Gorgeous sunny day here today, flat calm, nine degrees. Lovely.

My wine glass is full, again. After an eighteen day visit, our granddaughter has now gone home to her parents who apparently felt eighteen days was plenty. Her family had isolated to enable her visit.

We don’t really drink when we are in charge of our little treasure. I feel that if her parents are going to go to the trouble to isolate to safely share her with us, it is prudent to be the best guardians we can be. But our little sweetie is gone now, the wine is poured and I can write again…..

With all of the sunshine we had today, I was able to get started on a quilt I need to finish before Christmas. With quilting, I need to iron and I prefer to iron with the sun shining on our solar panels. E took advantage of the good weather to fill the wood pile at the door.

Normally the island is almost empty at this time of year. Those who haven’t already gone south for warmth would be gone soon to see family for Christmas. But the island today is relatively packed. We go for our walks and there is traffic on the road and smoke coming out of the neighbour’s chimneys.

Yesterday, one of the five children who live on the island was celebrating his 6th birthday, and ten cars, one bike and a fire truck showed up for a covid-safe parade past his house. It was so much fun to see how happy it made him. One of the participants said to me that she hadn’t been this excited to participate in something in weeks. The whole event lasted 30 minutes. Doesn’t take much these days to make us all happy.

There is talk now of having a Christmas boat parade. The idea was floated and thirteen boats have committed so far. I imagine us all in our decorated boats safely drinking grog and shouting greetings across the waters.. It could be very pretty and, if popular, perhaps next year we could do it with an actual after party.

Covid 19 requires us all to celebrate safely in more creative ways with pre – visit grandchild quarantines, car parade birthday parties and boat parade Christmas celebrations. We are all just doing what we need to do to feel safe and not alone.

When my granddaughter crawled up into my arms every afternoon for eighteen days for a snuggle, it would turn into a two hour nap. I would sit still and just stare at the wonder of her. E found me like that on more than one occasion and I suggested he remind me, when I am missing my family over the coming difficult months, of those moments.

So, in summary, I am grateful to my son and daughter-in-law for sharing their daughter with us, I am so proud of our community for stepping up to make a little boy happy, and I am impressed with the neighbours who are willing to plan a safe way to share joy with island friends at Christmas.

It isn’t just my wine glass, my heart is also full