Christmas Day!

Christmas in Australia is very different! Yesterday people were waterskiing in the river and having picnics. We went to the local Anglican churches' "Carols on the Lawn" then enjoyed a prawn risotto in the garden with a friend of Sue's as a guest and probably too much alcohol! Today we are swimming and having breakfast at the beach by 8.00am! We were joined by Mark , Marie, William and Bella and lots of other families did the same. We came home to shower and have a snooze whilst Sue finished cooking the turkey and veggies. Sue and Nick bought me a lovely travel set of miniature beauty products and a lovely cup with a Kookaburra on it (I heard one in the garden a few days later). Then we went with Turkey and all to Marks, where Chris, Katie, Evie and Violet joined us, to exchange presents and we had a proper dinner in the garden under the shade of a tree. Mark and Marie bought me a cup that keeps wine cool (how clever!) and Chris and Katie gave me some

homemade Rocky Road (divine!) We had to do a song between dinner and pudding and Sue did Frosty the Snowman complete with Olaf outfit, snowballs and pretend snow! Nick played piano and Chris joined in with guitar whilst I attempted House of the Rising Sun, then specially for Marie as she had this song at her wedding I attempted O Holy Night. Attempted is the right description for both.

The home made Christmas Pudding was lit (and drowned in brandy) and was delicious, Marie makes one every year, and it fed with sherry for weeks!

As it went dark we made our way home, lovely day, just time to contact Alex, Emma, Jiĺl and Helen to say Happy Christmas.