The flights home were uneventful, despite our late departure we still had plenty of time in KL transit. In Singapore we slept, did the laundry and packed for the next leg to Melbourne. We were all of about 18 hrs on the ground. Sitting in the departure lounge gave me time to send off a quick Christmas email to all our far-flung friends. We have really enjoyed catching up on the news of those of you who had already sent the Annual Christmas Letter.
The thrill of excitement I used to experience in Departure Lounges has certainly waned but the good thing about this trip is that at the other end will be our family. Adrian, Luke and Tahlia have all flown to Melbourne and we are going to be sharing a house in Black Rock. My sister Judy lives just around the corner in Beaumaris, my brother Colin is in Mitcham and Mum is still in her own home in Yarra Glen. Eric's brother Kenny is in Talbot and both Laurie and Reg are in Maryborough.
It was wonderful to be met by Judy and Roger so early in the morning and whisked away to their place without having to queue for a taxi. On the way we stopped off for breakfast at their favourite cafe; we usually share this 'Al fresco' on the wide footpath with the sea breeze taking out the sting of the sun, but that morning it was a bit too chilly and damp outside. Melbourne was looking sullenly grey but the forecast suggests the temperature will improve. We were not long out of bed as neither of us slept well on the plane.
Later in the day Luke, Tahlia and Adrian arrived, having spent the night before just outside Moe, in Gippsland, at Tahlia's parent's place. They have been able to borrow a car from Mervyn and Yvonne which gives them independence. Adrian is very unwell with bronchitis but we are just so happy to be able to share this time with them. We moved into the house in Black Rock that we will call home for the next 4 days. It belongs to good friends of Jude and Rog who spend Christmas with family in Sydney each year. This is not the first time we have had the opportunity to use it and their dog Busta knows us well. Our main responsibility is to walk Busta each day, no real chore when the beach is only 2 blocks away.
The next morning, Christmas Eve, Jude drove me up to Yarra Glen to collect Mum so she wasn't missing out on all the fun. Jude had to drive as my Australian Driver's License has expired and I can't renew it until I front up for a new photo at an NT MVR office. Rog and Eric had been hoping to play golf but unfortunately Eric's cold has kept him in bed. Melbourne has been getting plenty of late Spring and early Summer rain so everything looks lovely and green, so many nature strip trees are in flower and everyone's gardens look vibrant. So different to just a few years ago with the severe water restrictions due to the drought. Mum's garden is no exception, blooming beautiful, and I couldn't leave without taking at least a few beetroot from her vegetable garden. We had coffee down the street before the drive home and I had the opportunity to see the the memorial, constructed by local sculptor Ernst Fries, which honours those who lost their lives in the area when the fires swept through this region in Feb 2009 and celebrating the resilience of the town. It is a massively heavy concrete and stained glass installment in McKenzie Reserve.
Mum spent the afternoon with us and then we shared Eric's soup and Rog's pizzas from the bbq for dinner while watching Carols by Candlelight on tv from the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Jude has generously lent Eric her car for the next few days.
Col joined us for Christmas lunch at Roger and Jude's the next day, along with their kids Jason and Bec. Eleven of us sat around the lovely table with the doors and windows wide open onto the patio and garden which has been transformed and feels just like another room of the house. It is hard to believe this is the 6th Christmas without Dad, it doesn't feel that long and and in fact I had a good sense that he was smiling at the thought of us all being together. Roger shared a poem with us that recommended we all slow down, do a slow dance through life, and don't miss the things that really matter.
The next day we reconvened around the same table to celebrate Mums 90th birthday. In fact her birthday is on New Year's Day but we have to return to Singapore before then as Eric has work commitments on the 31st Dec. This time we were joined by Col's partner Beth and three of his 4 children, Liz, Nathanial and Anna who also bought her partner Yarran. The eldest son James is living with his family out of Brisbane and will spend time with Mum in January. So, we expanded to 17 around the table as Jason's fiance Georgie was also able to join us. It was a wonderful celebration of life; Mum held court at the head of the table, reminiscing about her childhood, until a phone call from James interrupted her. Maybe that was a good thing as her long term memory is still phenomenal and we might only be up to her teenage years if it hadn't been for him. We each had a chance to speak about the impact she had made on each of our lives. There were many qualities that were mentioned but the most common thread was her dogged determination and strength of character, sense of community and love of her family. And we all love her for it.
At some point, while I was travelling out to bush schools in the NT and spending lonely nights in crappy accommodation, I began writing up my memories of growing up on the dairy farm at Dixon's Creek. I think I initially did it with my own children in mind because I felt they had no way of relating to what it was like to be a country kid in Australia in the 60's. This year when Judy visited we got talking about memories and I told her what I had once started but not revisited since. As we laughed about shared memories we came up with the idea of collaborating, and then that grew into including Col and before you know it we now have a Google doc on which we are all contributing, even our children are contributing at least what they said around the birthday table. I was tickled when Adrian mentioned Mum's generosity to those in need and how that has transferred to the extended family including the one who 'is willing to purchase discarded chip packets from Nepal that have been transformed into decorations in order to help put food on someone’s table who doesn't enjoy the same benefits we do in our country'. Now I wonder who that could be? It will be shared with Mum on her actual birthday and she will have the editing rights as she probably does better at remembering than any of us. Thanks to Bec's recent photo compilation she put together for Jude's birthday this year, we were also able to include some images which help to bring it to life.
The next day we drove to Ballarat to meet up with Eric's family. Adrian came with us but Luke and Tahlia were meeting up with her family at Phillip Is. Should be a lovely day there as the weather is sunny, even in Ballarat. Luke and Tahlia just seem so relaxed and happy together, we are very happy for them. Laurie had arranged for Kenny and Reg and Alison to come too, which was an unexpected surprise. Laurie and Sue also had two of their sons Matthew and Adam with wife Sarah and child from Sydney with them. The only son missing was Nathan who is in Melbourne.
After lunch at Oscars we went up to the park at lake Wendouree where both Eric and I once had to demonstrate our prowess at canoeing to pass courses at Teachers College. I also did rowing and sailing. We both vividly recall the freezing, murky water and creepy feeling of all those water-weeds tangling around your ankles as you demonstrated the capsize drill. But today we can just soak up the sunshine and watch the kids enjoying the fabulous play equipment before a coffee in Piper's Cafe and then all hitting the different roads home. It seems Smith boys will always prefer to puddle in water though.
We returned to Black Rock where Adrian packed and after watching the 20-20 cricket we drove him back into the city to catch a Skybus to the airport for his red-eye flight back to Darwin. He has some big decisions to make in the next few weeks about his future and it has been so good to be involved in the discussions. It was good to be sending him home looking and sounding much healthier too.
Early the next morning we dropped the car back at Beaumaris and caught a taxi to the airport. Eric has done a wonderful job navigating all over the place and we are really grateful for the lend of the car as it gave us the independence we needed without the added expense of hiring. This daytime flight was much easier, and when we arrived at Cherry Hill Condo we were quite relaxed really. Well, that was until I discovered my camera was missing. I had distinct memories of feeling it in my bag on the flight, so felt quite sure it was left on the plane, but......... After unsuccessful calls to Airport Lost and Found I made a police report at Serangoon Station the next morning so I would be able to at least claim it on travel insurance. So cross with myself for having been so careless!
Am feeling a lot more relaxed this morning. Yesterday, while we were out walking around Chinatown (well it was Monday wasn't it!), I got a call back from Airport Security to say they had found my camera. When we completed the walking trail I took the train back out to the airport and collected it. So, we've washed and put away all the clothes from both trips. Paid the bills and arranged for my ukulele to be delivered today. Google kindly changed one of my pics I had used in the last blog post to a gif which now has a snow falling effect. Not sure how they did that but it made a nice NYE present for Peter and one of our guides who featured in it. You can see it on the blog if you scroll to Dec12. It turned out to be our trek summit so quite an appropriate special effect. We've caught up with some of our colleagues and trekking partners since returning and will do so again tonight as it is NYE. Eric has had to rise early this morning to attend a breakfast meeting with all the new recruits. He will spend some of the day then with two of them out at the Punggol Branch. I'm loving just having the place to myself, not that I haven't really enjoyed the company over the last four weeks but today I just feel indulgent; don't care if I talk to myself, what I look like.....Oh, that's the doorbell. Must be my uke arriving, better tidy myself up.
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