Today is officially the beginning of Summer here in New Zealand. The school pool opened today, it's already warm and sticky and we've started eating most of our evening meals outside under the grapevine. I'm guessing it's a bit different in a few other spots around the world?! Anyone have any snow yet?
Funny thing is when you grow up here, it doesn't seem strange at all. We still decorate our pine Christmas trees and imagine Santa coming on his sleigh... our radios ring to tune of "Jingle Bells" and "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas"... most of our Christmas images come from the Wintery North. Strange huh?
A favourite childhood Christmas memory is camping in an old army tent on my nana's back lawn with all our cousins, lying awake taking turns telling stories. We slept on creaky old canvas camp-stretchers. The tent had one big pole in the middle and no ground sheet. The scent of mown grass and the sound of flapping canvas takes me right back to those times. We couldn't have done that in the snow.
One of my dreams is to take the kids back to the UK one year for Christmas; have a white Christmas together with all Mr G's family. See, so I really am Dreaming of a White Christmas! One day.
But in the meantime, I am also dreaming of long lazy days, lying in a hammock, swimming in the school pool (we hire the key each year for the summer), BBQ's and long light nights. Yep, what we lack in the wintry snowy yuletide vibe, we make up for with sun, sea, sand, BBQ's and camping.
I do love Christmas Downunder :)
What's the Christmas Weather like where YOU are??
