Glorious, Horrible Jozi Winter

I am at this very moment at 1:30 in the afternoon sitting outside in our outdoor living area stripped down to my bra and underwear (TMI?) soaking in the sun like a lizard. (photo to be posted soon).

I wish, like a lizard, I was actually able to retain the glorious warmth, but by 5:30pm, I kid you not, I will be pulling on long underwear to get through the evening. Houses are not heated here and it drops down to near freezing every night - we have seen frost in the fields in the morning.

Our house in particular retains the cold because it is all tile - fantastic in the summer as you can imagine. During the days I open up doors and window with hopes that the warmth from outside will push out some of the cold air out -wishful thinking, I'm sure. Even in the heat of the day - like now when I am down to nothing in our backyard, I will need to pull on a fleece if I go inside.

Just like when 21 December rolls around in Boston, I am celebrating reaching 21 June here as it means a slow climb back to longer days. We are now getting up in pitch blackness to get kids to school. Between the darkness outside and the cold inside it is almost impossible to roust the kids out of bed. Like Boston too, though, 21 June/21 Dec does not mean a slow climb back to warmth. We apparently have to get through July and part of August till we return to warmer days.

I need to organize my life so I spend June-August in the States and the rest of the year here.