29

I must confess that I like the business of numbering posts. I know it's minimal effort, but it's more satisfying than an unsatisfying title. I always feel I need to be clever, witty or preferably both. Having said that, perhaps there is more pressure on the words within each post if the title is only a number ...

Thank you all for you posts on the giveaway. We chose a shaking device I feel is probably quite apt for this time of year and the winner is .... Bianca!

"Merry Christmas! The girls' gingerbread house is sweet. Mine had freckles for roof tiles too! Not sure what that says about my decorating skills....Congrats on your almost 500th post!Kate is divine, and I think she could be very happy here ;) " Drop me an email Bianca and I'll happily parcel Kate up and send her on her way to you.

We had a lovely seasonal dinner tonight. Homegrown zuchs, sauteed very quickly with garlic, dressed with dill and lemon; a rough version of panzanella - home grown cucumbers, home grown basil, toasted croutons and very ripe tomatoes, although not yet our own. Our tomatoes have just started to blush orange, so hopefully another week and we'll have the first few.

25

Coffee, fresh orange juice, scrambled eggs and ham, fresh raspberries and cherries, chocolate, chill prawns, Cope Williams champagne, chicken boned, stuffed with macadamia and herbs, pumpkin and feta salad, Curly Flat chardonnay, roasted potatoes, spinach and beetroot salad, mascarpone and berry tart, coffee.

Don't forget to enter the "24th" day giveaway. Extended until the 29th as we're still away!

24

I'm now feeling relaxed. The house is clean(ish), Geoff's done his last minute shopping and the champagne is in the fridge chilling for tonight and tomorrow and the day after that!

The girls have decorated the gingerbread house you see here. Clearly the priority for them is cramming on as many sweets as possible. I find that my own aesthetic still tries to guide their creativity at times when they are piling everything on willy nilly. I keep my lips closed though, because it's not about me.

We popped corn to string for the tree. To my northern "friends" I don't know how you manage to do a whole tree. We (read me) threaded about 2 metres worth and it's hard work, the girls lost interest very quickly as theirs kept breaking. I love the look though. When we eventually have a northern Christmas I want strands of popcorn and strands of fresh cranberries on a real tree, nothing more.

I noticed today that this is my 492nd post. I can't even remember when I started, although as it was in Leila's first year I guess it's been over 2 years. 500 posts is a landmark but I'm almost sure I'll forget it when the post comes around. So, thank you all for reading, for your kind and generous comments and encouragement; also to all of you whose posts I look for each day, whose creativity inspires me - thank you.

I haven't been making many dolls of late so poor little Kate above has been waiting so long for company that I feel it's only fair I offer her to one of you, as a belated Christmas gift. I intend to get into the swing of sewing again next year (after a machine service) and put some more time into the dolls.

If you, or some little person you know, would like to give Kate a home, please leave a comment and I will draw a name when we're back from my parents by the evening on the 28th. I will send worldwide, so anyone can enter.

postscript - I'll be back tomorrow - the 29th - so the draw is extended for another day!

23

Darned hot here today. Not sure what temperature it reached, but it was the sort of hot where just standing out in the sun you felt your skin sizzling.

Lena, if you're reading, I'd been worrying it wouldn't be summery enough for you when you got here, but I no longer think that's going to be the case. You may even be wishing yourself into that Danish winter by the time the trip's over! It's only days until you're here - can't wait!

22

We sat on the verandah this afternoon and painted, Ella and I, "two artists" together, she said.

21

I tried to get a decent self portrait today. I spent 3+ hours at the hairdressers which led to a disgruntled husband who was waiting to get into the office. What can you do when contained in a chair with colour and scissors upon you, there's not much to do but wait it out. The end result is pleasing, despite the unhappy man in the house, so I thought I'd record it to share. Erin makes it look effortless - the self portrait - but I have nowhere near her skills.

As I was trying, unsuccessfully, to take a photo of my new do, I realised that one of the few areas of my home (perhaps the only one) which is consistently neat and nice to look at, is my hall, which is where I was snapping myself. I could never do cornerS of my home as Ella and others have done, but I do have this one corner to share with you. I'm not sure what it says about me, but I do love a light house (which we have) and I also love my photos and flowers - so perhaps it is a reflection of my taste.

20

There were fingers up noses in some, hands covering the faces of others in others, closed eyes,

double chins, then a few gems mixed in.

Today it feels like holidays are starting. We all had breakfast together and the tone, the mood of the house has altered ever so slightly. Tidying up was put off until tomorrow, Geoff actually took the papers to the front verandah and read to me from an article while the girls played in the yard. I took out this to cut while I listened to him and the girls. I think the girls know Dad's going to be around too, there's just a slight shift, but it's a good one, I hope it last at least, oh, 3 weeks!