Heather & Kevin...

Mum & Grandpa...

Mum on her wedding day of course, in a dress she designed herself. I wish I had more of her style!

Santa & Me in '74

This is posted especially for Kerrie...check out MY red shoes. It must have been a 60s/70s thing for little girls to have red shoes??

Another stroll down memory lane....

This is me getting my B.Mus.Ed - Bachelor of Music Education at New South Wales University. Cool hey! It was 1993 & boy I had a lot to learn! But I have to say I really loved teaching Music - LOVED IT. Once I'd found my feet a little more, knew what worked & what didn't, & knew myself a little better it was great.  I loved that "buzz" after a lesson went well & things flowed well. That awesome "together" feeling was just FANTASTIC. 

I enjoy teaching private piano students also, but there's nothing like being in a class where kids bounce ideas off each other. You can change a whole lesson & run with something from a student or follow a thought...it's really just incredible. I tried to be the sort of teacher that I respected in High School. I wasn't perfect but after a year or so I realised it was less about marks & administration, & all about relationships with students etc. Of course that sounds obvious, but I really grew to love so many of those kids & they were so supportive through all those hard times I went through with them. 

Anyway, I kind of like this shot. I feel grown up here. (These days I mostly wear tracky dacks & t-shirts so it's kinda cool to see me in 'professional' mode...) Hip Hip Hooray for teachers, they do an amazing job for not a huge amount of money & the hours...oh my GOODNESS, the hours I put in were mindblowing. The physical toll it took on my body was not always helpful. I worked for a short time in a state school & then worked in an independent Christian school for nearly 9 years. It was mostly a real joy. And to think I nearly didn't think about doing music. It was only that my piano teacher said "Have you thought about Music Education?" I didn't think I was good enough. She smiled & said "Of course you are, why don't you audition?" So I did...I actually had been planning to be a Librarian for the last 5 years when I did an about face & went into music...& if I hadn't I wouldn't have met David...sigh. It's almost one of those Sliding Doors situations, but of course I can't see what would have happened to me on "the other path". I can't imagine not marrying David. He has been such a rock for me through so much pain...I'm starting to ramble now aren't I? I should stop while this makes some sort of sense. mbf,dsgeotro;tuydgfjdsngkstuer;yuoy;s...zzzzz......

Pass It On...

Humbled Karin. Thank you...

I don't have time to explain the connection, or why I love them so much...so, without further ado, 

I am paying it forward - these are my four inspiring Blogs:

* Two Little Bird, Two Little Beasts

* Anna Maria Horner

* Notes From The Trenches

* sfgirlbybay

Sunday stroll down memory lane

My wonderful parents Heather & Kevin. This was them on a date. How stylish were they? (I have learnt to scan photos so now I'll be able to have some regular pics of things in here...soooo excited about that. I had to do some for the High School Reunion & it turned into a midnight scanning frenzy!!)

I have some great photos of mum & dad now ON THE COMPUTER. How I miss them. My SIL acknowledged the other day how hard it must be having kids without parents there...it made me teary that she 'understood' now that she has a daughter of her own. I love D's mum but I think as I grow older, towards my 40's & the age when Mum had me I really really miss them more, her especially. I think giving birth to children & not be able to tell your parents how much you appreciate all they did for you - because some things click into place when you have a child of your own - is so hard. (I realised how SELFISH I was, I realised how little I knew,I realised what an incredible journey having a child was & I wanted to ask more questions about my 'history' & me.) Dad died suddenly when I was 24, & Mum died in her sleep when I was 27. I'm so glad they were there to see me Graduate from Uni & Dad was able to walk me down the aisle, but there are so many little moments that I don't get to share. I don't want to sound like I'm whining...I am grateful I had them for so long. I hope David & I can be there for Bonnie & Eric for many years yet...because I know how sad it can be to go on your life journey & not get to share things with the people who raised you & love you unconditionally...

David & I were talking about backdating/starting another Blog with all the Leukaemia information & photos etc...that would be a mammoth job though. David thought that after his counselling session yesterday he would look on the internet for people that were also dealing with life after a BMT...he found Baldy's Blog (Adrian Sudbury) which we started looking at + the uTube video Blogs. Then we found this...

I was a bit of a teary mess after seeing some of that hospital footage - it brought back many memories of last year. But I was able to talk to D before we went to sleep last night about some hopes & even fears. I love that man...so desperately. Some people are so strong, so determined, so focused, endlessly positive & I reel off balance in the face of their strength sometimes. We live each day as well as we can, not knowing what is ahead, but trusting in Something & Someone bigger than ourselves...yet it's hard...it's so hard reading that cancer has claimed yet another life. Another one of our Quest for Life friends has died...you think I would not be shocked any more, but the reminder of the preciousness if life always makes me want to double my efforts to live well... 

Oh the 80's...

A friend (the one in blue) posted this photo today - she is organising our High School Reunion to be held next month...I am starting to get really excited about it all now...can't believe it was 20 years ago...check the PINK on my lips, eyes & around the front of my hairline. Not sure what I was thinking. My mum bought me the dress...& OH those LONG THICK TRESSES without any grey in there...well, I think I'm off to scan some pics so I can post some of HER on the school update area on Facebook so I get get my own back!!! So many memories...sigh...

Family Snap!

At the start of this year Eric's Preschool asked for a family photo to put on their "family wall"...this was the last snap of about 20 & this was the one that we decided was the best. There are lots of us wincing at the sun. How did we cope before digital cameras?  It was taken out the front of our house. It's always surreal in winter seeing us wearing summer things...I had to put it on the Blog of course!!! (It's also strange seeing Bonnie with her two front teeth still there...)