Great Southern Land

I am so glad the holidays are here.

I'm not sure how long I was going to last at the current pace. We are installing an enormous web site (in December? Why not!), and the voluntary overtime is great fun, but just a bit wearing.

But it's Christmas now. I've had a long chat to brother in the next state, and Skype has let me see sister, bro in law & nieces in Germany. We did nutty things, like take the lappy outside to show our christmas lights. Ap made faces most of the time, and we carried an inflatable dalek (Py's present from an aunty) across the background.
Sometimes the 21st Century is just right.

It's been a marvellous Christmas. Midnight Mass at the Cathedral. Coming out at 1.30am with the bells pealing into the night. We have traditional stockings out for the children, and father Christmas made his rounds. Breakfast in bits & pieces, then The Present Session after that. Ar was first "Dad here's yours." A Santa suit. How very... red.

All the parents in law were here for our long lunch, which was outdoors in a lovely 34 degrees (93 Fahrenheit). We had had a touch of rain this month, so the garden was quite green and fresh. Good Australian champagne, wines, beers, even soft drink. Ap had made meringues, & christmas cake, supervised closely by my mother. Anything with marzipan is simply good, I say.

We finished up with a bit of cooking for the extended family party tomorrow. H's specialty is gingery chick peas from the Moosewood Cook book. A truly mellow day. A blessed day.

I hope you've had a good Christmas too. We live in a crazy age, but there's so much good around (really), and I hope you feel it, or add to it. If you can read this, you're luckier than most people.

I wish you well.

They were stars. My dancing three, they stole the show. The whole evening. And the funniest thing was, all the other parents said exactly the same thing about their children.

Seriously, the calibre of the dance was universally stunning. From the opening moment when 2 4-year olds were towed on little "clouds" across the stage, we were entranced.
The story of Eurynome is an ancient creation myth from Greece. Our dance teacher conceived of having "cherubs" demand a bedtime story from the goddesses/older dancers, so they describe the dance of Eurynome as she, erm, "gets to know" the serpent Ophion.
Commencing with the primal ooze spread across the stage, Ap & his gorgeous companions created a sinister, dark, obscure dance, which finished with the dancers oozing off the stage onto the front row of the audience! Definitely not the Nutcracker!
From the union of Eurynome & Ophion (Ap & a friend) comes all the creatures of the earth. Ar's group was the wind, then the birds. Py's group was the sea, later humans, but a highlight was when they came out as the insects. They were wonderfully comical as they explored the stage, then swarmed around. I just cracked up.

The overall standard was so high, the choreography (a lot of it made by the dancers themselves), the light & sound, this was nearly professional quality from the teenagers, & the younger ones show the promise. We are so fortunate to have such an inspired dance studio. No excessive make-up, just a few simple costumes, such a wide range of music, linked to great stories, & NO forced smiles. That's the clincher: almost every single child beamed genuine grace, confidence & joy. It was a joy.

Sorry, having too much fun to get to the lappy (or any computer). A quick note to say, the dance concert is coming up again, with an Olympian theme! Actually pre-Olympian: the legend of Euronyme. Ap, Py & Ar are all in it up to their eyeballs; H has offered to design the poster, & I'm detailed to do the web site. When, I'm not exactly sure...

I refuse to believe it can be this late in the week! No! Oh well... back we go.
The confirmation was a great success. The cahedral was full, & that always cheers the bishop up a lot. The little ones were angelic; many girls in long white dresses, boys in little black suits. The parents beamed, the grandparents sighed, the organisers frantically kept things going (& did an excellent job). Piccies were not allowed in the cathedral, but outside ones here soon.

Ar behaved very well. In her smart white pants & pale blue cardigan, she looked... a bit different, a bit more casual than the gowns & stoles, or the boys in narrow ties. I'm a bit embarrassed to say I was pleased we bent the conventions just a touch. Really, who is this day for: the children or us?

Sad to say, no cousins could make the journey up (or down), but all 4 grandparents were there. A credit to the generation.

A friend talked about her time many years back, & the joy of all the presents! I think Ar connected the confirmation and the little silver crosses she got, but I don't think it was a factor. She certainly was paying attention to the service, and was properly respectful when trying the communion wine. "Makes my mouth tingle. Is that coz it's holy?" was the comment.

H had the master stroke of going to a conference right after the big day. But the single dad was saved by his parents, who stayed for nearly a week. That's why it's Thursday already. But it's been good having them here. Just got to get mum to stop washing up! Lots of conversations, catch-ups & laughs. Dad marvelled at the miracle of Bluetooth. (Which itself is pretty darn clever really.) We went to the Art Gallery, and agreed that the winner of the Jacks Drawing Prize was not the best item. We actually agreed on which one was the best... am I becoming my parents??
Lunch at El Beso in View St, cake at the Gallery cafe, we are so lucky to live in this country. I hope you appreciate yours.