Parsnips Aplenty

Jan and I are in Niagara visiting my family this Christmas. We've been here since the 21st, and we're leaving on New Years' day.

We're having a good time, with lots of great food. It's nice to see family, and so far we've spent time with my parents, with my brother James and Janine and their kids Zara, Caleb, and Elijah, and with my sister Cathy and Dylan and their daughter Freda.

Although it has all been good, one of the highlights has been Freda, who has grown an awful lot since we saw her last. She smiles and giggles, and is a cutie.

She's about to grow teeth, and instead of a teething ring, Cathy and Dylan give her a hard vegetable to bite on. She spends many a happy moment holding a parsnip and waving it about in joy.

A Day in the Life

Today being Sunday, I spent much of the day at church, and much of my time not actually at church walking to and from.

This morning we taught the youth about the book of Acts, about Ethiopia, about the meaning of the word disciple and the word apostle, about St. Paul and St. Patrick, about the manner of Judas Iscariot's death, about the entymological roots of "Theophilos", and about the end of the world.

In the afternoon I spoke to my mother on the phone and watched the newest episode of Battlestar Galactica.

Then it was back to church for the evening service. I was very tired, and sadly paid not nearly enough attention to the sermon on why Santa Claus is a heretic.

My dress shoes have very little grip and the sidewalks are quite slippery, so on the walk home I got to slide a lot. The only difficult part is picking up the necesary speed without falling over. And, of cource, a rough patch can make a sudden and unexpected stop.

And now I'm home, and Jan and I are watching Pride and Prejudice (the BBC version of course, which was a Christmas gift to Jan from her sister Lorinda). Mr. Darcy will soon propose to Lizzie for the first time, so I'm going to go watch it properly, instead of only half paying attention.

Weffriddles

WOOHOO!

I'm done weffriddles. Some of those were very tough, and most of them I would NEVER have gotten without Jan.

Evil Elliot

I've noticed this before, but in light of Annemarie's recent layout overhaul my attention is once more drawn to blog layouts.

My blog looks a lot like Elliot's, except he is pure and good and I am dark and sinister.

Except, I suppose, in China where he is morbid, and I am clinging to my youth.

And in conclusion I wish to conclude that this is the conclusion

I suck at conclusions. I've realised lately that both in academic papers and on this blog, I tend to just stop instead of coming to any logically or asthetically pleasing conclusion.

Curses!

I'm on level 54 of weffriddles and I don't know what to do now. I MUST SOLVE IT!

This is all Annemarie's fault.

Sad Life

I was out for a few drinks with some friends from class, and I overheard the following conversation.

English Guy:... yeah, in England Sunday is a day for family.
Shaggy Mennonite: Oh yeah. I grew up in Winkler, and it's the same there. It's a day for, like, family and for church and stuff.
EG: Not for me though. For me Sunday is just like any other day.
SM: I know what you mean. What makes Sunday different from any other day of the week?
EG: I know, yeah. It's just like any other day. Even Christmas is just like any other day.
SM: Totally. It's just like any other day.
EG: Yeah, I spent Christmas alone last year, and I'm spending it alone this year, and I don't care, because it's just another day...

And I thought to myself: What a sad existance.

Imagine a life with nothing to look forward to, when every day is just like every other. I feel more sorry for EG than I would if he said he was alone and wishing he had someone to spend Christmas with. He doesn't even know what he's missing.

And I realized how glad I am to be a Christian: to have festivals and holidays to look forward to—festivals that mean something. And I realized how glad I am that I have a small festival every single week—that every Sunday is like Christmas in miniature. And I feel very, very sorry for EG and SM.

Report

Medieval Lit paper-of-doom? Check
History of Critical Theory paper? Check
History of Critical Theory Exam? Check
Hybridity and Literary Imagination paper-of-doom? Done and to be handed in today
Hybridity Exam? Two hours away
Medieval Lit Exam? Saturday the 16th
American Lit paper? Saturday the 16th
Advent ornaments made? Check
People-of-Israel poem rehearsed? Not yet
Advent Pagent? This Sunday
Various parties? All on the same day. I'm going to miss the St. Margaret's Young Adults night and and invitation to Amanda and Kinsey's place in favour of Melissa's party.