Happy New Year

For some reason I’ve been very excited about the expectant cold weather, I mean it’s nearly February and it has been so mild. Maybe I want the cold because the more cold it is outside the less guilty I’ll feel when I’m inside knitting. We always gets asked how we cope with a European winter and lots OMG’s when anything below 10 gets mentioned, phone calls and emails always contain a weather questions. To tell you the truth at home in Australia I would describe myself as someone who feels the cold, but here not so much. I was out and about for most of the day today and hearing it was going to be in the minuses donned my secret weapon, the above sheepskin coat. It’s a hand me down from one of my mothers friends, I have an inner hippie so I love it and I swear in below zero I am still toasty warm with just a shirt underneath.

So thanks Terri!

I have depicted a raucous feast and a common source of disappointment, shock, fury, alarm… and eventually, humour and philosophy. Nature in this land just has to be reckoned with and accepted. There’s nothing quite like discovering your entire crop of fruit demolished by a flock of cockies.

I think also that the most vibrant and unique part of Australian patriotism lies in a widespread and deep affection for the unique natural heritage of this land. I wanted to humorously and joyously give emphasis to this aspect which can be shared by all. Michael Leunig

My family aren’t fruit growers on mass, just the odd tree, but I do remember an incident when I was a teenager when mum discovered a new cedar outdoor setting in the process of being destroyed by a gang of Cockies. Mum was willing to relinquish the setting to them happily, a big smile on her face as she watched them tearing pieces off with their surprisingly strong beaks. Aren’t they fabulous, listen to their fabulous squawk as they call in reinforcements. By the time I had reached adolescence I had cottoned on to the fact my mum was a remarkable woman. However it was to appear that I had not taken after her but my Nan, I whipped off my dressing gown cord and started waving it furiously at the cockies……it was a brand new outdoor setting!

She may of laughed with the cockies but she laughed harder at me, she has never let me live it down. So this warm memory and lesson is one of the many reasons I love this Leunig, thanks to my aunt I see it everyday above the computer.

We can’t celebrate Australia Day here with a bbq, but thought we might have a Coopers at the Oz bar and maybe go see Spielbergs new movie Munich starring two fine aussie actors.

Hope you all had a great day in the great heat.

p.s for a laugh go here

This evening while preparing dinner, before I headed out to give a lesson, I caught myself singing in French…

aimer jusqu’a l’impossible……

And whose song was playing in my head? Our very own Tina Arena, my favourite Young Talent Time member, now resides in Paris and has just released an album in French. Whose a clever girl! And having caught her a few times being interviewed on French TV I can confirm she doesn’t just know French in the recording studio. The first time I heard her I was browsing in a department store and despite not knowing she had relocated to France there was no doubt in my mind that who I was hearing was Tina Arena singing in French, she has such a distinct and powerful voice. So while Tina hasn’t had much success in her home country she is quite well known and popular here.

And doesn’t she look fabulous!

Most days Jim rides his bike to work, sometimes he runs late and sometimes he doesn’t want his photo taken.