T'was the day before Christmas

I finally put up our little cotton Christmas decorations and found two red candles. I'm ready.

The brandy has been poured over the Christmas cake for the last time and today we pick up all the food for the Christmas breakfast. However, there has been a glitch.

Hanno has been laid up with gout for the past three days and can barely walk. He's only walking, very slowly, with the help of a walking stick.

I considered asking a couple of the committee members to do all my chores today but as they know nothing about what I've ordered, I had to find another way. While laying on the couch all day, Hanno was insisting he was fine. He didn't want me to ask anyone else to do this, he wants us to do it. He sees it as an important gift to the community and while I agree with him, it's difficult to do what we have to do when he can't stand up. So what do I do when I have a work-related problem?

I rang Bernadette.

Bernadette is the woman I work with most days at the Centre. We are an excellent team, together we can do anything. I put Hanno's proposal to her: she and I do all the running around while Hanno directs us from the car. LOL!! Now how could a plan like that go wrong. Well, we will soon see. This is what is planned.

I drive Hanno and I to pick up Bernadette, we all go to the showground to pick up the mobile coldroom they are lending us. With Hanno directing, Bernadette and I hook up the coldroom trailer to our car and drive to Bernadette's house where we unhook the trailer and plug in the coldroom.

Bernadette makes us all a cuppa.

At 11am, we drive into town and try to find a parking spot near the shops. No doubt Hanno will be directing this too but I doubt I'll be listening. ; ) We leave Hanno in the parked car and Bernadette and I pick up all the bread and bread rolls from IGA, two donated cheese platters from the fine food shop, donated watermelons, rockmelons, oranges, mangoes and a box of tomatoes from the green grocer, 10 kg bacon (donated) from one butcher, then drive to another location and pick up 5 kg bacon, 33 dozen eggs (donated) and 400 sausages from another butcher. I also have to collect my ham from him. He sells antibiotic-free and free range meat, so I ordered a small ham for our Christmas lunch. Drive to Bernadette's and pack all this into the coldroom.

Bernadette makes us all a cuppa.

Drive out to the dairy to pick up donated yoghurt and milk, both cow and goat's milk. We bought the soy milk already from the IGA. We will probably have a few vegans and vegetarians call in for breakfast. The dairy also offered to lend us their refrigerated ute, Tinkerbelle. I did say we'd take it but with Hanno unable to drive, I'll just pick up the donation and leave Tinkerbelle to rest with the cows over the holidays. Drive back to Bernadette's and pack it into the cold room. I'll leave Hanno at Bernadettes when I do this, it will be easier.

It will then probably be around 2pm, so Hanno and I will drive back down the mountain and go home. I'll check the chickens - Mary is still sitting on her eggs, feed the dogs, cat and fish, have a shower and we'll go to my step son's and DIL's for Christmas eve dinner.

Tomorrow we'll be up early to set up for the breakfast. It goes from 7am till 11am. We have about 15 people to help with setting up, cooking, serving and cleaning up, but on the day people generally volunteer to work as well. Shane is bringing two of his friends to help us so I'll invite them and Bernadette to come home with us for lunch. After that, I reckon I'll collapse.

This is the last post I'll do for a little while as I plan on resting for a few days over the holidays. I want to thank you all for making my first few months of blogging so enjoyable. We have built up a lovely little community here and it has given me a lot of pleasure to write for you all. I hope you all enjoy the holidays and are able to spend it with those you love. If you're alone, I hope you have a good book. Stay safe everyone.

I will leave you with these few interesting links:

Christmas poem at the wonderful Duck Herder blog.

Small Town Living magazine which is put together by garden goose. You can read a lot of good articles here.

Check out what Melinda is doing over Christmas at Elements in Time.

David Holmgren's very interesting article on Retrofitting the Suburbs.