Happy New Year 2022!

Confederation Park, Ottawa ON

We walked around downtown Ottawa last evening to see the holiday light displays in our nation's capital city. Crowds were sparse on this holiday weekend and many tours have been cancelled due to the rapid spread of the Omicron Covid variant. This is the third December that Covid-19 has dominated world news and hopefully, 2022 will bring an end to the pandemic and its restrictions.

Steps to the War Memorial, Ottawa ON

In spite of the losses and inconveniences from the pandemic, there is no country I would rather live in than Canada. I am proud of our medical system and the provision of care to all who call this country home. While many complain about politics, our democratic government is one of the best in the world. 

Federal Parliament Buildings, Ottawa ON

The Parliament Buildings are undergoing a decade-long renovation project but the buildings (and cranes) were the screen for a light and music show that gave tribute to our nation.

Spark Street, one block south of the Parliament Building, had several booths and light installations that provided festive backgrounds for selfies and group photos.

The Centennial Flame burns at the entrance to Parliament and the fountain never freezes. I have hope that this coming year will be better than the last, and while life is not back to normal, we have much to be thankful for.

My touchstone word for 2022 is JOY.

Complaining is so commonplace, but there is joy to be found even in the most mundane moments.

A Joyful New Year to Everyone!!

 

God Rest You Merry!

Christmas music is comfortingly familiar and most people enjoy hearing the same tunes year after year. Many traditional carols are ancient, their history obscure, with words that are not common in our 21st-century vocabularies. I remember singing as a young child, "Hark Uncle Harold's angels sing..." because my uncle was more familiar to me than "herald angels", whatever they were.

Other common childhood lyrical errors include,

See the grazing mule before us (Deck the Halls)

Get dressed ye married gentlemen (God rest ye Merry, Gentlemen)

He rules the world with Ruth and Grace (Joy to the World)

When shepherds washed their socks (When shepherds watched their flocks)

Round John Virgin (Silent Night)

I know the correct words of Christmas carols now, but I was today-years-old when I noticed the placement of the comma in the song,

God rest ye merry, gentlemen

When this carol was first sung, perhaps in the 15th century, the word "rest" did not mean "to sleep or to relax" but it meant "to keep" or cause to continue, to remain. Wikipedia (a maligned but useful source) states, 

"The historic meaning of the phrase God rest you merry is may God grant you peace and happiness. The Oxford English Dictionary records the use of this phrase from 1534 onwards. It appears in Shakespeare's 1599 play As You Like It."   [William.  God rest you merry, sir.  Exit]

And this is my wish for family, friends and the world this Christmas Eve.

God rest you merry...

                   May God grant you peace and happiness...

                                        Ladies, gentlemen and children everywhere!

I love listening to British choirs at this time of year. Here is King's College Choir, Cambridge singing a stirring rendition of God Rest You Merry, Gentleman, with the correct grammatical form using "you" not "ye". The best carols and hymns connect the present and the past with beautiful music, timeless words, and meaningful tradition.

Lyrics of the first and last verses

God rest ye merry, gentlemen

Let nothing you dismay.

For Jesus Christ our Saviour

Was born on Christmas Day.

To save us all from Satan's pow'r

When we were gone astray.

O tidings of comfort and joy

Comfort and joy,

O tidings of comfort and joy

Now to the Lord sing praises,

All you within this place,

And with true love and brotherhood

Each other now embrace;

This holy tide of Christmas

All other doth efface.

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy.

Merry Christmas!

Advent 4: Immanuel, God With Us

Therefore Adonai himself

will give you people a sign:

the young woman will become pregnant,

bear a son and name him ‘Immanu El [God is with us]

Isaiah 7:14 (Complete Jewish Bible)

My search for culturally sensitive and diverse depictions of the nativity of Christ has been successful even though the images are few and far between. William Kurelek, who I introduced in my last post, wrote a story-art book called A Northern Nativity: Christmas Dreams of a Prairie Boy. (1976) It is not available in bookstores but I found a hardcover second edition on eBay for a very reasonable price and received it a couple of days ago. It is destined for inclusion in my personal library of favourite Christmas books!

Kurelek writes as his 12-year-old self and says, 

"William knew that Jesus was born to a Jewish family 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, but supposing, what if... he was born as an Eskimo* baby, an Indian* baby, a Black baby? What if he was born in a fisherman's hut, a railway freight car, a garage, a cowboy's farm, an abandoned shed?"

The artist went on to paint twenty pictures of the nativity, using Canadian locations from Newfoundland to British Columbia and the northern territories. Here are a few of the paintings. I photographed portions of complete pictures from my book. Quotes from the book are in italics.

(*The labels "Eskimo" and "Indian" have gone out of favour but I kept the author's wording in a historical way.)

Cattle country in Alberta and British Columbia

William, aged 12, peeks through a hole in the feeding stall in cattle country in Alberta and sees Mary with baby Jesus. He tries to tell the cowboys about them, but they do not see his vision. 

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  

Matthew 18:3-4

Country Mission at St. Benedict's Acres Farm, Cobermore, Ontario.

The sign above the door says

"Receive every visitor as Christ Himself"

Indian trapper's encampment in Northern Quebec.

"William doubts these people will accept the Christ Child. Many cruel things have been done to native peoples by men who had His name on their lips but not in their hearts. Will that be forgiven now? Then William realizes there is nothing to forgive, for the Holy Family standing at the door are Indians* just as the family inside."

Jesous Ahatonhia

Fish-drying hut near Port-aux-Basques, Newfoundland

"Boatloads of fishermen carry small gifts of fish as they kneel in adoration...

A deep-sea fisherman faces death each time he goes out to sea. Perhaps this is why he is more in tune than others with the Source of life."

Horse and buggy of Old Order Mennonites near Kitchener, Ontario

"An angel told Joseph to flee to a far country. They have been given a horse and buggy by a community of devout farming families. William called after them in panic, " Please don't go!"

They replied, "We will return one day when you are ready to receive Christ with undivided love."

Twenty years would pass, and William would grow to be a man, travel far, see many things and suffer much before he was ready for that promised day."

‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you?

Or thirsty and give you something to drink?

Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?

When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’“And the King will say,

‘I tell you the truth when you did it to one of the least of these,

my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!

Matthew 25:37-40

May we find Christ in unexpected places this Christmas.

William Kurelek, Canadian Artist Extraordinaire

Old Kitchener Gaol

When I imagined life after retirement, it included spending leisurely time at the public library, sipping a drink from the cafe whilst reading a book or browsing through the day's newspapers. Nothing happened as expected and our local libraries were closed for months due to the pandemic. My post-retirement contract job has lasted much longer than expected and life hasn't been full of leisure time.

The other thing I planned to do after I turned 65 was to enroll in a local program called Third Age Learning. Their website states that 
"TAL presents eclectic, continuing-education challenges for active, mature minds every fall and winter."

The current TAL lecture series is completely virtual and personal interaction is limited to Zoom discussions. I haven't enrolled yet.

Last week I finally spent a couple of hours in our beautiful downtown library which is now fully open. I sat at a window overlooking the old Kitchener Gaol and the reflection of the overhead lights on the window created an interesting picture. I selected a number of books about Canadian artist, William Kurelek, someone I knew nothing about, and planned my own Third Age Learning activity. 

Children's biography/art book- Highly recommended!

William Kurelek was born in 1927 in Alberta to Ukrainian-Canadian parents, the eldest of seven children. His family relocated to Manitoba in 1934 and they struggled with farming during the Great Depression. William suffered from his own depression and while he excelled at school, he suffered from anxiety and troubling hallucinations. His struggles are described in his autobiography, Someone With Me, and also in the children's book Breaking Free- The Story of William Kurelek by May Ebbit Cutler.  This is a quote from the description of the children's book.

"She (Cutler) simplifies his life story but doesn't shy away from Kurelek's painfully unhappy childhood, his difficult relationship with his father, the terrible depression he battled after leaving Canada to study painting in England, or his early death from cancer."

Kurelek suffered from eye pain for several years and when he sought treatment in England in 1955 for his depression, he discovered the pain was psychosomatic. It resolved completely once he understood the cause. He drew the self-portrait pictured here while he was receiving psychiatric care. 

At the time he was an atheist, but he greatly respected the friendship and faith of his occupational therapist, Margaret Smith, and eventually converted to Catholicism. Many of his paintings feature apocalyptic religious themes and he also completed an art book called The Passion of Christ According to St. Matthew. 

Kurelek returned to Canada and became a prolific and successful artist. He married Jean Andrews in 1962 and they had four children. He died prematurely of cancer at the age of 50. The Art Canada Institute website has an excellent biography and a list of his books. His art is exhibited at major galleries across Canada. His love for Canada is portrayed beautifully in his paintings and his artistic expressions of mental illness, faith and his passion for living are profound and moving.

I am happy to have access to a good library as many of Kurelek's books are out of print. I did manage to find one of his children's books on eBay for a reasonable price and will use some of the pictures in my next post.  

Front Line View of COVID-19- December 2021 Update

I started my part-time contract, post-retirement job 21 months ago on March 9, 2020, two days before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. It is hard to believe almost two years have passed!

The staff at our hospital decorated their respective units for the holidays. The Overflow Unit had several interesting displays including this holiday tree made of inflated gloves. The unit was opened to accommodate the surge of patients during the initial waves of COVID and it never closed. This is the reason my contract position, which was to expire in December 2020, has been extended several times. There still are many job vacancies in local hospitals, particularly in critical care units. 

This week we have three COVID-positive patients in the hospital. The numbers have been decreasing every week which is a big relief. Surgeries are getting back on track and clinics are gradually reopening to in-person assessments. 

COVID continues to impact staffing in other ways. Hospital workers cannot report to work if they or other household members have any COVID symptoms until they or the family member receive a negative test result. Most days we find out that at least one coworker cannot report to work because of a child having some type of respiratory symptom which usually is just an ordinary cold. Yesterday, over half the nurses on my unit called in sick for the day shift. It was a very busy day! 

My contract position will become a permanent part-time position in the next few weeks and I will have to decide whether to apply or just stay in the casual work pool. I don't want to take jobs from younger people, but I do love the work and having a purpose during this long pandemic. So far, we have not seen an increase in COVID cases due to the Omicron variant, and we are hopeful that this variant will cause mild symptoms only, particularly in vaccinated people. Christmas will be a critical time where the spread and severity of Omicron will be more obvious. 

A friend sent me a link about a special antimicrobial face mask that is being marketed. I commented that the best mask is one that is worn properly and consistently. A clean surgical mask or KN95 mask is all that is needed when out in public. I would imagine that most transmission of illness occurs when people are unmasked in groups or family units. We would be wise to take extra precautions this month while we mingle with different groups of people over the holidays.

I have one good news story about a COVID patient I wrote about six months ago today. I walked through the Airway Clinic two days ago and heard my name called. The patient, who went home using 15-25 litres per minute of oxygen, was there with a family member for outpatient testing. In June, I participated in an online assessment with the lung transplant team at Toronto General Hospital concerning this patient who had severe pulmonary scarring from COVID pneumonia. A lung transplant was offered but the patient and family asked for six months to decide if this is what they wanted. 

The patient has gained strength, is no longer frail, and is using supplemental oxygen at a flow of only 2 lpm. They will likely get off oxygen altogether. The patient and family are so grateful for the care received during the six-month hospitalization. The therapy team worked hard to mobilize the patient before discharge and success stories like this make our jobs worthwhile. This recovery also demonstrates how our bodies can heal, even after a devastating illness. I still have a couple of patients who remain bed-ridden with multiple medical issues months after contracting COVID-19. Their rehabilitation is progressing at a very slow pace but I hold out hope that they will improve too.

The blue glove tree is somewhat disconcerting to me. I don't know if the hands are reaching out begging for help, or if the inflated gloves represent the caring hands of staff who work with sick patients every day. Perhaps the hands are poised for applause because everyone I work with deserves applause for enduring this endless pandemic.

Tips for Healthy Ageing

After working a busy evening shift in PACU a few weeks ago, our daughter called and said, 

"Mom, don't stop riding your bike or eating your vegetables!"

Some of her patients were my age or younger and suffered from lifestyle-related health problems. My hospital has been very busy lately with non-COVID-related illnesses. Many people are admitted with preventable conditions. A staff member commented that most of our current patients were sick because of excessive eating, alcohol consumption, smoking or inactivity. COVID stressors have exacerbated some of these behaviours as people remain socially isolated and struggle with anxiety and depression. 

I enjoyed some treats today, knowing our diets do not need to be perfect all the time. I try to follow the advice of Dr. Michael Greger who wrote the book How Not to Die and founded the website NutritionFacts.org. He recommends the "Daily Dozen" for optimal health. I have the Daily Dozen app on my phone and keep track of my progress each day. I eat things that are not on this list but try to use these simple recommendations as a foundation for my meals. 

I worked on a dementia unit for 15 years before I retired from my full-time job. I sat through many family meetings where the doctor and psychologist would advise patients on ways to prevent worsening cognitive impairment. Some types of familial dementia are challenging to prevent and treat, but other types are amenable to lifestyle intervention.

Here are some positive actions that are brain protective. 

1. Drink caffeinated beverages. A recent study "found that people who drank 2–3 cups of coffee a day, 3–5 cups of tea a day, or 4–6 cups of tea and coffee a day had the lowest risk of dementia and stroke."

Yay! I can do this. (remember 1 cup of coffee = 6-8 oz) I have siblings who do not drink tea or coffee but perhaps it is not too late to start now.

2. Stay positive. Negative thinking, keeping grudges and resentment are linked to cognitive decline in people 55 years of age and older. (Here is a link to the research)

3. Protect your hearing. People with even mild hearing loss double their risk of developing cognitive impairment. Hearing aids are expensive but are worth the investment if they are needed.

4. Get enough good sleep. Sleep habits change as we get older and quality sleep is essential for a sharp mind. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk increases with age and should be treated as soon as possible. Try to maintain consistent activity and sleep times and deal with chronic pain that may interrupt a restful night.

5. Avoid anticholinergic drugs. Many drugs, including several over-the-counter medications, can block the actions of acetylcholine, a brain chemical important for cognition. OTC antihistamines, anti-nausea medications and some sleep aids are in this group of medications. For example, some people use drugs like Gravol on a long-term basis to help them sleep and this increases the risk of cognitive dysfunction.

6. Have a sense of purpose! No one wants to feel "shelved" as they get older. The need to contribute to society, to be part of a community, to have a reason to get up each morning is essential at any age. Retirement is a time to embrace new responsibilities, interests and opportunities. 

In spite of our best efforts, we cannot stop to effects of ageing forever. But we can determine to do everything in our power to age gracefully and maintain our health and cognitive abilities into our senior years. I read Psalm 103 every day as a reminder to "satisfy my mouth/life with good things so my youth is renewed."

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits:

Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,...

Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Squash Pancakes with Crispy Sage

Butternut squash pancakes with crispy sage

News reports this past week warn us of significant food price increases in the next year. I don't know how the experts determine the food costs for a family of four and whether they include packaged foods and restaurant meals. It is not hard to understand why this is happening with rising fuel costs, supply chain disruptions and ongoing pandemic-related repercussions. Rising food costs and shortages are nothing new. Canadians, along with people from other nations, adjusted creatively to war-time food rationing in the past century. 

We are very fortunate to live in an area with excellent markets, plenty of grocery stores that offer weekly specials, as well as easy access to local farms. I bought a half bushel of butternut squash last month for less than $10 at the market and we have enjoyed them in a number of recipes. I found a recipe on Smitten Kitchen for winter squash pancakes that looked simple and delicious, and they were! Every recipe on Smitten Kitchen is excellent. I have a lot of sage in the garden and it can be harvested until we have an extended hard freeze. I crisped the sage leaves in browned butter and used them to top the savoury pancakes. We have one "squash-hater" in the household, but these passed her taste test with flying colours. 

A warm 1st Sunday of Advent 2015

Each Advent Sunday we have a simple lunch and light the Advent candles. We make one Christmas treat each week for dessert. This week we had beef goulash soup with noodles for the meat-eaters and braised chickpeas for the others. We all enjoyed the pancakes as a side dish and had Grandma's Lemon Graham Wafer Squares for dessert. 

Squash Pancakes

1. Brown sage leaves in butter in a frying pan until they are crisp. Crumble to leaves and save them in a dish with the browned butter. (I browned about 20 leaves but I have access to a lot of sage)

2. Combine

• 1 cup roasted mashed squash
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream, yogurt, buttermilk or kefir

Add dry ingredients and mix well:

• 1 cup flour (whole wheat is fine)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt, pepper to taste

3. Fry the pancakes in a small amount of butter or oil 

4. Top each pancake with some crispy sage and a little browned butter. Enjoy!!

Grandma's Lemon Graham Wafer Squares (unbaked)

• Add the juice of 2-3 lemons to the contents of 1 tin of sweetened condensed milk. Add a little grated lemon rind for a zestier lemon flavour. The mixture will thicken after it is stirred well.
• Line the bottom of an 8x8 inch pan with graham crackers, breaking them as required to cover the entire area.
• Cover the crackers with half of the lemon-sweetened condensed milk mixture.
• Add another layer of graham crackers and top with remaining lemon-milk mixture
• Add another layer of graham crackers and top with a thin icing made of 1/2 c cup icing sugar, 1/2 tbsp of butter and a little milk. Add food colouring to the icing if desired.

Place the pan in the fridge overnight. Slice in small squares for serving. Store leftovers in the fridge.

Advent 3: Love

Our newborn grandson 2019                   Nativity (2008)  Erland Sibuea, Indonesia

Erland Sibuea (1967-2016) was an Indonesian artist and co-founder of the Balinese Christian Arts Association. His representation of the Nativity matches the love and wonder I felt as I held our grandson for the first time. The birth of each of our children and grandchildren has been a gift of love.

The familiar Bible verse, John 3:16 says, 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, 

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." 

Christ came to fulfill the law of the old covenant and to establish a new law of love;- an indwelling love for God and love for others. One verse of the popular Christmas hymn, O Holy Night says this so well.

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is Love and His gospel is Peace;
Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother,
And in his name, all oppression shall cease,
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we;
Let all within us praise his Holy name!

My friend sent me an email this week that included a poem by Christina Rossetti that was put to music by Gustav Holst. The last stanza of In the Bleak Midwinter says, 

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

Our response to God's love is to return that love and live the way Christ lived on earth, a life of love and service to others.

I found another Christina Rossetti poem that has also been put to music. Here are the words, and the video below contains a beautiful choral arrangement presented in a COVID-19 collaborative Zoom style. As we light the third Advent candle this day, may we accept the love of Christ and share it with others.

Christmastide

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and Angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love Incarnate, Love Divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,
Love be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.
Source: The Poetical Works of Christina Georgina Rossetti, 

with a Memoir and Notes by William Michael Rossetti (1904), page 159

A Bird in the Hand...

I occasionally volunteered as a scribe at the bird banding station at Ruthven Park near Caledonia a few years ago and learned a lot about the migration of local birds. Spring and fall were busy seasons as birds moved north or south through the region. Many passerines are colourful in the spring but lose their mating plumage before autumn. Male Scarlet Tanagers are a stunning red and black in the spring but are barely noticeable later in the year in their drab olive feathers. This pair of male breeding Scarlet Tanagers were retrieved from the mist nets and banded in the month of May. I held them briefly before they were released back to the wild. It would be unnatural for them to land on a human hand willingly.

Black-capped Chickadees are not as flashy as Tanagers but are commonly found year-round in urban spaces in Ontario. They are one of my favourite birds with their bubbly, outgoing personalities. It is easy to entice them to your hand for some seeds and they are guaranteed to brighten your dullest day with their trusting ways. 

They will land anywhere for food, including my husband's head. 

There are other birds that will come to your hand, particularly in the winter when they need more food to keep warm. This White-breasted Nuthatch dropped by unexpectedly while we were feeding Chickadees on a trail in Ottawa.

A female Downy Woodpecker landed on my hand several times as I stood by the Ottawa River. This is the only time a woodpecker has taken seeds from me this way as they are generally shyer than Chickadees.

We drove to Algonquin Park a few winters ago where the Canada Jays are very tame and willing to approach humans for any food at all. They are known to join a picnic lunch if there is a treat to be shared.

The old proverb says, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush", meaning it is better to hold on to what you have than to take unnecessary risks to pursue greater gains. While there are times to reach for your goals, contentment is a gift in itself. Pearl S. Buck is quoted as saying, "Many people lose the small joys in the hope for the big happiness."

I still enjoy birding and always look for an unusual bird that is not on my list. But it is a good day when a little Chickadee willingly lands on my hand with a cheerful chick-a-dee-dee-dee and accepts a gift of a sunflower seed. In this case, a bird in the hand is definitely better than two in the bush.

My Coming of Age Story

On January 31, 1965, our family was involved in a serious motor vehicle accident that for me, ended a carefree childhood and brought awareness of the risks that life can bring. 

December 1964- Getting a Christmas tree- This was our Ford Falcon that was in the crash

My 10th birthday was on Saturday, January 30, 1965. Mom allowed me to invite one friend for dinner and we had chocolate birthday cake for dessert. The next morning, we prepared to go to church as usual. I sat in the backseat of the Ford Falcon with three of my brothers, Mom held 3-month-old Stephen in her arms in the front passenger seat, and Dad was driving. The car was not equipped with seatbelts and was, from a safety standpoint, about as safe as a tin can. Old Cummer, a narrow, winding road at the end of our street in Toronto, was a shortcut to the major streets that we took to church. Dad noticed a car driving quickly toward us on the wrong side of the road and pulled over onto the shoulder of a curve and stopped. The oncoming car hit us head-on. I awoke to see Dad standing outside with his upper jaw smashed and bloody. Mom hit the windshield hard, shattering it and causing severe lacerations to her face and eyes. She was covered in blood. I remember ambulances, the hospital, and fear. My brothers and I suffered concussions and bruises, but were not seriously injured. Mom and Dad were hospitalized and had extensive surgeries for their injuries. I remember Grandma and various women from the church taking turn caring for the five of us at home. When Mom and Dad came home, their faces were almost unrecognizable. They were 33 years old and had scars that lasted a lifetime. 

Ontario did not have public health insurance until July 1, 1966. My parents were responsible for their medical bills and I know our extended family helped them in the short term. There was a court case and settlement five years later, but the financial insecurity in the interim was significant. Mom had surgery every year for the next five years, and her health was affected as a result of her injuries throughout her lifetime. Dad had facial reconstruction but suffered from chronic sinus infections for years. 

I had increased responsibility for the care of my two youngest brothers who were both under the age of two, not that I minded looking after them at all! I learned how to work in the kitchen and helped mom with cleaning and laundry. My life remained safe, secure and predictable as I went to school and spent time with friends and extended family. I became confident and more capable as my assistance was needed and appreciated in the household. 

High Park, Toronto, July 1965. Mom was still recovering from her facial injuries and eye damage.
Nathan, Aunt Joan, Philip, Sandra, Linda, Mark, Grandma, Stephen, Mom, Ruth

Mom and Dad changed. I recognize now how a head injury, chronic pain and financial worries took a toll on Dad's emotional health. He was more irritable and anxious, and as I entered adolescence, Dad and I had our conflicts. Dad suffered from untreated depression for many years. Mom also coped with chronic pain but became the negotiator for peace in the household. The last half of the 1960s was a time of great political and cultural change and the post-war Baby Boomer generation changed social norms very quickly. This caused my parents to become more strict with us at the time my oldest brother and I were teenagers. I am glad that I was allowed the freedom to choose my career path and my parents did encourage us to be independent. My younger brothers had very different experiences growing up than I did. I see "the accident" as a watershed event in our family that divided the siblings into two different sets of children.

My parents were resilient and stoic in their suffering, perhaps too stoic at times. Depression and anxiety were considered to be signs of weakness, and compassionate mental health care was uncommon. My family was loving, and my childhood did not include abuse or parental neglect, but I recognize how any adverse event can have a lasting impact on a family unit. I wish we had been able to discuss these things with Mom and Dad earlier. 

There is a theory that states that violence and unrest are cyclical with America experiencing social and racial upheaval every 50 years. The late 1960s and early 1970s were a time of violence and social change related to the Vietnam war and the Civil Rights movement. The Middle East was a hot mess and political assassinations were too common. The world has never been a place of peace. Fifty years later, protests against racial and gender inequality, systemic abuse and violence have escalated again. Children are coming of age in this generation when families are divided along political and ideological lines and fear and paranoia are rampant.

We cannot avoid all personal adverse events, nor can we control what is happening in the world. Our children are affected by our fears and insecurities and we must show them how to identify and overcome these emotions so they become resilient and functional adults. I enjoyed a relationship with my parents that grew in mutual respect and affection over the years, in spite of differences of opinion on some things. I can look back with compassion and understand why we had some conflicts. I am thankful for our supportive extended family who did all they could to help normalize our experience in a time of stress.

Postscript: Here is a comment from Aunt Ruth, Dad's youngest sister about that day, January 31, 1965.

"I shall NEVER forget that phone call!! We were notified on our way home from a weekend in the US …and headed straight to the hospital to see my unrecognizable brother and your Mom!! How they survived is a miracle in itself!"

Dad and I in 2012, Tepic, MX

Advent 2: Joyful Preparation

Mary meets Elizabeth- Luke 1- (Photo Credit: The Nativity Story, Newline, 2006)

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!

But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears,

the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Luke 1:42-45

The Christmas story is fraught with scandal and danger, yet the narrative is full of anticipation, joy and celebration. Family is an important part of our modern Christmas celebration, and family played an essential part in the nativity of Christ. Mary was in an unfortunate social situation, being pregnant before marriage. She sought the companionship of her relative, Elizabeth, who was also waiting in joyful expectation for the birth of her son, John. Luke records "The Song of Mary" which was an ancient Christian hymn based on the hymnology of pre-Christian Jewish worship. The Magnificat mirrors Hannah's Song in 1 Samuel 2:1-10, as well as the words of Psalm 113. 

And Mary said:

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;

For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed,

 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,

And holy is His name.

And His mercy is on those who fear Him

From generation to generation..."

Pregnancy is a time of waiting, preparation, and anticipation of the arrival of a child who represents future generations of the family. Sadly, not every child has the good fortune of being welcomed to the world with joy. Mary, in spite of difficult circumstances, looked to the future with faith and optimism, pondering and keeping in her heart the things she observed. 

Two of my favourite characters in the nativity story are Simeon and Anna who spent their lives in prayerful preparation as they waited for the promised Messiah. 

Latimore, Kelly. La presentación de Cristo en el templo, Art in the Christian Tradition, Vanderbilt U.

I love this Hispanic portrayal of Jesus' presentation at the temple. with Anna and Simeon joyfully bestowing their blessings on the baby when he was 40 days old. 

Christmas is a stressful time for some, with too many financial and social obligations, perhaps from efforts to create a perfect holiday. For others, it is a lonely time where accumulated losses bring feelings of grief rather than joy. I feel that we are increasingly robbed of joy these days as we are exposed to so much negativity in the media as well as the pressures of busy schedules. I remember the joyful anticipation of this season when I was a child, and see the wonder and happiness of Christmas on the faces of our grandchildren. With Christ as the focus, may we find the child-like faith that brings joy in our present circumstances, whether good or bad. 

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; 

may those who long for your saving help always say, 

“The LORD is great!” 

Psalm 70:4

Christmas Preparations 1962

L-R: Philip, Linda, Sandra, Nathan, Ruth in Grandma's dining room

 Grandma D kept a Christmas diary and each year she recorded what cards and gifts she sent and received, the menus of each special meal, and the names of the people who celebrated the season with the family. While the Christmas tree, fresh from the farm, never went up until a day or two before Christmas Day, other preparations started at the beginning of December. 

The menu on Christmas Eve was always Christmas beef with Grandma's fruity chili sauce, harvard beets, a jellied salad, to name a few items I remember. And of course, there were cookies and her Christmas cake which we still make every year. The Christmas beef was a big deal because the preparation of the large roast started at least three weeks before Christmas. Grandma kept the meat in her cold cellar in a big crock as it was cured. 

Here is the recipe in Grandma's handwriting. She ordered the 14-pound roast at the butcher shop two doors down from her house. When the three weeks of marinating were done, the meat was cooked in the oven, cooled, thinly sliced, and served cold. Spiced beef was a popular holiday treat in the British Isles, particularly in Ireland. I wouldn't be surprised if Newfoundland's Jigg's dinner has a linked history.

Mary Ann Griffin, Grandma D's great-grandmother, came to Canada from Ireland so the recipe was likely in the family for a few generations.
Rose Murray published a cookbook called Canadian Christmas Cooking and her recipe for Spiced Beef was almost the same as Grandma's, but her instruction is for a more reasonably sized five-pound roast. (Click on photos to enlarge them). I made this recipe once and it turned out satisfactorily. Today, it would be easier to go to the deli to find a similarly prepared beef cold cut. 

Other food preparations included rolled shortbreads cut into shapes and decorated with bits of candied cherries. Grandma made squares with graham wafers, sweetened condensed milk mixed with lemon juice and a thin icing. She also made an unbaked roll of graham cracker crumbs, sweetened condensed milk and marshmallows which were sliced before serving. She was a fan of graham flour which was very popular during her lifetime.

Christmas Eve 1962; We were allowed to open one present after dinner. Uncle Bill is on the right.

Grandma is kneeling behind me, helping Philip find a present. I am exactly the same age now as she was in this picture. Our brother Mark was born three months later, and our youngest brother Stephen arrived 18 months after Mark. Once again, Dad's excellent photos stored on Kodak slides have not deteriorated and scanned well into a digital format.  

I now know how much work Grandma and Mom put into these Christmas preparations. Mom sewed the aprons for my cousins, my oldest brother and myself. (Philip was 2-1/2 years old and just wore a bib).

And I am thankful for these joyful family memories of Christmases' past.

A Story for all Cultures

JESUS MAFA. The birth of Jesus with shepherds, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=48387 

I work with a diverse group of people at the hospital, many of whom have come to Canada from different countries around the world. At morning rounds this week, I took notice of the number of my coworkers who are people of colour. They came to Canada from Kenya, Eritrea, India, Central America, the Philippines, China, the Caribbean, to name a few countries. I looked for Christmas cards this year that reflected the multicultural makeup of our community and came up short. Nativity scenes invariably feature white faces and I found two troubling pictures of black Magi bowing to a white baby Jesus. I have been thinking a lot about how people of colour internalize these kinds of white images in religious art and classic Bible storybooks. 

"The Life of Jesus Mafa" is a set of 63 pictures from the life and teaching of Jesus, viewed by the artist as if the events had taken place in a village in Cameroon. (source) The pictures are archived at the Vanderbilt University website. I love the life and beauty represented in this collection and can imagine how the people of this culture could identify with these Bible story pictures.  

I have a book by Kenneth E. Bailey called Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes. People read scripture from their own cultural context and the author explains aspects of Middle Eastern culture that cast a different light on scriptural interpretation. His discussion on the birth of Jesus is particularly interesting and the story is quite different from our familiar nativity scenes and stories that combine legend and fact. This article summarizes some of his key points. 

So I continue to look for culturally diverse Christmas art pieces that are more appropriate to share with people like my coworkers. I am trying to imagine myself as a person from a non-white culture as I meditate on the Advent scriptures and readings this month. It is good to challenge our familiar perceptions and look at the Christmas story from another viewpoint.

JESUS MAFA. The Annunciation - Gabriel and Mary, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=48278