Christmas humour

The British Royals and Christmas

I wish she would smile in her pictures, but this is recent

The British royals are sticklers for protocol, so you can bet that they’ve got plenty of time-honored traditions that rule Christmas. One is that only members of the royal family and their spouses are invited to Sandringham, where Her Majesty celebrates the holiday. For decades, attendance has been mandatory, but now William and Kate split their Christmases between the royals and the Middletons.  It was just announced Meghan will accompany Harry to Sandringham.  She will be the first fiancé to be invited before getting married into the royal family.  Kate and William went to the Middeltons the Christmas before they married.

This isn’t Canada. Anyone who has ever watched Downton Abbey knows the Brits wish each other a “Happy Christmas.”

Meghan will find herself on the sidelines of the traditional Christmas Eve soccer game where her fiancé and future brother-in-law compete against each other for charity as they head up two teams comprised of family members, villagers, and staff.

There is a Christmas Eve tea at 4 p.m. in the White Drawing Room. Since Meghan has already met the Queen, she has probably already been schooled on the proper way to hold a tea cup. But just in case she’s forgotten: royals hold a teacup handle with their thumb and index figure and using their middle finger to gold the cup in place. It’s just as uncomfortable as it sounds.  After tea, gag gifts (the cheesier the better—one year Kate reportedly gave Harry a “Grow Your Own Girlfriend” kit) are given out in the Red Drawing Room where the staff has already laid them out on trestle tables (not under the tree). Prince Philip already has a pepper mill that lights up, so she’ll have to be creative.

The royal family and their children attend mass at the church of St. Mary Magdalene in Norfolk every Christmas morning. There is a private service where the Queen receives communion first. Then, at 11 a.m. the family makes the traditional walk to church together. Only the Queen arrives by car and is accompanied by a different royal every year. Pregnant Kate is an odds-on favorite to score a ride this Christmas.

Royal women wear conservative coats and, of course, hats to church. The most stylish thing Kate has ever worn on Christmas Day was over-the-knee boots. Princess Diana once incurred criticism for wearing a bright purple coat and matching wide-brimmed hat. “This isn’t a fashion show,” reportedly sniped Princess Margaret at the time.

The Queen’s menus are always in French, regardless of the occasion, and Christmas Day luncheon is no exception.

They won’t be tuning into the “Suits” marathon, but in the afternoon the royal family gathers to watch Her Majesty’s televised Christmas message to the nation. The tradition began in 1932 with her grandfather, George V. The King, who broadcasted his Christmas address via radio from a room in Sandringham, and the Queen, who delivered her first address in 1957, continues the tradition today.  If you are interested in hearing her message, the CBC is broadcasting it at noon,

American Girl Dolls

I've written on my blog previously how empowering American Girl Dolls are to young women.  Lexie still enjoys her American Girl dolls and she put Samantha as her number one wish for Christmas this year.  The reason she tells me is "Samantha is retiring and will be worth a lot of money in the future".  She plans on keeping her American Girl Doll collection for her daughter as her mom did with her Barbie Dolls.  Cheryl's Barbie collection is in excellent condition and Lexie takes very good care of her dolls too.

Each American Girl has an inspirational story to tell about their time and place in history.  They come with a novel the girls read.  Some of the stories have been picked up and made into a movie.  Lexie treasures the books as well as the dolls.  These dolls are CAD $165.00 per doll.  That includes the book, period clothes and sometimes other accessories.  They are not cheap and a lot of parents can't afford to buy more than one.  You can get their hair done at the American Girl salon or their ears pierced.  Earlier this year I took Lexie and Ashley to the AG store in the Indigo store at Broadway and Granville in Vancouver.  The lady didn't charge Ashley to get her dolls hair braided but ear piercing was $16 and that included the earrings!

I came across this article today:

A New York Girl Scout is giving hundreds of kids the chance to play with a childhood staple, the American Girl doll, by creating a lending program for the dolls at local libraries.

Olivia Reduto, 14, of Edgemont, New York, spent the past year raising nearly $800 so she could purchase six American Girl dolls and accessories for the dolls.

Olivia, a ninth-grader who has been in the Girl Scouts since the first-grade, then donated two dolls each to three libraries within the Yonkers Public Library system just north of New York City.

The dolls, which can be checked out for a three-week period, already have a waiting list after being introduced this fall.

“It’s been overwhelming,” Tara Somersall, head of children’s services at Riverfront Library in Yonkers, said of the response. “One girl who checked a doll out from us last week, she left here skipping.”

Somersall added of the appeal, “Because American Girl dolls come in different ethnicities, looking at these dolls, a lot of little girls can relate to them.”

Olivia studied the demographics of each individual library in order to make sure each American Girl doll she donated was a doll the library’s patrons could identify with. American Girl dolls come with their books to explain their life story and represent a variety of backgrounds and historical eras.

“I have three main points of my project,” said Olivia, who earned a Girl Scouts’ Silver Award for the project. “One is diversity, one is to get kids excited about history and reading and one is about income inequality.”

She continued, “So I chose different types of dolls from different cultures and ones that had a certain history and certain years and worked with the library to pick them out.”

Reading time at the public library

This is my favorite Christmas picture.
Lexie's first American Girl doll
You order it to look like you
Cheryl bought the doll and Maria bought Lexi's dress for Christmas

Surrey RCMP Holiday List

Surrey RCMP releases holiday wanted list

Surrey

2017-12-14 10:31 PST

Surrey RCMP is asking for the public’s help with any information that will lead to the apprehension of our top ten most wanted prolific offenders ahead of the holiday season.

This list is made up of individuals from our Priority Target Offender (PTO) program who are currently active in our community and have outstanding warrants for a number of offences. Targeting those who commit the majority of crimes in our community has a direct correlation to the greatest reductions in property and even violent crime.

Our holiday wish is for every one of these individuals to either turn themselves in on their outstanding warrants or have the public assist us with information that leads to their arrests, says Surrey RCMP Corporal Scotty Schumann. Let’s ensure these offenders are behind bars as soon as possible so that we can all have a safe and happy holiday season.

The list includes a pair of twin brothers, both men and women ages 19-40 years old, and a reduced list of the charges each offender faces. If you see any of these individuals please do not approach them and contact the Surrey RCMP or Crime Stoppers as soon as possible.


1. Erin NORMAN, 24 years old
Wanted for: Fail to Comply with Probation Order

2. Shyanne McGREGOR, 22 years old
Wanted for: Break and Enter, Theft, and Mischief

3. Desiree TOSACANO, 23 years old
Wanted for: Fail to Comply with Probation

4. Daryl FRASER, 40 years old
Wanted for: Fail to Comply with Order

5. Joshua MARTIN-CLEMENTS, 34 years old
Wanted for: Fail to Comply with Order

6. Eugene LANE, 32 years old
Wanted for: Theft Under $5,000, Fail to Comply with Probation Order

7. Juan HERNANDEZ, 19 years old
Wanted for: Fail to Comply with Probation Order, Fail to Comply with Prohibition

8. Brett BESSEMBINDERS, 28 years old
Wanted for: Trafficking in Controlled Substance, Possession of Stolen Property, Breach of Recognizance

9. David ANDERSON, 31 years old
Wanted for: Drive while Prohibited

10. Earl NORMAN, 24 years old
Wanted for: Fail to Comply with Probation Order

Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 and reference our Top Ten Most Wanted holiday news release.

If you wish to make an anonymous report please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.solvecrime.ca.

Red Hat Christmas Lunch

Today my Red Hat group had a lunch at Northview Golf Course.  It's very close to where I live so I was able to stop answering letters and attend this wonderful buffet lunch.  You know you will always get a good lunch at any golf course and this one didn't disappoint.  There were three different Red Hat groups there today.  They had their Christmas Lunch Buffet

When I drove in to park, this gentlemen drove up and said "let me give you a ride to the clubhouse!"
It was a gorgeous day and I needed the exercise but how could you say no.  He drove us back to our cars too!

Some of the ladies in our group

Cold Salads.   I should have taken a picture of the "hot" table but I was too busy drooling!

The view is wonderful

You can see the mountains but they didn't turn out in this picture.  I should have been closer to the windows.

Canadian Criminal Justice System Survey

I don't complete many surveys.  I am very concerned about our Criminal Justice System.  This survey is quite interesting and you can have you say.  It's for Canadians and they only want your province, your age range and education.  

When I read headlines like: "B.C. Supreme Court Justice Kathleen Ker's decision earlier this month halted the prosecution of first-degree murder and conspiracy charges against Bacon in connection with the 2007 slayings of six people inside a Surrey highrise." I am disgusted. There have also been drinking driving convictions when a death has occurred, it's a repeat offence and they get off with very light sentences.

Welcome to our Choicebook on transforming the Criminal Justice System.

Canadians expect their Criminal Justice System to keep them safe while protecting individual rights and freedoms. The review of the Criminal Justice System is looking at ways to improve the system to better serve all Canadians, especially those involved in the Criminal Justice System. This means understanding what is working well, what isn’t and where we can improve. This is an opportunity to think differently about Canada’s Criminal Justice System.

Your views are very important. As you go through this, please think about your own experiences, if any, with the Criminal Justice System and what you think is or is not working well and what should be changed.

https://perspectives.choicebook-cahierdechoix.ca/s3/tcjs

That was a shocker!

There was a Federal by-election in the riding of South Surrey White Rock.  Usually when a by-election is called the candidate of the opposition is a shoe in!   That didn't happen yesterday.  The Conservatives have held this seat since 1949!  The Conservative candidate Kerry-Lynn Findlay, QC was an MP who sat in the House of Commons from 2011 to 2015.  Gordon Hogg. the Liberal candidate was the mayor of White Rock and an MLA for over 20 years so these were both great candidates.   I hear a lot of people not happy with our Federal Liberal Government and I'm stunned the Liberal was elected.  I am not in this federal riding but it's next to my constituency.

Now, to watch the Senate race tonight in Alabama.  Should be interesting.