Mamalade

I’m glad we shopped yesterday. Someone told me the shops were crowded today, with people stocking up - not only for the weekend, but doing a last minute panic about the Millenium.

Yesterday the shops were pretty quiet with no sign of Millenium madness - except for one crazy woman buying a spare torch and extra batteries. Ben laughed at me when I told him I’d bought an extra torch. He’s taken it up the Coast with him for the weekend. Actually, I insisted they take a torch in case the car breaks down or something.

Relle came and put the mower together. In 5 minutes! She has many talents. Miles loved it.

“Mo-mow” he said, and proceeded to chase after the dog with it.

We all went to Mum and Dad’s place for Christmas Day. (All except Ben and Agnieszka, who were still away on their honeymoon) Everyone took something for a cold salad lunch. I always make “Devils on Horseback” (bacon wrapped around prunes stuffed with chutney, secured with a toothpick and grilled.)

Relle had made personalized bonbons for each person with an appropriate little gift inside as well as a party hat, joke and party popper.

The kids received lots of gifts, yet the toddlers settled for simple pleasures. Miles kept tossing a little rubber ball through the doorway and running after it, while Matthew picked up and examined the paper streamers out of the bonbons.

5 year-old Callum entertained us by telling how he’d bought his mother a bra for Christmas. (She wore it, too, stuffed with tissues.) His sister Shea helped him choose it from Crazy Clarks.

“But how did you know what size?” we asked.

“Oh, we just got one the same size as her undies.” said Shea.

It was a good day, if somewhat noisy with all the kids together.

Ben and Agnieszka returned from their sailing trip on Tuesday. They’d had a lot of rain and some hairy experiences with rough seas, but they enjoyed it.

Ben and Agnieszka were married last Thursday.

They came up from Melbourne the weekend before and had a hectic few days getting everything organised. I’ve never before heard of anyone choosing a photographer and florist just three days before the wedding!

Relle had made a beautiful wedding cake and arranged for it to be professionally iced. The week before the wedding, the man who was going to do it rang and said “Don’t bring the cake. My brother has died. I’ll ring you at the end of the week.”!!! He did get it done in time and it was beautiful. The Champagne roses on the cake were just like the roses in Agnieszka’s bouquet.

They were married in the Brisbane Botanical Gardens. We all assembled in the beautiful rainforest area. Agnieszka’s family were there, including relatives from Poland and Holland. They’ve all been holidaying on the gold Coast. And our family of course as well as close friends. Ben’s friend Walter who is in Perth couldn’t come, so he sent a life size cutout picture of himself.

I took photos of the guests while we were waiting for Ben and Agnieszka. Some turned out quite well, but I’ve managed to cut off people’s heads in a few. Wouldn’t you think, that people would stand in the middle of the picture and pull their heads in when they see me trying to take a photo!

It had been clear and sunny right up till 5 pm. (The time of the ceremony) Ben and Agnieszka still hadn’t arrived. The photographer held them up. Then fine rain started to fall - I prefer to think of it as a shower of blessing. We grabbed a chair each and dashed into the nearby rotunda. The rain stopped, so we all went back to the rainforest. Then it rained again, so back we went to the rotunda while someone dashed up to the kiosk to see if Ben and Agnieszka had turned up there. It fined up and we went back to the rainforest. By the time Ben and Agnieszka arrived it was looking rainy again, so we all trooped up to the kiosk. Of course it had stopped raining by then.

Anyway, it was a lovely wedding ceremony in the kiosk.

Robert and Callum, my two 5 year old nephews had a great time at the wedding. They tore all around the gardens after the ceremony and after the reception they danced every dance together. They were fun to watch.

Ben and Agnieszka are spending a week sailing and diving in the Whitsundays. They’ll come back on Boxing Day and spend some time here before returning to Melbourne.

And now it’s nearly Christmas. And I’m still trying to assemble the toy lawn mower I bought for Miles. The axle WILL NOT go through the holes and the holes WILL NOT line up. This is the last time I’ll buy anything that has to be assembled.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Bubbles

“Look what I bought yesterday,” I showed Frances the tiny white plastic bottle with a dove on top. “Bubbles! Instead of confetti for the wedding.”

“I’ve been thinking of getting some, too,” said Frances. “I’ve seen them in the shops…” She started to unscrew the lid.

“Don’t open it now!” I said. “All the bubbles will fly out.”

She looked at me in amazement. “How could they? It’s just liquid. You have to blow the bubbles yourself.”

She pulled a little round gadget out of the bottle and to the delight of Miles, blew a cascade of bubbles over him.

“Just as well you told me,” I said. “I was going to open it at the wedding and pour it over Ben and Agnieszka.”

“Ooh, I can’t wait to tell the girls this one!” said Frances.

Bad dog.

Miles and Nelson (the corgi) spent the afternoon with me while Frances went to the hairdresser and did some shopping. Toddlers are so constant! Miles moves so quickly from one thing to the next, I’m flat out keeping up with him. But he is a lot of fun.

Nelson was a bad dog. A large bearded dragon lizard was doing its stick impersonation on the lawn. “Look at the lizard,” I said to Miles. I didn’t realise Nelson understood English. The stupid dog took off after the lizard, across the flower bed. There was a lot of barking and thrashing, then the lizard streaked across the backyard and took refuge under the old car that Joel is still promising to get rid of “one day”. Then it must have gone next door, because Nelson started digging furiously along the fence and piercing the air with staccato barks.

I ran and got the spray bottle. He usually quietens down when he sees it. By now the action was back in my yard and plant pots flew in all directions.

He finally lost track of the lizard and Miles used the spray bottle to squirt water on everything in the backyard (including me). It kept him occupied for ages. I bet he’d rather have a spray bottle than all the toys he’ll receive for Christmas.

Nelson will have to curtail his barking. There’s a new law - dogs are allowed to bark for only 6 minutes in every hour. Maybe we should hang a watch around his neck so he’ll know when to bark.

Frances came back with her hair very very short. “It’s too short and I don’t want to talk about it,” she said. But it’s a nice style and she needn’t worry. Even if they shaved it all off, she’d still look good.

 Plum Pudding

It’s that time of year again!

“Do you feel like cutting up the fruit this year?” asked my sister Relle.

We all groaned. “Oh, no! Plum Pudding time again!”

We don’t mind, really. In fact, it’s fun to get together and chop up the dried fruit for the traditional huge pudding that Relle makes.

Our initial respionse is part of the tradition, triggered by memories of the greasy suet we used to shave into transparent flakes - until Relle discovered that butter works just as well.

So last Monday, Relle, Mum, Frances and I spent the evening happily dicing fruit and nuts into uniform pieces. Relle is meticulous about the size. (I offered to bring a ruler.) “Just imagine you’re sculpting sultanas out of that apple.” she instructed Frances.

We all made a wish as we stirred the ingredients.

The end product is always delicious.

Christmas Shopping

Did you notice, Christmas comes earlier each year? When we were kids it was a whole year from one Christmas to the next. But now, it always comes before I am ready.

This morning I did some Christmas shopping in the nearest big shopping centre, and struggled back on the bus with arms loaded with heavy bulky parcels. With great difficulty I manoevred them through the door of the bus and clung on desperately during the bumpy ride home.

“This is the easy part,” I thought . “I still have to carry them from the bus stop to the car…. if only there could be a supermarket trolley waiting at the bus stop…”

I’m not sure now if I made that a prayer, a wish or suggestion, but I remember thinking ” If only I had enough faith to pray for a trolley, and expect it to be there.”

The bus pulled into the stop with a mighty lurch. I fought my way out through the crowd - and there, (Oh, ye of little faith) right where I got off, was an empty supermarket trolley! I thankfully dumped my load into it and pushed it easily to the car.

The next few weeks are going to be hectic, with Ben and Agnieszka’s wedding, then Christmas. So much to do and so little time.