Christmas Greetings

Thanks for all those who have visited this site over the past two years. It has been a delight to be able to stay in touch with people and even though it seems such an egoic exercise to assume that people actually want to know about our rather ordinary lives, it has also served for me as a diary of all the discoveries we have made living here in NSW.

I look back over the past blogs and am thankful for the places visited, family events enjoyed and friends who have journeyed with us along the way.

This will be my last post. I can see that it's time to let go a little.

I certainly hope that you continue to check in on Phil's blog, The Edge. It's more stuff about the organisation and the part we, particularly Phil plays here. My role has never quite been clear and recent difficult events have confirmed to me that NTM, just as it was in the past, is not a good fit for me.

My hopes for 2009 are that I can grow my Direct Intentions Mentoring and Consultancy business and work towards completing my Masters studies in Eductation.

As part of my business I run Mentor Training Courses and hope to run at least two next year, more if possible.

I also offer consultancy in the area of management and leadership issues and am working at present with a local church who are seeking to grow and change. I am hopeful of more work in this arena if possible.

So I bid you adieu and again thank you for your interest and your friendship.

Take care,

Di

Beetroot icecream and other strange phenomena

Yep! Beetroot icecream and it actually tasted delicious!

Mentoring has it's perks. A timely coffee and icecream while sharing life with a friend.

Well it certainly has been a rather interesting few weeks to say the least. Phil finally has a diagnosis after all the tests. His Gall Bladder is full of rocks, no way you say, it's all in his head. Well the tests say otherwise. So it's off to a specialist to join the queue of people lining up for surgeries in busy hospitals. Hopefully sooner so the attacks are minimised.

The past weeks have been filled with meetings, some pleasant and some not so, such is life when we are unique and precious individuals. We all come differently wrapped and all contain different stories and understandings of what life is about.

My son Craig emailed me the other day with the following encouragement:

Not everyone is going to agree with what you guys have to say but that is what makes life so interesting and creates challenges to keep us going. As long as you guys think it is the right thing and also keeping an open mind to constructive criticism (ignore stupid criticism) then just keep on keeping on I say.

Rather wise and challenging words when at times I do find it so much easier to cut and run rather than face some things head on.

Phil's family have experienced a tough week with the loss of a much beloved Uncle and Aunty.

Uncle Ian Wyllie was a strong, active man who loved his family and his God very deeply and was struck down by a debilitating stroke 6 years ago. It took its final toll last weekend and his family are grieving the loss deeply. We are feeling for Phil's mum who has lost a much loved brother.

Phil's Dad also lost a sister to cancer last week. We are feeling for Stuart, Phil's dad, who is feeling the distance between Australia and England where his sister lived.

Life is full of love and loss, sounds like a song, but it is true and because of love there is loss, a bittersweet experience indeed.

Mmmm, thanks for tracking with us in the ups and downs. That is what makes life very interesting indeed!

A timely outing to relax and enjoy friendships by the mighty Manning River on a Saturday avo. A quiet ale, Irish music playing at the Irish pub and some fun and laughs together.

The Manning River at Harrington.

Holding on for the Ride of Life

My wonderful hubbie. (photo courtesy Janelle Chin)

Wow, what a ride it has been these past few weeks. Each day has brought it's fair share of challenges, surprises and encouragements.

Jason has moved back home and is thoroughly enjoying life in Laurieton. Loving the surf and more relaxed lifestyle. He misses friends from Brisbane but was able to hitch a ride back up there with Uncle Jason this past weekend and catch up with friends and help Craig move house. Sounds crazy but we missed him heaps while he's away. Doesn't take long to get used to him being around us again!!!

Phil has had some rather interesting health challenges and we are still awaiting results of tests and all that jazz. It has been a concern but a timely reminder to continue to work on our fitness and health, plus continue to do what we love in life. You never know how long you have to enjoy the ride and we both want no regrets.

We have had the privilege of being part of a lovely couple's lives over this past 12 months and have tracked their journey of meeting and finally marrying on Saturday. Quite a community event as many pitched in to help make the day a very memorable one for the two of them.

Naomi and Michelle, lovely ladies ready to head into the church Sarah Asman ready to walk in to the church
Mr and Mrs Rodich- The Aussie and the Irish!

Signing their lives away. Ahhh, happy times!

Phil warning them they can still run! No seriously, he encouraged them as only an old married bloke can. Love and respect, accept the differences and learn to live with and for each other, seeking the best. I think he should have done the Princess Bride thing: 'Mawidge is wot bwings us togeda dis day'

Me saying a 'few words'. I know, you don't think I can do that at all. I wrote them a poem, so that kept me reasonably short.

Phil enjoyed being able to share at the wedding and was a driver as well. I just helped out here and there with bits and pieces to help things run smoothly on the day.

We've had plenty of visitors come and stay, some were wedding guests and it was a delight to meet new people. Phil and I put on a barbeque for all the visiting guests, he'd come out of hospital that day and was rather weary, but ever keen to stand by the barbeque and cook.

We also had Barbie Dyer drop in for a couple of days to check out the area. We showed her around and took her on the now infamous Tom's Creek Road drive. Coming from the Gold Coast she rather enjoyed seeing some countryside and believe it or not cows. Reminded her of Tassie and her home town of Sheffield. Though with Jason driving he did actually yell out the window to one rather reluctant stubborn cow who would not move off the road to try checking his mirrors next time.

Barbie posing at the Top of Tom's Creek Road. Fabulous views and very curious cows. I am so not good around cows, but am still here to tell the tale. Phil assures me they are safe. Mmmm, not convinced!
A good friend and great fun!

Coffee at Comboyne. The Udder Cow is the aptly named Coffee Shop.

Not sure at all that things will settle down from now on, but we are both enjoying living here at Laurieton and being part of people's lives. Makes for an interesting and full life which we enjoy very much.

Come and visit any time soon and we'll book you in for a ride down Tom's Creek Road. It must be on someone's bucket list somewhere. :)

Staghorms at Tom's Creek
Ahh, the serenity!

Great views from the top of the plateau.

Our Craig's 21st Birthday and Scott's 23rd

Looking surprised to be 21. Growing up can occur any time from now on!!!! :)

Check out the following link to see more photos of the Boat Party!

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/daggydaytrippers/CraigS21stOctober08#

OK, you've been wondering why it has taken so long to get this blog out. Well, maybe not, but to be honest I have been feeling so old and tired these past few weeks. Still recovering from three full days of parties to celebrate Craig and Scott's birthdays. Can't keep the pace, needed nana naps and just felt bone weary watching young people party sooo long and hard.

Craig, the birthday boy with his lovely, patient, understanding girlfriend Alyce

OK, enough of the old person comments.
Suffice to say, (love that phrase) we had an awesome time.

Craig enjoyed every one of the days, I think he remembers them!

Craig and his friends some of whom travelled all the way from Tassie to help him celebrate.

We began with a dinner at his favourite Indian Restaurant on the Thursday night with family and a few close friends, then on Friday they all (apart from us oldies) went to Dreamworld and then enjoyed a barbeque, pool party at John and Gail Napper's on the Friday night.

Kyle came out for tea to also celebrate his 16th birthday with his parents David and Jules.

Craig with old school friends from Tasmania and Melbourne.

Our Craig was named after two of our dearest friends, Craig Findlay and John Napper. Craig has enjoyed getting to know them again over the past couple of years, now that he's living in Brisbane and Nappers and Findlays are both living on the Gold Coast. Craig and Jason used to often drop in to John and Gail Napper's place, find the back door key, raid the fridge, swim in the pool, well splash and displace a lot of water onto the surrounding grass and generally make themselves comfy. Such is the way of good friends and we appreciate the influence both families continue to be on our boys.

Gail Napper, Neri (Nerdi according to Phil) Findlay and me.

Neri bought a cake for Scott to celebrate his birthday on the Friday night.

Saturday night was the big boat party cruising up and down the Brisbane River listening to Craig's music all night.

The birthday boys Scott and Craig. Both enjoyed the night very much.

Tee organised the boat party, the cake and all the evenings entertainment and food. What a lovely lady and 'big sis' to Craig.

Making speeches and showing baby photos was all part of the fun of the night and yes, we embarrassed him with the nudie baby photos.

The skipper and crew as we were disembarking reckoned they'd need trauma counselling after having to put up with the music all night. Gives you a glimmer of how loud and screamer, head banging it was.

Phil and I managed to hold conversations with heaps of Craig's friends throughout the evening over the top of the music. Great fun and great people to talk to.

We parted ways with the young ones as the boat docked at 11:30pm. They went on to paint the town red while we drove back to the Gold Coast for some sleep.
Sunday was a busy day for Phil and Jason, who hadn't slept all night, as they packed up all Jason's belongings including his scooter and we then returned to Laurieton on the Monday. A steady slow trip for our old Subaru with it's huge load and cracked head gasket that is still holding on with Stop Leak. That stuff is truly magical.

So here we are with Jason living with us and we are loving it. It's fun being a parent and having a son living with us again. Wouldn't trade it for quids and we have done more exercise in the past few weeks, due to his urging than we have in ages and we are back to no left overs in the fridge.

So there's life in the oldies yet, and yes, that is perhaps why I've been feeling sooo tired.

Between paddling, trail bike riding and body surfing we are struggling to keep the pace.

Phil continues to enjoy the challenges of leadership attending Board Meetings and lots of other meetings and engagements. Me, well, my role has shifted more to mentoring and I really enjoy quality time with people, listening, learning and walking alongside them as gently as I can.

Certainly don't need to rescue, fix or correct, but am more interested in listening, caring and being a friend.

Hopefully that is making a difference in a small way. Not so keen to change the world these days, just changing me. That seems like a miracle enough.

Faith, Family and Flowers

This past week Phil and I were involved in a Mission's Focus at Belconnen Baptist Church in Canberra. I had the privilege of speaking at a Ladies evening and at 4 of their church services which were held on the Saturday night, Sunday morning and evening. Phil spoke on the Saturday morning at a Men's Breakfast.

We appreciated the hospitality of Ian and Roslyn McTaggart who provided a bed and some lovely meals and fellowship for us while there.
We were both encouraged by the great feedback and interest in what we had to share.

It certainly was a hectic schedule, but we still managed time for family and a visit to Floriade the annual flower festival held in Canberra each September.

It was fun catching up with Andy, Helen and dear little Alex. What a perfect baby, sleeps through the night, easy going, eats everything put in front of him and yes, we are all certain the next one will have to give them a hard time to make up for number one son being soooo good.

Alex in a relaxed, enjoying the ride mood!

Chris and Annette and family had us over for a few meals and a night out on the town in Canberra. We enjoy their company and it is fun being in a more 'girlee house' as opposed to ours which had 'smelly socks' and who knows what else happening!

Phil and Chris launched their website and new business venture. Check it out!!!!! They both hope that the business will bring in an income eventually, which will certainly help us.

www.motorcycleridingcentral.com

Launching the new site with the press of a button and many, many hours of hard work.

If you are in to flowers, OK, I know, there are only so many that you can look at, but seriously it was a riot of colour, shape, texture and imagination as each flower bed represented a movie. It was fun working out which movie, the Kenny one was rather obvious though!!!!!

Click on the following link to view some of the many photos I took at Floriade, Mary, you would have loved the day by the way. :) I promise I've only put a few on the link, not the heaps I actually took. Phil was busy that day, couldn't make it for some unknown reason. Mmmm, maybe next time, I'll drag him along. There was jazz playing at the stage and some great street performers as well as the gazillion flowers.

http://picasaweb.google.com/daggydaytrippers/CanberraSept08#

We are now enjoying a few days retreat back at our friend's place in Wallaby Gully in the Hunter Valley and I hear there is a flower festival and olive festival on this weekend. Well I reckon the Olives will be the hit with Phil and I just might be able to drag him along to the Flower festival as well. though it is the big footy final weekend. So I might have to go it alone.

Will keep you all posted.

Thanks so much for your interest and care.