I've really enjoyed seeing so many christmas posts on blogs from people living in the UK and US - with all their magical snow! Landscapes, even urban ones, look so amazing when covered with a layer of snow.
But as much as I like to look at the pictures, to be perfectly honest I think I'd hate to live in an area which had such deep snowfalls - the thought of having to shovel it away to get the car out, of having to drive on snowy or even worse, icy roads, of having to rug up in layers of clothes and boots just to go outside (and then peel them all off again when inside) really doesn't appeal to me (although I know if that's what I grew up with, I'd be used to it).
Give me a hot summer Christmas any day! Growing up, we always had a cold lunch for Christmas - a leg of ham, maybe a turkey breast (never a whole one, because no-one likes the brown meat), and lots and lots of salads. Always, though, a hot plum pudding for dessert, because while our seasons are different, we have inherited a lot of cold weather Christmas traditions from our British ancestors.
This year, for the first time, we hosted husby's family at our house for Christmas. Everyone brought food and it was so easy. All I had to do on the day was glaze the ham, a bit of tidying, and after the main course, cream and decorate the pavlova, and then sit down and enjoy!
Then pick at the leftovers for dinner. Mmmmmm, christmas ham. Totally my favourite!
The day did turn cool and rainy towards the end, but everyone is so glad of the rain that there were no complaints.
And for my overseas friends, here's how I spent some time on Christmas day last year - for some reason, I didn't post photos last year, but we had Christmas at my brother's - he lives in a new suburb on the outskirts of a large country town, and his house backs onto undeveloped land. Land which is inhabited by a small herd (?) of kangaroos - which jump down to a nearby small dam at dusk to have a drink.
So we walked down to see them and managed to get surprisingly close. Very very cool.
I hope you all had a relaxing enjoyable Christmas. Thank you all for reading the blog and particularly for your comments - they are like a little present to me every day.
24 comments:
I'm with you on the snow. I'd try it but Christmas is sunshine and that summery freedom to me. I was going to write a post much like this!
We've actually had snow on Christmas Day in Tasmania in the capital, on our house in the suburbs!!! No shovelling required though.
What a a lovely restful celebration you had, mine was like that too with the friends I shared it with. I have heard some Canadian people say on the radio that we are all very laid back compared to their cold weather Christmas. Love your tree!!
We saw a wombat, wallabies and cockies on our walk at the dam, all very Australian!!!
Well, the snow is all gone by now. A day of warm temps and lots of rain has melted all 2 feet of the snow. Most of it ran into my crawlspace and we have been pumping all day!
And the dark meat is our favorite. No one eats the breast. Isn't that funny?
Of course you know I will be back in the morning to show my son the kangas drinking. That is too darn cool. But in the meantime, merry Christmas. Yours looks awesome - I love ham, too! (And this snow is TOTALLY for the birds. Totally.)
Merry belated Christmas to you! That food looks delish :)
I dunno, I grew up with the snow and I'm still not crazy about it. The thing is, Christmas comes at the beginning of winter, and we have months of cold, dark, possibly snowy weather to go, and no pretty Christmas lights and so on to mitigate it any. And the clothes!! It takes so much longer to get out the door with children--the boys have to wear their snowpants to school because they play outside during PE and recess (which I think is AWESOME and worth it, but still, the clothes!!) and then they get overheated on the bus or in the car, so it's off with the coats for long car rides, then back on again, and it's harder to negotiate 5-point harness car seats with bulky coats... I dunno, the romance wears off pretty fast. But still, I'd feel all backwards having Christmas in the heat! (Although I asked Husband, What warm place are you taking me to for Christmas next year?!)
Merry Christmas!!
the kangaroos are cool. and the lots and lots of salads sound like fun too. and so interesting to know that you have plum pudding even though your weather is warm. we had roast duck this year. and always we have lots and lots of chocolate. and yes so tired of shoveling snow and wearing sweaters, hats, mitts, boots, scarves and parkas.
Merry Christmas! Actually... I love the snow. I've had a couple of very snowy Christmases. But, then, I don't drive and I was visiting, so no paths to clear or cars to scrape ice from! The food looks brilliant.
I've spent many warm christmases, but none with kangaroos! What a treat!
oh, your Christmas feast looks delightful! yum.
and I'm with you - Christmas to me should be 30+ degrees, lots of salads and meats, but of course; a steaming hot pudding for dessert?!
ah well, we're a weird lot down here ;)
I always wondered what a warm X-mas was like, so thanks for explaining.
You totally get snow: It's magical, but shoveling bites. One more reason why I keep Farm Boy around.
Kangaroos outside of a zoo? Now that sounds magical!
Ah, see, and I was feeling sorry for all of you without snow in sunny climates. I guess we are all where we like to be. Kangaroos? Oh my! How delightful. Your holiday table looks amazing. Hope it was fab.
Thank you, thank you for sharing your summer Christmas! It looks exotic and blissful. And no doubt you have lorikeets and gallahs as well. We have starlings, crows and Canadian geese. Very drab.
So glad you has a lovely day with family which is really what its all about isn't it? I am glad it was a bit cooler this year myself...its funny I don't like Ham that much the rest of the year, but this week, can't get enough! And then there's long lunches with good friends to look forward to, even in the rain!
Merry Christmas! May your shortbread be light, your fridge cold, your tea hot, and your house far away from floods, bushfires and plagues of locusts.
(BTW have you tried the fruit mince Christmas muffins? v v nice)
We had salad with ham, pork and seasoned turkey thigh roast [yes, the brown meat] for Christmas lunch. Traditionally we have baked vegetables but with travelling 145km and hospital visiting there wasn't time. My sister insisted on cooking a baked dinner at 8pm and serving at 9pm - I didn't eat anything!
Fortunately, we didn't see a mob of kangaroos while we were travelling - just some road kill.
A belated merry Christmas to you.
Looks like a lovely way to spend Christmas day. My husband I always travel to see my family on Christmas day. It's a long haul for one day but worth it to see my family.
I don't live where it snows. Like you, I love to look at it but don't think I'd like all that shoveling, power outages, etc. that can come with it! Lovely Christmas photos, especially the kangaroos.
I could definitely enjoy a summery Christmas, we haven't got any pretty snow to make the cold worthwhile! Yyour spread looks amazing, glad you had fun and wishing you a very happy 2010
Your Christmas dinner looks amazing! I must admit I've loved the little bit of snow we've had this year, but I agree with you - the Christmasses we had in the US when snow shoveling was a daily task were really no joke.
Anyway, I hope you had a lovely Christmas, and I wish you all the very best for the exciting year ahead!
Great Chrissie Day spread, there! So glad you had such a wonderful day.
I had around 4 White Christmasses when I was little, so they hold a childhood magical fascination for me - when I didn't have to actually deal with the "being an adult coping with snow" part.
Gorgeous tree!!!
Look at that food! Absolutely delicious. I hope you had a wonderful christmas. I had christmas in Australia and it felt wierd as I am so used to it being winter! The kangaroos are called a mob aren't they?
Anyway happy new year to you and may it be full of wonderful things for you and your family! xxx
Christmas is all about what you're used to. Last Christmas Eve we didn't get together with DH's family because the norovirus was making its rounds. I was totally at loose ends - we've done Christmas Eve there for the last couple of decades. It just didn't feel like Christmas was coming without that.
Collective noun for kangaroos is mob, troop or court.
Any wallabies or wombats?
Food look delicious. Is that a sweet potato or pumpkin salad?
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