Another day in paradise

We’ve been making do with one car for ferrying around three kids for about two months.

Ever since the insurance company wrote off my car I’ve been researching a replacement, but in the meantime it just seems a bit silly to fork out a heap of cash for a bit of tin that only gets used on a Saturday morning for weekend sports. (I get the train to work everyday - my bit for the environment!)

Anyway, I worked out it would be cheaper just to hire a car on a Saturday morning to go to football etc but I decided against for various reasons.

One of which maybe the cultural shock for Tee and the kids.

I read this book last week.

It’s about a bloke in advertising who finds himself on the street and takes a year out to experience all the things he missed when he was a workaholic.

Like seeing his kids. Spending time with his wife. Losing wieght.

It was very funny.

I wish I had written it!

The reviewer says:

“It will be a wake-up call for those hard-driving types - male and female - who have forgotten how fleeting life is and how urgent the need to re-order our priorities. Nigel’s style is earth, bawdy, unabashed. and deeply philosophical. When his children read this in years to come, they will be very proud of their Dad.”

I’m hoping my kids will read my blog in years to come and think the same.

Except I’m not getting paid a fortune for my ramblings!

Josh played at the Head of The River Dinner recently and we all turned up to support him.

His mum is disappointed that he now is taller than him, although I’m pleased to see he’s still got a bit to go with his dad.

Especially around the girth.

Last week I took part in a social experiment.

I just didn’t know it at the time.

I received the photos yesterday recording the outcomes of putting 100 Scottish people in a room, emotionally charging the environment and adding music. 

And of course, include alcohol. 

The results were conclusive.

Stage 1 - Jolly

Stage 2 - Just plain silly

Stage 3- Obliterated

Frodo - Take a bow.

As you will have read, Mollie has shown an interest in pursuing a career in wine making.

Never one to miss an opportunity that holds a personal benefit I subsequently tracked down the only Scottish winemaker in Australia and offered to drive Mollie to meet her.

Unfortunately it was 5 hours away. And 5 hours back.

So one day a couple of weeks ago, we set out on our journey, just the two of us, to meet Jane Wilson of Lowe Fine Wines in the Mudgee valley.

This would be the equivelent of driving to Birmingham and back for the day. But with far more interestsing scenery and less traffic.

Having stopped on the way for a McDonalds Breakfast, and then sometime later a McDonalds lunch, we finally arrived at the most fantastic wee vineyard set in the most glorious setting.

We spent a couple of hours watching them make the wine and of course sampling their wares.

Mollie was absolutely delighted, inspired and probably a bit pissed, but we stopped off at a McDonalds for our tea on the way home to sober ourselves up.

The biggest market for their wine is infact Scotland and sell to more of the up-market restaurants such as Martin Wisharts and Kinnaird House!

One of the odder co-incidences was that Jane had met an old colleague of mine and TV star, Guy Grieve, on a boat to Oban last year and had lost his contact details.

I offered to forward his details, she offered Mollie a job during the summer.

Payment in wine.

Fair swap I reckon.

I flew back to Scotand yesterday to attend the funeral of Neil Adams a dear friend.

Living so far away and not attending would not have given me the closure over such a distressing loss.

Yesterday, Spade was celebrated with music, laughter, friends, drink and a bucket full of tears.

So today I fly back to Australia more content that I have stood in a bar with all of our friends and his family and sang to the roofs at the top of our voices about a man who will always have a special place in or hearts.

And you  know what, I reckon he was in that bar with us.

God bless you Spade.

 

I’ve had a lot of people contact me over the last few days by phone and email, wishing to comment on some of my ramblings, more specifically around Spade.

For some reason, my blog wasn’t allowing them to post comments on this and other postings.

And it’s not been the first time this has been said.

I discovered this morning that my settings were set to only allow people who had registered with WordPress, to comment!

Well I’ve now fixed the problem, I hope, and they’ll be glad to hear they can go back and vent their feelings on any of the topics I’ve covered without having to worry about such shenanigans.

I loook foward to hearing from you.

At last.

 Except in front of your teenage daughter with a camera.

Winter has arrived in Wahroonga, with the temperatures plummeting to 16 degrees.

So yesterday we sent the twins out to collect some kindling to light the fire.

That evening after our dinner we all sat down in front of a roaring fire to watch “Jimmys Farm” in our jammies with a glass of red and enjoy the heat.

It was then we discovered we had a visitor who had travelled in with the wood which was now lying in a pile on the hearth.

Well actually, Haggis, the labrador spotted the visitor first and had to be dragged off a scorpion while everyone made for the door!

Tee saved the day by using a plastic pot dropped over the top of it and throwing it out the door.

I was busy. Somewhere else.

To think the kids had been happily collecting wood in their arms cuddling a scorpion!

Jimmy thought he had problems with animals - not a patch on our wild life

 

I’ve spent the last few days in a fog.

My days seem to be spent in a haze that are full of utter, utter sadness.

This feeling of grief is not just for my sense of loss of a dear friend, but for the rest of my friends and Spades family and the pain they are going through.

It’s made worse because I’m not there to help them as well as actually grieve with them. 

But today I came across a saying on the web today that gave me some comfort.

“This too, shall pass”

The origin of this saying appears to date back to a story told about King Solomon.

“It was said, that when the king was feeling sad, he asked his advisors to find him a ring he had seen in a dream.

“When I feel satisfied, I’m afraid it won’t last. And when I am sad I’m afaid my sorrow will go on for ever. Find me a ring that will ease my suffering”

Eventually an advisor met an old jeweller who carved into a simple gold band the Hebrew inscription “gam zeh ya’avor” - “This too, shall pass”

When the king recieved his ring and read the inscription his sorrows turned to joy and his joy to sorrows, and finally both gave way to equanimity.”

I wish I could give my friends and Spades family such a ring.