Australia Day was celebrated here with the baking of Lamingtons. It's strange what you miss! I almost never ate Lamingtons at home when they were everywhere but there you go. If you haven't had a Lamington in a while I urge you to go out this morning and buy one. They are so good! Anyhoo, I took some Lamingtons into Sabine's class and her gorgeous teacher, Mrs Kruger, asked me to give a little talk about Australia Day and what it means. Only too happy to oblige, (i love giving little talks as most of you know!) I enthralled the First Grade with stories of Captain Arthur Phillip and the unfurling of the Union Jack and tales of scurvy and leaving your family forever for stealing a loaf of bread etc. The Lamingtons were a huge hit even if the coconut wasn't right (no dessicated coconut here, only sweetened).
Australia Day of course brought up the thoughts of home that I usually try to keep buried and squeezed up into a little ball. (Taking your advice there Penny) There is a constant buzz in the background for me of missing family and friends and also, that Australianess that I can't quite articulate. But then again.......there are so many moments here when we look around ourselves and marvel at where we are and that also has been a big feature of this week. We have had so much snow that school has been cancelled for four days out of six and looking outside the windows is magical.
This is a picture looking down our street. The local town, where Sabine goes to school and the shops are is about 15 minutes away and is at a lower elevation but it was also covered in snow and the mountains around are glistening white. The top temperature this week has been minus 2 degrees Celsius. What a contrast to our usual Australia Day!
After making Lamingtons with sweetened angel flake coconut I logged on to buy some dessicated coconut and some of the Australian classics that we've all been missing, Tim Tams and Milo, Golden Syrup and Cherry Ripes. (Blue tac too if you can believe that) and it got me to thinkin' that when I leave here there will be lots of things I will miss about America. (We've settled in here so much that we don't even hear the American accent anymore. Sabine apparently has a strong American accent now but I can't hear it.) Anyhoo, here is a list of things I love (and will surely miss) about America.......
Project Runway (ok, I know you can get that in Aus on Fox but I'm so cable TV'd out I just don't think I'd go there again)
Reece's Peanut Butter Cups
Reece's Peanut Butter Cups
Regis
Left hand turns against the lights after stopping at every intersection. It's a road rule.
Left hand turns against the lights after stopping at every intersection. It's a road rule.
J Crew
Crazy bumper stickers about Jesus being one's homeboy
The Daily Show with John Stewart (Presidential Race based Comedy)
Drive through everything
snow
hats, gloves, scarves
Driving the Mustang. It is so choice.
Insinkerators
My beautiful friend Elaina
So anyway, hope everyone is well. It's so beautiful here that I've included another picture of some deer that was taken in our little village.
4 comments:
I'll send some coconut
My life is now complete... Bear Valley Springs week long pass AND an ever so sweet mention in your fabbo blog!!!! XOXOXO
we miss you all too bianca!
boy did we aussie it up this year - covered the kids in Australian flag tattoos - will try to remember to send you some for next year. I can just see all those littlies at school mesmerised by your talk - and wondering if kangaroos jump down the street!
I like your use of the Ferris Bueller reference .... 'it is so choice'.
Australia Day was filled with the usual gaff, green and gold blah blah - you however, are sadly missed. xx
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