A COUNTDOWN TO A CANADIAN CHRISTMAS- 1 DAY TO GO

Many people are out doing last minute shopping. Picking up one more thing for the stockings or fresh veggies or bread. A good time not to be on the road. Italian-Canadians will be having their Christmas Eve Seafood dinner- the Feast of the 7 Fishes. Adolph and I will be on our own so will have lobster with some fresh pasta using up the seafood sauce from the weekend dinner along with some asparagus and fennel! What dessert to have from all the goodies we have in the house!! The Christmas table is set. A go around the house will occur to tidy those little clutter corners to make things look nice or just nicer and cleaner. Amazing how those clutter piles keep occurring. My grandchildren enjoyed two days at our home while my daughter and hubbie worked before having time off  until the New Year. Loved hearing them sing along to the Children's Christmas CD with many of the favourite Christmas carols. One way to get some religion into them- through music that praises the baby Jesus! Bought some last minute lottery tickets! Did one load of laundry and hung the precious items to air dry. No more laundry until the weekend. I have the Giller Prize book- US Conductors- on the go. Pleasure to sit in the Family Room to read. Prepared my outside for the weather forecast of a bad wind. My son-in-law hammered some nails in the front fence where it had come loose a month ago.  I will be making some Christmas Eve phone calls to family out west and overseas. Christmas Day is always so busy and sometimes the lines are jammed. There is no snow today but may be flurries over night so hopefully Christmas morning will be white. My children will not be on the road very much. Just one couple tonight to go into the city- Toronto that is to be with family for Christmas Eve. My grandchildren will see their Nonna and Nonno along with their zio, zia and cugine! Plus they get their Christmas gifts from them!! Looking out the window, I have seen many Fed EX, Purolator and Canada Post trucks racing around delivering lots of last minute parcels. My sister's parcel arrived yesterday so the goodies were delivered to my girls in a timely fashion to be under the tree for Christmas morning. TV has lots of Christmas music and movies and the regular weekday programming. For me, I am actually enjoying the quiet today. It is good to have some time to hear and think my own thoughts. Having some time away from work was needed more than I realized. Being home at this time of year is so precious. Besides if there were a Code Orange I am 5 minutes by car to get to work. The turkey is starting to thaw. So Christmas morning preparations for the dinner will start before Adolph and I open our presents. I always seem to give away more presents than remain in my house under my tree. However there are three huge presents that take up lots of room to make it look fuller. Christmas day will be opening the stockings by the fireplace in most homes. Opening presents. Having a simple breakfast by the tree. Christmas dinner is Turkey with all the trimmings- bread stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, carrots, broccoli, fennel, sweet potato, mushrooms, Italian sausage, dinner rolls with butter, and a beverage of choice- red or white wine, water, beer, milk for the children. Dessert- a chocolate yule log, cupcakes, gingerbread cookies, chocolates, mints, and whatever else can be found in the house or brought by my guests. Many of the items served are similar to the ones I ate as a little girl. Although Adolph does most of the cooking, Christmas dinner is mine to do. The good old fashioned Canadian way that my Mother taught me and hopefully my girls will continue one day. Christmas in Canada is celebrated from coast to coast to coast. Little variations in some meals but Canadians know how to have a good time and include others in the celebrations. Children from all cultures will get a toy if needed from those local toy and food drives that occur across this great land. So from our house to yours- Have the Merriest of Christmases! Happy Holidays to all!