Holiday Update

The season of back-to-back festivities is almost over.
Ours was very enjoyable this year. No rushing, just meandering to gatherings, enjoying good company, and such.
I apologize to anyone still waiting for their Yule/Christmas card. I didn't do them this year - too busy with my comprehensive exam WHICH I PASSED!!!! (Just heard on Boxing Day)
Instead I threw together this e-card webpage as a substitute. It was supposed to have new photos for all to see, but the digital camera is still not back :( (However, it is done at the shop. Now the warranty people have to deal with the bill and the electronic shop has to courier it back to us - sometime in early January I expect)
The e-card was a catch-up for people who don't read the blog. For those of you who do I guess there are a few new tidbits I can add here about life in our house.

Before the holidays we visited with my grandparents in St. Catharines again. This time we took Darla - we had the realization that travels are more difficult with a dog! Aside from having to rely on the kindness of our host to accomodate our baby (which fortunately our family is very willing to do, being dog people without dogs; Darla is also well behaved) the actual travel itself is a pain. Flying back to Winnipeg this summer for a wedding should prove interesting. Driving is a trial. Darla needs a seatbelt harness!!! She doesn't like the tinted back windows, so she's forever trying to see out the front ones. We took her with us to Rita and Ted's for Christmas dinner. On the drive home the next day I let her sit on my lap just so I wouldn't throw my back holding her back.
Christmas dinner was delicious. Tortiere pie (just like mom's) and turkey with all the fixings. It was actually hosted by friends of my aunt and uncle, who are also dog lovers and insisted we bring Darla. She was the centre of attention and very well behaved. Still, she needs more training when I can get her into spring classes.

Christmas eve was here - a fabulous fondue with Monica and Denis. It was also Denis' birthday, so there was a divine tiramisou to follow dinner. Played cards, drank wine, had a great time. Monica and Denis stayed the night and we enjoyed french toast and hashbrowns in the morning.
And since people always ask me about gifts, let's see... I got ice skates (of course the weather is now WARM), DVDs galore, a couple of fairy t-shirts, fun socks, a vase (that magically did not break in the mail), Jack Johnson CD, green goddess bag, Christmas decorations, movie passes, will be buying books with some money...
Robin got tupperware for his lunches (that was me), DVDs, the new INXS CD, Spiderman window figure, books, gift certificates (he bought a multi-function rotary tool), a cordless drill and bits (almost forgot that one, even though I got it)...
His father treated us to a gorging dinner at red lobster on the 23rd (via gift certificate). Yummmmmm.

We celebrated Yule with the coven on the 22nd - more good food. And I celebrated Yule myself by driving out to the airport to pick up Alisha for 12:13am on the 21st. I brought her back to our home because she wanted to see it and meet Darla. We yacked for a few hours, and then it was back to the airport for 5:30am as she completed her flight from England to Winnipeg. Four hours of driving the 401 in the dark... Fortunately it was good road conditions and little traffic at those hours. Got home myself at 6:30 (as her flight would have been taking off) and stayed up to drive Robin to work for 8. We went early and had breakfast at the Morning Glory Cafe, which was the perfect end to my all-night event. It was a good day.


Before all the official holiday festivities we had a house warming / Yule party here. Our first party! It was a great success, even with only half the expected guests (the weather was frightful). There was a lot of food! Good food! We played Cranium, girls versus guys. I don't even recall who won.
All that remains for festivities are two new years events: New Years Eve with the coven and our families playing Cranium or Things and New Years Day with Robin's cousin watching movies. Yep, nice and relaxing!

So what's in the future? Well I have one more exam to prepare for - another comprehensive exam, this time in my specific chosen fields of specialization which are: sociology of religion, new religious movements, and religion and late modernity and pop culture. I am actually looking forward to my readings! I'll also have to write an exam to demonstrate that I am competent in French (which I am, well was... will be with a quick refresher) so that I can declare it the second language for my PhD. That'll all wrap up in May, from which point on I will be engrossed in research and writing for two more years until I complete my PhD.
And Robin? Who knows. He's not on any 'program' schedule right now :) So his actions might be more random... or he'll just keep working for MSN taking calls.

As for other future possibilities... you'll just have to stay tuned.