Merry...?

Not so long ago, this time of year or any other time for that matter, when you met someone you would inquire about his health and that of his wife or husband and family.  These days when I meet someone I inquire about his or her health...and wait for him or her to bring about the subject of his or her marital and family status.
I came to do that after a few embarrassing moments of "we have divorced 2 months ago, or my son died of aids some weeks ago" and so on and so forth.  So until I get a signal that the person still has a spouse or family, I refrain from asking.
Same thing about this time of year.  We used to part company with a resounding "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year".  Now you say "Happy Holidays" not even Holydays because you never know wether the guy celebrates Noel, Hanukah, Kwanza (that is the latest I became aware of) or some Adah or even nothing.

So, as of this year I have come to part with:"Merry whatever you may be celebrating".  This way, save for hard defendersnt of laycity, I guess I do not step on too many toes.
Merry, Feliz, Buona...............(fill in the dots).

Canadian diversity

Meet my grandchildren, Alexis and Arianne. Although 10 years apart they have the same Mom and dad. Alexis is the fifth direct male descendent of Andreas and Georgette; Arianne is the first female in three generations. Andreas arrived sometime in 1924 from his native Patras and, in 1930, married a French Canadian girl whose ancestors were French, English and Dutch. Of their three boys, I'm the only one with children. I married a French Canadian girl whose ancestors are French, Algonquin, Scot and Swiss German.

My son married a girl whose father is French Canadian and her mother a German from Essen. Nicole was born in Paris while her father was posted in Moscow as a commercial attaché at the Canadian embassy. Does this represent the Canadian diversity or not?
The children are here playing in our backyard, our little greek corner. It's not Lakeviewer's garden but there we forget the 6 lane boulevard in front of the house and we can imagine that we are in the country.

Enjoy the good time wherever it is available.

Au revoir.