A beautiful southern Christmas Day

Christmas Day dawned bright and sunny and beautiful. We sat in the yard and chatted and relaxed over coffee and Christmas cake at morning tea time. I stayed there for a while and read for a bit. We didn't have to be anywhere until mid afternoon.

Mid afternoon we headed over to number one son's home and congregated with the rest of the family. There were 18 of us in total as my brother and his partner from Aussie had arrived unexpectedly.

As usual there were parcels under the tree

and we had fun opening them :)

And then it was time to head outside

to seek the shade and maybe catch a breeze.

Under the house for some

and under the umbrella in the back yard for others.

Sunblock and sunhats were the order of the day.

A couple of the men got the barbie going, the girls had already done their bit with the salads, desserts and nibbles.

Enough food to feed the clan and then some left over.

Well maybe not the meat but some of the salads and sweets.

Later it was time to head around to the front garden

out of the sun and heat, to chat and eat desserts.

And that is a snapshot of our Christmas Day.

Diana

joining Deb at Breathing in Grace

for Friday foto friends

Merry Christmas to one and all

A funny sort of week & an apology

It's been a funny sort of a week in more ways than one,

but it is over so we can now get on with Christmas 'stuff'.

Some days it's been bucketing down like this...

and on those days I did stuff like this on the computer...

And then I would think that really I should have gone and dusted the bedroom, or wherever, but it was too late :) Dusting is my second most hated household chore.

Grand daughter came and decorated the tree last weekend and I showed you a picture of the work in progress - here is the finished tree. "You need more tinsel, Granma" she said, and I do so will probably get some at the post Christmas sales.

I don't know about you but I love getting Christmas cards

and I am a bit disappointed that people don't send them

any more. It's not quite the same receiving an electronic

 one - you can't prop it on your mantelpiece and enjoy

 it quite the same. Above is a picture of this years cards.

I managed to bake another cake that turned out pretty good,

even if I do say so myself. It is gluten free as my daughter has become gluten intolerant at the ripe old age of 50!

I'm hoping it will taste okay.

************

An apology

I've been having trouble with putting comments on posts

so my apologies if I have made multiple comments :( 

 I think I have the problem sorted now, I hope so.

joining Deb and friends today for

Friday foto friends

Am I ready for Christmas? No.

Christmas is almost here as you know.
Am I ready? No. Does it matter? Not really.
I think it will probably be the end of the week before
I get any more shopping done. That's just the way
it's panning out this year. But on Christmas Day
the whole family will gather at number one son's
 home and we will celebrate together,
just as we have every year.
And that's what matters :)

Newly married grand daughter, Monica, came over

and decorated our tree. She did a great job too :)

 

And after putting my nativity up and looking at it for

several days I have just realized that Joseph is AWOL!

I've made a cake too, disaster. I've cut it up and

 will use it for pudding with hot custard over it.

And so 'til next time

 E noho ra, goodbye

Diana