Christmas

I can't believe how few photos I took this Christmas... there are a few of the family and cousins, but none of the wider (well 6 other people we saw) family, including the husband's sister visiting from England! I had no idea where 3 of my own family members were (or are now) on the day - somewhere travelling the world!

It was a pretty quiet day - we saw the eldest for about 5 hours as he worked a lot of the day! It was low key in gifts. There was yummy food - i made an amazing, from scratch, custard square for the family dessert.

I was thrilled with my first ever Emma Bridgewater crockery and mug from England and a divine retro lamp made here in New Zealand. I was also lucky enough to spend the night at a fab city hotel last night as a gift.

My cousin gifted me the Happy Go Knitty/ Hanging Rock Roost pattern/wool/stitching bag, which is lovely. And I was also gifted some touch yarn and chic n fish yarn.

A lovely leisurely day basically pulled together in 24 hours! 

Christmas letterboxes

Oh my gosh it is still hot. Day after day of brilliant sunshine.

On an excursion to a beach (which took two hours to get there and we went the non-traffic way...!), we came across Point Wells and the village letterboxes. Aren't they amazing? I walked up and down the road taking the photos, so as not to drive the family insane stopping the car every metre... (the village had run out of fish anyhow, so we had to go elsewhere for our fish and chips that night!).

Lazy Days

It's the lazy days before Christmas. I've finally bought the tree in from the backyard (which is beginning to resemble parts of a desert - we surely must be heading towards a drought declaration soon... my vege garden is wilting at the heat, even with watering...) and decorated it.

I walked two steps into the local shopping centre, bought the last two gifts (well the only one for one who wants zero... two people in this family have declared zero gifts and bar one thing each - wine and a beard trimmer, I've followed through. There will be no gifts from my family, as we are not seeing them at all. and the husband's family also declared no gifts for children or adults either.... we are all on the same page in that nobody needs anything and we can all just go and buy it if we want to anyway... I did buy my niece and nephew a book or two... This Christmas has been stress free and laid back - probably as i ignored it! It's funny when you don't go into shops much and Christmas really seems to pass you by! I haven't even heard one Christmas carol or seen anywhere decorated for Christmas - that's how hermit like I've been from it this year! My teens aren't really bothered by the consumerism either!

I did run around the local (posh) supermarket at 7.30pm last night getting some last foodstuffs and it was empty! It was a pleasure. I do have to be in the mood to do grocery shopping any time of the year.

So, it's day of watching the grass go brown and dirt patches appear, stitching, reading, doing a bit of cleaning and not much else! The eldest is working Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day, the day after New Years Day (still a public holiday here) and he is thrilled - he has enough saved now to pay for university next year. I told him he can start working for my $12,000 uni fees next year... ha! (we pay straight up in NZ - but next year first year students are free. I'm not as already have a first degree).

Anyway, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, lots of time to craft, read, travel, write etc. Thank you for reading this year - I'm a bit freaked out at 2018 and full time university study! I've had nearly 3 months of not working now - best thing I ever did!

I just might even go fabric buying this afternoon.

 Gift hampers from husband's work are the best!

 Can't believe these are the first mince pies I've bought this year - 2 days before Christmas!

 Reading this - fabulous!

 Making progress....

 Already bought the cards for 2018 - ha!