small joys fill a big heart

Isn't it strange how much our moods are dictated by the weather.

 

Melbourne today was a gorgeous 40C in the city! Just standing there, I was sweating like a war horse! And it was barely even humid, just hot and dry with a slight hot breeze. Even for a cold-blooded lizard like me, I found the heat a touch on the hot side!

 

But there's no denying, those clear blue skies do lift the spirit! Perhaps it was my lovely lunch companion? Perhaps it was the divine handmade pasta place he took me to for lunch! But a clear blue Melbourne sky, a belly of silky-fresh gnocchi and a hot hot day put me in heaven! I don't know why, but these kinda hot days remind me of being 6 years old, growing up in Adelaide. We'd get the hot Northerly winds in summer, that would burn our skin just as well as the searing hot sun could. All the neighbourhood kids would play in the street wearing just our undies. When there weren't water restrictions we would run under sprinklers all over the neighbourhood including the awesomest one under the trampoline, while our parents stood around the shade of trees, wilted in cheap summer dresses or Stubbies shorts, wearily complaining about the heat and placating hot whingey babies.

 



 

Albert Park streetscape

 

Although I departed Adelaide as soon as I was old enough, I do have fond memories of childhood. Everything was a discovery! Everything was new! Exciting! I wonder if that is why I move so often, to keep regenerating the thrill of discovery of a new town, a new place, new people to meet and things to do.

 

As a kid, I never really got to eat junk food. Mum was the original new age/hippy/greenie slow-food organic earth mother. Mum was planting and cooking with her organic produce way before it was cool. So while all the other kids got to have cool stuff like McDonalds, I had to be content with things like slow-cooked lamb stew with homemade steamed dumplings and chorizo risotto with fresh garden tomatoes and herbs.

 

So needless to say, candy was not a big feature at home. But when I did have a tiny bit of money, there I was a the local deli/milk bar, buying as many of those pink chalky musk sticks as I could get for 10c (back in the day, it was probably 10). The obsession carried into teenage-hood and being the oldest of 7 kids, I would bring the younger ones along and as they chose their chips/icecreams/lollies, I would buy up as many musk sticks as I could.

 

To this day, I am synonymous with the sweet musky smell and for bringing packets to my nieces and nephews. So you can imagine my delight when I was casually strolling through Priceline and I found Hello Kitty MUSK STICK scented body spray!! Of course I bought it! And I haven't stopped smelling like a musk stick since!!



well, heh-llow kitty!