Sweet treats and Christmas trees.

My Christmas tree is up and decorated.

The family's presents are all wrapped and under the tree.

We'll take them over to Vanessa's place on Christmas Day and give them out after we've eaten dinner. She has the table set up so it will be a sit down meal. I think all the family from down this way will be there which will be nice. There's been one or two missing the last couple of years.

The first Sunday of the month we have a shared, pot luck, finger food lunch at church. We don't coordinate in any way so it really is pot luck and usually ends up being a good mix of savoury and sweet. This month we were gifted with some beautiful gingerbread Christmas cookies made by one of the ladies from our 'mother' church. There were enough left over that I could bring some home for my GKB, Bob. They were a nice, unexpected sweet treat :)

One evening I was checking the list of decorated houses for our little town and noticed that one of the houses was in a cul de sac just across the road from us. So instead of getting ready for bed that night I waited up until about 11pm, donned a jacket, it was horribly cold out, and walked over. The house was rather pretty and my photo doesn't really do it justice, but I think it looks a bit like a gingerbread house. And I love the way the background turned out. And yes that is the last of the sun setting further south.

And just for fun, I have been trying to put a photo of a different Christmas tree on my Story on facebook daily. It started out just for me and because I hadn't put up my tree yet I used family ones to start. I seem to have gathered a following though with people commenting and looking out for my tree so I'll have to do a big reveal on Christmas Eve I think. Just a bit of Christmas fun :)

Some of the trees I've put up, Some are big family sized and others are kids creations :) I need to find three more for this week but as the shops all have them it shouldn't be too hard :)

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Love came down ...

and stayed.

John 3:16   For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

 that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

LOVE and Advent blessings to all.

Diana

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.

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

Christmas in the summertime

I love looking at posts showing Christmas in the northern hemisphere but for me Christmas happens in the summer. So I thought I would show you some pictures from a summer 

Christmas Day past.

One year we kitten sat for our daughter, summer is kitten time, and she ended up decorating our tree. She loved the fact that we had put  a tree in the lounge for her and covered it with all sorts of shiny toys. She gave us a lot of laughs as she climbed from bottom to top and back again.

Of course there is always heaps of food and even with summer salads and cold meats it is easy to over eat if you're not careful.

And if you manage to behave with the salads 

maybe you won't be so good with the summer desserts.

Naturally there are delicious sweet and savoury nibbles 

scattered around in strategic places as well.

Afterwards there's always time to sit around out of the sun 

and just relax and socialise, have a long cool drink or two

 and wash all that party food down.

Or join the kids for a game of backyard cricket and maybe lose some of those calories you just piled on over lunch. Or what's more likely, lose the ball, probably on a neighbours roof :)

But before any of this happens there is the opportunity to attend a Christmas church service and celebrate the birth of Jesus, who is after all, the reason for the season.

Just a little glimpse of a 

summertime Christmas, 

I hope you enjoyed it.

joining Amy and friends for:

five on Friday

Diana

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree...

I thought I could show you some of my 

Christmas tree decorations. Not many, 

just some very old special ones and a couple of fun ones.

You will see there is no rhyme or reason to my tree, 

I just put an eclectic mix of ornaments on it, 

because that's the way we like it.

The tree in all it's Christmas glory, both taken at night, 

one with the flash on and the other with the flash turned off.

This old plastic Santa is so old and I don't know where he came from but I rather think he once belonged to my sister who 

moved to Australia what seems like a lifetime ago.

She also owned the little gauze fairy on the right. 

Very olden pieces, not that she is mind you :)

Both pieces precious to me.

These ones are more recent buys and are just for fun.

On the left is All Black Santa, dressed in our national football team's colours of, you've guessed it, all black!

He is accompanied by fishing Santa 

in honour of my GKB who loves fishing.

This angel was sent to us one year by the one of the children we sponsored for several years. I always put her in a prominent place on the tree, somewhere in the front, so we can think of her at this time of the year even though her sponsorship is finished.

Our tree topper is a silver star with a dove just beneath, 

not a good photo of them I'm afraid but you get the idea.

And this is a little glimpse of my glitter church 

and an ice house I have on my kitchen table.

I'm wanting to make a little village 

but as yet only have four houses - but four is 

more than none and something to start with :)

Market day

December has arrived, heralding the beginning of summer, 

and the weather is playing ball.

 I got slightly sunburnt while out walking yesterday.

The Christmas tree has been erected in Anzac Park.

And on Saturday we had our annual Market Day.

The organizers were hoping to get about 8000 people along 

and as it was a good day I'm pretty sure they did.

Both ends of the main road were closed off for about six hours.

The shops were open and a lot of them

 had tables outside with sales goods on them.

There were critters for the kids to interact with 

and bouncy castles at either end of the street.

Little Flick was there as well,

who remembers him from their childhood?

I used to listen in on the radio and hear his tale.

Lots of kids riding on him :)

A sound stage had been set up and there was almost 

continuous music throughout the day as well as a talent quest.

Of course there were a lot of arts and crafts stalls 

as well as produce and boutique style products.

We found a lovely pendant we are sure 

our eldest daughter will love. One Christmas present

 down, heaps to go. Oh well it's that time of year.

We have to have the overseas posting done by Thursday 

and we haven't bought anything yet!

Methinks tomorrow (Wednesday) will be a tad busy.

We spent an enjoyable hour or so down there,

and did see one or two other things we'll maybe

 go back and buy sometime from one of the boutiques.

And that is pretty well it for this week.

Because the sky is blue 

I am going to join in with;
Blue Monday

Until next time, keep well.

Don't overdo things 

and enjoy the season.

Diana

It surely is the silly season

This is a lazy post really. I was playing with some of the editing effects on one of the computer programmes and thinking about Christmas so decided to post one or two of the photos. Or four or five of them. 

home nativity

I seem to be very busy at the moment trying to get ready for Christmas, which is coming all too quickly, but I'm sure I'll be ready on time.

Hand crafted nativity set

Tonight I've been back to my old work place, the rest home, to watch my youngest grandson take part in putting on a few Christmas items with his scout troop. He was surprised to see me but also pleased when they were told to go and talk to some of the residents. He made a beeline for me, haha, so I took him in hand and went with him while he spoke with a couple of the old ladies. He's 8 and found it just a little daunting I think.

Christmas tree in hotel foyer

I've also been helping make props for our church Christmas outreach, Wednesday mornings spent painting and cutting and fitting and everything else that goes with putting displays together. A lot of fun really with people just turning up randomly to help. I have some sheep at home now waiting to be cut out and have legs attached, the Sunday School kids drew and painted them. Cute.

Santa in the city

This week my daughter and I spent the morning in town, mostly window shopping while we waited for my GKB who was at an appointment. We found some shops we never knew about and had a good old time poking around - and I got some great ideas for Christmas presents. My mind had been blank up till then. When we had finished we had to have coffee of course. I love going into town with my girls, I always enjoy it.

Missy climbing the Christmas tree

I'm looking at my diary, *retired and needing a diary*, and next week is filling up fast. But I love Christmas so I don't mind really

It surely is the silly season. 

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All of the photo's have been cropped and sharpened apart from the top one and the bottom one. The one at the top has been localised. Photos all taken using a Canon PowerShot A540.

.

A weekend away

I have just spent a weekend at a conference in Auckland, our largest city. I loved it - both the conference and the city. Auckland really gave me a buzz. With a population of 1.42 million it has more people than the entire South Island. Now the only times I have been to Auckland have been to conferences or to number one son's graduation. So I still haven't seen it. I intend to go back for a holiday in the not too distant future.

Auckland Town Hall

The weather was grey, stormy at times and blustery. And the temperatures weren't much different than we get at the bottom of the South Island. But when you're on holiday or in a conference hall who cares? Not me. On Sunday morning I was up early, rudely awakened with cramp in my foot and leg!
As my room mate was also awake we decided to go and join the other idiots, um, nice people who were over in Aotea Square for devotions. It was not too far away, just across the road in fact.

Aotea Square and the banners

They were using banners and I thought 'that's okay, I'll watch'. But that wasn't an option so I grabbed one and guess what? I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Then it was breakfast and back to the conference

That was a real ordeal, not that there was anything wrong with the speaker, he was great, but due to circumstances the night before I hadn't got to bed till the early hours of the morning. I opted out of the afternoon workshop and went back to my little bed in the hotel. By mid afternoon I'd finished snoozing and I really needed some fresh air so after a nice coffee I went for a walk and took in some of the views. So here are one or two photo's I took while out wagging, um walking.

Sir Dove-Myer Robinson, a former mayor of Auckland.

 Sir Dove-Myer Robinson was mayor of Auckland when I was young.

 He was a real character and a  man of the people.
Sadly missed when he retired from public life.

Waharoa

Waharoa is the Maori word meaning gateway. 

It is situated at the Queen Street entrance to Aotea Square. 

The gate was designed by Selwyn Muru, a Maori sculptor,
 and is a contemporary design built in wood and copper.

On the back is a Maori inscription which has been translated into English.

Knati to
whenguwhengu
ake irarona o
te awtipi haere
Pikimai e te ua
o te whatu
katakata mai
anora

Stop
your snivelling
creek bed
come rain hail
and floodwater
laugh again

The Sky Tower

The Sky Tower through the trees. This was as close as I got, I didn't really know how far away it was and didn't want to run myself late to meet the rest of the group when they finished. I've been in it before anyway when we came up for the graduation. And as you can see, the sun shone for me,

 the only time it did while we were there.I really felt blesssed that afternoon.

Santa and his reindeer atop the Whitcoulls verandah

I then took a stroll down Queen St. in the CBD where our hotel was situated and just so we don't forget that Christmas is coming the big man himself was standing on the Whitcoulls verandah, larger than life.

Christmas tree in the hotel atrium

And that my friends is a little glimpse of my weekend away in the big  smoke.

Go well until next time,

Diana

it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

 

Youth group have decorated the church Christmas tree.

 

 

Sunday school have been preparing for their Christmas breakup.



 

 

 Oops, a slight accident with Joseph :(

I've wrapped some Christmas presents.

 

Helped with a Christmas gift stall. 

And written out my Christmas cards. 

Yes it's definitely beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

 

 

 

 

Have a good week, folks.

Diana