TWO YEARS AND A CHRISTENING

Logan Jack turned 2 and Owen Cooper was Christened! Yep, that was enough for one day... or maybe one weekend!

Great fun and beaut to have friends and family gather for such an occasion.... or rather such occasions!

Children are a gift from God! No doubt about it. Sometimes we wonder don't we? But Deb and Brendan are so fortunate to have two such great little guys. Logan Jack can say TA, he can cover his mouth when he coughs and he is even getting the message about using the toilet! He just smiles at people and they melt. He's a cool dude! Owen Cooper.... born on the fourth of July..... he's still pretty small, but is coming along really well. It's also great to see kids who are so loved by family, friends and parents. How important is that eh? I think that gives them security. Really neat being a grandfather, I can tell you. Mind you I had to wait over 60 years for that!

Fay and I are off to Newcastle to visit #2 daughter, Peta and her man Jon. Then to Salamander Bay for a holiday. The kids are all going to join us there also which will be great.

Wonder if anybody still reads this?????

BIKE for BIBLES - DUBBO

Riders came from Macksville, Armidale, Sydney and Central Coast

Our daughter Deb and her #1 son Logan on Old Dubbo Rd.

Peter Halyburton from Energy and Management Systems

Logan Jack was the youngest in the team. Nearly 2.

Nine riders, two very important support personnel and two kids under 2 comprised the Bike for Bibles team. It was the DUBBO COFFEE SHOP EASY RIDE. A lot of fun as we raised money for Wontulp-Bi-Buya College near Cairns. This college equips Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to reach out to their communities with God's word using local forms of communication and language. We've also managed to get to quite a number of coffee shops during the week. Daily rides have been between 40 km and 90 km. I've personally raised in excess of $1700 for this cause. Peter Halyburton (above) was one of my major sponsors. Thanks Pete. He now lives in Newcastle.

DECEMBER

December is a month like no other. For starters it is the start of summer (although November stakes a bit of a claim here usually.) It includes the festive season, or as I like to call it the anniversary of Jesus’ birthday. It includes the start of the summer holidays, usually late Dec. It includes Fay and I heading to the beach to enjoy some sand, surf, sun and relaxation. When you are holidaying in a caravan or cabin about as big as two rooms of a house, there’s not a lot of housework to do. We read a lot, catch up with friends, watch the cricket and tennis on TV, swim, paddle, beachwalk, bushwalk, bush bash on mountain bikes etc. What a great time we have during the summer.
Our retreat is 600 km (360 miles) from our home in Dubbo. Lucky we’ve got mates Dicko and Sue and neighbours Richard and Shirley to look after our house back in Dubbo while we’re away for 6 weeks. Just remembered we left Dicko a blank cheque! Oh well!
Enroute to the beautiful South Coast, we’re spending a few days in Sydney enjoying our grandson Logan Jack who can now WALK! What a difference that makes! Especially when he walks straight into the TV (yesterday’s trick) with obvious consequences. Thanks for having us sleepover for several nights Bren and Deb. Photo above is Logan Jack and Tiger. Can you pick which one is the real Tiger?
We haven’t caught up with son Jeremy as yet, but hopefully he’ll come down to visit us at the Retreat later this month.
Plans are underway for a quick visit to Newcastle (2 hour journey) to see #2 daughter Peta and her man Jon. There is planning to be done in preparation for their wedding in February. Brother Bill from Canada is out here now (avoiding the Canadian winter) and he will come with us to visit one of his many favourite nieces.
Fay and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Billy Elliott the Musical on Friday at the Capitol Theatre. Music by Elton John. What a fabulous show! Man, what a great show. Don’t miss it if you get the chance. That's a promo picture above.
Then by Friday we’ll head for the south coast – a 2.5 hour drive. Third photo above was taken at our retreat. Just gorgeous! Want to come join us one year?
If you’d like a 1 page summary of our activities in 2007, drop me an email to keasty446@gmail.com – no charge.

HOT PROPERTY

HOT PROPERTY

From Sunday Telegraph 5 August 2007

Can’t meet a man? Bid for one!
Kathy Buchanan laughed her way through a real live man auction.

When an email arrived advertising a man auction at Sydney’s Art House Hotel, I knew I had to go. I’m not exactly cashed up at the moment, but I figured if I couldn’t afford Mr Right then maybe I could put Mr Right Now on lay-by.
So, one Saturday afternoon a cute guy escorts me into the auction where I am given a pink carnation and a quick lesson on bidding etiquette by entrepreneur Monica Eonazzolo, the creator of Buy a Date Auctions. She warns me, “Don’t wave the flower unless you’re a serious bidder.”
There are about 30 or so men and women aged from their early twenties to late forties in the top-floor bar. Smartly dressed in heels and make-up, they are huddled in expectant groups of two or three.
Today there are six gorgeous eligible single guys aged from 25 to 47 being auctioned off.
So far no-one is looking interesting enough for me to put off buying those cushions I’ve had my eyes on. That is until Jeremy Keast, 28, appears. He works in a bar, but is a PE teacher who wants to become a comedian.
Kylie and I corner him on an auction break to discover more. He’s 190 cm tall, dark and handsome, and a self-confessed former heartbreaker.
After some deliberation, I raise my pink carnation, kicking off the bid for Jeremy with a proud “$12”.
I nervously try to ward off the competition with an evil eye. A young blonde sings out “$13”. I immediately offer “$14…$15,” outbidding myself.
Jeremy’s clearly the hot property eye candy here today so soon there are five of us in a bidding war. I stay in the game to $52.50. When the auctioneer asks, “Can I hear $60?” I yell out, “Do a cartwheel!” If I’m shelling out I want my money’s worth.
Jeremy obliges with a dodgy half-cartwheel. A brunette in black stiletto boots blows me out of the water with a $70 bid.
Kylie holds my bidding arm back and says sternly, “Kath, I know you want him but do you need him?” I slump my shoulders. She’s right. That’s way past my monthly budget for paying men to date me.
Finally I hear, “Sold to the lady in the black dress and boots.” But I’m a good sport, so when Bootsie wins her man for $80, I give her a congratulatory smile and look on jealously while Jeremy kisses her on the cheek and gallantly buys her a drink.
I figure it probably wouldn’t have worked out with him anyway. At least this way I’ve had a very funny afternoon out. And I’ll always have my new Freedom pillows to snuggle up to late at night…

I wonder how much the drummer above would have brought? Maybe not too many ladies (other than Dot, Dianne, Fay) who'd like to take him to dinner!!!

FAMILY TIME

Well, things have really hotted up since I turned 64! (Even if Dana thought I was 44!)

Fay and I drove up to Ipswich (near Brisbane) to spend a couple of days looking after Logan Jack. He's 9+ months old now. This allowed his Mum, Deb, to work on some mining equipment before it gets put into operation. It was a great time taking the little man around the sights of the city of Ipswich.

Then we drove back to Dubbo via Narrabri (bro Alan and his family live there.) It's about 800 km from Ipswich to Dubbo. Deb and Logan came with us. We were only in Dubbo a short time and then off to Yeoval for a weekend Bike for Bibles ride around the district. I am not up to cycling as yet thanks to a crook back. But my chiro and I have high hopes that I'll be back on the bike pretty soon. A guy like Cadel Evans inspires even old blokes like me! At least Debbie rode the BH for me! (See above photo.) And loved it!

Now, another sleep here in Dubbo and then off to Cessnock for a week at the Pokolbin Hill Resort in the Hunter Valley. Our kids are going to join us there which will be great.

[Don't worry, the BH is back in the bike shed under high security despite Jim's efforts to get it relocated to Sydney!!]

FAMILY

They say a picture tells a thousand words. Well, here's our daughter Deb and her little bundle of energy, Logan Jack McLaughlin. He is one cool dude that's for sure! They (and proud dad Brendan) live in Sydney - 400 km away, so we don't get to see too much of him. No doubt when he gets a bit older he'll come visit to check out the famous Western Plains Zoo here in Dubbo. (Check it out!) He's nearly 8 months old.

SYDNEY VISIT

Had a beaut time in Sydney. Took Adrian and Janie (from Calgary) round the Big Smoke and showed them Bondi Beach (above), Simbio Animal Park (see animal photos), Maroubra (for fish and chips and white wine), Hairy Canary (a restaurant in Gymea) for lovely soup and damper and white wine.... (thanks Marg), Stanwell Park, Kings Cross, the Rocks area, the Arthouse Hotel - great food and excellent service thanks JHK, the underground, Ken Duncan gallery and maybe some more. They were easy to please.

Logan Jack (grandson) was trying to crawl... with limited success. Every now and then he does a Jeremy and raises his arms (see photo 3) to claim either (a) he is unable to do any more pushups, (b) it's just another exercise he tries or (c) he's claiming he didn't hit anyone when he pulls his arms back like that. I didn't foul anyone ref! We haven't decided.

It was beaut staying with Deb and Bren for the time and helping with their little man. He is just about 5 months old now.

Beaut catching up with Uncle Dick, Pete/Urs, and also Donna-Lee who used to babysit our kids about 27 years ago.

Meanwhile, we are now back in Dubbo once again. Back into local routines... for a few weeks.

I won't mention the Pura Cup match between NSW and Tassie (hope not too many people caught it! Ugly!)

RELAXING AT CUDMIRRAH

Sorry about that, but the photos don't link up with the heading. That's me all over! Fay has been complaining about that sort of behaviour now for 39 years. Meanwhile Fay and I are relaxing down the south coast of NSW at our lovely Retreat!

Logan Jack (grandson) is now over 4 months old. His great uncle Bill and great aunt Margaret (my brother and sister) gave LJ a bunny plate each. Do you remember them? I had one when I was a kid. Do you remember the picture at the bottom of your plate?

I do like the black and white of LJ on Fay's arm. That's how you get him to sleep!

Other photo is the church next door to where LJ lives. LJ's dad is the associate minister at the church there. That brings me to the question that Rodney is asking...

Just wanted to let you know about a post I've just published asking "Why do men hate church?" ( http://www.rodneyolsen.net/2007/02/why-do-men-hate-church.html)

I spoke to my regular Wednesday morning guest, Ross Clifford, on my radio programme this morning about the subject and we referred to a great article by Sydney Anglicans about the lack of men in church. I'd appreciate your input in the comments of the post and I'd be extremely grateful if you chose to link to the post.

Thanks Rodney www.rodneyolsen.net

Have a look at Rodney's blog.

No worries Rodney. Hope to be seeing you over the Easter break when we get to Perth over the other side of Australia.