HYBRIDJ'S GIVEAWAY ZENTANGLE - THE COLOURS ARE MUCH CLEANER, IT DIDN'T PHOTOGRAPH VERY WELL BUT IT REALLY IS LOVELY.

My two DDs and I celebrated Christmas last Saturday and had a really nice 'girl' Christmas. It was very relaxing and it was so nice to spend time with both of them, we don't often all get together these days. On Christmas day one DD and I might go to see It's Complicated. The other DD has gone to Nova Scotia to spend Christmas with her boyfriend.

Today I received a Zentangle from HybridJ and I love it, she has a real talent for doing unique, very simple ones. Thank you HybridJ.

I got my cards and a small parcel off today, so they will be late arriving at their destination but it will still be the holidays and before New Years. I had a chuckle today when I received a card from a friend with a Starbucks card in it. The card was addressed to me but the card inside was to someone else. I had just been thinking this morning that I hoped I hadn't put the wrong card in an envelope. I phoned her and we had a good laugh and she told me the Starbucks card was meant for me and she had also sent one to the other friend whose card I got, so that was very thoughtful of her.

I hope everyone has a Very Happy Christmas and that the New Year is filled with fun, laughter, lots of creativity and good health.

My DD stopped by today and we went for a drive out to Spanish Banks. It was very cold so we didn't walk very far. It's supposed to have snowed the past couple of days but it hasn't happened yet, at least not in the area where I live.

I feeling like getting back into my creativity and will start this evening. I was going to do some earlier but went out with my DD instead.

We had our Chirstmas party on Thursday evening and it was a lot of fun. A couple of people who live in the building play violin and, along with two friends, entertained us with some lively music. Another tenant played the saxophone and yet another sang some Russian songs. Lots of good food and conversation resulted in a very pleasant evening. This is rather a unique apartment building where we have tried to create a supportive community. When someone is sick, we help each other and we have parties. It's a little like living in little village. There are, obviously, personality conflicts and gossiping but all in all it is very positive. The newletter has helped to make people feel like they matter as well. I have noticed some people coming out of their shells after they have been mentioned in the newsletter for their gardening contributions, photography and being mentioned when they have lost a child. So many of the tenants are alone in the world so I think it helps them to feel a sense of belonging. I hope so anyway. There are lot of very lonely people in the world!

I am going to go and make a necklace for one of my DD's now.

Okay, so I haven't been posting, I have been mired in this letter-writing, trying to get the conditions in our building improved. Our week-end relief caretaker has been diagnosed with non-operable lung cancer and has quickly gone done hill. He is such a nice man, is so helpful and willing to do anything for anyone. At the beginning of September he won some gold medals for sprinting. He is such a healthy living man, taking supplements, eating healthy. Everyone is in shock. The doctor kept telling him his cough was nothing. So, we are all praying for him and hoping the radiation helps and the chemo if he has it.

Like I said in my last post, I would love for something really nice to happen. This is getting really depressing.

We have been granted a meeting with the property manager and the general manager of the company so hopefully we can get our message across to them.

After that is dealt with I am really going to focus on the positive as much as possible and get back to creating.

I am still having some problems from the spraying, hope that ends soon as well.

I will be 70 years old on the 30th of December and will give some thought to what I would like to accomplish in 2010. It's kind of nice to start the new year with a new year in my own life at the same time.

I said on Hybrid J's blog that I will have a give-away in the new year to start the year off right. Don't know what that will be yet but am going to think about it. So stay tuned!!!