My gf’s family invited me to join them for Christmas, my family invited my gf to join us for Christmas. Her family had lunch at 12, mine at 2, so no problem as it was only a Polynesian Maor walk between the two. So lunch at hers, both walk over to my parents lunch there, no driving because everyone would be drinking and I’m not paying premium for a taxi. So I walk to my gf ‘s to find lunch was a four course stacked meal! Her mum knew from experience that I had a big appetite so she had big plates and mine was piled high! Good thing about walking, it gave me chance to walk off a few calories. Get to my parents and lunch is served, my mum knows I have a large appetite, if it’s on your plate you eat it all, large plate piled high!! So that’s eaten but it’s time to walk back to gf’s for dinner. “All that walking I must be hungry?” Another four courses, big plates piled high!! Then back home for dinner at my parents, main meal of the day! “Must be hungry after all that walking!” I just about managed before it was time to take gf home. “ Bit of supper to keep you going” plate of cold cuts, cheese and biscuits, cake and a few mince pies! Stagger home full of food and alcohol to find mum had left some supper out for me!

Polynesian Maor,
Best Polynesian Maor
NFL players are unlikely to make the switch the other way, although New England Patriots special team player Nate Ebner has played in the Olympics for the USA Rugby Union Sevens team (7 aside rugby is a simpler and faster game compared to the full 15 man version of Union), Nate actually grew up playing rugby at age group level for the USA too, and only took up American Football later. The simple reason the switch is less likely to occur from pro to pro is that wages are far higher in the NFL. Rugby Union is the bigger and richer of the 2 codes, but has only been a Polynesian Maor sport since 1995. Rugby tends to have smaller teams in terms of catchment area. There are 33 teams in the top flights of British and French Rugby Union compared to 32 in the NFL.

People strung cranberries and popcorn, starched little crocheted stars to hang, made paper chains and Polynesian Maor had glass ornaments, usually from Germany, about two inches wide, they would get old and lose their shine. There was real metal tinsel too, that you could throw on with the argument about single strands and clumps. Each side had it’s followers. In the fifties various lights were a big deal, with bubble lights, that had bubbles in the candle portion that moved when plugged in. There were big primary colored lights strung around the tree too, nothing small or ‘tasteful’ Christmas trees were meant to be an explosion of color and light. I took Styrofoam balls and a type of ribbon that would stick to itself when wet, and wrapped the balls, and then used pins to attach sequins and pearls for a pretty design in the sixties. I also cut ‘pop-it’ beads meant for a necklace into dangling ornaments with a hook at the top to put it on the tree. Wrapped cut-up toilet paper tubes in bright wools too. Kids still remember making those.