Saturday, December 22, 2012

Into the Spirit of Things


Festivus

This has to have something
to do with Christmas,
right?
I just wrapped
a couple of presents
and now feel
much more christmasy!
I even wrapped a couple
of “gag” presents – such fun!
I’ve just sat down
with a glass of bubbly –
a present…
and the Carols in the Domain sing-fest
is about to begin.
I’m going to watch
and hum along to the carols…
I’m going to get
a little more festive.
I’m so tired… so tired!
But, today…
my Christmas present
to myself turned up.
I now have to new lounge chairs!
Woohoo!
They go beautifully
with my brand new floors.
My house smells different –
and a little funny
(new flooring will do that, I guess!)
and my house looks very different.
 I love it!
It’s time to get festive!!

Friday, December 21, 2012

Carols


Go Caroling Day

I don’t know how
I would react if a group
of people suddenly stood
at my front door,
singing carols.
I think I would be pretty surprised…
I can’t imagine it happening.
I wonder how people would react
 if I suddenly appeared
at their doors?
Today is Go Carolling Day,
but… here in Australia,
if we want to go carolling,
we go to the park
and sing along
at the annual carols night.
We sit around a picnic
and talk as people sing to us.
(Carols in the Domain
in Melbourne
started in 1938!)
We don’t walk around
and sing to each other.
I never really thought
about this before…
My voice isn’t cheerful enough
for me to go singing carols
to my neighbours, so…
unfortunately,
I will give this day a miss.
Perhaps I could sing along
to a Christmas CD?
 
I did learn that carols
were very popular 
from the 1130s to the 1150s.
After this time,
Prodestants took over
and carols were regarded as
non-essential parts
of the Catholic religion
and were "ditched"!
Luckily, they still fill
our ears as we rush
to the shops to finish
our last minute
Christmas shopping!
Happy Caroling!

 

Bar Hum Bug


Humbug Day

I’m guessing this is for those
anti-Christmas types…
and, I don’t mean those
who celebrate
different religious events
instead of the birth of Christ -
which to all kids
means the arrival of Santa!
I mean those people
who just don’t believe
 in Santa (What?)
or those who just don’t want
 to be swept up
in the Christmas Cheer…
Perhaps, they just don’t l
ike those carols!
Sadly, I am feeling a little this way
 at the moment.
I cannot believe how busy
I have been lately.
I am longing for the time
when I can lie back a
nd just relax for a little while.
Work has been amazingly busy,
 with obligations
and commitments rolling in,
one after the other.
On Wednesday, just as things
were about to ease up
 and the kids were about to
start their holidays…
one of my girls
broke her collar bones.
Nasty for her!
Fiddly paperwork for me!
Today, however, finally…
is my last day of work!
We’ll enjoy some bacon and eggs
 for breakfast
and will pretend to be interested
 in our fellow teachers
as they present to us
about Literacy and Numeracy.
 After celebrating the end of
the year last night,
a few people may need
 the grease of the bacon
and listening may become
very difficult… but,
it’s the last day!
There will be a few of my locals
 gathering at a nearby
watering hole this evening,
 downing a little bubbly
and celebrating the fact
that we have made it!
 I think, with a little bubbly
and a few laughs,
and no more deadlines looming
 (apart from Santa’s arrival
and Christmas Day!)
I will have a little less
 of the bar-humbug-ness
and a little more
Christmas Cheer.

How’s your Humbug-ness?

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Ever Green


Look For An Evergreen Day

This has to be an American day.
Down here, In Australia…
evergreens are all around me.
Not many trees in my street
 ever drop all their leaves.
I do miss out on
the colours of Autumn…
but, outside my window…
I see green trees!

(I even see
a couple of evergreens
in the neighbour’s yard!
Maybe I should cut one down
in the middle of the night
and sneak it into my house…
 My Christmas tree
would be sorted, then!)

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Problem Solved?


Bake Cookies Day
It’s difficult to ignore this.
Obviously, it is a
very special day
and requires absolute following
 and respect.
(I will not label today
as a Crazy Day!)
There is one problem!
I will be at work…
Therefore…
someone
may need to celebrate
this day for me…

I’m just saying.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Sweet Enough?

Maple Syrup Day
I almost let this day slide
into a sticky puddle…
But, I fought my laziness
and came up with some
 
 
 Maple syrup comes from trees…
the trees can live
for at least 30 years!
One tree can have four
maple syrup taps
inserted into it!
These taps do not
hurt the tree.
About 10% of the sap
 is taken each year.
If the days are warm
and the nights are frosty,
the tree will deliver more sap.
The sap flow
is at its fastest for 10–20 days,
 but the maple season
can last for about 5 weeks.
 The sap is pretty healthy –
its sugar content
is only about 67%.


I have some maple syrup –
the real stuff…
and, I must admit…
I quite like liberal drizzlings
 on my waffles and pancakes!
Today is the day
to enjoy maple syrup!

Pictures from here, here and here.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Chocolate Coated... but, wait!


Woohoo!
Chocolate Covered Anything Day
You had me at chocolate!

But, then…

Chocolate covered bacon

Chocolate covered potato chips

Now, I’m not so sure!

 

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Cat Herders Unite!


Cat Herders Day ok…
label for this one
must be Crazy Days!
(Surely you were laughing
when you read the post title…
surely you thought I was joking
 and this was ridiculous!!)

I grew up with a cat.
He was the alpha.
Both of us knew this.
Both of us knew
I was slightly afraid of his claws.
 Both of us knew
there was no way
I could make him do anything…
I laugh at the thought
of being able to herd
 him anywhere!
And that is what
 today really celebrates.
Today is a day to acknowledge
those who do impossible things
 all the time.
Just for fun,
go herd a cat!

Friday, December 14, 2012

Check the Nose!


Monkey Day

As soon as I read monkey,
I thought of the very cool
proboscis monkey.
It’s one of the uglier monkeys,
 in my opinion,
but still could be
one of my favourites. 
 I went to National Geographic
for some information.
 

It grows to 70cm and
 males weigh about 23 kilograms.
  A cool fact – t
hey live in groups called harems!
A sad fact –
they are endangered
and only live
on the island of Borneo.
Weird fact –
they eat their fruit
 before it is ripe!
The sugars in ripe fruit
ferment in their stomach
and the bloating
will eventually kill them! 
What makes the proboscis monkey
 so ugly to me…
makes it super attractive
to the lady proboscis monkeys!
 
The males have the most
enormous nose ever!
It’s huge!
The lady monkeys love the nose!
The bigger – the better!
The harem has a dominant male
 and up to seven females.
While the proboscis monkey
is a great swimmer,
they need to work
on their diving!
They swing through the trees
and belly-flop
themselves into rivers.
To swim faster than
the local crocodiles,
they developed webbing
between their hands and feet!
Weird!  …and yet…
so cool!