Knee deep in the snow, I stand, immobile, immersing myself into the silence offered by my pristine surroundings. It is tempting to use the phrase “dead silent” as there are few signs of life. Yet despite the blanket of snow which dominates every inch in my vicinity, suffocating life beneath it, I know full well it is only a temporary state of affairs. In the distance, just beyond the conifer sporting a tall, white hat lies a portion of the Georgia Straight, shimmering golden thanks to a few of the partially hidden sun's shafts reflecting onto the waters. The sky above is predominantly overcast, except for a single brilliant strip of blue sky close to the horizon. The contrast is striking and the sheer clarity of the blue reminds me of my baby boy's magnificent eyes.
Gabriola Island is a winter wonderland. Normally a vivid, soggy green due to rain, the cedars, ferns, bushes are all weighed down by several inches of the magical, fluffy white stuff. Why even the giant gunnera which set such a lovely backdrop for our wedding a few months ago are completely buried under the weight of the snow. I, for one, could not be happier about these odd weather patterns, Then again, I am not in the city and I don't have to leave the house except to go out and play. And I'm not stuck in an airport either. Another being that keeps welcoming more and more falling flakes is Flea. Her deer-like bounding through the forest - as natural as if she had done it her whole life - is a sight to behold. Few Taiwanese street dogs are able to boast about the thrill of bounding through snow two-feet deep. Supposing she went back for a visit and was hanging out with some of her old buddy's, how would she even begin to describe the experience to her canine pals back home?
I've been on vacation for less than a week and already I'm fearing a return to a working man's routine. Ah, the luxury of time. Time to write, time to play with Kael, time for long walks in the woods, time to listen to music, time for just sitting around – that's what the holidays are all about. And of course the holidays are about family. It's only natural that I think of my own family firmly entrenched in winter's grasp in Ontario and Quebec. At least with a blanket of white covering everything, not to mention the constant worry over driving conditions hovering in the air, it really “feels” like Christmas in BC this year. I heard on the news that it will the first time since the 1970s that Canada will enjoy a white Christmas coast to coast. That is definitely something to celebrate.
This will be Kael's second Christmas experience. Last year, he – I mean, we – were given the best gift ever in the form of a jiggling chair that shook our colicky little guy into a comatose on Christmas day. It sounds mean, but we were all better off with him a little more “relaxed”. And as the picture shows, the stocking was bigger than he was. This year, he will at least match the stocking in size - if not outsize it. He will also be more aware that something extraordinary is happening, though he is still won't quite get it. Proof came when he was exploring around the tree and tried to use one of his presents as leverage . His hand pierced right through, and with a simple lift of the loose paper he could have had a sneak preview of his gift. Yet instead of stealing a glimpse, he merely ignored it and continued with his original plan: to grab the shiny ornament hanging on the tree and stick it in his mouth.
The fact that he is not yet interested in the gift part of Christmas is a blessing because in our family, as with many of you who do celebrate, it promises to be very low key year in the gifting department. And that's fine with me. Michele calls me a scrooge for having this attitude, but the truth is that I do find it difficult to summon that Christmas spirit. Maybe it's because I'd rather be inspired to give rather than pressured to do it. And the barrage of same old tunes everywhere (none of which is James Brown Funky Christmas) and the same old sentimental movies on Tv don't help one iota. 2008 is teaching us that it takes a recession – a forcing of the hand – for us to realize that it isn't the gifts that makes us happy during the holidays, but the time off. For his part, Kael is oblivious to the point where we could wrap up his existing toys and he wouldn't know the difference. Of course, I'm not so frugal as to not get him anything, but the truth is, the kid is happy to run around house which offers plenty of space and dive bomb down the staircase. Toys at this particular stage in his development, do not interest the lad.
Well, let's see what is on today's to do list:
1)perfect the snow angel
2)gulp excess amounts of hot chocolate with a hint of Bailey's
3)listen to Brazilian music for contrast
4)nap just for the hell of it
5)use the time to send out positive vibes to all friends and family scattered around this planet
Much love to one and all
oj
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