Getting there

 I can't believe how quickly that week passed. It's the middle of the month already and I haven't even started on my Christmas shopping. That doesn't worry me though, I've always loved the hustle and bustle of Christmas. 

I spent the afternoon at the eye clinic in the hospital today. We had intended dropping into the Warehouse on the way home to do some present buying - there was 30% off swimming gear, today only, and that's what we'd been asked to buy for a couple of the kids. It wasn't to be, by the time I was finished it was already 4:20pm and we were both hanging out for a cup of something, so straight home we came. 

From next week I should be appointment and obligation free though, apart from volunteering at the shop, so I'll  be able to get stuck in. I'm looking forward to it. 😀

Pigeons on the lawn outside the hospital.

So, until next time, take care.

Relax and enjoy the season.

Advent blessings to everyone.

Diana.

Summer, but not quite Christmassing.

 Hello there. I would like to say I am back to regular blogging but to be honest I don't know. After the past year with little mother being so ill and having to travel from one end of the country to the other with her for her treatment, (more than once) I found at the end of it all I was quite emotionally and mentally exhausted. I don't think I'm quite back to normal yet, but getting there. So...working on it and will post when I can. I have been visiting but just haven't had the energy to comment.

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So...Summer came in beautifully at the beginning of the month and so far it has been very hot for our part of the world. Temps in the mid to high 20's and nights in the mid  teens - too hot for comfort and not a lot of sleep happening. But the upside of that is that I have managed to get most of my spare blankets washed and back inside and put away. You can see that the grass is already burning off and I believe we are in for more of the same.

Number one son came and removed all of his gear at the weekend. They have just moved house again as where they had gone to was only a temporary house sit. They hadn't realised it would be quite so temporary or they may not have taken it. But this has proved a blessing in disguise because the new house is closer to the family, only a block away from his younger sister and her family. And it is in a bush setting while still being part of the city.

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I haven't really got much Christmas stuff done yet but have made a start. Below is my Advent calendar, a New Zealand holiday scene. As you open each door it tells a little of the Nativity story with photos of children playing the parts. Iconic and cute.

I also manage to play some Christmas music occasionally - when my GKB isn't watching darts...or cricket or snooker. So not very often at present :)

And I have managed to get my overseas Christmas cards written and posted away. Now to get started on the local ones.

Then it is a Christmas cake or two, but I'm not stressing about that. If they have to be store bought this year they have to be store bought.

Happy Advent.

Diana

Jimmy and Santa - a story for kids

               

Jimmy wasn't very happy. He'd been off school for a couple of days with a bit of a bug and today he still wasn't quite right so Mum said he could stay home one more day. Mum was going into town to finish the Christmas shopping and said he could go too. He didn't mind doing  that, he might be allowed to go and see Santa at the mall. The trouble was it was all girls going - his Aunty Jay, Gran, his big sister Beth and his even bigger cousin Rose. Not much fun with that lot, he thought. But he trudged along with them anyway, looking in girly sort of shops that didn't interest him at all. But then Rose said to him, "Look what I've found Jimmy." There was a toy shop next door to where Mum and the others were, so in they went. Jimmy found lots of cool stuff he'd really like Santa to bring and couldn't wait until he could tell him all about it. Outside the toy shop he saw a big poster telling him to follow the reindeer tracks and they would take him down to Santa's cave

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"Let's go and see if Santa is here," he said to Gran. So they all followed the reindeer tracks, over to the escalator and down two more floors to the basement. They followed the tracks right down to the other end of the basement and there in front of them was Santa's cave - in total darkness. Santa had gone out for lunch. Jimmy was so disappointed it was all he could do not to cry. He had been so looking forward to seeing Santa all day, the only reason he was putting up with all these girls, and he wasn't there. "Never mind," said Aunty Jay "lets go and get pizza for lunch, maybe he'll come back before we leave."

                                                                                                 

After lunch Jimmy wasn't feeling too good. He was too tired to go to any more shops, he just wanted to sit down somewhere and wait for everyone to finish shopping. He and Gran found a seat not too far away from the escalators and sat down to wait. "Look Jimmy, who's that?" said Gran. "I don't know and I don't care," said Jimmy. "No, look Jimmy, up on the escalator, up there," said Gran excitedly, pointing. Reluctantly Jimmy looked up and who do you think he saw? Santa! Santa was on the escalator, with all the other people. He was dressed all in red with shiny black boots and a white satin sack tied with a gold rope was thrown over his shoulder. He had a little gold tinkly bell in his hand and every now and then he shook it. Jimmy couldn't believe his eyes, Santa must have been looking around the shops, otherwise why would he have his sack with him. And he was coming down the escalator, all the food places were downstairs, so he hadn't been having his lunch. As he walked past Jimmy, Santa gave him a big smile and a wink - and made Jimmy's day. He couldn't wait for the others to come back so he could tell them all about it. It was even better than going into the cave to see him, although he got to do that before they went home as well. 

                              

Happy Advent Season,     
Diana

All names have been changed in this 
story to protect the identity of teenagers 
who are easily embarrassed.  ;)


Linking with Natasha at her:
 Say G'day party

Christmas is a-comin'

I hate to say it but Christmas is fast approaching. It is just around the corner now, I can't believe we are half way through October already.

My GKB and I were in town today, we decided we would go into the Warehouse for a coffee and something to eat and the Christmas decorations and Christmas goodies were all being put out on display.

So pretty. The tinsel and the lights and everything else always make me feel very nostalgic, like a big kid and I couldn't help but stop and admire and handle a lot of the pretty baubles.

Christmas cards, wrapping paper, nativity sets, silly Santa's, tree lights, tinsel trees, glass balls, reindeer, tinsel, curling ribbon, advent calendars.

Chocolate santa's, candy canes, and hampers along with silly seasonal mugs and that was just the beginning of it all.
I can't wait to go back in a week or two and have another poke around, there must be something I need want.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

After a while I  thought perhaps I should go and find my GKB who, for some strange reason, had wandered down to the outdoor living section of the store.

Oh, and I was very good, I didn't buy a thing.