Christmas Morning

Christmas Eve was beautiful, sunny and warm.  Christmas Day has dawned very slowly and the light still has not penetrated into the house.  There is a fine drizzle and the temperature has dropped a few degrees.

We'll all be inside today, all day long.  I've cleared off the treadmill, turned it from a coathanger to a mean fighting machine.  The kids will need it today to burn off all that extra energy, rocket energy from the kilos of sugar they are consuming,  Who gives them all that chocolate anyway?  It's Santa's fault, nothing to do with Mrs Santa!  I tried years ago to fob them off with a walnut and a mandarine in their Christmas stockings but they did not make the grade.

Christmas Eve was spent biting fingernails over the number of presents and the eveness of distribution.  Were there enough in the stocking to satisfy demand?  One 'big' present goes under the Christmas tree and several small things go in the stocking.  A pair of flamingo sox, some Christmas hair ties and a handful of chocolates satisfy the girls but what does Santa put in the boys stocking?  He never asks in this house whether they were naughty or nice.   ALL my grandchildren are nice!



All the grandkids stockings are hand knit.  All very 'individual'.  They love them whatever.  One year I only put presents under the tree and there was a riot when they found empty stockings.  That will never, never happen again



The boys this year have in their stockings xmas boxer shorts, a healthy pomegranite drink for one and a bottle of cider for the other.  Well, he's almost 18 and around here 18 year olds have already been drinking half their life, from a glass of wine at the family table to a bacardi breezer at the bars down town...etc  Who really knows what 18 year old boys have been up to, except them and maybe now and again their mother.

They also have a selection of healthy and unhealthy sweets.  The grandchildren are athletes and some very serious about their diet.  A bowl of spinach and a kilo of lentils might be more appreciated by one.  Anyway there is a selection of real sweet gooey chocolate,  sugar-free (but no way calorie free) chocolate, fruit bars , greek sweets made of sesame seeds and honey and chocolate covered rice crackers.  Our kids love rice crackers so these chocolate covered ones should go down very well.

K is making a pastourmadopita.  Ha, get your tongue around that word after a xmas hangover.



In goes the pie - pastourmadopita, a big pie made with cured spiced beef slices, tomato  and cheese

Stop:  that photo is staged!  No pie or pork would go into the oven with a roaring fire.  The fire has to die down and the food is cooked on the embers

The pork and wild pig have been slowly roasting all night long and the meat is falling off the bone.  I think we may be eating before midday.  The 'foreign' side of the family, me and the kids will be eating stuffed chook, brussel sprouts and roast sweet potatoes

Funny really to think that down in NZ and Australia some could be nursing sore heads while we are still drinking our first coffee and preparing for a long day ahead.  NZ is almost half a day ahead of us and Australia 6 hours.

The extended Australian family enjoying their Christmas dinner beside the pool

I will eventually get around to sending you all individual Christmas wishes but in the meantime

Kala Hristouyenna to everyone who reads and comments on my blog.  I really do hope your Christmas day is cheery and bright 

I have sent out no cards this year and not even a Christmas email.  I will be in touch.  I could not be!  

Love to all of you and your families