I have no problem admitting that I’m a HUGE fan of Niffer’s spontaneous winter hibernation plan. And with my annual mini-break coming up for Christmas, I plan to do a whole lot of nothing myself, Australian-style.
This means that instead of being snuggled up on the couch with a warm blanket, some decent wine and a good movie, I’ll be stretched out in the back courtyard, in a swimsuit, with an interesting book and a Rainbow Paddle Pop. It’s summer here, and it’s shaping up to be a hot one (temperatures in the late 30s, or 100s if you’re a fahrenheit fan, dry heat and endless blue skies). Due to back-to-back La Niña weather patterns for the two previous summers, I’d almost forgotten what the sun feels like, so it’s a very welcome friend.
Christmas is a big deal for most Australians and after Christmas Eve, my workplace, like a lot of others, will be closed until after New Year’s Day. So, while it’s not quite the same as the seemingly endless summer holidays from my school years, I’m looking forward to a short break. A lot of restaurants close so the owners can go on holiday, and the only places open, the malls, are flooded with post-Christmas-bargain-hunters. It’s a powerful incentive to stay home, make your own food and fun, and not do very much of anything if at all possible.
This year, there’s talk of buying some hammocks for the shaded part of our courtyard, and I’ve been brushing up on my recipes for ice tea (a mix of green and peppermint tea with yellow nectarine slices) and cold soba noodles. I’ve working on a 60’s summer playlist and even been creative with scissors and paper and made some collages of covetable summer outfits for those times when I’m forced to seek shade indoors and do a bit of online retail browsing.
Pretty summer clothes!
I know that for a lot of the other Empress Tea ladies, it’s getting pretty chilly, so I thought I’d share a little piece of my summer with you. Hope your holiday season is as relaxing as mine is shaping up to be, no matter the weather.
