And peace and goodwill to all…
Windy and bright, friends, neighbours and guests coming and going. A hot summer’s morning in South Africa, Christmas day 2011. There are tiny whippy scorpions running about in the garage, almost invisible. I go in to collect firewood wearing gumboots.
The dog moseyed into the kitchen and had a few slices of unattended panettone. Delizioso, squisito!
The fresh galjoen lies on a slab of marble in the fridge glaring up at me with its fishy eye. Prawns to be deveined and peeled. On the stove I have a pot of butter and lemon sauce to anoint the fish on the grill over seething coals. The day stuttering into life — all night I suffered with Camembert dreams of lurid nonsensicality. Cheese before bedtime sends the imagination into overdrive.
Wrapping paper scattered all over the living room floor. Church bells waking the village, wind in the tree tops. The LED fairy lights have stopped working, it doesn’t matter. The tables are laid out in red and green, ivy trailing from jugs of starry myrtle, small teak bowls of pecan and macadamia nuts, larger bowls of oranges and clementines.
Take a deep breath and join the dance.
A poem for Christmas:
Sonnet in the Shape of a Potted Tree
The merriest of Christmases to you, Louisey. And the dog!
And to you G, to your dog too!
It sounds very festive with the ringing of the bells. In the city, every church rings the bells but out here in the country. It is quiet with an occasional bark from a dog. I have an old farm bell in the yard. Perhaps, I should ring it! Have a wonderful day.
Ringing bells are a way of life here in the village –along with the Xhosa drums and voudoun rattles! But much of the time the place is as quiet as yours.
The food sound heavenly. And I love the sonnet in the shape of a potted tree.
Merry Christmas Mary.
The food was good, and the company a great pleasure — I liked the shaped sonnet too
Wow, a poem in the shape of a potted tree! Hope the party was as good as the preparations make it sound….
Thanks for your inspiring posts, poems and quotes this year. Always something for me to ponder or feel here.
Peaceful Christmas to you
Peace to you too Ellen and thanks for taking the time to comment so often. I hope 2012 is a good year for both of us
Great fireworks in the sky sometimes drift into my mind….
Merry Christmas
Fireworks of all kinds take us by surprise, don’t they? Peace to you Dee
Merry Christmas my darling girl….I send you great blessings and tidings of peace as well…
Such a brave doggie, eating unattended panettone…
love and kisses to you and yours…2 legged, 4 legged…all of you!
Oh he is a bold brave doggie, Annie — and I am thinking of you and wishing we could sit down with a cup of tea and talk. Love to you