Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

Well its that time again!
Time for the fever of Christmas, the shopping and consuming!
Well I haven't felt that and I don't usually, our Christmas is low key and I like it that way. Might be because I am a long way away from my family and have been for 20 years. I miss having Christmas with them but know it is not going to happen very often because of the distance and the cost of flights at this time and all that happens in my own life here, where I live.

A funny thing did happen to me about a fortnight ago. I put up my Christmas tree quilt that I made a few years ago. Much better than a real tree in my opinion, takes up less room in our small house.
So I put that up and then we had a cold snap and had to light the fire again for a day or two. I noticed that I had a strange feeling when I looked at this scene. A nice feeling but new to me. Next day the fire was lit again and I had the feeling again. Then it came to me what it was. It was seeing a fire next to a Christmas tree. It was a northern hemisphere Christmas! And it felt like an old memory trying to surface, but I have never been to the northern hemisphere. My ancestors came from there so perhaps it was an ancestral memory? Nice thought aye!
And anyway, my mind is once again thinking about what is it to have an Australian Christmas? What is it that symbolises Chrissy here?
My friend D says it is the beach and surfing, it sounds pretty good but I'm not 100% sold on the idea because I don't think of the beach at this time of the year. I'm sure lots do, don't get me wrong but lots don't also. Particularly those who may live inland. I love the mountains!
I don't like those Christmas cards with koalas in Santa hats and the like.

So what is it about this wall hanging? A man dressed in clothes too hot for this country. Surrounded by holly which doesn't have red berries on at this time of the year and is an environmental weed in this country in case you didn't know. Ok lots of presents and a cute puppy, they're ok I suppose.

I made Santa sacks this year for my on-line shop. Sold 2, that was great. But have a look, snow! Ok I had to light the fire a fortnight ago, but no way was there going to be snow here! Pine trees, also another environmental weed when they self seed away from plantations.

This apron my sewing partner made depicts doves of peace, that's nice with holly in their mouths, mmm and some nice words. Not so Australian though. No slight on your apron T, its lovely and I am surprised it didn't sell.

These two table mats are all about stars, so the religious side of Christmas emerges here. The colours also are symbolic of Christmas, red, green and white. That's the red berries of holly, green pine trees and snow!

I don't mean to sound like a Grinch or anything, I just would like to work out what Christmas means to Australians. What would you put on a card to an Australian in Australia and think of Christmas?

Well I have made my mini plum puddings, the best yet my friend D said. I put in half a cup of brandy which had been sitting in a jar with cherries for 4 years. I put in half the jar of cherries too. Wow! Adults only and no driving when you have had a couple of these.
We have a rolled pork roast from locally sourced organically grown rare breed pig. Oh it is so nice. Also a turkey breast, rolled and stuffed with cranberries and something, I can't remember now. Locally sourced also and free range.

We usually have duck for Christmas but Pepes the supplier have been fined $400,000 for sourcing ducks from a place that was treating them badly, so no more Pepies. "Open range" they have on their ducks wrapping but they are kept in a shed. No openness or ranging. Labelling in this country is incredibly poor.
Take free range eggs. The suggested (note suggested not legislated) amount of birds per hectare is 1,500. The egg board wanted to up that to 20,000 birds per hectare!!!!!! Might as well put them into small cages for the amount of room they'll have. And where does the green grass and bugs come from with that close proximity. That's how the eggs get omega 3 from green grass and bugs and sunshine.
Well I have been grumbling today and no mistake.
But on this note I would like to wish all my readers, 2 of them I think, a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Dayla