We have had a fine old time back home for the holidays. With time to visit with friends and relatives, a chance to feel the cold and anticipate the coming warmth of our return to the boat, musical entertainment and relaxing moments at home, it has been very, very good. And I have finally managed to get caught up on blog postings – four going up tonight. Sorry about the wait – and then the deluge of words! I’ll make a try at photos next.

Jim and I were lucky enough to get last minute tickets to the Barra MacNeills Christmas concert where we listened and clapped and sang along with the lively Celtic music. What fine musicians they are! Mary Beth’s med school term ended and she was able to spend time decorating the tree that filled a corner of our living room and working with me at jigsaw puzzles on the coffee table. Our tree is always the same – fresh and natural, and loaded with the ornaments that we’ve been gathering over the years – tatted ones made by my grandmother, wooden ones made by my father, a huge assortment given to the children by my sister, some we’ve collected on our travels and even some created as school projects many years ago.

We lucked into a lobster feast in Sackville at Jim’s niece’s home with the Bissell side of the family before Christmas, and enjoyed a delicious roast pork dinner at my sister’s on Christmas day. Liam and Alex arrived from Ottawa late on the 25th so the Lusby crowd feasted on a turkey dinner at our house on Boxing Day. New Year’s Day saw a rather subdued crowd dining on a seafood casserole filled with lobster and scallops and shrimp. I say subdued because we were all up late the night before, and some of us partied hard!

Jim and I laughed with the girls as they got all dolled up in their finest party dresses (Mary Beth still says, ”If Dad doesn’t like my dress, I know it’s the right one!”), enjoyed a glass of champagne with our neighbour and then walked down to the Grand Parade for the outdoor party there. We were dressed in our woolies and had a wonderful time as part of the crowd listening to JP Cormier, Bruce Guthro and Lennie Gallant, along with a great backup band of talented Maritime performers. At midnight, confetti guns shot streamers over the crowd and fireworks erupted behind the stage, and both friends and strangers exchanged hugs and wished each other Happy New Year. It was a great show, and a fine way to bring in the new year.

And now, we have turned to our to-do lists for the return to Guatemala – new screens for the ports ordered, fender covers to be made, trail mix picked up, water filter delivered and an assortment of odd bits and pieces accumulating in a duffle bag. Mary Beth is back at work on an orthopedics rotation, Alex has returned to Ottawa and to work at Capital City Luggage, Liam is tying flies like crazy and says he’ll keep fish on the table during his 2 months with us on the boat.

We feel truly blessed. We are lucky enough to enjoy both Northern life on land and Southern life afloat these days – living fully and appreciating all that is. I read a quote from Winston Churchill the other day – “For myself, I am an optimist. It does not seem much use being anything else.” That suits me pretty well, and I will continue to view life that way. We adopted a suggestion from a Facebook friend for the New Year too – to think of 3 words that will shape our year to come. Among the words that appeared in Jim’s and my consciousness were delight, flexibility, expansion, peace, progress. They seem like good words to lead us into further experiences of appreciation and discovery and growth.

From s/v Madcap to you – may your year be filled with moments of wild excitement, peaceful relaxation, joyous successes and safe passage through the hard parts.