On Saturday Peter and I struggled into our thermal underwear and headed out to see the Christmas lights downtown. We envisioned ourselves as ambassadors for you, dear readers.

The subway was partly shut down due to track work, so it took us a little planning to figure out a route without too much outside walking. We rode to the College stop and then walked down to the Eaton Centre. Our first mission was to find some name-brand sports shirts, possible Christmas gifts for a couple of grandkids. A security guard pointed out the way to Sportchek which is hidden on the lowest level of the mall. We found the shirts we wanted – at prices that were heart-stopping! Even my new pacemaker was in shock.

Next we checked out the Christmas lights. The tree was in its usual spot, changing colours and rising to the top of the mall. Families gathered around the fountain at the bottom and stared upwards. It was quite a sight. But otherwise, the lights were mostly commercial advertising. Except for this large butt…

We carried on through the Eaton Centre to the corner of Queen and Yonge where animated Christmas windows have been on display for years. This year, after the closing of The Bay, the window project was taken on by Cadillac Fairview and the spaces were leased out to various brand names such as Apple. The windows were described in an article in the Toronto Star a few days ago, and they looked amazing in the newspaper photo. But, as we wandered around with lots of other families, all we saw was this sign:

But when?

Undeterred, we sought out the Cavalcade of Lights at Nathan Phillips Square. We had visited this show a couple of years ago and it was magical. This year, the skaters were there in droves, but the lights had nothing to show for themselves.

Except this lit-up sign advertising the FIFA world cup:

FIFA is indeed exciting but it’s not until June. Must we close our eyes to Christmas and all the other holidays until then? Disappointed, we joined the crowds on the subway and went home.

But this morning we found some light to share, just outside our front door:

Sue