Week 183-4 ” Twenty Ten or Two Thousand and ten”

2010 has arrived and I’m not sure how to say it “Twenty Ten “or “Two Thousand and ten”, I don’t suppose that it matters that much. Santa has been and we had the whole family to help us celebrate. We all went to Kym & James for Christmas dinner and it was great to have the family together.

Just before Christmas Jill had her appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon and she has an appointment to have her left knee replaced on the 4th March at Wangaratta Private Hospital and a stay of about 7 -10 days followed by lots of physio and fortunately we will be able to intensify that in our own gym. His main worry is wether there will be any reaction with the MSA. The pain from the knee has intensified over the past few weeks and Jill would have the operation tomorrow if it was possible.We are going to Chris and Nicole’s for a few days while the painter finishes the passage and toilet. This will depend on how Jill copes with the pain. Jake is of to the kennels (Pet Resort) for a few days and we are going to have Michael’s Gus here to keep Jake company when we come home. Michael is going to the Gold coast for a week.

We havebeen doing some family tree with the help of several close and distant family members. The size of the tree grows daily as we find more extended members. If there is any one that would like to have a look at the tree, send me an email and I will forward the invitation. Joan lent me a copy of a book she wrote about her family “A Portrait of Ordinary People – the Hackett family” by Joan McKaskill.The book was judged – commended in the Alexander Henderson Award 1997 by the Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies Inc. The judges wish to commend two entries.

These are:
Silken threads among the gold by Susan Patterson and A portrait of ordinary people: the Hackett family by Joan McKaskill.

The second work, A Portrait of ordinary people is a beautifully produced paper – bound entry. The book is very short but none the worse for that. It makes effective use of civil records extracts, letters, photographs and family reminiscences. It includes an extract from Mrs Prendergast’s personal journal, and this in particular is delightful in evoking the joys and difficulties of rural life in the early twentieth century.

Amongst some of the other information gathered was a poem by my Aunty Kath which was forwarded by my cousin Edwin. It was written in the 1920’s and mentions her father (James Michael Keenan- my grand father) and a new employee Bill – happens to be her brother and my father. I have included the poem. There is also a second poem by James Michael about those new mechanical devices that will take the place of horses.

I had better close off and we will see you in a couple of weeks on the net.