6/12/2025 Christmas light trails

Weekend chores were done in double quick time, and this included a little trip to the recycling centre. By bagging up the glass  and plastic containers, bottles and cans and taking them to the recycling centre they get counted and then 10c is given back for each one. Julie ended up with $15 for her rubbish. I was most impressed with the whole system.  It’s frankly terrifying the things that now impress me! 

We had to amend our plans for this evening. We’d intended to do the Christmas lights trail in the city but then discovered it’s the Christmas Pageant Parade which meant the city would have been bloody heaving. It would also have been full of over excited and over tired kids on sugar highs and my tolerance level for that shit is at complete Zero . That being the case we picked mamma up and headed over to Joondalup for dinner and to do their Christmas light trail instead. 

Dinner was at a lovely place called ‘The Sovereign’ , a huge eatery with a great menu. Being the festive season there was also roast turkey or beef options with Christmas pudding. Not on the same plate obviously. I had the burger only because it promised to be in a potato bun which I thought sounded interesting and I’d never had potato bun before. I was a bit disappointed when it turned out to be a normal run of the mil bun without so much as a sniff of a potato . As I say disappointing. Although the burger itself was really tasty so it wasn’t a total disaster.  

After we’d eaten, we started on the Christmas Light trail, and there were a few nice pieces that you could get your photo taken in, which we obviously did!  As it’s a trail there were quite a lot of people with kids doing it and we had to wait to take photos in most of them. One in particular gave me wet cheeks, I’ve not felt Si around me at all and have been feeling very much alone, and abandoned all over again. While we were waiting to take photos of the elf display, Si was in my thoughts as always. There were three kids sat in front of the display and I heard their dad say ‘676’. I didn't catch what else he said to the boys and was sure I had imagined it. When I looked the kids that were in front of the display were using their hands and arms to make the numbers and sure enough there was a six, a seven and a six. I don’t think I could have had a clearer sign than that.  I have been asking for ones that are specific and that I will definitely not miss,  so it seems he’s listening and providing them for me. 

Thankfully it was dark and it hid my tears but they were good ones because I had the reassurance I’ve needed.  He would have been pushing me around the streets, with an indulgent smile on his face and endured the million photographs I’d have taken. At some point he would have had enough and stuck two fingers up at me as per usual.  The light display was a little bit disappointing as there weren't as many as I expected. However, it was perfect for me and if we had gone into Perth I would have missed the sign Si had for me.  

We had a look around the night markets, the assault of smells intoxicating. Spices from the street food vans, sweet cinnamon donuts, mulled wine and hot chocolate. The market had the usual selection of  handmade items and a huge honey stand which was the most popular by far. What I liked most was the stand holder hoody, it was full on honeycomb with a couple of bees. I guess the honey must have been good. On our way out there was an inflatable rudolf and a gingerbread house. In the breeze Rudolfs hand was waving a bit and he looked like he was having a wank. I wasn’t alone in this thought as Julie and I looked at each other and started to giggle uncontrollably. Yes we are that childish. 

On the way back to the car a very popular chocolaterias dessert cafe called our name, it was the smell that enticed us. When we actually thought about it we were all too full still from dinner and had no room at all. Not ones to pass up an opportunity to sit down we sat outside and inhaled the delicious aromas of churros and melted chocolate. Unusually that was enough!  The final light display was just opposite the dessert shop and also not far from where the car was parked, we took the final photos and piled back into the car. Julie was disappointed in the display so took us on a hunt for private houses that had gone all out. Something I used to do when the kids were little, and that Si used to do for me. There were some seriously impressive displays and one street in particular every house had gone all out. It was like Hooville in the Grinch! Bloody fantastic. One house in particular has giant baubles hanging from the trees and it was so effective. Although I dread to think about the level of cable tangling going on before and after the event. Or is that just me that gets in a knot with them? There is a reason that fairy lights are for life and not just for Christmas!! Or you are lucky enough have a Simon with the patience of a saint, who sits there quietly just winding the lights around pieces of cardboard for you. I really bloody miss him, and it’s not because I’ll forevermore have tangled fairy lights. It’s because it's Christmas and it was our favourite time of year, the fire lit, loads of candles twinkling in the windows (which Si used to joke he needed to start blowing out an hour before bedtime to get them all done) and fairy lights wrapped around every available surface. Music playing as we sat on the rug in front of the fire snuggled up together watching the flames dance. I just miss him every minute of every single day, he was quite simply the best part of me. 

We dropped Mamma Kay home and returned to Julie’s via more decorated houses and lawns. It appeared to be Cider o’clock and the perfectly chilled Pinky’s sunrise went down a treat after my emotional evening. Another day over, my time in Australia is flying by, next week is currently looking really busy with my only free day being Thursday. That's when I’ll finish Julie's weeding for her …hopefully

Much Love

Mrs Leonard

X.