Newell Family News 2018
2018 was a special year for us as we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary on 3 August.
As part of the celebrations we spent a few days at O'Reillys Rainforest Retreat with Janet.
We also dug up our original wedding portrait, and decided to have a 'proper' comparison portrait taken by Craig Rohse . Can you guess which portrait is which?
We also indulged in getting a couple of individual portraits made:
Artwork this year featured a coffin for Bob (see following blog), and stained glass panels for a new front door, and a stained glass panel for the main bedroom. The birds on the door are (from the top) a rainbow bee eater, a golden whistler, a variegated fairy wren, and an azure kingfisher - and the panel is an artistic depiction of a whistling kite.
We also fare-welled our faithful Nissan Xtrail (2002) and replaced it with a Subaru Forester - and have enjoyed discovering that technology over the years has really improved... We were so impressed with the Forester that we persuaded Janet to buy an almost identical (but 2 years older) vehicle when she moved to New Zealand this month.
We succeeded in our plans to holiday close to home in a more relaxed fashion with a 2 week kayaking and camping holiday in May, and 10 days camping and exploring rainforest in October, both mainly in northern NSW National Parks within about 300 km of home.
Joyce did however give into the temptation to fly, and spent a week in Melbourne in June at a choral workshop and visiting friends, and another week in Geraldton in early November helping Janet get ready for her move to a new permanent job as a biodiversity ranger for the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) in St Arnaud in the north of the south island (Nelson Lakes National Park). We are wishing her the best in her new adventure.
And to finish, the poem Joyce wrote for our Christmas card, which well summarises our hopes and fears for 2019. We both feel that in these increasingly uncertain and rapidly changing times, it is important to be appreciative of each day. Main references for abrupt climate change and the potential disasters we may well be facing can be found here and here.
The fragility and mystery of our lives has just been emphasised for both of us with the sudden death / probable suicide of Robert Minns, a core member of our social bicycle group - the Bribie BUG which is central to both our lives. We were aware that Robert was facing personal struggles, but not that his problems would result in such a decision. We accept his decision and the courage it must have taken to make it - and thank him for this powerful reminder that we know so little of other people - and ourselves, and of the uncertainty of the future. Farewell Robert - thank you for being part of our lives.
The
End Approaches
Is
this a misguided refusal to believe mankind is omnipotent and that we
can
live forever as individuals and as a civilisation while
destroying our
environment...
Or a
simple statement of our current predicament?
A
realistic evaluation of the now rapidly evolving results of our
refusal to
protect and cherish our environment.
Our
separation from nature will soon destroy us all.
How
can we respond to the looming death of our life support, and hence
us,
and our civilisation?
By
shutting our eyes and hoping it won’t happen?
Or
by living fully and openly for our remaining time be it days, weeks,
months
or possibly even years,
Celebrating
the mystery and beauty of life
Cherishing
the wonder of each day
Rejoicing
with gratitude in all we have.
Which
do you choose to do?
Remembering
that what we see as endings are also new beginnings,
both
for ourselves, and for the earth.
Love to you all - thank you for being part of our lives,
Bob and Joyce
