Reflection
Time marches on, and even in the years since I started this writing, ways and means for each member of the family have changed. Diana, now her children are more independent, (both boys have their own cars, and with Tracy at college) has embarked on three years of study for a Bachelor of Nursing Degree, and after 27 years with Telecom, Ross is now building.
Ian has begun to build his workshop on his property at Brianell Valley Road, Pyes Pa, as well as having landscaped it- a lovely place. He and Diane are enjoying the tribulations of small children again, having the custody of their granddaughter, Adriahn. Norman, after being a skipper on the boat Risk and Reward in Auckland, went with it to Florida. He stayed with the new owner for sometime, taking folk to the Bahamas, and then transferred to a much bigger boat, travelling from San Diego, round the coast of America, via the Galapagos Islands, and through the Panama Canal to New York, and where else?
Lynette and Peter are still extending their business, with many new inventions. They collect waste oil from all over the North Island, refine and sell it. They also produce the fuel and electricity to run all their own machinery.
Graham has worked hard on his farm on the Waimakari River, outside Christchurch, and has installed irrigators throughout, hugely increasing production. He has now employed a manager so he can retire to Hamilton with Sue, who unfortunately now has multiple sclerosis.
In Canada, Ron and Judy, with Michael are manufacturing and selling machinery to make concreting jobs easier and more effective.
Esther and Joe, having employed a worker, do less of the farm work themselves, and are able to spend time on their boat fishing (when the weather co-operates) and visiting his folk in Denmark.
Nellie and Doug are presently in Bouganville with VSA doing what they can to help the locals restore their lives after fighting destroyed much of what they had before.
This year Melville and Ruth have purchased the Homestead and the piece of land that Daddy kept for themselves when he sold the rest of the farm to Melville. Now it is reunited with the original property Daddy bought, but a very different farm, reflecting the hard work and love that has gone into it over the 90 years since that time.
When Fred was young he began taking flying lessons, but then marriage to Eileen became more important to him (and he could not afford both) so it was not till he was in his 60th year that he gained his pilots licence, and bought his own plane. Melville has also purchased a plane. Both are Cessnas, though Fred’s is an older model. Both have flown to Wanaka and other places in NZ, and I have been for a ride in both- thank you boys.
My life, up till now, has been very busy and interesting, with plenty of garden wherever I have been, but now, sadly, I have to employ someone else to do it for me, and am really glad when family are able to visit me or Ian or Diana take me shopping and to their place for a meal, prepared for me, instead of by me. I trust that when my time on earth is o’er I will hear “Well done, my good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord”.