I’m sitting in the KLM lounge at Pearson sipping on a glass of Prosecco – it is necessary to put myself in an Italian frame of mind after all. The weather outside is a bit grey, blustery and cold -10 c. which I am entirely happy to be leaving.

These past 6 weeks have gone really quickly. Christmas was upon me before I could blink with all the house guests, good food, good wine and reconnecting with friends and family I could wish for. I love Christmas, I love the anticipation – not of gifts but of the warmth of embracing those I love. The dance of preparing meals with my sister and good friends; orchestrating the symphony of a major dinner. The delicate negotiations when everyone wants to bring a dish (thank you!) – and needs kitchen/oven time. The intimacy of a small feast with those closest and dearest. The smell of a pine tree as you descend the stairs in the morning; the tranquility of that brief pause at the end of the day to admire the glow of the lights before putting the tree and yourself to bed.  The sense of time’s inexorable passing, marked in annual rites.

There are downsides of course; the passing of time means my Dad is more and more frail – this will be the last Christmas where he is away from home – its just too confusing and tiring. My son is firmly established out west and so Christmas will require travel adjustments to include him – even though he isn’t much of a Christmas fan. There are others who are no longer part of the circle; Mom passed away two years ago, and others have moved away or no longer spend the holidays in Canada (which I really get). Life changes….

The past couple of weeks have been a lovely round of lunches and dinners with friends I haven’t seen in a couple of months, others I won’t see again for another couple of months and so I will be living on lentils in Rome. All that avoirdupois I managed to shed in India – I regained with a vengeance in Toronto!