We are all well. Amanda has found better working hours (no weekend work) since coming home and we're all better for it.
It's 2 years since we arrived in Canada. This is hard to believe. We have not been very good with keeping in touch and will rectify this over summer.
Will's folks are battling on determinedly at home despite finding the daily chores increasingly difficult to manage. Stewart is amazing - still singing in a choir, attending community meetings, getting himself to church and still driving his car! Has had a couple of falls but no serious damage done. Bron is doing exercise classes once a week and had a bit of a health scare in the middle of the year which meant a few weeks in hospital and a few more in rehab.
After the loss of Mrs. V's Mum we are reminded of our mortality. We think of Rita regularly. Hi Rita. We will be in touch soon.
This all combines to remind us that we'll be aiming to make the most of the next 20 years or so. We're planning long service leave (that's 3 months of paid leave - a feature of Australian working life) in 2010. May even find ourselves in the northern hemisphere, who knows.
We are thinking of moving to nearby Queenscliff - as a place with a bit more to offer teenage boys than St. Leonards which is still mostly full of retirees.
This year draws to a close. We have been ludicrously busy. A friend recently pointed out that the reason we seem to be getting busier all the time is that we are actuallly just getting older and slower. Us blokes especially who are only really able to cope with one thing at a time - are reduced to being able to focus on half a thing at a time. He might be right but I'm sticking with the notion that we're just doing more stuff.
Take the last 10 days for example. Finished my teaching for the year, went to boys end of year concert, stayed up to 4am putting the 'finishing touches' on my last assignment for the year, took the boys camping to Walkerville (nice but no photos) for 3 nights, came home, stayed a night in Melbourne to see Madagascar 2 and Billy Elliot (a musical from Northern England), came home, had a few families for drinks on Christmas Eve for Jack's 12th birthday, had 20 family members for lunch on Christmas Day, half of them stayed the night and for Boxing Day, went to the Australia v. Sth Africa Test at the MCG, and today lay on the couch.
I'm meant to be on holidays.
Jack hosting his last school assembly. He's off to school with his father in 2009. Who's a lucky boy?Having my study on top of work and family life has pushed me pretty hard this year. I probably should have spent the year settling in after a busy 2007, but I'm sure that when the study is over I'll be glad I did it. One year to go. M. Ed. Worth it? I'll let you know.
Did you see this in the night sky in late November? Jupiter, Venus and the moon aligned to make a smiley face in the sky. It is not set to happen again in 28 years. 2036.
Motley Crew share Christmas meal.
Timmy, Claude and Amanda on Christmas Day.
Depsite being 68 for the past 12 years, Claude turned 80 this year. We held a party at our place.
Claude was reduced to hitting the Pinata Frog across the back of the head to celebrate the occasion.
Three-fifths of The Glory Box in song writing mode. In theory we get together every 3 weeks to write songs. Have written 15 (or so) sure-fire hits. Being in a band is easy if you (1) don't play live at all and (2) record nothing just write songs. We plan to act on recording this year but finding the time is a challenge.
Jack turns 12. That hair!And we've just got a dog. Daisy the Staffy puppy arrived in early November and is boldly tolerating a fairly disorganised and confused training regimen. But we're getting there, or at least that what we keep telling ourselves.
George 'n' Daisy.
Jack 'n' Daisy
