Does it feel anything like Christmas yet?

[jim king]

It is 90 degrees and raining about 3 inches an hour.  Not to much like a Christmas in Wisconsin BUT.  Today  in the kitchen I saw the bread drying for dressing, the local version of cranberries to make into sauce and a lot of Christmas cookies being made for the neighbor kids.

This is our first year here without a bunch of employees and I miss that part.  Christmas here is when the employers have a small party for the employees and give out food baskets with everything they would not normally buy so they and their families have a nice Christmas.

Christmas Eve will be fireworks all over town and scare the whatever out of the animals.  It is not the same.

 We always have enough foreigners over to fill out the table and eat well.  I remember the first time we had a Christmas Eve dinner we only had three employees and we invited them and their families.  My wife at her best set the table with enough forks , spoons and glasses to confuse even a foreigner.  When everyone sat down to eat it started out very quiet as most of them had only ever eaten out of a bowl with a table spoon.  Finally I realized what was going on and I started eating my mashed potatoes and gravy with a table spoon and then started with a fork.

None of them had ever had a meal of turkey and everything that goes with it.  After the meal we opened a gallon of "Bulls Blood" wine from Brazil and everyone started joking about the table setting.  I said just pour it in whatever glass seems right.   It was one of the nicest Christmas dinners ever for us.

   

 

[Ianab]

We aren't in the 90deg range here, but a nice 70F and sunny. 

BBQ for lunch etc.

The real sign that it's Christmas is that the Pohutukawa trees are out in flower. Like a pre-decorated tree.

This is the flower


And the tree grows fairly big.


Old pics from previous Christmas*, but you get the idea.

Ian

[Bibbyman]

Well its starting to feel like Christmas now.  Mary started baking and making yesterday and started up early this morning.  To get my breakfast I had to elbow my way into the kitchen and fight for counter space.  It was like a fight under the basket at a basketball game.

[Warbird]

He shoots!  HE SCOOOOORES!!! 

[thecfarm]

Lucky Mary did not foul him with an elbow to the eye. 
My wife got up a 3 AM and started cooking. I heard the mixer going and thought,yep,someone can't sleep.

[Magicman]

We made that last little shopping trip yesterday.  The only person on the list was her.  It was her day, and I was a dutiful tag-a-long.   I've said it before:   Happy Wife......Happy Life......

[isawlogs]

My wife got up a 3 AM and started cooking. I heard the mixer going and thought,yep,someone can't sleep.

  I think that it was two someones that where not sleeping      

[pineywoods]

I took the wife to Sam's club yesterday. The place was a madhouse. Traffic backed up half a mile just to get into the parking lot. I got out for a little under 200 bucks 

[Norm]

It's sure beginning to feel like Christmas* at our place.



Her's on the right, his on the left.

[beenthere]

Hey, that looks great. Bet Patty gets to town faster'n you do. 

 

[SPIKER]

Lots of people sure love this time of year, We get together still on my side of family, but not much else have a good meal and chat a bit.   My sister was big into the holiday spirit no matter what the holiday she threw the shindig, after she passed it has not been much like a holiday for our family...   we all miss her more this time of year and it has been nearly 10 full years now...   
Be thank full of the family & friends as that is more important than gifts for sure...

Mark

[Bibbyman]

Day before last there were seven deer in the field below the house.  But alas, they were only white tail does and fawns not reindeer.

This morning I stepped out on the front porch to find this little snake.  I’d never have expected to see a snake out on December 24’th.   The rain may have driven him out of a hole some place. 

 



He may be our only guest for Christmas.  Son Chris and wife Heather may not try to drive in from Kansas City, Kansas because of the expected freezing rain and snow.  I doubt now that my folks will want to get out as well.

[Warbird]

Well you've got all of us here to hang out with, Bibby.  If you and the Mrs feel like an extra long road trip, we'll set a place for you at our table. 

[Ianab]

Well, dont know if it's feels like Christmas yes, but it IS

7am Christmas morning, little Lara is still asleep so things are still peacefull. Warm sunny day so we are going to take things easy. BBQ this afternoons with Lil's family and a few quiet ales. Had dinner with my folks last night as they live in the opposite direction.

Anyway, it's a good Christmas so far. 

Ian

[jim king]

Yes it is starting to feel and smell like Christmas.  This morning I got drafted into the effort,  I dreid the bread and made the cubes for dressing, did up the giblets for the dressing, peeled the potatoes, shucked the peas and drank some wine.  Boiled the squash for pumpkin pie.

A few days ago I made sweet pickles, dill pickles and pickled heart.   Yesterday my wife made lemon bars, chocolate covered brownies, sugar cookies and others for the neighbor kids and I made fake cranberry sauce out of the local fruit that is like cranberries.

Things are improving a lot here.  When we first came to the Amazon we were lucky to find a skinny chicken, last year we had a turkey from Barron , Wisconsin.   How they got here I have no idea.   This year a 12 kilo one.   Now there are spices available and almost anything one needs.

The Christmas baskets for our two employees were just delivered.

I DO MISS fruit cake.

The turkey and dressing are in the oven

 


The fake cranberries are now cooked up into sauce
 


The Christmas baskets for the two employees are here and the live chickens are waiting in the market.  They dont have refrigerators so live chickens are best.