Christmas Day

We had Kirsty staying with us for Xmas - and she gave us presents which made us a bit teary ...

Mine is the one at the back. The 40MPD stands for how much we love each other: 40 million pachyderms - it started out as 40m elephants, but given both Kirsty and I are pedantic wordies, it morphed into pachyderms. We know pachyderms is one word, but 40mp doesn't have the same timbre (see, pedantic wordy ...). David's stands for kisses on the eyes, which Kirsty has been doing for him since she was a very little girl, and the xxii/iixx and 40mpd are how we sign off emails, texts, cards.

We had a small brekkie because we KNEW there would be lots of food at Xmas dinner at Bruce Gary's. In part we knew that because Kirsty and I prepared lots and lots of vegetables:

• for roasting: potatoes, kumara (sweet potato), beetroot and pumpkin
• for steaming: green beans with bacon, garlic and parmesan
• salad: coleslaw

Kirsty had to do most of it, as I had to take David down to Paraparaumu to the medical centre: he had/has an abscess under a tooth and needed antibiotics. He rapidly got better as the antibiotics started to take effect.

This is Leith serving his own dinner from the smorgasbord of food - note though that this was only for 10 people ... On the conveyor belt this afternoon there were: yorkshires and roast pork (Derek), turkey breast, new potatoes, broad beans (yuk) and peas (Gary and Bruce), ham (Adrian and Errol). The roast veges, beans and coleslaw from the McDonalds. Leith contributed a yummy melted brie with crackers for nibbles, plus chocolates and licorice allsorts between the main and dessert. Dessert was trifle (Gary) and pavolva (Errol and Adrian).

Given the amount of food, it was no wonder almost everyone needed a nap between the main and dessert ...

David and I got a cab home and Kirsty walked over to Paraparaumu to visit friends for the rest of the afternoon and late into the night - where does she get the stamina?