Christmas Eve

Have progressed through Advent in a more low-key homebased way seeing friends or writing to them. Made two lots of cookies - checkerboard cookies and very nice hazelnut ones. No rolling out and cutting out this year - dough was shaped into a log, chilled then sliced and baked. Easy peasy as they say.

Saturday night we went to a Musica Sacra concert of Christmas music at the refurbished cathedral, a very nice venue for a concert like that, though rather warm with all those people in it. Accompanied by a brass ensemble they sang many carols from over the centuries, interpersed with some old familiar ones which the audience could sing along to with the choir.

Will make some little Christmas mince tarts today and then I will be ready for Christmas.

Advent

We were up at Orewa for the weekend enjoying our bach again after it was let for a 10 days or so. On the Sunday afternoon at 3pm we went to the Prebyterian Church in Albany for the German Club's Advent celebration. It was very nice and has put us in a good frame of mind at the start of the festive season. We took a plate of cinnamon stars, bought, as we only found out about the gathering on Saturday morning. There were lots of people there, none we knew however, mainly younger couples and families with young children. We all sang nice German and English carols with a professional accompanist and a soloist, with some of the children playing their instruments or reciting a poem. After an hour of singing in very nice surroundings with a large Advent wreath as the focal point we adjourned for coffee and Christmas Stollen and cookies. There was lots of German homebaking and I am spurred on to do a few cookies myself this year.

I had got on the telephone on Friday night and rang several friends and hope to see them all before or over Christmas, part of which we will spend at home and some of the days between Christmas and New Year over at Waiheke.

Today we went to Motat - the Museum of Transport and Technology. I was interested in the Victorian village and some of the old vehicles. Dieter and Elisabeth went in the Voyager - a simulated adventurous journey not for the faint-hearted or timid , like me. Had a look at their library then came home for lunch - bagels and smoked chicken, followed by strawberries and icecream - the strawberries left over from my jam making exploits this morning. I like making the most of my days.