Last night Attila got out the ladder and brought down the boxes filled with Christmas decorations. Then he proceeded to trim our Christmas tree. This is a quick job, since our tree is very sparse. It is beautiful!

Note that no baubles have been hung on the lower branches; Mist can not be trusted! Every morning she does her "crazy cat" routine, racing at top speed from room to room, making a daring hairpin turn right under the tree. At other times we will find her lurking behind the lower branches, watching us as befits a great feline hunter.

We have been there and back again. To town that is, and to WalMart and to Canadian Tire and to Dollarama. We bought a few food staples at WalMart, like coffee and cheese. We bought a Crock Pot that was on sale for half price at Canadian Tire. And we bought treats at the dollar store, careful to choose products that were made in Canada by companies we know and trust, well, kind of trust.

The day was sunny and the scenery on the drive there and back again was beautiful. The last leg of our journey was just at dusk. The tops of the snowbanks were brightly lit, while the rest of the landscape had fallen into shadow.

The house was cozy and warm when we got back from our little trip. So cozy in fact, that Mist had slept right through our absence and woke up to find us returned, without realizing we had been away.

The Crock Pot is in the way of a Christmas present to ourselves. It was placed under the tree as soon as we came in from the car when we got home.

We have been using our present cooker for more than 12 years, and it is beginning to show signs of wear. It might last for another 12 years. Then again it might not last the winter; one can never tell. Considering the price we paid for the new one, we felt it prudent to purchase it sooner rather than later, when the price might not be so much to our liking.

I haven't been sleeping well the last few nights. There is nothing so wonderful as a good night's sleep. I have to wait this out though, it is a restlessness that comes and goes.

It has been so cold at night that the temperature downstairs has dropped to below 5 C. This is far too close to freezing for comfort, as far as I am concerned, the plumbing could be at risk. As I write Attila is building a fire in the little wood stove in the basement, that should heat it right up!