We are coming to a hinge in time, the end of one year and the beginning of another. As I write, it’s cold outside, and apparently the Eastern Seaboard of the US is being hammered by a big snow storm. Seems a little ironic, given the mixed news out of Copenhagen, but it probably also is appropriate. The world is such a complicated place with so many interacting, intersecting parts that affect each other in ways that we frequently do not foresee.

So this picture of a gate opening onto a world that is the same, yet different from what we’ve known, is also appropriate. We must make choices about how we will live, only it is not clear what they are, or should be. Let us hope for a little wisdom to act as we should.

On the whole 2009 was a pretty good year for us. Lee had the pleasure of time to devote to woodworking and photography, now that he’s “retired.” (He insists his change in occupation is just a career move.) He also persevered in his efforts to safeguard Canada’s mostly excellent health care system with letters, op-ed pieces and attempts to convince the New Democratic Party that defending the Canada Health Act is good sense, and good electoral politics. He spent two weeks in Belgium and Southern Holland with Elin, who went to fetch a new viola da gamba that she’d ordered from a friend-luthier. They had a grand time, visiting many interesting places, trying out 25 different sorts of beer, and listening to some good music.

Elin continued to work on her doctorate in performance at the Université de Montréal, as well as a varied schedule of music-making and teaching. She and I found ourselves headed to the West Coast the same day in November, so we got to travel together and to visit Kris, Elin’s cousin and my niece, and her husband Alex. Mik Down, my late sister Laurie’s husband, came up from Seattle too, so we had a little mini-reunion.

Elin’s partner Emmanuel Nivon was able to devote some time to his research into 18th century New France, giving a series of workshops in high schools and, finally, getting his collection of tools and every day objects on display. His day job involves him in 21st century material culture—he works for a company that rents and sells construction equipment—but his heart is really in the past except where Elin is concerned.

At the moment Lukas is recovering from the translation he did of a book on metaphysics which he sent off to Columbia University Press on Friday. Sophie, he says, has been remarkably understanding during the last couple of months as the project reached its conclusion. As the family’s designated editor, I got a chance to look it over, and I must say I learned a lot. He’s well on his way to his Ph.D in philosophy at the UdM, and gave two papers on his master’s thesis, including one at the Nietzsche Society meeting in Alexandria, VA. The picture was taken there after he'd done his stint and could relax and listen to the other Continental philosophers.

Sophie’s focus shifted to science this year—she’d previously been involved in social sciences too—as a curriculum consultant in the Lester B. Pearson School Board. Obviously they think a lot of her there, as she now is working with 400 elementary teachers scattered over the large, suburban school commission. She took some time off to go fishing this summer, but she couldn’t convince Lukas to put aside his work: do hope they can have a vacation next summer. The picture, by the way, doesn't do her justice, but she's so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to take a new, better one.

As for me, I am working on two book projects. One, Making Waves: The Portuguese Adventure, is due out from Véhicule Press next fall which means I’ve got to finish the manuscript this spring. The project may seem a big change from my recent non-fiction, but it is a direct outgrowth of the traveling I did for those books. The Portuguese had been the first Europeans everywhere I went, and I realized what an amazing story theirs is. The book will be the fruit of nearly 10 years of research, and I'm even trying rather seriously to speak Portuguese. This fall I spent Monday and Thursday evenings in the beginner class at the UdM taught by Luís Aguilar and Vitália Rodrigues de Aguilar. Great fun, and a marvelous chance to meet young people who find the language and culture fascinating.

The other book, River Music, is a novel about three generations of women: a grandmother who is a pianist, her daughter who is an engineer, and the youngest one who plays the harpsichord. That’s what I’m trying to get a handle on at the moment, so I’ll close with all our good wishes for a 2010 where we all will be able to make some steps forward into a future that is at least somewhat better than the past.

Cheers

Mary