Waxing Philosphical at Christmas

Christmas day in New Zealand is one for the books this year.  It's a sunny, warm, calm day over almost the entire country.  As the newspapers say, finally, a perfect Christmas.  It still seems odd to get up Christmas morning, put on your shorts and tee shirt, and keep blinds drawn to try and keep the boat from getting too warm.  I seem to retain a residual "Christmas" memory of snow on the ground, fireplaces and it being dark until 8:30 or so in the morning and getting dark again around 4:30-5:00 in the evening.  Suns up here at 5:00 am or so and it's still pretty light at 9:30 pm.  Decorated houses are fairly rare here, too light to see the effects of the lights.  This is time of year for family and friends.  We are having dinner with friends today, but alas, family is far away and spread out around North America this year.  Mom and Dad in a hotel in Portland, my brother and family spending their first Christmas without Erika (Karin's mother passed away a few weeks ago).  They are having Christmas at the family home in Ottawa and likely continuing a lifetime of traditions.  Cathy's mom is in Belleville having Christmas with Alan and family (Cathy's oldest brother) while younger brother Iain is having a family Christmas in PEI; everyone celebrating in their own way.

I think back over the past 20 years and where we have spent Christmas's.   Our parent's homes in different parts of C|anada  a hotel in the British Virgin Islands, Sweden, and New Zealand.  Our first year in New Zealand in 1996, we had Christmas day with a family who we barely new, they were friends of friends, now good friends of ours.  We've spent 3 Christmas's with them over the years, but this year we had to pass, not enough time off work.  Instead, we will go up and spend time with fellow sailors in the marina starting at noon today and later on we will drive over to our friend's house for a nice meal and get together in their backyard.  A relaxing, easygoing day, and why not, after all, it's summer time and as the song says, "the livin is easy"

 

Merry Christmas All, and no matter where you are, or what you are doing, raise a glass and know that we are there with you in spirit if not in body