I don’t know about you, dear readers, but I am more than ready for a break — although that feeling of being rushed off one’s feet, thus needing to put them up with a wee cuppa, is partly due to it being the “end of year”, with the Christmas and New Year holidays immediately ahead.

Christmas in Aotearoa

Plus, you know, all that shopping: for special food and drink, and gifts for family and others you may be spending Christmas with. Not to mention the frantic cleaning and tidying ahead of guests arriving, at least at my place — because tis a truth universally that housework is one of the first casualties of the writing life.

Festive fare

Nonetheless, I do enjoy the festivities, including the special food and the getting together, and I suspect I may have a little hobbit in my ancestry because I also love both giving and receiving presents. 😀

And amid all the ‘noise and haste’, have hopes of that cuppa and some feet up time very soon.

Who knows? There may be beach time ahead…

In the meantime, I was very chuffed when the NZ Society of Authors chose a quote from my poem, Christmastide, for their end-of-year email. I include what it looked for, below. It’s a very Southern Hemisphere take on Christmas, but I hope your enjoy the difference.

A Southern Hemisphere take ‘on the season’