Merry Christmas!

Welcome to March. In a couple of weeks the clocks change. (Why-oh-why-oh-why-oh?)  Here is the  precipitation data from previous years:

This is part two of my post, from Saturday. We deferred our Christmas exchange until now. Just to be cautious with COVID and all.  After our birthday lunch [Part 1: What a treat!] we hung out until Josephine had to go to her leadership camp on Zoom. She was at it from 12:30 to 6. 

Josephine took some macro photos of the flowers JB sent me for Valentine's Day. 

After lunch, Josephine kept on taking photos! I posted them to her photography album for the extended family to see. It's really difficult taking fishy photos!

The cyclamen is doing really well. It was a gift sent with my first online grocery order three years ago, at the beginning of COVID–19. Jos photographed all sorts of things.

Goldfish plant:

Josephine had coworkers, while she was in the office participating in her leadership camp on Zoom. They made masks. 

The rest of us played at the curling game, hung out, and chatted. We had a ceremonial glass of sherry, which my late parents loved.

My SIL, Jean-Luc, prepared the turkey. mashed potatoes, green beans, and roast carrots. Caitlin made the stuffing. 

As dinner approached, Caitlin put on some Christmas songs. JL continued to cook up a storm.

There was dancing involved! Photos were taken, and I put them into a video, just for more action!

Isabelle always gets a leg, her favourite. She made the fresh cranberry sauce, which Grampa has to have with turkey!  

The men looked serious, but we laughed a lot and caught up with school stories.

After a traditional turkey dinner, it was Christmas. What is fun is that the presents were bought and wrapped by early December. I didn't even remember what I'd wrapped, for the most part. It was a surprise for all. It was wonderful seeing them. 

Isabelle gave me a painting of a heron she had done. It is lovely. I hung it up on Monday. A good time had by all.

Smiths Falls Pow Wow Dancing Videos

It was a small, but wonderful Pow Wow in Smiths Falls. Beautiful regalia.

Pow Wow Jingle Dancers from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
Pow Wow Free Dance from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
Pow Wow Fancy Shawl Dancers from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Ring, sing, love

It is all in your attitude! As I wrote earlier, it is How you frame your life.
One blogger wrote,

"Summer isn't about the weather or other factors that we can't control, it's about the experience which we create."

Telling words. I participated in Blues in the Schools, and I remember TJ Wheeler saying to us, "You sang The Blues, so you don't got the blues no more!"

I heard the thunder in My Muskoka, so, while I danced to its rhythm it helped me write a poem, indoors, while it pours rain. Then I found a wonderful YouTube video that showed me how to dance!

~~~~~~~
Dancing by the lake

Storm threatens on a dark horizon
Sun draws indigo curtain aside
Brightens the blackness
Thunder the rhythm of the dance
Hypnotizing waters paso doble
Foretelling the approaching storm
Wind-driven to a bossa nova
Loon sambas on waves
This is my liberation theology
Mesmerizing- the dancing lake
From whence my help cometh
--J.J.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
a bell is not a bell
until you ring it
a song is not a song
until you sing it
love is not love
until you give it away

--Bill Anderson
'spiritual chiropractor'

This is how you begin a life together: you dance with your granddaughter!!!