What to write?

Red or Green?

I think Green for a while then maybe some red.

Green is for Christmas but this year it is also for the garden. We have had such a wet summer that our lawn and garden is green, green, green! The ground underfoot is marshy and wet and even more rain is predicted for the next day or so. Everyday Dad empties his rain gauge and records the totals and so far for December we have had almost the same as the whole of December last year. I have managed to fertilise the lawn twice and the grass is so thick underfoot that it is like a cushion. We now have a jungle of plants and trees and I cannot keep up with the height of my roses, which need a good prune back already. Nature has treated us so well this summer. We have been blessed in that although so many around us have had storm damage we have been left relatively unscathed.

Now for the Red!

Celebration time. We finally had Ivan's P.A. and her husband over for dinner on Saturday night and it was such a lovely evening. I always know when an evening goes well, they did not leave until 11pm and I had not done a single thing in the kitchen. That meant that I was sitting enjoying the company, not hiding in the kitchen getting things done. This lovely couple have just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary - I am always in awe of these achievements.

It is nice to entertain and relax, the benefits are lovely company, great food and a nice tidy house!

We have a lovely week ahead! The children are on holiday and we are going to make Christmas Mince pies, so the house will smell like Christmas. I have ordered our Christmas and New Year Turkeys and although Elizabeth has to work on Friday and Saturday, she will be home with us for the rest of the week. Ivan has just 10 days left at work, so we will support him through that, as he is more than ready for his 4 weeks leave.

Our pool water is warm and really lovely to swim in, so if we get a few dry days I think we will be enjoying some family fun.

However, you plan to spend this week, I hope it is enjoyable. Don't let the Christmas rush and chaos spoil the joy of this special time of the year. Remember, according to an Australian Astronomer, we are celebrating it at the wrong time of the year anyway! So celebrate with laughter and joy.

Beverly