We've been snowed on! Not a lot by most places winter standards, but a lot for us. Driving is bad, walking is worse and it's cold! LOL But looking out my front window at, and across the harbour, it's gorgeous.

Shakespeare again - and not the most cheerful of poems.

Come Away, Come Away, Death

Come away, come away, death,
And in sad cypress let me be laid.
Fly away, fly away, breath;
I am slain by a fair cruel maid.
My shroud of white, stuck all with yew,
O! prepare it.
My part of death, no one so true
Did share it.

Not a flower, not a flower sweet,
On my black coffin let there be strown;
Not a friend, not a friend greet
My poor corpse, where my bones shall be thrown.
A thousand thousand sighs to save,
Lay me, O! where
Sad true lover never find my grave,
To weep there.

from Twelth Night

What a lovely Christmas it's been. Christmas eve I went with Denise and had supper with her and her sister's family and it was a wonderful evening. They are all incredible cooks, so the meal was scrumptious and the company excellent. She has a greatniece and nephew who are 9 and 7 respectively and they were SO excited about Santa coming. Grandpa found the website that tracks Santa's movements and that notched everything up a little more.

Christmas Day was quiet and I got spoiled by my friends, including a box of homemade goodies - apple sauce, squash soup, green tomato mincemeat, peach freezer jam and mincemeat tarts made with the green tomato mincemeat plus a section of fruitcake (not the kind that makes for bad Christmas jokes - the moist, rich, fruity kind that you can't wait to eat!). Heavenly! And Denise is so careful - she uses only the bare minimum of sugar when she makes things for me so I get to have treats and they never send my blood sugars through the roof. It's very special. And then I got invited back to her sister's home for a 'leftovers' supper. I'm not sure which is better - turkey dinner the day it's cooked or the next day.

Today I'll be going to my craft partner's home for supper which is a tradition of about 20 years. Cynthia is another terrific cook so I always look forward to this. And then we spend the evening crafting. It doesn't get any better.

Shakespeare again.

Come unto These Yellow Sands

Come unto these yellow sands,
And then take hands:
Court'sied when you have, and kissed,
The wild waves whist,--
Foot it featly here and there;
And, sweet sprites, the burden bear.
Hark, hark!
Bow, wow,
The watch-dogs bark:
Bow, wow.
Hark, hark! I hear
The strain of strutting chanticleer
Cry, Cock-a-diddle-dow!

from The Tempest

Tell Me Where Is Fancy Bred - William Shakespeare

Tell me, where is fancy bred,
Or in the heart, or in the head?
How begot, how nourished?
Reply, reply.
It is engend'red in the eyes,
With gazing fed; and fancy dies
In the cradle where it lies.
Let us all ring fancy's knell.
I'll begin it - Ding, dong, bell.

Ding, dong, bell.

(from The Merchant of Venice)

Very nice day yesterday. About 2 Denise and I went out to the Wildlife Refuge (http://www.citytel.net/wildlife) to visit with Nancy and Gunther. We took them some Christmas goodies and Denise included some treats for the animals as well. Stayed for tea and a good chat. They have less than 100 animals at the moment so they are not as busy as they have been.

Then Michelle and Brian took me out for supper. It's become a Christmas tradition - we go out for a really good meal and we talk about everything EXCEPT Sisters. And last night's meal was one of the best ever - not a flaw in the food and we all left very full and content.

And it was a gorgeous night as well - crisp and clear with a huge moon. I guess there's a full moon for the solstice tomorrow. And apparently there is going to be a lunar eclipse tonight - or more correctly at 2 a.m, However, since I'm opening Sisters at 6 a.m. I will be sleeping through it.

Thrice Toss These Oaken Ashes in the Air by Thomas Campion

Thrice toss these oaken ashes in the air;
Thrice sit thou mute in this enchanted chair;
Then thrice three times tie up this true love's knot,
And murmur soft: "She will, or she will not."

Go burn these poisonous weeds in yon blue fire,
These screech-owl's feathers and this prickling briar,
This cypress gathered at a dead man's grave,
That all thy fears and cares an end may have.

Then come, you fairies, dance with me a round;
Melt her hard heart with your melodious sound.
In vain are all the charms I can devise;
She hath an art to break them with her eyes.

Well, I'm feeling human again and a good thing too. It's only a week until Christmas and I have things to do! LOL

Got my last parcel in the mail yesterday. Thank goodness it's only going to Victoria, so it will arrive in time. Got the last of my local gifts wrapped as well, so that's taken care of. I've got to get some decorating done though. A couple of craft trees and a few cards is not going to cut it

Was at my Breast Cancer Support lunch today and we had a new member. She was only diagnosed in November so she still has her surgery and treatment ahead of her. As we were breaking up she said she felt much better after hearing our stories and knowing she wasn't alone and someone else really understood what she was going through. That made all of us feel better too because that is a huge part of what we're there for. We had a gift exchange and I got a small box of Ferrero Rocher and a small candle and holder. I'm delighted - I love candles and chocolate!!

The Anniversary by John Donne

All kings, and all their favorites,
All glory of honors, beauties, wits.
The sun itself, which makes times, as they pass,
Is elder by a year, now, than it was
When thou and I first one another saw:
All other things, to their destruction draw,
Only our love hath no decay;
This, no tomorrow hath, nor yesterday;
Running, it never runs from us away,
But truly keeps his first, last, everlasting day.

Two graves must hide thine and my corse,
If one might, death were no divorce;
Alas, as well as other princes, we
(Who prince enough in one another be)
Must leave at last in death, these eyes, and ears,
Oft fed with true oaths, and with sweet salt tears;
But souls where nothing dwells but love
(All other thoughts being inmates) then shall prove
This, or a love increased there above,
When bodies to their graves, souls from their graves remove.

And then we shall be thoroughly blest,
But we no more, than all the rest;
Here upon earth, we are kings, and none but we
Can be such kings, nor of such subjects be;
Who is so safe as we? where none can do
Treason to us, except one of us two.
True and false fears let us refrain,
Let us love nobly, and live, and add again
Years and years unto years, till we attain
To write threescore: this is the second of our reign.

I'm rather under the weather today and will be missing a Christmas lunch. Not happy about that - some of these people this is the only time I see them. But what can you do? I am a firm believer that germs do not need to be shared! LOL

Ben Jonson from his play Volpone.

Come, My Celia, Let Us Prove

Come, my Celia, let us prove
While we may the sports of love;
Time will not be ours forever,
He at length our good will sever.
Spend not then his gifts in vain.
Suns that set may rise again,
But if once we lost this light,
'Tis with us perpetual night.
Why should we defer our joys?
Fame and rumor are but toys.
Cannot we delude the eyes
Of a few poor household spies?
Or his easier ears beguile,
So removed by our wile?
'Tis no sin love's fruit to steal,
But the sweet theft to reveal:
To be taken, to be seen
These have crimes accounted been.

It's been a quiet couple of days. It was craft night last night so I got a bit more stitching done on mouse pad #4 and Cynthia showed me how to make Christmas trees by simply folding magazines pages. It was a lot of fun - and would be a great way to introduce kids to crafting.

Thomas Carew

To My Inconstant Mistress

When thou, poor Excommunicate
From all the joys of Love, shall see
The full reward and glorious fate
Which my strong faith shall purchase me,
Then curse thine own inconstancy!

A fairer hand than thine shall cure
That heart which thy false oaths did wound;
And to my soul a soul more pure
Than thine shall by Love's hand be bound,
And both with equal glory crown'd.

Then shalt thou weep, entreat, complain
To Love, as I did once to thee;
When all thy tears shall be as vain
As mine were then: for thou shalt be
Damn'd for thy false apostasy.

Well, I got my first Christmas card yesterday and I was thrilled. It was from a friend that I had lost touch with and hadn't heard from for many years. How she tracked down my address I'm not sure, but it was so fantastic to read her letter and get caught up with her and her family. Made my whole day.

Edward Taylor

Huswifery

Make me, O Lord, Thy spinning wheel complete.
Thy Holy Word my distaff make for me.
Make mine affections Thy swift flyers neat
And make my soul Thy holy spool to be.
My conversation make to be Thy reel
And reel the yarn thereon spun of Thy wheel.

Make me Thy loom then, knit therein this twine:
And make Thy Holy Spirit, Lord, wind quills:
Then weave the web Thyself, the yarn is fine.
Thine ordinances make my fulling mills.
Then dye the same in heavenly colors choice,
All pinked with varnished flowers of paradise.

Then clothe therewith mine understanding will,
Affections, judgment, conscience, memory,
My words, and actions, that their shine may fill
My ways with glory and Thee glorify.
Then mine apparel shall display before Ye
That I am clothed in holy robes for glory.

Well, survived the dental appointment yesterday. Even though it was just a cleaning, AND I know it's all necessary, I don't enjoy it. I have an exceptionally strong gag reflex and having anything in my mouth is very uncomfortable.

It was weigh day today and I'm down 2 pounds for a total of 36. Not as much as I wanted, but interesting to see what happens when all you do is watch portion sizes. Now I need to work on adding (and sticking to!!) exercise and being more careful about WHAT I eat. Baby steps.