It's peaceful to stay at home without visitors. The small tree is decorated and lit; there's a small pile of gifts under it. The fire's going to blaze in the hearth. We have been listening to Beethoven and Schubert recordings and I'm accompanying Schumann's Dichterliebe songs at the piano. More music: Frank Gruska made a video of us singing in parts as a substitute for the usual carol-singing party we attend at Jennie's and Bill's place on Kensington Avenue. It's called Christmas at Kensington, and shows us performing E. Poston's Jesus Christ, The Apple Tree in which the women's voices divide into four parts. I took the top line, prerecording it at home for Frank to add to the mix. Chris sang the bass part, likewise.
Snow fell today, briefly, not much of it, and the temperature's currently at -6 and rising. Tomorrow and on Christmas Day a deluge of rain is expected, in warmer air, +8. A green Christmas, then.
Multiple emails have to be written, this week, but these are end-of-the-year greetings to friends rather than work. I'm attaching copies of our Christmas letter, which didn't have as much travel news in it as previously. Our only travelling is on foot round the neighbourhood, each day: through Bordeleau Park and past the Chinese Embassy, across the St. Patrick's Street bridge to the other side of the Rideau River then through New Edinburgh to the Minto Bridges, and so back across the river and home again. Three kilometres. We've seen sun, sunsets, moon and stars on this walk, and last week the near conjunction of the planets. We missed the once-in-800-years moment due to a cloudy, foggy night; it can't be helped.
This evening I gave Chris a warm foot bath, so that he's sure to sleep well. We have plenty of food in the fridge and cupboards. We are the lucky ones of this world.
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