Christmas Day! I woke up to my Mum calling from Quebec City and also to a foot of new snow, with more falling. It's supposed to keep on keeping on for another three days. I think I will go out into it in a bit and maybe shovel, even though I don't need to use the car. Shovelling makes me feel very useful, and also it's good exercise. I love the snow here, the flakes are giant. I feel like I've wandered into a transmogrifier and have come out tiny; the trees here, the mountains, the snowflakes--everything is much bigger than back east.
Upstairs a little girl is watching The Mask. I remember watching it for the first time when I was about 8, in a theater with my family. A long long time ago. I still love it. I might go up there in a bit and totally intrude (in a nice Christmas-y way) on the movie. Ha!
Last night I sang "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" as I walked to the bus stop. I said later on to someone, "I'm high on Christmas. It's retarded!" and laughed. And later still made my way home through the snow. I've only eaten chocolates so far today, and a cup of mint tea. Life is good.
I'm realizing what Christmas and the whole season really means to me. It's about people, and giving, and family, and all of that. (Isn't that what people have been saying for years? Yes, well, turns out it's true).. and also snow and lights and sleeping in, and little kids, and reading instead of going to work, and just for a day, switching the usual greeting to strangers-in-passing from Hello to Merry Christmas. All of a sudden we're in a foreign land, with this new thing to say. Don't worry, we'll go home soon, and we won't catch typhoid while we're here.
I'm smiling. I hope you all are too.
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