• Merry Christmas to all - or “Happy Holidays” in Canadian ultra PC talk.
• So it is not Christmas - I did not start writing this until the 5th of January, but its close enough
• Wedding plans continue, 26th July.
• North Thames Paediatrics - aaaaaaaaaaaagh. Enough said.
• The ski season has arrived (at last).

One thing at a time.
I hope everybody has had a great christmas. I appologise to all the people we were unable to meet, or to even contact during our visit in December, but there was very little free time.

Christmas day was fantastic - we spent the morning and afternoon with Sonia's parents and then went to Theydon for the evening and a second dinner on Boxing day (I could really get used to the idea of two Christmas days, two dinners.... my waistline is now complaining bitterly, however).

The lead up to Christmas was also quite eventful - we managed to shop, meet the regional dean for North Thames Paediatrics and meet the Vicar for the wedding on one day, and shop lots more on other days. It was great to be back in the UK, despite the overcast skies and rain.
Sonia brought back cooking chocolate for her sister (Anna) - we thought that 8 bars should be enough for the home manufacture of brownies - what we had not realised was that 1 bar makes 8 trays of brownies, so Anna will be very busy baking unitil our return.

We flew back to a rather brown and warm Edmonton- but just as it was beginning to seem that the Winter Experience might not be so fearsome after all, the snows swept in, and look set to stay. Sonia took a bit of convincing that one could in fact venture out at -30 without immediate danger to life or limb- but now (with unfeasibly numerous layers of clothing) we are quite enjoying it! And very much looking forward to getting plenty of skiing in.

Justin is being kept out of mischief by a variety of research projects- but still finds time to perfect his bread-making techniques (already rather good, I thought). Rosemary foccacia is now a staple! Not to mention delicious home-made pasta and creme caramel...