Holiday Season Pt 1: Deck the Halls, Aussie Style

I found it hard to get into the Christmas spirit. With the temperature each day well over 90 degrees (and often over 100), all the traditional Christmas activities really go out the window-- the mere thought of hot chocolate by a roaring fire is enough to work up a sweat in that kind of heat. But the real hurdle keeping me from the Christmas spirit was the thought of a fake tree. We have always had real fir trees -- filled out branches that smell wonderful and shed pine needles all throughout the house. You'd think that the Aussies would've come up with some new traditions for their decorations that are more suited to the climate -- a decorated palm, perhaps or tinseled plastic emus in the front yard-- but no--fake pines stand in living rooms and lights shaped like icicles adorn roof awnings (I even saw one house with a neon sign flashing 'Let it snow'...tell 'em they're dreamin').

Julia thoroughly enjoyed putting together the fake tree with Daddy.
She took her job of spreading out the branches very seriously.

Julia had made an angel at school,
and she proudly placed it on top of the tree.