What a great night it was! The last Tauranga sump of the year was a special evening. One of the children drew a Christmas welcome to us all as we came through the door. Some had travelled a distance and even stayed the night. Dressing up in Christmas gear was optional, but it was fun as we all got into the spirit of Christmas anyway. We even saw a bit of tinsel hanging from a quiet one’s shirt!
The ages ranged from five into the 90s. There was something for everyone.
Warm mulled wine or cold punch or a bottle of something. The food was extraordinary as we brought something yummy to share for the main course or dessert. The ham was cooked. A special Christmas cake was made which even had the little wooden house that lit up.
Lazy Dynamite, one of the attendees wrote about the evening.
We gave mugs that have “Freedom over Fear” printed on them, as well as some delicious chocolates as thank you gifts to each of our wonderful hosts. We appreciate their hospitality and willingness to have the crowd of sumpers at their homes each month.
We had to exercise our brains as well, with groups of two or three and the serious competition began! Actually, we had a fun general knowledge quiz, with the young ones joining in. We all got the first question right. “What was the name of the NZ PM who said she was our single source of truth?” Groan!
The quiz followed with some telling us about their favourite mug with a joke or two family friendly ones thrown in. Christmas is about Jesus’ birth, children and presents. It was our pleasure to give the children who came a present especially for them.
Lazy Dynamite, our amazing songwriter was thanked for his wonderful song. We had the words printed out of “The Good Oil – Down on Cambridge Road” song. We could sing the specially written song for our Tauranga Sump or, if not singing, get our feet tapping to the catchy tune.
Verse 1
Down on Cambridge Road, there’s a place we know,
Ric and Bev’s front door, always aglow,
Pull up a chair, leave your troubles behind,
Good friends, good food, the best you’ll find.
Everyone’s welcome, the laughter flows,
Stories are shared as the evening goes,
Pass the plates, pour the wine,
Life is simple, and it feels just fine.
Chorus
Oh, the Good Oil, it’s the place to be,
Friends and laughter, and company,
Take your dinner, share it round,
Best little gathering in town!
Yeah, the Good Oil, we all belong,
Cambridge Road, we sing our song!
Verse 2
Jokes are flying, the stories grow,
Some we know, some are new to show,
Ric tells a tale, Bev joins along,
Every meeting feels like a song.
From the first hello to the last goodbye,
Hearts are full and spirits high,
It doesn’t matter what the day has brought,
Here we find the love we sought.
Chorus
Oh, the Good Oil, it’s the place to be,
Friends and laughter, and company,
Take your dinner, share it round,
Best little gathering in town!
Yeah, the Good Oil, we all belong,
Cambridge Road, we sing our song!
Bridge
Some nights are quiet, some nights are loud,
We cheer each other, a happy crowd,
No rules, no rush, just smiles that glow,
It’s the Good Oil, we all know.
Final Chorus
Oh, the Good Oil, it’s the place to be,
Friends and laughter, and company,
Take your dinner, share it round,
Best little gathering in town!
Yeah, the Good Oil, we all belong,
Cambridge Road, we sing our song!
Tag line (spoken or sung):
Cambridge Road… where the good oil flows!
There’s a new song written, “Freedom over Fear,” that had been especially written by LD to follow on from the last sump for 2025 with the coffee mug theme.
But that’s for next time.
A Very Happy Christmas Everyone.
