vaneramos | Cheers, everyone!

In a few minutes we'll depart to my parents' place for Christmas. I'll drive Moe to meet her family, who live in Michigan. After days of dark clouds and ice, this morning dawns softly bright with pearly beige clouds, a hopeful start for the trip.

Mom could never sleep on Christmas Eve. She always had a pile of gifts for each person, but mostly revelled in having everyone together and sharing a feast. She always made it magical.

Christmas mornings when I was small we all had to wait together upstairs and go down together. We must file past the tree without looking, because if we saw gifts before breakfast they would disappear or transform. Someone would cover my eyes. This delay was bearable because the stockings, opened during breakfast, were often the most fun.

My box of gifts is packed: mostly simple, inexpensive and homemade things. I'll take cookies, fruitcake and pumpkin bread. Tonight I'll make tourtiére, ground meat pie, a Quebec Christmas Eve tradition I picked up from Sylvie. I'll make dinner tomorrow, too.

Have a joyful, safe holiday, however you spend it. I'll be out of internet contact until we return from my parents' place on Tuesday.