Share Your World – Week 51

This week is Cee’s special holiday edition of Share Your World, it’s only a few days ’til Christmas……….where oh where has this year gone. So much has happened locally and globally, so many highs and lows.

What types of food is associated with your holiday? We celebrate Christmas, but we are not religious. This time of year to me means, family, friends and food. Good weather, beach, sun and water and longer days. Time spent in fun. I love some many things that come with Christmas; fruit mince pies, plum pudding, turkey…….so much stuff either I cannot eat or have to change and that buggers up the taste 😦

Australians’ are renowned for fresh seafood at this time of year; something else I cannot eat…but there is the good old BBQ. We are in fact having one tonight, the first of the Christmas festivities at our house.

Do you travel for your holiday? Usually yes, we go away the week before Christmas, when everyone else is madly shopping, arguing for car parks, and the normal madness we are soaking up sunshine somewhere lovely. Last year we did the Great Ocean Road, the year Before we did Canberra and Beechworth, a few years before that was Port Douglas. Oh how I long for a tropical beach, but we opted to do Buddy’s (the dog) surgery instead. See HOW much I love my animals? I opted to spend huge amounts on him instead of me and then opted to stay home and care for him. Next year, next year I will go away again. Read more of our travels….here.

Is it a religious or spiritual holiday? Honestly neither, it is a commercial holiday, with food, wine and presents. But we do enjoy just getting together with family friends and neighbours. I have no intention of going to church or hearing about the ‘true’ meaning of Christmas. To me it is just about fun.

Is there a gift exchange? You bet your bottom dollar there is. In my immediate family it is quite a serious thing, we have list drawn up of stuff we want and people mark off what’s been brought, that way we don’t end up with crap we don’t want. Most of our friends we just have a get together, but we have one family we always exchange gifts with. Again there are lists for ideas, but we set a modest limit. My husbands family, there are no gifts, not since his Mum passed many years ago, we will catch up with them in the New Year. My Folks………well I don’t see my brother (at all) and I get gift for my parents, they try hard but often miss the mark with us girls, the guys are easy, Dad buys booze! lol

How long does the celebration last?

I tend to celebrate quietly all December long, carols in the car, I do all the work hampers myself, I complain every year, but it is fun. I make sure I am organised early, then I can kick back and relax when the last final week of madness hits. So many people say how envious of how calm and organised I am every Christmas, but I have been off work for days now and I’ve had plenty of time for cooking and cleaning.

Optional Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I am glad Buddy came through his surgery and first week, it was a hard and difficult week, but things are improving. Although he cannot be left locked in the laundry, he frets to the point if complete panic attack and mental break down. He cries if we leave his sight, I fear this could become quite a problem if he doesn’t calm down soon.

I am looking forward to tonight’s party and then a few days of quiet to do with as I wish. I know I put way too much emphasis on Christmas day, which I know is usually a fizzer, but it is what it is and I have all the Children around me for Christmas night………that will be fun, a BBQ, drinks and general silliness will happen, maybe a game of Monopoly or something?

So from my family to yours, again I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

~ Julz, xo

 

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