I was sweeping the car port today, for the first time ever in January, when I thought, “God, I’m turning into one of those obsessive compulsive types…” Then I thought, ‘It’s too late.’ The thing is, I love getting rid of stuff. It’s become an obsession. And it occurred to me today when I was sweeping that what I really want to be in 2008 is the guy who has the most and the least. The exciting thing is, it’s totally within my grasp. The happiest times in my life have been those when I had the least stuff: 1) at the cabin when it was just built, 2) in…

At 1AM this morning I was doing a very bad karaoke duet of Macho Man with my colleague Suzanne at The Navy Club on Victoria Island. It was the Porchlight Christmas Party. Seven hours later I was pinning a Palestinian head scarf onto my seven year old as he scrambled to the stage in the inn keeper chorus during the annual Christmas pageant at Rideau Park United Church. Simon joined him later as a wee shepherd among the 30-odd kids who were part of the program (including two to made up a lumbering camel). It was an awesome concert. Simon’s line was “Wow, angels!” Today was my happiest day of…

It’s cold in PEI. -20C last night, which makes it about as cold as it gets here. The taps are left dripping a bit, and the bales of straw are doing the trick. The water’s still on. And this means I get to soak in my claw foot tub in the bath house, a quick run in bath robe and slippers through the snowbanks from the cabin. It’s worth the exposure. Jasper and I are nestled in.

“Isn’t it incredible?” she said, “Two of the passions of my life in one.” Cheese spreaders with snow-globe handles. It’s good to be loved.

Two days to go. The kids can hardly sleep. In 48 hours I should be damping down the wood stove for the night, carrying some sweaty kids into the loft for a deep Walden snooze under a snow-covered skylight. (The stove quickly turns the little winter cabin into a hothouse). We’ll be tired. Tonight Mom and Rod called from Summerside to report that PEI was socked in today with 30 cm of snow. That means that my little driveway that snakes through the maples from the road past the spring to the cabin will be drifted over. I’m bringing snow shoes for Jasper and we’ll pick up a cheap sled…

It’s the holiday season again. People who know me know that I’m most in the Christmas Spirit in November. It wanes as December 25 approaches. Might have something to do with the pressure or shopping, overeating, darkness. It’s three weeks to Christmas Eve and there’s too much snow on the bushes to put up the lights and I’ve only bought a few gifts. At the risk of destroying my credibility as an environmentalist, I’m thinking seriously of having an “Old Fashioned Christmas” by replacing some CFLs with 60-watters. We can all gather around the warm yellowy glow of yesteryear as we read the revised report from the IPCC. Comfort and…