Mebourne Pettys

Austin plays guitar, Vern’s grandmother passes away, Ellen puts her mission papers in, Austin Graduates from Primary School, Dylan returns.

Among other things Vernice teaches guitar to about fifteen students and Austin’s school once a week after school. Austin is in the class and they played at the school assembly on the fourth. I went along to have a look and check out all the new buildings at the school. They played two songs and Austin played the lead in one of them and did very well.

That evening Vern got a call that her grandmother in New Zealand had passed away. This was not unexpected since she had been very sick and some of her family had already travelled to NZ earlier. So the next day she was on a plane back to NZ as was gone for over a week. They had services in South Auckland were she had lived most of her life then it was back up North to Mokau were she was born. There were more services at there and she was buried in the cemetery next to the Maere.

Friday the eleventh was Austin’s Primary School Graduation night. Ellen had taken him out during the week and bought some new pants and shoes so he looked pretty sharp with his white shirt and tie. We were at the same table as the Preston’s who we know very well. Their oldest started the same year as Ellen and their youngest was Graduating with Austin. Both of our families are coming to the end of sixteen years of children at Reservoir West.

There were about fouty students in the graduating class. Austin being a good student who is popular with both students and teachers picked up certificates for Service, Citizenship a book prize and a trophy for basketball. He also played the guitar in one of items and led the ‘Thriller’ dance routine (which he wasn’t too happy about but did very well). Vernice and Marion had helped choreograph the dances and they went down very well with the crowd.

Bruce Kearney who has been the Principle for the past few years and a teacher at the school since Ellen’s time paid special tribute to our family during his speech and acknowledged the help and support Vernice and the children have been to him over the years. All eyes went to our table and I wished that Vernice could have been there to hear it. Vernice’s association with the school won’t end yet since she will continue to teach guitar one day after school per week next year.

The next day Calvin and I went around to Sister Gommon’s flat and painted her lounge room. We had been there the week before to try and clean the black stains off the ceiling and walls but gave up and decided it would be easier to paint it instead. It looked a hundred precent better when we finished. From there we went and picked up Carmen and Marion from the Dee’s place. I had dropped them off after the graduation the night before since Marion will leave young womens in January and they wanted to do something for her. We picked up McDonalds for lunch and took some back for Austin.

Sunday the thirteenth we had a pot luck dinner before the First Presidency Christmas fireside for the Bishops and their families with the Stake Presidency and their families. Ellen made up a pasta dish and it all went well they all are a nice bunch of people and it was nice to sit with the children during the fireside.

Ellen and I went up to Kinglake to do a service project for an old man to get his property ready for the fire season. I tired to get Calvin to come along as well as he said he would however the only thing harder than getting him to go to bed in the evening is getting him up in the morning. We got lost a few times on the way since we had the wrong address but got there in the end and helped Bro Corps and Stewart clear some timber away from under his walnut trees so he could get his tractor and mower in there. I was a nice cool morning and it was nice to spend time with Ellen.

That evening Vern’s band was playing at carols by candlelight evening down in Noble Park. Ellen was working and Carmen had a party to go to but the rest of us headed down there a saw Vern do her thing. They do a good job and the Band leader Irene works the crowd well. It was nice to get out but it was all a bit too noisy for me and it since it was cold I gave my jacket to Austin so I spent most of the evening in the car. It was at the Football club and they set up on the oval. It was a nice place and the grass was like carpet. The children wasted money on flashing junk and enjoyed themselves. It was a long night and we didn’t get back until after midnight.

The week before Christmas an interesting thing happened on the way to work. I was sitting on the tram reading my book when I could hear a lady a few seats away softly start to sing a line from the Manic Monday song (It was a Monday). I thought she must have a screw loose as talking loudly let alone singing is not good public transport etiquette. She then started to sing a little louder and another lady on another seat started to join in. I thought what the heck is going on here? Then a couple of guys that were standing close to them started to sing different parts of the song in harmony. They sang the whole song and it sounded really good. When they finished everyone on the tram clapped and cheered, they all got off at the next stop and as they were leaving one of the guys said “brought to you by the gorilla tram choir”.

Dylan came home on the twenty second. He has finished his job building a golf course in Western Australia and is back until he heads off on his mission. The very next day Vern had him booked into the Doctors, Dentist and Post Office for his passport so he can submit his mission papers. All went well and his papers should be sent of in early January. Ellen’s papers are all done she saw President Dudfield on the twentieth and so she is now officially waiting for her call. She is very excited about it.

There was a bit of action at work on the twenty-third. I happened to look out the window at lunchtime and in the laneway opposite our building there were four armed police with black clothes and helmets arresting at least three men. They were supported by other plain clothed policemen who had the laneway blocked off at each end. Who knows what that was all about. While that was happening about three hundred striking posties came matching up the road as part of their industrial campaign and make some noise outside the building. We knew they were coming but they didn’t stay long since it was a very hot day almost hitting forty degrees.

On Christmas Eve Calvin and Austin came with me into work. It is only haft a day so after twelve we walked around the city for a bit, had some lunch then went to the Movies. We went and watched the movie 2012 and since it has been out for awhile and it was Christmas Eve and most people were Christmas shopping because there is no other day in the year to do it we were the only ones in there. The movie hadn’t even started when Austin started to feel sick. We called Vern since we didn’t think it was a good idea to have him go back on the tram. Calvin and I then enjoyed the rest of the movie. By the time we got home he was feeling better. That evening Janet and Johnny came over bringing a ton of presents. Janet finds it easier to come and stay the night before than get up early the next day.

Christmas day was nice and cool, Johnny and Janet stayed for the morning. The Elders came over for a late lunch then Max and Renee dropped in as well. That evening we drove up to Craigieburn to visit the Howes and Judds up there. Dylan bought me a remote control helicopter that was really cool; we were flying it around the lounge room.

Marion was told this month that she has a place at the Australian Catholic University here in Melbourne. She wants to study exercise and health science and they had the course she liked so she was pretty happy. On Boxing Day she headed off to New Zealand for a holiday for a couple of weeks. She spent time with her cousins in Auckland and friends up north.

On the Monday Dylan headed off in the Kombi to a rock concert on Phillip Island and Ellen headed off to Queensland to the YSA convention. The rest of us had a very quite week leading up to the end of the year. I had the intervening days off and didn’t do much at all just some odd jobs around the house and played the play station with Calvin. We all went to the movies one day and saw Avatar movie which we all enjoyed.

Calvin and Carmen both got jobs working in some food vans at the carnival in the city New Years Eve and Vern had a gig with her band. So that left Austin and I at home for a very quite end to the decade. We were going to drive into Northcote to watch the fireworks in the city however after three very hot days over thirty degrees just before midnight the thunder and lighting started and the rain came pouring down. We decided to stay home so that is what we did.

Have a great New Year

Love the Melbourne Pettys