Happy Christmas from Manly

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SC writes:

Some sort of normality has returned now I'm back in Manly Vale at Nik's. Final preparations are now underway for Christmas and the last few presents have been bought. No cards this year for obvious reasons so this the best way we have to wish everyone a very good Christmas and Happy New Year. We will see the new year in ahead of you of course!

The weather here around Sydney has been cool and wet. We even had a monster hail storm the other day - so unusual that the news made the Lonon Times. see photo. However, the forecast for the next few days is great: Sunny but not too hot.

Cj writes: Solli, of course, is wildly excited about Christmas. She has finished her first (kindergarten) year of school, ready for Year 1 in January - one of the Big Girls! Presents are wrapped and under the tree, and she is busy making cards for everyone. Nik has been making her Christmas food plan: we shall all be stuffed, never mind the turkey! We get an unusual perspective on Christmas food planning and shopping from Tris, who is a very senior manager in Woolworths, the Australian equivalent of Waitrose: the vaguaries of supply and demand are challenging.

As for us, it's quite a challenge to believe it's Christmas in 30c heat! despite the usual Christmas songs over the PA systems in shops etc.

Thanks to all who have commented on our blogs, which we hope everyone has enjoyed, and best wishes for a very happy Christmas.

We'll keep the blogs going until we get home on 8th Jan 2019.

xxx

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Photos

A Christmas card for you all
By Solli the artist

Large hailstones in December
A very noisy and unusual storm

Comments

[Sue and Cliff]

Merry Christmas from Shoebury!
Sounds like you're all having a wonderful time. For similarly obvious reasons we haven't sent you a Christmas card either, so here's wishing you all a joyful and not too hot Christmas!! See you next year xx