I have been learning my way around Facebook. It was a bit of an immersion experience but I think I'm getting it figured out as another way to communicate with quite a bit of ease.

There is so much of the poetic in the Baha'i writings. Right now is the period known as Ayyam-i-Ha, the Intercalary Days of "Days of Light". It is a time for gift giving, hospitality, and charity, and my week has been rich with such blessings. The prayer revealed for use during these days is full of imagery: it begins My God, my Fire, and my Light. Appropriately, my reading-to-relax has been the books of Bruce Feiler, walking through his journeys in the Holy Land. I didn't consciously seek them out, when I know that we will be there soon, but I think that they fell into my hands at the right time. I am also listening to a bit more music: the soundtrack from The Pianist, and my eldest daughter gave me the most recent Jann Arden album, a series of covers called Uncover Me, which I am going to go and listen to in front of my fire, with a cup of tea, as soon as I finish writing this entry. The days are lovely with opportunities to celebrate, and the weather has been cooperating, although we are apparently in for a snowstorm on Friday. I have been lunching with good friends and serving dinners to my extended family. Tonight we are having our last evening with nephew Rowan, who is off to Australia tomorrow to visit his sister Emily. Yesterday my nephew Evan, wife Amanda and their daughter Willow left after several days here, during which I got lots of chances to cuddle Willow.

On Friday night, my niece Audrey will be in a production of The Vagina Monologues at the Bronson Centre in Ottawa. It's a good chance to come out for a benefit for a women's shelter, so if you live in the area, do come along.

And now, tea and company.