So precious (all the things you can't live without) (Tim Finn)

Wie geht's?

I manage to sneak in a couple of Netflix sports' documentaries while Jacky is otherwise engaged. Recently - Johnny Football, about Johnny Manziel, a quarterback at Texas A&M, who flamed out, the other - season 3 of Sunderland 'Til I Die.

Both focus on the passionate culture around sport. In each case, whether it be American Football or football, the local team is a huge part of the town's identity. The title for each says it all - Johnny Football - the boy/man becomes indistinguishable from the game and Sunderland 'Til I Die sums up the allegiance and commitment Mackem's have for their team. 

That made me think about growing up and playing football for one club in Auckland. 

Although I had the commitment, taking myself off to Seymour Park age 4 to play for Eden A.F.C., and I heard loads of English and Scottish voices from dads and coaches, I didn't experience the same blind devotion to the club, from either myself or others.

The eagle eyed will find two other club stalwarts in both pictures - Grant King and his dad, Bob. 

I stayed with the club until the late eighties, as the above photo shows, but then drifted away from playing. I'm fond of Eden A.F.C, but it didn't take over my whole life, as it does for Mackems. 

I have watched rugby in NZ for many years and the parochial passion for a local team is tepid compared to my experiences supporting Arsenal in the UK.

I miss that passion.

I put it down to the laid-back Kiwi classless persona and our adherence to equity and fair play. We're more English than the English in this regard. The desperate win at all costs attitude of Aussies is not for us. We still remember the underarm bowling incident and Andy Haden's shameful action attempting to win a penalty against Wales.

So, unless it's the All Blacks, when it comes to supporting 'our' team we shrug if we lose (with an All Black loss the country wrings its hands and is depressed en masse, at least it used to be - even that has changed I feel).

When we win we shake hands stoically and don't get big headed.

Our population and geographical splits have something to do with it too. NZ is so spread out and thinly populated. In stark contrast, North London rivalry between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur is super intense. I've taught in North London and the red half of the school loved me, but the white half got stuck in on a daily basis! Again, I do miss that.

Was good to be reminded of that passion while watching those documentaries.

Love and peace - NZ Gooner Woz (come on Arsenal!)

Further on in the game, waiting up till the children came. Place your bets, no regrets. We got married (Paul McCartney)

Nearly twenty years ago (2007)

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Part one ended at April 21st, 2004. From then until 2007 we lived in Leigh-on-sea, an old picturesque fishing village in Essex. Victoria Road holds many memories: foxes destroying rubbish bags at night; Jade inconsolable when Adam returned to NZ; Jacky and the girls dancing in the snow; walking to the train station; walks to Rayleigh Castle; the 30 second walk to the Broadway for Costcutters, Fives, and the pet store. I loved Victoria Road.  

At the start of 2007 we returned to NZ, in time for me to start at Stratford High School, while Jacky worked at Taranaki Base Hospital.

Having lived, worked, and had many adventures in Qatar, The UAE, and China, we were, by April 21st, 2014 back living again in Hawke's Bay - Otane to be specific. I was working at Woodford House, Jacky was at Hastings' Hospital.

Keegan, Adam, Samantha, and Jade were now in their twenties and all grown up. Yes - we were now empty nesters! It's a strange feeling. We'd spent twenty years as a family of six living together, and now the kids were no longer kids. They were now busy living their own lives, without needing us in the same way. As I said, it's a strange feeling.

The photo from that time, taken during a tour of The Emirates stadium, implies we were still in the UK but we'd flown back for a holiday while living in Otane.

OngaOnga, April 2024.

That brings us bang up to date - April 21st, 2024. After a stint in Maungaturoto and Caterham (Surrey), we now find ourselves living in Central Hawke's Bay. I work for OneSchool Global and Jacky is at Hastings' Hospital again.

As for the rock steady Purdy crew: Keegan lives in China; Adam lives in Melbourne with his wife Ashleigh and their daughter - Poppy; Samantha is in Los Angeles with her partner, Andrew;  Jade is in Palmerston North with her son Asher and her partner Chris.

Living their lives.

Jacky and I head into our 5th decade together with an eye for fresh adventures. Things like retirement will eventually have to be considered. But not yet.

Love and peace - Wozza/WNP/dad/Abu Keegan/El Presidente (Greg and Kev will understand)

I would like you to dance (The Beatles)

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

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A brief pause before I get to our second twenty years together, a quick post to celebrate Jacky's birthday this week (even though she didn't want one, it has to be done).

No embarrassing photos, no gushy sentimentality, I promise.

Instead, a short clip from The Beatles!

Love, now and forever - W

Just as well love was all we ever wanted, It was all we ever had (Paul McCartney)

Off on our mystery ride, 1984.

Wie gehts?

Welcome to the first of a two-parter to commemorate our ruby wedding anniversary. First part takes in the first 20 years from 1984 to 2004.

April 21, 1984 has been the subject of a few posts over the years. Brief summary - the two of us lived at 31C Lorna Street in New Plymouth. There were no children yet. Doesn't seem real in many ways.

I was into my second year of teaching at New Plymouth Boys' High School, Jacky was modelling and working for Whites Department Store in New Plymouth.

Our first decade saw us up to our elbows in dirty nappies - literally. It was one after another until four sproglettes invaded our space. So, it was a decade of sleepless nights, single income struggles, cloth nappy rotation (if disposal nappies were around we never used them - crazy but our belts were tight. Good thing we were both skinny to start with), and vehicle upgrades.

When I first met Jacky, I drove an orange Mini. We'd moved from that to inheriting mum's Chevette, then buying a station wagon and by 1994 we needed a white Ford van. We had bench seats fitted so that we could fit our family of six aboard. This was also useful when we added Annette Sivak and her two kids to the car-pool into work while living in Wakefield.

Second decade, still smiling!

Our second decade April 21st, 1994 - 2004 and our four millennials had joined us in Wakefield, in the South Island of NZ: Keegan 9; Adam 7; Samantha nearly 5; Jade 2.

During that first decade I'd gained a promotion after working at Macleans College in Auckland. So, we'd moved to Nelson for me to work at Waimea College. After ten years of babies, babies, and more babies Jacky was thinking about retraining as a nurse. Fair enough! We'd soon be on the move - back to Auckland.

We had made some great friends in Nelson and had some terrific holidays with them and our old Auckland friends. In terms of parenting, we were all flying the plane while building it. The kids were about to turn into teenagers - were we prepared? Were we eck as like!

Embarking on our third decade in the UK, 2004

On our 20th anniversary, April 21st, 2004, we were living at Alpha St in Cambridge, but after our trip to Edinburgh in 2003 we were keen to move to the UK. Leigh-on-sea in England (Victoria Road to be precise) would become our home by the end of 2004. Keegan was now studying at Waikato University, Adam and Samantha were at Cambridge High School, Jade was about to start secondary school.

So, at the time, it seemed an ideal opportunity for a gigantic upheaval. We sold up pretty much everything and set sail for blighty with a suitcase each. I soon found that shedding a skin is a fine abstract idea but it gets messy in practical terms.

As soon as we landed, half the family wanted to go 'back home'.

In the UK I began work at The King John School in Benfleet and Jacky was a nurse at a variety of London hospitals.

Our third decade ahead had plenty of challenges but we managed our way through them together. Somehow.

Next up - the second part taking in 2004 to 2024.

Love and peace - Wozza

I should have known you'd always keep me waiting for those wedding bells (Godley and Creme)

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The next couple of posts will be about weddings. You have been warned!

Poppy Mae is 7 months old and has attended three weddings thus far. This prompted a good question from Adam - did he attend any weddings before Michelle and Gavin's? That one was 20 years ago.

Sidebar - memorable wedding that one - in that I remember it well. It ended up being very romantic: Gavin's singing at the lovely little Taranaki church, the reception during the storm that created a power outage, and the subsequent use of candlelight are all distinctive memories from February 14, 2004.

So, that got me thinking about our family and friends' weddings between 1986 (when Adam was born) and 2004.

Four years after mum passed away, dad remarried, to Nita, on Oct 3, 1987, and we used our neighbours (Rodney and Di) to babysit Keegan age 3, and Adam roughly Poppy's age. I doubt Keegan remembers much about life at Dornwell Rd., Three Kings and you were a baby.

It was a nice wedding. As best man, I gave a speech at the reception. Nita had been mum's bridesmaid and was Ross' Godmother, so she already had strong links to the family. 

A second family wedding was when Ross married Lynda, April 9, 1988, and we attended, but again - Keegan age 4 and Adam age 2 - were home, still Dornwell Road, with the same friends babysitting. 

That's it for family weddings during that time. 

As for friends, they were either married already and having babies, like us, or else overseas.

There you go Adam. Hope that answers your question.

Love and peace - dad

Every day a little sadder, a little madder, someone get me a ladder (Emerson Lake & Palmer)

PJ, Wozza and Annette on Jackett's Island, Motueka, 1994

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Recently, I learnt of Peter Joyce's death in early March, from Annette.

PJ and I became friends when I joined the staff at Waimea College in 1990. I became Head of English the same year, and PJ was one of the teachers in the English department.

An accidental but excellent English teacher (he accidentally got into the wrong recruiting line at University), he was extremely quick witted and funny, quietly spoken, principled, extremely bright, a sceptic, an enthusiastic tennis player (we'd play on weekends sometimes and every Friday after school with two of his Nayland College mates), and...well, we just got on and enjoyed each other's company, really.

Together we produced the school's end of year magazine for four years, were part of an all-conquering pub quiz team, aimed to outdo each other's Tetris scores (he always beat my latest high score), laughed at all sorts of crazy things, and we discussed grammar issues and music endlessly.

He suffered from tinnitus, and one day I forgot that when he was complaining in the staff room about the loudness of a visiting rock band, I jokingly and ill-advisedly, said, "Lighten up, PJ". He wasn't impressed and told me so.

It would became an in-joke but I've never forgotten that lesson.

After I left Waimea College to go back to Auckland to work, we kept in touch. He set me up for a job in China in 2012 that saved our bacon and we often discussed the absurd case that was brought against him. PJ wrote a book about it - very Peter, that response.

Even though I've not visited Nelson in many years, I find it hard to grasp that he's passed away.

So, PJ - I'll play Jack Bruce's Songs For A Tailor album, and Emerson Lake And Palmer's Still...You Turn Me On for you today (we often puzzled over the nonsense lyric that I've quoted above), and give thanks for having met you. 

As with all of the students you taught, my life is the richer for it.

Love and peace to Nida and Ken - WNP

 

There but for fortune (Joan Baez)

Wie geht's? 

Another update post:

• Still quiet at Maple Grove, rodent wise.  
• Bleak House - up to page 110.
• Autumn - four weeks in and still having 20 plus degree days and around 10 degree nights, so the mild changes continue. Getting darker in the mornings though, and this weekend's forecast has Jacky engaged in crazy talk about needing our first fire of the season.
• Walks continue around the Mitre 10 Sports park during my working week.
• The records* I ordered last Tuesday from Real Groovy arrived after I contacted them. Human error apparently. To be fair they quickly got a wriggle on and I got them yesterday. 
• The Gentlemen - we're up to episode 4 (of 8), but Jacky suddenly isn't fussed - too weird she says. So, I've been catching up on the 2023 Formula One season (Drive To Survive).
• WTWMC True Colours playlist on Spotify has finished investigating songs with brown in the title. Greg is up with the next colour - he's teasing us again and making us wait until Friday! 
• Arsenal F.C. not playing because of the international break.  

Consider yourself up to date on Planet Wozza.

Love and peace - WNP

* I'll add this down here because Noel Forth is probably one of the few people in the universe who will get this: the records in question included an album by Stairsteps (Second Resurrection) on Dark Horse Records. It's a new copy as I've failed to ever find a second hand one. Also in the package was Andy Pratt's Resolution album on Nemperor Records.

Along with Apple Records, Dark Horse Records, Ring 'O' Records, I also collect albums put out on Nemperor Records because of the Beatle connection.

The Beatle connection? Nemperor was set up by Brian Epstein and his American associates Nat Weiss and Shaun Weiss in 1966. It was active as a record label from 1974 to 1986. There were some cool people on the label - Stanley Clarke, Jerry Goodman, Lenny White, Jan Hammer, and others (including Andy Pratt).

It's a pretty big world God, and I'm awful small (Eels)

Maple Grove - east side, about 10 minutes ago.

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Update post: 

• The rats have taken the bait and all is quiet - nothing is stirring, not even a mouse (Laney sees to that)
• Bleak House - Only on page 71 - the working week means little time for recreational reading
• Autumn - three weeks in and still having 20 plus degree days and around 10 degree nights, so mild changes so far.
• Walks continue around the Frimley streets at lunchtime when I can, and up to the Four Square in Takapau and back, the bridge across the Tuki Tuki is still not reinstalled after a year on from the cyclone.
• The records I ordered last Tuesday from Real Groovy have yet to arrive. Not cool, maan.
• The Gentlemen - we're up to episode 4 (of 8).
• WTWMC True Colours playlist on Spotify is currently investigating songs with brown in the title.
• Family zoom on Sunday continues. Last week - 2 (of 4) - those being Jade and Keegan, could make it. This week the whole crew was on!
• Arsenal F.C. not playing because of the international break. I watched a toothless England lose to Brazil 1 nil.

You're up to date on Planet Wozza.

Love and peace - WNP

I only ask to be free. The butterflies are free. Mankind will surely not deny to Harold Skimpole what it concedes to the butterflies (Charles Dickens, Bleak House)

Wie geht's?

Bleak House is my latest Dicken's epic novel. I'm betting very few readers of blogs in 2024 have actually read this classic, let alone any Dickens.

Come on - show of hands - who's read this?

Hmmm. Just as I thought.

A few years ago, I was like you. Ignorant to the joys of Charles Dickens.

But no longer.

To be fair, it does take me 30 pages on average to get back into the rhythm of his writing. But by then I've laughed out loud plenty of times. He really is a very funny writer.

So, that's me for the next few weeks - enjoying Bleak House.

Just sayin'.

Love and peace - Wozza

Hot meat, hot rats, hot cats, hot rits (Frank Zappa/ Captain Beefheart)

Photo by Alexas_Fotos on Unsplash

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Rats.

I don't like rats.

I love autumn. 

I love living in the country, without close neighbours. 

I love Maple Grove (our 3 acre lifestyle property with a 5 bedroom villa that is over 120 years old).

But I don't like rats.

Autumn, it turns out, does have a downside, even though I hate to admit it.

It's like the calendar ticks over to March 1st and the local rat family gets the signal to pack their bags and take shelter in our ceiling.

The first hint came a week ago with some scratching above us, so I reset all the bait stations (two under the house, one in the tack shed/garage, and one in the ceiling).

I'll need to check and refill them all this weekend, as the noises above and in the wall behind our bed have yet to abate.

The noises have woken us up each night (once, in our sleep state, we thought it was an earthquake). This is a pain, and needs to stop, and it does take time to get rid of the pesky visitors.

But, to be clear, I still love autumn.

Love and peace - Wozza

The sky cracked its palms in naked wonder (Bob Dylan)

Gracie enjoying autumn at Maple Grove

Wie geht's?

Autumn has officially arrived and my spirits have revived considerably as a consequence.

We have wood ready for April's first fires at Maple Grove, the grass hardly needs a cut (cooler, darker days), leaves are starting to turn, shadows are starting to lengthen, and the garden furniture as well as the shade sails have been stowed until November.

It's all deeply satisfying!

Go here for more of my annual celebrations of autumn.

Love and peace - Wozza

The mystery man got nervous an' he fidget around a bit (Frank Zappa)

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After finishing Ladder Of Years on the weekend, I picked up the next two on the overdue reading list: Mick Jagger (Philip Norman) and Bleak House (Charles Dickens).

I think these two will go together well. Jagger has always seemed like a Dickensian character to me (especially of late). There is, after all, a lawyer named Jagger in Great Expectations!

I've also been playing Hackney Diamonds (The Rolling Stones album released last year) on high rotate. It's brilliant and Mick's voice is uncannily unchanged after 60 years of performing.

How does he do it? I am hoping that Mr. Norman will give me some clues.

First revelation - Michael Philip Jagger was born on July 26th, 1943. My father was also born on July 26 (a few years earlier). Two more unlike people would be hard to find!

I am totally engrossed. I usually much prefer autobiographies but that seems very unlikely in Jagger's case, but this biography is superb.

Love and peace - Wozza

The four building blocks of the universe are fire, water, gravel and vinyl (Dave Berry)

Vinyl is in mt DNA

Wie geht's?

Just lately I've been buying care packages of records every couple of weeks from my regular haunts. The latest this week came from Marbeck's Records.

I mentioned this in the staff room when someone asked what I was looking forward to most this week. "Records from Marbecks", was my instant reply.

"Oh Marbecks", they said. "Why is that a highlight?"

So, I said, "Do you really want to know?"

And they said, "Yeah, it's a slow morning".

So I embarked on an explanation that took in my mother working at Auckland's Lewis Eady's in the record department and having to walk down to the Queen's Arcade where Marbeck's has always been, to see Mr. Marbeck about record orders; my own time working for the Marbecks family with Roger Marbeck in the jazz and pop side, during my university days; my taking my pay in records; our two growing families being close while our kids came along and grew up, and our taking holidays together; to today where I am still happily buying online from the greatest NZ record store. Not much has changed.

For the record (ha ha) the package included some Van Dyke Parks and War albums (a couple from when they'd finished their association with Eric Burdon).

Long live Marbecks Records!

Love and peace - Wozza

Smoke and dust, the stuff of simple myth trying to be legend (Marcus Aurelius)

Photo by Christian Sterk on Unsplash

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I rarely get deep and meaningful on this blog but I do start each day from that position. As part of my morning routine I read the daily entry in three deep and meaningful and cool books.

As long-time readers know, one is Venerable Master Hsing Yun's 366 Days With Wisdom. The other two are The Daily Stoic and 365 Days With The Saints.

Interestingly, they often coincide in their foci. Seldom all three, but very often two of the three focus on the same theme or idea.

Today Yun and the stoics were looking at the concept of legacy.

Marcus knew that no matter what we do when we're alive, it's like building a castle in the sand, soon to be erased by the winds of time.

Happily, Hsing Yun points out that a legacy is not necessarily something visible, solid or valuable to be left behind but by living well and enjoying the brief time we have and not being enslaved to emotions that make us miserable and dissatisfied, we can still leave behind our humane spirit and wisdom to our future generations (as Marcus has done, and, maybe, just maybe, this weblog).

Love and peace - Wozza

I don't want to settle down, all I need is the right reaction (Dragon)

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I've seldom been so happy to finally finish a book. In fact I feel a bit giddy with the feeling (or that could be the two Export Ultra low carb lagers I've just had to celebrate).

Yes, I finally put Roderick Random in the finished pile, ready to take back to a secondhand book shop.

Frankly, it's been a struggle re-reading this after 40 years, but I stuck with it. So much goes on in the novel - he's up at the end, but mostly he's either down, or really down throughout the 468 pages of small print.

I'd also forgotten there was an episode involving Random profiting from being on a ship transporting slaves towards the end of the novel, before he is reunited with his long-lost father. 

It's a gulp moment that must have generated a lot of heated discussion back in 1980 at Auckland University's MA common room. Sadly, I don't remember the nitty gritty of that phase of my education too well.

Tobias Smollett's The Adventures Of Roderick Random was first published in 1748, well before the odious practice ended, or even peaked. I'm sure this fact figured in our university tutorials in 1980.

It's a curious part of the adventure because, as well as sharing in some of the profits Random (Smollett) sniffily calls it 'the disagreeable lading (i.e. loading) of Negroes, to whom. indeed, I had been a miserable slave since our leaving the coast of Guinea'. So, Random and Smollett don't redeem themselves at all.

Anyway. On to Anne Tyler and some palate cleansing.

Love and peace - Wozza

Win the rat race, you're still a rat.

Wie geht's?

Rinse and repeat.

Recently, that's how a colleague described the cycle of weekly morning routines>work>evening routines>sleep>morning routines>work>evening routines>sleep>...

It's a cycle (some may want to refer to this as a treadmill) that we all fall into some extent unless we've won Lotto, are Taylor Swift, or happily living without the need to pay for rent/ mortgage/ transport/ clothes/ food etc.

The trick to life, as James Taylor knows (Tay Tay is named after him), is to enjoy the passage of time. Even through the brainless drudge.

Actually, enjoying the routines and rituals of daily life comes relatively easy to me. As I've previously indicated, I don't mind mowing lawns, ironing shirts, or emptying dishwashers (I draw the line at vacuuming though). 

To me, that's good thinking time. My brain isn't mindful of the task especially. Instead, it wanders lonely as a cloud.

Okay. Blogpost done. What's next?

Love and peace - Wozza.

If things start happening, don't worry, don't stew, just go right along and you'll start happening too (Dr Seuss)

Photo by Sergey Vinogradov on Unsplash

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All good? Great.

Me? Somehow, I picked up a cold in the middle of summer. I've tested each day for covid and it's negative. So, a common garden variety old fashioned cold it is. A non-covid style virus in other words.

It has had all the hallmarks of an upper respiratory tract virus: sore throat for a couple of days, sneezes, runny nose (onto my second tissue box), headache and zero energy.

A classic seven dayer (sore throat started on Saturday so Thursday was day 7), it made me wonder where all that river of clear fluid comes from.

By the way, the medical term for a runny nose with thin, clear fluid is rhinorrhea.

According to Doctor Google - A runny nose happens due to an increase in the production of nasal mucus. While a runny nose can have many causes, it often occurs due to inflammation of the tissues inside your nose. This is known as rhinitis.

Why does this happen? Well, the virus attacked the tissues of my nose and throat. In response, my nose produced more mucus to help trap and wash viral particles away. This caused a persistent runny nose with clear fluid.

Two boxes of tissues later (the dry-me-up meds didn't seem to help much) and seven days later it's dried up.

Someone obviously passed the virus to me at school. The incubation period for the common cold is typically between 1 and 3 days. This is the time period between exposure to the virus and when you begin to notice symptoms, and I spent all of last week at school.

In this instance, my immune system didn't kick in for some reason.

One of the amazing aspects of the immune system is that it is compensatory, meaning that when one part is weak or non-functional, typically another part can step in. Think of it like a trip to the grocery store. If you need to go to the store, but your tire is flat, you may go by another method of transportation — another motor vehicle, a bicycle or walking. The substitute may or may not be as efficient, but it still allows you to complete your task.

That didn't happen this time though. The virus slipped past my defenses and whammo! 

Meh. Just one of those things I couldn't prepare for (there's no vaccine for the common cold), or control (I'm no bubble boy).

Love and, sniffle sniffle, peace - Wozza

Is it really the same? (Keith Jarrett)

Dr Shaun Murphy

Wie geht's?

Netflix' The Good Doctor continues to grip our attention. Autism is a fascinating topic and a fresh one for a TV show, especially a medical drama.

We binge watched on Sunday when it was unseasonably cold and wet outside. It's easy to continue to talk like Dr Murphy after a show and then start thinking.

I sometimes think everyone is on the spectrum in some way. A good test for yourself is here . Thanks to my dad, I certainly often reflect on my own tendencies in this direction (I scored 24 out of 40).

He was a very precise person - a place for everything, and everything in its place. His work benches and materials where he did his electronics hobbies were carefully ordered and precisely labelled.

When I look at my record collection I can see where I got my need for order from (interestingly, his own record collection was just a willy nilly pile of records, but he did look after them well).

Like him I'm into rituals and routines. I've written about this before. When I mow our lawn I subconsciously follow the same pattern each time, when I iron shirts, when I brush my teeth, when I wash dirty records...I could go on.

Although, in many ways, I'm not like my father at all. My work benches are often piled up with stuff, I wear work clothes to mow the lawn and so on while dad never owned any. His chemist brain measured everything carefully, I'm much more slap dash, like my mum (she never measured anything when she was cooking and it always turned out amazingly well). 

Some things bug me - crooked pictures, dirty dishes in the sink, clutter accumulating on the kitchen bench, but it's all small stuff. Generally, I like to think I'm pretty cruisey.

But I did score 24 out of 40.

Love and peace - Wozza

We are family, Hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah (Sister Sledge)

Chris, Jade, Andrew, Poppy, Samantha, Wozza, Asher, Jacky, Ashleigh, Adam.

Wie geht's?

I'm still buzzing from our family catch up last week. I love how we all share an air BnB and pitch in with meals, activities, childcare and clean up. It's a joyful experience sharing space with my children, their partners (the plus ones) and grandchildren.

To be fair it was tough getting a turn with Asher and Poppy - they were in demand!

I glanced around at one point (and the photo bears this out) and noticed how we have grown as a family, and this is without Keegan and his girlfriend Jennifer joining us. Jacky and I had little clue when we started courting back in 1983, that we would have such a wonderful effect on the future.

Monday was a hard one after all of that joy, but the week has picked up as I've clicked back into daily routines. Getting a couple of nights of sleep has been helpful. The recipe is: full on day at school with brain overload; get home, have dinner, listen to a record, watch The Good Doctor; head to bed at about 10.00pm - sleep through to my 4.30am alarm.

Easy peasy.

Love and peace - Wozza

It's such a crazy squeeze (Toy Love)

Poppy and Papa show some knee action.

Wie geht's?

You find me in New Plymouth with most of my side of the southern hemisphere subbranch of the Purdy clan: Jacky Purdy; Adam, Ashleigh and Poppy Mae Purdy; Jade Purdy with Asher Purdy-Hodge and Chris; Samantha Purdy and Andrew.

We're all holed up in an air B'n'B together, enjoying some great family time. We don't often manage to get the majority of us together, the last time was our visit to Noosa for Jacky's 60th birthday. Keegan wasn't able to join us for either event so, unfortunately, we have not been united in toto for six years.

Tricky when our four children live in four different countries.

The reason for this clan gathering? Actually, there are two: the scattering of Pat Smith's ashes (yesterday) as per her wishes, and our nephew's wedding on Saturday. Both are combined with the other side of the Jacky's southern hemisphere subbranch of the Smith clan. Families have their own lovely organic way of multiplying and morphing. 

One sombre but absolutely respectful occasion and one happy celebratory event. The balance of life.

Love and peace - Wozza

I made it through the wilderness, somehow I made it through (Madonna)

Wie geht's?

Last week and change was spent sorting through and cleaning up a large number of old records owned by the brother of a friend.

He was moving house and needed someone to take them away and deal with them on his behalf. Wozza to the rescue.

It was quite a task, but for me, a labour of love.

Ninety percent of the 45s and 100% of the 78s had to be chucked. Old shellac 78s break easily and no one has the equipment to play them these days.

He was a record reviewer in the eighties, consequently he was sent a lot of product to review. Mostly from Festival and WEA labels.

Sadly, he didn't look after his records well so there were plenty of casualties, records without covers and covers without records. 

In the end there were 340 albums ranging from fair to mint.

The eighties. What springs to mind for you? 

For me - skinny leather ties, mullets, loud fluro clothes, big hair....and the music. Synths and drum machines were everywhere and one listen to something like ABC's Poison Arrow, Ultravox' Vienna, or Human League's Don't You Want Me throws you right back to the eighties in a nanu nanu second.

There was some great music in the eighties - don't get me wrong. And those great moments ignite a lot of memories.

So, I've had a pretty nostalgic week returning to a time of great change in my life: my teaching career kicked off; I met Jacky and we were married; three of our four children were all born in that decade. 

I was a little worried when the big cheese at Real Groovy Records was only interested in the mint copies - as he put it: 

Only about 10% are good fast sellers, the rest will hang around and clog our bins unless we fast-track them through the letter codes.

Sadly, the up-and-coming generations just aren’t interested in soft rock.

But, getting rid of all of the albums proved relatively easy in the end, as a local music store owner bought them all.

Righty ho - off to put on the material girl's Like A Virgin - released in 1984.

Love and peace - Wozza

Play that funky music white boy (Wild Cherry)

Wie geht's?

Recently a friend of a friend gave me his record collection to sell on his behalf. Which I'm working on.

He didn't look after his records particularly well though so I've had to throw quite a few away, including a large number of singles (a.k.a. 45s).

An internet artist I subscribe to once told how he came across a whole bunch of singles left out at the curbside - subsequently they had all melted in the sun but he took them home anyway and made a Spotify Playlist called Melted 45s.

I loved that idea because the music of someone else's collection is totally random.

So, I decided to make a Spotify playlist of the unplayable singles I was about to throw out (I hate throwing away books and records!!)

Here it is - Wozza's Found 45s.

While I was at it, I also decided to make a playlist of my own singles collection (all playable but how often do I play them all? Never!) 

It's a big collection so I split it into Wozza's Fab 45s (non Beatle related) and Wozza's Fab Four 45s (solo Beatles and related).

Love and peace - Wozzaaa

The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time (James Taylor)

Photo by Folco Masi on Unsplash

Wie geht's?

When Mrs Purdy and I were discussing something the other day, I said something along the lines of - oh you've done that for about 20 years - and then we revised that estimate to maybe the last ten years.

Nothing of great consequence but it did make me realise that 2024 contains a few key milestones for us.

On February 26 it will be 41 years since I met Jacky Smith at a fancy dress party in New Plymouth (co-incidentally, it will also be 41 years since I met Patrick Cameron at the very same party).

An equally momentous date this year will be April 21 - our 40th wedding anniversary.

Forty years is a long time, well over half our lives have been spent in a continuous mutually monogamous relationship. Yes, something to celebrate but, my point is, it hasn't felt like 40 years at all. That number is weird ( and there will be no gratuitous jokes here either thankyou - along the lines of - feels like longer).

That previous conversation I mentioned (20 years, no, 10) came as something of a shock. Twenty years is a fair chunk. But 40!!

Crazy talk - feels like a few, for sure, but not 40.

Speaking of that number - our eldest child turns 40 this year as well (December 19) and I know he's very thoughtful and aware of that milestone. Scarlett Johansson, Mark Zuckerberg, Prince Harry also turn 40 this year. Just sayin'.

Who and what else turns 40 in 2024?

The Apple Mac was unveiled in 1984 by Steve Jobs.

Remarkable. That certainly was one giant leap for mankind, but still, it pales into insignificance compared to 1984's effect on my world.

Love and peace - Mr Purdy

P.S. Book update - one down, six to go.

Yes, I told you that the light goes up and down, don't you notice how the wheel goes 'round? (Cream)

Jan 2024 to-be-read

Wie geht's?

I'm not making much of an impression on my to-be-read pile am I?

That's because I keep buying new books that take my fancy and even reading a book a week isn't denting the book tower.

It has made me compare that pile with one I had a year ago (pictured right) and while I've read the vast majority of those, I'm ashamed to admit that there are seven books common to both piles.

You're bound to have spotted them, but for new readers, they are:

• Elton's Me and the Jaggar bio 
• Roderick Random
• Anne Tyler - Ladder of Years
• Emerson and Murakami
• Dicken's Bleak House

So, my new mission is to read those seven in the next six or seven weeks. Just need to finish my current two first - Laurence Fearnley's Room, and Billy Connolly's Rambling Man (good combo that - Room is thoughtful and sobering while the Big Yin is hilarious).

A stunning January resolution, I think you'll agree!!

Love and peace - Wozza

Ring out the old, ring in the new (George Harrison)

Wie geht's?

It's a new year! The pages in my three key daily texts have returned to page one again.

I have started every day for the last few years by reading 366 Days with Wisdom (Venerable Master Hsing Yun) and The Daily Stoic (Ryan Holliday). When I can, I also read the day's entry in 365 Days with the Saints (Carol Keely-Gangi).

Yes, I get wisdom from where I find it.

Here's what each of them has for their January 1st entry:

366 Days with Wisdom  

Each day one needs to speak kind and gentle words.

Each day one needs to do what is beneficial.

We are successful only when we begin today.

The Daily Stoic

The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control (Epictetus).

365 Days with the Saints

Mary of Nazareth is today's saint.

From Mary, we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone (Pope John Paul II).

And away we go...

Love and peace - Wozza