Dear Diary,
Hot evening. Have just played a game of squash with a cockroach. Not only won, but flattened him. One of our lovely giant ones that fly in seeking house and home.
Christmas Day at our place only had five kids – the two of us plus sr-and-br-in-law and a friend. We assumed kid status for the occasion, as grand-dittos are still up country with the son-in-law side of the family. A full traditional meal, lots of wine, and lots of pressies. One of mine is a paraffin lantern without paraffin or flame. It is solar charged, LED-lit, and amazingly bright. Also windproof.
A gap in my education for the whole of my life thus far has been the correct term for a wife’s sister’s husband. I thought it was – wait for it – ‘my wife’s sister’s husband’, for lack of a specific term as one gets in languages like Spanish. The OED confirms, though, that it is ‘brother-in-law’ regardless of whether one is related to the spouse by blood or by marriage. I suppose I am one of the very few who didn’t know that.
Now, do you think you have behaved well enough to get a present?
Subsequent to Christmas we have been recovering, maintaining property, pooches and cat (plus two school budgies), and being closely observed by young Micky Monkey who seems to be a loner and loves hanging out with us – often within touching distance. On a couple of occasions he has patted Gemma-the-Maltese asleep on a chair to the response of a waving tail, but each time I have missed the photo opportunity. We also have some mongooses who brave the pack to scurry across the front lawn every day or so.
A rainbow on our front garden fishpond.
And now the family have returned late today needing to have hired a container truck for what they brought back, and chaos reigns supreme. After being cooped up for some seven hours the kids went ballistic on arrival. Peace and quiet departed completely. I love it.
© December 2012 Colonialist (WordPress/Blogs 24)
Colonialist's Blog 
Our neighbourhood has developed a real problem with cockroaches this summer, not just the big fly-in ones either. We put down bait stations all around our property before we went away and now only seem to find dead ones. I hate the blasted things! Glad you had a good Christmas and your family is all returned. Best wishes for a productive and peaceful 2013 to you and your loved ones.
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I love the photo of your fishpond! Very grand! I relate to the peace and quiet, enjoying it for a time, everyone lands on the old home and chaos reigns! Sometimes I wish we could find a nice wavelength in-between! It sounds to me like you had a really lovely Christmas. And I certainly wish you a peace-filled, bug-free new year.
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Ah, slipping back into routine, Col….glad to hear everyone is well and enjoying themselves. That Not-Parrafin-Lamp sounds good!
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I never get the terms right. I think it’s possibly more completed in Mandarin.
Enjoy the second Christmas with the family
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Mandarin may well be one of the languages which has specific terms for such relationships, which actually does make it easier.
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Glad the cockroach didn’t win the game. 🙂
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An ugly image, that – being squashed by a cockroach!
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🙂
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We’ve just called anybody married to a sister a “swaer” or heavy if you like 😉
Glad the brood is back again Col – hope your second Christmas is just as much fun as the first one 😉
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Meanwhile we have had friends and kids for lunch and the pool is a noisy area indeed!
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When you don’t know what to call the relative, just add the words “in law” or “out law” if you want 🙂
Hope you have a fab 2013 Col 🙂
*hugs*
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Mainly outlaws. 🙂 My theory of relativity is that relatives are relatively relative …
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I’m also not all that good with family terminology, especially when it comes to a parents cousin, or the ever present “removed” family member. I think it sounds really awful when you describe somebody as my father’s cousin thrice removed. Should I say cousin, distant cousin that makes them sound as if they live a long way away, or settle on family member? Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2012 22:15:45 +0000 To: ruth2day@hotmail.com
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Much Better Half would leap in eagerly with education on this. Cousins of parents are your cousins too, only once removed, because ‘removed’ depends on the generation. First cousins are offspring of siblings of parents, second cousins offspring of siblings of grandparents, third cousins offspring of siblings of great grandparents and so on.
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Oh Col you must have missed the Little Ones so much over Christmas. So glad they are back. I love your wildlife you have at home, it would be so awesome to see here. I have 3 tortoises that wonder around my yard, amonst the many birds and lizards, but would love a little monkey and some mongoose. Hope you have an awesome day with the girls. Mine left for holiday on Thursday and I am missing them so much. Hugs for the girls. Hope MBH has improved.
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Use the time to relax and to look forward to seeing them again. I love tortoises, but haven’t had one since I was young.
MBH is better but still having rather a tough time.
Hope you have a simply fabulous New Year!
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Relations terminology can get confusing.
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Relatively difficult, in fact! 🙂
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Sounds like you are having a well-rounded holiday, Col!
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Indeed, with parts of it going in dizzy circles! 🙂
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haha we have always played tennis with Christmas beetles that mistakenly enter the house!
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How do you know they did it mistakenly – it was probably a takeover bid!
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