It's that time again...

Yep! Tomorrow is my high school reunion meet up. For a number of years, my year level has met each year for a reunion. The numbers of attendees varies but each year we 'find' some more classmates. Our Grade 8 cohort numbered 200 and over half of these classmates have been traced. 

My high school opened in 1963 with one classroom block and an amenities block...When I started high school, a classroom block had been built to cater for the new Grade 8s.

Building work continued for many years as the school grew. The photo shows the A block which contained Admin as well as classrooms. 

But in the mid 1990s, the school was closed, the site sold and just over 50 homes were built on the land...

The next photo was taken from the primary school oval which was adjacent to the high school site and shows some of the houses in the development. 

So our beloved school is gone but the various year levels still have regular reunions...

My collage shows clockwise starting at top left, yours truly in my school uniform, complete with grey gloves and Panama hat. (Year 9) Next to that is my Grade 8 class photo, underneath that is a uniform on a mannequin. I wore that uniform in Grade 12 and yes somehow I had kept it :-/. Below that photo is the 2013 Maria at that reunion, and the last photo is my Grade 12 group photo.

Some 'new faces' will be at the reunion tomorrow as well as familiar friends. We are all in our 60s now but when we get together it's just like we are back in our teens again...some of the 'stories' have us roaring with laughter. 

My clever friend Jean...

As a follow up to my last post on my school reunion, I must tell you of my friend Jean's very clever, 'jiggery pokery'.
My DD2 commented on the group photo which I had posted on my Facebook page...

Mumsie! Your face in this shot cracks me up!! You aren't even looking at the camera, but you look so happy! xo 



Which prompted my friend Jean to admit that the photo had been 'photoshopped'! I did know about this because later on Saturday afternoon, she had commented to me that when she had checked through the photos of the group, I was hidden by the person who sat beside me. So Jean took my image from another photo and placed me in the group...very clever in my opinion. The only photo that I was visible in, that Jean had to work with, was one where the group had erupted into laughter ...

So here we are, having a good laugh...( about how difficult it is these days for some of us to sit on the floor, let alone sit cross legged on the floor!!) 

And here we are again in the 'official' photo! I guess anyone looking closely at the photo might wonder what has 'fueled' my jocularity ???? hmmmm

So that's the story behind that photo :-) 

Still quite busy...

A few people who read my blog have asked me recently how the sale of the house is going. Well at this stage there has been some interest in our property by 3 would be developers but none of these people have put in an offer. Probably they consider the price too high but to us it isn't unrealistic. The agent knows what our 'bottom' price is but he hasn't given us any indication that there have been any offers. We actually paid marketing costs upfront this time and DH considers it to be a learning experience; he says he won't get caught a second time.
If you sense I'm not upset that we haven't sold yet...you are right. I like the convenience of living here; I like my garden and the space and I like the views....The real estate agent has a sales contract to sell the house until the end of July so it's not quite over yet. Maybe one day the market will improve and we might consider a move, but at the moment I think we will enjoy what we have already. Another 'maybe' suggested to us by some friends who have been in a similar situation, is to extend the selling contract beyond July.

Some of the wildlife that visits our backyard

Last night (Friday) DH and I went to the opening of the parish Art Show. Not as big a turn out as some other years but a number of items were sold, including 4 paintings. My entry was sold before the show opened... via a phone call on Thursday morning to the organiser. The buyer was the lady who took my item and checked my inventory form on Wednesday. She apparently had a 'Wow! I've got to have this' ! moment and kept thinking about it during Wednesday night...so she bought it!

A view of the crafts' part of the Art Show

This morning I went back to the Art Show and did a few hours helping with the devonshire teas. Then it was a quick dash home to change and go to a reunion of my Grade 8 High school year. There were 35 of us and a number of people had travelled considerable distances to get there...I travelled about 2 km! Some people I have seen since I left school but there were a number whom I have not seen since 1966...and I didn't always recognise people today, but then again some people didn't recognise me either!!! lol


These 'boys' sat opposite me at lunchtime; where did those years go? I can still see them in their school uniforms!! lol

Some of the 'girls'


It was quite surreal sitting there listening to people talking about their grown-up children and their grandchildren because all I could 'see' were these 16/17 year old people. As someone commented:- 'It's like we've gone from 16-60 y/o in one jump!' And it was...We had a group photo taken and you can be sure I will put it in a post when i get a copy!