'Tis the Season...

it seems...

I went to a local garden centre today in search of a birthday gift for my friend Pat... and surprise..it was a winter wonderland of Christmas trees, laden with baubles and never-ending displays of poinsettias! A Christmas theme wasn't what I had in mind for this gift, but faced with so many tempting choices, how could I resist?  

And, I thought, it would be ever so clever of me to get her a Christmas arrangement as I know how lovingly she decorates for the holidays...and that it would be one thing she would truly like and would actually use... Well, I was not so clever! I arrived at her house to find her entire front lawn, driveway and entry porch lavishly decorated in lights, wreaths, and many many Christmas planters! 

Uh oh - I was too late..The last thing she needed now was yet another Christmas arrangement...but then I thought, "OK, at least this one is for indoors so there is hope"...but alas! Her house was already decorated to the nines for the holidays, complete with, not one, but three of those ceramic Christmas villages! All I could say was "Sorry - I guess this is like bringing coal to Newcastle..."..Turns out it was a phrase unfamiliar to her, but she got the gist of it and immediately pointed out the only as-yet-unadorned spot in sight ..on a little end table by the sofa...Oh well, the best of intentions...but late to the party again, it seems...I really do need to take note of the times...

PS: After spotting and blipping that "about-to-be a skating rink" for kids yesterday, I got to thinking about my childhood and how I learned to skate on a little rink my dad made for me beside our house.. It was tiny, but I didn't need much ice in those days. I wasn't exactly racing down the rink to score goals or anything - that came much later when I played ice hockey in my teens and at university...but my love of skating started early on that dinky little rink my dad made..and with the support of my mom who was there to pick me up when I fell! (extra).. I hope there will be some other lucky children who learn to skate on that rink up the street..it will bring them a lot of joy in the years to come...