Christmas is coming.

What a wonderful weekend we had here at Bellavista. We worked through the heat on Saturday, Sunday and Monday to complete the final structure of the Great Wall. Now its just a case of back filling and preparing the beds for planting. With the heat that we have had of late I am in no rush to plant but the next few weeks will be spent preparing the soil. No photos as yet. Its too dark and wet right now.

Yes, that's right....wet !!!!! It has been sooooo long since we have seen rain up here but the last three days have brought afternoon storms with accompanying rain. Only about 7 or 8 ml each time but at least I don't have to water and I am sure that the plants thrive better on rain than on any watering that I do.

Sunday and Monday, the winds that preceded the storms brought with them swarms of flying bugs. Huge beetle like insects. I was not quick enough to get out the camera but I doubt whether any photo that I took would have done them justice. On Sunday night, after the storm had passed, the Gorgeous Boy and I had to go out and remove a fallen branch from the electric fence and found the branches coated with the bugs....all making merry! I guess after surviving the strong winds and heavy rain, procreation was the next thing on their minds.... you never know if you will survive the next storm!!!!!! ;-)

Today, I began my preparations for Christmas. Since I moved to Australia over thirty years ago, I have never enjoyed Christmas in the way that I used to in England. My mind still cannot adjust to a hot Christmas. I yearn for crisp cold weather....where fairy lights sparkle in the night sky and you rug up to venture out Xmas shopping. Hot spiced wine with mince pies......oh, I could go on forever. Its just not the same. My Darling Husband is truly one of the best. One year he humoured me and lit a log fire in the fire place of our old house....while the airconditioner belted out cold air. Bless your heart Sweetheart ....it just wasn't quite the same.

The fact that Christmas has become so commercial and is being pushed down our throats by the shopping centres and the media from October onwards is also such a turn off. The spirit has gone.

For more years than I can remember I have switched off to Christmas....trying to ignore it until the last possible moment and then rushing around at the last moment to make it up to my family. The Christmas decorations were never put up until just a few days before the day, cards to family and friends barely got sent out before December 20th. Bah humbug. The lions Club always helped me out with their ever reliable Christmas cake. Yes...every year I promised I would make my own but would inevitably put it off until it was too late. Then Christmas day would arrive.......the feeling of love for all...peace on earth, would come to me. But crickey....forcing those roast Turkey dinners down were hard work while the sweat dripped off me. (I don't do...hot...very well!!!!)

Well.......I have done some serious thinking this year. Maybe, just maybe, I have been going about it all wrong. So..........



Its December 1st and my Christmas tree is up and decorated. I will go out this week and gather bits and pieces to make some table decorations. I have my Christmas cards ready (many purchased years ago and they never made it out the boxes!) and over the next week I will write out our family news letter and send Christmas greetings to all our friends and loved ones. I think I may even have some nice Christmas music to play to get me in the mood. I may even start doing some Christmas cooking. Mmmmm.



and......look what I have found today. I began this quilt over five years ago while I was living in Malaysia. It was a mystery quilt put that I together with the quilting group that I belonged to. Most of the hard work is done. All it needs now is to be machine quilted (if I attempt to hand quilt it....it could take another five years!!!!) and then I will bind it.

YES....its beginning to feel at lot like Christmas :-)