Christmas Lights, Cats, Chipmunks, Coffee Cups, Canadian Geese, and Canada
The Great White North is my next stop on the A-Z challenge.
From childhood memories to an immigrant’s journey through Americana, it’s time to rest a while in the True North as I continue my journey through JoAnn Ryan’s A-Z challenge.
Christmas Lights
As I’ve mentioned before, Christmas lights are one of my favourite things.
Whilst the inside of homes were adorned with tinsel, trees, and Christmas cards — remember them? — when I was a child twinkly lights were only to be found wrapped around a tree. South Africans never draped their homes in strings of lights, wire reindeer glowing in the dark, or fluorescent candy canes.
I never saw houses twinkling in the December night in my four years in New Zealand, and only in my last few years in Australia did I find a suburb where one street decided to go all out for Christmas. There are some very wealthy homes along the Mandurah canals that also put on a show but you need to pay for one of the boat cruises to see them.
Here in the Great White North, it’s common practice and I walk past homes lit up in festivity as I head out every evening into the cold December nights.
The holly jolly happiness creeps into me as I stare in awe at the displays.
Cats
What would a Vanessa article be without the mention of cats?
I’ve written about my love of the feline of the species, written a book from a cat’s perspective, referenced the kitty that started my obsession, but have yet to mention this chonky monster that spends most of her day in a black armchair in my apartment.
She belongs to my housemate who doesn’t enjoy her persistent behaviour early in the morning as she reminds him that she needs to be fed. It has come to pass that when I’m back home in Canada her feeding schedule becomes my responsibility. I hear her weighty thud above my head as she springs from his bed and rushes down to my living room when she hears me get up in the morning.
After scoffing down breakfast, she hangs out in a blanket draped armchair all day, snoring loudly as I teach my students.
Just FYI, she has always been this chonky.
She gets a limited diet of fat burning kibble but with old lady neighbours and a constant buffet of small critters running around in the backyard, she seems to find the extra calories she feels that she needs!
Chipmunks
Whilst squirrels make a daily appearance at my dining room window as I ply them with peanuts and sunflower seeds, I don’t get to see these little fellas much. Maybe it’s because they’re too small to appear above my window frame and do, in fact, gorge themselves on the daily offerings, or maybe it’s because they’re not as abundant.
Whatever the reason, I still love them dearly and would like to see more.
This little niblet pictured above became my best friend whilst on a few days vacation up in the Muskokas in July 2020. And yes, I am aware that it was only cupboard love and would have ended the moment I stopped feeding it, and no, this does not gauge a reading from my care factorometer.
Love is love and I’ll take all I can get!
Coffee Cups
I am a coffeeholic!
I have two cups every morning before I switch to water for the rest of the day.
I love coffee cups and still miss my set of African animal mugs that remain tucked into my boxes in Perth. Over the last few years in Canada I’ve collected more and take immense joy in changing them throughout the holidays.
From being thankful at Thanksgiving, to the witching hour at Halloween, and then on to my snowman for the Christmas season, switching coffee cups has become part of my holiday rituals.
Canadian Geese
Whether they’re the real ones that wander through Victoria Park and along the riverbanks, or the fake ones adorned in winter scarves on a neighbour’s lawn, I love Canadian Geese.
Many of my fellow Canucks don’t share my sentiments, however.
From the goodbyes they shout as they fly overhead in V-shaped formations heading for warmer climates, to the honking they give as a warning as they waddle along riverbanks and through the parks, I enjoy their antics.
I have a tendency to whisper, “Goodbye little Canadian geese, see you in the spring,” as they embark on their quests to find a little sunshine, their farewell calls filling the air.
Canada
O Canada! You truly are a beautiful land.
There’s not much more to say on this one. My writing is filled with the awe of Canadian landscapes and traditions. Let’s just revel in the beauty of the spectacular fall day in the photo above.
Thank you for coming along with me as I explore some of my Cs in the Great White North. I’m just as excited as you to find out where we’re headed next as we venture into the Ds.
Any bets?
Take a wander down the rabbit hole of some of the other Cs published in In Living Color.
