Eight miles high (The Byrds)

Photo by Wolf Zimmermann
on Unsplash

Wie geht's?

For the second year in a row, I managed to find a great desktop calendar that has a quote per day on it. I tear them off each day and save up the best ones for my Purdzilla blog. I currently have an overflow. 

Some of my readership like me using quotes in my day to day existence, and some don't.

Those that don't subscribe, I guess, to Ralph Waldo Emerson's statement - 'I hate quotations, tell me what you know'. Ha! That's a great quote!

Here's what I know - I love quotes. I find inspiration in them and the desktop calendar provides a constant stream.

The one for Thursday 21st May for instance was by C.S. Lewis:

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

That's a message and idea I need to be reminded of from time to time. 

Love and peace - Wozza

P.S. Big happy birthdays in May continue with Chris joining Andrew and Fanfa. Happy birthday for the 23rd of May, Chris. 

They say it's yer birthday...

Here's looking at you, kids.

Happy birthday Fanfa.

Wie geht's?

Recently, Samantha and Andrew had their latest birthdays. Since their last round-the-sun celebration, their lives have been altered forever by the birth of their first child.

Nothing prepares you for that explosive moment of unconditional love - when you are 100% charged with the protection and sustenance of another human being. It's real shock and awe territory. 

Three of the Purdettes have handled the transition to parenthood like a boss. I take my hat off to them. They make it look easy (it isn't).  

So, happy birthday to Sam and Drew. In a few years you'll be getting a special breakfast in bed from Billie (warm milky tea and soggy toast loaded with butter) but until then - celebrate good times.

Love and peace - Dad

Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown; waiting for someone or something to show you the way (Pink Floyd)

 

 

Wie geht's?

It's been 50 years since I was in the graduating class of '76 at Mt Albert Grammar. That was a recent shock discovery. Fifty years. Holy fulele!!

All of the guys in that picture (one of two 7th form classes in 1976) have Gold Cards and none of us look the same anymore. I'm in the far right of the third row and I don't look like that youthful 18 year-old now. Another shock.

As I look at that photo I can't help wonder what happened to them all. I'm still in touch with a few via Facebook and I know about Nicky Singh's passing. I wish I didn't know about Nicky, so maybe it's better to be ignorant about their whereabouts.

On one hand, fifty years ago seems like a long time, but in the scheme of things it's a brief moment in time.

Love and peace - Wozza

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make (The Beatles)

Happy MD to DM.

Wie geht's?

Happy Nu Zild Mothers' Day to Jacky, Jade, Ashleigh, and Samantha.

The quote on my calendar for today is one from Ann Landers. It reads:

In the end, it is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves.

Those influential years appear to be quite short - the independence streak hits pretty quickly in toddlerhood and just keeps on going. 

It's interesting watching that develop in our grandchildren. Pretty soon, once starting school, they'll come under the influence of others - friends, teachers, boyfriends, girlfriends...

In those young years, let's say in our first seven, all of the preparation and groundwork is laid for the rest of our lives and we are totally ignorant of it as children. 

For a parent, it's an awesome responsibility.

Love and peace - Papa

Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like an apple.

May last year

Wie geht's?

Time flies. Just one year ago most of the Purdy clan were cloistered together in Denver Colorado for the wedding of 2025. So - a very happy one year anniversary to Andrew and Samantha Kalicki.

Crazy. That seems like yesterday. Here is a reminder:

And here's a repeat of my post America post:

The three weeks certainly had travel's usual mix, but I easily listed 26 moments from my travel diary that were mind-blowingly great. However, 26 rosy-tinted moments would be OTT, so - here are my top 10.

10) Celebrating our 41st Wedding anniversary and Jacky's birthday (twice as we crossed the international dateline).

9) Capitola - staying at The Inn at the Depot air B'n'B and dining down by the sea.

8) Babysitting/spending time with Poppy and Asher at 3236 Arapahoe St, Denver.

7) Finding Arsenal kit at the Soccer Warehouse in Anaheim.

6) S'mores at Fanfa/Drew's house with everyone (toasted marshmallow with chocolate inside a Graham cracker).

5) Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland with Jacky, Jade, Chris and Asher.

4) Best scenery - the Big Sur coastline and listening to two whales slapping the water with their fins.

3) Best finds - tough one to select but I've whittled it down to two. Both had that rush of can-I-believe-my eyes. First would be finding copies of three albums by The Cowsills. The best being a copy of Captain Sad for $6 in Wax Trax Records in Denver. Second would be finding a copy of Robert Bly's Iron John book in a secondhand tool store, also in Denver. Another big plus: loved my record shopping expedition with Adam, Ashleigh and Poppy - three generations of record lovers is special.

2) Best Meal - While in Sonoma we drove to Bodega Bay and the Armstrong Woods. Driving back to Petaluma via Highway 116 along the banks of Russian River, we stopped at a roadhouse for lunch - grabbed a pizza slice each and a House Coffee. OMG. It was amazingly good sitting it that almost empty roadhouse having that simple meal with Jacky.

1) A solo father-of-the-bride dance with Samantha to Bruce Cockburn's Wondering Where The Lions Are was my personal number 1 highlight. Some context: when the kids were little I'd wake them up by singing the opening lines to the song:

Sun's up, uuh huh, looks okay
the world survives into another day
and I'm thinking about eternity
some kind of ecstasy got a hold on me.

Samantha clearly remembered that and honoured that memory by choosing it for our dance. It's a moment of ecstasy that I will cherish forever.

 

 

There you go - some great memories. Glad I have this blog to retrace my steps in from time to time.

Love and peace - Wozza (May the 4th be with you, always)