A little something to say....

....Happy Christmas and a very Happy New Year to our family and friends all around the world.We love you and miss you more than you'll ever know.

Make an online slide show at onetruemedia.com

SMUG-ish

Spurned on by Tigermama and her Christmas card writing and gift wrapping,I have just finished all my cards and all but one parcel.Other parcels were sent out last week and have arrived safely in the UK and the US.Hooray.It took 3 hours this evening and I am knackered but SMUG.

But we still have to do over 100 New Years cards for everyone in Japan.Not so smug.

Anyway,here is a photo we took this evening of Annie.We need one for the New Years cards.This one wont be the one as Kenichi has now decided that he wants an action shot of her outside during the day.Give me a break!!!

Christmas Meme

I've been tagged this lovely Christmas Meme by glowing mother-to-be Medea.And this time,not limited to one word.Thank god for small mercies;-)

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot chocolate. That was easy...never had Egg Nog....

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Always wrapped.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White but threw in a few spare coloured lights this year as Annie liked them.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No.How the hell I would find it in this country is beyond me.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
First advent Sunday or the day before.And they come down on Boxing day ready for a fresh round of traditions with the Japanese New Year.Best of both worlds.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
The little sausages which Mum roasts with the turkey.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
Singing Christmas carols with my parents,sister and Grandparents on Christmas Eve.Then Dad disapperaing and soon after a ring at the bell,my sister and I listening to Dad "talking" to Father Christmas.After Father Christmas left,we going into our sitting room with the tree lit up,candles all lit and carols playing in the background and all the presents which Father Christmas had put under the tree.Pure magic.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I have no idea.But don't seem to be traumatised by the truth....

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
All on Christmas Eve keeping with German family tradition.Used to have stockings on Christmas Day but don't do them here.Maybe next year.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
Er,lights and baubles and loads of ornaments many of which my Mum sent over a few years ago.So lots of memories.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love it.Probably because we never really have much here (apart from a light covering that melts by mid-morning )and only sometimes back in the UK.

12. Can you ice skate?
I could when I was little.Wouldn't dare to now.The mind boogles...

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Nothing specific(sorry Mum and Dad!) but used to love getting books and also the parcel my aunt sent from France(or Germany,the US where they were posted) was so exciting.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Family and friends.Eating and merry-making(ie wine!)

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Got to be Christmas pudding.Because that's all I know!Am I missing out then?

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Advent candles.And opening presents on Christmas Eve.

17. What tops your tree?
A very simple,small angel that is older than me.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Giving. But that being said,I am so touched when we get parcels sent from abroad.Just lovely to know that we are being remembered.Sob sob.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Oh,this is hard!I have to admit that "Happy Christmas,War is over" is a firm favourite.But being the Brit I am,can't help but loving "I wish it could be Christmas Everyday."

So there we go.And I tag...Midori and Gina.Go girls!

Bugger

Kenichi is out at the first of his many end-of-year parties and Annie is fast asleep an hour earlier than usual as she has her Christmas Concert at daycare tomorrow(although as her daycare is owned by Buddist priests and set in temple grounds I don't suppose "Christmas" concert is a good description but you know what I mean).I have a bottle of rather tempting red wine and some real,proper cheese at my disposal.Perfection...but not quite.

Bugger me if I didn't go and ruin it all by deciding that tonight I wanted to watch "Love Actually".This film gets me crying within the first few minutes(you know,the airport scenes?) and I love it.Anyway,I decided that I wanted to watch it when I had the chance to enjoy it and get into without Kenichi peering over at me and asking"Are you crying yet then?"Arghhhh...SHUT UP!!!

So,why is all ruined?Simple.Can't find the bloody DVD.I have spent 45 minutes looking for it and no luck.My evening is ruined.Bugger.

Who'd have known?

I had a bit of a revelation the other day.After years of going through the agonies of shaving my legs(oh good god,what has my life come to when I am blogging about this but please humour me) with those stupid little safety razors,something amazing happened.I hadn't done my legs for weeks due to the illness-thing and,to be quite honest,I was begining to freak Annie out during our daily bath-time.And I won't even start to imagine what Kenichi thought when he saw me....Urghh.

Anyhoo,when we were out shopping last weekend,I trotted off to find a pack of sturdy razors and for the first time noticed that they had these really amazing looking razors for women as well as the usual cheapo ones,but 3 times the amount money.But hey,I thought to myself,why not splash out and try one of these" 3 blades with massage rollers" Rolls-Royce's of the safety razors?So,I did.And it felt good;-)

That evening,I told Kenichi not to send Annie into the bathroom for at least half-an-hour as I was going to tackle my legs.Off I went to the bathroom ready to do battle.I picked up my new "Aqua-Glide" (got to love that name) and bugger me,if I emmerged radiantly 5 minutes later with smooth,silky legs and not a cut or notch in sight.

So,I want to know ,how long has shaving ones legs been such a pleasure?It took me years to figure of the Internet but,by god,this may be the ultimate discovery since that.My life,I do believe,has changed for the better.Now all I need to do is figure out how to make a Blog-Roll and how to make Spell-check work on this PC.