Dear Readers – thinking of you I took some pics today of a couple of architectural things, but on a friends’ dialup connection, and very different computer, nothing will happen with them until next week. Not doing any stitching, either, at our friends’ rural retreat on the edge of Punta del Este for Christmas and New Year. But, in addition to beach walks and gallery hopping, and time around the pool and the parrilla, I have so far read “Alice in Jeopardy” by Ed McBain, a good mystery; “Jack and Harry-no turning back” by Tony McKenna and Mervyn Davis, a boy’s own adventure-type memoir style piece of fiction – the marvellous Outback setting stretching through heaps of places familiar to me – Northam, Kalgoorlie, Menzies, Mt Margaret set in the ’50’s, ie pre-Nickel Boom Western Australia which is portrayed as it was then, in our extraordinary post war ‘innocence’ – I just LOVED this book. Related so much to most of it. Keep and eye out for a little book of wisdom for parents with THE most cute illustrations of animals in parentis – “Furry Logic- parenthood” by Jane Seabrook” I began but quickly abondoned “Chesapeake Blue” by Norah Roberts – she is popular in our book group so I thought I’d try her – ho hum, won’t again. I have just picked up and started Di Morrissey’s “Kimberley Sun”, first chance to read one of hers since “Tears of the Moon” which I really enjoyed about 18 months ago…and it’s grabbing my attention so I could be up late tonight…and as the children of our hosts calmed down after frenzied present unwrapping, I found myself digging into one of their book presents :“The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia” published this year in UK, and absolutely outstanding on so many subjects, the kinds of things they are seeing in good tv documentaries and hearing about in the news.

Being able to relax in this part of Uruguay, just near the La Barra part of the coast, a little north of Punta del Este, all of which really comes to life for the three months of summer; to enjoy the beaches, the occasional seafood meal along the waterfront, visit a few old friends, wander into some interesting galleries, relax with a good book and somehow not miss the tv, is to experience the kind of beachside holiday we have always enjoyed. Tomorrow?…. morning coffee out in the sun, deciding what to do for the day – and heading out to do it.

One odd feature of Christmas in this country is the fireworks display at a few minutes to midnight on Christmas Eve.. with the same again on New Year’s Eve – more understandable. We sent up our share of rockets on Christmas Eve, and have liad in a good supply of ordinance/materiel for NYE….and so to set these off we might head off to the beach, to get a good view of the best displays Punta will have – probably from the Conrad Hilton Casino on the esplanade…depends on the weather though.

happy new year to all, wehrever you are – and I’ll be writing again soon.