12.. and the Night Before Christmas

One of the difficult things about making the hard decision a couple of years ago now that it was the right thing for me and the kids to do to strike out on our own is that they can't be in two places at one time when it comes to days like Christmas.  It doesn't make me regret the decision, and I know my kids are supportive of it, because they aren't incurably selfish and self centered.  But it doesn't make it much easier.  

My kids aren't with me tonight.  And for the first time in my life since they were born I haven't done the Christmas Eve/Santa ritutal with them.  This was always my domain.   I haven't been able to let go of Santa at my house and there are things in their Santa sacks for when they come home, which will, touch wood, be at 11am tomorrow morning.  When they walk through the door safe and sound Christmas Day will begin to feel slightly more normal again.  We are having lunch at my brother's house tomorrow, and I'm sure that will be great.

In the leadup to Christmas I tried telling myself that it's just another day, and that I was making a big deal about the things bothering me about it this year.  Despite my best efforts, I can't help feeling sad tonight.  Because Christmas isn't just another day, is it????  I suppose for me, Christmas is about being with people that you love with all your heart, and adore.  And unfortunately for me, some of these people aren't here, at all, and that's so hard.

Still..  the presents are wrapped, the baby Christmas Tree is decorated and the lights are on.  And earlier today, with the help of my Mum, I made some more headway with packing.  At the end of the day's shopping, I popped my head inside the Post Office just before they shut.  There, the nicest Post Office man in the world, the lovely Rob, waved me inside even though they were technically shut.  He's put so much thought into it, clearly taking in the excited conversations we'd had about all things Doctor Who in the lead up to the 50th Anniversary.  He got the stamp sent over from an English Post Office, especially to put in the little magnet.  It's lovely all the little things some people do to make me feel nice.  It's probably silly to still feel sad at the end of the day.. 

So to all my readers, both the regular and not quite so regular, to the ones that take the time to talk to me, and the ones that don't, and to the people that are close to my heart, Merry Christmas, with love...... If you can't say it at Christmas time, when can you say it?????

The baby Christmas Tree this evening..  I suppose on the positive side is that it was more relaxing wrapping presents free of the prying eyes of two children???
Not my tree, but it's so cool...
Sydney Airport this evening...  is pretty ace...

My special Tom Baker Doctor Who stamp magnet, from the lovely Rob at Weston Post Office.  The people at Balnarring are lovely, but they've got big shoes to fill!  

A few results from my photoshoot yesterday.  Conformation shots..  A fiddly little job that requires attention to detail and patience, and speed when the sometimes naughty ponies deign to put their feet in the right spot for that split second.  Some will stand like a stone once they are there, others you have a few seconds.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Legacy of Eight Carat: From the Vault Volume I

Image
We have been back in lockdown here in Victoria. Lockdown 5.0 to be precise and as a result it made us go back to feeling like sad sacks.  After having seen off Lockdown 4.0 a teeny tiny bit triumphantly, where we saw off both Delta and Kappa variants (evil beasts that they are - curse you stinky COVID - curse you), we had literally only just gotten back to work before being very suddenly plunged back into Lockdown 5.0 after the visit of those very nice removalists.   'Thanks very much!!!!' we all shouted indignantly!!!!  A key difference with Lockdown 5.0 was that half the country also into lockdown at the same time which made us feel slightly less sad.  The Victorian Government doesn't muck about anymore when it comes to outbreaks.  Their reaction is swift and severe and not at all namby pamby.  I just wish the same logic would be applied to Sydney which continues to deteriorate, much to my dismay.  This week we took our first tentative steps out of ...
Read more

Vale Sadler's Wells - champion stallion dies in Ireland.

Image
One of the most important racehorses, and later stallions of our time, the great Sadler's Wells died in Ireland on the evening of Tuesday 26 April 2011.  He died at Coolmore's Tipperary Stud in Ireland, his home since his retirement in 1984.  The stallion was retired from breeding in 2008. His legacy worldwide is immense.  He has left sons and daughters,  and three of his stallion sons, in Galileo, Montjeu and High Chaparral, are leading stallions in the Northern Hemisphere.  In Australia, Galileo and Montjeu had less success, however the impact of High Chaparral was immediate, and immense.  While the horse still has to repeat the success he achieved with his New Zealand bred runners, from which the Group 1 winners, and champion So You Think, were conceived, High Chaparral is still leading the Australian General Sires Title with only a couple of months of racing left. In Europe, Montjeu and Galileo have both sired Epsom Derby winners, in Authorized and Ne...
Read more

The physical drain of riding horses

Image
Most people agree that the life of a jockey is a difficult one.  There are a handful that rise to the top, and do extremely well out of the Sport of Kings.  The vast majority however struggle with their weights, and do their best to avoid and/or overcome injury.  Anyone who has ever been pelted off a horse would know that it doesn't tickle!  And of course the older you get, the more it hurts!  We used to fang around on our ponies, bareback, in headstalls and leadropes, never wearing a riding hat.  Completely fearless, and I am sure that on the odd occasion I parted company with my horse, I used to bounce.  In fact I rarely used to fall off, unless the horse came down as well, I guess all those years of galloping around bareback meant my balance and ability to swing my body with the horse was pretty good.  I'd like to say that I could still ride the same, but age and the maturing mind catches up, and you start thinking of the consequences of 'what...
Read more