Saturday, December 23, 2006

happy Christmas!


Well, tomorrow I am off to a little part of New Zealand called Peel Forest with 12 relations for Christmas and New Years. We have rented out a camp there; it is solar powered and we are all crossing our fingers that the power will survive us. We are also crossing our fingers regarding the weather; as usual, one spends all December bragging about a summer Christmas, and then a few days before Christmas, it starts feeling like it's midwinter. For the last four days, it has been absolutely pelting down with rain and it's getting colder and colder. Ugh. The weatherman says it will clear up by Christmas Day but one never knows whether to trust the weatherman. As a writer in our newspaper said yesterday: 'It's summer! How do I know this? By the rain hitting my roof like a machine gun shooting six-inch nails.' I was downtown yesterday scurrying around the central city with an umbrella, and it was really quite amusing watching the poor tourists who have been inveigled here on the promise of a dream-like New Zealand summer on the beach.
Well, at the very least we are taking plenty of board games and reading matter with us, and (sigh) I have essays to write. And Christmas is Christmas. Bad weather won't get in the way of the best parts.
Regarding Christmas, this is a verse I've been thinking about quite a bit this year, from Isaiah 9, which is really quite applicable to Christmas: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. It's not much but I like it. Have a merry Christmas, everyone!

5 comments:

Trish Ryan said...

Great quote! Merry Christmas - may you find essay inspiration under the tree with the rest of your presents :)

pilgrimchick said...

I hope you had/are still having a wonderful Christmas. What a very unique tradition to travel as you are so doing. In fact, I completely forgot that you have a summer Christmas season rather than a winter one, and I am very curious as to what that must be like to experience. Have you ever had a "winter" Christmas before?

Jessi said...

I somehow read "Peel forest" as "pee! forest" and got very excited. I am a five year old boy in the sense of bathroom humor amusing me. Just wanted to ruin your lovely post with this horrible update.

j said...

Hope you had a lovely Christmas!

Allie said...

Trish: still have three to write but the first went by okay! Phew...

slskenyon: I think quite a lot of families go camping or whatever for Christmas in NZ. We've had several Christmases like that although it's perfectly normal to have it at home too. I haven't had a winter Christmas ever, but I was in the States in January once... it was beautiful!

Jessica: Nope, it's Peel Forest allright! Sounds like you would get along very well with my nephew Finlay :)

JenKneeBee: Thanks, you too!