The Yuletide Blur

Kristie was volunteering at the Rundle Mall information booth on Christmas Eve. We met at the Citizen's Advice Bureau and risked food poisoning with the boss as we scavenged dips from the fridge.
At home we sat beneath the Christmas skunk-angel and exchanged presents.
Christmas lunch at John & Shirley's the next day was scary. John bowed his head and SANG grace. Bloody hell! Good for the soul? Didn't make the food taste any better, and it left a funny taste in Kristie's mouth.
New Year's spent with our new friends, Riff & Bec,

consisted of pass-the-pea-with-a-straw competitions at a Greek restaurant. We entered 1997 playing pool in a pub that served beer in plastic cups.
And I was breathalysed on the way home, nearly dawn. Kristie asked if she could blow too, and we were both horribly legal. Yay.

With the few days that I had off work, Kristie and I finally got to see some of the country.
We rode down to Victor Harbour, took a horse-drawn tram across to Granite Island, looked for penguins and were amazed at how quiet the country is after listening to traffic for a year.
We went to a little church at Yankalilla where the effect of the light on the plaster is meant to look like the Virgin Mary. Stare at the clouds for long enough and you'll see a map of India...
A few days later, in search of a beach, we rode to Yorketown. We could have been in Victoria by the time we covered the distance! And no decent beaches either, just lots of paddocks - a lot like Clunes.

Two new Spellbound books came into existence over Christmas. First there was 'Haggis' who is a red and blacktartan scoundrel, forever making

lewd remarks to women and falling over drunk.
Then came 'Iolena', a real lady and very well made. Because the cover designs were too fine to be screwed onto the cover, I had to sew them on with wire tacking - every book is a learning experience.
Kristie was standing on our roof with Haggis, showing him the world and how to get home, when she was caught by the neighbours.
"Hello neighbours."
"Hello Haggis."
We received a can of Haggis from Mark and Brigitte as a Christmas present.

This is the title for Brigitte's shop catalogue, and my digital camera is getting quite a workout. Photo sessions ran until nearly midnight for three nights, and everyone will be relieved when it's over - just another couple of weeks.
Over 200 requests for catalogues have been made, as well as one for Spellbound Books (and a book order!). I get a page in Brigitte's Book of Stuff, opposite the order form at the back so everyone sees it.
Lots of hard work in store...