Another Different Christmas

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Happy Christmas Dear Reader, where ever you are in the world.

You may recall that we spent Christmas Day on the road last year, driving from Auckland to Whanganui and arriving at our new home to discover that things were not as we expected. One year on, the house is finished and we are starting to feel that we are making progress in the garden. We decided some time ago that we wanted to have Christmas 2021 in Whanganui, but were looking forward to the family gathering in Ohakune for the last few days of the year. With the arrival of the Covid Delta variant in Aotearoa in August, the Ohakune gathering was cancelled. On Christmas Eve the family lunch at Paul and Jenny’s was re-arranged after Jenny woke in the morning with swollen glands. It would appear that most family members celebrated with their children/parent bubbles. We had been invited to lunch with Frances and her family and some other local friends.


Much of our week has, unsurprisingly, been taken up with Christmas related preparations and events. This was somewhat initially hampered by my back, but Nicky’s paracetamol and codeine pain killers started to help. Nicky really enjoyed the Alternate Carol Service which she attended on Tuesday evening and did lots of wrapping of gifts she had made (cake and biscuits) and delivering them. We had an interesting time catching our regular delivery people, and refuse collectors, to give them some of the 4 dozen mince pies which I had made. I cleaned the windows inside and out, and on Christmas Eve we brought the tree in, decorated it, and put the final decorations up inside and out.




In the afternoon of Christmas Eve we went down to church for the Drive Through Nativity Play. This was four short scenes re-telling the nativity story played out for each group of two or three cars and their occupants. It was brilliantly done and an excellent way of managing with the Covid restrictions. Here we have the angels explaining what is happening to the shepherds:



Nicky finished the day with Midnight Mass.


Our Christmas lunch turned out to be a very enjoyable affair. We joined the festivities early in the afternoon after a gentle stroll up the road in the sunshine. Nicky had woken feeling dizzy, so stayed in bed for awhile, but was up in time for croissants stuffed with scrambled eggs and bacon for brunch. As the day wore on she started to improve. Amy (Frances’s daughter) and her partner Josh produced most of the food, but apparently Adam (Frances’s son) and his wife (Jade) and their 4 year old daughter (Phoenix) assisted from time to time. Amy and Josh work in hospitality and the food was excellent. (We took mince pies). We played Peg and Bucket, which is a bit like croquet or golf, but pegs have to be thrown into buckets and obstacles avoided. I got the impression that Amy’s hospitality experience didn’t included managing outdoor games for seniors, because our ability to stand around a chat and have no idea who was supposed take a turn when seem to be novel concepts for her. It didn’t matter. We had fun anyway. We got back home about 8 in the evening, watched a Chase Christmas special with a pot of tea and with no desire to eat anything more toddled off to bed.




Generally the weather has been lovely, so we have both been working in the garden, doing laundry, and reading about (The Awkward Squad by Sophie Henaff and the latest Jack Reacher, Better off Dead). We celebrated Elaine’s birthday (next door but one) on Monday evening with an early evening glass of bubbles and extensive cheese and cold meat selection. We gave a couple from Castlecliff who were cycling along Somme Parade a tour of the house, with a promise to visit them soon. Nicky had a long wait at the Aramoho Library to collect the latest Jack Reacher book, because the email to say it was now available arrived long before the transit van. I had an interview for a job in a shop on Tuesday which I felt went quite well, but I have yet to hear the outcome. We have also started re-watching the Harry Potter films due to the broadcast TV’s offerings being even less appetising then usual. We are currently a little way into film three.


The alert ones amongst the very elite readership of this blog will realise that this is the last post for the year. 2021 has been an interesting and challenging year. Moving to Whanganui and working on our new home and garden have changed the routines of our lives again, one which we have come to enjoy.


Take care, Rick and Nicky.

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