'Tis the season

I seem faintly ahead of myself this year, maybe the fact that circumstances of the last few weeks have caused an ongoing sorting out of stuff (still a long way to go). I even wondered if we should put the Christmas Tree up this weekend...Advent not yet begun...I was reminded that Fr Christmas did arrive in Adelaide last weekend...but we'll leave it for a couple of weeks.
So here is my annual blog about the jacaranda, since I saw a wonderful specimen yesterday, which sends the thrill of the late Spring surging through my veins.
Reminding that exams are happening (T was feeling glum last night and I couldn't cheer him up....Ahh well they're NOT all over he said....still a week to go! I allowed him the indulgence of feeling sorry for himself)
Any way the order is almost ready for the Carol Service, there is a deep sense that if we don't do this or that now, then in four weeks time it will be too late!

signposts

These Spring weeks all have something of a sense of excitement, as the days lengthen and lighten there is a new found sense of energy. The jacaranda begin to bloom...and it sends a shudder up anyone's spine who has ever taken a serious end of year exam, as that is the sign that it is that time of year in Adelaide.

Other milestones:

• This week SClark3 will give her final recital...her mother and I remarked thank goodness she doesn't do this professionally (yet) as she is so tense...though her kind Mum noted that she is better than she was! She will sing Schumann and Faure, Gershwin and Weill...really looking forward to it.
• The blog ticker will reach 20000, (goal achieved!)I imagine, in the next couple of days. Thanks to all those of you who read.
  

'Tis the season

The season of Advent never fails (so it seems each year) to weave its magic. As the weeks go on and Christmas draws near so much unfolds that it is difficult to escape its challenge, its beauty.
In the northern half of the world the encroaching darkness and cold, is pierced by the bright bizarreness of Christmas lights which look fabulous for that reason.
Here in the south nothing could be more different. Particularly when we are struck by a rush of hot weather....yesterday over 40, more of the same today. So the bright purples of jacaranda (almost over), agapanthus (better than they have ever been) defiantly refuse to be bleached and echo in themselves the liturgical colour. Somehow the heat and the bright light seems very Advent too.
The daily meditation prayer on the Advent antiphons goes

O Wisdom,Lord and Ruler
Root of Jesse, Key of David ,
Rising Sun King of the nations,
Emmanuel
Come Lord Jesus

O Sapientia, O Adonai.
O Radix Jesse, O Clavis David,
O Oriens, O Rex Gentorum,
O Emmanuel.
Veni, Domine Jesus.

Cricket, poinsettias, Christmas

I had never seen a poinsettia before I came to Australia. And where we lived they seemed to bloom in the winter. So there were poinsettias for Pentecost (June) which was good because the Pentecost colour is red.
However in Mexico, poinsettias are a Christmas flower. Christmas of course being in Winter in Guadlajara!
Aunty (referred to below) gave us one as a gift of thanks for our recent little time together.
In this age where times and seasons no longer matter we often see the poinsettia (though there may be two different types). After some thought I decided to risk planting it in a "filtered sunlight" position in the garden.
Other signs of Christmas are the cricket. Soon the Adelaide Test will begin from our beautiful Adelaide Oval.
The Jacaranda have done their bit to let us know the exam season is ending. And best of all it's in the high 30s for the rest of the week.

Christmas must be a month away tomorrow!!!