Heavenly Beverley has music and art and events and performances dotted throughout the year. We boast the second biggest Gliding Club (by kilometres flown) in the world. The sight of these completely silent circling and cruising gleaming white aircraft with their sweeping wings is jaw-dropping. We have the charm of country pubs and cafes and a scrumptious bakery. When we sit outside at night, the lack of light pollutions brings a bright and clear star show that seems almost close enough to touch. There is also a well-defined change of seasons, all of which bring their own special beauty.
February -
Alex is not a trained seal. He has benefitted enormously from an ABA approach. I am not promoting ABA as a panacea for all families. For us, the programme delivered. At four, Alex had single words only, was not toilet trained, could not feed himself, had no play, no relationships and didn't sleep. He appeared anxious and frightened all the time. Fast forward two and a half years; he had functional language, could dress himself, was toilet trained, had a sense of humour, slept through the night and loved learning. He blossomed like a flower. Yeah, he still is autistic. And that is the fantastic result. Alex is himself. And he is no shrinking violet.
March -
Pip was firmly in my arms as I whispered sweet nothings into his paranoid Jack Russell ear and Melody our vet attempted to examine him. I immediately doubted that he was anywhere near Death's Door, such was his persistent and desperate struggling. Frantic hyperventilation was his response to being successfully muzzled. Somehow, Melody performed a rapid once-over, clipped his toenails, took his temperature, squeezed his anal glands and gave him an injection. Once released from my clutches, he trotted over to the nearest tree and lifted his leg. without any side effects from his ordeal.
As for me, my left hand, wrist and forearm were all dripping blood. Pip had succeeded in taking my skin off in a variety of locations, as well as a small scratch on my neck. I was covered in blood, slobber and dog hair. A further insult was a gum tree branch self-pruning and landing on my head.
April -
Yesterday was another tickety-poo day. Our Easter Sundowner. We opened at eleven o'clock. We closed at eleven o'clock. We enjoyed a stream of enthusiastic and appreciative guests. We set up the BBQ out the front for our sausage sizzle. Our musos were unusually, hilariously late.
February -
Alex is not a trained seal. He has benefitted enormously from an ABA approach. I am not promoting ABA as a panacea for all families. For us, the programme delivered. At four, Alex had single words only, was not toilet trained, could not feed himself, had no play, no relationships and didn't sleep. He appeared anxious and frightened all the time. Fast forward two and a half years; he had functional language, could dress himself, was toilet trained, had a sense of humour, slept through the night and loved learning. He blossomed like a flower. Yeah, he still is autistic. And that is the fantastic result. Alex is himself. And he is no shrinking violet.
March -
Pip was firmly in my arms as I whispered sweet nothings into his paranoid Jack Russell ear and Melody our vet attempted to examine him. I immediately doubted that he was anywhere near Death's Door, such was his persistent and desperate struggling. Frantic hyperventilation was his response to being successfully muzzled. Somehow, Melody performed a rapid once-over, clipped his toenails, took his temperature, squeezed his anal glands and gave him an injection. Once released from my clutches, he trotted over to the nearest tree and lifted his leg. without any side effects from his ordeal.
As for me, my left hand, wrist and forearm were all dripping blood. Pip had succeeded in taking my skin off in a variety of locations, as well as a small scratch on my neck. I was covered in blood, slobber and dog hair. A further insult was a gum tree branch self-pruning and landing on my head.
April -
Yesterday was another tickety-poo day. Our Easter Sundowner. We opened at eleven o'clock. We closed at eleven o'clock. We enjoyed a stream of enthusiastic and appreciative guests. We set up the BBQ out the front for our sausage sizzle. Our musos were unusually, hilariously late.
An overcast and somewhat gloomy autumn day here in Heavenly Beverley. Every now and again, the sun is trying to break through the heavy curtain of clouds, to add warmth and brightness. Sitting here, watching the boys continue working on our beautiful brick wall, I am once more reminded that life consists of light and dark, shades of grey; love, joy and peace mixed simultaneously with fear or regret or sadness.
May -
Throughout this last week, my new knee and I have also been forging a relationship. I have yet to post holiday snaps of us together. Our partnership reminds me of being at home with a new baby. One part euphoria, one part terror, one part exhaustion and one part sheer determination.
The first morning at home was a mixture of refreshment and joy. I had slept twelve hours away. My knee and I were making progress. Prior to this, I had considered that the knee was an alien, rather like the being in the movie of the same name and definitely not to be trusted. Although not yet best buddies, we are now beyond the funny handshake stage.
Throughout this last week, my new knee and I have also been forging a relationship. I have yet to post holiday snaps of us together. Our partnership reminds me of being at home with a new baby. One part euphoria, one part terror, one part exhaustion and one part sheer determination.
The first morning at home was a mixture of refreshment and joy. I had slept twelve hours away. My knee and I were making progress. Prior to this, I had considered that the knee was an alien, rather like the being in the movie of the same name and definitely not to be trusted. Although not yet best buddies, we are now beyond the funny handshake stage.
June -
Michael announced he was staying up to watch the "Guns of Navarone".
I retired to bed, fighting with Madame Cat for a fair share of my side. Out in the living room, our heroes - the Brits and Yanks - were in full flight against the evil German fortress somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea. Michael, happily inebriated, had the volume at full throttle, thus preventing me from slipping into Cloud Cuckoo Land.
Worse was to come. An almighty crash from the pantry signalled all was not well. I went to investigate. Michael had been prowling for snacks and had dropped the container of jellybeans on the floor whilst searching for other delights. In his haste, he ate as many as possible, whilst picking them up off the floor to prevent the Canine Clowns from vacuuming them up for themselves.
July -
I retired to bed, fighting with Madame Cat for a fair share of my side. Out in the living room, our heroes - the Brits and Yanks - were in full flight against the evil German fortress somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea. Michael, happily inebriated, had the volume at full throttle, thus preventing me from slipping into Cloud Cuckoo Land.
Worse was to come. An almighty crash from the pantry signalled all was not well. I went to investigate. Michael had been prowling for snacks and had dropped the container of jellybeans on the floor whilst searching for other delights. In his haste, he ate as many as possible, whilst picking them up off the floor to prevent the Canine Clowns from vacuuming them up for themselves.
July -
Jokes have flown around for decades that MacGyver could always improvise to make some sort of device to thwart the latest villain. As being like MacGyver means one uses the materials on hand to design an outlandish albeit simple solution for a vexing problem at hand.
Today, Michael had to channel his inner MacGyver. The leaking plastic gizmo that had lead to the loss of all our water from our storage tanks had to be fixed. Having a state-of-the-art caravan and not being able to turn on a tap and fill a kettle with water for a cup of tea was not on our agenda. Instead, Michael retrieved all four of his tool bags from various nooks and crannies and pondered whether any of the contents could help us in Our Hour Of Need.
Today, Michael had to channel his inner MacGyver. The leaking plastic gizmo that had lead to the loss of all our water from our storage tanks had to be fixed. Having a state-of-the-art caravan and not being able to turn on a tap and fill a kettle with water for a cup of tea was not on our agenda. Instead, Michael retrieved all four of his tool bags from various nooks and crannies and pondered whether any of the contents could help us in Our Hour Of Need.
August -
- Callum has been a perfectionist from the moment he was born. He expressed his displeasure very loudly when yanked out of warmth and comfort into a bright and cold world. He refused to walk until he could do so without falling over. He started speaking in full sentences. And he toilet-trained himself in one day when he was bloody well ready.
- As he's grown into adulthood, he has become more measured, tolerant and most diplomatic. An interesting contrast to his mother.
- A teacher in all facets of his life. As a brother, a son, a friend, a partner, Callum would help us all if possible. To be able to teach me the Nutbush will go down in history as one of his greatest triumphs.
- Callum always gives his all. He has practised crowd control with a class of rampant upper primary school boys, persuaded a bunch of loud-mouthed drunkards to leave the Mullaloo hospitality premises, had a preprimary pupil check his tonsils without poking them, sashayed with style through a busy restaurant and strived for excellence in everything he tackles.
- I am privileged to be his Mum. He rings me for no particular reason, values my opinions, remembers my birthday (even if the actual date is a little hazy) and always ends his conversations with "Love you, Mum".
September -
We have well and truly moved into our tenth year of love, laughter and lunacy. Yesterday, Michael turned sixty-three.
After a fantastic lunch, we staggered into the movie. "Beirut" was a classy, edgy, seat of our pants thriller. We were required to think and follow the storyline. We were entertained, rather than blown away by senseless violence. There was violence, to be sure, but relevant to the setting and era. We were delighted to have made the effort to venture into the belly of the Big Smoke to experience a movie more sophisticated than "Shoot 'em up 43"
Out into the daylight again. Even though this was Michael's day, I was not going to pass up the chance to have a proper bra fitting and buy some decent bras. Michael was directed to the ManChair in the Myer Intimates department whilst I was expertly Taken In Hand by Barbara.
October -
Put simply, the Heroic is an event encompassing the passion of bicycling. New bikes, vintage bikes, new riders, vintage riders and their supporters were celebrating the delights and the dramas of all two-wheeled self-propelled transport devices. Bike lovers, from the novices to the serious riders, embraced the spirit of another remarkable Heroic weekend.
There were some notable acts of Heroism. The Beverley Heroine, an exceedingly fit and experienced rider, discovered that her slow pace up a hill was due to her brakes inadvertently being in the on position. The best costume was awarded to a bloke dressed in all garments Peugeot. There was another bunch who had obviously escaped from an AC/DC convention, resplendent in school uniforms and the memorable Fat Bastards, who promoted themselves as an eating group with a bicycle disorder...
November -
This week has been particularly topsy-turvy in a Mad Hatter's Tea Party kind of way. There are some days that I realised, with the benefit of hindsight, that perhaps I just should have stayed in bed and pulled the covers over my head to avoid falling down the rabbit hole.
I was moved to tears by the grief and rage - white-hot rage - of a mother whose daughter died in the latest killing in the US. "Don't you dare send me thoughts and prayers", she shrieked, "Give us gun control". Simple and succinct. When will the gun lobby accept that this indiscriminate killing has to stop and the Second Amendment did not refer to high powered automatic weapons?
And then today, a bloody awesome Good News story. Our former canine neighbours from Brooking Street, Spooky and her son Tramp, were bitten by a Dugite in their yard two days ago. Heroics from Doctor Tracey and the team at Heartlands Vet Hospital saved both Jack Russells and they are home with Mum and Dad - Shane and Marci - once more. Their treatment has cost a Pretty Penny, but these two little dogs are unashamedly adored by all who know them.
December -
Adam and Gem, who are renovating a dinky little doer-upper by the river in preparation for their 2019 wedding, brought a mass of their extended family through the doors. One of them had only just arrived from the UK the day before. Having already met a King Brown snake under the deck a month or so ago, a Dugite in their laundry this morning was the star attraction. Well, for some, anyway. When Adam bellowed "Snake!" half the rellies ran away and the other half zoomed in to try and photograph the hapless reptile. Adam is under instruction to repair the back door to prevent the appearance of any of the Dugite's mates.
They came, they saw, they chatted all at once. I was a bit confused as to who was who, but nobody minded. After about thirty minutes of highly animated cheerfulness, they left the Gallery. I hope the snake had departed their laundry in the interim. A gathering of that size at Windward Retreat was not for the faint of heart, including snakes.
After a fantastic lunch, we staggered into the movie. "Beirut" was a classy, edgy, seat of our pants thriller. We were required to think and follow the storyline. We were entertained, rather than blown away by senseless violence. There was violence, to be sure, but relevant to the setting and era. We were delighted to have made the effort to venture into the belly of the Big Smoke to experience a movie more sophisticated than "Shoot 'em up 43"
Out into the daylight again. Even though this was Michael's day, I was not going to pass up the chance to have a proper bra fitting and buy some decent bras. Michael was directed to the ManChair in the Myer Intimates department whilst I was expertly Taken In Hand by Barbara.
October -
Put simply, the Heroic is an event encompassing the passion of bicycling. New bikes, vintage bikes, new riders, vintage riders and their supporters were celebrating the delights and the dramas of all two-wheeled self-propelled transport devices. Bike lovers, from the novices to the serious riders, embraced the spirit of another remarkable Heroic weekend.
There were some notable acts of Heroism. The Beverley Heroine, an exceedingly fit and experienced rider, discovered that her slow pace up a hill was due to her brakes inadvertently being in the on position. The best costume was awarded to a bloke dressed in all garments Peugeot. There was another bunch who had obviously escaped from an AC/DC convention, resplendent in school uniforms and the memorable Fat Bastards, who promoted themselves as an eating group with a bicycle disorder...
November -
I was moved to tears by the grief and rage - white-hot rage - of a mother whose daughter died in the latest killing in the US. "Don't you dare send me thoughts and prayers", she shrieked, "Give us gun control". Simple and succinct. When will the gun lobby accept that this indiscriminate killing has to stop and the Second Amendment did not refer to high powered automatic weapons?
And then today, a bloody awesome Good News story. Our former canine neighbours from Brooking Street, Spooky and her son Tramp, were bitten by a Dugite in their yard two days ago. Heroics from Doctor Tracey and the team at Heartlands Vet Hospital saved both Jack Russells and they are home with Mum and Dad - Shane and Marci - once more. Their treatment has cost a Pretty Penny, but these two little dogs are unashamedly adored by all who know them.
December -
Adam and Gem, who are renovating a dinky little doer-upper by the river in preparation for their 2019 wedding, brought a mass of their extended family through the doors. One of them had only just arrived from the UK the day before. Having already met a King Brown snake under the deck a month or so ago, a Dugite in their laundry this morning was the star attraction. Well, for some, anyway. When Adam bellowed "Snake!" half the rellies ran away and the other half zoomed in to try and photograph the hapless reptile. Adam is under instruction to repair the back door to prevent the appearance of any of the Dugite's mates.
They came, they saw, they chatted all at once. I was a bit confused as to who was who, but nobody minded. After about thirty minutes of highly animated cheerfulness, they left the Gallery. I hope the snake had departed their laundry in the interim. A gathering of that size at Windward Retreat was not for the faint of heart, including snakes.
A collage of 2018 -
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