I have a trip brochure the size of a catalogue (bigger) with the descriptions of all the excursions available at each port of call on my world cruise. I keep checking the map and the dates of arrival and departure to figure out the geography (weather?) and time ashore. Icons inform me as to the physical demands of each outing: one, two, or three walking figures indicating degree of difficulty. And then there are warnings about wet landings, mud, walking in water, and when shoes must be removed. Some instructions are given as to appropriate dress: no shorts or tight garments. Women's knees and shoulders must be covered, and there's one stop when one must wear an ankle-length skirt and a head covering as well. Some of the activities are fascinating, but impossible for me, or if not impossible, inappropriate, unnecessary or repetitive.

My battery is running down and I must swim now. Anon,anon....

Here I am...Well, I snorkelled once, wen I went to the Galapagos Islands when and a seal startled me by swimming right under me, looking up. I love to swim but I don't want to snorkel, so scratch the snorkel excursions. Horseback riding? I used to love it but it's been so long, I'm not going to risk several days of stiffness and ruin subsequent excursions. Scratch the horse, ditto the bicycle. There are a few safari days in East Africa, but I've been there, done that - an entire two weeks devoted to a photographic hunt. I don't like taking pictures, but I wrote about it. Anyway, I don't want to do that again. I'm not sure about a submarine view of the fishy world, have to think about it. I do want to see/walk the Great Wall of China again, because when I was there before, it was too crowded. This is a different part of the wall and reported to be quite fine. However, I'll sk[p the Imperial City in Beijing this time around. It, too was crowded and everyone kept saying,"oh, it's just like The Last Emperor," so when I got home I bought the movie and enjoyed an unrestricted view.

There is still a lot to do and choose from and I have to remember not to get too tired. Travel can be very inexorable.

It's Christmas time in the city, also Hanukkah, and Kwanza starts as Christmas finishes. I've already mentioned that as I grow older and older I lose people, things, connections. I've lost furniture, friends, family, doctors, agents (!), and all kinds of thingies and tschotschkes (sp?), including Christmas decorations. When I moved from Stratford to Toronto, everything was still intact. My children were with me then and my mother came from Winnipeg for Christmas. While we all went to church, Liz stayed home and put out every single decoration I ever had: old, new, hand-made, sentimental, ragged and loved. We came home, not to a wonderland but to a jumble of Xmases Past and Present. Liz greeted us:

"Merry Kitchmas, everyone!"

After that, I started downsizing. By the time I moved north to a lake in Muskoka, about 12 years later, my Christmas collection was reduced to a clutch of bells I hung on the front door. By that time no one was with me and I went away for Christmas, to one or another of my children, all grown with homes of their own. That's how it goes.

I suppose I should say something funny here, but I can't think of anything.

Merry Kitchmas.