Dear subscribers; I apologize for not earlier wishing you all a very merry Christmas, but I have been kept busy much more than usual, and much more than most previous Christmasses. My good wife Emmi had the misfortune to break her right arm, slipping on a patch of ice, and ever since I am occupied with a thousand things I never did before, or at least did not have to do since my soldier times, like making beds, vacuum all the rooms, cook, do dishes, pack Christmas presents for my horde, well, anyway too many things I don't want to mention all, and all this under the watchful eyes of Emmi, who kept supervising. Yesterday evening, according to the old German custom, the whole brood with whoever could make it, stormed our apartment, took over every seat available including the floor, and with good old German Christmas music plus Bing Crosby and the red-nosed animals from north pole, filling our apartment with noise that even the tenants seven floors down kept singing along. Some of the parents of our grandchildren had the good sense and brought some food along, sausages from a German butcher, and fresh buns, but fearing that was not enough I also ordered famous Kentucky fried chicken, two buckets at 20 a piece, plus FF and cole slaw. Well anyway, Emmi just now calls me to come out to the kitchen to help finish the last three chicken breast for lunch. All in all, Emmi at first was so scared with having them all come in, but once she saw with how much love everybody surrounded her, it made her feel so good, and also to see the happy faces of all our loving children and grandchildren, who all opened their presents on Christmas eve, according to old German custom, one of the parents who married into this tribe, remarked that our grandchildren must be the luckiest kids in town, because they celebrate twice the opening of presents, Christmas eve with us, and Christmas morning at home. Emmi was so happy she almost cried, and I sure hope that for that reason she doesn't repeat the breaking arm bit before Christmas next year. Now you will understand why in all the excitement and celebrating an old fashioned Christmas I just forgot to send my Christmas wishes earlier, I am a bit late, but rest assured, from my heart A Very Merry Christmas to you all. from your John Helmut Merz, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, where it started to snow at 2 A.M. in the morning, and still snowing.