Tis the season to be social.

I thought we were going to have a very quiet Christmas as our family get together had been held a couple of weeks earlier.

Our daughter in law asked us to join her family for lunch on Christmas day, which was a pleasant day, over the years that Fiona has been part of our family we have met on several occasions so we knew all of them. Nineteen sat down to lunch, it was cold meats and salads, so sensible at this time of the year. So many people try to keep with tradition and have a roast dinner with all the roast vegetables followed by pudding, great in the UK but definitely not for our weather. Although the weather was hot it was not unbearably hot which is often the case on Christmas days gone past.

In the Christmas week, we had our tax done which meant preparing lunch, then we had friends over for dinner the same day, only time we were all available.  Then Christmas. Monday and Wednesday saw us entertaining friends that we hadn't seen since we had lived up here. Both couples now have family living in Queensland and had travelled here for Christmas.

It was great to catch up, one couple we met when we were first married about 40 years ago and hadn't seen them for fifteen years. The second couple we met later, Warren worked with the wife in a small office and the boss, his wife and the other couple and us used to go to dinner in and around Canberra on a regular basis.

Today we have delivered the car to the new owner and have tidied up the loose ends caused by making changes. All ready now for the New year. A happy and safe 2016 to all.

Family Christmas Lunch

Another year when the weather got in the way. Last year we chose to meet about half way for all of us and have breakfast at the beach. Pancakes, egg and bacon plus croissants hot coffee was all organised. Warren and I went early to snag a table and set up, breakfast was for 9am, it was Sunday after all.  Thirty ks from here and the weather was awful, very windy so a very late breakfast was changed to our place.

Rock on to this year and Jason says that the weather cant be bad two years running so we try again but for morning tea and lunch. I cooked most of Saturday 
and it was raining, this time we went to Jason's house. I was doing the main course and saw green pickled onions and marinated mushrooms, trouble was opening the Bl........ jar. I used a trick i learnt in China, attack the lid with the point of a knife. As you can see, i had to attack it several times. I ended up cutting the whole top out using the steel knife that we won in A supermarket in Shaoxing. It was a collect stamps type of thing and when we had enough, I picked this big knife, it is great. Got it home by putting it in the suitcase.

On tooth picks I had green onions, ham, red caps and mushrooms, very Christmassy.

This is all the food that I had to pack, I was worried that it wasnt enough. A rice salad with prawns, a chicken roll, heaps of chicken wings, roast pumpkin pies, two Costco salads and smoked salmon on crem cheese and rounds of bread.

Warren and I had left overs for lunch chicken wings and salad, dinner was scrambled eggs with some of the rice through it. Normal meals from tomorrow.

Freycinet National Park

This was our transport to view the park. It was touch and go whether we could go or not due to te weather. We thought we could go on the Monday but the pilot had been busy and had had to take the day off as a rest day, by law he is only allowed to fly for six days then he is required to est for at least a day. Problem was that Tuesday the forecast was not good so we had to wait and see.

A storm complete with thunder went through sometime Tuesday morning and we got a phone call to say that ten o'clock looked okay to get up if we wanted to go. We were only about twenty minutes from the air strip so we packed up and drove down. The weather was good with blue skies and white fluffy clouds. The plane is tiny, only room for four people.

We opted for a 45 minute flight costing $175 each but so worth it.

The above photo is Wineglass Bay so called because of its shape and also years ago when they used to slaughter the whales there, often the water was the colour of red wine. Jason the pilot gave a commentary while he was flying as well.

Change of seasons

It was Sunday that we visited the park and it was quite hot out at around nine in the morning, we had left home at 7.30am and it was comfortable wearing shorts and a T-shirt. I went hospital visiting the next morning in another pair of shorts and a light top.

I like this top but I have discovered that it really doesn't like me, wearing it I feel a bit uncomfortable because it has an elastic waist and it seems to show that I do have a tummy. It is also made from a sheer fabric and so I need to wear black chami under it. I think it is the colours that I particularly like and I usually wear it with light blue 3/4 jean shorts to match.

We left home around 8.15am for the train station and sitting out waiting for the train it was a little cool. Less than twenty four hours before, we were looking for shade but Monday morning I was searching for a bit of sun to warm me. How quickly the weather changes, luckily I had taken an umbrella, as later going from the train to the bus station, I needed to use it.

Instead washing the top and putting it back in the cupboard to select again because I like the look of it and I quickly forget that it doesn't do anything for me, I have put it in the pile to go to an Opportunity shop so that someone else can enjoy it. So far I have two big bags of clothes, shoes and handbags that I don't use any more, now all I need to do it drop them off somewhere, it is on my list to do for tomorrow. Still have lots of clothes that I either don't wear for some reason or they don't fit me right, would love to get down to the Project 333. That is 33 pieces of clothing including shoes and jewellery to wear for 3 months or a season.