Odyssey 2009

Andre Rieu Concert in Brisbane

Sister Loretta (Ret) & cousin Claire at Andre Rieu

Murray & my daughter Kim

Me with Kim at the beach

Son Mark, me & Kim out Christmas shopping

Wow - over 1 month has passed since I last blogged...so much to do, so little time. I never thought retirement could be this busy nor this enjoyable. Who would have thought I would get to have front arena seats at an Andre Rieu concert in Brisbane and share the evening with two of my sisters, my niece (who generously donated my ticket) and my brother-in-law. Wonders never cease!

In December my girlfriend Caren who worked at the hospital where I did my nurse training in 1970 drove down to Ballina and spent a night at the motel across the road; we had a nice evening to chat and catch up. Just before Christmas our friends Bev & Ross left for a year or two (or three) sojourn in Canada renting a stunning property in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Ross is there stuydying at uni and has started up a blog which will bring their adventures alive for their friends. I have no doubt some nice bottles of red wine will loose their corks when we drop in on them during our upcoming US/Canada RV trip.

Christmas was very exciting for me as I had 2 of my 3 kids home for the celebrations. I knew my youngest son Mark was flying down from Darwin, and I knew my eldest son Benn was one of the pilots on a Qantas flight to Los Angeles and had planned to spend the day in the snow at Big Bear Mountain, but I was very pleasantly surprised when my daughter Kim (who lives in Nova Scotia, Canada) arrived in Ballina, as a surprise, the week before Christmas. Benn and Kim had contrived to get her here as a surprise, but she had to spill the beans a few days before her flight in case I read about it on her Facebook! My last remaining Aunty joined the 4 of us for a special Christmas lunch. The next day my mum, 2 brothers, 2 sisters, a sister and a brother-in-law, Aunt, Kim & Mark joined Murray & I in a family Christmas celebration at my sister Ret's place on the Gold Coast. Murray also had the pleasure of catching up with his 3 kids in Melbourne in early December - we will see them again in March before we fly back to the US. While he was in Melbourne Murray also got to spend an evening with an American friend of ours who now lives in Melbourne but was leaving a few days later to fly back to the USA to visit family. Hope you had a great time with them Scott! Enjoy the snow there as it is hot, hot, hot back here in Oz.

A few days later my girlfriend Jen who I did my general nurse and midwifery training with came to visit with her husband. They stayed a night at a Ballina motel and we had afternoon tea and dinner together, then her & I sat on a bench by the river and chatted until midnight. It was gerat to see them again. No sooner was Christmas over before the New Year was upon us and we watched the fireworks explode at midnight on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Then 16 hours later, the ball dropped in New York City.

Tomorrow my girlfriend (a nurse who entered the Air Force on the same day as I did 20+ years ago) is coming to visit and will stay the night at the motel across the road (they are getting a bit of business out of our visitors). We saw Heather when we first got back to Oz, but I am looking forward to seeing her again.

An exciting start to the new year included news that friends of ours from Arkansas have decided to make a visit downunder, arriving on 2 Feb. We are looking forward to showing Sandy & Joe Bill some Australiana - first stop is the Crocodile Hunter's (recently departed ) Australia Zoo - we have never been there before, so that will be a first for them and us! I am sure there will be further accounts of their visit in a later blog. Until then, I trust your new year is starting on a good note, and that I have lots more wonderful adventures to add to this blog...