A Christmas Get -together

Until we are brave enough to discover how to love ourselves well, we will always struggle to love others.

By Jeremy Hazelton | OnFaith Voices on November 6, 2014

I finished tutoring for the year yesterday. I have loved it but am looking forward to getting really organised at home.

We had one of our first Christmas get-togethers on Sunday at P's place. P's son Mathew and his wife Rebecca came down with their two daughters aged 4 and 6. My mother came and my daughter R. I had some craft organised for the 2 little girls and they had a great time with paint and glitter and plastic plates. I had planned some activities that were a bit more structured, but they made their own fun which was fine.

P and I made up some Christmas stockings full of little things for the girls. 

 

 We have a Kris Kringle system with P's family and just buy one gift for a child and one for an adult. But this year P and I decided we would give all 5 grandchildren small stockings as well. I had great fun choosing lots of little things from E bay over the past few months.

As you will see above, the snowmen , made their way to P's place to a place under the tree.

I put together a bit of a Christmas scene in a $3 pet container.

 
 

I used salt for the base and then added various other little things. I gave the two little girls ages 4 and 6 a packet of little things and a pet container each so they would be able to make one each when they got home.


I visited my daughter R yesterday. My grand-dog Jasper loves the dirt patch in my daughter's back yard. It is like a magnet for him which is not good when he is a predominantly white dog.

 
So now I am getting organised for next Sunday's get-together with the rest of P's family.

I am finishing the wrapping for the next 3 Christmas stockings for P's other 3 grandchildren - S and R aged 3 and J aged 2.

I still haven't put up any decorations at home, but I plan to put my wreath up this afternoon after I buy some florist wire this afternoon.

P.S. I have done everything I can to try to fix the fonts but for some reason after I edit and update it reverts back. Anyone got any ideas?






Interesting sites


1.

Urban infill concepts

Photo source

Danish designers Mateusz Mastalski and Ole Robin Storjohann have created a series of clever urban infill concepts that could occupy the residual spaces between buildings, yet remain lit with natural daylighting and looking surprisingly spacious. Click here to read more.



2.

Volcano Lookout

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Tourists from around the world travel to Quilotoa, a 12,000-foot-high active volcano with a brilliant blue lake in its crater. Located about 100 miles away from Quito, a local indigenous community offers facilities to tourists who may want to hike or camp at the crater. To better serve these visitors the Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism worked with a group of architects to improve the access and amenities at the viewpoint. Click here to see more.

3.

Chimpanzees Communication

Photo source

Researchers, eavesdropping on wild chimpanzees have determined that the primates communicate about at least two things: their favourite fruits and the trees where these fruits can be found. Click here to read more.