My Christmas

My ABI Brother arrived by VLine (country) train in the early afternoon of Christmas Eve. There wasn't a rush to get to Sister's. We stopped at Dan's along the way to stock up on liquid refreshments, then for a bit to eat, and then very cheap petrol. Driving without a break might have taken 1.40 but it took us 2.30, as we also stopped in Geelong to see the floating Christmas tree. 

We settled in at Sister's and had a nice barbeque meal. Jo wanted to watch a film she had not seen and subsequently I've learnt it is a Christmas classic, to be avoided. I quickly tuned out of Love Actually. What a load of .... We agreed that Christmas morning we would ring Step Mother and Mother's best friend forever to wish them a merry Christmas. We did neither. 

Christmas Day, Sister was up at 8 and busy in the kitchen. Aside from her wife Bone Doctor slicing the ham, Sister roasted a full turkey in her oven, roasted vegetables, cooked greens and served her Christmas pudding, made from her grandmother's recipe, written down n 1964. It was a great feast. The recipe went on to be used by Mother and I wondered aloud about how Mother dealt with measurements as the recipe would have been in pounds and ounces. Australia has been metricated for fifty years. Sister said some nonsense about Mother knowing how to convert measurements. ABI Brother and I howled her down. Mother had no idea of metric measurements. As Sister was busy in the kitchen, Bone Doctor took us for a drive to Portarlington and the ferry had just arrived and there were plenty of people enjoying themselves with picnics and barbeques.

Sister and Bone Doctor went out for two walks, two cycle rides and two ocean swims during the day. I felt rather discombobulated.

"Jo, give Andrew his Christmas present".

"What is it?'

"You remember. We bought it for him."

"No."

It was a rather good insulated flask mug for keeping liquids cool or hot. And, branded Snowgum, so expensive. 

The next morning, Boxing Day, it all went so wrong. A spot on my face that had previously bled, bled again during the night, all over the bedding, fortunately not through to the mattress. I was up at 5.30 trying to deal with it and although I am as quiet as a mouse, I disturbed Sister's sleep and she did not go back to sleep until 7. Come 8, they needed to be up to catch the ten o'clock ferry to Sorrento to journey on Somerville for the Boxing Day Christmas gathering. The weather forecast was for 38/100 degrees, so with blooded bedding, hot weather, lack of sleep and sleeping too late, Sister, Bone Doctor and Jo bailed out of the trip.

It was quite pleasant for ABI Brother and myself to take the ferry. It is a great 40 minute trip, but costs $99, but as it was a public holiday with a 10% surcharge, $109. With my car placed in the queue, I went and bought coffee to drink before the ferry arrived. 

The floating Christmas tree in Geelong.

The bollards are well known in Geelong.

The distances displayed amused me.

The band strikes up.

Sister later set the table quite nicely, except where I was placed, there was a tumbler glass, a beaker if you Hyacinth describe it. My shaky hands apparently mean I can't have a stemmed wine glass. Don't you believe it. Oreo had to be disturbed from his slumber after feeding on offcuts. 

As Sister ordered us out for a drive, Bone Doctor took us to the lovely Portarlington. The ferry had just arrived from Melbourne and had disgorged its load. There was a light boarding for its next trip, to Geelong. 

There she goes, fast. 

This luscious car was parked near my car, an Oldsmobile, not converted to right hand drive and wearing car club number plates. 

After a careful examination of the panel, it did have cruise control but I could not ascertain that it had aircon. 

Boxing Day, our ferry to carry us from Queenscliff to Sorrento arrived.

The maw opened the second as the ferry stopped moving and the first car appeared. 

Looking up the channel leading towards Swan Bay. Once onboard I bought a sausage roll to eat for a standard price. as tasty as a Greggs'. But I baulked at $7.50 for a 350ml/35cl/12oz bottle of coffee flavoured milk. I might not be poor, but I not paying that price.

By 11.30 we arrived at oldest niece's house. The Cafe Latte Twins are in New Zealand with their father for their first visit to meet family and the family matriarch, their grandmother. While Fire Fighting Nephew, also  Bellarine Peninsula residents, wasn't working, he, his wife, their daughter and twin boys bailed out because of the heat. 

Before leaving home, with Kosov's help at cutting, I made a large quantity of fried rice. One lot was quite spicy for us two, the other two serves less so, with one lot eaten at Sister's and the other on Boxing Day. I received compliments, which was nice. Ray always made baked cauliflower in a cheese sauce for Christmas. While I was urged to, I didn't. There aren't second prizes. Oldest Niece made the dish though, and was regaled with, "Not as good as Ray's". 

We had a slap up Christmas lunch and there were still quite enough children, six, to make a racket. The day wrapped up quite early

I didn't take anymore photos on Boxing Day, but I should have. I just wanted to be in the comfort of home. While enjoyable, obviously it was quite a different Christmas for me, and everyone was aware of of the absence and there were a couple of brimming eyes at times.  Hippie Niece's partner's dog had pups and while they left the mother at home, they didn't want to leave the pups at home in the heat, so they brought them along. Pups need to sleep and the heat made them very drowsy.