Living and Loving Hobart:: So this is Christmas

The first glimpse of tinsel and Ferrore Rocher gift packs at Woolworths usually sends me into conniptions. Even so the festive season came a little too soon.

This year, extraordinary work pressure has been 100% to blame. This year, This Girl is behind the eight ball.

I had an early vision of my Christmas guests arriving and gliding up the front steps sans flaking paint in their nails. I decided to repaint the handrail. It was going great until work turned into 60-hour weeks and it rained most of November.

By around this time, I’d usually have project planned the Christmas menus with lists of things to do and make three, two, and one weekend prior to Christmas, and three and two days, and the day before Christmas, with shopping lists to match. It hasn’t really happened.

Usually I’m embarrassed when Christmas cards arrive. This year's claim to fame is that I managed to get started early, annual newsletter and all. Then I waited eagerly for the mail. Excluding the realtor who’d like to put my house on the market, I’ve received three. They’re looking paltry on the mantelpiece.

The Lovely Deputy and I decided on this year’s colour scheme early. It’s peacock.

Last week I found myself in the ribbon aisle of Spotlight with a Google image printout. I bought extra ribbon for gift wrapping so I wouldn’t have to return. It ran out and I found myself in Spotlight again. I had enough for one big present and now I have to go back. It wouldn’t be a Christmas without half a dozen visits into that haberdashery hellhole.

Before too long This Girl will be doing shuttle runs to the airport, collecting interstate family visitors.

My family is coming and so is napery. A new word I’ve learnt for the stuff you dress your tables with. The place mats were purchased at one of my big sister’s visits to Spotlight at the other end of the country. A text message shows me they are light to medium blue, which is not really peacock, but will fit the perfectly mismatched blue bubbles.

My eldest sister is one of the family members arriving. I lived with her family in Townsville for a year. She used to cook something different almost every night. Before I lived with her I’d get excited about chicken parmigiana. Now people say I’m a good cook but it’s only because I’ll try most things. Cooking is the only time I take instructions, and I learnt not to be afraid to try a recipe from her.

This year I’m not too worried about Christmas cooking because she’ll be here with me. I'm looking forward to Christmas cooking with my big sis.

Thinking about her and this post made me get started: I pressed and baked a kilo of whole seed lavosh, melted and mixed adult white Christmas with glace orange and sour cherry, and strained and chilled raspberry sorbet.