Surfin Santa

Part of the Christmas decorations in a small seaside town near here.

Christmas in the 50's

Christmas 50+ years ago in New Zealand. Hmm - well it was different to 2007 - but similar too.

We were a farming family so Dad was up early (about 4.30am) in the morning as usual to milk the cows. My bedroom was by the kitchen and I would hear him singing as he made himself breakfast and a billy of tea to take to the milking shed with him.

He had fought overseas in the Middle East with the NZ Armed forces during World War II and had a large repetoire of army songs and also some of the hits during the war years. He could sing Lily Marlane in english and german, and especially loved Gracie Fields songs.

Santa figured largely in our young lives at Christmas time. We were usually taken to a department store in the nearest large city and would whisper our requests to him. Not much credence was given to the usual stories of a flying sleigh, reindeer etc. But we did leave out some food for him, cake and a bottle of beer!

We had no concept at all of what a white Christmas would be like, even though we happily sent off Christmas cards with snow scenes on them. In fact we had never seen snow even though Mt Ruapehu which is now our nearest ski field was only about a four hour drive away. With having to milk cows night and morning all summer then feed and look after calving cows all winter, we never ventured very far from home. Our cars and roads were not so reliable either and long journeys were often fraught with breakdowns.

We had a stocking by our beds which would be filled with an orange and some nuts in their shells, and maybe a lolly or two. There would be one main present also under the tree from Santa and family gifts as well. The tree was usually one from the farm somewhere, sometimes a rimu (native tree), but often the top out of a Lawsoniana pine. We had homemade decorations and a few shiny glass bells.

So when Dad came in from the shed the presents were opened. Mum would be busy stuffing the goose that had been killed and dressed by Dad the day before. I would often help Dad with this task - we were very matter of fact about eating animals we had raised! Occasionally we would have lamb for our Christmas meal. As we had about 500 sheep on the farm as well as cows, there were plenty of lambs. In fact dad would shift the lambs away from the roadside paddocks close to Christmas as we were wary of poachers. In the past he had found a distressed ewe and no lamb.

We would have members of the extended family arrive for Christmas Dinner. Dinner, around 2pm, was always a goose or lamb, gravy, fresh dug potatoes, fresh beans and peas (no frozen vegetables were available in those days), and for dessert always Christmas Pudding with brandy sauce and with threepences in it. We looked forward to finding the threepences!

Mum also made a trifle (sponge cake, home bottled fruit, custard, jelly). Virtually everything we ate was grown and produced by us. Even the eggs to bake the sponge! Baking items - flour, sugar, salt pepper etc were bought of course. My Grandad (standing in front of the tent), would supply his home made apple cider and Ginger beer.

All this heavy meal was eaten in the heat of a summers day! We were not near a beach to go swimming, but sometimes swam in the nearby river, or a stream in the hills.

Extra visitors were accommodated in a tent on the lawn.

The photos (the black and white ones taken with a 'Box Brownie') are - the geese, our tent with my Grandad, youngest brother, a farm dog, and Dad in his work clothes standing in front, me on the horse (horses were used as farm hacks around the hills and sheep), one for Candy of my brothers with our guinea pigs (they eventually escaped and lived wild under and around a wood pile where they bred with gay abandon). and one photo of my two brothers with a new bike for the older one and the younger ones new toy truck in the background. Most family or farm photos have a horse, a lamb or a dog in them!

My memories are of lots of laughter, the excitement of seeing relatives that we had probably not seen for some time, no TV so we would sit around the radio and listen to the Queens message, lots of food, excitement of the presents of course, and my Uncle who had been a choir boy in his youth leading the singing of Christmas carols. The same Uncle (English born) was a very keen cricketer and we always had a game of cricket in the afternoon on the lawn.

To remember and write about past Christmases is happy and sad at the same time as all my own family, including my much loved two younger brothers, have now passed away and I am the last one left.

Next post - Christmas in New Zealand in the 2000's!

An old Santa

This is a photo of me with Santa, probably taken around 1949 or 1950.

The hand smocked dress and fuzzy hand knitted bolero, were made by my Mother who was a dressmaker by trade.

He's rather a stately looking Santa isn't he?

Way to Weigh

Oh dear, I think that until Christmas is well over I will weigh myself this way!

Reflections on Growing Older

Friends send me by email lots of funny jokes, wise sayings, corny jokes, off beat jokes, funny video clips, power point presentations etc.

There seem to be a lot lately about various aspects of growing old! I really don't need to be reminded that the years are passing by - and hey - I am NOT OLD, just because I am newly retired doesn't mean that life is nearly over! I am planning to be around for at least another 25 years. And hopefully in the good health that I enjoy at the moment.

Usually I read them, have a chuckle, or reflect on the message for a while, then delete them and forget them. Needless to say, some are deleted without much reflection.

Anyway - every now and then though there is an email that strikes a chord and one I will remember.

This is part of one I received yesterday. I won't post the whole message but part of it said:

'Old age is like a bank account, you withdraw in later life what you have deposited along the way.'

That is so true - on many levels - personal and health wise.

PS I would love to post a photo of an elderly relative of mine whose 'bank account' is in the millions. But she would be cross with me!

Article from todays newspaper

With a thong in my heart on Jandal Day

5:00AM Friday December 07, 2007
By Andrew Koubaridis

Jandals are quite versatile, but today they can double as workwear. Photo / Dean Purcell

Ever wanted to wear your Jandals to work? Well, today you can as New Zealand celebrates its first-ever Jandal Day.

Kiwis are being urged to kick off their shoes and slip on their thongs to pledge their support to surf lifeguards, who are holding their inaugural appeal day today.

Hundreds of businesses throughout the country have registered to take part, involving about 60,000 people, but that figure doesn't include thousands of individuals taking part.

Californian Matt Fiori, 30, yesterday told the Herald he'd never heard the term Jandal. He calls his favourite footwear flip-flops.

"I love them, I wish I could wear them all the time."

Mr Fiori said he had one pair but tended to wear them out, saying he would "wear them till they died".

They were "very popular" on the beaches in California, he said.

And it seems he's in good company. Surveys show Kiwis love their Jandals so much that 80 per cent have a pair, and more than half own two pairs.

Jandals are considered so Kiwi that 90 per cent of us even consider them a national icon.

Money raised from Jandal Day will go towards public education, increasing the access of lifeguards to beaches and purchasing equipment.

_______________________________________________

No comment from me!

My husband buys leather ones and wears them til they fall apart.

Te Harinui - a New Zealand Christmas hymn

Samuel Marsden, the first missionary in New Zealand, arrived in the Bay of Islands on 23 Dec 1814 on board the ship Active. They anchored near Rangihoua on the North side of the bay.

On Christmas Day Marsden held the first official Christian service in New Zealand, using the text '“Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10).'.

There is a beautiful New Zealand Christmas Carol, Te Harinui, which was written by Willow Macky to commemorate this event. 'Te Harinui' translates into English as 'Great Joy'.


Te Harinui

Not on a snowy night by star or candlelight;
Nor by an angel band there came to our dear land.

Te Harinui, Te Harinui
Te Harinui, glad tidings of great joy.

But on a summer day, within a quiet bay,
The Maori people heard the great and glorious word.

Te Harinui, Te Harinui
Te Harinui, glad tidings of great joy.

The people gathered round upon a grassy ground,
And heard the preacher say, "I bring to you this day:"

Te Harinui, Te Harinui
Te Harinui, glad tidings of great joy.

Now in this blessed land united heart and hand,
We praise the glorious birth and sing to all the earth:

Te Harinui, Te Harinui
Te Harinui, glad tidings of great joy, glad tidings of great joy.

______________________________________

Its a wonderful simple hymn, and always spells Christmas to me. Our children at end of year school assembly would sing it beautifully, it suits childrens voices.

I don't have a link to it other than this one which is not the best:

http://www.geocities.com/farrellfamily/xmas5.html

Sewing bee

A very mundane subject!

With three grandchildren, a two year old and 7 month old twins, bibs are in high demand, especially for the babies who are teething and dribbling! So while it has been raining and I have been confined indoors, I have been busy making some out of double thickness toweling.

The bibs in the shops are too thin and are soaked in no time at all. The ones with plastic backing are not suitable for the clothes drier, so hopefully these ones will be effective.

The first photo is the 'work station', the second photo shows some of my works of art.

And The Best Red of All........the NZ Pohutukawa

The Pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa) is a coastal evergreen tree of the myrtle family that produces a brilliant display of flowers made up of red stamens. It flowers from December to January and is known as the New Zealand Christmas tree.

It is a beautiful sight around our beaches in the summer, clinging to the cliffs and shorelines and a blaze of red flowers. There are regional variations in the shade of red, and now available is a yellow flowering variety.

Everyone loves Pohutukawas: for their colour, their tenacity in the way they cling to cliffs and thrive in a hostile salt laden environment, the way they provide shade along the shoreline, and their heralding of the summer.

Christmas reds

I had decided that I was not going to do another post of flower photos for a while but I simply could not resist the Christmas reds (and shades of red) that assault my eyes when I walk outside at the moment.

A month ago the predominant colour in the garden was purple, now it seems to have changed overnight.

The flowers are from top to bottom: Geranium, Hollyhock, Poinsettia, Bottlebrush, Bougainvillea, Perennial Petunia, Nasturtium.

Some years ago I was elected on to a Board and when there was a meeting that was going to involve some difference of opinion, I would wear my favourite bright red jacket. Somehow it seemed to give me courage and lift the spirits. maybe that is why I seem to have so many red flowering plants in my garden.