24 Years and Counting

Almost a week since my last post, sorry if you missed me, hahaha!

A quick wrap of recent events in Holt Press land.

Today Mrs Holt Press and I marked our 24th wedding anniversary. It was a low key celebration, Mrs HP hasn't been too well of late and had no energy for partying, but we are going out for dinner tomorrow night.

Favourite Daughter turned 21 last week. It too was a low key event. We're not that good at marking the milestones sadly. We gave her a wave ski, something she has wanted and can take on her trip. She and Spike are both up in Perth at present now that her Komboi has passed it's roadworthy and had the canary removed.

Sport Boy played in the adult squash comp tonight for the first time and came home sweaty and tired, and happy. He goes on an overnight camp tomorrow so we'll have the house to ourselves.

I drove charter buses for 5 days from Wed to Sun; I picked up a group of gynacologists from Perth on Wed, drove them around the SW the next few days before delivering  them to the airport at the end of their conference yesterday. I stayed in town and went to the footy with Cam, Broadie and Barney last night where the Dockers were sensational in thumping the Crows. If they'd kicked one more point, or conceded one less they'd have been on top of the ladder by percentage after round one!

Of course, the Cats had a great win on Friday night, coming from 4 goals down to blitz the Bombers with a 9 goal streak. Go Cats!

I've found a venue to run a follow up art exhibition over Easter, a very busy time in Busso. I've got to paint a couple of rooms and get some things tidied up for it to open on Friday so the next few days will be busy. We also looked at a shop that is about to be vacant in Queen St with a view to opening a gallery/shop. Not sure whether to go for it or not but it's very tempting. The location is excellent and it's over twice as big as the shop I had in Kent St. If we could find a couple of partners who'd like to go into a joint venture it could be viable.

Better Choose Carefully!

Three out of ten pots are on sale but only one in ten water features apparently.

TP 1047, the big green Mercedes I drive to work each day!

No words required.

A Rugby! Nan and Pa's first car was a Rugby so it was nice to discover this one at Sharp's auto museum on Sunday arvo.

Paddling with Richard and Anne at the Catholic campsite on the holy mile as the dolphins fished and the sun set over Geographe Bay . It doesn't get much better than that.

Blog Problems Appear to be Fixed

Blog Problem:

Fingers crossed but it looks as if the redirecting/pop-up problem here at Holt Press has been fixed.

Following a suggestion on a blogger help forum I removed a number of gadgets I had added to the sidebar in the last couple of months; gadgets taken from Blogger's Layout menu I hasten to add!

So far so good.

Catching our Breath:

I know the modern mantra is that "Life is busy" but after the full on intensity of running the art exhibition (open till 8 every night), minding the family while Mrs Holt Press was away and the emotion of her Mum dying, driving buses and taxis, doing a major clean-up of the carport and patio and redistribution of belongings into the two sheds (having finally laid a floor of concrete slabs!), running the school beach carnival and celebrating my wife's 50th birthday, things have actually quietened down a little!

In fact Mrs HP and I even found time to go to the pictures today to see "The Blind Side", a sentimental and heart-warming true story for which sandra Bullock won the best actress Oscar. We both enjoyed it.

Pic from Mrs HP's birthday BBQ at one of her favourite places, Meelup Beach on Sunday afternoon. It was a low key relaxing affair in a truly beautiful place with a small group of close friends and family, very pleasant.

Workwise:

I'll be doing a bit more bus driving, with the possibility of some charter work next week, and probably running a leadership camp for the student council and house captains at the high school. I'm moving into more of a part-time driving/ "work for myself" mode with a few projects to organise for the school over the next couple of months. I'm enjoying the freedom and the variety, and hoping that the work will be steady enough to keep the money coming in to pay the mortgage and the bills. 

Some action from the School Beach Carnival on Friday, also held at Meelup.

Maybe Definitely Art Exhibition Feb 25 - Mar 15 Busselton

The exhibition finished on Sunday and I spent most of yesterday taking it all down. There was some sadness at having to finish it and to give up the space that had become a second home for the last three weeks. We had hundreds of visitors, many of whom were positive and complimentary. I sold 20 pieces all up, a result I'm very happy with. You can see some of the visitors and a few of the people who purchased paintings.
It has encouraged me to keep working my way into the art world. I'm not sure what the next step is but there was enough positive feedback to suggest that people like my artwork and there is potential to sell more of it.
Easter is a busy time in Busselton and the south west so I'm putting out feelers about possible venues or ways to have my art accessible and available then.

Blogger Problems

A few people have been having problems trying to read my blog recently. They are getting redirected to advertising sites against their will. Not sure why it's happening but I've deleted the YouTube clip I posted the other day to see if that makes any difference.

The problem has to be with Blogger I think but I don't really know. I will report it to them if it persists.

Sorry if you're having problems reading your favourite blog, or this one.

Mrs Holt Press and Favourite Daughter arrived home safely last night though by the time we got home it was 5.00am by their body clocks and they'd been up for 24 hours. That wouldn't have been too bad if they hadn't woken up 4 hours later!

Hopefully they'll get a better night's sleep tonight.

I sold two more paintings at the gallery today, woohoo, that makes 19 in total.

Mrs Holt Press and Favourite Daughter Return (in 20 minutes!)

I'm at the airport awaiting the arrival of my wife and daughter returning home from Victoria. Mrs Holt Press has been away nearly a month and is hanging out to get home. Losing her Mum has been sad and emotional and things have been a little difficult since Mother Mary's funeral. Her Dad at 91, nearly blind and deaf  and with Favourite Daughter being there too it has become a bit cramped. It was Mrs HP's birthday yesterday which added a little to the intensity and emotion of the situation I guess, it being a significant milestone birthday this time round.

I came up on the bus this evening and will drive them home to Busselton tonight when The Heir brings my car to the airport. (FD drove it up last week when she went over for the funeral).

Sport Boy hasn't been well the last couple of days, hopefully his Mum's return will be a tonic for him.

Spike has been helping man the gallery while I've been on school bus duty and getting a few more shifts at the bakery.

The art exhibition has been going really well. Lots of people coming in. Lots of positive comments and affirmation. And over the weekend especially, lots of sales. I've sold 17 pictures so far with just under a week to go. Hopefully this weekend will be successful so it finishes strongly. I'm planning a closing night soiree to finish with a flourish, and use up the left over wine and champagne from the opening!
There's still time to come and have a look if you haven't done so yet.

Which reminds me, Aileen, I can't find your address or phone number but I'd love you to come and see the exhibition. Give me a call or leave a message if you can make it one day this week or on the weekend. "Come on Aileen"!

The plane is due to land in about 7 minutes so I'd better head down to the arrivals gate. They're not expecting me, hopefully it will be a pleasant surprise!

Maybe Definitely Update

Mother Mary's funeral will be on Thursday morning in Geelong. I can't go but Sophie is going over for it and flies to Melbourne tomorrow night. I'd really like to be there but cost, work and other commitments make it impossible.

Back on the homefront, the Art Exhibition opened on Thursday night with about 40 people in attendance. Sophie did a brilliant job with the catering and evrything went smoothly except for my emotions getting the better of me and shedding a few unexpected tears.

I sold 8 pieces on Opening night although to put that into perspective, one person bought 7 of them! Since then I have sold another 4. There has been a fairly steady stream of people through the gallery and the comments and feedback have been overwhelmingly positive. I have a hunch 1-2 people will be back to make purchases.

I am rapt with how the gallery looks and the tone and feel of it. I'll post some pictures in a day or two.

We've been staying open late each night which is in complete contrast to the normal way businesses operate in Busselton. For a tourism oriented town it is not very tourist friendly, by 2.00pm Saturday it becomes a ghost town, with just a small smattering of pubs and cafes staying open over the weekend. 

The location of the gallery is excellent, with a popular cafe on one side and a cool florist on the other and an iconic surf shop on the corner.

I love being there and working on making it an inviting and friendly place. I have it until the 15th of March but I would love to extend the lease and keep it as a business full time. At this point the costs are too high to do that but we are talking and dreaming about ways to make it viable and successful; we being Alex and I and the kids. Al came down for the opening and is staying for a week to give me a hand and do some work around the house and garden. The place is being cleansed and transformed!

It was a long weekend Labour Day holiday today but it's back to work/school tomorrow.

Sport Boy is not well tonight with stomach cramps etc, hopefully he'll be well enough to go to school in the morning.