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)

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.

Well, I'll never be a stranger and I'll never be alone, wherever we're together, that's my home (Billy Joel)

21st April 2021 at Nola's Cafe in Waipawa

Wie geht's?

Birthdays of friends and family (Jeanette, Jacky, Sallie, Nita) and anniversaries come thick and fast in April each year and so, naturally, I write about them a lot when they roll around (just use the search in the column next door and you'll see what I mean).

Here's a summary of the anniversaries:

• April 3 - My grandmother (Ma) 's death in 1974
• April 9 - My brother's wedding to Lynda in 1988
• April 18 - My parents' wedding in 1953
• April 21 - Jacky and Wozza's wedding in 1984
• April 23 - My mum (Dulcie) 's birth in 1930
• April 25 - Margo's death in 2018

Anniversaries are curious things. We all have these personal signposts/markers of notable events in our lives.

If I overlayed anniversaries from history then mine would become invisible, however, my personal collection of anniversaries mean more to me than anyone else and certainly more than any historic ones (April 3 was also when Edward the Confessor was crowned King of England in 1043... see what I mean?) 

Happy anniversary Jacky and thanks for the past 37 years for allowing me the pleasure, the privilege of being your husband.

Love and peace - Wozza

Love and marriage, love and marriage, Go together like a horse and carriage. This I tell ya, brother, you can't have one without the other (Frank Sinatra)

The most comprehensive family group shot we had taken that day. L to R standing: my dad, Graham; sis-in-law, Michelle; groom - Wozza; father-in-law, G Brian; sis-in-law's then husband. L to R sitting: Jacky's grandmother, Alison; bride - one hot chick; G-Brian's then wife, Sallie. My brother was absent from this photo, but attended the wedding (as pictured below).

Wie geht's?

It's anniversary time. Cast your mind back to 21st April, 1984, when Michael Jackson's Thriller was enjoying a 37 week run as the top album (replaced by Footloose). 

If you were around in 1984, where were you? What were you doing?

The  answer, for a few of you reading this, was - in a church in New Plymouth, New Zealand watching a couple of crazy kids getting ready for their mystery ride. 

Wedding photos were a tad different 36 years ago. The photographer we engaged made up an album with what she thought were the best shots, unlike Jade and William's January nuptials which resulted in hundreds of photos, we ended up with about 30!

Nevermind. It was a great day. A tremendous day. Everyone said so! A day that we really enjoyed and a day full of memories. It featured a few promises and a bond that will never be broken. 

Happy anniversary Jacky!

Love - now and forever - WNP