Christmas lunch was under the microscope recently in My Weekly Preview. A few of us were asked for the recipes for our go-to Christmas fare. Mine and Old Mate’s recipe was simple: Mooloolaba King prawn wrap, some sweet chilli and throw in some Camembert cheese. Done!
The response was because of us growing up with hot traditional Christmas lunches that stressed everybody out (apart from the kids). Hot food in the middle of the day in the middle of summer became a thing of the past after our parents passed away. Simple was good. But I must say that, as a kid, I loved it – particularly the Christmas pudding with the money buried in it. Wow! How life has changed.
They were great days, apart from one Christmas we actually had out on the farm – not in our usual place at Maroochydore. We had it under the house because it was that bloody hot and I remember a morning of frantic preparations. Dad was under the house, plucking the unlucky duck, and he was getting cranky as he couldn’t get some of the feathers out. Mum was telling him to hurry up. So, he wasn’t oozing Christmas spirit. Now, this is where I came in: a fat kid riding a scooter down the driveway and under the house, flying past a frustrated duck plucker and just managing to pull up before I hit the laundry door. I was having a wonderful time.
Dear Old Dad told me on several occasions not to go so close to him as he had a sore big toe (which I basically ignored). I was getting faster because of ‘fat kid momentum’ and, of course, eventually lost control and ran over dad’s big toe. Did I mention my front wheel was only metal? I had worn the tyre off the rim.
Well, he dropped the bird and took after me off. I headed up the stairs and hid behind mum in the kitchen until she could negotiate a peace treaty or an appropriate punishment where I still kept all my limbs. That was our last Christmas under the house in Eudlo and, if not for mum, possibly could have been my last one ever.
I think the person who wrote this quote may have been under that house in Eudlo: “More time, less hurries. More fun, less worries. More smiles, less mess. More merry, less stress.”
Enjoy each other these holidays.
