Our girls went to high school at John Paul College a local school. It was a private Christian college. In 1990 Carol had finished school and was at University but Sonya was in Year 11 at JPC. Both girls had followed in their father's footsteps and played the trumpet. They had both been in the school concert band and marching band. Marching Bands were not popular in Australian schools but the music teacher at JPC decided to form a marching band at JPC. The school invited Canadian Marching Bands to visit JPC and coach the teachers and children in marching band techniques.
In 1990 JPC Marching Band was invited to the Calgary Stampede and the International Marching Band competition in Calgary. The children organised all kinds of fund raising activities to raise $500,000 the cost of getting 200 children to Canada and Disneyland in LA.
Every Friday evening is Happy Hour at the Community Centre in our village. Residents take a plate of nibblies and buy drinks from the bar and spend the evening socialising. Last Friday was a special evening because we were saying goodbye to one of our staff members. Olivia was our accountant and she is also the daughter of Chiou See who built the village but sold it a few years ago. It was an emotional evening for Olivia. In her speech she mentioned how she had lived in a caravan on the village site when she was a child with her mother and two siblings. So the village was like a second home for her. Now she is ready to move on in her life to new adventures.
Sonya came to visit us on Sunday. She loves to take the dog for a walk in the forest. She talked her dad into taking the scooter into the forest. It was a bit tricky getting through the special gate for prams and scooters but not for motor bikes. But after the gravel path there were lots of concrete pathways for the scooter. So Sonya, the dog, Chief, the old man and the old woman entered the forest. The picnic park was full of visitors and the smell of barbecued sausages and steak made my mouth water.
The rain has stopped so we can get back to morning walks. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I walk with my long time walking buddies Helen, Maureen and Joan. Maureen and Joan felt like they needed a break on Tuesday and Thursday. However, Helen and I wanted to do every morning Mon-Fri. We have met two other girls, Lee and Dianne, who walk everyday so we asked if Helen and I could join them on Tuesday and Thursday. Lee and Dianne walk in the forest. So yesterday we walked in the forest. It is still dark when I get up at 6:00am but it is light when we start to walk.
The State of Origin is an annual rugby league series played between teams representing the Australian states of Queensland (the Maroons) and New South Wales (the Blues). It is called "State of Origin" because players represent the state where they first played senior rugby league rather than who they play for now. The series consists of three matches each year in June, July and August. The team that wins two of the matches is declared the winner. Last Wednesday was the second match in this year's competition and it was our Resident's Dinner Night. We were asked to wear the colour of the team we supported. Bill and I don't bother watching Rugby League because we prefer to watch Football (Soccer). However, being Queenslanders we did wear Maroon although Bill had on a red coat with a maroon checked shirt. I wore Maroon cords and a maroon jumper. The dinner finished at 8:00pm so everyone could go home and watch the match. They could have watched on the big screen in the community centre but a vote was taken and everyone wanted to watch at home. New South Wales had won the first match so every Queenslander was hoping Queensland would win the second.
L to R: Mandy and Andrew, Ian and Clover, Joan and Faith. (Faith is one of our oldest residents in her nineties and still alert but has sciatica)
This was my table. Bill is in the red jacket listening to Noela, her husband, Robin is talking to Rhonda and Anne (hiding behind Rhonda.)
Thanking the students.
