ELECTION DAY

We had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend, including TWO turkey dinners. The whole family drove up to my sister Julie's house for dinner on Sunday night, and then spent the night -- what a hostess! She put up with (and put up) Michael and I, our three grown children and their three children, ranging in age from 2 - 14. And I was so engaged that I never even took out my camera!

Jason drove Joshua home yesterday morning (he just lives a few miles north of my sister), and then we delivered Hailey to the ferry on our way home to make her way back to Whistler. The rest of us (that would be Michael and I, Mischa and the boys) got back to Victoria in time to meet Mischa's hubby Jeff, and go out to Jeff's folks' place for our second Thanksgiving dinner.

I woke up this morning with a cold. But I had a great time, AND .... I am the luckiest woman on the planet, I think. Thanksgiving really is, for me, all about giving thanks, and I have everything to be thankful for -- I'm married to the most easy-going man I've ever met (that part wasn't always true, but he's been my best friend for 31 years), an awesome family and a great lifestyle; I love my work, and I can't remember the last time I was cold or hungry.

I'm also really grateful that I live in Canada, the best county in the world -- which brings me to the subject of this post. It's FINALLY Election Day here, and, if nothing else, I'm SO glad to be done with all the hype and B.S. that is 'campaigning.'

Here in Canada we have 19 (no, that's not a typo) registered political parties that we can vote for in a Federal election. There really are only four that are 'recognized' or organized enough to be noticed, though... the current government, which is Conservative; the 'official opposition', which is the Liberals; the New Democratic Party (NDP) which has had its ups and downs; and the Green Party, which is the 'new kid on the block', but getting some attention.

Because the population on the east coast is so great (and then there's the time zones), we often have it happen, here on the West Coast, that the winners are pretty much declared before our polls even close, which discourages some folks from voting. I've always felt that if I don't at least get out and vote, I don't have the right to complain about the government after the fact.

So I'll get out and vote today (because god knows I want the right to complain after the fact!) . . . but I'd rather be knitting.
:-)