Here we are at Thursday again, hang on it is Friday I am a day late this week anyway I am sitting here drenched in sweat yet again like the fourth time this morning but that has nothing to do with this post.
Couldn’t find anything about Christmas in Australia in the late 1800’s so we have just another post from my information book.
One of the biggest and most time consuming tasks in that era was the washing of clothes, it was also the hardest of physical tasks a servant would have to do.
If they were lucky the home may have had one of the new-fangled washing machines, which ran on water power. Some even had gas fired hot water on tap.
Generally speaking though things went like this bed linen, tablecloths, and other such white things, had to be boiled in a wood fired copper. This meant that the poor servant girl had to stirred the clothes with a cooper-stick, can you imagine how hot it would have been hanging over a hot steamy copper in summer as well as winter but may not have felt as bad in the colder months.
She had to then remove these extremely heavy items into a trough or bowl for rinsing and starching as well as lifting them and putting through some kind of mangle or wringer. After that was done she then had to hang the washing out on a line to dry.
Once dried the washing would have to be ironed not with the type we use now days but an old flat iron that was heated on the coals of the stove or they may have had a box-iron which had red-hot coals contained in the iron, these were the most common types used.
It would have not been an easy task to judge how hot an iron was and it wasn’t uncommon for either the servant or the daughter of the servant to burn themselves. If something was scorched the servants wages may have been docked.
Well we are half way through the school or working week meaning it is Wednesday and the day for some Aussie slang.
What else did you get for Christmas: A derisive retort to someone showing off
Chrissie: Christmas of course well since around the 1960’s
A Christmas Hold: Now some will tell you it means to have a tight hold on ones testicles thus meaning to have a hand full of nuts. Others will say it means to simply have a good hold on something.
Hey hey it’s creature day and as I sit here I have been thinking what other animal is associated with Christmas and the turkey popped into my head.
The reason of course is that many eat turkey on Christmas Day, growing up my Nan always served turkey at Christmas Lunch not that I real like it to me it is often a bit dry.
The turkey is a large bird native to North America. There are two extant turkey species: the wild turkey of eastern and central North America and another type turkey of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.
So since turkeys are not found here down under the turkey we have is of course frozen and what is more popular is the turkey roll. My mum felt there was less wastage with the roll over the bird.
Wild turkeys can fly, sleep in trees and change colour their gender is determined by their poo.
Turkeys can live for up to 10 years but not if they are destined for the table.
I find turkey goes best with gravy, ham, pork and roast veggies like spuds and carrots, sweet potato and pumpkin, just saying you may disagree.
Another Monday has arrived it is the last week of school here in down under although some schools will have their last day on the 18th and others it is the 15th.
Well now for some more facts concerning Christmas.
As most people know Christmas here is in summer and it is hot but not stinking hot every year, some are stinking hot but others it is just nice, with no need for the air con.
Even though it is hot there are some who like fake trees with fake snow, something I don’t get. We even sing or listen to Christmas carols about snow such as Frosty the Snowman and Let it snow,let it snow.
Now every man and his dog should know that us Aussie’s like to drink and it is not unheard of for people to get drunk on Christmas Eve, then again on Christmas Day and maybe Boxing Day.
Now even though it can be stinking bloody there are those who still cook a full roast dinner and those who will do a roast such beef, lamb, pork or turkey or all three with of course ham and the meat is served with a salad.
Yes there are some Aussies who like to spend the day at the beach having a barbie but that is not something I have ever done but then I don’t like the beach, can’t stand the feel of sand on my body.
I woke up to find the clothes on the hoist which is better then using the clothes dryer. Started out in shorts then I changed into long pants.
Had a visit from Kelli and her kids and of course we loved seeing them they were here an hour or so. She came not only to say hello but to feed her kids so they didn’t have to eat in the car.
Up at 5am and dressed in shorts we are in for another warm day not hot just warm.
Sam walked in at 6.50am this was a surprise, and he stayed here usually he goes home after a few minutes.
Kathy said they had a good holiday even though it was cold and wet part of the time the rest of the time it was bloody hot.
Up at 4.50am no fruit for breakie just fruit in jelly and had the last of the chocolate milk.
Shopping came minus some items most importantly strawberries and mandarins.
Tim has gone to his counselling appointment he will be gone for a couple of hours.
Chrisco arrived just after Tim left only 6 boxes, 2 of grog and 4 of arts and craft stuff I will divide up as gifts.
Up at 4.50am as I woke up sweating, had to cut up the fruit but no strawberries as they are still in Tasha’s fridge.
I keep breaking out in a sweat even though the breeze is a cool one.
The laptop was playing up for a couple of hours then it came good and all was fine.
The cleaners came as they do every second week. As I look around the lounge-room all I can think is how much of a mess Tim makes on the other half of the 2 seater lounge he sits on. Oh well it is his seat and he can make a mess if he wants to.
Tim was late going to bed it was close to 4am when he came to bed and I got up at 5am as usual.
I added the window Christmas decorations to the front and back sliding doors. Well when I said I added I mean I asked Tasha to add them.
Tasha has changed her days when she comes and helps me of an afternoon from Monday, Wednesday and Friday till Thursday instead of Friday.
Tim has decided to make enquires about getting someone to look at the bedroom air con in case what’s wrong with it is an easy fix.
Had to turn the kitchen air con on around 1pm.
In for another hot day, hotter then yesterday but not as hot as tomorrow according the weather app.
Tim turned the air con on at 11am which was a surprise.
Our recycle bin wasn’t emptied yesterday so had Tasha ring the council to find out what was going on, they said someone may be back either today or Monday to empty it.
The bloke who does the back yard came today, at first he started to do the front lawn but Tim went and spoke to him, his cost is covered by Youi.
The recycle bin was emptied at 3pm and according to Tim they made a mess trying to add the contents of our full bin to another bin before emptying it. I don’t know why he did that.
Last night was a hot night, when I got up I found that Tim had left the kitchen air con going all night with a fan to help push the cold air towards the bedroom. I turned them off and opened the front and back sliding doors as it is ok outside at the moment.
He also had done the laundry and hung it out on the clothes hoists, which is a good thing as he would not get up till between 9 & 10am.
I turned the air con again at 8am as it was getting hot.
It has been a stinking hot day.
I woke up to find the clothes on the hoist which is better then using the clothes dryer. Started out in shorts then I changed into long pants.
Had a visit from Kelli and her kids and of course we loved seeing them they were here an hour or so. She came not only to say hello but to feed her kids so they didn’t have to eat in the car.
Up at 5am and dressed in shorts we are in for another warm day not hot just warm.
Sam walked in at 6.50am this was a surprise, and he stayed here usually he goes home after a few minutes.
Kathy said they had a good holiday even though it was cold and wet part of the time the rest of the time it was bloody hot.
Up at 4.50am no fruit for breakie just fruit in jelly and had the last of the chocolate milk.
Shopping came minus some items most importantly strawberries and mandarins.
Tim has gone to his counselling appointment he will be gone for a couple of hours.
Chrisco arrived just after Tim left only 6 boxes, 2 of grog and 4 of arts and craft stuff I will divide up as gifts.
Up at 4.50am as I woke up sweating, had to cut up the fruit but no strawberries as they are still in Tasha’s fridge.
I keep breaking out in a sweat even though the breeze is a cool one.
The laptop was playing up for a couple of hours then it came good and all was fine.
The cleaners came as they do every second week. As I look around the lounge-room all I can think is how much of a mess Tim makes on the other half of the 2 seater lounge he sits on. Oh well it is his seat and he can make a mess if he wants to.
Tim was late going to bed it was close to 4am when he came to bed and I got up at 5am as usual.
I added the window Christmas decorations to the front and back sliding doors. Well when I said I added I mean I asked Tasha to add them.
Tasha has changed her days when she comes and helps me of an afternoon from Monday, Wednesday and Friday till Thursday instead of Friday.
Tim has decided to make enquires about getting someone to look at the bedroom air con in case what’s wrong with it is an easy fix.
Had to turn the kitchen air con on around 1pm.
In for another hot day, hotter then yesterday but not as hot as tomorrow according the weather app.
Tim turned the air con on at 11am which was a surprise.
Our recycle bin wasn’t emptied yesterday so had Tasha ring the council to find out what was going on, they said someone may be back either today or Monday to empty it.
The bloke who does the back yard came today, at first he started to do the front lawn but Tim went and spoke to him, his cost is covered by Youi.
The recycle bin was emptied at 3pm and according to Tim they made a mess trying to add the contents of our full bin to another bin before emptying it. I don’t know why he did that.
Last night was a hot night, when I got up I found that Tim had left the kitchen air con going all night with a fan to help push the cold air towards the bedroom. I turned them off and opened the front and back sliding doors as it is ok outside at the moment.
He also had done the laundry and hung it out on the clothes hoists, which is a good thing as he would not get up till between 9 & 10am.
I turned the air con again at 8am as it was getting hot.
Here we are at Thursday again and I am sitting here drenched in sweat yet again like the fourth time this morning but that has nothing to do with this post.
Couldn’t find anything about Christmas in Australia in the late 1800’s so we have just another post from my information book.
One of the biggest and most time consuming tasks in that era was the washing of clothes, it was also the hardest of physical tasks a servant would have to do.
If they were lucky the home may have had one of the new-fangled washing machines, which ran on water power. Some even had gas fired hot water on tap.
Generally speaking though things went like this bed linen, tablecloths, and other such white things, had to be boiled in a wood fired copper. This meant that the poor servant girl had to stirred the clothes with a cooper-stick, can you imagine how hot it would have been hanging over a hot steamy copper in summer as well as winter but may not have felt as bad in the colder months.
She had to then remove these extremely heavy items into a trough or bowl for rinsing and starching as well as lifting them and putting through some kind of mangle or wringer. After that was done she then had to hang the washing out on a line to dry.
Once dried the washing would have to be ironed not with the type we use now days but an old flat iron that was heated on the coals of the stove or they may have had a box-iron which had red-hot coals contained in the iron, these were the most common types used.
It would have not been an easy task to judge how hot an iron was and it wasn’t uncommon for either the servant or the daughter of the servant to burn themselves. If something was scorched the servants wages may have been docked.
Good morning this week due to my Christmas theme I am sharing some information about Reindeer.
The reindeer or caribou is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. This includes both sedentary and migratory populations. It is the only representative of the genus Rangifer. However, Reindeer and Caribou might not actually be the same thing.
Their hooves change with the seasons, and females have antlers, too, some believe they can see things humans can’t but I don’t know how they would know that.
Generally speaking reindeer cannot fly but they can swim, they live for 15-20yrs and their favourite food is Lichen a fungi-moss like plant often found in high open places.
Of course we all know that Santa has 9 reindeer pulling his sleigh. Their legendary names are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and (drum roll) Rudolph. The reason these reindeer can fly and live so long is magic.
The first reference to Santa’s sleigh being pulled by a reindeer appears in “Old Santeclaus with Much Delight”, an 1821 illustrated children’s poem published in New York. Other people will tell you it was in 1823 with “A visit from St Nicholas”. In this poem, “Saint Nicholas” arrives with eight tiny reindeer pulling a sleigh full of toys. The reindeer have the miraculous ability to fly.
Christmas is approaching so for the next few weeks I will be doing some Christmas post, starting with some facts about Christmas in Australia, yes I may have done something like this in the past but I am doing it again because it’s my blog and I can……..
Australians typically tuck into around 22,000 tonnes of prawns** during the festive period, the equivalent of 10 Olympic sized swimming pools full of prawns
Australians are expected to spend more than $30 billion this Christmas, with people spending just shy of $1500 each on average. Last year, the average Australian spent $1361 around the holidays, whereas this year, it is expected each Aussie will fork out $1479.
Australians often celebrate Christmas Day by enjoying a Christmas lunch or dinner with their closest family and friends. The meal usually consists of a selection of hot and cold dishes, including fresh seafood.
Australian children set out cookies for Santa, but instead of milk, they leave him an ice-cold glass of beer. After all, December is summer in the land Down Under. The children leave carrots for Santa’s reindeer to munch on, too.
In Australia, it’s unclear how many Christmas trees are cut each year, but data from an international study in 2016 showed that only 9 per cent of Aussies had a real Christmas tree compared to 59 per cent who owned artificial trees. The remaining 32 per cent opted to have no tree at all.
Jo-AnneRamplings 