Finding Joy

Christmas in Australia falls in summer meaning that it is generally uncomfortably hot. Beach picnics, salads and seafood tend to be the order of the day. One year Christmas was so hot that the paper hats from the middle of the bon bons disintegrated from the perspiration from our heads over lunch. This year looks like being another stinker.

In a year short in the Joy Department a drive around the local streets this evening indicated that many neighbours have gone to more than the usual effort with their Christmas decorations. It was cheerful and fun especially for this big kid.

One neighbour has gone to an amazing amount of work having created a Teddy Town Hunt on his front lawn amongst the sparkling Xmas lights and a 6ft tall Santa that waves.

For a gold coin donation that goes to the Queensland Country Women’s Drought Fund you are given a pencil and a list of celebrity characters to identify as you walk around enjoying the display, essentially hunting down the toys on your list, from the thousands exhibited.

There are stuffed toys dating back to the 1930’s as well as from recent movies and TV shows, such as Bluey. Buzz Lightyear, Wonder Woman, Bananas in Pyjamas, Peter Rabbit and Peppa Pig were only some of the toys represented. Every item on display has a story and Beryl and Rod are only too pleased to share them with you.

Many family groups were enjoying reminiscing about the characters from their childhoods and younger folk were having great fun locating Gru from Despicable Me and Shi Fu from Kung Fu Panda.

I admit to feeling a bit nostalgic when I saw Jemima Puddleduck and Little Ragged Blossom from my own childhood and look forward to returning with my daughter and young Harry Kilometres in coming days.

I can’t tell you how good it was to at last find the Joy.