Christmas on the Farm in Waipu

Christmas has arrived on the Farm and according to the weather experts we should have a nice sunny day 22c - 15c. The Heifers have been moved to their new grazing area (slightly bigger than usual seeing as it is Christmas) and the traditional breakfast of bacon and eggs has been demolished without any trouble whatsoever! Me, not the Heifers! Preparations have been made for our Christmas meal with family and the turkey is in the oven, the Pavlova is waiting to be decorated with fruit and cream and the Christmas tree looks lovely with a smattering of presents on the floor at the base.

As Grandparents we find it difficult to buy appropriate presents for children over the age of 10 as they either already have "one" or it is out of our price range (electronics) so we hand print cards and insert money so the recipient can either spend it wisely or add it to their piggy bank for something desperately needed to keep sanity in the house. I have loved Christmas and I have fond memories as a child not being able to sleep in anticipation of the "Bearded fellow" arriving and secure in the knowledge that I had been extremely good in the preceding weeks (well days actually) We always had stockings hanging at the end of our beds and when we awoke on Christmas morning the stocking was full of goodies such as nuts in the shell and in the bottom of the stocking there was an orange. On the rare occasion there was a bigger present that couldn't fit the stocking and these were found under the Christmas tree. Times were tough and with 3x brothers and a sister our presents were only what could be afforded by the paymaster (Dad) We always had a large roast at lunchtime, usually Lamb with all the trimmings. Dad was a very good cook and if we ever had a roast beef it was always accompanied by roast vegetables and greens from his own garden and a large tray of Yorkshire pudding. Mum had usually spent time baking during the previous week and her Christmas mince pies were a real treat. In the early days we didn't have any refrigeration and most things were kept in a safe and when we finally got a small, non electric freezer chest, we had to buy ice which was placed in the top of the cabinet. Its seems amazing in this day and age that these were treated as marvellous inventions!

Another enjoyable part of Christmas at home is the tradition of playing all the wonderful Christmas carols (sometimes even on an old turntable with a red Christmas vinyl record that has stood the test of time) YouTube is a wonderful repository for all types of music and Josh Groban's singing has become a firm personal favourite. His version of Oh Holy Night is awesome and what would Christmas be without Snoopy's Christmas!

Our youngest visitor today is aged 6.5 months and the Oldest is Margaret aged 82, so I look forward to a fun filled happy day with Family. Phone calls to other family members will happen during the day and hopefully we can meet up with many during the holiday season. I had the thrill of talking to a Grandson in Australia yesterday and the "bucket list" has another urgent addition to visit Australia, albeit briefly to meet family relatives not yet seen.

I wish the Joy of Christmas and the feeling of good will could be extended throughout the year and I know it can be a time of stress for many families, but there is something magical about Christmas that I hope to enjoy for many years to come. HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!