I judge you unfortunate because you have never lived through misfortune (Seneca)

Wie geht's?

Before you know it, this happens:

Interesting that the same basic circular formation was replicated in Denver this year - with Jacky, who took that first photo, standing in for Keegan. That is - me at the top, then Adam, Jade, Samantha. I love the closeness in each family grouping. This was all done absolutely spontaneously - we all just formed into a tight knot for Adam's timed photo.

You can tell we love each other.

Quite rightly, what you don't see are all the early days hardships behind those family portraits. Jacky and I often wonder about how we survived those early days on one teacher salary with four young children under 7: trying to make payments, feed everybody, and learning by doing. There are no manuals for young families aside from what you know based on experience.

Luckily, Graham and Dulcie Purdy were superb role models for me, but still - mistakes happened often. Along the way, I aimed to learn from those mistakes and, having gone through difficult periods, those experiences have become badges of honour to some degree. We made it, and remain relatively sane.

As we become grandparents to the children of Adam, Jade and Samantha, I know we aim to do the best we can as Mema and Papa and pay forward the good role modelling into the next generation.

Love and peace - Papa

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

You may say I'm a dreamer (John Lennon)

You May Say I'm A Dreamer is also the title of my autobiography.

I wrote it in 1992 when I was 34 years old. Jade wanted to read it again last weekend and because it leaves out a lot of her life (and mine) since then (she was born in 1991) I thought it was ripe for an update and inclusion on the blog (which was not available to me in 1992).

Hopefully it will be fun to write (and rewrite) and read!

The first page has a couple of quotes on it that I love:

Sounds of laughter, shades of Earth are ringing through my open views inciting and inviting me. Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns, it calls me on and on across the universe (John Lennon).

Well - I guess I'm  just a sentimental old fluff (Groucho Marx).

You can't always get what you want but if you try sometimes, well, you might find you get what you need (Mick Jagger).

Jacob begat Joseph
Joseph begat James
James begat William
William begat Harry
Harry begat Graham
Graham begat Warren 

The prologue:

Why?

I started this whole autobiography thing in 1991 as part of a teaching unit. I always aim to model activities so I started writing...and couldn't stop!
Pretty soon I'd filled a pad with scribbled notes during class time. One thing led to another and what started out as aiming for two chapters turned into eight!

Some amazing things happened as I wrote. I had loads of blanks where details were missing. In 1991 I still had my dad around so I started asking him questions. This meant a new kind of dialogue with him. I'd write him letters and be really knocked out by his reminiscences.

Old memories were eventually dredged up: many painful. Some things were traumatic to write about, but I did.

As I developed my writing I became more and more interested in my forbears on both sides of the family. A Purdy genealogy was a great resource, but unfortunately I don't have one for the Adsett side.

Reasons for writing an autobiography changed as I got more involved. I was into my seventh year of marriage to Jacky and by then we'd had four children; I thought they may get a kick out of learning my history.

In 1993 I rewrote a lot of the text after a English Teachers' Conference in Whangarei. During it Hone Tuwhare looked me squarely in the eyes and said, "Stamp!"

He was meaning a variety of things - stamp yourself on the place, leave a mark, be brave (kia kaha). That revved me up!

Now it's 2016 and after Jade left last weekend I reread the last chapter, the one that ends with her birth.

Lots has happened to us all since. Time to find out what!

Love and peace - Wozza

Love, devotion and surrender (Carlos Santana/John McLaughlin)

Here I am getting ready to return to the sandpit for Trimester Two; a little browner, a little more alcohol fuelled and a little more full of Christmas cheer and pudding than when we arrived in Nu Zild in late December!

It's been hectic with either too much happening to blog or else we were without the interweb. But before the return we need a catch up, don't we?.

But where to start?

Pat and Randy's wedding? A definite highlight.

Sitting on the deck of our new house, admiring the view and loving the serenity?

Jacky's first ride on Zen with a huge smile?

Christmas on Waiheke? Relaxing in the sun under poetic Pohutakawa tree blooms?

I'll get to them all but the place to start is to ask, he aha te mea nui? (What is the most important thing?). Easy - He tangata. He tangata. He tangata (it is people, it is people, it is people).

It was so so great to see the chuldrin again fer a while - no longer chuldrin anymore though - independent adults with their own responsibilities, hopes and dreams.

We Skyped Fanfa and Jesse on Haight St., San Francisco on our Christmas day, spent a day with Keegan in Auckland and had Adam and Jade with us on Waiheke Island for a day. Magic.

I was also able to catch up with an old buddy before Christmas. It was fantastic having a laugh and a coffee with Greg at the Viaduct Basin.

Unfortunately other friends were away for Christmas or busy with their own families. In honour of absent friends I visited an old haunt - the Queen's Arcade in Queen St. - specifically the Marbecks corner of the arcade and my very own happy place.

Christmas day was family time as it should be. The planned for summit between the O'Neills and Purdys took place at Brian's place on Waiheke. A merry Christmas was had by all!

To all the whanau - Happy New Year!!

Love and peace - Wozza

P.S. next post catches up from Hawke's Bay and the wedding of the century!

One day at a time is good for you (Johnny Rhythm)

Whanau birthdays come thick and fast at this time of the year (especially for Ross' bunch).

Birthday wishes from sand land then, to Ginger Bear (a.k.a. Scott Graham Purdy) - 6th Roctober; Teenie Weenie - 12th Roctober; Lynda Maree Purdy - 9th Roctober; Ross Graham Purdy - 18th Roctober and Hayden Ross Purdy - 23rd Roctober.

And, although not technically part of the whanau, Roctober 9 is forever associated with John and Sean Lennon. Hope it was a good one Sean (you never know he might google his name and make his way here).

Love and Peace - Uncle Warren (a.k.a. big brother)

and so you're back from outer space (Gloria Gaynor)

...and so we're back from, well, not outer space...although, come to think of it, London is looking like it exists in a parallel universe at the moment.

Amazing scenes there - people jumping out of burning buildings, police running around like headless chooks wacking people, thugs in masks smashing windows and looting shops. Madness. Fran's partner, Nic, was alone in their flat above a Sainsbury's that was smashed up. He's okay but no doubt shaken by events. Some of Pat and Randy's friends (David and Presley) live close to the initial problem area in Tottenham and didn't hear a thing (their facebook message read, "Riot? What riot?"). It's been that kind of experience, I guess. London is huge and with 16 million people it's bound to contain a few nutters innit.

Anyway - we're back in sand land after an often brilliant three weeks away. I have downloaded all of the what-we-did-on-our-holiday snaps so here we go with the (Jacky approved and chronological) highlights.

We began our travels in London with some returns to old haunts like St Paul's Cathedral, the Tate Modern, and a river cruise along the Thames (that's why there's a picture of the river cruise boat we went on).



Wozza photographed by SWMBO, outside St Paul's.

 

Jacky with pashmina - not that warm then.

The one above of Jacky is from our first B 'n' B in Chester. The next day we continued the trek north for Irene's 90th birthday party - a true highlight. Irene looked fantastic and we loved being part of the day. The look of surprise on her face when I walked in the room was priceless!!

Fran, Tom and Lew model the three different plate balancing manoeuvers.

Jacky caught red handed feeding Samantha.

The moody magnificence of Lewis senior...

...and the there's-the-door hospitality of Tom junior.



Irene Purdy, 90 not out, with orange juice (yeah, right).

 

The gathering of the Purdy tribe.

The next stage of the travel north involved our first visit to the Lake District in general and Keswick in particular. Needless to say, like everyone else who visits this magical area - we fell in love with it. Dove Cottage was one of the many highlights. Another was finding a mint vinyl copy of 200 Motels by Frank Zappa in the Keswick Collectables shop! That thrill probably means more to me than you, I guess.

On the way we stopped off at Rishworth where Jacky took approximately 367 photos of cows - I have added one for the sake of historical accuracy. By the way this was the only place that we left stuff behind - dirty clothes! Somehow we both missed a bag of laundry in the smallest room we had all trip.



A scene we don't see much in sand land.

 

Our amazing B 'n' B in Keswick

 

Oh I spose another four poster would be okay.

 



Sorry - but I love the Hollies!



Keswick in blue sky finery.



The view from the four poster.





Dove Cottage.

 

William and Dorothy's view!

We reluctantly left Keswick and headed north to Scotland. That means going through Biggar - one of my favourite places on earth. In 2003 Jacky took a photo of me posting a letter from the post office - here's the 2011 version.

Onwards we travelled, to Edinburgh and a stay at the Hotel Ritz in the Haymarket - a 5 minute walk to town. I had booked the hotel and location by mistake it turns out. I had forgotten that Jacky loved the Grassmarket area - not the Haymarket. Oops! I couldn't believe my luck to find the cheap price at the Hotel Ritz in the area I though Jacky loved. Oops again!

On the southward journey to London we stopped off for a night in York and went to Castle Howard for a looksee. In this case, it's probably fair to say that the pictures don't do the place and the atmosphere justice, nor does the word breathtaking.

A very special place.

A brief return to London was followed by a trip to Paris on the Eurostar. 



Our digs in Montparnasse.



The view from our balcony.

Notre Dame and the Seine.



Look - it's a houseboat!

 

On our way to see Mona and some other girls.





Jacky considers the way forward to see Mona.



Post Mona come down drink at Arbucks.

Back to blighty and a nostalgic train trip out to Leigh-on-Sea were the final flings in terms of photo ops.

We did see a fantastic play with Randy on our last night with him - Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead. It was a great end to a great holiday.

Outside our old house in Victoria Rd.

Nick at work in Wimpy on our fine burgers.

Possibly the best independent music store in the world!!

The Leigh high street called The Broadway.

The view from the Grand Parade over to Kent and a place called Grain!

Katy and Jacky cooking a goodbye dinner (for us)
and welcome to the shire dinner (for Janice's yet to be born daughter)
on one of our last nights in the shire.

And that's it!!

I start work again on Sunday the 14th so I dare say that will feature in oncoming updates, inshallah. Until then...

Love and peace - Wozza