Celebrations

Happy New Year to everyone, especially my loyal readers - Maggie, Lorraine and Colin, Renee, Kim, and Lynda plus everyone else who reads it when I prompt them to. I'm hoping that this year will be freer and healthier than the last one. And please -  some normal seasonal weather.  I reckon last year's summer morphed into a winter that lasted well into December, bypassing autumn and spring entirely! 

Celebrations were put on hold early December when I came down with the flu after my Melbourne trip, and had to cancel a few Christmas lunches. Decorations went up and I use that term loosely - not for us the flashing lights, Christmas wreaths and huge Christmas tree. Instead, we have a slim artificial table-top tree that stands about 60 cms from the base to the holy koala that sits atop and which I bought in Fitzroy, making it almost 25 years old. 

In the entrance hall I threw a few silver beads across the table and arranged my collection of Father Christmases. I especially love the bakelite Santa in his sleigh that mum always put on top of the Christmas cake she faithfully baked each year in November. Hmmm - a tradition sadly no more in our household. But I celebrate by placing this decoration front and centre.  It must be at least 60 years old if not more.  And that's it for decorations.

We had friends around for a Christmas Eve drink in the afternoon and that put us in the mood for the evening's performance - our FaceTimed concert with Sharon in Perth and Kate and Kim in Melbourne with Steve and me in South Australia. It's an annual affair that always has its surprises. 

This year, I played Oh Christmas Tree on the recorder and it is a truism that you simply cannot laugh and play at the same time - a result of the laughter I distinctly heard coming from Perth and Melbourne. Steve played Go Tell it on the Mountain on the clarinet - a bravura performance as he had only practised a few times. Kate and Kim sang Oh What a Beautiful Morning from Oklahoma as they tugged on pretend reins and looked around them at the imaginary countryside. And, in what I thought was an amazing coincidence, Sharon sang Oklahoma in front of the videos she had taken of all the wheatfields she had passed when she was in the wheatbelt for work during the year. Kate did a veritable tour de force dressed in a crepe paper outfit and toting a furled umbrella (gun) as she sang You Cain't Get a Man with a Gun from Annie Get Your Gun.  After all this merriment, the evening's talent collapsed into a karaoke session that lasted for another hour! We were all exhausted but happy, fuelled no doubt by the cocktails we had drunk. 

Sharon and Kim enthralled by my performance.

I'm reciting a poem and Sharon and Kate join in.

And so to Christmas Day. A quiet affair with just Steve and me. Present opening showed us how wonderful friends and family are when they give you such thoughtful presents (books, liquor, face creams, body creams, hand creams, an apron, favourite sweets - and a hedger!). Lunch was crayfish, prawns and salads. The afternoon was spent in a walk to the beach and a nap. Dinner was leftovers.

Looking festive though Steve refused to put his sandals on.

Putting my hedger to work on Boxing Day. 

A couple of days of rest and then it was celebratory time once more. My birthday. Let's forget the number and concentrate on the fun. I had lots of phone calls from friends and family and then we headed off to our favourite restaurant Thai Days in Goolwa. Always lovely food. Steve had asked for a window seat when he booked, saying it was for my birthday. But it was a lovely surprise when, at the end of our meal, they delivered a champagne glass of icecream, cream and strawberry syrup to me, saying 'Happy Birthday from us'.  

My birthday photo - at least Steve has his shoes on! 

Massaman curry - so tasty.

A delicious surprise.

And now to New Years Eve. Our celebrations were so low-key as to be almost non-existent. I made a mojito cocktail, we had a roast chicken and I made a Norwegian Meringue Cake that has to be the sickliest (though incredibly yummy) dessert I have ever made - think two layers of a meringue topped slab cake smothered in a honey, cinnamon and cream custard then drizzled over with more custard, honey and almond flakes. I will never make it again.  We were asleep by 11 o'clock. 

Terrific but calorific.

You may have noticed a preponderance of photos of Steve and me together in this blog, something we rarely have. I decided to get out the tiny tripod and attach it to my camera, set the timer, and race over to position myself next to Steve before the camera clicked. I always think the photos never look that natural, but, you work with what you've got!  Here's our New Year's photo.

So, Happy New Year. Let's hope there's more travelling in 2023. I'm already planning on another Melbourne visit to celebrate Kate's 50th birthday in September.  Stay tuned.