Do you remember how it felt to be a kid on Christmas Eve? All that anticipation! I wish that I could recapture that feeling again now. "What will I get for Christmas?"is the refrain that runs through our childhood. That turns into "What will I do for Christmas?" as an adult and especially as an adult with a family, especially when the budget it tight, and now as a widow "Where will I be for Christmas?" With all my children so scattered that was a problem so I accepted an invitation to go to a friend's house and share her Christmas lunch. That is what didn't happen but the process of Christmas was an interesting one anyway.

Christmas Eve was beautiful. I love the children's interpretation of Christmas at the Children and Family's service. We rally around to make sure that every child is a shepherd or an angel. I've never seen so many different toy shop interpretations of wings, small wings, big feathery wings, some like a butterfly and some fairy-like. The shepherds have crooks or a lamb and the chief shepherd, husband of our local Minister, takes them if they start swordplay. It is a chaotic welcome to the Christ Child and there is rarely a dry eye among the congregation. There are the usual hymns and our best organist played them with drums sounds and trumpet sounds and peals of bells so it was a triumph of sound. It would be nice if we had a choir but that is not a task I can help with.

Christmas Day was really strange as I went to church and then with a good friend to her husband's cousins's place. We knew none of the other guests and with a cross-section of the community it was a great learning experience. The cousin who is a chef with her own catering business had a dozen or more dishes, all small portions and a good many I could not eat as I am lactose intolerant now. But there is always heaps of salad for our Christmas so plenty to fill up on. And fresh fruit is always part of the bounty. It was certainly an interesting afternoon. I was pleased I had gone as it was definitely "one for the memoirs".

Then I came home and my daughter and family were already here ensconced on the verandah sipping tea so it was nice to have them here and we had a light dinner and lots of conversation. We exchange gifts but nothing great and the kids have extras that I collect during the year. I have given up on clothes as I have no idea what they like so it is cards and vouchers and whatever their favourite stores deal in. They seem to be okay with that. The adults settled down and it is a Christmas movie after dinner and an early night.

The family finished up staying for four nights so they only went home yesterday. We did various things, a trip to see the movie "Paddington" which I loved, enough humor for the grown-ups to hear a chuckle go around the audience from time to time. A friend of a friend here is the voice of Paddington so that was an extra bonus. The small shops close by the theatre got some patronage as I had managed to fall out of my last pair of summer sandals so I bought another pair while I was there and the kids love looking in the cheap shops to spend a handful of pocket money in. A stroll to the water and back and then home.

The idea of their pre-vacation is that they settle down after the rush that has been Christmas season for them. The Salvation Army band played three times a week in the evenings somewhere in their area for the last month or so and as my grandchildren both play cornet in the band now that was a lot of extra work for the end of a busy year. Shirley also supervised a team of women doing the gift wrapping in their local Mall, a huge one with thousands of people there each week so that was a big task. They were all very tired so a sleep-in was in order. As an early riser I have to make sure I creep quietly around the house with as little noise as possible, not easy but it allows them to get the rest they need. I have tried to sleep in but it never works for me, six hours in bed and my body says "up we get".

I had had a busy program myself with the Lions Club Christmas Stocking ticket selling and the pastoral work I do in the church but I find it more energizing, I think because each event for me has a social side and as a widow I need that. It would be easy to become a recluse, to make my home into a comfortable nest and just stay here and do handwork and crafts and nothing much else. I am tempted to do that in winter but not in summer as the sunshine always calls me out and I love to be out and about and in the company of others.

I took the kids to the park, more of a trip down memory lane as they are too old to play much now. Christopher always enjoys just sitting and talking while Naomi swings and climbs. It is that rare Granma and grandson time. I love my grandchildren and over the last ten years have seen less of them than I like to, but with Ray's needs to be met for eight of those years it was not always possible to even do the planned holidays so the opportunity now for me to travel alone helps to fit more visits in. My church work and other commitments and their Corps work though does mean that the visits get squeezed in where we have some spare time.

I invited a friend back after church on Sunday after we had lunch out. She is on her own too so I thought she might like some company.Craig took the kids "antique shopping" not really for antiques but for a few little bits and pieces that might amuse them, it is remarkable what you can pick up in those old stores, like the old glass beads and trinket boxes beloved by Naomi. They came back with a few paper parcels that were declared "for Mum's birthday so no peeking". Cate and Shirley and I sat on the front verandah and sipped tea and watched the world go peacefully by.

And now ahead of me is the summer, busy with children on vacation so the three little Adelaide children are with their mother for the next three weeks and I will be a part of their lives again. I love that. I miss all my grandchildren and love to be around them for as long as they let me be. So happy days ahead. The word I have chosen for this coming year 2015 is "laughter". Naomi gave me that on a small sign as part of her Christmas present to me so I will endeavor to find laughter in all situations and brighten up my own life and the life of others.