Christmas Eve

Here's wishing you a joyful, peaceful and happy Christmas. Ours has already started with our evening meal last night and our exchange of presents . I got home from work before six and Elisabeth and Dieter were about to put the cheese potatoes in the oven and Elisabeth was making a traditional Kiwi dip - onion soup and reduced cream which we had with some nibbles while we waited for the turkey roll to cook. Had some tiramisu with some bottled peaches and strawberries for dessert. Elisabeth's friend was there as well which was very nice having some company. After coffee and cookies we had our presents by candlelight. Elisabeth gave me dip and nibble set, a round bowl and little shaped dishes, making a circle set inside a shallow basket with a lid, which you can then use for the chips to go with it. It is from Vietnam and the most beautiful turquoise ccolour. Dieter had given me a new phone which am trying to master, having left the booklet at Orewa I think. I got Dieter some nice sporty looking shoes from there too last week for his present. Also gave him some seceteurs and gardening gloves and some pottery beakers for our Gluhwein. Dieter gave me some floral-patterned seceteurs which I will recognize as my ones.They are very pretty. Also a box of chocolate finger biscuits.

Today being Christmas Day we are going to 11am Mass at the Cathedral, followed by lunch or dinner afterwards. Elisabeth will join us again. Am not in a great hurry to get down to the island as the weather is not that summery. There was rain and cold yesterday and the night before.

Have started my Christmas reading ,a McCall Smith , a Sunday Philosophers Club one, The comfort of Saturdays and have a new Maeve Binchy already at Waiheke, ready to be savoured.

Also have some knitting on the go - some socks in a very pretty multicoloured Opal wool, knitted on 4 needles in the round as socks are. It makes a change from patchwork.

Christmas Crumble

Invented a dessert for Chrismas entertaining the other day when my nephew Philip and his wife Rosanna came round for dinner - Spoonfuls of fruit mince added here and there to the apple and cinnamon added to the crumble topping of a normal apple crumble recipe. It is delicious and worth trying.

Went to Waiheke last weekend, writing my Christmas cards on the way over which was very satisfying as I tend to find other things to do at home and have been procrastinating. The garden was looking like a wilderness garden with the cinnerarias gone to seed. The pohutukawa was in full bloom and the deck was covered in a blanket of red stamens.

Mass the next morning at 9.15 and afterwards I came home straightaway as there was a market "Gifts-by-the-Sea" on the Surfdale Reserve. Bought some nice things - a new peg bag in a pretty cretonne material with fuchsias on it, and some herb spread x 2, and tamarind chutney to keep or give away. There was a lovely atmosphere there and I had a good look around, and again when Dieter joined me after his look around Oneroa. I got the 3pm boat back, and Dieter the 4pm as I had invited a friend to come around for some Advent cheer at 7.30, so didnt want to be too rushed for that. Got out the nice china, Stollen, gingerbread and we listened to some Christmassy music by the light of the three candles on our Advent stand.

Made some speculatius biscuits this morning which looks as though it will be my effort for this year. We will see.

A Blessing

A Hylanders Blessing


May your heart stay as active and young as your mind.May your kindness to others be returned ten-fold, in kind.May life's adversities be light, and easy to bear.May joy and peace quickly dry up each tiny tear.May you always be able to count on one good friend. May God's Grace light up your road, to its very end.
Thomas Hyland, Jr. -- Graces, Harpers 1994

Advent 2008

We celebrated the second Sunday of Advent in our usual reflective way with some seasonal music and coffee and chocolate treats sent over by our friends Ria and Gerd . These are Dominosteine - squares of gingerbread, jelly and marzipan dipped in chocolate and Aachener Printen, thein slices of gingerbread with crunchy bits , also encased in chocolate. Earlier we went to a concert of Christmas music in the old St Mary's chapel, where both Elisabeth and I went to school. The Schola, conducted by noted NZ composer, David Hamilton performed carols and sacred works, some of which were composed by David Hamilton especially for the Schola. St Mary's Chamber Orchestra performed various works including a couple of movements of the Christmas oncerto. A couple of the members performed solos, showcasing their talent. One of the former pupils of Sister Mary Leo, Lindsay Freer sang some of the carols that were sung in Sister's day and one that I sung, Oh Holy Night. The evening finished with a sung blessing, the words by Tom Hyland of which I will write down in my next post, as they are so beautiful, as is the music to them by David Hamilton.

Auckland Museum and Wintergarden

Took our visitors Eileen and Leny up to the Auckland Domain to look at the museum, fernery, wintergarden, and duck pond. There was an interesting exhibition of interesting quirky objects that are usually in storage - a stuffed water buck, a collection of 60s bathing caps.

Orewa

Had a lovely weekend up here recently . These are photos from good friend Eileen's disc.