Odds and Ends before Christmas

I'm so excited! Christmas is almost here. The tree is up (and decorated) there are actually wreaths on the shutters of the window outside (wow), I just plugged my Winnie-the-pooh garland and light string into the light socket on the wall, I'm this close to being done my shopping, and all the Christmas cards got sent out today! Yes, it's true. (Sadly, we're not sending out Groundhog Day cards next year.)

What's left. Oh yes. Wrapping presents. And baking a zillion dozen cookies. I thought I would cut out a bunch of reindeer present tags by hand. And tonight I wanted to see the lunar eclipse. Hmmm.

The snag in our Christmas preparations is, of course, that Elora and Dhara are now sick with the thing that Anya had last week. Fever, cough, and lots of miserableness. I really hope they're over it soon.

Dhara quote of the day: "We don't play with germs. Unless they're stuffed."

(We have mono. As a stuffie. I love the little stuffed germs, with their big eyelashes. Much nicer than real germs.)
Dhara makes little rules for herself... I should start writing more of them down. They are very funny -- and really hard to respond to sometimes. :)


Speaking of hard to respond to, Anya today asked me what the "air quote" thing with your fingers means. I couldn't think of a very good explanation at all.

Me: "Um, it calls attention to a particular word you're saying, which sometimes is ironic, or it means the opposite of what you're saying, and uh..."
Anya: "So, I could say "wool" but really I would mean "socks.""
Me: Um...

To change the subject, my choir (Near North Voices) sang for Nipissing University's new chancellor a week or two back. The Installation was video taped and is posted online at: http://www.nipissingu.ca/chancellor
The choir sings "Zadok the Priest" at 0:24, and "Magnetic North" and "O Canada" at 1:14.

Enjoy your holidays everyone, and if I don't see you soon, Merry Christmas!