The Last of the...

..Christmas decorations have finally found a home! 

It was a different kind of day. First, the early morning departure of my sister for her son's house in the country; she will spend a few days there before heading back north to be home for Christmas with her daughter, and in January, she will head out west to spend time with her other daughter. We will probably not get together in person again until it is time to head for France! I will miss her. 

With Christmas only a week away, and now with some time on my hands, I figured I really should get the rest of the decorations up or there would be no point...and it would be fun...The mini trees in the rec room still needed attention, and when that was done it really was just a matter of wandering around trying to find a place to set or hang the remaining  Christmas treasures. Easy peasy. At last I could check that off the to-do list.. And the reward? Now I can watch TV down there and feel as if it really is Christmas. I intend to be down there for hours tomorrow morning watching the World Cup Soccer final; it will be so much nicer to watch it by the light of little Christmas trees! ( extra)

Then - in the afternoon...an unusual experience for me.  A long-time neighbour had died unexpectedly and his funeral was streamed online for those folks who could not be there or who were uncomfortable attending in a COVID and flu environment...I chose to stay home and watch it on TV.. I know funerals and other events are commonly done that way now, but I had never been part of one. It was certainly not the same as being there in person, but at least I was able to witness that final celebration of a life..I have had two long-time friends who passed in recent months and neither had an actual funeral..and I missed that...the ritual..the final good-bye..

It was a mixed-bag kind of day .. and a sad one too. I still cannot believe that yet another neighbour has passed...and it made me think of friends no longer here .... It has been a rough year that way...so many losses...