Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
I come from a land down under
My first day in Brisbane and the sun is out. The view from the deck...look at all those palm trees!
Christmas lights on Christmas Eve
Christmas Dinner...aah, seafood!
Then the rains came...
...but the sun came back, on my last day (typical!). Who knows when I'll see another blue sky like this!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
September Stocking Stuffers
What?? Christmas stuff in the shops? It's only the middle of September, people !!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas Eve
Last Christmas, I was avoiding snakes and trying to get rid of a bad case of sunburn. This year, things look a little different.
It seems that we will not have a white Christmas here in London since the rain and milder weather has washed away even the ice that, while not being snow, was at least white. This Christmas finds me thousands of miles from home, but thankfully only a few miles from family. I'll be spending Christmas Day with my cousins and auntie and uncle and calling my family in Australia on Skype at midnight tonight (Christmas Eve) so we can all open presents together.
I've found it hard to get into the spirit of Christmas this year and as weird as it sounds to those who have always had a winter Christmas, I think it's because it's just too cold! Christmas to me is a stinking hot day, usually raining, a lunch of cold cuts, salad and copious amounts of seafood. I have tried my best and I've had moments where it feels perfectly normal to be all rugged up singing about a Winter Wonderland. I'm sure I'll get used to it.
But, at the moment, I miss home. I'm sure I'm not alone.
So wherever you find yourself this Christmas, at home with your family or on the other side of the world from the ones you love, I want to wish you all a very, very Happy Christmas!
It seems that we will not have a white Christmas here in London since the rain and milder weather has washed away even the ice that, while not being snow, was at least white. This Christmas finds me thousands of miles from home, but thankfully only a few miles from family. I'll be spending Christmas Day with my cousins and auntie and uncle and calling my family in Australia on Skype at midnight tonight (Christmas Eve) so we can all open presents together.
I've found it hard to get into the spirit of Christmas this year and as weird as it sounds to those who have always had a winter Christmas, I think it's because it's just too cold! Christmas to me is a stinking hot day, usually raining, a lunch of cold cuts, salad and copious amounts of seafood. I have tried my best and I've had moments where it feels perfectly normal to be all rugged up singing about a Winter Wonderland. I'm sure I'll get used to it.
But, at the moment, I miss home. I'm sure I'm not alone.
So wherever you find yourself this Christmas, at home with your family or on the other side of the world from the ones you love, I want to wish you all a very, very Happy Christmas!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Skype and the 'office' Christmas Party
I seem to always be behind the times when it comes to technology.
I bought my first mobile phone in 2002, my first digital camera in 2004, only joined facebook 12 months ago and have finally downloaded Skype...yesterday! Why I waited so long, I'll never know.
So that means this Christmas, I'll be able to open my presents 'with' my family in Brisbane. The wonders of technology.
But that will also mean no more phone calls when I've just gotten out of bed, hair sticking out in all directions!
Today, I am starting my second round of Christmas shopping for the people I know here, since my first lot are winging their way to Australia as we speak...I hope. This round of present shopping is late, I know, with just over two weeks until Christmas, but I am armed with my list and hope to get in, buy everything on my list, within my budget, and get out before the crowds get worse. Yes, I am delusional!
On the work front, the past couple of weeks have been pretty standard, and the kids both finish school for the Christmas holidays next Wednesday at 12noon. Which should be very interesting since their schools are about a half hour drive between them. Then they have just over three weeks of holidays, and it's down to me to entertain them rain, hail, (snow??) and shine.
I was thinking about my past life as a receptionist the other day and this would have been the time of the Christmas Party that was usually down to me to help organise. Oh, how I do not miss the office Christmas Party! No matter what you planned, someone wouldn't be happy, people would never confirm or decide to bring guests at the last minute. There would be the one obnoxious drunk (or seven!) and the person who falls down and seriously injures themselves. The only thing I am organising this year is the making of a snowman out of cardboard and cotton wool. Hmm, let's see...what do I prefer?
I bought my first mobile phone in 2002, my first digital camera in 2004, only joined facebook 12 months ago and have finally downloaded Skype...yesterday! Why I waited so long, I'll never know.
So that means this Christmas, I'll be able to open my presents 'with' my family in Brisbane. The wonders of technology.
But that will also mean no more phone calls when I've just gotten out of bed, hair sticking out in all directions!
Today, I am starting my second round of Christmas shopping for the people I know here, since my first lot are winging their way to Australia as we speak...I hope. This round of present shopping is late, I know, with just over two weeks until Christmas, but I am armed with my list and hope to get in, buy everything on my list, within my budget, and get out before the crowds get worse. Yes, I am delusional!
On the work front, the past couple of weeks have been pretty standard, and the kids both finish school for the Christmas holidays next Wednesday at 12noon. Which should be very interesting since their schools are about a half hour drive between them. Then they have just over three weeks of holidays, and it's down to me to entertain them rain, hail, (snow??) and shine.
I was thinking about my past life as a receptionist the other day and this would have been the time of the Christmas Party that was usually down to me to help organise. Oh, how I do not miss the office Christmas Party! No matter what you planned, someone wouldn't be happy, people would never confirm or decide to bring guests at the last minute. There would be the one obnoxious drunk (or seven!) and the person who falls down and seriously injures themselves. The only thing I am organising this year is the making of a snowman out of cardboard and cotton wool. Hmm, let's see...what do I prefer?
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
The Joy of (sending presents home for) Christmas
Ah, Royal Mail, how I love thee.
Hmmm!
This last week, it seemed I spent most of my life at the Post Office in an attempt to get my Christmas presents sent home to Australia before the cut off date this Friday.
On my first attempt, I purchased a box that was far too large and had to return to buy a smaller one the following day. Having done this, I packed all the presents into the box, a perfect fit and trekked back to the Post Office to send it. After waiting in the queue for just under half an hour, having the box weighed, I was told it would cost over 60 pounds to send home. What? Sixty pounds?? Unfortunately, it was true. I hate to say it, but the gifts did not even cost that much!
Apparently, it was just 300 grams over the 2 kilos that would have made it much less. The guy behind the counter told me that I could split the parcel, that was a perfect fit, into two smaller parcels, it would cost me about half that. Great. Another trip to the Post Office is just what I need at this time of year. So I dragged the parcel home to re-pack it into two smaller ones, which turned out not to be such a perfect fit, and so some presents needed to be "adjusted" (sorry, Caitlin, but you'll get the rest for your birthday!).
Back at the Post Office today, I joined the queue, which was even longer than yesterday, and managed to send the two parcels on their way to Brisbane.
Online shopping next Christmas? What a great idea!
Hmmm!
This last week, it seemed I spent most of my life at the Post Office in an attempt to get my Christmas presents sent home to Australia before the cut off date this Friday.
On my first attempt, I purchased a box that was far too large and had to return to buy a smaller one the following day. Having done this, I packed all the presents into the box, a perfect fit and trekked back to the Post Office to send it. After waiting in the queue for just under half an hour, having the box weighed, I was told it would cost over 60 pounds to send home. What? Sixty pounds?? Unfortunately, it was true. I hate to say it, but the gifts did not even cost that much!
Apparently, it was just 300 grams over the 2 kilos that would have made it much less. The guy behind the counter told me that I could split the parcel, that was a perfect fit, into two smaller parcels, it would cost me about half that. Great. Another trip to the Post Office is just what I need at this time of year. So I dragged the parcel home to re-pack it into two smaller ones, which turned out not to be such a perfect fit, and so some presents needed to be "adjusted" (sorry, Caitlin, but you'll get the rest for your birthday!).
Back at the Post Office today, I joined the queue, which was even longer than yesterday, and managed to send the two parcels on their way to Brisbane.
Online shopping next Christmas? What a great idea!
Friday, December 26, 2008
So this is Christmas...
Well, I had a great Christmas yesterday. I spent the day with my mum, dad and nana. It was a quiet one and none of us over ate or even fell asleep in the afternoon!
Mum made homemade fruit mince pies and we ate these while opening our presents. For lunch, we had roast turkey and pork with roast veggies, followed by pudding and custard for dessert.
During lunch, we called my sister, brother-in-law and niece who were shivering in the snow up in Vermont. They are having a great time and are off to New York today.
After lunch, we all sat down to watch Christmas Day TV, which is always "interesting" - you've gotta love those Hallmark movies!
I came away with a great haul of presents and over all it was a really good day.
Mum made homemade fruit mince pies and we ate these while opening our presents. For lunch, we had roast turkey and pork with roast veggies, followed by pudding and custard for dessert.
During lunch, we called my sister, brother-in-law and niece who were shivering in the snow up in Vermont. They are having a great time and are off to New York today.
After lunch, we all sat down to watch Christmas Day TV, which is always "interesting" - you've gotta love those Hallmark movies!
I came away with a great haul of presents and over all it was a really good day.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
It's Christmas Eve, babe...
Christmas Eve is finally here and at this very moment most of my family is preparing for their first white Christmas in the far reaches of Vermont, USA...while I am trying to stay cool and waiting for the summer afternoon storms to roll in.
My shopping has all been bought. My presents have all been wrapped. My money has all been spent.
I feel like I can breathe out now. I am on holidays from work and all the hard work seems to be behind me.
I am off to Carols tonight at church and then tomorrow I will spend the day with my parents. I love this time of year!
Merry Christmas....everyone!
My shopping has all been bought. My presents have all been wrapped. My money has all been spent.
I feel like I can breathe out now. I am on holidays from work and all the hard work seems to be behind me.
I am off to Carols tonight at church and then tomorrow I will spend the day with my parents. I love this time of year!
Merry Christmas....everyone!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Random Acts of (Christmas) Kindness
Ever since the snake episode, I have been nervous about the length of the grass in the front yard, imagining all sorts of long, fang-wielding creatures lurking there, waiting for my unsuspecting foot to casually step out of my car door.
As I am housesitting at the moment, and using the excuse of not knowing how to operate their lawnmower, I have been putting off the task of actually doing something about the lawn.
Imagine my surprise when I get home from work last night to find the front lawn has been mowed! Some kindly neighbour has decided out of the goodness of their heart (or the fact that it was by far the highest grass in the whole street!) to mow the lawn for me.
To me, it's these kinds of things that make it feel like Christmas. The little things, the random acts of kindness. It warms my heart!
I'm not sure who is responsible, but I would like to say a huge "thank you" to whoever it may have been.
I like to think it was the elves...
As I am housesitting at the moment, and using the excuse of not knowing how to operate their lawnmower, I have been putting off the task of actually doing something about the lawn.
Imagine my surprise when I get home from work last night to find the front lawn has been mowed! Some kindly neighbour has decided out of the goodness of their heart (or the fact that it was by far the highest grass in the whole street!) to mow the lawn for me.
To me, it's these kinds of things that make it feel like Christmas. The little things, the random acts of kindness. It warms my heart!
I'm not sure who is responsible, but I would like to say a huge "thank you" to whoever it may have been.
I like to think it was the elves...
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Deck the Halls ... and all that stuff!
I got out my Christmas CD today. I love the start of December. It doesn't feel like Christmas to me before December.
I have a great Christmas CD. I got in while I was in the UK so it has great songs like Fairytale of New York (one of my favourites! What other Christmas song has the words 'you scumbag, you maggot' in them??), I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday, not to mention all the Cliff Richard 'greats'! Ah, Christmas.
This is the time I put up my tree. Always a great tradition in our house as a kid. On would go a Christmas CD. Mum would get out the box of decorations, most of them my sister and I had made and the rest seemed to have been in the box before time began. But each and every one had to make it onto the tree or it just wouldn't be the same. Next came all the standing back and moving ornaments until the tree was balanced. Once all the decorations were hung, at last the angel would be placed on the top. And it was official - Christmas could now start.
These days, my tree may be smaller and my decorations newer and shinier, but it still means Christmas to me.
The Santas have begun to appear in shopping centres. Yesterday, I sat in the hairdresser and watched all the kids and parents lining up to have their photo taken with Santa. The decorations are up and everywhere the feeling of Christmas is in the air.
Growing up in Australia, Christmas to me is hot. I have only had two Christmases out of the country - my first in Scotland was wet and cold and the second in Manchester, we did have snow in the morning, but we were flying out to Florida that day, so we had snow in the morning and tropical thunderstorm in the afternoon!
So, as the weather gets hotter and we start singing songs like 'Winter Wonderland', 'Frosty the Snowman' and 'Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!', it finally feels like Christmas to me!
I have a great Christmas CD. I got in while I was in the UK so it has great songs like Fairytale of New York (one of my favourites! What other Christmas song has the words 'you scumbag, you maggot' in them??), I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday, not to mention all the Cliff Richard 'greats'! Ah, Christmas.
This is the time I put up my tree. Always a great tradition in our house as a kid. On would go a Christmas CD. Mum would get out the box of decorations, most of them my sister and I had made and the rest seemed to have been in the box before time began. But each and every one had to make it onto the tree or it just wouldn't be the same. Next came all the standing back and moving ornaments until the tree was balanced. Once all the decorations were hung, at last the angel would be placed on the top. And it was official - Christmas could now start.
These days, my tree may be smaller and my decorations newer and shinier, but it still means Christmas to me.
The Santas have begun to appear in shopping centres. Yesterday, I sat in the hairdresser and watched all the kids and parents lining up to have their photo taken with Santa. The decorations are up and everywhere the feeling of Christmas is in the air.
Growing up in Australia, Christmas to me is hot. I have only had two Christmases out of the country - my first in Scotland was wet and cold and the second in Manchester, we did have snow in the morning, but we were flying out to Florida that day, so we had snow in the morning and tropical thunderstorm in the afternoon!
So, as the weather gets hotter and we start singing songs like 'Winter Wonderland', 'Frosty the Snowman' and 'Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!', it finally feels like Christmas to me!
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