Yesterday I was Santa Claus twice, complete with the whole outfit. I gave out presents to the children of our adult immigrant English as a Second Language students at the Saskatoon Open Door Society. One cute boy from Sudan, who had probably never seen anyone like Santa before, half covered his eyes in fear but stood very close to me because he knew he was going to get a gift. A beautiful girl from Afghanistan in a white dress looked like an angel when she sat on my knee. Another boy from Sudan started to walk away after receiving his present and then came back to hug me. It was a wonderful moment!

"Comedy is an escape, not from truth but from despair, a narrow escape into faith." - Christopher Fry

I agree with that quotation!

"God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December." - Italo Svevo

Last night David (Creelman), David (Norwood), Charles ("the vicar") and I drove through the Enchanted Forest Christmas lights display. I've seen it a few times before, but the sections featuring trees covered in thousand of small lights (a different color for different trees) always make me say, "Ooooh ahhhh"--without being sarcastic about it!

"Never assume the obvious is true." - William Safire

Some of William Safire's rules of writing:

"Remember to never split an infinitive.
The passive voice should never be used.
Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague."

"The lover knows much more about absolute good and universal beauty than the logician or theologian, unless the latter, too, be lovers in disguise." - George Santayana

"The need to write becomes as intrinsic as the need to breathe... It is as if the life lived has not been lived until it is set down in this unconscious sequence of words." - Edna O'Brien


Jane Austen earned less than 40 pounds from her novel "Emma" in her lifetime.

Last night I attended a wonderful annual event. Ron Knoll's Christmas party features carol singing--which is amazing because many of the guests belong to choirs or perform in musical theatre productions--and the host's talented accompaniment on a grand piano. Everyone brings gifts to give to Royal University Hospital's Pediatric Unit, so children who have to be in the hospital at Christmas time won't feel quite so bad. We get to eat great food, mingle with fun people, sing and help children at the same time. Thanks, Ron!