Christmas roundup

Time does fly when you're having fun ! Today I'm catching my breath after the busyness of the last week .

This was Jessey's first Christmas so it was special for all of us. We celebrated Christmas Eve in true Austrian fashion .We had our traditional hot and cold buffet with appetizers , European sausages, cold cuts , salads and lots of desserts . Later we would go out for a walk to search for a glimpse of the Christkind who was delivering the gifts from house to house . My mother would take me out every Christmas Eve and while walking would relate the nativity story to me . I never did catch a glimpse of the Christkind despite all the my efforts . Magically when we got home the Chrustmas tree was lit up with candles and sparklers and the gifts already there , dropped by Christkind . Mysteriously my father never saw or heard a thing . This year Casey and Max went with the girls and Jessey . His first walk to search for Christkind ...

Christmas day and Boxing day were fairly quiet . Shirley invited us for dinner with turkey and all the trimmings on Christmas day. The boys are both with their in laws, so Mike and I are usually on our own . The weather was terrible with rain and freezing rain making travel treacherous so we stayed close to home on boxing day . I 'm all shopped out by then so don't mind forgoing the pleasure of the boxing day crowds . Saturday we were invited out to a friends' then on Sunday Shirley threw a surprise birthday brunch for me . It truly was a surprise; she didn't let Mike in on it as he habitually manages to spill the beans . I had been a little put out because no one had mentioned anything about plans for my birthday , which happens due to the date being 4 days after Christmas and everyone has had it with partying and presents and eating. So I was having a really nice pity party for myself till Shirley threw me for a loop . She put on quite a spread , everything was delicious and there was enough to feed an army . No photos the camera was at home. I can't thank her enough !

Now to get ready for the new year . 2008 was a year filled with joy and sorrow , thankfully more joy than the latter . This , for me, is always a time for reflection and hope , and the promise of a new beginning . So wherever you are I wish you all a very happy new year with peace , good health and hopefully enough of what you need to keep body and soul together .