Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays

A very Merry Christmas (or whatever it is you are celebrating these days) to you, yes, I mean YOU out there.

Despite the fact that I enjoyed my 3 months in Sydney so so much and they went by in a flash, it feels good to be home for Christmas and its traditions, such as meeting friends in town on the morning of the 24th and decorating the Christmas tree, which I finished about half an hour ago. In honour of the return of the prodigal daughter, the tree is as big as it hasn't been since I was a child. I love the smell of real fir trees and our eclectic collection of - deliberately - mismatched ornaments:

It still hasn't snowed in KLU, but temperatures are sub-zero and frost gives leaves a pretty icing:
I only popped into town quickly yesterday...long enough to pick up a (GEOX) down coat that was on sale at Peek & Cloppenburg. My new Ugg boots are practically glued to my feet these days as I feel the cold more intensely as I otherwise would. I've missed my winter clothes, though and don't mind huddling up.