School finished up two weeks ago. Shao Ping has been posting stories to her blog during this time and I thought I would take a moment to link to some of her posts and pictures. [piclens-lite-link]

Merry Christmas. Shao Ping and I celebrated Christmas with my sister Clair and her family… husband Kieran and children David, Elizabeth and Lucy. Our cat Sootie got a look-in as well. Shao Ping and I celebrated Christmas with my sister Clair and her family… husband Kieran and children David, Elizabeth and Lucy.

Boxing Day Get Together. We spent the day after Christmas with John Daley and his wife Pauline. We had a great barbecue with a number of friends. The weather was excellent, the wine was fine and a jolly good time was had by all.

Family get-together. On the 30th December we had a family Chistmas gathering. I have seven brothers and sisters and when we all gather together there are countless spouses, nieces and nephews. This year the gathering was held at my brother Frank’s home. We also celebrated his 60th birthday. The youngest kids were able to open their presents and we had a barbecue, drank some wine and a few light beers.

Happy New Year! This year we celebrated New Year’s Eve with our friends at Wollongong Golf Club. I don’t play golf but the venue is quite good. It is by the ocean and there was cooling sea breeze that counteracted the humidity of the evening. I have been knocking about with some of these friends for 33 years or more now. My sister Clair and her husband Kieran came along as well. The night got into top gear when Kieran and I led the dancing during Dancing Queen by ABBA, YMCA by the Village People, Jump by The Pointer Sisters and a few other disco ‘gems’ of the 1970s.

Aya and her hair extensions. Our Japanese home-stay student, Aya, traveled by train up to Sydney today to have her hair done so that she could have hair extensions added. She looked quite fashionable upon her return so I donned my dreadlocks and Shao Ping took some photographs.