Last year I headed to Toowoomba for
Christmas with brother Ian and his wife Alison.
It had been going to be a surprise but Ian’s deteriorating health made
me think he should know. So he met me at
the station – Greyhound bus for the last leg, from Brisbane to Toowoomba…. Sam, doing his Elective in Sydney, flew up
for Christmas, not knowing that Granny was ahead of him – he did get a
surprise!! After we both came home, Ian
and Alison continued to do one of his favourite things, travelling. In Albuquerque he passed away
peacefully. I miss him terribly as we
emailed practically daily and talked weekly, for all the years he and Alison
were married. Alison and I carry on this
tradition, happily!
Again Moira and
the three younger children invited me to join them on a week’s cruise round the
Canaries – wonderful, though I had
thought I would not think a lot of such a large boat! Then summer came, in name anyway! My lovely visitors came and went, some now
old friends, some new - all “enjoying” the worst summer weather EVER. It went on and on till the very end of
October, when the skies cleared, the temperatures rocketed and we had some
weeks of marvellous weather – the days shortened and the clocks went back an
hour and we were staring winter in the face!
My last visitors
left before the brief summer weather began – Angela and Richard, you will see
the sun again here!! I did a bit of
tidying in and out, went to Edinburgh for a few days and came back to yet more
appalling weather, when gale after gale battered the coastline. The only damage here was to the greenhouse –
two big panes blown out….
Moira and Colin
are well. Moira is busier now, with
frequent trips to London, in connection with her work. Sam, 23 0n Dec 10th, graduated in
July, with Moira , Catriona and I there to see him become a doctor. He is now doing his two years hospital work
and enjoying it. Catriona will be 16 in
April and is heading towards her first major exams in school and still enjoying
all her dancing classes. Sean, 12 , is
now in High School too and loving it – and his football! Daniel, 10, spent quite a lot of time here in
the summer, sailing and discovering the “power” of the wee outboard
engine! He has one more year in Primary
School….
Christmas I may
well spend in Edinburgh, as it is always lovely to be beside the family then. I usually come home for New Year, though, as
most friends are here and I do get a lot of phone calls from relatives in New
Zealand and Australia then…. New Year
celebrations are still very much in vogue here, as they were when the village
was young, a hundred and fifty++ years ago.
Lately the bonfire on the island, with fireworks, has become the hub
just before the bells, and then people visit houses as they return home. As I live at the other end of the village to
the bonfire, I may pop in to a few houses en route! But if it is a stormy night, I shall not
venture out, preferring to visit friends on January 1 – or have them visit
here! It is always a bit of a lottery,
but by January 3rd, everyone has usually seen everyone else….
I hope that you
have had a trouble free year and that you and your family and friends will have
a lovely festive time – Happy New Year when it comes!
Ann
