Vicki's Vapours

Categories

  • Cochlear Implants
  • Diving
  • Food
  • Horses
  • Life
  • Scooters
  • Vapour

Powered by Genesis

Our (Non) Christmas

28 December, 2015 by Vicki Leave a Comment

Plate of Christmas cookies and a glass of milk, with an envelope on which is written

It seems we were bad. :-(

Christmas Eve

The dread of the preceding weeks had finally built its way up to a crescendo. On Thursday morning, Christmas Eve, we braced our shoulders and flung ourselves head first (no, not really) into the madding Christmas crowds at the local shops.

I hate crowds. *glower*

Shopping (eventually) complete, we arrived home, ate brekkie and I set to work prepping food for Christmas Day. We had to bring food to two separate family gatherings. I mostly had to make salads and dips, plus crudités and zucchini chips and spiced nuts — basically the finger food.

The potato salad was to take the most time. Boil the spuds, steam the eggs, make the mayonnaise, fry the bacon, chop the spuds, chop the eggs, chop the bacon, chop the chives and spring onions. It was a bit of a marathon and my back was giving me some grief (a day of babysitting the heffalump grandson does that to me, and we’d had him the day before) and it took me a few hours to get done everything I needed to get done that day.

Well, nearly everything. I still had to make one of the dips, and then the next day assemble the potato salad and other salads. But all was pretty much under control. Whew.

Then, with cunning and stealth, it attacked — slow but invincible.

“Uh-oh,” I said to Dohn. “I’m feeling uncomfortable. Maybe it’s heartburn?” After about half an hour or so of discomfort, I headed to the kitchen to get some apple cider vinegar in case it was heartburn, though I wasn’t convinced as it was lower down than heartburn tended to be. Then, before I even had a chance to pour the ACV, I knew for sure it was not. I made my way quick smart to the bathroom.

The Bug had made its move — and move it did.

That was that as far as the day’s prep was concerned. The final dip would just have to be crammed into the next morning’s prep. It couldn’t be helped. I felt, in a word, bleugh.

I lay on the bed, not wanting my computer(!), not wanting food(!!), not wanting bubbles(!!!) but wanting to feel better more than a little, as day drifted into evening and evening drifted into night. It was all the same to me.

And then it was Christmas

At some point in the night, The Bug had felled Dohn too. So by morning there we were, two sad souls, feeling crook together. At this point it was The Bug: 2, Us: 0.

“Merry Christmas,” we greeted each other, with somewhat more irony than joy.

After some discussion, but not much as it was really a no-brainer, we decided we must stay home that day and not subject other family members to The Bug that had laid us low. And it did lay us low! We spent Christmas Day in bed feeling quite pitiful. Still no computer, no food and no bubbles. On Christmas Day! So many firsts. Always trying something new, that’s me. Hah.

In the evening, I thought of my family celebrating at my daughter’s house but felt too ill to wish I was there, although I hoped they were all having a good time. I did, however, have fleeting thoughts for my Mum’s pavlova. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth but I do adore my Mum’s pav. I have been known to “order” it as a birthday cake in the past. It’s sooooooo good. And therefore it was sooooooo tragic! *sniffle*

But the food…!

So, that was our Christmas. Dohn was better by yesterday, evening the score a little, and I am also better today. Such a relief! (Take THAT, The Bug! You lose!) But now we have to face all the food. Oh, my. So much wasted food. We couldn’t give it away (in case it was contaminated with The Bug) and haven’t been up to eating it ourselves. And oh, how I love my potato salad! I don’t get to eat it normally, as hubby isn’t fond of it. Such a waste — of both money and the food itself. When I think of all the better uses both could have been put to, I could weep. And all that stress and prep for nothing!

But that’s life.

(Belated) Christmas wishes!

I truly hope your Christmas was better than ours. Despite the tardiness of the message, I sincerely wish you all the blessings of the season. Merry Christmas everyone!

Filed Under: Food, Life Tagged With: Christmas, food

2007: Year of the…

31 December, 2007 by Vicki 6 Comments

Looking back over 2007 — oh, my! What a year!

For me, 2007 has been Year of the:

House

Well — more precisely — villa. Though technically I bought it in December 2006. But I’ve just had a full year in my “new” home and I cannot describe how much pleasure it’s brought me. Not least because this is the first time in my life I’ve lived in my own home — i.e. not shared with anyone else.

Foodie

This year, I learned to cook. (Well, I’m still very much learning!) I also learned to appreciate good food that I, myself (wow!) have prepared. Also, kudos to Al, I developed a strong interest in the Slow Food movement and joined Slow Food Perth and the Organic Growers Association of Western Australia as a consumer member. I love what is happening in these areas and feel it’s important to support them as much as I (and my limited budget) allows. Quite a change from the ignoramus I was a year ago…

Five Senses Coffee Addict

I make no apologies for becoming addicted to the wonderful Five Senses Coffee. Their service is second to none, as is the quality of their coffee beans. My current favourite blend is Johnny Cash. My idea of heaven!

Decision to get cochlear implants

My hearing had become noticeably worse, or maybe it’s just that I no longer had Andy to buffer me and I was pretty much on my own and deaf. Either way, it was tough, and I decided to move forward in that area. It’s All Good™!

Job

I started work as a full time employee again for the first time in over three years. (And, I might add, I’m very excited about that, believing it will lead to Good Things™!)

Introspect

In this last year I have hit some pretty low lows, and it’s caused me to look inwards a lot. I have learned a lot about myself and about life. I can’t help looking at a so-called “bad time” as a Learning Experience™ — of course this viewpoint is always easiest achieved when said bad time is in the past! But I do believe I’ve grown as a person as a result of all that’s happened.

Friendships

It’s easy, when you’re married and living in the styx, as I was, to let friendships lapse. Well, if not exactly lapse, take a back seat, anyway. Since becoming single, I have learned how much I need and value my friends — old, new, and virtual. Mind you, those online friends who I may or may not have met, I consider to be some of my closest friends in the truest sense. Perhaps only a geek could understand, I don’t know, but it’s a fact.

In addition, and above all, I appreciate and value my family, and that includes the friendship and support of Andy, who continues to be a rock. Thank you, Andy!

Grown-up

Yeah. I stopped being such a princess. Now, I pay my own bills, cook my own food, run my own baths, pour my own wines, make my own cheese and crackers, put out my own rubbish bin! And it doesn’t hurt a bit. (Though the pampering in my previous life was, of course, just lovely!)

Weaning off IM

Or maybe that should be “Year of the Twitter”. A combination of my other responsibilities and the way Twitter has been a spectacularly successful substitue for IM — for me, anyway. I don’t want to sit in front of the computer all the time, but still want interaction, and Twitter fits the bill perfectly.

Happy New Year!

I wish all of you the bestest year in 2008! However you celebrate its beginnings, may it be successful, healthy and happy in all ways!

Filed Under: Vapour Tagged With: 2007, Christmas, New Year

Recent Posts

  • 2020 and New Beginnings
  • The Griffith Award for Academic Excellence
  • An excellent start to 2019
  • Ants in my pants
  • Back to nature
  • Black is the new… black
  • Our (Non) Christmas
  • Birthdays

Pages

  • About

Subscribe

  • RSS
  • Email