So, dear friends, here is the 2011 Wotherspoon Year in Review:
Norm and Margaret Wotherspoon
Narangba QUEENSLAND, 4504 Australia
21 December 2011
Telephone: (07) 3886 9036 (Home)
Email: normw45@hotmail.com
Dear Family and Friends,
The Year 2011 in Review
It has been a difficult year, because three well-loved people in our world have left this life.
Sadly, Little Nan/Dot passed away in January. Although it was expected, the pain of loss of a much-loved family member always brings grief, and sadness, to a family. But we will always hold her in our hearts.
Mary Lutwyche, a dear friend with whom Margaret shared a flat in Melbourne, and with whom we worked, died in July.
And in August, Alison Parks, our darling Bunty, slipped away in August. Bunty, such a positive influence on my life, cherished by all who knew her, will never be forgotten, and will always be loved.
Love of My Life, Margaret: As always, Margaret has been the cornerstone of our family, the keeper of my heart, the one whose love & guidance has never let me down. At this stage, Margaret intends to retire from her part-time library career at the end of January. She will then be better able to care for me, & for her beautiful garden, which is currently suffering from the effects of a historically dry November. Also, to spend more time with our wonderful family & friends, & to take some well-earned holidays.
Jim and Gloria have spent the year mainly working too hard, with a couple of too-short holiday breaks. We will be spending Christmas Day with them (&, although Gloria will have to work, we hope to have some time with her during the day). It is some sort of wonderful that Jim & Gloria, together with our children (& our grandchildren) remain our closest friends.
Jane: Our over-achieving, workaholic daughter continues to be Steve’s loving partner, Angus & Isaac’s wonderful mother, our beautiful daughter and Emily & Tim’s incredible sister. Jane continues her work as a captioner for television programs, but has given study a rest to spend more time with her three darlings.
Steve: This year I have come to like/love & admire Steve even more than before. He is a committed teacher, who actually cares about his students; he is a truly wonderful father – I love watching his interactions with Angus and Isaac, & he is a loving, attentive partner to Jane.
Angus: Our eldest grandson is now 6 years old, & we were privileged to attend his birthday party at the Enchanted Garden in Dorrington Park.
He has almost completed his first year of school, which has been interesting for all involved (anything to do with Angus is interesting). One day his teacher was explaining something to the class, & Angus said, “That’s physics, Miss”! She later told Jane, with some amazement, that he was absolutely right! A fascinating, intelligent, car-mad, active young Angus, who asserts that Liza Simpson IS EVERYONE’S favourite Simpsons’ character. Angus & I often play the Angus & Granddad Car Show Game, invented by Angus, presented by Angus with Granddad in a supporting role, & with EVERY car in his collection. The difficulty for me is that Angus knows the make of EVERY car he owns, and expects me to know them too, but I, alas, know about five cars by sight, most of which are Toyotas; he forgives me my ignorance.
Isaac: This beautiful little boy will be three in January. He is an affectionate, over-active, boundary-testing youngster, who can do things that are just a little bit naughty with the most angelic smile. He has a wonderful understanding of technological devices, both with my mobile phone (he can turn it on, then turn on the camera, & take photos, of which about 1% are fairly good shots); he plays I-Pad games with great concentration & much success. Isaac’s coordination is wondrous to behold – he throws & catches balls with great accuracy. Recently he threw a ball up in his room, & hit the light. He thought that was great fun, so he did it again. His father, fearing shattered light bulb slivers raining down, told Isaac, firmly, not to do it again or he would get be punished. Isaac looked at Dad, at the light, at Dad, at the light, & threw the ball, hitting the light again. Daddy gave him a tiny smack. Isaac went crying into Mummy in another room, but cleverly didn’t mention Daddy, simply cried, “Isaac hurt, Mummy”. So he was hugged & comforted UNTIL Mummy learned the full story.
Emily: Wonderful news! Our Emily is coming home in February. With our Troy, of course. For Emily, it was another year of working at the Royal Brisbane Hospital in the Occupational Therapy unit, working with in-patients suffering mental health conditions. Apart from that, Emily has continued in her multiple roles of loving Troy, caring sister and daughter, and, for the 6th year running, won the title of Most Doting Aunt in the Universe! Well done, Em! She also takes incredibly good photos.
Troy: We are looking forward to Troy and Emily’s arrival, although there seem strong indications that he is gradually converting Emily and Margaret to going vegetarian. My menus for the future may become much healthier (SIGH!!). Troy continues ensuring that the mails get through, in his role with Australia Post, he is completing his year of accounting studies, and manages to fit in his role/roles in Worlds of Warcraft (or something like that).
Timothy: Tim remains in Melbourne with Katy, writing music and plays, acting, singing, taking work when it comes along. He performed in a three-man show for the Melbourne Theatre Company earlier this year – ‘Australia- The Show’, to packed houses (consisting mainly of teenagers).
Margaret and I, in a completely full theatre, thought it very funny indeed, and Tim was magnificent, together with his two co-stars. I will ever remember him standing high on a chair, arm pointed to the heavens, singing ‘You always take the Weber with you’ (adapted from a Crowded House song. Tim and Katy also appeared in a Tim-written play, ‘The History Operation’ at the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Katy: The wonderful Katy has been busy teaching drama this year, together with a multitude of part-time jobs, as well as continuing to write. She and Tim reprised her award-winning play, ‘These Are the Isolate’ earlier in the year, and Margaret and I were privileged to see it. We are looking forward to seeing them both when they come to Brisbane after spending Christmas in Perth with Katy’s family.
Norm: It has been an interesting year, for me; I have continued my voluntary work in the mental health sector, and have been privileged to be a guest speaker for a few TAFE classes taught by some of my past students. I have managed to complete 57,000+ words, in 14 chapters, of my life story – and this is only up to the end of 1967! The last two chapters have been difficult, as is Chapter 15, which I am currently writing. However, I have partly overcome my natural procrastination by e-mailing each chapter to about 90 readers, mostly past students, and a few of them um, encourage me to keep writing. I have called it ‘Journey of an Ordinary Man’, which doesn’t sound exciting, but which is the way in which I see myself and my life. My health has had its ups and downs through the year, with various struggles with depression, and a seemingly ever-growing collection of other health problems old and new. However, I am still enjoying the journey immensely, and am incredibly fortunate to have so many wonderful people in my life, for which I thank you each and all.
Margaret and Norm:
Though we have been deeply touched by the loss of loved ones this year, we have had much joy besides.
We had a wonderful 29 day cruise in September-October, a circumnavigation of Australia on the Dawn Princess, absolutely joyful. We were pampered beyond our wildest expectations, with fantastic food, incredibly excellent service from every member of the crew we met, and the entertainment was superb. We have already booked a 14 day cruise to New Zealand (and back) for next November.
While we have our health, we want to undertake some travel to places we have long wanted to visit. So, in May next year, we are off on a major tour. We will firstly spend 8 days in England, where we will hire a car, and visit friends and relatives who were so good to us when we spent three months in the UK in 1980. Then we will take a tour of Europe, followed by another one to Ireland and other parts of the UK.
Unfortunately, we have had to retire our long-time house-carers, James and Trudy, but only because we will have Emily and Troy here from February onwards. Sadly, this means I have to go through ALL of my hoarded stuff, and cut it down!
Shirts, slacks, train tickets (sorry, that isn’t me – it’s someone else I know very well), my beloved gigantic desk (unless Troy and Emily want to share it); books, treasured coats and sweaters, books, memorabilia, and more BOOKS! O, the awfulness of it!
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As always, we wish you love, and peace, and laughter, at this special time of year, and hope that the year ahead is filled with much joy and fulfillment.
With love and warmth,
Norm, Margaret, Jane & Steve, Angus, Isaac, Emily, Troy, Timothy, Katy and assorted pets.
Poem: I wrote this year’s poem for our darling Nanna Dot, and Jim and Margaret asked me to read it at her funeral. We still, and always will, miss you, darling Nanna, Little Mumma Dot.
Farewell Mumma /Nanna Dot
The journey’s over, little Dot, it’s time for us to part;
But our memories ensure that you will live on, in each heart.
You loved your children dearly, as good mothers tend to do,
You loved their children deeply, their children’s children too.
You were fiercely independent, didn’t always like advice;
You liked to smile & laugh at jokes, the naughty & the nice;
You played your weekly lotto games, you loved a little bet,
And you’d mutter, “Gee, I’d murder for a beer or cigarette!”
You loved to do the puzzles in the papers, Woman’s Day;
And you really loved to travel, overseas & far away.
Your cats were all so dear to you, each one a special friend,
And Don Lane, The Lanky Yankee, was for you, the Prince of men!
Mumma Dot, Dear Nanna Dot, it’s time to say goodbye,
There is love for you in every heart, and tears in every eye;
We thank you for the life you led, the love you had to give;
You will never be forgotten, as long as we shall live.
Hi Norm, I hope you and Margaret enjoy the extra time together.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have some great times planned for 2012.
Hope you have a great Christmas and new year.