"There's no place like home for the holidays..."

Hello from Waterloo Ontario! I arrived  Dec.21 and will head back to Tanzania January 8. It has been an excellent few days so far.

 I had a 5-hour layover in Amsterdam on my way home and was able to go on a bus tour of the city. Pictures to follow when one of my tour-mates emails them to me! Enjoyed seeing the sights and am looking to spending a few days there on my way home next June.

My flight got in to Toronto right on time, and I was happily met by Brian. After about an hour in an airport coffee shop catching up (I think we were both talking at the same time most of the time) Marlee's flight from LA arrived. The three of us, being hungry by that time, headed out to an Indian restaurant near the airport and then back to the airport to meet Brian's sister Kate, whose flight also was right on time. Everything went so smoothly! And how wonderful to be all together! We arrived home mid-evening and I was struck by how beautiful the house is... thanks to Brian's wonderful decorating.

The next day I took care of some important details like getting a haircut (had a great time driving to New Hamburg in my little blue car!), straightening out some banking issues, opening (and recycling) a huge pile of mail, and buying party food. And last night we had a wonderful party at our house: the 20111 installment of "Merriment and Mayhem at 45 Young St. East." A great time was had by all! So good to see so many dear friends. I am grateful for the abundance of love in my life.

I'll leave you with a quote from Dickens' Christmas Carol and some pictures...

"But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that -- as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, 'God bless it!'" (Scrooge's nephew in Dickens' Christmas Carol)