Christmas

Wow what a whirlwind of festive feasting and family and fun! Three days which started with mum and me. After the paving was complete there was still no rest for me as Mum had said she wanted Christmas Eve dinner to be at her place this year! Hmmm that meant I was to take the load of the burden as she at 87yrs doesn’t have the stamina to keep going for long. Most days we are up at 5am or sometimes earlier, sometimes later like 6am. Mum will often have a short breaky before heading for the beach with the dog for a quick swim with all the old fogies at Mettam’s Pool. These thick-skinned oldies weather the brisk morning winds that come across the Central Australian deserts. (remember deserts are usually very cold overnight and only heat up when the sun beats down on it all day) These weathered bodies seem to be able to withstand the freezing waters of the Arctic currents. The waters of the Indian Ocean here on the Western Australia southern coast are very cold, too cold for me I much prefer warmer waters and a warmer part of the day to swim. Yes, I am a wimp when it comes to swimming in cold water.

After her swim she returns home for a second breaky then another sleep before starting a day punctuated with short naps. So I knew what I was in for when mum suggested the family Christmas Eve dinner to be here. This 23 Dec unfortunately I woke at 3:30am and couldn’t return to sleep. Most of the day I fought off a sleep deprivation headache till 3pm and I had to take something for it otherwise I would have spoilt my night. After my morning jog (well waking at that time and lying in bed trying to return to sweet slumber by 5am I decided I might as well get up) I helped clean up the studio (a converted carport to a pottery studio no longer in use except for storing pots and the like). Mum had a large table here which we later used for the food. She dressed the table with Christmas decorations and prepared the patio where we were to sit.

The previous day she had peeled the potatoes and carrots for roasting. These I put into pans ready for cooking. I made a list of all the preparations to be done Entre: nibbles such as mixed nuts, pretzels, and the sweetmeats I had previously made. Mum dressed the ham with traditional tinned pineapple and cherries which was to be to the piesse de resistance. Fortunately, Kathy, the chef rang and I was able to get some cooking tips for the ham. Mum also took a trip to the local shops to buy a couple of cooked chooks and salad. Unfortunately her memory is not as good as it should be and she also brought extras that we already had a supply of so I later returned to the shops to exchange them for what I really needed.

It was a great evening of feasting and family. And of course far too much food but that was ok as on Christmas Day we went to my nephew’s family’s home to continue our celebrations. Once again it was a wonderful feast including a fresh whole red snapper. After lunch it was a dip in the pool for the kids and some of the adults (no not me I’ve decided I’m not really a water person which is strange as when I was young you couldn’t keep me out of the water).

Boxing Day was lunch at my eldest sisters. Again an amazing meal followed up by trifle and cute reindeer pastries filled with chocolate. Mum and I returned home while those with energy to spare went down to the park near the beach to play cricket and T ball before going for a swim to cool down.

The next day Mum and I were totally exhausted! Still there were things to do at the unit, cleaning up and finish off a few areas the pavers need to be fixed. I checked the sprinklers and my new plants and found one had died. Hmmmm checked the tap and it had been turned down so I give all a bit more water and hoped the others were ok.

my nephews wife Nezka

That evening my friend Louise rang to ask it I was on my way. Oh no I thought I was dropping them at the airport on Sunday night not Saturday! She explained that the flight left at 12 am Sunday thus my confusion. Fortunately I had partly packed so threw things in the back of the car and took off. As we unloaded my stuff and loaded their bags I realised I’d left the power cord of my computer home. Blow! Actually this wasn’t the only thing I’d left behind in my rush so after dropping them at the international airport I went back to Mindarie via Mum’s place to pick up the forgotten items.

I hope you have had a lovely Christmas and Boxing Day.   May 2015 be a memorable year for you and your loved one. “The Lord bless you and keep you and may the Lord shine His face upon you and give you peace.”