Merry Christmas!

I'm going to take a little break over the Christmas holidays, but I'm going to leave you with a couple of things. The first is a poem written by a British lady named Rose Fyleman who was visiting Winnipeg in the 1930s at Christmas. A friend took her around town to see the sights; the Fort Garry Hotel for tea, the statue of Queen Victoria in the park, the policemen wearing their buffalo hide coats. And she was enchanted with it all. This poem always reminds me to quit complaining about the snow and the shovelling and to just enjoy the beauty of the season.

In Winnipeg at Christmas

In Winnipeg at Christmas there's lots and lots of snow,
Very clean, and crisp and hard
And glittering like a Christmas card
Everywhere you go;
Snow upon the housetops, snow along the street,
And Queen Victoria in her chair
Has snow upon her snowy hair
And snow upon her feet.
In Winnipeg at Christmas they line the streets with trees-
Christmas trees lit up at night
With little balls of coloured light
As pretty as you please.
The people hurry past you in furry boots and wraps;
The sleighs are like a picture book,
And all the big policemen look
Like Teddy Bears in caps.
And oh! The smiling ladies and jolly girls and boys;
And oh! The parties and the fun
With lovely things for everyone-
Books and sweets and toys.
So, if someday at Christmas you don't know where to go,
Just pack your boxes up I beg,
And start at once for Winnipeg;
You'll like it there I know.

- Rose Fyleman

My second offering is a Christmas video. This video was made by a 16 year old Winnipegger who lives in the same part of town as I do. The shots of the new fallen snow on the trails and forest near our home are quite lovely. I think this kid is pretty talented. Without further ado, "The Little Drummer Boy":

Have a wonderful, safe Christmas everyone!

Jana