Today's pictures were all taken between 9:30 and 10:30

"They Know That Santa's On His Way"

FTLComm - Tisdale - Thursday, December 20, 2001

This morning I bought a Christmas tree. No big deal I realise but we have family tradition that goes back to 1973 when we lived in Weekes and each year since, when school classes ended, we would make our way into the forest and go Christmas tree hunting. One memorable year I remember driving around the streets of Regina looking for a place that sells Christmas trees on a Christmas Eve trying to find a tree, indeed that year was a disappointment. This year the logistics would not work out and I went to buy a tree. There were still four

trees to choose from and indeed the other three will not likely be sold as there is a reason why they are still for sale. As I drove away happy to have successfully completed the mission I pulled into 7-11 to pick up a cup of coffee and had to wait a moment before I got out of the car to finish the line "they know that Santa's on his way, he's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh, and every mother's child is going to spy to see if Reindeer really know how to fly,"

Clearly I have been infected, I have been contaminated with the Christmas spirit. You will remember reading on Monday that Jerry Crawford said he does not shop until Christmas Eve and I too share that tradition. I want Christmas to be special and I don't want it to be contrived lasting from Halloween to January. Christmas is a good time of

the year and I want to cherish it, devote myself entirely to it so that this year will match those other great years of Christmases past. On this twentieth day of December winter is here, in fact on the past two years 1999 and 2000 we

experienced storms on this date. But today it is -26ºC and the sun is shining. People are going about their business, hauling grain delivering farm machinery and patiently letting time move forward until the golden moments on the best day of the year. We truly celebrate Christmas, the gifts are just like the trimmings on the tree, a part of the scene, the main event is being together. Telling the old stories and adding new ones, enjoying a fine meal together, playing a game or two and seeing each other growing older. We will probably put up the tree on Sunday and it will be dismantled and out the door a day or two after the New year has come in. But the good feelings and sanctity of the day will have been preserved and we will stand ready to face another year.