Brisbane, QLD


Saturday, January 1, 2011

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR 
This photo from the newspaper shows how Brisbane celebrated. Our icon, the Storey Bridge, is set alight.

We had a complicated Christmas but it was fun. Our eldest daughter, Carol and SIL, David flew from Sydney to spend Christmas Eve with us and Christmas Day with David's parents. On Boxing Day we all flew to Melbourne to have another Christmas with youngest daughter, Sonya and fiance Bernie.

I'm trying to learn the bokeh effect.

 We had a typical Aussie Christmas seafood dinner. David cooked a whole Snapper.

 Carol-Ann made a Tomato and Bocconcini Salad.

Bill made Bean Salad and Potato Salad. I shelled the prawns and made a Green Salad.

And we washed it all down with an award winning Katnook Estate Shiraz.  Gone are the days where one must drink white wine with seafood. It was a simple but very happy Christmas.

24 comments:

  1. goodo ... don't tell me the other images are bloody embargoed!!

    Happy and healthy 2011 to both you and Bill.

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  2. Happy New Year Diane! Your bokeh effect is looking good. Looks like a great dinner!

    Evelyn

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  3. WELCOME BACK, DIANE!

    And HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and your family :)

    So glad to know you'd had a great Chritmas with your family - those are always the best times!

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  4. hi there. glad you had a lovely christmas. happy new year and happy blogging in 2011 xxx

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  5. It sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas Diane, I can tell the food, wine and company were all excellent.

    Your bokeh is looking good, that little Santa is so cute.

    Happy New Year!
    Judy

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  6. We almost couldn't go to Amsterdam because of the snow, but finally we managed ! Once on the highway it was OK only Waterloo was a real mess !
    Here are some pictures of our Christmas
    http://gattinawritercramps.blogspot.com/2010/12/what-did-you-do-this-weekend_27.html

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  7. Happy New Year!
    Looking forward to reading about more adventures.
    Wish you all the best for 2011!
    Elisabeth

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  8. Good to have you back. Have missed my travelogue!
    Lucky you! Christmas with family is the way to go. My best wishes to you, and also Bill.
    May 2011 be filled with lots of lovely travel, bountiful blogging, and familiar friendships.
    Until the next post...

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  9. Well it all looks mighty fine! Can't wait to see the wedding photos. Glad you liked my little walk. xxxx

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  10. A happy new year to you too. I see all the floods on the news here, I feared your laptop had fallen in the water, but luckily you had a good time with your family.

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  11. Wonderful, Diane... I have missed you. Glad you all (and Colin) are high and dry --from all of your rains... BUT--it looks as if the weather didn't dampen your Christmas spirits... That seafood dinner looked FABULOUS...

    HAPPY 2011 to YOU.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  12. Happy New Year, Diane! I have missed you, and was wondering how you are faring with the Queensland floods that we see on the news here. Glad you are back and that your Christmas was a good one.

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  13. Happy New Year to you and your family. That seafood Christmas dinner looks delicious.
    I hope you and your family have a very wonderful 2011.

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  14. Diane, wishing you the very best for 2011, especially more exciting adventures you can share with us!!!

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  15. Happy★ 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
    •。★2011★ 。* 。
    ° 。 ° ˚* _Π_____*。*˚
    ˚ ˛ •˛•*/______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
    ˚ ˛ •˛• | 田田|門|
    Happy New Year to you & your family, Diane!!!

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  16. Have a very happy and adventurous new year Diane. All the best :D

    PS: I didn't have a clue what the bokeh effect was ... learnt something new today - thank you, and it is a very nice effect that you've achieved.

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  17. Hi Diane!
    It looks like you had a very nice Christmas with your family with lots of delicious food. I follow the Italian tradition of the "feast of the seven fushes" for my husband on Chrisitmas Eve. Since we all enjoy fish it is a wonderful meal we look forward to every year.

    Hope 2011 will be a year full of good health and happiness!

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  18. Diane feasting as usual!! Glad you had a great Christmas and all the best for a wonderful New Year.

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  19. Sorry, I am late in wish you a Happy and Healthy New Year. I'm sure your Christmas was wonderful time spent with your family.

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  20. YUmmmmmm. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Welcome Back!!!! I have to go find out what that broc??? salad is. (I read your post a half a minute ago, apparently my memory is going as I already can't remember).

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  21. Oh that food looks YUMMY! WHat's in Carol's tomato salad?? Yum yum yum!

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  22. Hi Colleen,
    The tomato salad is an Italian salad called 'Caprese' It's made with tomatoes; buffalo mozzarella [cheese]; basil; good extra virgin olive oil; course sea salt salt and black pepper. It's my favourite! YUM!!
    Carol

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  23. ..and it is beautiful! Thank you for the recipe ;-)

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