Same outfit; two Fridays

Since retiring I rarely ‘dress up’ these days so some of the ‘posh’ clothes languish in the wardrobe. But recently a favourite jacket got an outing 2 Fridays in a row! 

First Friday was to the opening of the parish art and craft show in the evening. And talk about luck, DH and I won the lucky door prize. 

The basket had really lovely foodstuffs in it and had been donated by the local Federal Member who also opened the show. 

And of course he circulated after he opened the show and chatted to guests. 

The following Friday I had been invited to a Memorial/Wake. I mind at least one grandchild on Friday afternoons and had sort of decided that I wouldn’t attend as that day I had 2 to mind; one in the morning as well. I should mention here that the deceased was a former student of mine who died suddenly while holidaying overseas and was only 49. 

Here’s a class photo of Mandy in my Year 7 class in 1981

(Thanks to Facebook we had reconnected in the last 10 or so years.) 

Another former student contacted me on the Wednesday on behalf of one of Mandy’s sisters asking whether I would be attending as the MC planned to mention me. 

Long story short...lots of reorganising etc but I got to the Treasury Hotel at 4.10 pm, joining former work colleagues of Mandy’s plus many, many friends of hers,  to celebrate her life. 

So glad I did make the effort to attend, especially seeing the lovely reaction from Mandy’s partner when he was introduced to me. Apparently she spoke about me a bit and it may have been some of my influence that made Mandy a ‘grammar pedant’ 😄!   I was very proud of her achievements. 

A number of my former students also attended and it was lovely catching up with them. They are very polite darlings refusing to believe I’m 68! Lol. 

I used to be taller than this lovely lady who looked after me so well during the evening and also insisted that she and another friend walk with me the few blocks to my bus stop. 

And here’s an old photo from 1979 when the school celebrated its 75th Anniversary and most of us dressed up. The lovely Sharyn in the previous photo is the student in the white bonnet beside my male colleague. 

A lifetime ago it seems 💕

Someone I know...

I have been retired from teaching since July 2011 and I don't really miss it. I have heaps of wonderful memories though; of my former students, their parents and my workmates over those 'not quite' 40 years! It's wonderful when I'm able to 'catch up' with former students...those in my first class ever are now 54-55! In contrast, those in my last class are now in Year 11. Many of my former students have 'caught up' with me through Facebook, Instagram and Friends ReUnited (which was originally Schoolfriends.com). Some I've met up with in person...and they are always pointing out how short I am! :-)

One of the students from my Newmarket days featured a number of years ago in an article in the QUT alumni magazine, 'Links'.  The boy with the great sense of humour and fun, who loved to draw, had grown up to become a man who has had an amazing number of achievements. I'm talking about John Danalis. 

John's dad and uncle ran a veterinarian practice where I took my pets, so even years after John had been my student I would always get updates on what this young man was doing. As I expected, John did work as an illustrator. I kept the Christmas card that he made for me...hand drawn of course. (well you just never know whether your student will become a famous artist or not! lol) 

John's has illustrated children's books; some written by others but he also has written and illustrated his own books. As a writer, John is a popular speaker at schools. Read about John here or watch John speaking about his books, interspersed with a presentation to students here. He is a brilliant speaker and the students are enthralled and consequently engaged. (and probably inspired!) And here is a link to a podcast of an interview with John on ABC radio. (it's well worth a listen to learn about Mary...that's all I'm saying!!) 

Some photos of the adult John Danalis, 'borrowed' from the 'web'. 

I'm so proud to have been your teacher, John! 

Today is Queensland Day...

I was going to write about the weekend but I have something special because it is Queensland Day. June 6, 1859  is the day Queen Victoria signed the papers which meant the Moreton Bay settlement could separate from the colony of new South Wales and became a British colony called Queensland (named obviously in honour of the queen!!). Now those signed papers then were sent by sailing ship from England to Australia and arrived in time for the chief magistrate (I think) of the Moreton Bay settlement to publicly read out the details on December 10 that the colony of Qld had come into being.
Robyn Beattie is an ex-pupil of mine. I first taught her in 1974 in Year 5 and then...I got to teach her again in year 7!!! I remember Robyn as a very confident, competent, hard-working, creative and out-going student who was a delight to teach. Ivy, her grandmother, was also my neighbour and I got to know the family quite well. In 1981 we were all thrilled when Robyn's poem was published on the front page of the local newspaper. By this stage Robyn was in her final year of high school. She later trained to be a secondary teacher (lucky students who were taught by her!). Robyn now lives on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland and is still involved with creative endeavours. Here is her poem...is it still relevant today???

It is Queensland...

It is warm

It is welcome

It is sand squeaking through my toes as i run along the beach

It is walking through the water with rubber thongs

It is putting my mouth around a succulent, sloppy mango.

It is cold Christmas dinner

It is lazily dozing on a shady verandah waiting for the never-ending daylight to end.

It is night swimming by floodlight

It is the scampering of possums over the tin roof and the villainous shrieks of flying foxes overhead

It is the anxious anticipation of the predicted cyclone

It is winter which barely arrives.

It is the Sunday drive through yellow-gold wattle.

It is the calm solitude of breaking the crystal clear lagoons of the reef.

It is walking through Surfers’ Paradise in togs.

It is singing from the top of a mountain and not being heard.

It is exploring.

It is swimming across stingray infested creeks.

It is fishing from the rocky ledges of Stradbroke.

It is being woken up in the morning by the sun.

It is the smell of ‘Coppertone’

It is the ‘Southerners’ desire

It is the ‘Northerners’ pride.

It is my home

It is Queensland.

Robyn Beattie 

(poem was published by the Suburban (North West edition) newspaper 02/09/81)

Please do not use this poem without acknowledgement of the poet