December is looking back, January looking forward, right?
Looking back a day or two.
GD#7 failed in her quest to catch Santa again.
For several years she’s been trying to stay up all night Christmas Eve but she’s a always fallen asleep before he arrived. This year she decided to hide a video camera in the tree. Unfortunately, technology let her down. The camera recorded everything up to a point but went blank before Santa arrived.
GD#5 turned 19 Christmas Day.
On the Dec. 26 she set out, armed with two pieces of ID to prove her age, to do a couple of things hitherto forbidden, like buying a scratch and win and a bottle of wine. She really didn’t want either, but there was a point to be made. She was taken aback when she did both without being asked for ID. She says she didn’t think she looked that old. Her brother, in his 20s, and a cousin, early 30s, are frequently asked for ID. Another thing on her list is dinner at the Point. Wonder if she’ll look “old enough” there.
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Looking back at 2014, I can’t see where 2015 was much of an improvement. Issues were the economy pipelines, mines, Site C, LNG (fracking), forestry, challenges to the ALR, the same old stuff except for the federal election. The results of that were a big surprise to many of us. All I can say is let’s give young Mr. Trudeau a chance. Of course he’ll make mistakes, what government hasn’t, but after only two months in office he is hardly responsible for low oil prices and the falling value of the loonie. Let’s see what the verdict is Dec. 30, 2016. Besides, which is worse? Not keeping promises or passing laws that nobody expected or wanted?
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While other parts of North America are experiencing weird weather including unprecedented tornadoes and floods, we are just having the usual Christmas weather, snow and a bit chilly, although warmer than in the past. So far, anyway.
Diana French is a freelance columnist for the Tribune. She is a former Tribune editor, retired teacher, historian, and book author.