Friday 21 December 2012

Merry Christmas everyone! Peace on Earth by U2. I'll be back on January 2!

Only a couple of days till Christmas! We're actually celebrating our main Christmas on Christmas Eve as a daughter is travelling on Christmas Day -- this effectively means two Christmas Days to prepare for.

Tonight things kick off with family members arriving to fill the guest rooms at the, er, Beach Hotel here at Peregian Beach. It's been like living in a sauna for quite awhile now and the swimming pool has been taking a thrashing between house cleaning, cooking, shopping. Thankfully, we are promised cooler weather for Christmas! At the moment I couldn't imagine cooking a hot Christmas dinner - we'll just have to suffer prawns and salads followed by Toblerone Cheesecake and home-made macarons! Pity us!


I go into this festive season remembering those who haven't had such a happy lead in to Christmas. I was so relieved to see that Nas Dean and her lovely husband Ragesh are safe there in Nadi, in their home where we stayed in July/August. Cyclone Evan wasn't kind. Nadi will be without electricity and water for a time, I believe. Those in Samoa are in the midst of a huge cleanup after Cyclone Evan, too. The devastation is worse than in the quite recent tsunami, poor people. But on the bright side, the US, NZ and Australia and probably other countries have been quick to offer aid to both Samoa and/or Fiji. I know planes full of emergency supplies have been leaving Australia for Nadi.

Nas is still smiling because they were able to fire up the generator so she could  keep blogging, lol!

It is sad that there are those living and dying in strife-torn countries too. Children being blown up by land mines in Afghanistan, aid workers shot dead in Pakistan, and civil war in Syria, unrest in many other countries. What can you do?

Hope and pray for Peace on Earth. here are the lyrics to one of my favourite songs by one of my favourite bands -- U2...

PEACE ON EARTH
Heaven on Earth, we need it now
I'm sick of all of this hanging around
Sick of sorrow, sick of the pain
I'm sick of hearing again and again
That there's gonna be peace on Earth

Where I grew up there weren't many trees
Where there was we'd tear them down
And use them on our enemies
They say that what you mock
Will surely overtake you

And you become a monster
So the monster will not break you
And it's already gone too far
You say that if you go in hard
You won't get hurt

Jesus can you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line
Peace on Earth

Tell the ones who hear no sound
Whose sons are living in the ground
Peace on Earth

No whos or whys
No one cries like a mother cries
For peace on Earth

She never got to say goodbye
To see the colour in his eyes
Now he's in the dirt
Peace on Earth

They're reading names out over the radio
All the folks the rest of us won't get to know
Sean and Julia, Gareth, Ann, and Breda
Their lives are bigger than any big idea

Jesus can you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line
Peace on Earth

To tell the ones who hear no sound
Whose sons are living in the ground
Peace on Earth

Jesus and the song you wrote
The words are sticking in my throat
Peace on Earth

Hear it every Christmas time
But hope and history won't rhyme
So what's it worth
This peace on Earth
Peace on Earth
Peace on Earth
Peace on Earth


  I will be on blog break until January 2nd, when I will be back with a post for IWSG. Until then, I'll be enjoying a family Christmas and continuing to write for three hours every morning before most of the family are awake. Naturally, I'll steal some time to check out the blogs!

So to all my lovely followers and casual visitors -- Happy Christmas!! See you in the New Year!! Be safe!!



27 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Amen!
Have a wonderful Christmas with your family. Glad Nas is safe.
And cool song to pick. Every one of the members of U2 are Christians now. The drummer held out forever...

Roland D. Yeomans said...

I am truly relieved to hear that Nas is safe! It is a world of sorrow because often we make it so. Within us is a drive to destroy ourselves. Once long ago this world was not so, but then we broke the terms of the lease, and we live in a broken world. May your Christmas be healing and happy! Roland

Nas said...

Hi Denise, Alex and Roland!

It was scary there for sometime when big trees were being uprooted and thrown toward our house, but thankfully it passed. Still no Electricity, though! So no Internet!


Thanks so much for your concern my friend, Denise. Whenever I could get network via my mobile, I could see an email from Denise or some message from her asking about us. I was overwhelmed by such lovely concerned friends. I'm so glad that we all care about each other so much.

Thanks for everyone's well wishes, thoughts and prayers.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Oh Nas! So glad to hear you are ok!!!

Have a wonderful Christmas, Denise. Can I come over for some Toblerone Cheesecake??? YUM!!!!!

Trisha said...

It's horrible that people are suffering so much all over the world, not just at this time of year but any time. :(

Merry Christmas to you, Denise! Hope you have a wonderful day(s) :)

Unfortunately we are meant to have gross, hot weather here on the day itself. Boo!

Michael Di Gesu said...

Hi, Denise,

It is so true and sad for so many parts of the world. Will there EVER be peace? So much unrest, natural disasters, and tragedies with senseless killings.

HOWEVER, there still is beauty in this world. There still is LOVE, and that can change many things. LET us prayer for LOVE.

HAVE a wonderful holiday my dear bloggy friend. I hope to post my holiday pics/recipes at some time tomorrow. FINALLY finishing up! It took me sooo much longer than expected.

I hope you will have time to drop by.

Eggs with Toast said...

Nice macarons.. haha.

___________

Visit this link if you don't mind:

Paris River Cruise

Nilanjana Bose said...

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year. Have a wonderful holiday.

Regards,
Nilanjana.

Sally said...

Have a great time with family and a wonderful Christmas break and a very happy New Year.

Anne said...

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Anonymous said...

Have a fabulous Christmas, Denise, with your family.
Very thought provoking post. I guess it's also a time to remember those suffering nearer to home with illness, tragedy and hardship.

Christmas wishes & hugs x

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Denise .. you reminded me of my Christmases in South Africa - hot weather and quite often English Christmas food - boy oh boy ... we collapsed over Boxing Day .. prawns sound delicious!!

Thanks for letting us know about Nas .. I must pop over and wish her well ... cheers to you and enjoy your family time - Happy Christmas and New Year ... cheers Hilary

J.L. Campbell said...

Hi, Denise,
Here's wishing for you and yours a joyous Christmas season. It's amazing to me how insulated I can be. I didn't hear about Evan. Glad to know Nas and her family are okay.

Charmaine Clancy said...

Glad to hear Nas is ok!

You have a wonderful Christmas buddy, and I'll see you in January!

alexia said...

Merry Christmas! I love U2.

Deniz Bevan said...

Love U2! And, ooh, I remember that Toblerone cheesecake... Hope you have a very merry Christmas!

Denise Covey said...

Merry Christmas Deniz!

dolorah said...

The world does continue despite our best intentions! Thanks for a great year Denise. And I look forward to another year of happiness with you. Cheers, and happy thoughts your way.

........dhole

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Wars and bad things will continue to happen as long as the devil controls this world. But through human kindness and consideration, we can counter some of that.

Have a Merry Christmas, Denise.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Donna!

Denise Covey said...

Yes, we can only do our bit.

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

Hi Denise, thanks for catching up with me and my blog. That's a great message, and I hope you enjoy the Christmas season!
Duncan In Kuantan

Kiru Taye said...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours, Denise!

Laura said...

Merry middle Christmassy bit and a very exciting new year to you. I'm sorry I've been AWOL for a time, but I should be back now...
Hope you are having a fab time,
Love to you and yours and hope to see you at the RFW soon
Laura x

Francine Howarth said...

Hi,

Thanks for stopping by my blogs over the seasonal period! And a belated Happy Christmas. It seems to have been an abysmal time of year for many around the globe, and not getting better any time soon. The planet is in revolt at human intervention, and we get our due payment for bad guardianship! ;)

best
F

Haddock said...

Merry Christmas to you too :-)

Nas said...

Wishing you a Happy and Prosperous New Year, Denise!