Christmas prep and an email from a dear friend

Christmas colours. : )

I didn't get much done yesterday as a tradesman and his helper turned up at 9am to finish off the renovations. They spent most of the day laying the last bit of flooring in the hallway and attaching the skirting boards in the rest of the house. It feels great to have it all done. I feel as if our house has been given back to us. I don't like having people here who can walk in and out as they choose and go to the places that only our family would usually go to. I have to say though that he was an true tradesman and the standard of his work was excellent.

I'm probably late doing this but today I'll start preparing for Christmas. Ours will be a very low key celebration. We have Shane and Kerry coming for dinner next Monday; Christmas eve we'll have dinner with my step son and DIL at their home; Christmas morning Hanno, Shane and I will be working at the breakfast in the park, after that, we'll come back here to relax. Naturally, Boxing Day will be cricket all day. For those of you not in Australia, the Boxing Day test cricket is the big sporting tradition here. It's a bit like football on Thanksgiving or the football World Cup final. I love Boxing Day, it's a day of pure indulgence for me. There is a feeling of relaxation in the air. Christmas is over, children are on summer holiday for almost two months and there are smiling faces everywhere. I settle in early with my knitting or sewing and watch the cricket or snooze in my chair almost all day. : )

So today, before I go out, I'll clean out the fridge and start making ice. I like to have plenty of ice in the freezer for all those cold drinks over the holidays and if I start making two trays each day now, I'll have enough. I intend doing a couple of small jobs like this every day so I'm not rushed at the last minute, or worse, need to go out and buy something that I could easily make now. How do you prepare for Christmas? Are you a few jobs a day person or do you have a last minute rush? I have found that listing what needs to be done, and doing two or three of those tasks each day really does make a big difference in the enjoyment of the holidays.

I had another email from Jewels yesterday. She and her family are fine. They've sold their house and are looking to buy another. She had her own tale of a fox in the backyard and five missing chooks. They'll all be together for Christmas, baby Maggie is doing well and Jewels is looking forward to moving to her new home, being settled again and resting. As usual, she sounds content and at peace with whatever comes her way.

I'm going to work for about four hours today to meet with another volunteer to finalise the organisation of our Christmas activities. When I come home this afternoon, it will be to a home that is all mine again. I still haven't organised the table I was going to do yesterday, but that can easily wait till tomorrow when my two Christmas tasks will be to make two fruit cakes and buy some German beer.