Post-solstice...pre-Christmas

So we're beyond the winter solstice. The nights are drawing out. Unnoticeable at first (unless you check the sunset times obsessively like...ahem...some people do) just a minute or so a day. But going the other way...getting lighter. Yes!

Did some last minute Christmas shopping yesterday. All my shopping is last minute. But more than that I had a day to peruse Granville island and then hang out with my sister. Mark is officially off-work until the new year and so I had a bit of freedom. Granville Island was strangely quiet in the morning. I was able to stroll around and leisurely explore the covered market, stopping now and then to admire the work of local artists and craftspeople. No food shopping, we did that today. I even managed to buy a snack (no line-up) and find some time to sit and eat and do a bit of people-watching. Of course, the peace was shattered by the soaring notes of the ubiquitous Peruvian/Andean flute player (with the oh so "traditional" amplifier and backing track) putting my teeth on edge and introducing the element of total despair to my otherwise happy morning. There are two instruments that I would gladly see banished forever, the Peruvian flute and the bongo drum. In fact, if I were to build a huge fire I would start it going with a whole bunch of dry, woody flute/pipes, and then get the whole thing blazing by adding a ton of bongo drums...the instrument from hell. Only played, or so it would seem, by rhythmically challenged people. Actually, the bongo drum is worse because the only skill a person needs to make a noise is to hit it repeatedly. Which is what I often feel like doing to the person playing it. More skill is require to play the Peruvian instrument of torture. Oops, I'm not being very Christmassy...sorry.

So we looked around Granville island and then took a stroll down Main street (I very seldom get to Main street, being a west-side dweller who rarely travels east). I forget how interesting some of the small stores are on Main. Then we headed west and ate a late lunch at Burgoo...the best place in town for comfort food.

So we're basically all ready to celebrate. Bronwyn and her friend Nicky have made "Gingerbread" houses (using Graham crackers...to the uk they are just plain biscuits). They made their own designs, which was fun. Bronwyn included a kennel and dog toys.

Nicky made a cool garden with stepping stones and scattered the roof with "dead" jellybeans. Such a boy!