Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love! ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

 This one is a tad strange - can't quite figure out what the big light is below the moon... unless it was a flake of snow.. The full moon was amazing here, and to add to it all there was also an eclipse of the moon - we missed it as it was cloudy and snowy here.. Still - full moons are the best.

 In my cousins shop you get the old mixed with the new... the latest thing available is a wallet that allows you to choose which card to use with which occasion with the press of a button - very smart... but I think I like the old fellows to the right more.

 My wonderful niece doing the final touches to her first ever complex knitting project - a jumper for Ross...  Amazingly well done ofcourse..

 Christmas eve and we went up to the cemetery to lay wreaths on the graves.  Twas very busy up there - the weather was ideal.  No wind and not that cold.  It really is a beautiful and peaceful place to be.

 Mum went and visited the "old" people that she reads to up at the hospital, I used the opportunity to walk the dog and take a few snaps.  Such a nice day.

Overly cute couple....

Ross, can I get you to move a little to the left so you can be in the photo..... Sure Sigga....

 So - do I have a neck????

 Well, obviously not in this jumper - but it is soooo nice... Mum knitted me a new lopa peysa.. and I love it !!!!  Must do something about the dress....

 Ross was showing that he was a mans man or something like that (no .... I just caught him with his shirt off - as you do on Christmas eve...)

 We are all relaxed and happy - twas a very pleasant Christmas.

 Tonight on Christmas day night mums cat checking out the action on the main street...

 Freyja wanting to further inspect the new dog in the neighborhood.

Home again.....

At Christmas, all roads lead home. ~Marjorie Holmes

 Yep, I baked bread.... boy am I getting domesticated in my old age.  We had a bit of a "lobster" well langoustine feast the other night - soup followed by a cream cheese concoction with langoustine tails.  Have worked out how to make it better  - so all is not lost and the left over bread was used the next night for bruscceta - so badly spelled  - apologies to all italian speakers or lovers of that language...  

 My niece Olga said the most appropriate thing on her blog the other day (she always does - she has a gift that I don't - ie one for language and it's correct use)... We are living in a Christmas card... This was taken tonight after my walk with Freyja... and as you can see - all roads in this neck of the woods lead home - to my place... where if you are lucky you will get langoustine soup with home made bread...

All are welcome - at any time.

As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, Christmas is. ~Eric Sevareid

We all wish that we could be this content...  and I think I am - if my lack of Christmas angst is anything to go by then this is probably the look that I have at most times.  Although, today, I think that I actually realised that Christmas is less than a week a way.  I have done NOTHING, no cards sent, no major cleaning done, no planning made for the days of the festivities... figure it's coming whether or not I write a card, clean the floors or do any more baking.   So, to all my friends and relations reading this - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year... no doubt I will blog some more over the festive season - so I will keep this mantra going and hope that it will be a sufficient replacement for the lack of cards or presents being sent.  Pretty lame - but that is Sigga in 2010.

 The tree outside my lounge room window.  The first of the winter blizzards came through last night.  Twas quite nice, I really do like a blizzard every now and then.

 The lights on the tree - I think that I do a pretty good job of providing the neighboring restaurant with a bit of festive cheer.

 Tonight (and last week), Glaumbæ and Áskaffi had their yearly Advent fest, where people can come and visit the old farm house and experience what Christmas was like not that long ago here in Iceland, in the old house there is no electricity, so only candle light to light the way down the dark turf halls and the cold seeping in.  In Áskaffi, my cousin Herdís puts on a feast with all the old traditional cakes and cookies that all Icelanders know and associate with this time of year.  To wash it down she provides the best hot chocolate with whipped cream, if hot chocolate is not your thing - you can have a great cup of coffee or malt and apelsin.

 My cousin Gýgja's daughter Karen has been helping Herdís out.   She is a lovely girl, quite shy

 After the the old house tours are done the volunteers came down to partake in the offerings at Áskaffi.

 A really really nice way to spend the day.  Unfortunately this year there were not that many visitors to Glaumbæ and Áskaffi, or should I say fortunately - you see I ended up with a lot of the leftovers.   Anyone want to come over for coffee?  I could possibly make a cup of hot chocolate - not as good as Herdís but not bad....

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. ~Edward Sandford Martin

We had a thanksgiving themed dinner at Steina's tonight, she made pumpkin and pecan pie, the side dishes were sweet potato and pumpkin and other autumn goodies.  Instead of turkey we had lamb and for that we are extremely thankful.  A turkey in Iceland costs over 12,000 isk. Thats 120 dollars to you down there and over there... 


Not much to report - apart from the fact that budget work is in full swing and we have even less money at our disposal.  So it's belt tightening and trying to do as much as possible for as little as possible.  Ah, the joy of being a part of politics.  I also did a first the other day - stood up and gave a little talk at the litlujól.... talked about Christmas in Australia - as you do.....


Will leave you with lots of photos from tonights dinner..

All happy and well fed we are...

 Olga and Steina in the kitchen discussing things motherly perhaps???

It´s amazing how we manage to fit into whatever space is available.

 The stars of the night - pecan and pumkin pie.... were very very tasty!

 Cousins destroying things - as you do..... Atli Björn and Finnur.

Halli, such a cuty - this is a first - he usually tries to avoid Þórdís - now she has won him over - and how did she do this - well the way all women win over men - she fed him!