Root Shoot Marry #18 - Childhood Traditions

If there were any advantages in growing up in this town:



it was that the limited resources, opportunities and aspirations of its occupants meant that some traditions were maintained for longer than in other, bigger communities.

I've tried to write that as positively as I can.

Those of you who have been reading since Glamorouse days might remember that my real feelings are more along these lines...[yes, you should click here now].

Ah, yes, the memories!

But back to my real point: traditions.

Every year, about two weeks before Easter, Mum would go to the [one] town bakery and order our Hot Cross Buns. You placed orders by dozen or half-dozen, to be collected no sooner than the Wednesday before Good Friday.

The buns looked like this:




and no one dreamed of asking for them without peel, or
with chocolate.

They arrived wrapped in white paper and string, placed in our huge mailbox with our normal order of bread - also wrapped in white paper and string - by the same person who delivered the mail (and would collect your mail, too, and drop off prescriptions from the chemist if you were stuck home sick for some reason).

I think it's funny that now the tradition seems to be to spot the first sale of hot cross buns after Christmas. Suse picked it quickly in Melbourne and we've had several grumpy letters to the editor about it in Sydney but - you know what? Every supermarket I use sells hot cross buns year round, so in some places there's no 'season' at all, any more.

I can't get too excited about the fact that the buns are out there, way too early or way too late for Easter, depending on your point of view. But I do think it is worth remembering that you value things more when you have to wait for them.

This, coming from the Queen of Instant Gratification, just made my husband snort coffee out of his nose.

Ok, so maybe there are a lot of holes in my traditions story here, but it did give me a neat segue into a Root Shoot Marry for this week.

RSM #18 - Childhood Traditions. and who represents our favourite traditions?

1. Santa Claus
2. Easter Bunny
3. Tooth Fairy

But, of course, I can't bring you the REAL Santa and the REAL Easter Bunny and the REAL Tooth Fairy because they're invisible!

Also, as you know, if we did happen to see the Real Santa and his mates, they would stop bringing us presents, or kill us, depending on your own personal family tradition...

So rest easy, and scroll down to see the Essence of Santa, Bunny and Fairy I have brought you this week.

The traditional boys:

Santa (Bad Santa - Billy Bob Thornton)


Easter Bunny (Bunny Slippers - Click here for the wearer if the image isn't instantly recognisable)



Tooth Fairy (Oberon - Rupert Everett)



And the girls?

Mrs Claus (Long Kiss Goodnight - Geena Davis)


Easter Bunny (Bridget Jones - I know we've had Renee before but who could resist throwing those boobs ears into the mix?)



The Tooth Fairy (Titania, of course - Michelle Pfeiffer)



So away we go for the first RSM of 2007, with a ho, ho, ho, a hoppity hop, and a nice shiny coin under your pillow.

mtc
bec

Resolution 2007? Sorted.

I know, I know: it's been a while.
I'm back in the blogosphere, I think. And yes, I'm even tut-tutting myself.

But I've been having a lot of fun back here in the real world.

Work got quiet, as expected. And now I'm on holidays for The Entire Month of January. But there will be more on that later.

Right now I have to fill in some of the gaps since December 16...

So, we have been doing a LOT of entertaining, hence I have been doing a LOT of cooking.

Sometimes I needed help.



I firmly believe you can never be too young to learn about sharp knives.

And, also, the Christmas thing was happening and happening and happening and Gawd it sometimes was SOOO SLOW - and other times just so damn fast:



(that's a visual gag, you may have to look close to see it)

And with all the entertaining that's been going on, I've naturally had to do a lot of washing of the hair. Sometimes it was even mine.



Also? After this was taken? That grout was blitzed with industrial bleach. No, really, it's blindingly white now. Gee willikers, you just HAVE to believe me or I'll die of shame...

What else? Lounging about of course, as befits the Ladies Lounge.



You know, the irony of this shot is that my husband does not like this cat AT all. And yet the two of them make EXACTLY the same dent in the sofa cushion and it drives me IN-FUCKING-SANE.

They both know it, too. Bastards.

All things considered, there would not have been a lot of time for blogging anyway. But there is another reason I have not been hanging out en-blogge.




My New Year's resolution for 2007 is this:

quit being such a frigging over-achiever.

There. I finally admitted it and yes, My Float, you've been saying it for years and I've been denying it and DAMMIT you've been right the whole time.

I'm not sure how I will go with this slow-life thing. It can't be fully realised because, y'know, full-time job, three kids, ever-lovin' husband, mega A-type personality... it's going to be a challenge.

But I am very proud of the number of times since December 16 that I have simply made do with less in my life.

It feels good.

Wishing you all a very slow and satisfying 2007.

There will, almost certainly, be mtc.

Bec