Well, that’s it for another year! The garbo’s just been and taken away those last bits of evidence that say Christmas is done! The wrapping paper, prawn shells, chicken and turkey frames, empty bottles from the Bubbly, Beer and Baileys (the three B’s of Christmas!) and the mutilated bon bons – guess that would make it the four B’s of Christmas! There is however, one Christmas remnant that each year seems to endure in our fridge in an almost defiant manner – the ham! Is it just me or do others agree? That half leg of ham just goes on and on and on… How many ways can you use ham? How long is a piece of tinsel!
I love this time of the year! Finally we have made it through the hectic lead up to the big day. We’re done with scanning the shopping centre car parks desperately for an empty spot, negotiating crazy traffic and even more insane drivers, shopping for and then wrapping pressies, catching up with friends for that Christmas drink (always a pleasure), jostling along with the crowds at the supermarket, baking the Christmas cake and the shortbread, the frantic scribbling of Christmas cards (though not for me – gave this one away years ago) and making the effort to get out and enjoy those wonderful Christmas lights! Phew! Now we can take a breath! We’ve survived the big day, which takes weeks to prepare for but only hours to pass. By now most of us can say that our minds, stomachs and livers have recovered from the 24 hour joy and madness that is Christmas.
Now for my favourite time! The pace has slowed, the supermarkets are bearable again, the roads are so much quieter, there’s enough food left over from Christmas that we don’t need to think about cooking for a while (and let’s face it, it’s so darn hot nobody wants to cook!). The cricket keeps the boys happy, I’m in my element with plenty of tennis to watch, new books to read and chocolates to accompany my books – it’s looking like a holiday!
As I write this article the crickets are chirping noisily, some mad soul is mowing the lawn, the pedestal fan is whirring quietly (doing it’s bit before we succumb to turning on the air conditioning), the kids next door are playing Marco Polo in their pool and the kettle’s on. We’re almost ready for morning tea which will see us once again dipping into the container of fruit mince pies that my hubby made this year for the first time! Not a bad result, either, although his Mum’s verdict was “Pretty good. Get the pastry nice and thin next time and you’ll have got it right!” And she is the fruit mince pie expert in the family! Funny how we all have our little jobs at Christmas time, isn’t it? My Mum’s job is usually to make her delicious shortbread but this year she didn’t quite manage it so I had a crack at it. For whatever reason, it was good but not quite up to Mum’s standard. I think the love she puts into it makes the difference! We have yet to make much of an impression on my Christmas cake but it has had enough Bundy rum sloshed through it, over it and under it that it’d probably last until next Christmas! No doubt both the left over ham and the Christmas cake will be accompanying us when we head off to the beach for a week shortly!
But Christmas isn’t really quite over yet. We are still working our way through the Twelve Days of Christmas! That means we can officially leave our Christmas tree, decorations and lights right where they are until January 5th (I think!) when for me, Christmas will really be “done”!
In the meantime, we can celebrate a New Year! A happy and healthy 2014 to you all!
