December 2021 Story 2: Preparation

Whilst we may not have been prepared for Christmas this year that didn’t stop all the Christmassy vibes from coming in!!! There is so much going on around us, and so many people getting the lights up early in November and their decorations up. Lot’s of people in the community have said things like after a year like this one, they wanted to enjoy Christmas for a bit longer. COVID is a part of life now and we are all adjusting to a new way of vaccinated life and maintain social distancing. So here we were on the 24^th November with the Christmas boxes out (but no time to sort them because last year we just crammed it all in and away) and the festive drinks ready.
 
This year the girls had Candy Cane hot chocolates and Michael made a batch of Gingerbread syrup for our coffees. The organic cinnamon and ginger was particularly spicy this year.
 
We just jumped in the car one night and drove around trying to find lights. All the ‘listed’ Christmas lights were turned off, waiting for the intensive and busy time of the first of December to turn their lights on. The house with lights is the first house we visited for fairy lights this year. It was an accidental find, down Strawberry Street, a street we never knew existed. The neighbours were chatting on the lawn outside and the girls played with a little puppy for a few minutes. It was an older little dog, and not usually social (according to the owner) but the girls seemed to bring out something playful and spritely in the little puppy that night. So yes, the magic has begun! Ready or not.