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I wrote this memory a couple of years ago.

“Alone Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don’t believe I’m wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.”
Maya Angelou

Christmas is now a fond memory for 2013.

Roll up your sleeves with anticipation at the arrival of 2014.

I’m revamping the studio and today I found an old news paper cutting of Keith and I with the Bambinos and it bought back memories of past Christmases.

We didn’t get invited to relatives or even our parents houses for Christmas with our troops.
Its not that they were badly behaved, to be honest they were more polite than most, but the sheer number put the fear of dread into the most staunch of family members.

For years we shared Christmas with a family like ours, The Howards. With our 13 and a few extra foster children or exchange students and their 15 we had the best Christmases in the world.
Yes, thats 32 + people under one roof, Christmas day was a ball.
We had a bus, they had a bus and a formidable group we were too as we traveled the country. They live in Tasmania, we in South Australia, 1000 miles and an ocean apart so alternate years we packed up and went to Tassy the following they came to us.

The comraderie amongst the children was sincere and lots of fun and there was only an occaional argument between the two youngest girls who vied for attention.

We toured Tasmania and had great adventures. Long summer days at the beach, camping in the mountains, boat travel and touring. In South Australia, we stayed at the beach for a few weeks right after Christmas and then journeyed up to our local Barmera camp to spend time with our adoptive families group. The children still talk about those times. Personally, I never wanted to come back home to normal life… It was always hot, there was often a drama but I wouldn’t swap those memories for a million dollars.

The logistics were fun, how do you wash for 15 as you travel, have two plastic bins with lids on. One with washing water and one with rinse water, as you travel the motion of the bus did the washing and then rinsed it… (each day folks). Our kids thought it was normal
practice for every family…. until they had families of their own.

We shopped every day and cooked and ate well, no baked beans or sausages for us, probably why we have 4 chefs in the family now.

All worries were put aside at that time and sheer relaxation and a sense of well being was evident amongst us all. It was sad when the kids had to return to school in February.

They were amazing Christmases.