Dear Friends,

Here it is coming up to Christmas.  So I have marshalled my thoughts to tell you briefly about the activities of the past year. 

We had a lovely Christmas here, but were appalled to learn on Boxing Day of the Tsunami.  Neil and Usa had taken Roger and Rex down to Phuket for Christmas where they were joined by their friends the Thompsons.  They had gone down to breakfast, where they had a view of the beach, and Rex was off playing with his friends in the hotel pool when they noticed the water rising up and beach equipment floating towards them!  The water kept rising.  Very fortunately although separated they escaped the water although the hotel was badly damaged.  Eventually they were united and found higher ground, so had to wait to see what happened to their room.  Later in the day they were able to secure a room at another hotel.  Neil was able to return to their original hotel to rescue their clothing, sodden and heavy with debris, but anything electronic was ruined by water & debris.  Mrs Thompson and her son suffered deep gashes to their legs which needed hospital treatment, but fortunately survived.  Luckily Neil had hired a car in Phuket, and the family was able to travel by air back to Bangkok a few days after the Tsunami.  (Click here for full details of Neil's Story if you haven't already read it.)

The residents at Balmoral joined in one of the many appeals for funds.  The world-wide response was very gratifying.  What a truly terrible year it has been!  It seems there has been one disaster after another.  All those poor people in Aceh, with another major earthquake there, and more recently again in Pakistan.  Here in Australia we have been so very fortunate, although the bushfires here on the Eyre Peninsular were terrifying, but small in the world-wide context.  Now, just days ago, there was yet another earthquake in the Sumatra region.

The Parramatta Graduate Nurses Association held their closing formal AGM in February, which I attended.  It was a fairly traumatic and nostalgic day.  In fact I was very teary for about a week afterwards.  Thankfully Val Ayers was there as well as many old friends.  It will not be the same, but as we are all growing older it seemed to me to be the only sensible thing to do.  We have not been a training Hospital since 1982, so with no new members to swell our ranks it was very difficult to find committee members to take office.  So sadly we needed to say "Good night Nurse" and call it a day.

During July Norman accompanied me on a visit to Budgewoi.  We stayed with my former neighbour, Mary Rossiter, for the 4 days.  The trip included the Halekulani Probus Club Changeover Dinner, where Norman was able to meet up with all the friends who so ably supported me during Bob's illness.  They belonged to the Club Bob felt most at home with, comprised all the people with whom we spent most of our social lives.  They were all very welcoming to Norman, and we had a very enjoyable day in their company.  I was also able to attend the VIEW Club Birthday Luncheon.  Both those dates fell in the same week, which was the reason for travelling over at that time of the year.  Geoff Clarke had the day free to take Norman off to have a look at the Sea Rescue Club and then with Helen they toured around The Entrance which is expanding at a great rate.  Certainly changing in form, but we do hope not in character.  We felt very much for Mary, as her hot water system developed serious problems (despite being relatively new) and although a repair was attempted, it had to be replaced.  During our brief stay I met many of our old friends.  It was quite nostalgic, and very tiring.  It will be quite a while before we are ready for a repeat.

The Gamble Family has been on the move this year.  Sky and Christian have moved from Canada down to California, where Sky is now working, but not as a Radiographer.  She has completed a course and is now qualified as a Marriage Celebrant, has performed several ceremonies and is enjoying her changed life style.  Christian is being very supportive, and is studying philosophy, which is his prime interest.  They are living in Mill Valley California, just over the Golden Gate bridge from San Francisco and not too far from Eben, Christian's brother.  Mr & Mrs Ostergaard Senior have sold their large home in Baltimore, and have moved into a smaller one, which is easier for Gail to look after; Eric is not as well as he might be.  They travelled down to visit during the year.

Barbara & Bob have also moved, although still in Adelaide, and Toby has decided it was time to share a house with a mate who is also interested in music.  During April this year Barbara celebrated her 50th Birthday.  She was very happy that Jim was able to come down to join in the celebrations.  He was also able to see both the home in West Lakes and Wynn Vale, so he is able to know just where they are in relation to Balmoral.  We were able to have Jim visit here to see the lovely area where I live.

During our winter the Family in Bangkok had a fire in the boys' bedroom.  Very fortunately Rex woke during the night and smelt fire, so he alerted Roger and Usa; Neil was away in New Zealand at the time.  Although the fire destroyed boys' bedroom, and there was extensive smoke damage throughout the house, the Family were unharmed!  Talk about being fortunate, the gods were smiling when Rex woke and roused the Family.  (Click here for pictures of the house damage.)  The renovations are now finally completed.  What a Year 2005 has been for them!

Also in Sept. Toby celebrated his 21st Birthday.  Barbara & Bob gave him a party, so I was able to meet some of his friends from the Youth Group.  They are a very lively crowd … reminded me of our Presbyterian Fellowship days.  The old Fellowship crowd still meets up occasionally and Jim often goes along.  Jim's wife, Mildred has developed Alzheimer’s, which has progressed to the stage where he can no longer safely look after her at home, and has been fortunate enough to have found her a permanent bed in a nursing home in an adjacent suburb.  Her family are not very good at visiting, but as he says it is a very one sided affair as she is not very responsive.  What a sad situation … we all have to be so grateful for our blessings.

My friendship with Norman continues to grow.  I have sold my car, but pay half the running costs on his car.  We go out together, I drive occasionally to keep my hand in, and also to assure him that when he is unable to drive, I can get us about safely.  Of course should he die I would need to travel either by bus, taxi or call on Barbara, but that may have happened in any case.  Just the luck of the draw.

A typical moment in Balmoral	Outside with Barbara
Norman & me at Barbara's 50th Birthday celebration

Here at Balmoral the management continue to treat us very generously.  They have put on several BBQs, some with a Jazz Quartet.  There will be another BBQ on New Years Eve.  This will be at lunchtime, as most of our residents go to bed quite early, last year only the Manager was still up to see the New Year in!  He was very disappointed. 

We had a lovely Buffet Luncheon on Melbourne Cup day.  Some of the ladies ran a sweep.  I was very lucky picking both the first and second place getter … also picked the 3rd place getter for Norman and Val – another lady who sits at our table.  Talk about being tinny???  That was me.  Recently we had a coach trip, up to the Barossa Valley.  Before winter we went out on a ferry around the Outer Harbour, down as far as the submarine base.  And on another day our former manager invited a coach load of us down to her lovely home.

At North Haven

I have told you plenty about the Gamble side of the Family, but nothing of the Chamberlains.  Greg and Heather are going along quite happily, although Heather's Dad had to make a trip to UK as his sister died, but is now back home.  Heather, although she has completed her years of studying, was not employed for as many hours of teaching each week as previously, but they have managed to survive financially, and Greg has completed the renovations to their bathroom.  They have some nice parrots & are breeding from them.  Christina has not been very well this year, in fact had to resign from her work for a few months, but is now back in the workforce.

Kim and Ron separated earlier in the year.  Kim now has a home in Armidale, and the children are still at their schools in Armidale.  The children are often down at Glen Burnie during week-ends or whenever Kim needs to be absent from Armidale.  She has recently visited Beckky (her American Sister), as she is terminally ill with cancer and they are very close.  I do hope the children will soon settle into the new arrangement.  It must be a huge adjustment from the beautiful home Kim had created at Glen Burnie, but life moves on no matter what.

Now you are up to date with my news.  All my best wishes for a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful Christmas and hopefully our world will be more settled in 2006 than it has been in 2005! 

Cheerio, Gwen.