Day twenty seven. Silence

The Christmas decorations are down, the room has been cleared and cleaned. So I sit with the last of the advent candle burning.

Day twenty five. Today is…..

Merry Christmas
Today is a joyful wonder of mess. I am mightily impressed by how much mess two adults can make on Christmas morning. A sign of a blessed childhood methinks.
Thank you all for the great gifts. 

Day twenty four. Gifts

My little tree is surrounded by gifts from far and wide. Plus some from very near. 

Day twenty three. Sparkle

While I do find it hard to 'get' Christmas in the southern hemisphere, I have been admiring photos of lights in windows, so that was it…off to the shops and entering Christmas land brought some rather lovely lights for the window. 

Day twenty two. Fragrant

The fragrant bounty of my graden. That 'well known' Christmas combination of rosemary, lavender and rhubarb.
Home grown gifts for the staff at work. 

Day nineteen. Delicious

Our tradition of Christmas. Dinner with friends. Food and company. Delicious

Day Twelve. White

As if by magic, this delicate crocheted snowflake decoration turns up in the post toady. A lovely gift from a best friends mother. 

Walk 27 - Tawharanui

Repeated walks do count. Especially at Christmas time. Particularly when they include a swim (more of a general play in the waves to be more accurate).  Tawharanui Regional Park is worth the drive.

Kiwi camping style 

It was much warmer than it looks

The main beach as seen from the start of the walk

The laugh says it all - I do love swimming in the sea

It was beautiful and these pictures don't seem to have done it justice. 

Quite impressed with new iPhone…..

Summertime Christmas

It's still not quite right but we go with it, summer and Christmas, we try, we really try. So much that the works Christmas party was a BBQ in our garden. Was hostess indeed so didn't take enough photos - and most tragically didn't get one of the bouncy castle.
So a good time indeed, despite my cough and raspy throat / voice it was a great afternoon.
The garden is alive and in bloom so this gave me an idea for the staff Christmas presents. Rosemary and lavender bundles for all.

Christmas Time

Clearly I need a project like 'The August break' to keep me blogging. What can I say. So nearing the end of the year and blimey it seems to be gathering pace at this point. Maybe more later on that.
After years of shift work and never really minding that we worked Christmas and/or New Year, we appear to be off...no work....at all...indeed.

Started Christmas Day with breakfast in the garden. 

Christmas day had a sunny start, so breakfast in the garden, then a pop into work to deliver baked mincemeat  goodies, then off for lunch. We had a great Christmas day lunch with friends, with all the right ingredients; food, bubbles, silly games, kids, food, chat, all rather good I must say.  We had loads of cards and presents and are very grateful to those posting stuff to us. I need to apologise as I was rather late this year and with a resolution to be better in 2012 I say thank you.

A snapshot of the cards

More photos to follow, as Adam took some great shots of the crowd at lunch and I haven't even got started on the decorations at work.

Christmas

I should try harder I know, but Christmas is hard in New Zealand. Its summer for a start, but yet you are swamped with the 'traditional' images of Christmas - snow, Santa, elfs, trees, glittery stuff, more trees and more snow, snowflakes etc. It is so linked with the seasons, weather and nature that it makes no sense at all in the southern hemisphere. But that doesn't seem to stop folks. The traditional kiwi Christmas on the beach or at the bach is a great idea but still I struggle. There is less of a 'logical' reason to eats loads and loads of mince pies as we're not facing a cold winter (but that hasn't stopped me). Mince pies are a bit of a favourite of mine. I tried the whole pagan calendar and celebrate mid summer but think I may be the only one trying this, so feel a wee bit odd!! I did however, come down with a 'traditional' winter cold mainly I reckon because of all the snow images from UK and updates of cold, freezing, icy weather.

So with all this talk of tradition I realise that my Christmas tradition is to go to work. I'm not bitter and I often volunteer. Over the 15 years as a nurse how many have I worked I wonder? So really would be a bit of a loss to know what to do on Christmas day with no work. What hope do I have in retirement?

So Christmas day at work. We had a good day, it had been fairly busy in the run up, but we had a pleasant day, with a few admission, patients well enough to enjoy some time with their family and enough mince pies to bring a smile to my face. I have been 'Miss grumpy homesick pants' over the last few days and finally some of the joy of Christmas time got to me. Mainly thanks to the caring nursing souls I work with. I hope I haven't been too unbearable - normal service will be resumed soon I'm sure.

I miss my friends and family. I wanted my mum to make me a bacon sandwich and give me a hug, but a Skype call to her while we opened our presents after work seemed to help (though at this point the bubbly was also having the desired effect). I feel nostalgic about those Christmas times of my childhood and have to realise that's not what I have now and nor will I. Time to move on.

We returned home from work and while I made a rather delicious dinner of salmon and prawns, Adam watered the garden, all while we sipped Kir Royale. Opened all my presents, and wasn't Santa good to me. To those folks who post stuff, it is truly appreciated. I loved them all. To the gifts from work, which are so thoughtful. It's all good. I am blessed and loved and have a big smile on my face. So all is good and we have more fun ahead with a meal with friends on the 28th. Joy to the World.

The Marvelous World of Post

We blimey me and blow me down with a feather or words to that effect. After my Christmas rush and panic to get everything in the post by the 29th November - last posting day to the UK and my slight hyperventilation attack when I hear how much it cost to send (you are all worth it so heh). The wonderful world of postage means they have already arrived - in 4 days - so Happy Christmas to you all!!!