12. Christmas Activities; More Visitors

Sunday 29 December.  Cold and cloudy.  Sunrise 8:06, sunset 3:59.  Eleven o'clock mass.  We have a nice visit with the Pearsons from Las Vegas, including the two o'clock walking tour of Cambridge.  Nikki came on the tour, Leif stayed home and played chess with Robert.  Chicken Kiev (Cathy up all night).

Robert and Leif

On the Cambridge Walking Tour (again)

In the Car to Cambridge with Grandma

Monday 30 December.  11:50 a.m.  As of 21 December,  though priest yesterday said it was as of the 8th of December (Feast of Immaculate Conception): the Commonwealth of Independent States (old USSR).

It has been a hectic season with fond memories: Christmas goose dinner; running into Pearl and Bill at the hotel; Thomas' "Bope Ge-o-ahge."  

We spent too much money.  We have made too big a dent in our cash.  1992 must be different.  I think sometimes I shop just to have something to do in this life: acquire possessions which give apparent meaning to an otherwise meaningless material life.  It is not quite as bad as I make it sound, it is just a cheap way (pardon the irony) of acquiring meaning instead of earning it.

A couple of (perverse) thoughts:

1.         What were the sheep used for in the parable of the good shepherd?  Mutton or wool?  i.e., Does the shepherd save the sheep for the feast or in order to preserve the wool-warmth relationship?  I had never before thought of this parable as holding within it a potential sick joke.

2.         We are taught at a very early age that we would not exist but for the fact that God has created us and keeps us in mind.  Then we learned that the reward of a life true to God is an eternity with Him.  The question that occurred to me the other day was whether or not the souls in heaven have any doubts.  Is non-existence still a worry in heaven?  I suppose the answer is that our love of God at that point must be so complete (and having some feeling for God's love for us) that there can be no doubts.

Tuesday 31st December.  10:30 a.m.  Pearl and Bill are off to London for the day.  Last night I dreamt of flying around the world with the children and Cathy.  I dreamt it would cost $20,000, and I stayed awake thinking of how much money it would cost and how we couldn't afford to do it.  In fact we had eaten Nemonthron-Indian food at nine o'clock, and I was hot and tossed and turned.  I suspect my dreams are due more to indigestion than anything else, though they did, at least last night (and on other occasions as well), ring fairly true.  I'm surprised at how I can solve problems while I sleep!

Visiting Windsor Castle after
Dropping off Pearl and Bill at Heathrow