I was just sitting here thinking about Ann, and wondering how she was doing. Ann blogged about not being bothered about decorating for Christmas this year. I wasn't focussing on Christmas much so Trev gave me a talking to and today we did a "stand and throw" decoration, nothing in the centre of the room but tinsel around windows, doorframes etc. And our usual big wreath on the front door. Not a lot of decorations but just enough so that anyone coming in knows it is Christmas. :wreath: :santahat:

We are also having more store-bought and less home-made this year. There will not be any parties here this year. Some years I have invited in friends and neighbours and of course also had family popping in and out. This year one of our families is way up north and not coming home for Christmas and the other family are very absorbed, with a fairly new baby and three children, rightly so. But as those three grandchildren are going to be here on Christmas Day we will make an effort to be jolly. :cheer:

I have invited Tori over tomorrow to decorate the tree. It was a family tradition that Shirley, our daughter, went to her Granma's place and helped put up the decorations and so we have established the same tradition with Tori helping me. Trev has the tree down from it's storage place and I have it half-sized. This was the idea of the nurse/educator at our dementia group who said that when there are children about it is good to keep the tree small so if they do pull it down on themselves it is just a light weight. That made sense to me. Also it is less bother to decorate, takes less decorations etc. :yay:

Tori will stay overnight and go to the church Christmas social with us tomorrow night, it is one of those bring and share occassions and should be quite good. Tori occassionally comes to Sunday school and also to craft group so she does know some of the ladies there. It is an extra time for her to put on her Christmas party frock and go out into the grown up world. Hope she is good for me. :juggle:

She will also come to church with us on Sunday. As we have a picnic lunch invitation she may finish up coming with us on that too. It depends on the weather, if it is thunderstorms like it has been the last couple of days I don't think I will be driving there, but if it is fine and sunny then it will be nice to sit and chat to some of Ray's more distant cousins and do some relaxing. I am sure there will be a few kids there for Tori to run wild with, that is one of the advantages of going out into the country for a visit, plenty of open space. :ChristmasTree: :yadayada:

I spoke to my daughter on the phone for a while tonight, not about anything in particular. It was one of those comfortable rambling conversations you have when there is no real news. Life in the tropical north, like life here, is busy with the approaching Christmas season and summer pursuits. They went to their daughter's pre-school party and Shirley got to spend an hour talking to other mothers. She has also been turning down a lot of party invitations. The life of a Salvation Army Officer is a busy one and she and Craig have a lot to do between now and Christmas Day. Despite the fact that it is summer people still have a lot of welfare needs, even in Paradise. :reigndeer:

So tomorrow I will get up early and tidy the guest room, change the sheets, tie back the curtains. Then I will prepare for the "princess" of our lives to come over a weave her usual magic spell on us. Soon there will be laughter and silliness and above all fun! Sometimes when you get over 60 you forget how to do some things like how to have fun, and how to call up the spirit of Christmas. So we are lucky we have grandchildren to share the secret with us. :secret: