Post Christmas

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post christmas

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Everybody’s idea of a great Christmas is different, but many are based on family and friends eating together, exchanging presents and having a break from work! Christmas is no longer a simple affair where children get one big gift and a few little treats in a stocking or pillow case hung from their bed. No roasted chicken and Christmas pudding, perhaps a beer or two, certainly ginger beer. I think Christmas menus have become better suited to the Australian climate over time.

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Gone are the school plays with a doll in the manger, Mary and Joseph, the three wise men and the angels. The local farmer no longer is asked to provide a lamb or two. The birth of Jesus doesn’t really feature in the public arena. It’s all about Father Christmas/Santa, elves and Disney characters. And bulk spending. Children no longer learn Christmas carols. We used to sing them at school, at home and on the school bus. No devices to tempt us!

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Things change with time, we age and feel nostalgia for ‘the good old days’ but we forget the heat, the strain of elderly relatives needing to be accommodated and attended to all day when really you wanted to play with the new doll, the Lego or the new cricket bat. As the only girl, I was expected to dry up and put away a massive amount of ‘good’ china unpacked for the big day. Cutlery, too, which I have now inherited and doubt I will ever clean and use. I hope your Christmas Day was everything you wished and you had a wonderful day!

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Post Christmas was always a huge shopping day. Boxing Day sales were all about bargains. You stocked up on Christmas decorations, bought gifts to give throughout the year and generally spent time ‘just looking’. I think the run of cyber sales has redirected people from Boxing Day sales to other online events. The cost of living crisis in Australia may have some impact on spending, too. I ducked into  the local shopping centre yesterday, expecting crowds and long queues at the checkout, but there was hardly anyone there!Got what I wanted and was out in less than 10 minutes.

Do you plan New Year’s resolutions? Do you share them with other people? I scan through the lists in magazines and they never relate to any of my plans, but do make interesting reading. You never see useful resolutions such as ‘leave the shallots until they’re ready before pulling them out’ or ‘do everything you can to avoid going into the Post Office because there will be 100 people in front of you’. It’s all about decluttering, losing weight, digitizing your photos and getting fit.Just like last year and the year before, too!

                     HAPPNEYEAR!

 

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Dogs, More About EV Cars and Blue and White China

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dogs

Louis didn’t like going to the groomer, would eat anything, with or without a designer label and made it quite clear early on that he wasn’t wearing a waterproof coat to the park.

Do you own a dog? A quick scroll through Instagram shows the explosion in dog ownership. It also highlights how important dogs are to their owners. Once you ‘owned a dog’ now you’re a dog parents. Dogs were once ‘pets’ now they are members of the family. Dogs are being targeted by high end marketing. There’s a plethora of perfumes, prebiotics, pupcups, massages and other spa treatments, icecream ( roast chicken flavour) and ‘super foods’ being created by vets.  These treats are now available in luxury establishments, such as Hôtel de Paris (Monaco) and Le Château de la Messardière (Saint-Tropaz. Matching outfits are also popular, with matching nail polish, too.

At the end of 2023, the Xerpi Institute  reported sales of pet products had reached 5.8 billion euros in France, which is a 48% increase in a decade. And before you think this is just a French things, a quick scroll online reveals so many dogs dressed in designer brands, eating above mentioned treats and enjoying designer beds, toys and snacks. Dogs being taken out in backpacks and prams (I recently read more dog strollers were bought this year in Korea than baby strollers) into cafes and restaurants where their meal is ordered from a separate menu. Then off to the spa from a few treatments. I hope the dogs enjoy them!

blue and white china

Double happiness ginger jar from an antique market in Guangzhou. Although images of Mao were everywhere in the markets there were other beautiful finds, too, ginger jars, woven fabrics, wooden ornaments and other china pieces, such as teapots and cups.

Some English, some Chinese, some very old, some a lot newer.

Three ginger jars, a lovely gift from my cousin.

I grew up surrounded by pieces of blue and white china, mostly English, and I also collected a few pieces myself. Then we began traveling in Asia before finally moving to China and I had plenty of opportunities to buy both antique and more recently made pieces of blue and white china. Our driver quickly realised I was interested in both old and new pieces and took me to fascinating antique markets and small scale manufacturers. I also collected Japanese and Korean pieces.

This collection, in the upstairs bathroom, from many different places is about to get a lot bigger as I have many beautiful plates I inherited from my Mother.

So, I couldn’t resist when I saw these miniature ginger jar Christmas decorations. They are so lovely! Last year I made blue and white baubles. Blue and white decorations are becoming a bit of a theme. I have also just inherited my Mother’s collection of blue and white china but have had no time to sort it. There are no small children coming here for Christmas so I haven’t decorated a tree but like to display decorations around the house.

Ginger jar Christmas ornaments

ev ownership and charging arrangements

I’ve had a couple of interesting discussions with people about EV cars since I wrote about them a week ago. Then I read an article (ABC News, Dec 17th James Purtill) outlining the new problem for EV owners living in strata titled apartments. Strata owners are increasingly banning EVs from recharging in apartment basements due to the risk of battery fires. Strata owners have have wide-ranging powers to ban EVs and EV charging within their buildings.

The risk of batteries igniting and the subsequent damage to surrounding vehicles and the concrete structure is becoming a problem. The Australian Codes Board and EV fire safety experts insist these batteries are no more likely to ignite than petrol or diesel vehicles. At the same time, state fire authorities says buildings with charging facilities should be given the same hazard warnings as chemical plants and firework factories.

Fire and Rescue NSW recommend EV charging points only be available in open air. If EVs ignite they burn hotter than other battery fires and are impossible to put out. If a lithium battery ignites, internal cells decompose, liberating the heat, which causes more cells to decompose. These fires cannot be extinguished by water or oxygen starvation (foam). Another article referred to ‘catastrophic’ fires caused by end-of-life lithium batteries wrongly dumped into landfill sites. Fires in rubbish trucks are now regularly reported.  More work to be done.

 

 

 

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EV Cars, Home Fire Safety and Other Things

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EV Cars in australia

A report by McKinsey & Company, released in June 2024 summarised surveys from almost 37 000 consumers across 15 countries, concerning EV cars. For several years, interest in EV cars was high, but the above report indicated 49% of EV owners in Australia would like to switch back to diesel or petrol.

Free Electric Mobility Electric Car photo and picture

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Globally, reasons for abandoning  EVs included poor public charging infrastructure (35%), the high cost of ownership (34%) and the impact on long trips of no charging opportunities. (32%) Range anxiety is a big thing in Australia!

In the first half of 2024, according to The Australian Automobile’s Electric Vehicle Index, sales of petrol and diesel cars represented more than 75% of all cars sold. The article also mentions the surge in sales of hybrid electric vehicle sales. These vehicles have a battery which charges while the vehicle is running. Another limiting factor is the popularity of utes and SUVs in Australia. Passenger vehicles represent 15% of sales in Australia, SUVs account for 57.5% and light commercial vehicles, utes, dual cab utes and vans represent 22.9% of sales.

Free Car Electric Car illustration and picture

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The RAC (Royal Automobile Club ) list consumer concerns about EV vehicles as too expensive (66%), poor access to charging infrastructure, range anxiety and concerns about the life of the battery. Interestingly, there is no mention of the difficulties in disposing of, or reusing any parts of the battery once it is exhausted. Neither is the extraordinary high cost of repairs to electric vehicles.

Based on an article published in the Horizon magazine, by the Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia, Summer edition 2025

household fires during summer

The same magazine has an article about household fires, not just in summer, but generally. When we had a light fitting hung by an electrician recently, we got him to check the  smoke alarms upstairs and downstairs. They were over ten years old and needing replacing. He wrote the date of replacement inside the cover of each alarm. Apparently, an out of date smoke alarm can effect any insurance claim relating to fire damage.

Free Fire Fire Fighters photo and picture

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This is a quick summary of the points raised in the article. The lack of cleaning of indoor and outdoor appliances and general maintenance can lead to increased fire risk. Second/party fridges stored in garages or sheds can over heat and ignite. Be aware that the coolants in newer fridges are more flammable than older models.

The biggest issue is lithium-ion-batteries. The number of fires linked to cheap batteries made in countries with poor quality control is increasing. The article suggests you never leave the battery charging overnight or while you are away from home, make sure you only use the cables and accessories recommended or supplied by the manufacturer, buy only batteries which meet Australian standards and avoid cheap replacements.

Free Battery Motorcycle Battery photo and picture

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There is also a warning to avoid overloading powerboards and keeping unused points on the board free of dust as this can accumulate and become a fire hazard.

Interestingly, in researching EVs I found the majority of Chinese manufacturing of EVs rely on coal fired power.

and other things

This has been a very difficult year for my family. Moving our Mother into care and then her passing was very distressing. The last twelve months of traveling to visit her, helping her move and sorting out small problems in care required a four hour round trip. We tried to accommodate our own  interests and activities but that wasn’t always possible.

When my parents moved from the farm to their new house they took so much stuff with them. I think my Mother thought she’d sort through the four generations of paperwork, photographs, tools, maps, sporting gear and furniture. Time ran out. Luckily she’d sent an enormous amount of historical records to various museums and collections all over Australia.

During the emptying of the shed (bigger than most country fire stations) other members of the family contacted local museums who took a lot of information and equipment. I still have boxes of photos to sort and get digitalized. I need the dining table for that, but with Christmas coming it has other things on it!

Eventually the shed, garage and house were emptied, with help from other family members. We are having a break from traveling down the Forrest Highway for a few weeks. Our son came down last weekend and we marveled at what have been achieved. We marked the end of an era with champagne and chocolate, because you should eat something if you’re drinking.

Our son has also taken care of our Christmas celebration needs, too.

I hope your Christmas plans, if you celebrate, are progressing well.

 

 

 

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NAPLAN, A Wreath, Curried Egg Sandwiches and Herbs

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NAPLAN

After abandoning teaching fads and adopting old style ‘direct instruction’ a cluster of Catholic schools  (56 schools) in the ACT and Goulburn have shot to the top of NAPLAN this year. Catholic schools that have underperformed for years were directed in 2020 by the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn to adopt explicit teaching methods.

Explicit teaching requires the teacher to

1. Introduce a new concept,

2. Children practice or repeat concept,

3. The teacher tests for success, and

4. Reteaches where necessary.

Free Teacher Learning photo and picture

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Within four years the schools have delivered their best ever NAPLAN outcomes. These schools are recognised by ACARA ( Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority) as making a difference in the ACT. ACARA compares schools where students come from households with similar incomes, education and occupations.

Based on an article written by Natasha Bita, 04/12/2024 the australian.com.au

making a gate wreath

I want to freshen up our Christmas decorations this year, but don’t have a lot of time to spare. I found a bag of Christmas bits and pieces in a cupboard when I was looking for something else and knew I could incorporate them on a very plain wreath I already had but hadn’t used  in the past. The wreath had clusters of red berries and little lights run off batteries and could easily be attached to our front gate.

Arranged the decorations on the wreath and contemplated how I would secure them. The wreath had a wire frame and the decorations had wire stems, so I decided to twist the decorations onto the frame. Went to work on it. Poked the clusters in place, did a bit of rearranging and a lot of twisting and the decorations were secure. Finished. Added batteries to see if the lights worked. All good.

end of year yoga

I’ve been going to the same yoga class for about six years, although the sessions were patchy and sometimes on Zoom during the pandemic. We end each year with a Christmas party. Our class is made up of an eclectic group of people, some with dietary restrictions, so I took curried egg sandwiches to the first party. They disappeared in no time. Now, I am reminded frequently before the party each year that I’m expected to take curried egg sandwiches. So easy! And a lovely morning, too.

herbs

I frequently use herbs in cooking. Years ago I used to buy them from the supermarket or the green grocer but preparing food for two people meant there was a lot of waste. They either went limp in the fridge or slimy in a glass of water. Either outcome meant they were thrown out.

The solution was obvious! I needed to grow my own. Made a list of the herbs I commonly used and either planted seeds, or in the case of the mint and parsley, got some from my Mother. I grew spring onions from the cut off white bit on the end with roots attached and they have been providing us with fresh spring onions for about 20 years.

Free Cook Herbs photo and picture

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I also grow chives (from seed) and basil, also from seeds collected at the end of the season. I have shallots, grown from seed, as I use them in a great David Lebovitz   dressing, (not including the recipe as I’ve tweaked it to suit us but you can see similar by searching his name and FRENCH VINAGRETTE), plus perennial spinach. The spinach isn’t a herb but adds a dash of green and lovely flavour added to so many things. I have three plants which feed two people regularly.

Free Lime Leaves photo and picture

The other flavours I rely on regularly are lemons and limes. The juice or zest adds to both sweet and savoury dishes. I have a lime tree in the courtyard at the front and lemons out the back. I really like passionfruit, too, but the vines never thrived and I eventually pulled them out. Disappointing.

 

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