Birthdays and Other Surprises

I’ve experienced my first Australian birthday. The birthday itself wasn’t a surprise – I haven’t become that forgetful – but the party was. My sister-in-law, Linda, is amazingly good at these things. She surprised me with a last-minute Thanksgiving celebration this past November, to help me feel less homesick. Well, apparently it was put together last-minute, but you would have not known it. It came complete with home-made pumpkin pie.

One of my birthday gifts this year is that my father is visiting us for a few weeks, and my birthday happens to fall in the middle of that (tomorrow, really – or in two days depending on which side of the dateline you are on). Today was one of the few days I can actually get out and about, so Dad and I were going to go the shopping mall. He told me he was much too tired after a week of sightseeing with our friends and family to do any running around. As I deliberated going on my own, Andrew suggested I really ought to take a nap while he worked on the car. Since I was nearly dropping onto the floor from exhaustion, I reluctantly agreed. I awoke to a houseful of really nice people in a well-orchestrated and lovely array of finger-foods and chocolate “mudcake.”

It’s really odd having my birthday in the winter. No hanging out on the porch, going swimming or other summer-related activities. Of course, one of the surprises about being in Melbourne is that, despite the cold, various flowers and trees bloom all winter. Others are just coming into bloom. So, as long as I don’t stick my nose out the door, it at least looks like summer through the window. Well, that’s Melbourne for you. But they really do know how to throw good parties here.