Christmas 2020 – The Myer Christmas Windows visit, The Little Bookroom and One Lone Swallow, a summer storm and a walk down memory lane

On Tuesday I met a dear friend in the Bourke Street Mall and gazed into the Myer Christmas Windows one last time. It was so lovely to listen again to Eddie Perfect reading the story and to share my words with a fellow writer. Thanks BK!

From there we drove to The Little Bookroom, my first visit since March, and it felt like returning home to a treasured, cherished and familiar home. The Little Bookroom is one of many bookshops around Melbourne and Victoria whose staff worked tirelessly to deliver books to the reading public all throughout lockdown. I chatted to Leesa and Michael, signed copies of One Lone Swallow and To the Bridge and raced to our car just before the downpour! (Except for a quick dash to the nearby Italian cake shop – thought it was appropriate given the need for a celebration and the setting in Florence of One Lone Swallow.)

While ink-black clouds tumbled overhead, and the rain poured down, my husband and I decided to stop around the corner and enjoy our cakes in the car, in front of the house where my Great Grandmother used to live when I was a child. Memories floated about my head of the many Sunday afternoons spent closeted about her open fire. Many of my stories began and grew from this little house.

This Christmas is special for us all and while there will be many people whose  Christmas won’t be the same this year, the most important thing is that we are well and safe and sharing it with those closest, or someone we care about and love.

Merry Christmas to all and thank you for those of you who have been reading my posts for another year.