Hi
everyone,
I hope
you are all fit & well. We have been avoiding the colds & flu that
seems to be plaguing the city - so far, anyway.
Sadly my
Aunt Ann lost her battle with complications from breast cancer last week, in
Australia. Her funeral was yesterday. It sounds as though it was a family time
for celebrating her life; my Aunt Jill said that all the children were wearing
jerseys that Ann had knitted them.
Julie C
is 10 weeks pregnant with twins, and Sterl's cancer has returned. How's that
for a double-whammy on one family. Julie seems in fairly good spirits - she is trying
to rest & focus on the positive.
Wendy
Sawyer has returned to the UK - the call was too strong to stay here. She had
some real problems trying to leave the country though - several flights
cancelled due to bad weather, but she finally got away in the end. I look
forward to getting the TrainGirl UK reports again.
John
& Jo are back from their travels to nearly every continent (they missed
Africa). Bonnie was very excited to see them back, but still likes to come and
visit our lot - we have caught up a few times since their return. We also
watched the Canadian film "The Corporation" with them last weekend. A
great film, and I have bought a copy of the DVD to show some parts of the film
to my classes. Very thought-provoking. Worth a look if you get the chance.
Jo
brought back an ingredient statement for doggie ice cream from her travels in
the Bahamas, which Janet has kindly turned into a recipe. Jo is going to have a
crack at making it up, then testing it on our expert taste panel (I am sure
that the three of them would eat a manhole cover if they could get their teeth
through it, so probably not likely to fail the taste panel test!).
We caught
up with Kelly & Duncan Atkinson for a movie ("Prague") and a
coffee. It was great to see them - it has been far too long. Dunc has been
working all over the planet on helicopters, but an eye problem has brought him
back to Nelson, possibly permanently. If so, despite the restriction for Dunc,
and from a purely selfish point of view, it will be good to have them here to
play with more often!
We have
also caught up with Dawn, whom we don't see nearly enough either (for a long
goss, food & wine), and Murray & Julie T (for a dog walk along the
Boulder Bank & coffee). They are all in good form, enjoying life and having
holidays. Oh; except Julie who is newly in business, so Murray is going to
Cairns without her. I know JUST how she feels!
I had a
chat to Linnea Brown the other day who was telling me that Kelly McGrath is
currently somewhere in the UK. I haven't heard from her in ages - so Kell, if
you are reading this, please email & let us know what you are doing!
We held
another Kiwi movie night for the Nelson Newcomers Network - this time showing
Sione's Wedding. I think I enjoyed the film even more the second time around.
It is such a nice movie; and very telling about the differences between Pacific
Islanders and Pakeha.
And we
also had Sharon & Ian McGuire around for a movie - Stickmen - before the
left on their three month sojourn in Oz. Another good night. Last Sunday we
also had Frits & Kathleen around for breakfast to celebrate their holiday,
Frits' performance in the half marathon, catching up again after so long, being
well, and all sorts of other things that we could celebrate. Jan, Kathleen
& I also managed to get a Wasgij done, while Frits read the Sunday Star
Times - all excellent entertainment for a rainy Sunday!
I have
been busy with Rotary projects and with all the other things I do, despite
promising myself that I would slow down once Jan got back from Germany. And I
have taken a couple of half days during the week and watched some docos that I
have been saving up and read a couple of books, which was nice. However,
because of the Olympics, Jan has been joined at the hip with the telly. And
because I enjoy TV sports as much as an enema, I tend to go back upstairs to
the office. So even though I am supposed to be taking things easy, I have been
finding work to do at night rather than 'enjoy' the ranting of commentators.
But it is finished now at last. Yay!
This
weekend we are going to a Chamber music concert at the School of Music with
Jan's boss (the New Zealand String Quartet), and going out to the land to pick
up some more firewood and frown at the gorse! If the rain has stopped we will
do some gorse control.
We didn't
have any damage from the big storm at the land, so that was good. We have got
lots of gorse growing again though. We really need to get out there & spend
a full weekend dealing with it; but every weekend seems to get more and more wedged
into it and it is getting harder and harder to find time. The next two weekends
are quite busy and then we are in Wellington for Otto's birthday, then Jan is
in Christchurch for UWH the weekend after that. Which takes us through to
September 27 and well into spring. And LOTS of growth of the bionic prickly
plant. Ah well, we can only do so much.
My folks
are due back in another week - it will be wonderful to have the dog sitters
back again! They are currently in the North of England visiting obscure rellies,
and no doubt having a ball. We have missed them :-)
That's it
for now. Take care & I will write more soon. Alles liebe!
Sam & Jan
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