Obviously we use the computer all the time, putting fingers to the key board, but unless something spectacular or really newsworthy happens there seems little point in communicating it.
Of course we felt very flat once Jim and Henry left us. Its amazing how easily it is to slip back into being a larger family once again. Its was great to have our son and grandson number 4 for such an extended time and especially over the Christmas period. The Christmas festivities were such a different experience for Henry, I hope he enjoyed it and will remember it always.
So what has been happening in our neck of the woods? Nothing springs to mind other than the need for rain. The first part of the year has been exceptionally hot and dry and its been hard work to keep the garden alive. Things have taken a positive move in the last few weeks with some good falls. We look at the weather maps and are envious of the areas that do get some rain. Becky, who lives less than 30 kms from us, will get rain while we wait in anticipation.
This is our water collection storage for the garden.
Our Aussie grandsons continue to give us great enjoyment. Both Alex and Ben continue to do very well at school and seem to be always getting awards or some sort of recognition. Ben went away to a music camp, with his guitar, and at the end of the camp all the kids had to play and perform a song that they liked. Ben chose to sing one of his own compositions and was amazed to hear it being sung around the school when they get back.
This photo was taken a couple of years ago. He is so confident of his playing and songwriting that he gave me his autograph and told me to look after it as it would be worth a lot in the future!!
Alex has found another interest and become a very talented photographer, easily surpassing this writer, and received school recognition for his talents. He is fast approaching the time when he has to make his electives at school which could affect any career path he has in mind. Hard choice and will be interesting for us oldies to follow.
In 2018 there was a Pheasant family reunion in the UK which we didn't go to. We thought it was far more important to save our money and plan to go to the one proposed for 2019. This one would also coincided with my Brother-in-laws 90th birthday. Its a big milestone in anyone's life and we wanted to be there to help him celebrate. Unfortunately he had a big fall while we were deliberating and I think things were a bit touch and go there for a while. We have always been very close to Ray and his family, more of the brother I never had than a brother-in-law, and he is closer in age to Di than her other siblings were. Thankfully he made a good recovery and was looking forward to his BIG day, which coincided with the day of the reunion.
Our travel plans got a bit difficult with various airlines, stop over places and of course the costs. We finally settled on Etihad Airways and flying into Manchester, although we would have preferred to fly into Birmingham but the arrangements became to complicated with stop overs etc.
In the planning stages we mentioned to Jim that he might like to come over to meet us, go to the reunion and catch up with relatives he hadn't seen for a number of years. When we gave him the dates we were traveling, he went ahead and booked a flight from Stockholm to meet us but must have forgotten that it takes us 24 hours to get there. As a result he was arriving a day before us but it was too late to change his flights. He and number one Swedish grandson, Johan, would have a day to themselves before we arrived.
A couple of weeks before we were due to fly out I wrote a general email to my sister Joy in USA and mentioned that we would be in the UK. I had the quickest response from her that I have ever had to say that she and Alan were already in the uk and was there any chance we could meet up. As we were overlapping by only three or four days it became a bit hard so I suggested that they join us at the Pheasant family reunion. We hadnt seen Joy and Alan for about 12 years so this was going to be a great get together.
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