.

Hands-on followed by mouth-on, previously called mouf-on.

The first man.

The last man. Dictated instructions from another room by creator, after creator imagined the man in his head. Grown-up followed instructions as directed. (There were questions of clarification along the way.) The creator approved the creation when he finally saw it. It was what he had imagined and ordered to be made.

Mr. Science entertains and awes.

The grandkids play, oblivious of the backyard deer.

Father and son read.

We host the mob after dinner. 2 tables in different rooms for sup. A Davies Family Team Effort.

A niece in charge of athletic entertainment.

Ladies in fine form. Note antlers on Beethoven bust on piano.

My daughter strikes again. A mug of da Vinci’s “Birth of Adam” with a focus on “The Touch”.

Another unexpected daughter gift. Large beautiful photo for hanging commemorating our first seeing a Bill Lishman (aka Father Goose) short at the Space Sciences Centre, now hanging in my bedroom.

The ever-busy older grandson who loves mazes.

A right jolly young elf.

…………………..

“Fortify yourself with contentment, for this an impregnable fortress.”

–Anonymous (a worthy holiday garrison mentality)

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

–Marcel Proust

Holy, holy. Before and after company over the holidays. With a great selection of Christmas movies, holiday tea, and treats.

At this point on the darkest day of the year, the blog will shut down for family focus. My eye surgery follows the day after New Year’s and I won’t be back for a while, leaving time for recovery and rest. This consciousness blog (and http://canlitbooks.ca) will return in 2018 at some unspecified date when I have time to continue my Montaigne-inspired journal/blog of the past 5 1/2 years. (A brand new blog of my poems in collaboration with webguy/musician/filmmaker James Mireau will likely start up, too, in the new year.) Meantime, Cheers and Best in 2018!

they make it so easy to pick up and donate food packages year-round to the Food Bank for only $5 or $10. Imagine the grateful unfortunates who will be happy to eat this Christmas. It doesn’t take that much to give and extend ourselves this little to help others at Christmas. Why be chintzy and withhold that little money in the great scheme of things?

(Christmas Day)

The car stopped in front of Ganma and Ganpa’s house. It was dark. Dada lifted me out of the car chair and set me on the snow. I walked to the house which had many lights on.

Ganpa opened the door to let us in. Inside there was noise and people. He and Mama took off my boots, coat and hat. From the door, I could see a big tree with many lights on it. There were strings of candy canes and a star up, up on top. There were presents under the tree and many colors. Ganpa held my hand and walked me around the tree. He showed me another little tree that kept changing colors and a snowman who did the same. It was dark in the room, but then we walked into the light where I saw Ganma and other people standing.

We went to a big table which had food and bottles on it and there was a choo-choo going. It kept going round and round on the table. Ganpa put me on his lap and I could see a small town of houses and people smiling who did not move. He let me turn a dial which made the choo-choo stop, slow down, go faster or go backwards! It was a cool train! He and me put cases and small people on and off on one car, then made the choo-choo go again. When it stopped, I said “Again”.

Then he was carrying me down some steps toward some lights in another room. He showed me a big window and two deer with lights moving in the snow outside. I said “Brrr” because I know it’s not warm outside. We looked at a fire on tv, and I said “Hot, no touch” like Mama told me. There were boats on pictures, snowmen, a big star, and Santas too. On the floor were some puzzles which I started to play with, pushing out the pieces through holes. Then, I started to put them back where they belonged.

Later Gandpa showed me the fridge and there was a big picture there which looked like crayons. He said I did it. I saw a picture of Ganma and went to the chair where Ganma sat to say “Ganma” and point to her in the picture. When I wanted to play with her and pulled on her leg when she was standing in the kitchen, she said she was busy and didn’t come with me.

There were lots of snacks on the table and I helped myself to some, taking them back to Mama in the big tree room. I didn’t have too much supper, but drank from a bottle of water. (No cup.) It was fun. After, Ganpa showed me white dogs and yellow birds that moved and played music. I liked the dog who played piano and Ganpa and I danced on the floor to the song. He also showed me how to pick up icicles from the rug to put back on the tree.

I had a lot of fun and opened up a few presents. There was a truck I put balls into which flew out another hole in the truck as it went. It was a good day. I said “Bye” to everybody and waved when Dada and Mama put my clothes on to go out into the Brr, cold again and the car.

“Looking through my bedroom window, out into the moonlight and the unending smoke-coloured snow, I could see the lights in the windows of all the other houses on our hill and hear the music rising from them up the long, steadily falling night. I turned the gas down, I got into bed. I said some words to the close and holy darkness, and then I slept.”
–Dylan Thomas, conclusion of “A Child’s Christmas in Wales”

of preferred illusions. We are largely secret to one another, playing roles and giving (un/convincing) performances. We present fronts, by and large, of our preferred images of ourselves. Regardless of whatever depth of socialization, all of us are conscious of and complicit in this large secret mode of living.

In Robert Frost’s words: “The Secret sits in the middle and knows”.