Christmas is almost here

I've gone all christmassy, maybe it's because Ed and I didn't really have Christmas last year - we spent the day reading books and lying around on an island in Thailand, or maybe I'm just getting old and sentimental but I'm into it this year.

We've got a tree:

We've got new festive orange walls:

And we've got a motherload of pressies:

I am hosting the Browne family christmas for the first time ever. I'm really looking forward to it, although catering for 10 people meant I have had to borrow things like plates and wine glasses from my Mum. I'm still not that grown up. I'm just hoping this bloody morning sickness would bugger off. I've been throwing up for the last two mornings. This morning had great comedy timing, Ed said: "Shall we watch Mission Impossible III later today?" My response was to gag and run to the bathroom and throw up. Then again Tom Cruise will tend to do that to you.

So Chrissy lunch at my joint will be a casual affair - kind of a barbie come buffet kind of deal. No Turkey and Christmas puddings for us. Though I did get a taste of that at work the other day. My office isn't a glam place and we don't get much in the way of perks like I did in my last job but what I do get instead is a very honest, unpretentious and friendly workplace and at times just inspiring. On Thursday out of the blue, four members of the staff got together, went down to the test kitchens and cooked a full Xmas dinner for about 35 staff members. There were turkeys, whole baked fish, roast potatoes, pumpkin, beans, gravy, stuffing the works. Then they produced a giant trifle, a pavlova, xmas pudding with custard and an esky filled with beer and wine. It was such a touching gesture - and quite an amazing feat to pull off a spontaneous feast for so many of us.

Anyway - hope everyone out there has a great Christmas, those at home here in Aus and those I am thinking of who are as far flung as India, Argentina, Sweden, the UK and the USA. Have a great one X