I just found a small stack of Christmachannikwanzayule cards I didn't send out in time, so in case you're wondering about yours I give you belated wishes for a happy holiday season filled with fine friends, food, and whatever beverage you're into as well as an adventurous and prosperous new year. (In case you were wondering, our holidays were delightful - grand visits with inlaws, outlaws and fabulous friends) I also give you the two things that went out with this years cards (on 100% post consumer paper): the standard holiday report and an enviro booklet. Yes, we saw "An Inconvieniant Truth" this year. Yes, we freaked out but hopefully in a productive direction. Anywho, be safe and well and know you're loved. Here's the thing:

Ye Olde Holiday Report ~ December 2006
Hello beautifuls - What ever seasonal thingy you celebrate, be it spiritual, traditional, general commerce or something else entirely, we wish you good and groovy vibes.
2006 has been amazing. I got published for the first time this year, “Mythspring”* (see “shameless plug” section), an anthology populated by some of the best authors in speculative fiction and finest stories I’ve ever read - it’s an honour to be in such good company. On the wedding front I got to meet one of the best photographers ever, Roel*, at a wedding early on. There were adventures this year, some beautiful couples, some great locations, and a rise in what I’ve started to call Ambush Weddings - guests are invited to a formal or semi formal event like a birthday or engagement party and surprise! It’s actually the wedding. Advice from this year: when booking, remember that the unheated historic site viewed in August will be different in mid November. I’ve since got a parka.
In the studio, fabulous husband ascertained that while the market for a recording studio has been narrow, a slightly broader facility would give more options. So, with no small measure of exhilaration we took the plunge and expanded to video as well. And it does seem, in a rather short time, that everyone has an idea for a film project.
One of the sad things about this year has been the final passing of our geriatric diabetic cat, Cat. She died before, around this time last year but through the help super emergency vets and Visa we were able to bring her back for eight more happy months. After about five weeks without her, we picked out a new friend from the Humane Society. They do great and necessary work there, but I confess it was a little strange to be interviewed on our pet ownership candidacy by Becki, in her camouflage and pink ribbons, looking maybe 14. She would carefully ask an obvious trick question (how hard should you hit a cat when they scratch the sofa), then pause in her gum chewing to peer over the clip board and gauge our response, pen poised to record the deciding checkmark. We passed, handed over a donation and collected Lt. Ripley: young, healthy, affectionate and calico so she has a colour of hair to stand out against everything we own.
We’ve been working like maniacs other than that. Celebrated our 10th anniversary this year, and in keeping with 10 years being tin had a small kegger. Christmas shopping is a little harder. Previously I’d gone to a few employee book sales and be done with it – nothing is easier to wrap than a book. This year we’ve actually been going into stores. It’s sort of overwhelming so you know what we got for you? In honour of everyone on this list we’ve made four donations - to a literacy group, a food bank, a child welfare group and an animal shelter. Karmic brownie points, fresh from the oven, go ahead and trade them in for something naughty. :-)
We hope you are well. We hope you are content in your life and work and feel loved. We hope you are as healthy as you can be. We hope that 2006 wraps up with pleasing adventures, and that 2007 brings you illumination and joy. May the road rise up to meet you and the wind be at your back, all of that.
Love, Wedding Officiant, Composer and Worlds Most Photographed Cat

Shameless Plug Portion
Mythspring ~ From the Lyrics and Legends of Canada, Edited by Julie E. Czerneda and Genevieve Kierans, Published by Red Deer Press 2006 Trade. $26.00 ISBN 0-889995-340-6
An array of authors such as Charles de Lint, Tanya Huff and me. Beautiful design, compelling and weirdly patriotic stories, dead simple to wrap. Available at most bookstores and online at Indigo.ca and Amazon.

Roël Dixon-Mahatoo ~ It is estimated that by 2010, over 25 million African children will be orphaned by AIDS. Africa Book will be available in January 2007, run of only 1,000 copies. ALL profits are going to Foster Parents Plan, directed to African projects that help children impacted by AIDS. $ 49.99 plus taxes and shipping, pre-order online or call 416.618.7957 (GTA) or 1.888.301.0829 (toll free) Visa, Discover, MC, AMEX and Paypal are all accepted. The Canadian government will match all donation $’s. Roel has a gift for using light and composition to tell a story or invite you on a trip – these photo’s truly show the power and beauty of Africa.
Timothy Harper ~ Lyrically strong (and driven by a powerful musical dexterity, he also has one of the nicest male voices I’ve ever heard. Recorded and mixed here in the studio. He built the harp he plays, he’s just that cool. CD’s are available here: Timothy's Website

Angel-Cookies: These go in about .5 seconds around here, and the recipe is courtesy of Angel.
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups of flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup of butter
1 1/2 cups of white sugar
1 egg
4 tbs. vanilla extract
Cinnamon
Ginger
Clove
Allspice
Molasses
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add cinnamon, ginger, clove and allspice as desired until mixture turns light brown. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter until smooth. Beat in egg, and as much or as little molasses as desired (more is better, I usually add about 3-4 ‘glub-glubs’ - swirling the molasses around the bowl in a circle). Add vanilla.
4. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients.
5. Roll dough into rounded balls as big or little as desired. Roll balls in granulated sugar.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes. ~ Voila! Mmm!

Diabetic Cookies:Totally sugarless yet tasty, courtesy of the internet.
Ingredients:
1 c. flour
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. allspice
1/2 c. nuts
1 c. quick oats
1 c. raisins (optional)
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients and add remaining ingredients to moisten.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet.
4. Bake 375 degrees for 12 minutes.
5. Dough will be thin. 2 cookies per serving. Calories per serving = 84. Diabetic exchange = 1 bread, 1 fat.

Recipes for Change
Introduction:
The information that follows is taken from a booklet printed by the Urban Environment Centre in Toronto, Bullfrog Power website and the liner notes from “An Inconvenient Truth”, completely without consent. For the recipes (as with all new cleaning products), use a little at first to determine that the mixture is right for your materials – for example, sample the wood cleaner on the inside leg of a table to see how the finish reacts to it.
There are also products on the market that are less harmful to the environment. Read labeling carefully to determine that it’s not using the words “green” or “eco” as a marketing hook. Evaluate the products you buy to determine they are:
Non-aérosol ~ Non corrosive ~ Non-toxic ~ Non-poisonous ~ Phosphate free ~ All purpose ~ Minimally packaged ~ Re-usable (cleaning cloths, dusters, mops and brooms)
There are a lot of possibly harmful things commonly used in cleaners. Phenol (floor polishes) is a likely carcinogen. Ammonia (silver polish, other products) can burn skin. Phosphates (laundry, dish cleaners) promote algae growth and disrupt eco systems. Lye can burn through skin or kill if swallowed. Enzymes may pose problems for asthmatic or allergic people. This is just what we know. The combinations of substances may react in new ways in our homes than they ever had the opportunity to do in a laboratory setting. The air quality in our homes is said to be more polluted than outside, and how we clean is a big part of it. Given that in Toronto the summer air is normally a visibly enchanting mauve, it’s a disturbing to think of our living rooms in viable competition for airborne contaminants. In addition, cleansers poured down the drain affect our environment, lakes, rivers and eventually drinking water. By trying out even a few changes, we can make a huge impact on our living environment and our quality of life.
Non-Toxic Ingredients: These items should be available in bulk and health food stores. If they are not available in your supermarket, ask for them. Although less harmful to the environment, these cleaning ingredients are still a potential hazard to young children – keep them out of reach and safe.
Baking Soda
White Vinegar
Olive Oil
Soap Flakes
Corn Starch
Salt
Lemon Juice
Washing Soda
Borax
Steel Wool
Aluminum foil
A pumice stone
Old toothbrushes, rags and newspaper (save on paper towel!)
Rubber gloves to protect hands – all natural can still be a skin irritant.
General Cleaners:
Clogged drains: ¼ cup baking soda, ½ cup vinegar, wait for fizzing and then flush with boiling water. Repeat to deodorize
Dishwashing: Soap flakes and warm water (lemon to cut grease)
Disinfectant: ½ cup Borax, 4 L warm water
Glass Cleaner: equal parts white vinegar and warm water.
Mold and Mildew: vinegar and toothbrush or scrub with baking soda.
Spills and Stains: Baking soda and soda water.
All purpose cleaner: ¼ cup washing soda dissolved in 1 L warm water. Godo for floors, walls and other surfaces. Add a dash of Borax when used as a toilet cleaner.
Oven Cleaners: Baking soda and warm water, 1tbsp each and steel wool.
OR 2 tbsp of liquid dish soap, 2 tsp borax, warm water to thin. Mix in a spray bottle, spray and leave on for 20 min. Scrub with steel wool. A pumice stone will help with tough grime.
Kettle Descaler: 1prt vinegar 2 prts water, boil and rinse kettle.
Carpets:
Stain remover: ¼ cup borax, 2 cups cold water.
Deodoriser: cover floor with baking soda (like snow), leave on for at least an hour and vacuum.
Air Fresheners: ½ cup borax in bottom of a garbage can. AND/OR Natural scents – lavender, peppermint, flowers AND/OR Dish of vinegar left out will remove smoke odors from a room AND/OR Open box of baking soda in a refrigerator will reduce odors.
Laundry:
Grease remover: damp clothe dipped in borax.
Washing powder: 5 cups pure soap flakes, 1 cup washing soda. ¼ cup per load.
Fabric Softener: ½ cup baking soda used in final rinse.
Whitener: ½ cup borax
Starch: 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 cup water, mix in spray bottle.
Polishes:
Silver Cleaner: a jar of warm water, a tbsp salt, tbsp baking soda. A small piece of aluminum foil. Soak silver in solution until shiny. Wipe.
Metal Cleaner: Rub surface with damp cloth, with vinegar and baking soda. Buff.
Shoe Polish: use walnut or olive oil in place of polish and buff.
Wood polish: 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp white vinegar.
What the heck is the Kyoto Protocol: "An agreement of industrialized countries to reduce collective emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2% compared to the year 1990, and therefore address global warming.”
Full text: Kyoto Protocol
Reducing Carbon Impact
Reduce the number of miles you drive Avoiding 10 miles of driving every week save 500 pounds of carbon dioxide /year. Start a carpool Sharing a ride with someone 2 days a week will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds /year. Keep your car tuned up helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. When 1% of owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere. Check your tires weekly Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl) CFLs use 60% less energy. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. If the light looks weird to you pick the lowest K you can find - the lower the K number, the closer to incandecent in temperature. Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide / year. Clean/replace filters on your furnace & air conditioner. Cleaning an air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Insulate your hot water heater Prevent costly heat loss by adding an insulating cover to your hot water heater, saving you up to 15% on your water heating costs. Seal cracks and gaps around windows and Home heating is the single largest energy draw in your home. Install a programmable thermostat Sleeping in a cooler house is much more comfortable – for you and your pocketbook. In summer, rather than cranking the air conditioning on hot days, install a ceiling fan to cool you off.Install motion detectors Motion detectors are easy solutions for reducing unnecessary lighting.
3 R’s Revisited, plus 1
Reduce: Everything comes from somewhere, everything has always been something. By refilling a travel mug, we are keeping a cup out of landfill and a tree up in a forest. By refusing impulse new purchases, we are saving money, packaging, and space in our homes. By eating locally grown food, we’re keeping the carbon impact of food travel out of the world and supporting local farmers.
Reuse: By reusing items and/or investing in items that can be reused, mountains (figurative and literal) are kept out of landfill and over time, you save money. By purchasing used items you’re doing the same.
Recycle: The plastic in your blue bin becomes a bench for people to rest on. The paper you recycle becomes the paper in this booklet. Look for products with recycled content and support the circle.
And - Rethink. Are plastic corks better for the environment by saving trees, or is cork a renewable substance using only part of a tree and sustaining a way of farm life? Look it up, find out about it, and consider where you personally stand. Marketers are after your mind – arm yourself with information.
Resources:
If you’re not in Toronto, look for like minded agencies where you are.
Toxic Taxi: They will come to your home and pick up paint, cleaners, batteries and such that shouldn’t go to landfill. Call them at 416-392-4330 to arrange pick up.
Clothes line: in support of the Canadian Diabetes Association, they will pick up clothes and small reusable household goods. Please call 1-800-505-5525 to find out more and to get on the pick up schedule for your area.
ReStore: if you’re renovating or upgrading, consider these guys. First, the offer deconstruction services if the stuff you're ripping out can be resold. Also, used and new sinks, lights, cabinets and whatever else are sold to the public for a fraction of their retail cost to support the administrative costs of running Habitat for Humanity. Save money, keep products out of landfill. To find a local ReStore contact henrypauls@habitat.ca
Toronto-East ReStore - David Winn - Manager
29 Bermondsey Road Toronto, ON M4B 1Z7
Tel: (416) 755-8023
Email: dwinn@torontohabitat.on.ca
Bullfrog Power - honestly, looking up carbon reduction tips was the first I’d heard of them but how cool does this sound? They’re the first 100% green electricity retailer in Ontario. Bullfrog Power buys power exclusively from wind and low-impact hydro generators who meet or exceed the federal government's Environmental Choice Program EcoLogo standard for renewable electricity. To find out more visit them at:
Bullfrog Power

Postcard Story Competition
$500.00 Prize

What is a Postcard Story?
It can be anything; a memory, part of a longer story, an anecdote or even an experimentation. The form lends itself well to dramatic images and sharp ideas. It is a blend of prose and verse that is conscious of sound and playful with language.
This competition is open to all Canadian citizens and landed immigrants. Original and unpublished (English language) fiction or nonfiction.

Word limit: 250
Deadline: Postmarked February 14, 2007
Entry Fee: $5

How to Submit Entries:
-Typed or computer-printed, double-spaced and numbered on 8.5 x 11 paper, not stapled.
-Submissions on computer disk or faxes will not be accepted.
-Include a separate cover letter with title of story, full name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and number of pages of entry. The author's name should not appear on the actual entry.
-Make cheque or money order payable to The Writers' Union of Canada. Multiple entries can be submitted together and fees can be added and paid with one cheque or money order.
-Results will be posted at www.writersunion.ca. Manuscripts will not be returned.
-Mail to PCS Competition, 90 Richmond Street East, Suite 200, Toronto, ON M5C 1P1.

"THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the ‘6 weird things about you.’ People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments and tell them to read your blog.”

1. I hate toe cleavage - that’s the small crack between two toes that is revealed by a low cut pump. It strikes me as trashy and insecure, and the most disgusting part of the human anatomy. That said, I love toes. Perhaps too much.

2. I love the shape of my husbands teeth - the line of them changes but is symmetrical, and this pleases me to see.

3. I'm afraid of the dark, gun fire, natural bodies of water, clear sky's and exposed light bulbs. Actually not afraid of the light bulb part, falls more under toe cleavage disgust.

4. I buy things used because it pleases me to save money and keep things out of landfill and still in use, but also because I worry about worker/environmental conditions where things are made and part of me believes that buying from charity thrift stores ethically cleanses items for use. Sort of a karmic laundry service. I'm not sure that this makes any sense.

5. I have never believed in Santa. I quite passionately believed in the Easter bunny for some time though, based on a very early viewing of the classic movie "Harvey" which seemed reasonable and (to a four year old) based in science.

6. I was once deeply in love, for over a year as a teenager, with someone I saw on a bus once. I only remember their eyes.

Tagged: I pick in no particular order most of the rest of the people I know who blog: Veronica, Maja, Greg, Angel, Anneke, Tish.

December 10th, a third of the way through. Is my shopping done? No. Am I giving up on most of it, making donations to charitable agencies and giving people karmic brownie points for the seasonal festivity of their choice to trade in for valuable crimes? Hell yes. Because from this point until January 5th malls are evil, and there's only so many gifts one can find at the army surplus store, despite fabulous husbands conviction.
The reason for the post however, is that I'm publicly admitting I did not win NaNoWriMo. Again. Of the 982,564,701 total word count collected by this grand and glorious institution, only about 32k were min, far under the 50k which makes a novel. I do have a good start and would like to finish the damn thing by my birthday. It's about big foot. Sort of. It seems funny so far.
So no so much on the sense of achievement front: no shopping done, no novel written, no idea why I should put those on the same level. I do however have one thing to be proud of from the month of November, one shining fabulously groovy thing that I've always wanted to do and now have, the Everest of my adult life. I bought my mama new teeth. So November wasn't a total bust.

Thanks for the tips on how to have a poinsetta and Ripley, but I think I'll stick with my everyday cat rather than my seasonal plant. Of course...if someone out there wanted to take a picture of a poinsetta they think I'd like, that would be okay too... ;-P
Yesterday we invested in what I think is my first new winter coat. While I still feel a bit guilty about the price (because damn) I take comfort that 1) this will be my last new winter coat, ever and 2) freaking warm. Also means I'll be the one out scraping ice off the car until Ross gets one, but so be it. After the wedding in November set in a historic site (that was inexplicably brighter and warmer in early September...) something of substance seemed like a good idea.

Apparently I'm hard to shop for. I've been told this, and I have to believe it because sometimes I receive weird things. And my Amazon wish list is out of date, and although this should be easy to resolve it's now involving phone calls to the company. (Note: if you forget your password and all of your previous billing information, it's a problem proving you're you) So mostly for the benefit of Cynthia and not that I actually want anything, here's my short wish list for this Yule.

Cheap:
1) Demerara (sp) sugar, 1/2 lb
2) Possibly something you made. Have good intentions.
3) Groovy bookmark
4) Mix CD

Medium:
1) Finding Serenity : Anti-Heroes, Lost Shepherds and Space Hookers in Joss Whedon's Firefly (Paperback) by Jane Espenson, Glenn Yeffeth
2) Mennonite cookbook "More with Less" from 10,000 villages
3) compact fluorescent light bulbs
4) Foster Parents Plan, gifts of Hope: Birth registration for one child $15.00

High:
1) Family Guy Vol 4
2) Stained glass books or material supplies
3) World Wildlife Adoption: polar bear, tiger, ocean, sea turtle, orca or arctic
4) Foster Parents Plan, gifts of Hope: Literacy training for two women $65.00

If you win the lotto:
1) some sort of rechargable palm pilot thingy. Hate batteries.
2) nice set of Foo Dogs, larger than 10 cm high but no taller than 30 cm, unpainted, preferable resin compress.
3) Foster Parents Plan, gifts of hope: Recreational kits for a school $250.00 – Sierra Leone.
4) Foster Parents Plan, gifts of hope: Vocational training $250.00 – Bolivia.

WWF: http://www.wwf.org/
Foster Parents Gifts of Hope:
https://secure1.fosterparentsplan.ca/eDonations/GiftsOfHope.aspx?Search=ShowFeatured

If I win the lotto I'll go for the clinic rehabilitation and give you the Karmic brownie points, which you can trade in for valuable crimes. And if you're shopping for someone else please consider giving a book. They're easy to wrap and are something people can open again and again. If you've got any fantasy/speculative fiction/ Canadiana fans on your list, consider buying a copy of Mythspring, available at Indigo or Bakka or oodles other stores. An anthology of Canadian weirdness by some of the best authors ever (and me), it retails for $26.00 or less depending on the special the store might be having.

One thing I'm going to miss this season is poinsettas. One of my favorite plants it gives me joy to see, but with Ripley'tendencycy to chase and play with plastic flowers having inviting actual toxic plants doesn't seem like a healthy idea. Sigh.