“There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child.”

This is one of the truest quotations that I could find about Christmas.
Now, don't take me wrong, Christmas is lovely. Amidst the chaos, the family drama and the fact that for several days we are plucked from our routines and expected to get along with one another, it's always possible to find some joy.
Some of my joy came today when my brother Chris sent a picture of my newest niece - Abbie, in the scarf that I knit for her (my first scarf, ever!)I think that she looks as if she's being consumed by some pink and purple monster - hopefully she'll grow into it!

So, Christmas was. And the 10 days on PEI were filled with some good get togethers with good friends, and (despite the yelling) loving family.
It was all summed up with a scrumptious feast - complete with 19 guests and 2 big dogs.


Lunch out with "the girls" - complete with great food and glorious laughter!
The Tree. 14 Feet. Need I say more?


Now you all know where Santa comes after he's delivered his presents - Morrison's Beach!

Some present opening...

Dinner with our very own Motley Crew!!!

So, there was chaos. And there were tears (sad and happy). There was frustration, and yelling and a couple restless nights. But there was also uncontrollable laughter, visits with old friends, town visits, warmth, comfort, good food and general good cheer.
And it was Christmas.
Perhaps the reason we're so out of control at Christmas is because we don't quite know how to put our love into words.

Merry Christmas!

Keep Me In Touch with My Dreams...

From a friend...

Guerrillas of Grace
Prayers for the Battle by Ted Loder

O Lord,
In the turbulence
And the loneliness of my living from day to day
And night to night,
Keep me in touch with my roots,
So I will remember where I came from and with whom;
Keep me in touch with my feelings,
So I will be more aware of who I really am
And what it costs;
Keep me in touch with my mind
So I will know who I am not
And what that means;
And keep me in touch with my dreams,
So I will grow toward where I want to go
And for whom.

O Lord,
Deliver me
From the arrogance of assuming I know enough to judge others;
Deliver me
From the timidity of presuming
I don’t know enough to help others;
Deliver me
From the illusion of claiming I have changed enough
When I have only risked little,
That, so liberated,
I will make some of the days to come different.

O Lord,
I ask not to be delivered
From the tensions that wind me tight,
But I do ask for
A sense of direction in which to move once wound,
A sense of humor about my disappointments,
A sense of respect for the elegant puzzlement of being human,
And a sense of gladness for your kingdom
Which comes in spite of my fretful pulling and tugging.

O Lord,
Nurture in me
The song of a lover,
The vision of a poet,
The questions of a child,
The boldness of a prophet,
The courage of a disciple.

O Lord,
It is said you created people
Because you love stories.Be with me as I live out my story.

A Toast

Here's to your coffin.
May your head rest on a pillow of the finest silk.
Here's to your coffin.
May your name be written on a plaque of solid gold.
Here's to your coffin.
May it be made from the wood of a hundred year old oak tree.
I will plant the seed for that tree tomorrow.

"Home is not where you live, but where they understand you..."

Today I arrived home.
Now lately, home has been a fairly vague word. Is it where we grew up? Is it where our parents live? Is it where our stuff is? Is it where the people we love are?
Right now, home is simply where I need to be.
I didn't plan to be in PEI for Christmas this year, but some unfortunate circumstances have lead to my arrival. I made the decision that for my first Christmas away from home, this was not to be the one.
So, last night, after a delicious pre-Christmas Christmas dinner, gifts from the L'Arche community and my Christmas angel (who just happened to be Maggie Sutherland!) I packed my bags. This morning I caught a shuttle to Truro, met my sister Alana and we made the trek to the Island.
We erected our 14 foot Christmas tree, which may now be a little shorter as the result of its run in with a chainsaw and my father, decorated and enjoyed the view.
As soon as the camera is charged, I'll take some pictures to share.

For now, I'll leave you with a quotation from our friend Oliver Wendell Holmes on what he considered home - what is home to you?

"Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts."