We had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Luna and Janus, and Terra and Lares shared a Christmas Eve dinner with us, around our table. The evening was magical in its simplicity.

The last day of a very good year has arrived. As I reflect upon the past year, many events and issues vie for my attention. Balance lies in weaving the thread of good into the fabric of the unpleasant and often downright miserable context of the surrounding "world". The sensational aspects of the constructed reality, provided by the media, can leave little doubt as to the extent of misery in the world. The oh-so-few, feel-good human interest stories fail to portray the extent of "ho-hum", which is where all the good seems to invisibly accumulate. As I see it, if we are very lucky, we live in the "ho-hum".

Here is a collage of my fleeting thoughts on the year 2003.

•Recently, and I am not sure if this is a trend or a blip, I have been full of whimsy, full to overflowing. For instance, a few days ago as I was preparing to step into the shower, I began to consider leaving my glasses on. Would they emerge clean and spotless, I wondered? The unusual part about this is not the fact that I was thinking about leaving my glasses on while I showered. Those sorts of thoughts follow me about constantly, nipping at my heels and toes. No, the unusual factor here is that the thought, leaving my glasses on, was genuinely under consideration. In the end, the glasses were removed and set upon the vanity. The whimsy factor seems to be weaving itself into my corporeal experience.

•Watching a prime time television commercial, I observed the following sequence of events, three times over the course of less than a minute. A violent punch (or kick), immediately and respectively followed by a kiss, a close-up view of almost naked female breasts, and a female disrobing to reveal "sexy" underclothing. These linked images sink unprocessed into the subliminal inner-world of viewers; many of whom are children.

•Living in affluent Canada, I have been wondering why so many people here are angry when others fail to meet their expectations. Why are the expectations of so many people so difficult to fulfill?

•Condescension is not a form of respect, nor does it lend itself to balanced social interaction.

•I eat pie, therefore I am bigger.

•My humour is so dry and convoluted that sometimes it takes me days to realize I have played a practical joke on myself.

•Occasionally our government spends our money wisely. It is a rare event, in my opinion, and therefore worthy of mention. The National Film Board of Canada supported the production of "Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner". The film was not produced in 2003; it came to me in 2003. The film represents a modern re-creation of a legend based on re-appropriated cultural symbols and practices. I respect the effort and integrity that went into its creation. Rather than regarding this as "the last word" on the Inuit culture, it seems to me the "the first word". It is the representation of what has been lost to progress; and the subsequent efforts to restore diversity and health to a human community. The production company has produced other works that I have not viewed, so it is not their first word, it is just the first word of theirs that I have heard. The film slowly drew me towards another way of looking at things. It affirmed my belief that cultural constructions are made up of people. For additional information on traditional Inuit culture, consult Canada’s museums, such as the Royal Ontario Museum.

•"There were an awful lot of withering looks down at the Trostre retail park, too. I suspect that the venom is caused by people being cooped up indoors with their loved ones for the past few days, and the reason they were promenading was more to do with a desperate need to get out of the house than with a desire to go shopping. They wander wearily between the stores, oozing discontent and seething with an unsatisfied and unsatisfiable longing to kill someone. Rather like the zombies in 'Night of the Living Dead' or some such dreary movie. Families are fun at Christmas, or so it would seem. " John Bailey, December 30, 2003
[Families can be about love, unfortunately they can also be about possession and dominance. The result of contact will depend on the proportions with which these ingredients are mixed. John's observations seem to be echoed by my own experiences yesterday. Perhaps, in many cases, the recipes need some adjustment.]

•"You have more going for you than you imagine, so chin up and chest out." My horoscope for today. While I can get the chin thing going, the chest suggestion is beyond my ability! It seems I have a speech impediment when it comes to body language.

•And finally, another observation of my own.

Domesticated animals are the most tolerant and adaptable beings on the planet.

I propose a toast to Mist the cat, and all other worthy creatures in captivity.