Jealousy is a Green Eyed Monster

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> What a lovely morning. It is 06.26 and my train has left without me on it. Fun. Good times. I'll grab a coffee and wait for the next one then.
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> And to keep me occupied while I wait - a photo message from Clare which I have to go online to retrieve. Arrived last night.
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> So I am sat at a train station having missed my train at 6.30 in the morning and Clare was camped under the stars in the vicinity of Uluru.
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> Jealous? Yes.
> Green? Slightly as it's still too early to stomach breakfast and that includes the coffee I'm slurping.
> Monstrous? Too tired to be. Maybe once the caffeine kicks in ;o)
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The Multiple Freezings & Thawings of Hell

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> This year in my absence there will be many things different about the Marsh family Christmas.
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> The first being that my folks will be in Oman topping up their tans in heat hotter than Oz.
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> So no Marsh Christmas on the 25th.
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> But shocker... Mum told me she WAS NOT GOING TO PUT THE TREE UP (first freezing of hell). In recent years mum has used a fabulous fake tree provided by the Newman family. Still a good height. I.e it hits the ceiling. But fake. Do no watering. It won't die while they're inOman etc.
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> Then Donna tells me she's off to my folks with Tommy. So I ask my mum if Donna knows about the lack of tree... "that's the surprise" my mum says. No mum. That's CRUEL.
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> So then my mum decides she will have a tree... (hell quickly thawed)
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> Except not only is it not in the cons. It's also shorter than my mum by the looks of it (once again hell freezes over at the likelihood of that ever happening).
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> So this year is a year for many firsts. My first real tree of my own. My mums first tree of less than 8 feet tall. Tommys first Christmas. Tommy's first Marsh family tree viewing - thank god he's too young to remember how tiny the tree is ;o). But not my first away from home, but my third.
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Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

T'is Christmas. And whether it be sunny or rainy or snowy an absolute necessity is a tree.

We were in debate this year. Liam suggesting a tree in a pot that we can keep outside in winter and re use every year. Good in theory. But a - we don't have enough outdoor space to keep it in. And b - the local wildlife. I can only imagine what cans of bug killer would do to a tree when fumigated once a year prior to returning indoors.

I wanted a good fake. But Liam was concerned as to where the hell we can store it for 11 months of the year. Fair point. Maybe later.

So we decided on a real tree. A one off. And something we can bin after Christmas.

So then we had to agree on a size... I was debating a petite one. But Liam wanted a less petite one. And neither of us could decide until we saw the only place with good trees and settled on the only size he sold a 5 1/2 foot green bushy thing grown in Ballarat.

The smell of pine is fabulous. And albeit a lot bushier than I'm used to Jessie as we have named the tree has about 4 pints of water per day. Brought a few earwigs with her. And so far 6 spiders. I say so far as many more could yet appear as she is rather bushy for a christmas tree and I have a funny feeling there may be more critters hiding...

I will post a more festive pic once I remember to take one. And to want any of you interested - stay away from my parents... They're not putting their tree up this year which can only mean one thing.... Hell has frozen over ;o)

The Clare. And the Grey.

Clare is here! Welcome to Melbourne Clare! And after a beautiful first day wandering round the zoo Melbourne has decided to show Clare it's true colours.

Please be standing for the Grey! It is a mass of grey covering the city having a cold bath effect on anything and everything in it's path. It shows no sign of leaving. And is putting sun cream companies out of business.

Joy.

And rain brings life...

All the rain has finally done some good. The roses out front have bloomed. Not as majestic and red like the courtyard roses but lovely in a pink marbled Ferdinand Picard type way. Without being the expensive Ferdinand Picard type roses.

It's a sign of my age that I am happy that the roses have bloomed...