Country Cottage Arts

This update was to have been put up last week but didn't have time ....................


Tuesday, 20th December

I've been married to a Catholic for 23 year  and all these years,  Christmas celebrations were always held at my sisters-in-law homes . And I have five of them  , my husband being the only son  with his 5 sisters.   Being  the only   Hindu among my husband's family , it was customary  for me to  join them in their homes for the Christmas celebrations every year.  Of course,  my kids and I  put up the Christmas tree  in our home , visit all the shopping malls to admire the beautiful Christmas trees,  play Jingle Bells until I  can actually  see  Santa Claus  dashing through my front door in his one horse open  sleigh ( don't ask me how )    and have a fabulous time baking  gingerbread men cookies  for my kids ( I still do ) .  In short, I always had a terrific time during Christmas, enjoying all the fun and festivities without any added  responsibility of   actually cooking  and organising  a  family Christmas lunch.  You know  how it is,  when you don't have to do spring cleaning , cook all the stuff and set table for guests, etc., etc...   you  just arrive at their doorstep with a goodie bag of cakes and cookies, join the celebrations and don't have to do the washing and cleaning afterwards ?    Well, that's what I had been doing all these 22 years ( read my earlier Christmas blogpost  ).

Until now


It just came out of the blue and even now I'm in a kind of daze. Imagine me, a Hindu  organising a Christmas lunch in my home ?  For all my Catholic sisters-in-law and their spouses and children ? Why ! I never thought that it would happen!  It's such an important celebration for Catholics and Christians alike and I'm in charge of the Christmas Day celebrations  for this year ?  Holy Lembu !!

Well, after the initial  stun-gun effect wore off, I sat down  with my trusty   lieutenants  (my  son and daughter la  ) and told them ( no room for discussion here !) that we should make this Christmas celebrations the best ever that they've ( my in-laws )  had for a long time.  Ya, ya , ya, the moaning and the groaning of extra cleaning chores , washing dishes, etc ., followed for sure.  I would have been  more surprised if there wasn't !


For starters, it so happened that we had to buy a new Christmas tree this year  ( our old faithful tree had to be disposed off after years of  service )  So now we have a brand new Christmas tree  (   bought it from Bangsar Village II ) to show off.  I've given my old collection of pine cones ( which I had painstakingly collected during my stay at Bukit Tinggi Resort a few yeas ago ) a good washing  and gave them a new lease of life in a rattan basket .

 My children's collection of  the Snow White's 7 dwarfs have been arranged under the tree and the large flower pot which  I use as a side table has been moved near  the Christmas tree.



 

( its one of those pics which I can't seem to edit to make it upright, so readers will just have to strain your necks to the left ..... ooooopsssss

It was a nightmare cleaning the house and as the days got nearer the house got messier right up to the eve.  In the midst of this mess, my daughter wanted us to go to Ikea/Curve for shopping. And so, we took an early morning drive, ( my typical son came under duress or no Christmas gifts under the tree for him ) walked and trudged  and walked  and lumbered through both outlets with our arms aching and feet limping from blisters .  Suffice to say that I won't miss these outlets till probably next year. 

One of the most irritating thingy  was when I decided to purchase a  glass cyclinder vase.  There was no price tag on any of the cylinders which came in 3 sizes, large, medium and small.  Looked under all the cylinders and couldn't find a single pricetag offer or signages. Went looking around for a sales rep  in the awful congested place and  of course, when you need them you can't find them or they don't want to be found..............  Then went searching for a pricetag meter and it  so so happens that it would be tucked in the opposite far side from where you are., hang on, that wasn't the end.  The meter was out of order..  Would you really  believe it ?  Holy Lembu !!   I must have looked like a red blimp about to explode because  my daughter and son took one look at me and steered straight away to the paying  counter. 

Having to stick to my budget and not knowing whether I could afford the  purchase  of all 3 sizes ( together with the inevitable unplanned and  extra  purchases I had made )  I reluctantly chose the medium sized one to the counter, which queue was almost snaking till the  candles isle,  and waited in line  , shifting the pressure on my  legs every 5 minutes till it came to my turn.  After tallying all my other  purchases,  the cashier finally keyed in the  tag for the glass  cylinder and told me coolly that the cylinders are sold in sets of 3 only and  how much was the cost ?    

  RM69.90 .   Well, could she send the roller skater boys to bring the other 2 sizes as there was no such info when I saw them ?     " Ehhh, no, it will take too much time " 


Urrrrrggggg, how I wished I could have dumped the cylinder onto her head !



Happy reading and painting

Lakshmi

Ps: More pics to come later