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