Happy Birthday Mum

Sunday October 5 was Mum's 70th birthday. The family gathered to celebrate the occasion with dinner at Elmars in the Valley, a German restaurant in the Swan Valley.
Everyone had a great time, especially Mum.
Afterwards we met back at Alan's place for coffee. The kids shared their feelings and memories about their Nan then I read a poem I'd been composing over the preceding couple of hours. It started with the idea of sharing 70 memories of Mum which The Hair listed in the car as we drove over to Bridgetown to pick up Walter. I then had the bright idea of turning it into rhyming couplets!
Here's the result.

The Ballad of Jacqui B.

A long time ago, I don't remember when
But by the calendar three score and ten
1938 was the year
That my Mum first appeared

Somewhere around the town of Hurstbridge

In a little house without a fridge

Alec and Elsie brought forth Evelyn's sister
And named her Jacqueline Muriel Burmeister
Some time later they moved to Northcote
To a house at 373 Clarke St
Down the road to school at Westgarth
Up the sidestreet to the park
A great place to play but don't be late
When Pa whistled from the gate
One day Graham copped a whack in the head
A boy had kicked him his sister's said
Up to the park stormed Nan, a neck to wring
Till they confessed "it was the swing"
In Melbourne, Footy's king of the pack
And the Burmeister family were yellow and black
Cheering on the Tigers in the rain and mud
Watching the exploits of Captain Blood
Back in the days of carts and horses
Following with a bucket awaiting nature's forces
One day a milk cart too long lingered
And crushed Mum's hand, hence her dodgy finger

A few years later Jacqui's eyes were drawn
To a handsome dark haired young man
Peter and Jacqui soon said "I do"
The day Jacqui first used shampoo! *
Not long after to Birchip they moved
A place a long long way removed
From family friends and civilisation
Not much to do except procreation
Thus first child Alan was born
Mum gave birth all alone
The nurse had retired for the night
And Father Peter was nowhere in sight
A litter of pups took his attention
While Alan made his ascension
Other towns followed as did more kids
Vicki next then Mark** and Squid***
The family moved down to Geelong
On Aberdeen St they belonged
Peter and Jacqui parted in Cook's centenary
And both headed for different scenery

Wiggs Rd Moolap was Jacqui's new home
Casa Moodella with an acre to roam
As a single Mum Jacqui worked hard
raising four kids, working at a garage
Weekends at Northcote, holidays at Nathalia
to see the Gallaghers and Nanny "Falia"
Riding bikes her back covered in flies
"Leave them there they're not in my eyes"
Collecting blue willow china plates and bowls
Replacing Mark's thirteen worn out soles
Driving the Morris Minor to Barwon Heads
Up the hill it felt like lead
After several attempts that were very stressful
In reverse she was finally successful

In 1974 Jacqui moved west with Arthur in toe
Across the Nullabor the Valiant did go
To Burnside St Bayswater rented from Neil and Joan
John Forrest High was our new school and home
From there to Watermans, West Coast Highway
Home decorating? She did it her way
With million dollar views up and down
Painted out with mission brown
New friends the Mentleins, Udo and Viv
Just up the highway from where we lived
After a year of turmoil one son was transported
To live with his father in a town called Rosewood
But another child arrived when Shannon was born
One new kid in the family and one kid gone
At Christmas one year for my Spurs obsession
She got a book signed by Spurs, a precious possession

Talking of obsessions I'm reminded
Mum was once addicted to Eucalyptus Diamonds
Her art and craft interests are myriad
I well remember her ceramics period
Now her home is over-run with bears
Family photos surround the stairs
Santas and Christmas decorations
Are just some of her fixations
On the other hand some phobias I should mention
Number one on the list the "Deadly Huntsman"
Many's the time she's been bailed up by a spider
Paralysed by fear by herself beside her
There's something else that could terrorise
Dogs, especially those BIG in size
One time on our way to Phillip Island
She and Lorna were cornered by a giant canine

Some years back Mum got the urge to see
The home of the brave and the land of the free
Off she went around the world
All on her own, a single girl
To Britain first, and Shakespeare's home
London, Oxford and the Cotswolds roamed
Then off she flew to see New York
And listen to the yankees talk
The Empire State and Central Park
Befriending Joshua and the Clarks
Seeing all the wonderful colours of Fall
New England's treasures she loved them all
Keith and Michelle said you're welcome here
In the home of John Deere
San Francison was a real highlight
The hills, the bay, the street-car lights
Then finally down to San Diego
To visit a very special amigo
Paul and Vicki were splendid hosts
And showed her the Californian coast
It was a trip jammed full of memorable places
Special people and friendly faces
The travel bug gave her a good hard bite
Twice more with bags packed she's taken flight

Without a husband, all on her own
Jacqui said "I'm not meant to be alone"
I'm the sort whose made for marriage
So Udo placed an ad for a German motor carriage
He answered the ad in the personal column
And scored a ring, a bit like Gollum

When "Poor Walter" went down on bended knee

She netted husband Number Three

They went together to Germany

To visit old friends and family

Then back to Mum's favourite place

Two more trips to the United States

Even though she's 70 now

I suspect that still somehow

She'll dip once more into the cookie jar

And go back again to America

Mum's special gift is hospitality
Her Christmas dinners have earnt immortality
Ham and pork, roast veges and trimmings
Everyone's plate over-brimming
And just when you've recovered from that
Out come the pancakes to lay you flat
You can rock up unexpected at any time
And be fed a banquet every time
She's moved around from west to east and east to west
Till finally now she loves Fridgetown best
Her beautiful little house set on the hill
With beds and bears and love is filled
The welcome mat's out, the door's not locked
The fire is warm and the pantry's stocked
Mum often welcomes travelling guests
And provides a comfy place to rest
But the guests she wouldn't trade for quids
Are her children and grand kids
Now Walter and Jacqui are the elders of our clan
Our wonderful Mum and beloved Nan
We love you dearly, we honour you
We thank you for everything you do
Your love is unconditional, it's never in doubt
Nothing we do could ever wipe it out
What's without question is your loyalty to friends
Your love and generosity never ends
You put other people first in every situation
Your commitment to family is beyond estimation
We wish you Happy Birthday in your 70th year
And many more to come, for Mum we give three cheers.


* Shampoo was a new invention, up until then people washed their hair with Velvet soap
* Marcus (that's me)
* Bruce

Birthday Bonanza

Mark Thompson is happy and so am I! I asked for a Cats win for my birthday but they delivered a good old-fashioned shellacking! A 135 point victory, the biggest loss West Coast have ever had at Subiaco! 28 goals to 5! Gary Ablett was on fire, Chapman and Mooney kicked 5 goals each, Tom Harley dominated the air and the Cats were rampant all over the ground!
Favourite Daughter, Sport Boy and I had a ball, especially in the last quarter. 1000's of Eagles fans left at 3/4 time, where was their loyalty? They were only trailing by 116 points! So we took the chance to move out of the confines of the sub-zero altitude seats we were in behind the goal and up to the grandstand on the forward flank where the view was a million times better and the yo-yo exercise everytime someone in the row wanted to come in or out of the ridiculously narrow aisles gave way to a panaramic view of Subiaco Oval and the Cats continuing on their merry way to a thumping percentage boosting victory.
Add to that the fact that North Melbourne unexpectedly knocked off Hawthorn today and my birthday present was complete, Geelong now a game and percentage clear on top of the AFL ladder!

We sang all the way back to the car after the game!

It's been a great day. Sure I turned 47 and am feeling suddenly older slower and sorer because of it! But, the kids won their soccer game this morning 4-0 with Sport Boy playing really well, the CFFL mid-season draft went well as I traded aggressively and managed to outfit my team almost entirely with Geelong players, Sport Boy is over the moon at being able to buy a genuine FIFA World Cup soccer ball from Jim Kidds for $100 off the original price, and we dropped in to Leederville Oval on the way to watch East Perth hold on to win against Claremont in the last quarter of the WAFL.
And now we're at the Letchy's place enjoying their friendship and hospitality!

Happy Birthday to me
I'm as pleased as can be
The Cats won you see
And my family loves me

A Very Special Day

Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday dear Marcus
Happy Birthday to me!

All I want for my birthday is to see Geelong beat the Eagles tonight at Subiaco.

Sport Boy and I are heading up there straight after soccer in the morning, which will be straight after I get whatever sleep I can between now and then.

The taxi was VERY QUIET tonight but I was rostered off at number 6 so have only just gotten home.

Waiting...

Ever been put on hold and then abandoned? Left dangling for 20 minutes before you realise they ain't coming back?

That's how I feel at the moment.

I'm awaiting approval to run the footy trip to Melbourne in July from our insurers, and I'm waiting, waiting,waiting!!
Meanwhile the prices are going up, the planes are selling out and the whole trip is delicately balanced between viable and exorbitant!

The kids have paid their fares but I can't commit to buying the tickets until we get approval!

It's a frustrating wait and nothing I do seems to be speeding it up.

The Heir turns 21 tomorrow! My eldest child will reach a significant milestone.
As a pre-birthday celebration we went to see the new Indiana Jones movie tonight. Well, it really had nothing to do with his birthday, especially seeing as I made him pay for his own ticket, but I'm claiming it for the blog!

Talking of birthdays, Pop turned 72 today! He still had enough strength to come to the phone and enough wits to sustain a conversation but he's clearly on the downhill run!!
Happy Birthday Pop! You'll have to pick up your present in person!

Bed or Blog?

I was torn between bed and blogging tonight, and blogging won, but only for a minute. I'm catering for a breakfast for the school cleaners tomorrow morning so I need to be there early and considering I struggle to get there on time, early will be quite a challenge!

Just want to give a heads up about a very exciting post tomorrow, won't reveal details here but it's got something to do with a ship.

It is only two days until Sport Boy's 10th birthday!! Our last child is about to enter the age of double digits! Only 7-8 years until we're "Empty Nesters"!!

It was an unseasonally cold and windy day in Busso and that brought some greater than usual feral behaviour out of some of the kids. I've observed Windy Day Syndrome over many years. You can guarantee the kids will be rattier if the wind is up!

It is also just a few days before we vote in the federal election and tonight I explained to favourite Daughter, who will be voting for the first time, what's involved in the process of voting. I know there's a tendency toward cynicism about politics but I believe the democratic freedoms we enjoy in Australia are one of the things that makes our country so great.

I was contacted by the funeral company in town today with a request to conduct the funeral service for one of the kids killed in the car crash on the weekend. It will probably be held on Friday. That will add to an already busy week.

I don't normally blog about Mrs Holt Press but there was an amusing incident this afternoon worthy of sharing. We went into town so I could pick up a painting from the gallery and Mrs HP said she needed to go to the supermarket to buy a lasagne for dinner. I adjourned around to Jacksons to buy some rollers and a couple of tubes of paint, under instructions to return when it came time to pay the bill as she'd left her purse at home. (A little trick she learnt from her father-in-law!) Once I'd paid for the groceries, about $120 worth, and we headed out to put them in the car she turned to me and said, "Oh, I forgot to buy the lasagne"!!
Glad to say that it was very tasty and worth the effort of a return trip through the check-out!

Happy Birthday to The Heir, and to Birchy

It's birthday season at Holt Press. May 29 is my son Zach, aka The Heir's, and one of my best mates, Birchy, aka The Full Quiver's, birthday.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to speak to either of them to wish them well, for different reasons. I left it too late to ring Birchy, it was around tea time and with 5 kids to manage through the feeding/bathing/putting to bed routine it's no surprise that they weren't answering the phone.
I left a message but as he is a fairly regular reader of my blog, let me say it publicly, Happy Birthday Birchy, you're a great mate.
The Heir has been living in England for about the last 18 months so seeing him was not an option and my attempts to ring him failed for various reasons. Seems he has a friend visiting from Australia so has moved out for a couple of days so they can spend time together. On the plus side I did get to speak to Barabara who along with her family have been "pseudo parents" and have looked after our son for us. I tried his mobile but got a message saying the phone wasn't in service. I believe it is but suspect that the whole international dialling thing was a little too much for it's circuitry to handle. I tried to get him on Skype but no joy there either.

So, son, not for lack of trying, this is your official Happy Birthday Call-Out.

He has expressed a few misgivings about turning 20 and the expectations that come with such an age. I know exactly how he feels because I had the same thoughts and feelings when I turned 20, and 30, and 40 and ... There's something about 20 that signifies a change, the end of the teens, the end of justifying your irresponsible behaviour on the basis that you're a teenager and don't know any better/haven't matured yet/lack self control/are invincible, omniscient and never wrong! I'll never forget the day The Heir was born, it was the most amazing and miraculous experience of my life. Almost instantly I felt a "weight" settle on me, of responsibility. Here was a helpless little baby totally dependent on us for everything, for survival and life. It was the start of a new chapter of my life that continues to be written to this day. He is 20 and living on the other side of the world but there is still a strong sense of care and concern and hope for him; that his life will be happy and healthy and holy. I used to hold him by his legs and hang him upside down as we walked around and he seemed to love it, never crying or complaining. We went to Victoria for 9 months when he was 1 and had just started walking. We took the Indian Pacific train and not long after we left Perth he lurched and fell in the aisle banging his head on one of the seats and getting a big lump over his eye. The rest of the three day journey was somewhat tense as I tried to prevent him falling over or getting hurt again. That's the thing about being a parent, no matter how much we love them or how hard we try we can't prevent our kids from ever getting hurt. And it's not just when they're toddlers, it continues on, quite probably for the rest of their lives, or ours, whichever comes first.
We spent 6 months at Kilmany Park in Sale studying youthwork with Fusion and now, 20 years on, The Heir has done the same course, now taught at Poatina in Tasmania, and is part of Fusion, who themselves have grown up and spread out across the world.

The Heir, as our first-born, suffered at the hands of our over zealous parenting and copped more smacks than the other three kids put together. He deserved some of them but certainly not as many as he got.

When we lived in Beckenham he slept in a cradle and if he woke up crying would usually go back to sleep if we just rocked the cradle for a little while. The Heir was a devoted big brother to his little sister Sophie, aka Favourite Daughter.

This got me thinking and I set about rigging up a system with string and metal screw-in eyelets strategically positioned along the walls between his bedroom and ours that would enable me to rock his cradle from the comfort of my own bed! It sort of worked! But not really! A couple of good yanks on the string would send enough energy down the string to cause the cradle to jerk unevenly but no smooth rocking motion could be achieved! I'm sure that there were too many angles to negotiate and too much friction to overcome for it to succeed, but I'm equally sure that with some more refinement and a finer engineering brain than mine, the system would have been perfected. Maybe even patented! Who knows, I could have been sitting on a fortune by now if I'd just persevered with my remote control string operated baby rocking system!

Happy Birthday Zac, I love you.
We have been blessed with beautiful children and a friend, Stephen, took many waonderful pictures of them when they were little. Many of these I enlarged and framed and they still grace our walls.


The Heir and Favourite Daughter were very close and played together beautifully when they were little. We've got hours of video of them running around in the backyard, sometimes clothed, sometimes not!
Sadly they went through a less than amicable period in their early to mid teens when FD no longer thought TH was cool and gave him a lot of grief but happily they have gotten past that and get along really well again now. They are talking about travelling together overseas next year.

Happy Birthday Pop

Happy Birthday Pop. My Dad turned 71 today which is amazing cause he doesn't look a day over 70.
This year a phone call was the best I could manage which is a far cry from last year's effort when myself, The Heir, BB the Accountant and my sister Vicki all flew over to Queensland to celebrate the milestone. We all had a great weekend together on the Sunshine coast and it's a bit of a shame we couldn't repeat it this year, but at least we had a visit from Dad for Jenna's wedding a couple of months ago.

I don't always see eye to eye with Dad, we disagree on many things, but I love him dearly and value him for his wisdom, experience, humour, generosity and love. (He reads my blog every day so I'd better say some nice things about him!!)

I have many many memories of times with Dad, right from when I was a little kid. He always took me to footy on Saturday mornings at the Geelong West YMCA Football League. My first year was in under 6's, there were only two teams, The Toughies and The Terribles and we played one another every week, wearing over-sized jumpers that we had to tuck in to stop us tripping over them. I was a Toughie and we played in green, the Terribles wore blue and it was typical swarm-ball football, all 36 kids chasing the ball at once trying to get a kick.

Later I played for The Terrifics in bright yellow jumpers with red collars and cuffs in the Under 9's. We won the Grand Final in 1970 and I won the best and fairest, I've still got the medallion on the pin-up board in my office. I'll never forget the Grand Final, we beat The Dazzlers by three goals.
I came 5th in the League Best and Fairest award that season, a kid called Ray Kwoon won it, one of the very earliest Asian kids to play Aussie Rules footy.

After we'd played in the morning, if the Cats were playing at home Dad would take me to Kardinia Park to watch Geelong. He'd stand on the hill behind the Barwon River goal and I'd swap between watching the game and sliding down the banks of the hill behind the scoreboard on cardboard boxes with all the other kids. My favourite player was Doug Wade who wore number 23 and played full-forward. He is one of only 5 players in history to kick a thousand goals in VFL/AFL footy although Dad reckoned he was a sulky player. Polly Farmer was in the ruck, Billy Goggin was rover, Denis Marshall was on the wing and the Cats had plenty of good players like Closter, Ryan, Newlands, Rosenow, Ainsworth and Andrews. They made the finals every year in the 60's.

Interestingly, years later my nephew Daniel was drafted by Geelong and played 17 games in an injury-plagued career and he too wore number 23. Now Nathan Ablett wears that jumper.

Dad was a Geelong supporter only by default on account of us kids and the fact we lived in the town. He started life as a Carlton fan even though his Mum, Nanny Falia as we called her cause she lived in the northern Victorian town of Nathalia which was a little tricky to pronounce, was a died in the wool South Melbourne fan. When BB the Accountant first took an interest in Footy he adopted Footscray so Dad started barracking for the Bulldogs who boasted Mr Football, Ted Whitten, and John Shulz and George Bisset amongst their players.
But, shortly after that, we moved to Geelong and BB promptly dumped Footscray to barrack for the Cats and I of course immediately adopted them. I was never old enough to have supported any other team so I'm proud to say I'm a life-long Geelong fan. Dad though must have felt a certain loyalty to Footscray because he stuck with them, despite the fact they haven't won a premiership since 1954! which is an even worse record than Geelong whose last flag was in 1963. My lone claim being that I can at least say they've won a premiership in my lifetime, even if I was only 2 and oblivious to them at the time!

In his latter years and with his migration to Queensland Dad has switched allegiances again, to the Brisbane Lions, and has finally cracked it for a successful team following their three Grand Final wins in a row from 2001-2003. Not that he goes to the footy any more, and has to put up with delayed telecasts and minimal coverage in what is still a rugby-dominated state.

Lots of good memories and plenty more where they came from.

Happy Birthday Pop, I love you.