I've just sat down to write a post-- a report on the weekend Christmas market, some funny anecdotes, festive photos, but then, as background noise to write by, I put on NPR.  Of course the whole programming was on the tragedy in Connecticut.  Background noise. I'm finding it tough right now to be amusing or festive.

It is so very very sad.  My heart breaks for the mourning families of the killed, for the school that will never get past this, for the community struggling to understand.  But most of all, my heart is breaking for a country, my country, my country that is quite obviously in a state of depression.

I don't mean economic depression.  I'm talking about social, emotional, and spiritual depression.  When a person exhibits self destructive behaviours, all alarms go off that this person needs help.  I think the same must be true for a country.  Mass shooting of children and teachers at a school is rather self destructive for a society.

I'm writing this from my home, my current life in a country that is not the one that I claim as mine.  Perhaps this gives me no right to complain or criticize, to cast stones.  No, not perhaps -- I have no right. 

And my heart is still breaking.

I was working in my studio this morning, cramming for my self-imposed final exam which is this weekend.  Crafter's final exam?  Yeah, that's when you get the brilliant idea that it would be fun to invite everyone you know and even a bunch of people that the people you know know to your house to look at what you've been making (and hopefully take some of it home with them).  Yep, Christine and I decided it was time to put our shit display(actually, it's not shit at all...it's really quite nice, if I must say so myself...) and see what happens.  We're calling in "Natale in Maberga"....mulled wine, some tea and cookies and, if you want, some christmas gifts to take with you.  If you're in the neighborhood stop on by.

So, anyway, while was in the studio this morning, David brought our Christmas tree in and strung all our lights on it.  I love christmas trees.

We're not totally positive, but we might need to get another string of lights.

David is so getting this for Christmas...

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