Saturday, December 29, 2012

Christmas Day

Tuesday, December 25th, 2012
We started working on December 23rd. We woke up early and thought to ourselves that there was no point in waiting around here so we got in our car and decided to go to Beachport. We hadn’t even got halfway when we got a text message from Pete, saying that we were needed at the cherry farm. We turned around and went straight to the cherry farm where we started off in the packing shed. We spent the rest of the day sizing and grading cherries. Yesterday we started work at 6am (also packing) and worked a good 9 hours. As we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve in Norway it was unusual for us to be working, but since it doesn’t really feel like Christmas anyway it was ok.
After work yesterday we all (all the backpackers here on Pete’s Fish Farm are working at the cherry farm) went home and had ourselves a little Christmas Party. Today we have the day off so we didn’t have to get up early, but we actually woke up around 6am anyway. Last night was a perfect night. We got to get to know the other backpackers a lot more, and it turns out that we have a lot in common. I thank the Universe for bringing us together. This experience wouldn’t be the same without these wonderful people to share it with. I thought that it might be weird being with strangers on Christmas Eve, but the evening was so full of love and fun that it didn’t feel like they were strangers anymore. What a wonderful gift to be with such a great bunch of people on an evening like Christmas Eve. Even though it wasn’t like the usual sense of Christmas, the real Christmas spirit was truly present; love, peace and lots of joy.
This morning we made ourselves a cup of coffee and sat down outside the kitchen to read a book when Ann, a former teacher that now travels Australia and are now working here at Pete’s Fish Farm, came to us with a Christmas gift. It was an envelope with a rose attached to it and with a few beautiful lines from a Shaber Hymn called “Simple Gifts”:
‘Tis a gift to be simple
‘Tis a gift to be free
‘Tis a gift to come down
Where you ought to be
And when we find ourselves in the place that is right
It will be in the valley of love and delight
Such beautiful words that got straight into my heart. And as I am writing this I just saw that there is something inside the envelopes as well! There are two lottery tickets, the kind where you scratch the game panel and you can win up to $20,000! I was so happy to get the kind words that I didn’t even think that there would be anything inside the envelope. Ann is such a wonderful and wise woman that I admire and respect. We see things eye to eye, and it’s so great to meet people that also live for the moment and for the simple joy of living.
I don’t know what today will bring (it’s only 8.30am), but I guess time will tell. We might try to go to Beachport again, or maybe just hang around here with our new friends…. Tomorrow it’s back to the cherry farm to do some picking J
Life is good J
It’s my niece’s birthday today. With all my love; happy birthday, Emma! I love you so much! You have become such a beautiful young woman and I wish you all the best for your journey through this lifeJ
Live life and love it.
Lotte

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