#56 Dec 2014 The Month of December

In our child rearing and working years December was fun overall but stressful trying to accomplish everything I felt needed to be done for Christmas. I really enjoyed decorating for each season and of course Christmas the most. When we started the downsizing process there were boxes and boxes of seasonal decorations. Determining how to effectively get rid of them was a challenge – mostly we gave them to charity.

Now I look back and enjoy the memories but this December was very different. We made a conscious choice to take advantage of the Christmas activities in the community.

Giving is a big part of what we can do. Global TV sponsors a huge breakfast and toy donation event at the Pan Pacific Hotel in the Vancouver Convention Centre. Kari, Ralph and I attended last year and were impressed with the size of the lineup in the lobby. We dropped off our toy donations and then went upstairs for a great buffet breakfast. Everything moved quickly. We arrived before 8:00 and were finished breakfast by 9:00.

This year we arrived about the same time with Kari and her friend Heather. Anyone who is familiar with the Convention Centre will remember the exhibit halls are down a long corridor. The line was almost at the end of that corridor and the lobby was full.

This is the mountain of toys in 2013.

In 2014 I took the same photo. Notice the height of this mountain compared to the windows at the top.

They estimated one third more people participated this year than last year, which was the biggest crowd in it's eleven year history. Huge kudos to the Pan Pacific Hotel kitchen as they never ran out of food or coffee.

Since we were downtown we headed to the Vancouver Art Gallery to view treasures from the Forbidden City / Imperial Palace in Beijing.

We visited Hong Kong and Beijing in 2008. Touring the Forbidden City we were overwhelmed with the magnitude of the buildings and the artifacts. There was so much to absorb during the entire trip that we could not retain everything. This exhibit at the Art Gallery was well presented and easy to understand, particularly without so much else to see and do. We were fortunate to be there for a free, guided tour that provided more insight into the printed information.

Photos were not allowed in the exhibit.

Bells that were used to signal the events and activities in the Imperial Palace were on display in Vancouver.

This photo shows similar bells that we viewed at the Imperial Palace in 2008.

Lunchtime we headed for the Vancouver Christmas Market, which is similar to a German Christmas Market. Everything is outdoors and the hot mulled wine went down very nicely.

Well Seasoned Gourmet Food Store in Langley is a frequent stop for us. This year their open house was fabulous with 15 vendors offering incredible samples. Santa grilled hot dogs at the front door.

Mid December I flew to Calgary for the weekend. The view was fantastic. 35,000 feet provides a unique perspective of the world God created.

I visited my aunt who is 89 and tried to visit another one who is 97. Unfortunately, she had the flu and was in quarantine. I wanted to catch up with them before we head south again.

Dave had a Christmas party Saturday night so Danica and I had a girl’s night. What a privilege to spent one on one time with her. We had supper during a movie of her choice and talked about this and that – the most important things in the world. We created hand made decorations for their Christmas tree and kept chatting. A very precious time.

Sunday morning we picked up Joey and went for breakfast. Danica had not seen him for a few years so she was shy at the beginning. Joey is very good with children and soon had Danica smiling and talking to him. Ralph and I try to create as many opportunities as possible for our grandchildren to spend time together and this was a great connection.

We enjoy taking Kari or Lindsay or both on drives around the area. This one with Kari was a chance to get out into the fresh air and enjoy the eagles.

Salmon runs happen at varying times in the fall and winter. Eagles follow the feasts. Near Mission we just parked along the road and saw 100 to 150 eagles watching the river and sizing up supper.

There were up to 10 on this sandbar.

As well as on this tree.

They can be very noisy.

This eagle waited very intently and patiently. Many did not move the entire time we watched them.

Others, however, were actively seeking just the right spot for fishing.

Sasquatchs abound around here. This one kept us company when we stopped for lunch – where else? At the Sasquatch Inn.

Our Supper Club occasionally goes to a restaurant instead of cooking at home. December 21st we met at Chaberton Winery and had a leisurely, festive lunch. Afterwards we went to Potter’s Christmas Store and explored all the decorations and gourmet food that we didn’t need.

Christmas Eve Kari and Lindsay joined us for church then nachos for supper. It was an easy, no fuss meal. Christmas Day Kari’s boyfriend Dan joined us and we feasted on 3 kinds of fish. Again easy and enjoyed by all.

This year we experienced the Christmas spirit throughout December. We spent quality time without the usual hustle and bustle. We are blessed to live in Canada where we can explore and cherish our connections with family, friends and nature.