FEATURE
Have a Merry
Jackie Barker
Scott Sloan
IN THE COVE
SLOANS OF LANE COVE
I love the festive season! My middle name is Noelle and I was supposed to be born on Christmas Day (but did not arrive until the next year). Our family loves to give gifts. In fact, my sister, Vivienne, is Australia’s gift-wrapping expert. We write witty comments on our gift cards and then there is a vote at the end for best gift tag, best wrapped gift and best gift. There are four children in our family and we live all over Australia - for some reason we all end up giving Mum the same thing! For me, it doesn’t feel like Christmas unless we have a fresh Christmas tree from the Scouts, with the smell of pine needles wafting through the air.
This year, I’m stepping away from my usual Christmas spent in rural NSW with its 40-degree heat, and will be heading to Europe to try for the ultimate ‘White Christmas’ in Austria with my partner Andy and close friends. We will be celebrating the European way - on Christmas Eve - then waking Christmas morning for a few early morning ski runs. Christmas has always been a big deal with my family, with Mum and Dad going all out with an abundance of Christmas presents piled around the tree. I think the food is always the thing that I remember about Christmas’s past. My grandma was a great country cook and everything she made in her wood fuel oven tasted so good! There was always something special about her trifle - she said her secret ingredient was love and I think she was right!
Chris Butters, LANE COVE’S CITIZEN OF THE YEAR 2017
Bern the Chef
Mark Casiglia
CATERER EXTRAORDINAIRE!
APPLE DENTAL
For me, it doesn't feel like Christmas until I've attend Handel's Messiah in the Sydney Town Hall. I have loved this beautiful Oratorio since I was a teenager. On Christmas Day, Ian and I attend church and then celebrate Christmas at home with my immediate family. This is now special because we have a granddaughter Lillian (pictured), who exudes the joy and excitement of Christmas as only a child can do. On Boxing Day, we join with over 50 of our extended family and Kris Kringle is divided among the generations, creating much laughter and exchanges.
I spend Christmas basting ham and turkeys, and packing Christmas feasts. I have Dean Martin blaring, reindeer ears on, and I love delivering on Christmas morning. In the afternoon, I’ll get together with friends to enjoy crunchy iceberg lettuce and chilled peaches. I’m a little over fancy food, but I’ll still eat gingerbread! My favourite Christmas memory is of my Granny, who made lots of Christmas cakes every year. From when I was about eight, I helped with layers of brown paper and peeling the skins off almonds - I was in awe of her strong mixing arms!
This year, we will be hosting our families on both sides for a Christmas lunch. We’re happy hosting because it allows our kids to relax at home and enjoy their gifts. Michelle and I start early, getting prepared - it takes a few hours but it’s worth it to be at home and have everybody together. When the kids were younger, we used to go to the Wiggles Christmas concert every year. Good times and I’m not sure who loved it more - myself or my kids. I used to see the Wiggles when they were the Cockroaches, so they held a special place for me.
4 I THE VILLAGE OBSERVER I NO. 269 I DECEMBER 2017
Christ How will you be spending this Christmas?
