As a kid and teenager I would have been horrified at the thought of Christmas without the special goodies and gifts, but you start to realise a thing or two as you get older. (older and wiser? Nah, just older!)

So what would be my top ten wishes for Christmas this year?

I won't be able to spend Christmas with my family this year. They're back in South Africa and that's hard. I've got really nice in-laws here, but I feel like half of me isn't "here". It's sometimes harder being with my in-laws and being reminded that my own family are far away than it is being alone.

To be able to see and visit ALL my family on Christmas would be my first wish.

As a kid we'd have these huge Christmas lunches at my gran's house. There'd be hordes of other grandkids to play with, gramps snoring in his chair BEFORE lunch, all the men sitting around drinking to much and telling loud jokes and all the women squished in the kitchen yelling at us kids to keep away from the hot stuff. My grandparents are dead now and so are about four of the other family who used to be at those lunches. I miss them all.

To have one more large hot noisy crazy family Christmas lunch with everyone again would be my second wish.

So far I've enjoyed a Northern Christmas build-up. It's interesting to actually be in a country where Christmas is in the middle of winter for a change. It has it's advantages. Have you ever tried to cook a turkey when the sun was up at 4:00am and the temperature was 38 Celsius by 8:00? Not fun! I don't regret the weather, but I do miss my "Christmas
beetles". Every year around November to January the Cicadas start singing. They like hot still days and prefer pine trees or any soft wood tree. Their noise is unbelievably loud. Standing under a group of trees full of them singing is an out-of-body experience! Like ten
million little zingy bells ringing.
I've usually wrapped presents sitting by the window just drowned in waves of their zingy, buzzy hum.

My third wish is to have Christmas beetles singing on Christmas morning. : )

Then there's rain. It always rains on Christmas eve back home. Not cold miserable rain. Fine warm African summer rain that makes the earth smell fresh. In Africa rain is a blessing. My great-grandfather used to get Christmas cards every year on the mines where he worked. He worked as an intermediary as he spoke 11 native languages. Whatever language the cards would all wish him rain. It's the biggest blessing you can get in Africa!

So I'd like WARM soft rain on Christmas eve for wish four.

Now, just to be a typical woman and confusing I'd also like to wish for snow on Christmas eve as well for my next wish! I've never seen snow falling and only saw snow for the first time ever last month. It's still a BIG novelty to me and I just can't imagine how it looks coming down from the sky.

Snow is five.

I was self-employed back home and kind of let it run down the last two months before we moved here. I figured I'd get work within a month or two, or three.. or nine. Had a few part-time jobs this year and that's it.

Six would be to get a nice job that paid well and was enjoyable. (that's probably tougher to arrange than the first five! LOL )

Living on one pay check after the expenses of moving countries has meant a tighter budget this year. That's been ok so far, but with Christmas close and knowing we won't be able to buy goodies and gifts this year it's tougher. Christmas isn't about gifts, but I know the
in-laws are still buying us stuff even though we can't buy much for them and that makes me feel lousy. My husband yearns for one of those digital thingies (I'm not into gadget terminology!) that allows you to pick up more TV channels. I'd really
love to get him one, but I can't even name it let alone afford it! LOL

To be able to get the Christmas gifts I want for everyone is wish seven.

Well, I've been through tight years as a kid and I know there's more to life than gifts. That's why that wish above scores as low as seven. My next wish is actually more important, but it comes next as it follows the thoughts of seven. Loneliness is worse than no money. People you care about and who care about you are beyond value.

Eight in this list, but about six in my heart, is that no one feels lonely this Christmas.

Whew.. I'm out of ideas. Ok, totally luxury ending wishes!

Nine - I'd like a car. Maybe a hatchback, but I'm not picky! As long as the engine runs good and it's not a fuel gobbler.

Ten - Peace, for 48 hours from Christmas eve onwards. Two days of no wars and no senseless deaths. No cruelty to animals, no domestic violence, no child-abuse and no one getting drunk driving a car and wiping themselves and bystanders out.


PS: eleventh wish - No more ????? all over dooyoo! ;)