Finally, a clear rain free day.
I can see the familiar snow peaked Coastal mountains in the distance, the scene always helped calm my thoughts and put things into perspective.
“Black birds tend to like shiny things.” ~ The Bloody Raven.
My Simple Christmas
My real home is a late 50s bungalow and not a lavishly appointed Victorian manor. Nothing fancy but it has been home for the last 22 years. The majority of the neighbors are blue and white collar suburb community located about 18 kms. east of Vancouver.
To see any posh Victorian and Edwardian styled homes you’d find them in Queen’s Park in New Westminster or Vancouver’s Shaughnessy or Mount Pleasant areas. Those neighborhoods usually have magnificent home Christmas lighting and decorating but I’ve stuck closer to home to admire more humble and less affluent areas.
I’d love to have my clay faced brick fireplace running a blazing crackling fire. That brings back memories of my early years as my family cuddled together around the front of the fireplace toasting Smores and fire baked yams in foil a part of the familiar tastes and cedar smoke aroma of the Christmas I grew up with.
My fireplace has a crack that runs up the back of the flue and I was advised by the Inspector not to use it for wood burning. Even if was 100% sound my municipality would allow wood burning for environmental reasons and carbon emissions but I must file a registration to use it subject to inspection with a fee. Registration is waived in an emergency case.
What a bummer.
My Goals for 2026
My focus this 2026 is make sure my affairs are in order such that my Executor will have a clear understanding where and how my estate should be dealt with.
Updating my will.
Updating my Enduring Power of Attorney.
Plan out and prearrange my memorial service, this could be fun part since I will giveaway silver rounds to my mourning friends and guests as one of my final acts. Then quote something out of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Formalize and Finalize the succession plan of my assets and how I would expect my sons to mange my physical Precious Metal and Crypto holdings. I leaving plenty of documented suggestions.
I also have a spiritual goal with a new One Year Scripture devotional plan to keep up, I have some ground to catch up, accounts to shorten, for my prodigal ways.
In the event that neither of my children are interested in managing my Hive account assets, I may bequest that it will be given to two worthy and active Hive member(s) or accounts in #ladiesofhive and #silvergoldstackers.
By the way, I have reached the 30,000 Hive Power milestone on Christmas Day. I have been blessed by many bloggers who have encouraged and supported me through the last seven years. So for New Year’s day I plan a bigger than usual Power Up.
The Health Front
Anyway, I won’t mince words here as my health continues to decline. I’m plagued with more abdominal issues with the frequent feeling of discomfort, tenderness and near constant nausea in my abdomen. MRI imaging indicates something going on with my Liver other than fatty liver disease but it is clear to two Physicians that it is NOT cancer. I repeat... NOT cancer.
I’ve just gone through a battery of blood work and I haven’t got an urgent call from the specialist other than Jan 12th’s Specialist’s follow up appointment for a Next step.
Parkinson’s disease has advanced now evidenced by right hand trembling more often and now begin to feel it in my left hand too.
My recent Emergency room visit cleared me of any cardio issues when I felt my heart pounding and my blood pressure quickly dropping and rising wildly. I nearly fainted at my front garden. My eldest son was so worried when he took me to the hospital.
My mind gets foggy more often, at times effecting my ability to think and write. The window of when I am able to read, write, and commenting seems to become smaller. Writing a post feels like climbing a mountain. A good part of my day is spent on bed rest with little energy. I hate feeling sick for most of the day.
Apart from the slow wheels of Canadian medicine and the way things are going my first goal of 2026 is to survive at least for this year. Until I get a solid prognosis and a treatment plan, I will keep getting the feeling that I have less time than I think I do. To spend as much time as I can with both my sons as I can, my siblings, and my church community.
There is so much I would love to do.
I hope the Lord would grant me more grace and time if he so chooses as long as our reaming time be fruitful in his ways that glorify him.
Thank you for dropping by my blog.
I wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
🎊🎁🎄🎉
Up next: My Secret Santa Gift of 2025.
Stacking Precious metals and Crypto for those dark stormy days!
The #piratesunday tag is the scurvy scheme of Captain 
2025 12 Days of Christmas Wish list posts;
My 2025 12 Days of Christmas; Part 1. The Rwanda Cutty Sark and the Florida 5 Goldback.
My 2025 12 Days of Christmas; Part 2. The ‘In Omnia Paratus’ and Asahi Compass Rose.
My 2025 12 Days of Christmas; Part 3. The Raven and Skull Tombstone bar.
My 2025 12 Days of Christmas; Part 4. The 1936 US Half Dollar Delaware Tercentenary, Kalmar Nyckel.
My 2025 12 Days of Christmas; Part 5 The 2025 Australia Proclamation Coin.
References & Sources
Photos are my own shot with an ancient 2018 Samsung SM-A530W or otherwise indicated.
P. Image under Pixabay
W. Wiki Commons
☠️🎃 Page Dividers by thekittygirl. ❄️🌞
Cameo Raven Brooch from The Black Wardrobe.
Physical precious metals bullion stacking is only a part of my personal overall financial strategy. Meanwhile, collecting numismatics are a different set of objectives and strategy. Unless you are a complete nutcase as I am please, do your research before deciding to buy into any bullion or numismatic products.