Joy
There has been a lot of it around.
Honestly, I think the last time I was this cloudlessly happy was in 2005. And that was in Freo too.
Christmas this year has been magnificent. All about what it's supposed to be about. Love and sharing.
On 23rd, I had dinner at Sandy and Paul's with Mel and Ross and kids in attendance - and fell hopelessly in love with Lila. She is the sum of Mel and Ross (obviously), and just so serene and beautiful. Harley is "handsome" in his own words, and a wild little bundle of energy. Auntie Banana had a grand old time with Lila, wondering constantly if I was holding her correctly.
Those few hours reminded me how much I love spending time with S & P, and Ross reminded me how much I miss them. Sydney's not so far away, but far enough when the people you like to play with are there. So we'll be together at new year's and I can't wait.
Christmas Eve was, despite my lack of tree or presents or anything like that, heavy with expectation and zinging excitement.
I left work before lunchtime, and picked up some toxic coloured drinks for Betty from the Restore, and then enjoyed a long, sharply sunny relaxed lunch with Geoff, Joe and Shezza. Sun-loved and smiling I went to pick up Balint so we could head to Betty and Pete's for our big Hungarian Christmas Eve. B was resting, and the mood was odd and sad and constricting.
I said in the car that I didn't think spending Christmas Day together was a good idea, and the mood froze further. I am selfishselfishselfish - he said - and I could keep my cd (the pogues cd I bought him). I bit my tongue, I set my face and shut up and after we stopped for some ice in Lynwood, we both apologised, and arrived at the party smiling.
I have to say, Peter is a lucky fucker. Betty is the most amazing housewife I have ever come across (of our generation definitely). She does so much! Her and Emese made enormous efforts with the decorations, with the cooking, the baking... Our little band of Hungarians, plus Pat and I, the random Aussies, had an effortlessly happy time.
We even sang carols, without tears, and sang many more songs into an empty champagne bottle, and when that was mislaid, we got out candles to use as slim-microphones and carried on. And on. And on.
We ended the night in the pool, in various stages of undress and woke with a mildly nasty hangover, but well worth it. A painless Christmas.
I drove B home and shortly afterwards Shezza's inlaws picked me up and we went to Bateman, for a wonderful Australian Christmas. I am so touched that Jim and Cathy invited me into their home, included me in their family Christmas (I even got a little soap from Lush, and from Shez and Neil a blow-up toy dragon to use in the pool). It was wonderful. And Bruce, the well built old black pug, was everywhere, wheezing and pattering around on his stumpy legs.
We played in the pool, we played board games, Shez made mojitos, and we grazed through the day. It was relaxed and happy. I am even smiling as I type this.
M arrived from a two day drive from Newman and drove me home, and I opened the Fonty's Pool bubbly that Mum had bought in July to drink to celebrate my P plates. What a joyous way to finish the Christmas day.
On Boxing Day a group of us headed to White Hill Beach, which is a beach accessible only to 4wd's and which provided one of the wildest and most beautiful experiences of my life. I slept in the back of Land Cruiser, under a canopy of stars and a moon so bright it was like a spotlight hung in the sky.
There were games in the surf and fishing (goal in life: to be able to hold a fishing rod in one hand - need to get back into pump classes) and long walks and taking photos and sunset on the beach, with a cool gin tonic in hand, that made me feel like there was nothing in the world better than this. The day sinking into the Indian Ocean, spending lazy hours with good friends... perfection.
Yesterday I was the last to wake, everyone else was up at dawn to go fishing...and when I emerged bleary eyed at 7, there was coffee and the delectable remains of breakfast to greet me, and then a morning swim, interrupted only by a school of salmon.
Back home I lazed by the pool, then drove to the 'old neighbourhood' and was pummeled by the waves in City Beach. Walking back to the car, Geoff and I made a spontaneous decision to watch Conan. So the evening was spent with pizza, and Arnie and the gorgeous but infinitely aloof Tally. I was so tired on the drive home, but happy and after a wonderful sleep I woke at 6 and am now busily baking birthday cake.
Today is another beautiful day. Mum sent me a message just before bed yesterday - "never lose your playfulness" - and she's absolutely right!
. . .
Honestly, I think the last time I was this cloudlessly happy was in 2005. And that was in Freo too.
Christmas this year has been magnificent. All about what it's supposed to be about. Love and sharing.
On 23rd, I had dinner at Sandy and Paul's with Mel and Ross and kids in attendance - and fell hopelessly in love with Lila. She is the sum of Mel and Ross (obviously), and just so serene and beautiful. Harley is "handsome" in his own words, and a wild little bundle of energy. Auntie Banana had a grand old time with Lila, wondering constantly if I was holding her correctly.
Those few hours reminded me how much I love spending time with S & P, and Ross reminded me how much I miss them. Sydney's not so far away, but far enough when the people you like to play with are there. So we'll be together at new year's and I can't wait.
Christmas Eve was, despite my lack of tree or presents or anything like that, heavy with expectation and zinging excitement.
I left work before lunchtime, and picked up some toxic coloured drinks for Betty from the Restore, and then enjoyed a long, sharply sunny relaxed lunch with Geoff, Joe and Shezza. Sun-loved and smiling I went to pick up Balint so we could head to Betty and Pete's for our big Hungarian Christmas Eve. B was resting, and the mood was odd and sad and constricting.
I said in the car that I didn't think spending Christmas Day together was a good idea, and the mood froze further. I am selfishselfishselfish - he said - and I could keep my cd (the pogues cd I bought him). I bit my tongue, I set my face and shut up and after we stopped for some ice in Lynwood, we both apologised, and arrived at the party smiling.
I have to say, Peter is a lucky fucker. Betty is the most amazing housewife I have ever come across (of our generation definitely). She does so much! Her and Emese made enormous efforts with the decorations, with the cooking, the baking... Our little band of Hungarians, plus Pat and I, the random Aussies, had an effortlessly happy time.
We even sang carols, without tears, and sang many more songs into an empty champagne bottle, and when that was mislaid, we got out candles to use as slim-microphones and carried on. And on. And on.
We ended the night in the pool, in various stages of undress and woke with a mildly nasty hangover, but well worth it. A painless Christmas.
I drove B home and shortly afterwards Shezza's inlaws picked me up and we went to Bateman, for a wonderful Australian Christmas. I am so touched that Jim and Cathy invited me into their home, included me in their family Christmas (I even got a little soap from Lush, and from Shez and Neil a blow-up toy dragon to use in the pool). It was wonderful. And Bruce, the well built old black pug, was everywhere, wheezing and pattering around on his stumpy legs.
We played in the pool, we played board games, Shez made mojitos, and we grazed through the day. It was relaxed and happy. I am even smiling as I type this.
M arrived from a two day drive from Newman and drove me home, and I opened the Fonty's Pool bubbly that Mum had bought in July to drink to celebrate my P plates. What a joyous way to finish the Christmas day.
On Boxing Day a group of us headed to White Hill Beach, which is a beach accessible only to 4wd's and which provided one of the wildest and most beautiful experiences of my life. I slept in the back of Land Cruiser, under a canopy of stars and a moon so bright it was like a spotlight hung in the sky.
There were games in the surf and fishing (goal in life: to be able to hold a fishing rod in one hand - need to get back into pump classes) and long walks and taking photos and sunset on the beach, with a cool gin tonic in hand, that made me feel like there was nothing in the world better than this. The day sinking into the Indian Ocean, spending lazy hours with good friends... perfection.
Yesterday I was the last to wake, everyone else was up at dawn to go fishing...and when I emerged bleary eyed at 7, there was coffee and the delectable remains of breakfast to greet me, and then a morning swim, interrupted only by a school of salmon.
Back home I lazed by the pool, then drove to the 'old neighbourhood' and was pummeled by the waves in City Beach. Walking back to the car, Geoff and I made a spontaneous decision to watch Conan. So the evening was spent with pizza, and Arnie and the gorgeous but infinitely aloof Tally. I was so tired on the drive home, but happy and after a wonderful sleep I woke at 6 and am now busily baking birthday cake.
Today is another beautiful day. Mum sent me a message just before bed yesterday - "never lose your playfulness" - and she's absolutely right!
. . .
posted by BanAnna at 12/27/2009 03:03:00 pm
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