Left to my own devices

We've just celebrated Thanksgiving, and are on our way to Hanukkah and Christmas, so I thought it would be a good time to bring the holiday spirit together with one of my favorite things -- movies! We all (well, most of us, anyway) enjoy a nice holiday film. They're typically heartwarming reminders of what it means to value friends and family, though of course some of them do so with a twinkle in their eye. Here, then, are my Top 10 favorite holiday movies:

Perhaps it's because the end of the year is coming? Or maybe it's to do with the shorter days forcing one inside and leading to solitude and contemplation? Regardless of the precise reasons, I find myself reflecting on times past around Christmas. This year is no different. Thoughts drift back to holidays that have come before, of locations that used to be filled with loving friends and families, of those who are no longer with us. Decades ago, my dad's side of the family would gather close to Christmas, first at my aunt Charlease's place, in later years at uncle Paul and aunt Vilda's abode. Charlease lived in a grey-walled residence at Country Fair apartments. It was small and humble, but it was also warm and cozy.  I quite enjoyed the Christmas gatherings there. Paul & Vilda's house on Kirby Ave. was a spacious ranch. It made for better breathing space for our large family. There were lovely holiday gatherings on my mom's side. We would oft...

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in the U.S. and, while it definitely conjures-up cozy scenes of turkey dinner with family (and then perhaps some shopping and movie-gong later on), this particular holiday also reminds me of the death of Melanie Thornton, lead singer of the Euro-dance group La Bouche. Thornton died in a plane crash on Thanksgiving weekend of 2001. I remember seeing the news of the crash (and her death) on the TV while visiting family in Kansas.