THANKFUL THURSDAY - AWAY IN A MANGER

Good Morning and welcome to Thursday - a warm day in my city and this is following on a magnificent sunrise in this city.  My colours exactly.  It was beautiful - all was calm and still and picture perfect.

Sunrise in Adelaide Thursday December 15th

So here we are another day closer to Christmas - and there are lots of open air Christmas carol services programmed for this weekend and unfortunately rain is forecast too - so I am hoping that the rain holds off and these lovely events can take place in the parks and gardens around Adelaide, and that the strains of beautiful Away in a Manger can waft on the summer air.

Carols by Candlelight is usually the major event in every Capital city of Australia where families gather with rugs and refreshments and sit on the grass and wait for the darkness to fall and then the candles they hold are lit and it is a very lovely time.   Carols are sung and there is very often a visit from a certain Jolly Old Gent.   Carols by The Sea is a lovely event too and I love to sit on the sand and hear the waves lapping gently along with the music.  There are lots of venues - Carols on the Golf Course, In the Square, In the Car park  - so many and it is lovely to be outside and share this experience under a diamond studded sky.

Music generally stirs me and excites me and often moves me to tears and I absolutely love all the special Christmas music I hear on my radio or play in my home.   I could not pick a particular favourite for I love them all.  There is a big televised event on Christmas Eve and I miss my girls being at home, because we always watched that together (often while I finished off all the last minute cooking, sewing or just bits and pieces.)

It fascinates me how things on opposite sides of the world can be so similar - families gathering to sing Christmas irrespective of the weather.   Parties are the same all all over the world too.   I attended my Transplant Unit's Celebration of Christmas and Life last Thursday and in Philadelphia today is their Transplant Unit's party - will be underway as I write.  The older patients will meet the new ones and the medical and surgical staff will get to see their patients in a very different light.    It is great to gather and to celebrate life.

I have been shopping for my daughter this morning and was delighted to find the shops were open at 07.00 - extended trading hours do not mean extended money unfortunately.   The shops were quiet and there was time to chat with the Staff - a very pleasant experience   The roads were quiet too and as I drove past the High School my younger daughter attended I was surprised how few students were attending.   Officially school finishes on Friday for the long  6/7 week break for the summer holidays and I used to love those holidays and having my kids home with me.  For the Year 12 students the anxiety comes now as they wait for their results and the offers of University courses.  Ahhhh yes I remember those anxious days very well.

If you have young children on holidays for the summer - be sure to spend some time with them - make some memories to last, because, believe me those memories do serve you well in future years.  There are lots of Christmas memories my family share and summer holiday stories which will no doubt be marched out of the Memory Closet at Christmas time and revisited with much laughter.

Thankful Thursday always makes me pause and reflect on all that I have to be thankful for  - I am alive and well, I have the sweetest of friends who too is alive and well, I have a caring and loving family who humour me and accept me for just who I am.   I have a home, a comfortable bed and food on my table.  My car takes me where I need to be and I am cared for by an amazing Medical and Transplant Team.  I have the gift of music and laughter and I have learned to laugh at myself which is a very nice feeling.

We really are on a countdown now until that special day - enjoy it all - I am doing and shall continue to do so.

Enjoy the music, the laughter, the fun and be sure to tell those you love that you do love them.

Happy anticipating and thanks for visiting the Musings of My Heart ~ a very thankful and contented heart today.

Love and hugs,

Linda. 

SUNDAY - CHRISTMAS IS COMING.

One toy soldier stands alone

With his drum down by his side

One toy soldier on his own

With his drum to keep the time

He keeps the beet of marching feet

He keeps the beat so true

He's one small toy for one small boy

But his heart is oh so blue

Who can mend my broken drum

Will it be as good as new

I must play when morning comes

I don't, what shall I do?

He keeps the beat of marching feet

He keeps the beat inside

While children sleep, he dreams so deep

There's a secret he must hide

For he keeps the beat of marching feet

He keeps the beat so true

He wants to sing and hopes to bring

Happy Christmas day to you

He keeps the beat of marching feet

He keeps the beat inside

Someone has come to mend his drum

Now his heart lights up with pride

So he keeps the beat of marching feet

He keeps the beat so true

When morning comes, he plays his drum

Good evening from my little corner of the world and I have been listening to Christmas music again today and this particular song always fascinates me - the beat is lovely and it takes me back to the days when children didn't get very much for Christmas - maybe it was just One Toy Soldier.   I was very blessed as a child and had a very indulgent Father who would have given me the top brick off the chimney had I asked.  I did have lots of toys and there were all of the very best - nothing he thought was too good for me.   It never changed as a woman, Wife and Mother, if I wanted it - then I had it.  I had to be very careful what I said when he was around or the next day he would arrive with the said item.   He denied me nothing - well he did one thing - but that's another story.   I remembered the occasion and so too did he - we talked about it a week or so before he died and laughed about it.

This song about a Toy Soldier reminds me of my Dad who often would tell me the story of when he received a Toy Soldier which was made of lead and which he came to cherish.  Music evokes memory and my memory of my Father is kind and beautiful and I have cried a little about this.   I wish I had that little toy solder - it would be cherished, but I somehow imagine it became very damaged from play and lost in the veil of the years.

Today the weather has been perfect - cool, but sunny and I am hoping and hoping that it is like this for Christmas Day - I had had a funny day today - my printer is being silly and I haven't been able to print the labels for my Christmas cards and I ran out of fishing line so was only able to hang a few of the baubles from the beams in the family room.   I am actually thinking I shall have to write my envelopes and that will be a shock to my system.   Tomorrow I shall go off to the fishing tackle shop and get more line and start all over again.

I had a successful short trip to the shops for an outfit for Christmas - and yes of course it will match my colour scheme for the day.

It is really nice to share outings that friends have and to listen to them tell me all about it and show me their photographs - again i am thankful for the technology that brings photographs not a couple of hours old in USA into my home in Adelaide.   Photographs of a new puppy for friends in Sydney also right here with me - it keeps my friends close and I can share their activities.

When Lynne's baby granddaughters were born - they were only hours old and I was able to share their photograph. I love the technology. They must have grown a lot - perhaps I will be able to share a Christmas photograph of them with you soon.

Two weeks from now and Christmas will be almost over for us - family will be heading off in different directions and I will be struggling to fit things in the fridge.    I can never understand why we take food out of the fridge, eat half of it and then can't fit the rest back in there.

There will be paper and ribbons and dirty (probably wine stained) table linen and phones will have been buzzing for most of the day as each of us try to make contact with those we love sometime during this most wonderful day.

My family will be groaning with very full tummies and not wanting to think about food for a few days and, knowing Adelaide the weather will warm up right after Christmas.   The Cricket Test will start on Boxing Day in Melbourne, (which is a great excuse for lots of people to park themselves in front of the television and sleep a good deal of Boxing day away.     

My joy on Boxing  Day is to watch the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race which leaves beautiful Sydney Harbour at noon and heads south to Hobart in Tasmania.  There will be a flotilla of small craft and usually the Harbour is bathed in sunshine.

Then our Australian summer of sport will be capped off with Tennis. 

I don't mind the Test Cricket but I never sit and watch - I sometimes listen on the radio but that's about my interest in it all - I have, however been known to sit all night and watch the Golf.  

Thanks for sharing a walk down memory lane with me and indulging my love of Christmas music - I am not finished yet -I have 13 more days to go.

I have two decorated outside now and that;'s it - I am finished I think.

This tree is tied to my Pergola post by the family room door.

And this one near the back door.


I think I am done now - and not even going to bother to count.   There are more than I need but I love them all.


With visions of sugar plums dancing in my head I shall close off and wish you a happy Sunday/good night sleep Sunday night - depending where you are - enjoy it all and I thank you for calling by to read the Musings of this Christmas filled heart.


Love and hugs,
Linda.