Almost December and...

It's almost December and I'm still on the road.

I have traveled tens of thousands of miles in the last month alone. Treaty 7. Treaty 8. Cree8 Success, Conferences focusing on Aboriginal issues, literacy, reading...parenting... I've been back and forth from coast to coast to coast. It's almost Christmas and I have but two more weeks on the road then home.

I love my work...it's the travel that can be harsh. You'd think that being Canadians, a little snow wouldn't set us back and put us off track but does. A simple snow fall can (and often does) shut Calgary's airport down and the rippling effect of that is crazy. My flights have been cancelled, delayed, re-routed and almost always late. Travel...that's the hard part of touring.

The best part? ...This is it right here.. and in the picture shown here, my good friend Jason Jones from Red Gut in Ontario...Jason and the Junior Ojibway class. This is why I do what I do... This is what keeps me out there...

Holly Claus - the Harry Potter of Christmas

 

 

Hundreds of thousands, through my conference work, have heard me say that Holly Claus is my favourite Christmas book ever.

Hundreds of thousands have heard me say that Holly Claus is the Harry Potter of Christmas - a book that every family should have read...should have in their library to read and re-read at this time of the year.

If you have not experienced the magic of Brittney Ryan's New York Times best selling Holly Claus, consider this my gift to you.

Imagine a place in time where Santa would receive a letter from a boy asking what he, Santa, would like for Christmas. What if that letter contained the magic that would allow Santa and his wife Vivianna to finally have the child they have dreamed about for centuries. What would they name their child and how would the Christmas Princess deal with the curse that followed her into the land of the Immortals...the land of Forever...???


Canada... Holly Claus is a book for young and old alike. I first shared it with our daughter Victoria when she was six. I last shared it with her...last night... My 14 year old will tell you that her childhood was highlighted by two books - Harry Potter and Holly Claus.

When I asked if she had not outgrown these two classics, she simply answered;

"Dad, I haven't outgrown Harry and Holly. I grew up with them."

A quick November check in...

Early November and I'm home...for my dad's 95th on Tuesday, the 6th.

I've been on the road since...???...September. I've had a couple pit stops, one including son Etienne's wedding in San Fran. but I've been out there and everywhere. Other than conference work and schools, I was a part of an amazing book launch. Our Rainbow Crow was launched at Toronto's Arts and Letters Club . At the event, David Jean, my partner, sold the original drums from our book. Magical evening...

I have a month left before I'm home for Christmas...a favourite time for my family and me.

There is much to say and share but I don't want to miss a single opportunity to share a great list that United Library Services has just released: https://www.uls.com/ULS/email/2012/10/first-nations-list.html?utm_source=ULS&utm_medium=email&utm_content=displaylink&utm_campaign=2012%20First%20Nations