Pretend you're a kid again and write a wish list - about spending relaxed times with friends and family, this season and beyond.

Everywhere you go these days, you're reminded that the buying season is close at hand. Sales, ideas, smiling faces and stressed shoppers. Some days are frantic; others are filled with pleasure, surrounded by smells of special holiday foods. And friends.

Kids in December are a delight. They're filled with imagination and curiosity. Their letters to Santa always say that they've been good all year (how short are their memories!), and the lists change from day to day. The most up-to-date electronic gadget is usually there, then it might be a bicycle, a doll, a hockey stick. My own list always had new skates and a season's ticket to the rink on it. Excitement grows to fever pitch - where are the presents hidden? What's in that box? It doesn't seem big enough! Parents and grandparents excitedly await the squeals of joy.

Then there are the disappointments. I recall one year desperately needing a Red Ryder Repeater BB gun and a pick-up truck filled with crates of teeny Coke bottles. Santa brought me a doll instead! Most of my friends were boys, some of whom did get BB guns - and I was allowed to have a few rounds if I allowed my doll to be the target. My Christmas morning disappointment was minimal compared with that of my grandmother's, who had hoped that the doll, my first, would help turn me into a "little lady"! I never did get another doll, but a friend did give me a Coke truck when I was about 40 years old. I still treasure it.

Kids laugh and play and have fun, and often ignore the rest of the world passing by. So do some adults. On a long weekend this past summer a group of women gathered on the Miramichi to learn how to fly-fish. Some knew each other, some didn't. By the end of the first day we all were good friends, sharing laughter and stories and wine. Each day brought anticipation of fish at the end of the line. The cribbage addict challenged anyone who could count to 15 to a game, be it in the lodge or on the bank of the river! Like kids, we had fun enjoying each other's company - and a new club was formed. Everyone agreed that we'd be known as the Broads with Rods.

Six months later, fascination for the sport is still evident. The Broads' letters to Santa, some of which are on these pages, include requests for gear and clothing, but mostly a repeat experience with old and new friends. And that is what this season is mostly about - having fun, sharing food and spending a relaxed time with friends and family. Pretend you're a kid again, write your letter to Santa, and enjoy!