Merry Christmas!

Well, here we are only days away before the big guy with the big belly and the white beard comes sliding down our chimneys…Or, maybe through our keyhole.

This is the week where the mayhem begins. Everybody is rushing to get last-minute gifts; I’ve even seen people rummaging through Shoppers Drug Mart desperately searching for something to give their loved ones.

Despite the pandemonium, I still love this season. We experimented with several drive-through events, Christmas trail walks, and Christmas pop-up events. From the Distillery Winter Village to meeting with Santa for pictures at Cloverdale Mall, we did it all. It feels like last year’s Christmas was robbed from us and now I’m trying to make up for the lost time.

My favourite Christmas event we went to was the Canadian Tire Christmas Trail. If you only knew the drama of how hard it was for me to get a ticket. It took me four weeks of logging in right at 10:30 AM only to be disappointed by either the site crashing or the tickets being sold out by 10:31 AM. I wasn’t giving up, even during my visit with the vet, I was clicking away. As the vet was asking about Sandy’s progress, I just smiled and nodded, focusing more on trying to get those tickets. I had to explain to the vet how important it was to get these tickets and he laughed and continued to watch me frantically check my phone. I also had three friends at home on their computers trying to get me a spot in line as well. All that effort paid off because we eventually got in and I must say, it was worth it. They did a beautiful job with the lights and overall setup. It was as though you really entered into the North Pole and escaped into a Christmas oasis from the comfort of your car. The best part was that my mom came last minute and even she really enjoyed how beautiful it was. We were greeted with milk and cookies, although we couldn’t have the milk because you know it’s cow, and cow’s milk and Pam just don’t get along but the cookies were the most delicious gingerbread cookies I’ve ever eaten. I don’t know if it was the cookie or the moment, but the whole experience was just breathtaking. I’ll be sure to mark this event in my calendar for next year and hopefully get in on the opening day.

On another note, I know this is an unsure and crazy time once again for us. It feels like we were slowly getting back to a normal that seemed almost like the old one and then BOOM. We woke up with more restrictions and the nightmare continues. With all of this happening in the news and on social media, you just can’t get away from it. I can’t even keep up with the number of variants going around but as long as we continue to do our part, wear our masks, and be safe, we’ll get back to normal again, until then still try to find the joy in the season.

With all things Covid aside, there are many going through loss, heartbreak, sickness, anxiety, and so on. Each of us has or is going through something in addition to the anxieties of Covid. It’s hard, but the more compassion we can have for one another and the more good we can look for in every circumstance, the more we can rise up and create positivity and happiness that will hopefully, impact someone else’s life in a positive way.

It’s easier to share the bad news and the drama of our current circumstances but let’s not choose the easy way this season. Instead, let’s try to find that silver lining and constantly work to search for the good in each circumstance rather than dwell on the negative. We will get out of this and come out stronger, better than ever and united together.

I want to wish every single one of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season. No matter what it is that you celebrate, I wish you all the joy and love!

We can’t wait to see you all soon… Well, when you see me, I might have a few extra pounds of turkey and stuffing on me but who’s counting.

Merry Christmas!

I love you and looking forward to some exciting updates in the new year…(wink, wink, a new podcast is coming). In the meantime, here’s a bit of entertainment from last year…

XO Pam