Christmas at The Village Resort

This Christmas, we decided to get away from it all and go up north to Port Macquarie for a week.

We left on Christmas Eve, Sat 24 December. Evan, U. David, A. Cath in their Rav and Janet, Fiona and I in our Mazda. Stopped at Hungry Jacks along the way for a late lunch before arriving at The Village Resort just after 4pm. Checked into Unit 3 and got my jigsaw to work on during the week, the waterlillies one which I had started in November, but never got to complete.

Christmas day and Santa had found us.

Christmas Gifts

These are the gifts I got this christmas.

Sue Hoy: Harrods bag
Maria M: Hand cream, foldable bag and bag holder
Helen: Bottle with filters and soap set
Fiona: Thomas Sabo tennis racquet charm
Iveta: Salad bowl
Ronald: Christmas tree dish
Pat: Scrapbook paper
Katherine: NY Dvd
Jenny: Honeycomb chocolates (gave to Jacq)
Margaret: Xmas table placemat
Bich: Perfume
Kasia: Soap set
Lily: Sleeveless top
Seeto's: Scarf and makeup bag (not pictured)

LTS Christmas Dinner 2011

Wednesday 21 December 2011

Hi all,

Christmas dinner has been booked at Il Buco restaurant http://www.ilbuco.com.au/ 

It is classed as Italian Seafood restaurant.

It is located only a few streets away from here with parking available on street. Address is 142A Liverpool Rd – it is between Wentworth Rd and Burwood Rd. I suggest we park on Heldon St as it would be closest side street but apparently you can park on Liverpool Rd after 6pm.  (It is on the farther side of the road from us so best option would be to turn right from Burwood Rd to get to it)

It is fully licenced (but also allows B.Y.O wine between Tuesday and Saturdays at $3.50 corkage per person if interested).

I have made the booking for Wednesday 21^st December at 6pm for the 8 of us in the name of Giles.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there.

 Jenni

Wednesday 21 December 2011
 I had the Vitello Al Buco: pan-fried veal with prawns, shallots finished with a pernod cream sauce $29 and for dessert a creamy chocolate cone.

Lights of Christmas

Tuesday 20 December

Drove out to city to see St Marys Cathedral and Town Hall lit up. Parked in Kent Street parking and walked to Hyde Park and St Mary's via David Jones window displays.

The Lights of Christmas features several different scenes all highly decorated  in colours that are present in the Sydney region. In the first scene we are greeted by the universal symbol of peace, the Dove.

We then move into the Growth segment where we see familiar plants and flowers growing over the facade of the catheral, such as Jasmine, Wisteria and Jacaranda. An owl appears in the tree as we see reflections of foliage in the pond below, the owl takes flight as a feather falls - imparting his wisdom.

We follow the feather as it drops into a pond below, sending out ripples which signifies the effect our wisdom can have on others.

We now enter the water and can see above and below; a metaphor for seeing things from a different perspective which gives the wisdom required to bring about peace. Light rays appear from the colourful stained glass windows; the dawning of a new beginning bring us hope.

In our final scene we return to the traditional Christmas imagery of a tree growing from seedling. The tree, an iconic Sydney fig highly decorated with colourful baubles, places us in the present.

Artwork features The Madonna and Child

Afterwards we walk to Martin Place to take photos of the big Christmas tree, then make our way to QVB and the Swarovski Christmas tree and then finally make it to Sydney Town Hall where the projections continue.

Ken buys some donuts from Woollies and we snack before walking back to the car and driving back home.

Myer Xmas Wrapping

My annual help Vision Australia out with Vanita.

The training day was on Sat 10 December at 10-11.30am. Our co-ordinator, Peter Longhurst wasn't quite as succinct as previous co-ordinators, with definitely no skill in wrapping. It was only suppose to be an hour and a half, but it stretched to 2 hours, eating into my shopping time. Organisation of materials was also non-existent, it was left up to us volunteers to ask Myers staff for extra paper and ribbons when supply was low.

I volunteered for Sat 17 and Sun 18 from 10am to 2pm on both days at Macquarie Shopping Centre, Ryde. Forgot that they now have 3 people manning the wrap stall, so on Saturday we had a young asian girl who had just finished her HSC help out and on Sunday we had a Uni asian boy, who had also been with us on last years shift.

The Saturday shift started off with a bang, we even had people queuing to get their gifts wrapped and there were a few large boxes included in those. Someone even bought a kitchenaid (I want one). The poor lady who was on the afternoon shift was left to carry on her own, although I did stay back to help her out with wrapping some unusual shaped gifts for this Indian women who couldn't control her nieces and nephews, which the mum had left her with.  But couldn't help her out for the rest of the afternoon otherwise I'd have no shopping time left. Used the time to go buy my Christmas gifts for work and other friends. Why is it so easy to buy presents for yourself and not others.

Ken's Shock Announcement

Thursday 15 December 2011

Ken announces his engagement to Angel via email with subject: Wedding Bells

"To all my Uncles and Aunties and Sydney Cousins...

Can't hold it in any more...

For the Uncles and Aunties who saw her at the Por Por Dinner and for my Sydney Cousins who kept on hearing about her...

It's official... as from 9:00pm HK time last night, I am now engaged to Angel Fung Siu Yee... I met her parents on Monday and mum is going to meet the in-laws on Saturday before we leave...

It took a while to get the courage to ask her hand in marriage (I was thinking about it too much, as I always do. Everything had to be right and was I doing it for the right reasons etc) and there weren't that many ROMANTIC locations to propose and time was running out... So TST was the place to do it, in front of mum and so she is my witness, as I spluttered the words out to Angel for her hand in marriage... Got to remember "Ga Ngau" and NOT "Chue Gnaw"...

Stay tuned..."

Now we are waiting to see whether he elopes, has a registry wedding or a wedding in HK or Australia?

SU Xmas Dinner and Summer Mini Launch

Wed 14 December

Took half day flex and went with Kaylene to get hair coloured and cut, etc.

Got home in time to set table and decorate.

Ordered Thai takeaway from  - Family also had thai takeaway.

Decorated some magnetic spice containers with DSP and ribbon, put inside a mini SU stamp, ribbon (from Riot), Tag. Gifts for the ladies in my club.

After dinner, they all had a look at the mini catalog and the goodies they could get and each of them put an order in.

Fiona's Christmas Party

4 December 2011

Made Potato and Corn salad, Tuna Mayo, Crabstick and Prawn Sushi

Dropped by Seeto's to pick up Evan. Uncle David stayed at home.

Fiona gave me a Thomas Sabo charm (tennis racquet)