Christmas time is always a bit of a trial. The expectations are so often overboard and I actually prefer normal times. Families can get together at all times but I do know and understand that for children Christmas and birthdays are always very special and often magical.
The magic of Christmas in my mind as a child was loaded with the atmosphere of glistening snow and smells of spruce, almonds and home-cooking. It doesn’t really go well with heat, sands, smells of stale beer and verdant odorous armpits. And the specialty of the oft revered mince pies is forever escaping me no matter how hard I try and swallow them. The Southern Hemisphere lends it self much better to horse racing, coarse oaths renting through hot still air, sailing and vigorous tennis.
We, as adults agreed unanimously not to give presents at Christmas time, and the children are now adults, although from last yearβs Christmasβ memory, a deposit in their bank accounts was welcome.
Apropos, the last post, The French onion soup (with the brioche and gruyere) was very nice and we might well have it for Christmas as I have a formidable stash of it in the freezer. So far, Christmas is too far away to know where I will be. Most times there are often late changes made depending on the ease of meeting up with my grandsons and their mother. I have put up the twinkling little lights and they look very pretty, the Christmas wreath is on the door and I might yet get a living conifer for Christmas tree.
We shall see. I am sure it will be a good Christmas.
December 8, 2021 at 5:58 am |
Wishing you a very Happy Christmas Gerard.
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December 9, 2021 at 6:06 am |
Thank you, Peggy.
I still taste the garlic pasta dish you published on your blog. Happy Christmas to you too.
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December 9, 2021 at 10:43 am
I hope that’s good.
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December 8, 2021 at 10:17 am |
Our tradition is, to celebrate with all the family on Christmas Eve. They all want to come this year to my place again. π
Secret Santa is going to come again. Everybody gets only one present from Santa! π
I hope the weather is going to be fine so that we can stay outside a lot and make good use of the new deck for all our Christmas celebrations. π
I hope, my son Martin will be able to come from Victoria, and that this time the borders are going to stay open. Martin told me, that he can stay only for a couple of nights, but that I am welcome to go back with him and his dog Millie to his place in Benalla. π
I am looking forward to spend some great holidays in Benalla! π
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December 9, 2021 at 6:15 am |
Yes, I too believe in family traditions but as one gets older the family gets smaller or they have moved far away. Anyway, each year we get together and a good time is to be had by all. My dad used to make apple flaps. Sliced apple mixed into a mortar of raisons, flour and milk and then baked on the gas stove. So nice
You certainly will be able to spread out on your deck, Uta.
Yes, the spoke in the wheel will be the latest Corona although it will be a brave Premier to put States back into lockdown.
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December 9, 2021 at 1:53 am |
I do love Christmas. All of our family traditions have gone by the wayside, given that all of the family save one aunt and three cousins have passed on, but celebrations don’t depend on having specific people around, anyway — it’s having people of any sort that matters.
I’m a little up in the air myself. This isn’t exactly funny, and yet it is: I’d agreed to stay home and kitty-sit for very good friends who want to go to Denver to see their daughter, son-in-law, and grandkids. Unfortunately, their elderly cat is in very bad shape, and she stopped today to tell me I may not be kitty-sitting after all. It all depends on whether the cat’s still alive by then. Of course, there are other complexities now. I don’t want to be in the situation of having to deal with a cat that’s in extremis while her family is away. I think if the poor creature still is alive at that point, being boarded at her vet’s probably will be best. We’ll see.
In the meantime, my tree is up, the candles are in place, and the ingredients for the cookies are here. I need to get cards out el pronto, and also mail my out of town parcels. Then, I can stick my DVD of “A Christmas Story” in and begin really enjoying the season.
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December 9, 2021 at 1:54 am |
Bad sentence. It should be “my friend stopped today to tell me I may not be kitty-sitting.” I don’t think the cat’s up to delivering messages right now.
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December 9, 2021 at 6:33 am
Your writing is awe inspiring, Linda. I am so relieved you made a bit of a mistake. I would not have noticed it but you pointed it out. Laughing still.
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December 9, 2021 at 6:31 am |
Yes Linda, I feel I am coming across as a born again late Jerimiah. I don’t really want to become a cranky old man, muttering on a park bench bitterly chasing away well-meaning friendly pigeons.
It might be best to avoid shopping centers and focus on the remaining family and the people I am meeting each day at my cafΓ©.
The local park is all lit up so festively with twinkling lights and soft music. Choirs will be singing intermittently as advertised in the local Shire’s paper. I remember a few years ago, they had a Dutch choir singing.
I too now have the lights suspended from the curtain rail showing the neighbors father Christmas is alive at my place. I have already parted with some Christmas cards and secretly hope some might also show up in my letterbox. One neighbour watches me on my daily mailbox trip to the front of our complex. I don’t want to be seen going back with no cards.
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December 10, 2021 at 4:44 pm |
I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to celebrate Christmas in hot, southern climes. As it is, we often don’t have snow for Christmas where I live, which is always disappointing to me. The worst was my first Christmas spent in this state and it rained!
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December 11, 2021 at 7:27 am |
It takes a while to get used to it. Instead of snow there are the Bogong moths to get used to. When they decide to go to their breeding grounds they appear by their thousands.
Mosquitoes and flies too are the norm but somehow that too one gets to associate it with Christmas.
This years it is different and extremely cold. People are donning jackets and the heaters are on.
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December 12, 2021 at 11:48 pm
Wow. Interesting.
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December 11, 2021 at 12:10 am |
My first Christmas as a married adult was in Africa, Gerard. So I had a bit of the tropical experience. We had an African medicine mask that we put a cotton beard on and declared to be Santa.
Our daughter and her family are coming this year so Peggy has been big on decorating. She loves Christmas. Tomorrow, we are hosting a neighborhood cookie exchange party, so it’s a good thing we are ready. My job is to keep the eggnog and rum flowing. π I’ll need to test it first, of course. βCurt
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December 11, 2021 at 7:33 am |
Yes Curt, it is funny how a bit of eggnog and rum aids the spirit of Christmas.
Yes, here too the festive mood is slowly making its entrance. I will see my grandsons and daughter and with friends will have a nice time.
My freezer is full of pumpkin soup and French onion soup. I hope the grandsons are hungry, there is a lot of it. Ii might be wise to back it up with lots of potatoes and T-bone steaks.
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December 15, 2021 at 12:46 am
I really like pumpkin soup, Gerard. π
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December 14, 2021 at 9:02 am |
May your Christmas be HoHoHo Happy, Gerard! π
I’m looking forward to the eggnog and the fruitcake! π
πππ ππ π
(((HUGS))) π
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