christmas schmistmas

Christmas this year had been green, great, and odd.
First off, there's not a speck of snow to be found for love or ready money.

During last night's Christmas service at church, I was alarmed when - for the first time ever - one of the attendants in long white robe whipped out a squirt bottle of hand sanitizer right before Communion. I guess cleanliness is still next to godliness. (sorry)

I got my dad and sister gifts that officially qualify my for the best.daughter/sister.ever sweepstakes. It was a great Christmas morning, my heart felt so full I thought I would cry. And we named the turkey "Stew".

The queen's message was, more than ever, jarring and weird. First of all, she was wearing my favourite colour of lime green; second, that surreal moment when her "friendly subjects of colour" kind of froze in a tableau around her and she addressed the camera directly. Third, the smile she cracked in closing when wishing everyone a merry christmas was sweet but kind of a ghastly surprise.

And then, there was the joke: yes, the queen cracked a joke. "I was reminded of a woman about my age who was asked by her grandson "granny, do you remember the stone age?" You could HEAR some of the camera people tittering!! She looked away from the camera for a moment, as if to ask them "why are you laughing?" and then got back on track about how old people have lots to teach their youngers. It was WEIRD! she cracked a Joke! and the crew laughed! And she reacted! And they didn't edit any of this out! (What must have happened on the other takes?!)

Does this mean she's hipper than us (gentle reader) - or that her PR machine has it in for her? In either case, god save the queen!

p.s. update on Helga: talked to her on the phone today. She's home from the hospital already, without having her fractures repaired, and -- even though her physiotherapist nephew warned her it might take a year to recover -- she's vowed it will only take 6 months and she'll be back on the golf course by summer. Sheesh. :D She totally rocks.