7 December, 2009,  Sydney, Australia~

Dear All~

G'day from the land of koalas, wallabys, kangaroos, and Vegemite!  Yes, t'is me, Tottie Ruth Brighton, writing!  Hope this finds you all in fine fettle; we are doing great!  In fact, we're doing more than great: we're doing bonzer!!

We are busy getting our place ready for Chrissie:  tree is up and decorated, we've been shopping for one another, been trying to get all the food preparation done for when we entertain guests, and trying to get the cards/packages out in the post before the Chrissie deadline.  It's been horrid!!

Bobbo is still working, taking care of me and his family; I am trying to find work, but it's harder than I thought it would be.  People tend to judge me because I have one leg, and I use crutches; it's maddening, that!!  Can't they see I have two good working hands and that I am capable of doing a lot??  Just 'cause I'm disabled doesn't mean me mind is too!  It's ridiculous!!

You would think with Chrissie coming up, people'd be cryin' for help, but no go.  They still judge and act totally bonkers!  GRRR!!

Thank God for me disability check; if it weren't for that, we'd be out on the street!!

The weather is finally calming down; seems the worst of the storms have passed by.  We had some doozies, but more northwest of here, in Darwin and in the Northwest Territories.  They just skimmed us; all we got out of 'em was a lot of lightning, wind, and heavy rains, but no tornadoes, thank goodness!  I hate tornadoes; they scare me!!

It's warming up; some days have been almost hot, with temps in the 30's (Celsius; in Farenheit, it would mean temps in the 90's).  Some days have been downright humid, nasty; I'm not looking forward to the heat of summer!  Seems it's been bad for the past few years:  last yaer, we hit temps in the 100s-110s; many people died as a result of the brutal heat.  Then we had fires to contend with; none near us, but you could see/smell smoke in the distance.  It's terrifying!! 

That's one of me worst fears:  losing our possessions to a runaway grass fire!  I don't know what I'd do if that were to happen!!

People in the United States find us weird:  we celebrate Chrissie in the summer; over there, it's winter.  It's opposite of what we have.  We go to the beach, go swimming, have picnics, watch fireworks, just have a good ol' time.  Over there, they have snow (never have seen snow except in pictures or on tv); if it snows here, it's a very rare thing.  I think I seen snow only once, and that was when I was a little tot.  Can't remember it, but me mum said it did.  So I must believe her.  :)

If it gets to below fifty degrees, we have the heaters on.  I can't imagine what it would be like to live in places where the temps dip below 30 or 20 degrees!  Brr!!  It's makin' me cold just thinkin' about it!!

Bobbo, he has found a new hobby:  surfing.  He started taking lessons last summer, and this year he plans on going to Melbourne or to the coast, and find some big waves.  I hope not; I don't want him breakin' his fool neck!  I don't want to have to become his nursemaid!  I swear, me mate must have eaten too much in the way of Vegemite; I think it went to his brains!  LOL

He wants me to try.  Yeah, right!!  Me, with one leg?? Surfing??  Ridiculous!! 

I don't even THINK so!!

I think I'll keep meself on the shore, thank you!!

Well, I gotta run.  Bobbo wants to do more shopping.  I will write in here again; if I don't write to you beforehand, let me wish you all a very merry Chrissie and a wonderfully happy New Year!  (Can't wait for New Year's:  we have the best fireworks display!)

~Love, your friend in Oz, Tottie Ruth Brighton.  :)