Last year we had Christmas in Barcelona, which was good. The kids were chuffed I managed to find a turkey to cook- they like Christmas lunch.
This year it will be at home, as usual. It will be big, as usual. And I will be cooking, as usual - I took over the job from my mother about 10 years ago.
My mother and favourite uncle will come. There will be us and our two girls - 12 and 14. The woman who has lived in our garage for 12 years will be there. The French couple staying upstairs in our Airbnb pad will be with us. So will the other French couple who stayed last year who are friends with the current couple and who now live in Sydney. The Ukrainian family of three who stayed with us last year for a month will come as well - they now live nearby. One of the blokes at work will come with his wife - his kids are older and have moved on. An Aussie/German couple who stayed with us might also come. And there will be a few other strays for sure. There will be 20 people at least, so we'll be eating in my wife's painting studio and I will be digging out the thing I use to extend the table.
We participate in the madness of the full cooked lunch. There will be a glazed ham, two turkeys, and possibly another species - all three ovens at home will be going.
I have given people instructions on what drinks etc to bring, the French people are taking care of the pre dinner eats, and everybody needs to bring a big candle to light the space.
It will be a fabulous day that won't end till some time that evening and I don't feel guilty.
Scott