The second Tuesday of the month was a public holiday for the Melbourne Cup. Why they have a holiday for a horse race I will never know but I will take the day off regardless. It rained most of the day and was cold so we didn’t feel like doing much so we hung around the house. In the evening we all went and watched the Movie RED which we all thought was pretty funny.
We had the Elders over for dinner on Thursday the fourth. They had both just been transferred into this Ward on Tuesday. There names were Elder Watene and Elder Rose. I said those names are familiar and it turns out that Vern and I went to school with their parents. I got my photo album out and showed Elder Watene some photos of father Kevin and myself at school. I can see their fathers in them.
On Saturday the sixth Austin and I went to help out at the Mormon helping hands at a property in Kinglake that had been destroyed in the fires. I couldn’t get Calvin out of bed and the others had other commitments. It was supposed to have been the week before but it got rained out. Austin and I help clear dead trees and cut then into firewood. The small branches and stumps were stacked and we had a big bon fire. It was a nice spot with a great view of the city.
Danielle Byers a good friend of Ellen’s was set apart as a missionary by President Page on Sunday the seventh. She invited us all over to her place that afternoon for her last supper with her family which was very nice then we drove over to President Page’s place for the setting apart. He was only called last week so this one was probably his first and he did and he did it well. She was called in April to the Temple Square Mission and it has taken this long to get her visa.
Donavan Epa, whom we knew as a small boy was accidentally hit by a train this month and passed away. We know his family well, they live in Deer Park but we see them at church activities, in the Temple and at basketball. Donavan had moved to the other side of town several years ago so we haven’t seen him around much. Janet used to teach him in Primary when we all lived in Fairfield Ward. He was very well liked and there must have been over a thousand people at the funeral at the Deer Park Stake Centre. It was a lovely sunny day; Dylan’s friend Veg followed us in his car. They were giving out the Book of Mormon after the service so I made sure he got one. He left his lights on at the cemetery so I had to drive up the road and buy some jumper leads to get him started.
Calvin turned seventeen on Saturday the thirteenth but since that was going to be such a busy day we had the party on the Friday night. He wanted junk food so that is what we had. When Dylan heard he had junk food he said that he had taken his idea. The next day Vern’s niece Elka was baptised. It was held in Albury NSW were they live. Vern made the three hour drive up with Austin and Shelly, and then afterwards drove three hours home again. The weather was terrible with lightening and heavy rain but they made it home again.
Sunday the fourteenth Vern was released as the Primary music leader after years serving in Primary. It was the Primary Sacrament presentation that day and since Austin turned twelve this year he was still a part of it. He did well but wasn’t happy being there. Later on that day he was called and set apart as the Deacons Quorum President. Now he has Priesthoods keys and I don’t.
We got more bad news later in the month, Heath O’Grady who was just thirty-five died after having a heart attack while playing basketball. Heath sang with Ellen and Vern in the Christmas production they put on a couple of years ago and has been to our house a few times. His dad was the first Temple President and they have been friends of Vern’s parent’s for years. It was a shock to everyone and he had just got engaged.
Marion was driving back from Heath’s funeral on Thursday the twenty-fifth and had an accident in the Mazda. It was a wet day and she was coming up Hoddle St in the city and looked away from the road at the wrong moment and drove into the back of the car in front went it stopped suddenly. She did a fair bit of damage to the car and it had to be towed away. Vern was following along behind in our other car and saw there was an accident but didn’t know it was Marion until she saw it was our car. She had a bit of a heart attack until she saw Marion was ok. Marion was a little shaken up and had a sore neck the next day but handled herself very well.
Saturday the twenty- seventh the children had a garage sale at the Parrish’s place to raise money for the EFY youth conference. Vern and I dropped off Calvin and Carmen there then went and voted in our State Election. That afternoon I handed out how to vote cards at a polling booth in Vermont South for a friend that was running for that seat. He didn’t get it but it was nice to do a bit of civic work. It was raining on and off most of the afternoon but when I was leaving it really came down and the streets were like rivers. I picked up Vern and we drove down to Caulfield Chapel for a new member’s dinner and fireside. It was very good mostly Chinese members.
The next day Carmen gave her first talk in Sacrament meeting, she prepared some of it herself then Vern helped her with the rest. It was on Service and she did a good job. She said she was nervous but you couldn’t really tell.
Ellen and Dylan are both doing fine on their missions. They are still in their first areas, Dylan in Rotorua and Ellen in a northern suburb of San Diego. Dylan is having a lot of success in Rotorua and is hoping to stay there for a bit longer. He met up with the other Elder Petty this month in Auckland at a mission conference for the first time and they even got their photo on the Mission Blog. Nicola also sent us one which was nice of her since Dylan is hopeless at taking photos. Some things just aren’t hereditary.
Pictures; 1. Austin -Kinglake, 2. Carmen & Austin - Driveway, 3. Carmen, 4. The family at Daniel Mclean's place.
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