What's making you happy today?

[Aliantha]

Our Christmas tree is UP!!! Yay! Now it really feels like Christmas time here.

Yes I know it's a bit early, but since the big boys are going away this year, we're having Christmas early for them. Probably on the 16th of December. That gives us a couple of weeks to enjoy the tree and get all the other Christmas stuff ready (although of course I already have a head start on that )

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

Our Christmas tree is UP!!! Yay! Now it really feels like Christmas time here.

Yes I know it's a bit early, but since the big boys are going away this year, we're having Christmas early for them. Probably on the 16th of December. That gives us a couple of weeks to enjoy the tree and get all the other Christmas stuff ready (although of course I already have a head start on that )

So I'm curious... what kinds of X-mas trees are popular with Australians ?

Oregon and Washington grow hugh numbers of X-mas trees.
Douglas Fir, Noble Fir, and to a lesser extent the Grand Fir and Spruce
In Montana it's the Balsam Fir that is most popular.

For the mid-west and east, I don't know what is popular.

[classicman]

Same as you Lamp, as far as I know.
Douglas fir is my personal favorite. I think they smell the best and don't have a million sharp needles on them. They're softer.

[Undertoad]

For the mid-west and east, I don't know what is poplar.

fix'd

[ZenGum]

I'm pining for a white christmas.

[Aliantha]

plastic. lol

Fir trees don't do that well in the climate we live in here.

[Sundae]

Many native Australian trees are highly flammable.
You wouldn't want one in your living room.

[ZenGum]

Worse, they attract drop bears.

Some people have a real pine tree. Many do plastic. Quite a few don't bother.

[Sundae]

One of the contestants on I'm A Celeb mentioned drop bears this week
Convinced another camp-mate they were real. Then spoiled it by cracking up.

I'm happy at the all round good-ness of people in general.
And Dwellars in particular.

[Trilby]

ok, I'll bite.

What's a drop bear?

Is it like a jagular?

[Aliantha]

They're fairly prolific up north. bit further north than me. They sit up in the trees and they're kind like koalas but not.

Anyway, the locals usually know where they are, but it's the tourists they usually get. You just have to be wary. Kinda like with crocs and not swimming in their water holes.

[DanaC]

This is something that is making me happy, but which happened yesterday

Yesterday was week 9 of the 11 week semester. Unlike most of the modules, the skills module I teach doesn't have a lesson in week 11. They have to submit their main essay on the Monday of that week, but don't have the Friday seminar, as the purpose of those seminars is primarily to step them into the final essay :p

So, I reminded them, as I was giving them their work assignment for the week, that next week is the last seminar, and I'll be running it as an essay workshop, so bring all notes, laptops if needed etc. And there was a little chorus of 'awwws' from some of the students. One girl said that she loved Fridays and this was one of her favourite classes.

How pleased was I?

Still rather delighted by that.

They seem to have gelled really well as a group, with the research teams I put them into at the start meeting up between classes and doing the study tasks and so on. I'm particularly pleased by that. They're approaching the end of their first semester at university. For many of the students this will be their first time living away from home, in a new town, and most likely an entirely new social group. Giving them a mechanism for linking up with other students and a shared experience (group presentations) can be helpful in the first semester.

It's funny. After last year doing the same module went so well, this time I felt a little less confident with the way things were going. Then it just started to click from around week 5 (from my perspective: they may not have seen that big a difference).

[Sundae]

Dana that's wonderful.
I am hardly surprised you are an inspiration to them.

I had a hot school dinner on Friday.
Sat between Tiger and Tennant (as agreed). There were only two other spaces on the table by the time I arrived and then a bit of a scrum as to who got them. 5-7 year olds give their affection easily though

Miss N has a hot school meal every Wednesday (roast day) so I'm not the first adult to sit down and eat with them.
But I was treated as a comic turn by most of Key Stage One!
"What are you doing? Is that your dinner? Are you eating? Why are you here?" etc etc.

I'm preparing Tiger for School Christmas Dinner on 7 December.
Getting him used to eating next to me, so he doesn't think it's odd when I'm there on the BIG DAY.
So in fact it isn't a BIG DAY. Just Tiger & Mrs O having hot dinner together.
He asked his Mum if he could have it, so it's come from him. But as he still has some food issues Tiger-Mum and I are in contact about it.

The minimum upload for the payment system is £10.00.
So I will have one next week as well.
I'll just have to tell them not to pile my plate so high - I usually just have a bagel for lunch. Four fishfingers, a pile of jacket wedges and half a tin of beans meant I was yawning all afternoon. They'd already loaded my plate before I had a chance to tell them.

Still, if you've got to moan I can think of far worse things than having too much food.

[nowhereman]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

For the miid-west and east, I don't know what is popular.

In my area (southern NE) the Frazier Fir has become very popular. It runs in cycles, Blue Spruce and Scotch Pine sold well years ago, then the firs. The concolor fir (White Fir) is also popular now, hold needles well and lasts a long time. (45 years farming Christmas trees).

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by Brianna

ok, I'll bite.

What's a drop bear?

Is it like a jagular?

I think it's more like a Hen way.