Summer is coming!

Ahh, summer in Queensland, Australia. People around here say it isn't really summer until the steering wheel is too hot to hold!

I was watching an american show recently. They were complaining terribly of the 'oppressive' heat and how horribly hot it was. Apparently that day it was so hot they decided to try and cook an egg on the sidewalk. And I'm sure, to them, it was very hot. But then they showed a picture of the thermometer, which read 37C. I smiled, that's an average summers day where I grew up. (it's a little cooler where I live now, but only by a couple of degrees)

But it spells the beginning of the christmas season. I always know it's time to start shopping for christmas presents when I get my first mangos of the year (which dosen't happen until the cheaper varieties come on sale!). How different it must be for the rest of the world, trying to shop in the freezing cold and snow! But as pretty as a 'white christmas' sounds, I can't imagine my christmas any other way but hot, humid, and spent mostly around the swimming pool.

One of my memories of christmas past was the fact it was usually the first time all year we ran the air conditioner. It was far too expensive to run our old, energy inefficient air con except on the hottest of days, which usually occured in january and feburary. But mum and dad would turn it on first thing christmas morning, and I remember the smell it had the same way others seem to remember the smell of the fire. Perhaps not as romantic or pretty, but memorable nontheless.

I didn't grow up in a christian family so I didn't have a lot of those christian traditions surrounding christmas, but I hope to create them.

I'm finishing up some canning and homemade goodies to give out, as well as the last few gifts. We actually have a lot of birthdays around this time of year, including my husbands brother who was born ON christmas day! I'm not sure I'd like that personally... but they always make sure to give him some special time, including opening his birthday presents seperately. There's also one of Andrews sisters, and one of his brothers, my sister, my grandmother, and technically my mother... all between mid-november and christmas. Busy time!

Arwen managed to get born into a quiet spot, no birthdays except for our best friend who actually shares the same birthday as her (I swear it wasn't intentional! Yes she was induced, but it was coincidence!)

I suppose I'm rambling now. Best go do something useful!