Monday, December 15, 2008
HO.HO.HO Without All that Snow
Colors of the tropics --the Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia
It is holiday time here Down Under, truly. Heaps of cheer can be found in the shops, the clubs, the wayfares, but I'm having a bit of trouble acclimatizing myself to this tropical shade of Christmas. No snow, only white sand and blue sea; no reindeer only marsupials with big ears and a bouncing gate; no sleighs only boats and 'utes'—what's up? Besides which, all Christmas lights and tinsel ropes get lost in the natural glory of parakeets and cockatoos. Who can compete with that?
It's a marshmallow world...
I brought bags and bags of yarn in anticipation of a reef-inspired evocative knitting booklet --all the colors of the sea with the aquas, the sea greens, the bronzy seaweeds—but somehow I missed the fish, the multicolored electric phasmagoria of underwater inhabitants that light up that blue in a thousand faceted hues. How could I do that when I had been so carefully collecting those silken oranges, corals and purples? Well, I remind myself, I couldn't actually lug all that yarn thousands of miles, could I?
But the bigger problem may be that I've been so involved with family and festive yuletide activities that I've had no time to knit. No knitting for a month, this wouldn't be healthy except that I'm having a grand time with my extended family. At home, the cold weather keeps you inbound, compressing activities to armchairs watching DVDs instead of frolicking in the sea, talking to fish and chasing rainbow lorikeets and playing with your neices and nephews.
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...
Could a tree get any more colorful?
Posted by Jane on 12/15 at 07:45 PM
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Thursday, November 27, 2008
THE UPSIDE OF DOWNUNDER
TWO BAGS FULL
The picture above shows me Down Under complete with what I consider to be an essential travel kit: yarn, lots of yarn. Yes, those two hefty bags accompanied me to the other side of the globe tucked in among the clothing, the flippers, the books. I had anticipated my explaination should I be subjected to a spot search by security. "Is this yarn for resale?" "No, sir. I could never part my my yarn. I just need lots of it, lots and lots of it." As it turned out, my precious strands did not have to withstand such scrutiny. Good thing.
So, here I am, Down Under, tucked into my brother in law's garden in a pad he refers to 'the lodge'. Every morning I get up at a ridiculous hour to tune into the skies, hoping to catch a glimpse of the pink-chested galahs, the rainbow lorikeets, the parrots and other flying wonders. A sulfer-crested cockatoo has a great deal to say amid the bottle brush bushes encircling the yard. Passionfruit grows along one fence and a huge red gum tree shades the far corner. Plus, I might add, the temperature is 80 degrees today. I am having a bit of difficulty with the Christmas trees growing beside the king palms but I'm sure I'll grow acclimatized.
Home away from home
However, I have not yet started knitting. This is because I'm writing, preparing my novels for publication. Soo, however, my fingers will start itching and the knitting will start. I'm seeing reefs and fishies and the great coral sea....
Posted by Jane on 11/27 at 01:33 AM
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From the entry 'Wild, Mysterious Australia'.
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| By Christine Jones on 2008 12 28 |
