Christmas Day Diary

BOM forecast: 30 degrees C, humid with thunderstorms later
6:30 am - wake up after restless, hot night. Neighbours had party that kept me awake. Start tidying house after strong coffee.
7:00 am - Computer turned on and Skype video call to 2 lots of relatives overseas. London call a bit foggy and without colour. Perhaps the cold weather there. Lovely to actually see the relatives. Receive calls from local relatives.
8:20 am - Cook prawns (cheap and plentiful this year) and potato's for potato salad. Make potato salad and place in fridge to cool. Check Turkey is deftosted ok.
9:45 am- Start stuffing turkey - bread, apricots, fresh herbs from garden. Yum. Place in oven bag and put on BBQ tray. 10:00 am -Place in BBQ outside so heat doesn't become unbearable inside.
10:30 am - Youngsters manage to get up and gather around Christmas tree. Unwrapping of presents and photos taken. Then clean up waste! Fortunately not too much of the latter!
11:00 - 11:30am - Make green salad, move tables n chairs, set table with crackers, Christmas napkins, tablecloth etc.
11:30 am - Prepare tray of roast vegies including potatoes, sweet Potatoes, red capsicum and parsnips
12:00 noon - Prepare antipasto, dip and biscuit platter. Search unsuccessfully for mixed nuts I have hidden so they are not eaten before Christmas, but find previously hidden Cashew nuts so use them instead.
12:30 pm - change clothes, sit down and wait for friends to arrive. Steam peas and beans a bit later.
12:40 pm - Friends arrive and we start EATING, drinking Moet Champagne with fresh, home-grown strawberries, then enjoy our Christmas Dinner. Turn ceiling fans on.
2:00 pm - Put away left-overs, do the 4th set of dishes today and sit down again to have a post-prandial chat/snooze (dependant on age and tiredness). Approx 28 degrees, humid and ceiling fans giving welcome cooling.
4:00 pm - Kids tell us thunderstorm coming fast to our end of town and heavy rain is forecast. See a few lightning forks in the distance. Friends go home to rescue their washing and start preparing dessert to have at their house.
5:00 pm - Dessert of Christmas pudding, strawberries, pineapple, watermelon, cherries caramel tarts and mince pies.
7:00 pm - Heavy rain, kids play on computers, do jigsaw puzzle (or try to) and chat. Hear about thunderstorm, wind and hail damage in Melbourne!!! Nibble on Christmas cake.

What a wonderful, peaceful and plentiful Christmas (for us at least!)