Now this journey appears before my candle (Jackson Browne)

All hail Adam and (saint) Ashleigh. 

They're getting hitched, spliced, joined in matrimony this weekend. 

Yeah!! That's a big deal!

Well done Ashleigh on becoming our latest awesome Mrs Purdy!!  

We head up to Auckland on Friday to be there for the wedding on Saturday.

Photos will follow but for now enjoy this irreverent view from my hero:



Love and peace - father of the groom.

We're space truckin' 'round the stars (Deep Purple)

Nurse Jade 

Time for a round up of whanau news - I'm sure the whole whanau will want to congratulate Jade on her successful interview for her first professional job as a nurse.

Jade's shown true grit by persevering after not getting a job last year when she interviewed at Tauranga Hospital. Grandad would have been so proud!

New nursing graduates can apply for four locations. They then wait to see if they've gained an interview. If they miss out as Jade did last year they get a second chance six months later to apply again. If that doesn't do the trick they are in deep manure.

NZ nursing is in a crazy over supply situation where there are too many graduates for too few jobs. Ironically there is a great demand in the hospitals but government budget restrictions result in a bottleneck situation where many new nurses are being forced to travel overseas to gain jobs and experience.

Adam with young fans on his last day with them.

Jade had her interview for Palmerston North Hospital a few months ago and then we have waited and waited for July 16 to roll around (all nursing applicants for the new grad programme are advised on the same day).

We travelled down to Palmerston North yesterday to hopefully celebrate or sadly console Jade. As we got out of Dannevirke Jade phoned us with the great news that she was one of the lucky ones!!

Fanfa (second left) with sensible co workers

It was a giant phew/yahoo moment in our lives. Great to know that it pays off when you go confidently in the direction of your dreams.


Other whanau news: Adam and Ashleigh come home next month after a couple of years teaching in Japan. They'll set up camp in Auckland for a bit before figuring out what to do next in their great adventure together.

Fanfa has been hard at work on film production in San Francisco while also doing her video editing for common sense media https://www.commonsensemedia.org/

Common Sense Media is a San Francisco based non-profit organization that advocates on child and family issues, and studies the effects that media and technology have on young users. It has great reviews (which Samantha edits), I use it a lot in my classroom when advising my students on suitable movies for close viewing and wide reading.

Keegan is also involved in editing at Mediaworks in Auckland and is patiently awaiting Diya's return from China. Sadly Diya's father died recently. Diya flew back to be with her dad and now is helping her mum adjust to things. Diya returns at the end of August. Kia Kaha.

Love and peace - Wozza

And so this is Christmas (John and Yoko)

Yes I know - it's bin and dun but I'm a little backed up with posts and photos. Please forgive me.

This year we were at home for the first time in a while (last year it was China's winter wonderland remember) and so were Adam and Ashleigh (from Japan) and Jade (Palmerston North).

Time for a Nu Zild Purdy Christmas - that means trifle and more trifle!

Spot the Dookie

4/6

Shock horror - Adam goes for the trifle

Love and Peace - Wozza

Oh, my special little guy has a sweetheart (Marge Simpson)

Big special congratulations to Adam and Ashleigh who have just announced their intention to ratify their nuptials. Yes they are engaged.

Being 2013 they announced via Facebook rather than the old school notice in the paper. I sent them a message back and used the word fiancé and my brain immediately went into Seinfeld mode.



I've discussed this with Jade before - Seinfeld has relevancy for EVERY situation and I'm not even kidding.

Any relationship, any shopping expedition, any human endeavour - there is a phrase or a line, a joke or a situation from the show that will fit.

Like The Beatles. You'll have long noticed that I use lines from songs (or pop culture in general, like the Simpsons) to title my posts. I could easily just use Beatle lyrics every time. they are often the first things that come to mind.

But anyway...I digress.

Seinfeld.

I was having a discussion with some students this morning about how randomness may have gathered negative connotations.

What pops into my mind?

This.



Love and peace and hurrah to A/ A - Wozza

I'd catch a grenade for ya (Bruno Mars)

A rummage through my back pages for this post. So you get assorted images of the brood and their significant others (Di-ya, Ashleigh and Jesse).

Highlights: Adam sent these pictures of him teaching from the 'English Learning Room' in Japan which I love; the minister of defence in his Cap'n Pugwash pose; various family members filling their faces.

 

SWMBO has finished her radiotherapy treatments now and has been given the all clear so we are off to China on Thursday.

Love and peace - WNP

God bless the child who's got his own (Blood Sweet & Tears)

You've had news and pictures of Keegan, Jade and Samantha (and her fiance) recently.

A reminder... 

J M Purdy; K W Purdy who both love seeing their
photographs on my blog.

J Rowbotham; S M Purdy actually DO love seeing themselves
on the blog.

Poor Adam must be feeling a tad overlooked so today it's his turn.

Adam was recently given 20kgs of rice, which was nice.

It was payment in kind from his school principal for work done on his farm.

The principal at the school in Japan where Adam is working also has a sideline business as a rice farmer. He asked Adam for some help to harvest his crop and Adam said, "Sure, I can do that".

It meant Adam drove a kind of rice harvester for the day and had dinner provided for him (and Ashleigh who was also invited for the dinner part).




A Hope feeling at home in Japan.

Adam didn't expect anything but was delighted with the 20kgs of rice. Apparently the price of rice there is like dairy products here - hellishly expensive!

Before...

A L Purdy on the rice harvester thing.

...after.

There you go Adam!

Love and peace - Wozza