Wednesday 9 December 2015

Twinkles and Sparkles


The Christmas tree is up.
That is the town Christmas tree.


Mine is up too and has been for a while but this one is a lot bigger.


It has immediately added a cheerful festive feel to the Esplanade.


Does your 'town' have a Christmas tree?
Is it like ours, looking over the Lagoon and out to the Coral Sea, glistening in the heat of the day and sparkling in the cooler evening?


Last Saturday evening I headed down to the Esplanade, specifically for the Christmas tree, but hoping for pretty skies as well. Mr Sparky had just headed off to his work Christmas party so I was enjoying the evening too, just in a quieter fashion.


I wasn't the only one with the idea of enjoying the end of the day on such a nice evening. So many families were out and about, looking at the tree or enjoying the Lagoon.


The perfect way to end a summer day if you ask me.
Speaking of summer, the weather seems to be fairly mild at the moment. I'll probably want to bite my tongue for saying that later.


It was certainly perfect weather for strolling the Esplanade.










This month is speeding by and it is nice to relax and watch the world.
In some ways I am hoping things get busier though, with work, to keep me busy and distracted from wanting to spend time with family. My third Christmas away, one more than I thought I was going to have. It is hard. The good thing though is being able to try and work out what our Christmas 'thing' is and how we like to celebrate. Personally I still like the noisy, family filled type.


I have plans in my head of some Christmas crafting and cooking.
I've been doing a baby quilt for a friend but I want to finish that up and get my Christmas on.
Maybe I'll multi task and have a few projects on the go so I can start now. Or maybe I should just get my butt over to the sewing machine and finish that quilt.


Maybe I could make some fish for our tree, just like the ones on the Esplanade. Nothing like thinking things through out loud on a blog post. 
Are you doing any Christmas crafting?


A bit over a fortnight ago I spent my weekend doing Santapaws or pet Santa photos with Pet Stock. A friend had asked for a favour 'could I do pet Santa photos for her?' She owns a photography business, Romy Photography, and they do it to help raise money for Animal Rescue most years. You see she was a little busy being pregnant and being due at that time. She ended up having bub the night before the photos needed done by the way. 


On the Saturday, I was the printer lady but we had all kinds of tech issues but other wise it went well. On the Sunday, I was the photographer. That was fun and good to try something new and different. I'm glad I did it after ages of umming and ahhhing over whether to do it. It wasn't something I should have worried over.


I am a worrier, I've discovered. I stress over the unknown. I really need to curb that a bit. I over think really.


Once decisions have been made and I know what is happening I don't worry any more, especially when the choice is out of my hands.


Times like this though, when relaxing in the fading light and watching sparkly lights reflecting on water, they are good for thinking out things or not having a care in the world. Not that I really have anything to worry about. Life really is pretty good, even if I don't always have it my way.


Maybe it is time to put on some Christmas carols and get in the spirit.
After a month of not being ready for them in the shops, now I am ready. 
It is December, it is time to be jolly and enjoy the end of the year as well as to be grateful for what we have.

By the way have you noticed the amount of babies due or recently arrived at this time of year.
I know of a few.


Are you ready for the festive season and the sing carols at the top of your lungs?
By the way, I can't even remember to take a shopping list with me, or what was on it, or to do so many other things, but Christmas carols ... those I have down pat.


So let the sparkle in and put your cheer on.


And let's celebrate 'the most wonderful time of the year'. 


Now I am getting enthused for all the Christmassyness ... I must be good at enthusing people if I can enthuse myself.

My Memory Art

http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/2015/12/wild-bird-wednesday-176-brown-or-common.html 

18 comments:

  1. It's interesting for me to see Palm trees and Christmas trees together being an northeast coast girl

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    1. Palm Trees and Christmas trees are a pretty normal sight in Northern Australia. I am more acclimatised to pictures of snow and Christmas trees than you would be to this tropical view because, weirdly, snow still features widely on Christmas things in Australia.

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  2. Replies
    1. Thank you and I hope you are feeling refreshed now.

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  3. I can't believe there are people still in the water way after dark.

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    1. The Lagoon is basically a big swimming pool and is open/ has life guards until 9pm I believe. It is lit up by spotlights and in the hot weather any time of day is good for a swim. It is pretty mind blowing and not done in many places.

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  4. That lagoon does look inviting. And it was a lovely evening for a walk. We did not put up lights this year...too tired and we leave next Fri. to visit family anyway. We are working on getting ourselves better before we start traveling.

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    1. The Lagoon did look nice and the evening was beautiful. We have never put up lights outside although this year Mr Sparky snuck in some flashing Santas and reindeer out the front. I can see why you aren't when you are going away anyway. Enjoy your time with family.

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  5. I love the palms contrasted against the traditional tree! Our summer (+spring) has been incredibly hot + dry (with water restrictions in place). A white Christmas also features in our South African Christmases... Have a beautiful festive season.

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    1. Thank you. 86% of Queensland is in drought at the moment and we live in part of the 14% that isn't, although it is still drier than normal. The cattle station I used to live on has no grass left and no above ground water either. They are working very hard to keep animals alive. Further south has had a hot spring but here has been mild so far. I find the 'white Christmas' thing interesting but wonder at its place where I live (you too). I hope you get some rain.

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  6. Stunning and crazy! Christmas trees in the summer heat of Northern Australia!!! Isn't our planet a beautiful place to live??? :-)
    All the best from much too warm (+5°C) and sunny Germany in winter time!

    Uwe.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! It is an amazing world we live in. I find it crazy that our Christmas is still very snow related despite there not really being a chance of there being any in the country at the time.
      Too warm??? I guess you are waiting for colder temperatures. We are having around 32 degree C in sunny Cairns.
      Enjoy the change to winter.

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  7. A pretty Christmas tree, but a little bit odd surrounded by the palm trees...
    A wonderful lagoon with an evocative light!

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    1. I guess you could say it is odd but that is what it is like living in tropical North Queensland. Heat, humidity, sunny days and palm trees come with our Christmas Trees.

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  8. I absolutely love those sky colors. Thank you for sharing your image with "Through My Lens"!

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. It was a beautiful sky, so soft and slow in its change of colour.

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