A POST OF RECORD : A BIG THANK YOU : THE BLESSINGS OF CHRISTMAS

Picture above from here

This week The Network has exceeded 550,000 page views.  

I find this amazing.

Some of it is due to Andrew Bolt.  Thanks Andrew.

Back when Andrew was facing a trial 

when he accused some Aboriginal people of 

only using their Aboriginality for personal profit and advancement,

he sent his readership to this blog

when it would have been a dicey matter

for him to keep conversing with his readership.

The inference was that I was of the Left.

For Andrew's benefit, I am usually too Left for the Right

and too Right for the Left -

which should place be pretty much in the middle, I reckon.

Perhaps Andrew thought it would teach me a lesson.

The surprise, from my point of view, came for his fan base.

I treated them courteously.

I rejected only one comment - and that was because of bad language.

I advised the writer that English was a flexible language.

I suggested he re-write his comment without the bad language

and there was every likelihood I would print his work.

I didn't hear from him again.

One of Andrew's fans even complimented me.

He said that, even though he did not agree with my politics,

he liked my style - or words to that effect.

Over the years - and in particular in recent months -

the statistics of many blog posts has reached three

and sometimes four figure statistics.

That's quite a lot for me.

So I express my sincere gratitude to those who

have notched up the numbers for The Network.

Many of you don't live in the Great South Land of Oz.

You live in Europe, Asia, and the Americas -

to mention three of the five continents.

Many of you come by other social media.

The wonders of 21st C widespread communication!

The Network emerged from a previous blog, The Eagle's Nest.

So one could say that there was a dry run - 

even though it was not planned as such.

The format of The Network has changed 

as Blogger has permitted and I have tried different things.

There is one Networker I would like to mention by name.

My friend and comrade-in-arms, Denis Wilson.

Until recent times, Denis maintained a blog -

The Nature of Robertson. 

This year, Denis has followed a journey 

which has been spelt out on his Facebook site rather than his blog.

Denis and I met on-line with our blogging ventures -

his were environmental and mine was community and political comment.

The friendship has long since been cemented off-line

even though we live in different states of Australia. 

Denis is not the only friend I have made through blogging,

and I am most grateful for those friendships.

I hope there are many more regular readers

that I may be able to meet.

I am at an age and stage where blogging and social media

has become more vital for me.

As of this year, I am having to admit that my days as a

person with a direct role in community organising may be numbered.

I have been involved in community organisations since I was twelve.

I held my first office-bearing position at fifteen.

I have organised with a toddler on my hip

as well as the time decades later when my husband was dying.

I think I am coming to a stage when the only way 

I will be able to express fully my concerns

is via social media - particularly via The Network.

The touch-typing fingertips have not given up their task just yet.

One has to be curmudgeonly to find that this season we call Christmas

is just like any other day of the week.

To those who - like me - follow The Christ, I wish you a blessed time.

To my friends in the other Abrahamic faiths, Judaism and Islam,

I wish you blessed times as you celebrate, respectively,

Hannukah and The Prophet's birth day.  

I know my friends of other faiths  -

 I think of Sister Nivedita and Sundrum and his family and Neel and his family - 

will also recognise this time as very special.

And I must give a special mention to my beautiful Sikh friends

with whom I have shared many beautiful and constructive times -

including worship at the Gurdwara at Blackburn.

BLESSINGS OF THE SEASON TO ALL -

EVEN YOU ANDREW BOLT

Aussie Jingle Bells

Dashing through the house
In an old shirt and one shoe
Running late again
And you need the loo
Front door starts to ring
As the guests arrive
Bringing lots of gifts and pressies
Up the front drive

Oh jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Your family’s gathered round you
On a warm Christmas day (hey!)
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Santa says g’day
Oh what fun it is to spend
Christmas the Aussie way

Now the pressies are unwrapped
We’re sitting by the tree
Lights are all turned on
Looks pretty as can be
We talk about old friends
And have a glass of wine
While the kids play with their toys
Out in the sunshine

Oh jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Your family’s gathered round you
On a warm Christmas day (hey!)
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Santa says g’day
Oh what fun it is to spend
Christmas the Aussie way

Soon it’s two o’clock
We’re by the barbeque
Eating snags and prawns
And drinking beer too
Grandma’s made the cake
It’s a little dry
We try to eat it with one hand
While we’re busy swatting flies

Oh jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Your family’s gathered round you
On a warm Christmas day (hey!)
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Santa says g’day
Oh what fun it is to spend
Christmas the Aussie way

The light is getting dim
It’s almost time to go
We take a family snap
Under the mistletoe
The kids are fast asleep go cut
We’re singing Christmas songs
Don’t you wish Christmas day
Could last all summer long!

Oh jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Your family’s gathered round you
On a warm Christmas day (hey!)
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Santa says g’day
Oh what fun it is to spend
Christmas the Aussie way

Oh what fun it is to spend
Christmas the Aussie way!

Picture and Jingle Bells from here.