Well, we’re pretty ecstatic for a number of reasons this week and we’re both in a very chipper mood.
Reason 1: After a hard slog over the past week and the majority of the weekend, Cassy finally put the middle school play behind her for another year. She did a fantastic job as usual: I don’t think they could get a better person for makeup, she’s no nonsense, lets the kids use their initiative to come up with themes and ideas and then works some magic to put the wild dreams into reality. Anyway, ticked for yet another year
Reason 2: After completing two Master’s degrees, one in Education and one in Science (!) and accumulating more than 76 credit points in the last 5 years, I put the finishing touches on my last two essays Friday night, submitted them, this time to University of Cincinnati, and received my passing grade via email the following day. This has completed my quest for a Masters degree plus 40 credits (my goal), which will place me on the PhD scale for salary purposes at school and a very healthy pay rise. I’m absolutely stoked; I really didn’t think I’d ever be done with all this study. As far as I’m concerned, at 44 and having studied something most years of my life…I’m out. Life-long learning will now take the shape of far less formal lessons I think! Now about those Mandarin lessons……….!
Reason 3: The house is down! Those of you who know our place back home in Merewether will know that part of our view was blocked by a crappy old house in which a lovely old gentleman used to reside. Since his death a couple of years ago, we have been waiting for council to fulfill their duties and demolish the house to return the area to parkland. They had haggled with the estate for years to try to secure a fair price and we had both been filled with increasing dread of late. From Mum’s clippings we were very well aware of the council’s great cash squeeze and we thought it might never happen. Much to our delight we received a congratulatory email from Thurza, who then went around and took some photos for us the next day and sent them. In fact, I then told my sister Sue (living in Adamstown) and my Mum, Denise (living in Hamilton South) of the news…talk about shipping coals to Newcastle!
Reason 4: Just thinking what a great life we have really. We know how very fortunate we are: we’re healthy and happy, as are the vast majority of our family and friends. We live a very privileged life: we’re far from war, terrorism, hunger and horror and it’s something we don’t want to take for granted.
Photos: Our new view!, some excited newlyweds onshore as Ross lurks out the back looking for waves.