Sunday, December 24, 2006

Merry merry

Christmas greetings from Australia, where they may have to lock winter-blooming poinsettias up in dark cold rooms to get them to bloom, but some local plants seem more than ready to fill in.

Just had a lovely Christmas eve dinner at my sister's: fondue chinoise, a tradition we grew up with. The only change (besides eating it outdoors!) was that we had not just beef but some kangaroo meat, too, and with it some mint sauce. Very tasty. Indeed it was tasty enough to get my older nephew to try some, no small Christmas concession from someone who ordinarily refuses to eat anything but cereal, peanut butter sandwiches, yogurt and dry noodles!

Friday and again during dinner tonight, we had something even more unexpected: rain. (We spared a few thoughts for the families gathered outdoors in the oval next to St. Brendan's Catholic Church for an early midnight mass in Christmas pageant costumes, but just a few.) Not enough to douse the fires or arrest the drought, but welcome nonetheless!