12 days of Christmas..

Posted on Wed 13 December 2006 at 10:49

Again, a busy few days. 

First of all, Steve and the Bannit went to look at houses on an open day this Sunday past.  I don’t remember anything like that in the UK:  you basically open your house to anyone who wants to come and look with a view to buying (or just being nosey).  It is organised by the estate agent and you bugger off and leave him and most of the local community to it.  Well, Steve and Melissa went and looked at 2 houses.  I suggested he go and if he really liked anything, we could go together and see it again.  The first one he wanted me to see was really convenient for work and the school Melissa will be attending after the Xmas/summer holidays but it was really dated.  It had a small swimming pool but that meant there was very little garden and Melissa wants pets.  So that one was out.  However, the 2^nd was great – gully views, big garden, internal garage, tidy new kitchen decent bathroom, modernised with DVS and heating.  It is in a quiet cul-de-sac, so she can have pets with little likelihood of them getting run over hopefully – more likely to scrap with possums in the gully!!  So as you may have guessed from the glowing report, we have offered for it and subject to the builder’s report, we will be taking this one.  I feel better about this one although I have decided it will probably fall into the gully even though it is no where near the edge and there has been no erosion for years!!

The Christmas tree ended up being a tahitian lime tree, all of 3ft 10".  It has some silver angel hair on it and that's about it.  Understated and elegant I think...

Our furniture arrived today.  It is amazing how much we have done already, considering I was at work until 3pm.  This time though, we aren’t unpacking everything, as we will hopefully be moving into our own house before the end of January.  I am finding it very difficult not to unpack every single box because we have moved so often and that is what I usually do…I suggested to Steve as we never use the bath, we could maybe put some boxes in it for the time being.  I got the eyebrow…!  No boxes in there yet then.

It has been strange though.  We love the furniture we have bought since coming here but to be sat here surrounded by our old stuff has made the move more real.  More permanent perhaps.  My love affair with my couch has been kick-started again, we have vowed never to part again!  My eyes were brimming when I unwrapped a picture and it was my favourite one of Shane Mark and Darren, taken about 20 years ago.  Not homesick, just a bit emotional…love you boys….

Shona, our bed has finally reached the peak of perfection – it is now adorned with electric blanket and mattress topper.  I don’t care if it is the height of summer, the blanket will have to go on!!  I can send you a picture to put on your mantelpiece.  In fact, I will take it all in the garden, next to the orange tree, in the sun, with the birds flying about, butterflies bobbing, ….wait, I have an idea….it sounds a bit like a Christmas carol coming on…

On the 12^th day of Xmas my sister sent to me:

12 butterflies bobbing,

11 tuis flying, (Shona: a tui is a bird!)

10 beers a drinking

9 glowworms glowing

8 pumpkins growing

7 waves a cresting

6 suns a setting

5 nurses nursing

4 Kiwis surfing

3 Maori eating

2 Dairies selling (corner shop)

and a queen size bed by an orange tree!!

There, especially for you!!