Christmas in Australia

 Hi everyone, I hope you all had a happy and safe Christmas. 

It was so hot on Christmas Day that our grandson fried an egg in a pan on the driveway. On Boxing Day we measured the temperature under our patio - 43C (109F)  and over 50C (122F) in the direct sun! - thought we had better bring the thermometer in before it exploded! 

A lot of people here go to the beach, but we elected to stay home and relax most of the weekend. Far to hot outside for us. 

It got me to thinking about Christmas past when I was a child and we lived in a weather-board house with no insulation and no air-conditioning. And my Mum cooking a Christmas roast dinner on a wood stove in over 100F heat! 

Here are a few lines taken from a poem of memories I wrote recently...

Do you remember sister.......

Laying reading on the cool passageway lino on hot summer afternoons.

The Secret Seven for me and the Famous Five for you. 

The delights of push-up ice-creams,

with luscious strawberry syrup at the bottom.

Fruit Loops eaten straight from the packet.  

Cordial iceblocks in a plastic cup. 

And Dad buying bucket icecreams with little spoons at the drive-in. 

                                    (this one below says chocolate, ours were strawberry)

Summer holiday cottages at Palm Beach and Safety Bay.

Doublegee prickles in the yard,

the enclosed verandas looking out to Penguin Island.

Swimming lessons at Palm Beach,

I was too scared to lift my feet off the bottom.

Burning hot sand and rocks at the beach.

Jelly fish as big as dinner plates at Como beach swimming lessons. 

                                    (some old pics of my sister & me from the 1950s-60s)

Evening walks on the jetty

watching the crab nets being pulled.   

Dad stringing Christmas lights in our pine trees,

the Salvation Army singing carols under our corner street light.

 Laying on a tarp on the back lawn on hot summer nights

gazing at the stars and playing I spy.

Grape vines on the trellis,

and making grape jam on the wood stove in the heat of summer,

squishing the grapes in my hands for their juice.  

Running under the sprinkler

and playing in the bath on hot summer days,

sliding down the sloped end,

flooding the floor with water.

Simple pleasures

I remember them well.

Do you have simple pleasure from your childhood? Perhaps you would like to share them in your comments. These days summer holidays seem to demand more zip and going places and doing things and whiz-bang. Perhaps I am getting old, perhaps I just yearn for the simpler days when we kids were content with less. 

But whatever the decade or age - there must be icecream and a cold drink and somewhere to relax in the shade with a good book. 

Wishing you and yours a very safe and happy Christmas spent with those you love. 

Here is a little summer Christmas video for my friends in the northern hemisphere:

(ps - it starts with Maori New Zealand counting)

Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Stay safe and have a wonderful week. 

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!
   
MosaicMonday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf
Sharon's Sovenirs 
Our World Tuesday
Pictorial Tuesday 
ThroughMy Lens 
Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera 
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity. 
       and Little bird - Pienilintu
Thankful Thursday 
Welcome to Nature Thursday
The Lovin' Life Team over at: Deep Fried Fruit

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