Marguerite
Active Member
OK, I know it's early, but it's after 5 pm here, I need to get my evening chores done.
We've had a relaxing day here. difficult child 3 & I have been dog-sitting today, the same dog we minded for a week a few months ago, so she's used to us. Right now I can hear difficult child 3 giggling as he plays with her - she's a white terrier, part poodle. Very spoilt (in that she loves being around people, hates to be alone) but a lovely, gentle nature.
First day of Advent, so I made a Christmas wreath this morning, with difficult child 3's help. We have some weed of a plant which I call honeysuckle (it's not; this has a red/orange flower) and we cut some stems and made the wreath shape by tying them with string. When I was a little girl my mother would make wreaths out of bracken, and then wire camellia leaves into it to make the sort of wreath laid on cenotaphs. I often helped her, so I felt quite comfortable making this one. My mother would have thought it a bit ratty, though - tis one is sparse.
Then I got difficult child 3 to cut me some Christmas Bush from the western side, where it's fully coloured up. The eastern side (the side we can see from the back window) still has some white flowers not fully developed into the deep salmon-red.
Then we stuck Christmas Bush all around the wreath and it's now hanging on the front door. I found some red/green Kangaroo Paw and put that in as well, but there's not much of that this year, the honeysuckle and wisteria have swamped it all. The backyard is a jungle.
Time to get out the advent calendar. difficult child 3 loves opening the little doors. I don't like to cover up my favourite George Meis calendar of the Greek Islands. I love his photography, especially Santorini.
Whatever faith you are, in whatever way you celebrate this time of the year - I hope it will be joyous and peaceful for you and your family.
easy child 2/difficult child 2 is on the way home from work, she rang up to get the last details of some groceries. What a darling! husband is on the way home from the train track - they had two Christmas parties today, despite the overcast weather. It's like yesterday - not raining, it is just humidity so high you can feel the occasional droplet of condensation. He will probably have to drive through fog, on the plane-wing clifftop. Two parties, but he got more train driving in and has now got enough hours to go for his licence as a steam train driver. he will be tired but happy when he gets home.
Greek salads for all tonight. And maybe some ravioli.
But for now - there's a white fluffy thing waiting to be taken for a walk. It's cooler now, at this end of the day. Ice water is in the fridge, the tap water is getting too warm to drink.
Everywhere there is colour. The jacaranda is still in flower but the trees are filling up with leaves as well. Against the Christmas Bush the purple and the red look wonderful. The gum trees have new growth - some is shiny red, some is lime green. The perfume of various trees fills the air with smells like jasmine, orange blossom and frangipani. This for us is the sight and sound of Christmas approaching, even to the smudge of bushfire smoke on the horizon, making the sunsets more vivid than ever.
I love snow too, maybe because for me it is always a novelty. One day I would like to experience a white Christmas, but until then I am happy with what we have. There is nothing like the smell of frangipani to remind me of holidays, Christmas and our wedding day (we had frangipani flowers - it was in January).
School is nearly over for the year - this adds to the joy!
Enjoy your Saturday, everyone.
Marg
We've had a relaxing day here. difficult child 3 & I have been dog-sitting today, the same dog we minded for a week a few months ago, so she's used to us. Right now I can hear difficult child 3 giggling as he plays with her - she's a white terrier, part poodle. Very spoilt (in that she loves being around people, hates to be alone) but a lovely, gentle nature.
First day of Advent, so I made a Christmas wreath this morning, with difficult child 3's help. We have some weed of a plant which I call honeysuckle (it's not; this has a red/orange flower) and we cut some stems and made the wreath shape by tying them with string. When I was a little girl my mother would make wreaths out of bracken, and then wire camellia leaves into it to make the sort of wreath laid on cenotaphs. I often helped her, so I felt quite comfortable making this one. My mother would have thought it a bit ratty, though - tis one is sparse.
Then I got difficult child 3 to cut me some Christmas Bush from the western side, where it's fully coloured up. The eastern side (the side we can see from the back window) still has some white flowers not fully developed into the deep salmon-red.
Then we stuck Christmas Bush all around the wreath and it's now hanging on the front door. I found some red/green Kangaroo Paw and put that in as well, but there's not much of that this year, the honeysuckle and wisteria have swamped it all. The backyard is a jungle.
Time to get out the advent calendar. difficult child 3 loves opening the little doors. I don't like to cover up my favourite George Meis calendar of the Greek Islands. I love his photography, especially Santorini.
Whatever faith you are, in whatever way you celebrate this time of the year - I hope it will be joyous and peaceful for you and your family.
easy child 2/difficult child 2 is on the way home from work, she rang up to get the last details of some groceries. What a darling! husband is on the way home from the train track - they had two Christmas parties today, despite the overcast weather. It's like yesterday - not raining, it is just humidity so high you can feel the occasional droplet of condensation. He will probably have to drive through fog, on the plane-wing clifftop. Two parties, but he got more train driving in and has now got enough hours to go for his licence as a steam train driver. he will be tired but happy when he gets home.
Greek salads for all tonight. And maybe some ravioli.
But for now - there's a white fluffy thing waiting to be taken for a walk. It's cooler now, at this end of the day. Ice water is in the fridge, the tap water is getting too warm to drink.
Everywhere there is colour. The jacaranda is still in flower but the trees are filling up with leaves as well. Against the Christmas Bush the purple and the red look wonderful. The gum trees have new growth - some is shiny red, some is lime green. The perfume of various trees fills the air with smells like jasmine, orange blossom and frangipani. This for us is the sight and sound of Christmas approaching, even to the smudge of bushfire smoke on the horizon, making the sunsets more vivid than ever.
I love snow too, maybe because for me it is always a novelty. One day I would like to experience a white Christmas, but until then I am happy with what we have. There is nothing like the smell of frangipani to remind me of holidays, Christmas and our wedding day (we had frangipani flowers - it was in January).
School is nearly over for the year - this adds to the joy!
Enjoy your Saturday, everyone.
Marg
