Underneath the tree

ah christmas is here and our nostalgia flares up at a dangerous rate. but christmas means many things!
like:

food!!
i just spent a few hours in the kitchen making only the pudding (it has to be in the freezer for four hours). then there is the good old traditional leg of lamb roast and delicious salads. this year we have a bit of a greek feel by adding dolmades to our starters and baba ganouche (a purée of aubergine, mayo, garlic and roasted peppers) as a side. then the smell of baked potato's fills up the meal. finally that tiramisu (after it's four hours in the fridge) is ready and pudding is served.

carols
ooh another lovely tradition. every christmas eve we gather around the tree and sing our carols. deep voices, higher voices and some voices that really should rather not all blend into a surprisingly wonderful cacophony to praise the one who came for us (and if you don't believe in that stuff, at least to bond as a family, you know, spread the christmas spirit!!!)

gifts!
ah what would christmas be without the gifts. in our home, decorating the tree is a whole ritual in itself. each decoration has it's own story and we talk of memories long past as we hang each. then the presents start to appear, this year modestly wrapped in newspapers (we joined the green movement). already you can identify the annual christmas book i receive and the car my brother is going to get. mum will no doubt receive some bath essentials (soap or foam or salt) and dad cookies and chilli sauce. and so it has been and so it will be... for who knows how long?

ultimately, christmas is the event of the year that makes me feel old so much more than birthdays do. time flies when you sitting under a christmas tree <chopped from a peach tree>