Saturday night and here we are blogging

&tIt Saturday on the east coast of Australia. 7:50pm and that's around 2:am in Victoria & Seattle, 3 am in Calgary and later and later on the other side of North America That's Well evenign on Saturday for us and early mornign saturday for the NA folks anybody else just has to email me and I'll setup another clock widget in my dashboard for your timezone.

Well I have been busy the past weeks. I have started practising my drum, my bodhran and doing my music theory books, I've been setting up my 'shave' campaign, doing preliminary things to help the production of Oklahoma, getting mentally ready and practising getting up early for school and  finding time to play with bluey and Chilli.

I've got to do a glucose tolerance test as my local GP doesn't like my sugar levels but Doc Schoozenbootz didn't seem to worry but I'm going in on tuesday to keep doc blueberry happy. Other then that I'm doing really well. 

;div>

I dropped in the Red Cross the other day as i had business next door and on the spur of the moment went it to the brand new shiny collection centre just to say Hi and 

thanks. I told them I was an end user of their product and wanted to see where it came from. a nice Nurse named oops just about forgot.....gracious nurse showed me around to every room and nook intorduced me to all the staff and the volunteers I got to meet and cheer on a young lad giving his first bag. He was type O so I may get his blood products in two weeks so I really Thanked him! 

I did an interview with the local paper and it's in today. Its a launch of the World's greatest Shave its here at photobucket if you want to see it. 

I've made a pitch to a local Hotel to do the shave event there on Saturday the 15th and I think they are going to go for it. so My hair comes off then.  I'm putting up posters around town to encourage others to join in to shave or color or perhaps for guys to wax their legs. So far bluey is coloring along with a few friends.  Our pal Louise who runs a local beauty salon and her offsider Kirsty are shaving. We have two hairdressers on board to help out and they are even up for a package deal. Like a beauty treatment, hair cut ans dinner out for a price thats gets money into each of the sponsors and to the foundation.   I'm getting excited. we are planning on using a team name  'Close Shave"

More later

Chris

The new year

This image is just under 14 months from left to right what a year its been!

I thought of doing a Christmas/Newyear letter but my blogg has been that kind of chronical all year long ...want to know what went on?..... just dig through the archives.  To hit a few highlights....... 

look at March 17th for the report on my actual transplant on March 16th and March 30 for the report on my return from the land of the Neutrapenic. It was reall interesting reading back a bit! I had some much help through that time. I am really blessed. 

We usually take down chrisy decos on Ephiany... Jan 6th.. but I've just this minute decided that I'm going to change the Blog today.  There hows that?...Maybe a bit busy but I'm going to let it go for a bit to see if it grows on me.

I had a signing lesson yesterday! Well I got Lisa to coach me to learn a song that we want to introduce to the Acoustic nights (first sunday each month at Z-Pac. Our neighbors Doug and Christine told us about it and we went at the beginning of December and loved it so are going back this Sunday. Gene performed first visit! he's a very accomplished guitarist now.  Anyway Bluey and I are going to get more involved and she's learning the concertina.  I'm learning the bodhran and the ukelele. This song I wanted to learn is a closing song from the Calgary Folk Club and we thought this local group might like it. You can google it and learn it as well then we can all have a good sing. its Called Let Union Be.

Bluey is at work all day, sigh. Its a little quiet around here when she's away. 

Lynn & Peg Sykped us from two dog ridge this morning and gave us a video tour of the lounge room. We saw snow out the window and that just fine. We like it 12,000 miles away!

count down to Brenda coming!!!!! She gets here on Australia Day jan 26th. those of you within  driving distance should think about joining us on the hill for the 4th or 5th annual Party. its a very eclectic affair but we think we are moving it into the afternoon evening this year as everyone stays all day anyway. More details to follow. 

more later

Chris

By the way here is the 12th day of Christmas present. the box says 12 bears but they really only could fit 8 in as it is very small. 

It's Thursday the 27th of Januray its been over cast all day hinting at rain but no go. It did rain Boxing day and Christmas day. It is great to get a nice gentle soaking rain so it was like an extra present. We went down to Bev's for Boxing day and enjoyed time with her and Mary, her mom along with Jan and Gary, her sister and brother-in-law.  Hadn't seen Jan and Gazza in donks so that was nice. Greg and Anne and the squirts were there as well as Bev's daugther Kelly and Ben (spawn of Jan and Gazza) we had a huge feed of 'leftovers' Just brilliant! Callum and Greg and Gene got out guitars and Greg's new banjo and played and played. I'm afraid my engine ran out of steam mid afternoon and I nodded off, literally, through the concert. We jumped back into the car and Joyce drove the four of us home.  

A very quiet day reading eating sleeping, well nap later maybe. 

I've been doing 'art'.... craft really projects....shadow boxes with 3D elements. We gave Bev one of my pieces about buddas. I finished another that I call Christmas 2006 'cause I was recovering from spleen surgery and awaiting transplant and that was on my mind as well as Christmas. there's more in my head and we'll see where this goes.

Bluey and I had a great musical Christmas. She gave me a Bodhran (celtic drum) and a Ukelele and a profession shssssss shsssss precusion thing. I went to town today and picked up papers and stopped at the music store for a Concertina book 'cause that's what I gave Joyce! a 20 button Anglo C/G. We are getting button charts off the web and now we have some music for the 'squeeze box' we'll both be joining in the family band. I've alreadly started working on bodhran  rhythms off the net and that's coming along too. I picked up the first three levels of theory books to so we can get some background in reading the music but we are slowly getting there. 

I also have plans for a video project that involves you ALL so work out how you can do a 30 second video to send to me and I'll let you know later what I want on it.  I'm not kidding get ready.

more later

Chris

...and

We're also looking forward to Brenda coming in the new year! She's spending months and months here. We also hope to get a visit in with Dan & Marie in some midpacific hideaway. a dn merry christmas to Chels and the gang at Staff room one and all of USHS. 

more later

 Chris

"Like a 2 year old with a beard"

That's what Bluey just said to me!  She's sitting here with me in our living room after I took this pic. It could be because I just called to her and snaped a pic, or it could be my big belly hanging over my computer or the fact that I'm relaxing in shirt and undies in the middle of the day!

It's what we do here in Takura on a holiday. We are just relaxing and wrapping and chatting and playing with the dog. That's Chilli just visible under the table behind me. Its been raining on and off all day so far it's only 1:30 pm on Christmas eve here now.  We have a quiet evening planned with Jo and Gene... having supper and maybe gene will play guitar.  Tomorrow we are at Jo and Gene's all day.  We have a great butcher that was on a national TV show the other day and talked about his favorite Christmas dinner of Prime rib covered in scallops and that's what we are having tomorrow.  Boxing day we are off to Bev's in Brisbane  for a boxing feast. It'll all be leftovers! then back here for a day then I'm back for an appt. with Doc Schoozenbootz. Bluey will drive of course, because we want to get there fast and get back fast. The Mullers are here Friday for a few days so that will be great. Mary Ellen and Wal have Clydies and cattle  southwest of brisbane. Don't know which or how many of their lovely children Thomas, Gabe, or Kaitlin they may bring.

The new year holds many things for us not the least of which is my continued good recovery, but also I'm doing a lighting design for the local amateur production of Oklahoma, I'm returning to work, doing more of my art work ideas, and just more fun. Joyce has got to look forward to (hopefully) turning sod on her new building,  we'll be seeing the start of our new house. 

O the other 12 day gifts were a big round tray with green and red candles, table center pieces, a christmas basket with several smaller Christmas deco's in it and lastly today Joyce got a box of bears.

Anyway Merry Christmas to Melissa and Mark hosting Kathy and Cory in Calgary, Mike and Gayla somewhere with Stars of David on their Christmas tree; Arlene and Al at their cabin in the woods with their sons and families; The cousins in Seattle and Sanfran; my Bro in Victoria along with Marge and the Geerdinks in Victoria; Jim and Irene in Kelowna with their kids and kids kids; Auntie Marion whereever she is (she just sold up and is living on the kindness of strange......children...)Sid,Kirk,Colleen et al); John Marlene Nicole and Joni in 

Alberta; to all our friends and supporters far and wide

more later Chris

okay first things first

Here are the catch up images of the 12 days prezzies.

Day 4 is a tree (not shown) made out of lights. Day 5 is the book of the 12 days of Christmas, Day 6 is a garland I made up from bits and pieces, day 7 is the Maruska Santas, day 8, today is the little fireplace and bear ornament that I made from a smaller ornament then added the nut cracker and the toy train and a new base.  I have not finished the other day 12 presents but I have the bits to make them.  I've also been making a bunch of shadowbox art pieces like the snata I did for day one. I did one where I filled the shadbow area with M&M peanuts and put a little sign on front "In Case of Emergency Break Glass"  I'm doing one about last christmas facing surgery etc but that is taking a little longer to get right as I have an image in my head but I need to get materials to fit the image.  They are more of a design piece than art but I'm having fun anyway.

IWe are having a quiet Christmas. Every year for a few years we say that then something comes up and we are racing across the state to attend some event or lovely wonderful people come to visit and we end up having a ball. Horse Flu broke out here a couple of months ago and Greg and Anne are in the red zone so can't do their usual and bring their horse up to visit over Christmas (They can feed them better when they are here and we get to 'work' them and ride) this year they have to stay home but we are all meeting for Boxing day at Bevs place.  Gerry and Matt have decided not to come up for Christmas. They would have to drive and the trip is too long for gerry (recovering from his heart transplant).

We are going over to the Mckay wrights sunday night to watch Miracle on 34th Street, out in their open BBQ shelter. It's like out door cinema, we use a big sheet of white plywood with a data projector. Big fun

A quiet night is planned for tonight.  I'm making waffles for the guests on Sunday the cinema sunday night.  relaxing on Monday and Tuesday, Race to brisbane Wednesday back to see friends on Thursday, back to Brisbane for Doc Schoozenboots on Friday then I think we fall apart on Saturday. 

My Shave for a Cure Campaign is just starting to bubble a bit I don't want it boiling until January. But I have $660.00 banked. pledges for another $90.00 and offers of three places to put donation tins out. I may end up having my own event as I have three others volunteering to color and one other volunteer that's going to shave.  I may have to get a team name going. What are some good names? that link the idea of Shave for a cure, bone marrow transplant and some funny element?

more later

Chris

P.S. I've redecorated again, for Christmas 

This is todays Day 3 present