betwixt Christmas and New Year's

Christmas Eve. Does it seem a little dusty already?
Such an unusual phenomenon this anticipation, the Day itself, followed by the all-too-soon but inevitable return to reality. We don't seem to have as many crescendos in our lives these days as when we were young, but I remember this feeling of ho-hum all too well. Wally is back at work, the wicked wind has died down and the snow that came on Christmas Day has settled in with temperatures around this morning -12C ( 11F ). My friend in Saskatchewan reported temperatures of -28C. Is that even possible!?!?!

Around the internet, people are "setting their intentions", making their resolutions, planning for a wonderful new year to come. One youtube series I watch regularly is Sixty and Me hosted by Margaret Manning. Recently she talked about picking a word to set the tone for the new year:

Experience

Challenge

Release

Love

Grace

Focus

Enjoy

Health

Abundance

Target

Kindness

Patience

Hygge

Peace

Enthusiasm

Progress

Courage

Move

Grateful

Compassion

Expansion

Gusto

Cherish

Does this inspire you? Do you have a word you would like to share? 

On Christmas Eve we did our yearly cruise through various neighbourhoods to view the Christmas Lights. 

This one particularly captured my imagination for its elegant simplicity.

It helps that the architecture is so pretty.

This mid-century modern home is not shown to advantage at night, but it's pretty spectacular.

That's one massive wreath they hung in the middle, spotlighting it and the house.

There was a lot of use of spotlights this year,

and these horrible whirling projections on houses

Many houses ran the usual string of lights along the eaves or the front porch.

Some had colour themes and were lucky if they had a Christmas shaped fir to string some lights on.

This snake of lights cracked me up, similar to our neighbour's style of lighting-

just fling the string of lights up as high as it will go and trail what you've got left.  

A spotlit nativity scene is a nice change.

This glorious bit of business was carefully considered.

More spotlights, but nicely balanced with white lights and wreaths. 

This one takes the cake for extravagance. Seen from a sub highway,

it takes up a small parkette at the end of dead end road.

we joined many others in finding our way into the little cul de sac, lit up for all to see. 

Neighbours peeked from their windows to watch us rubberneckers

Do you see the mannequins on the porch dressed as old time choir singers?

Wally told me that the lore is that the original owner who started this display died and the new owners took up his mantle and continued to add on each year.  

This is the pretty house across the street is decked out with wreaths in every window, the big one on top and the one in the door spotlighted

More themed colours with wreaths in the windows and spotlights.

And again with the spotlights. I'm guessing this is more common to the wealthier neighbourhoods.

Approaching this building from the side, I was confused as to how an apartment building would make it into this upper class neighbourhood, but Wally assured me it was a house and sure enough,

it is. And a spectacular piece of modern architecture at that. 

Somewhat like a public building, I appreciate it for its individuality and grand statements like that front door and the two Christmas trees in the windows.

Finally, a more humble little home, again with themed lighting and spotlights,

all sorts of wreaths and doesn't the tree add a nice balance.

Many houses this year had those simple candelabras with their orangey vermillion bulbs in the windows.  Many more houses remained dark as if they didn't want any trick-or-treaters coming to the door. I always wonder how folks are managing at this highly emotional time of the year. It's easy to succumb to sad memories or failed dreams or just plain fear which is usually bound up with one's feelings about the future. But that's what this moment, this PRESENT, is for:  to draw us up into what really IS. Invariably there is a gem waiting inside of it, the miracle, the light. 

I think if I had one word to choose, it probably would be 

presence

followed immediately by

gentleness

We need to be gentle on ourselves, on our limitations of ourselves and others. We live in a flawed world. And yet every little change affects something else. That is called "the butterfly effect". Staying present to what we can do in our little sphere has enormous consequences. If we owe anybody anything it is to keep our consciousness of our value intact. You are an important player in this game of life.

Be kind, be gentle, be present.