Lunch with mum and Mike

 A scrumptious lunch of pork belly with mum, Mike, Jo, Ant, Sam and Matt.

We asked ChatGPT to show what mum and Jo would look like if they were dogs!

Burgers with the Pater and Kobus

Always lovely to see them. We met up in Sea Point.  The highlight was the delicious chips.

Boting family dinner at the Portuguese restaurant in Kalk Bay

Lovely getting to know Michael and Annelies. What a wonderful couple. 

Xenia's birthday lunch at The Incinerator

A wonderful new restaurant to try out. 

Lunch at The Little Snail, Pyrmont and wonderful discussions about family research

A lovely lunch with Sue's friends, our quarterly get-together to keep her memory alive.  Michael couldn't make it unfortunately. The favourite conversation during lunch was family research through ancestry.com and DNA tests. Everyone is passionate about this. A great synchronicity after my recent project and still waiting for the DNA results. I learned some great tips.

Darling Harbour

Little Snail restaurant

The Little Snail does a wonderful 3 course meal. I had the most delicious mushroom crepe, lamb and chocolate mousse.

Jann's amazing family research

Jann has taken her family research to another level. She has written the most amazing book weaving together all she discovered. I had a look at it over lunch and it moved me to tears. I later wrote her an email and had a beautiful response (see below).

Email to Jann and her response

Hi Jann

Spending time with you on Thursday was truly wonderful, and seeing your incredible family book was a real privilege.

I've been reflecting on why it affected me so deeply. I’ve always been haunted by the thought that our lives—filled with countless experiences, both sublime and challenging—fade away when we pass. Each of us is a rich story wrapped in skin, yet in time, those stories are lost, like "tears in the rain." There’s something profoundly beautiful about this, but also deeply poignant.

Your book is an antidote to that loss. With exquisite detail, it captures and preserves the experiences of those who have passed on—some long ago—allowing us to share in their journeys. It keeps them alive in our hearts and minds, celebrating love, joy, dreams, hardships, and heartache. It is, in essence, a celebration of life itself.

Thank you for the inspiration. I’d love to have a digital copy of your book—to immerse myself in it and to use it as inspiration for creating something similar for my own family.

See you at the next gathering

Warmly,

Graeme

Hello Graeme

I am quite touched by three aspects of your thoughtful email:

• The sensitive way you express your thoughts and reactions;
• Your appreciation of my cobbling of the story in an attempt to capture and relate some aspects of the lives of those who came before;
• And that seeing an example in black and white may be a stimulus for you to capture your family’s story.

I’ll say again what I said on Thursday.... looking back from this end of life (Smile) allows for a perspective and a deeper understanding about the circumstances and life pressures governing the lives of past generations.

 

You are so very kind and your words are much appreciated.

Gosh, if it was to be published (it won’t) your writing would be perfect for the back cover!

 

I will send it soon – just want to tidy up the corrections offered so scrupulously and generously by Judy!

 

Thank you

Jann

Email to Michael

Hi there Michael

I hope the funeral on Thu went ok and it was a fitting celebration of a full and beautiful life.

We missed you greatly on Thursday, and you were very much part of our conversations.

I'm really glad I went as, apart from the wonderful company, it was a source of tremendous inspiration.

For the past few months, I have been immersing myself in family research, discovering long lost family relatives. I've even done an ancestry DNA test. It's all been a beautiful and enriching experience.

It was thus an incredible synchronicity to discover on Thursday that family research is a favourite past-time of several people there.  It led to captivating and very useful discussions. Most inspiring of all is that Jann happened to have with her a book she has written on her family's history. I was moved and inspired by it beyond measure.  Below is an email I just wrote to her.

Anyway, sending you love and healing vibes. I hope you get your energy and mojo back soon so you are rampant and raring to go.

Cheers

G

Thank you, Graeme, for letting me know.

It’s delightful that you all clicked on Thursday. So, you won’t mind that Graeme Tucker asked for your email address; which I’ve given to all of those luncheon suspects.

So an interesting ancestry DNA for you. Wot’s the result – English, Viking, German?

Yes, yes, for we non-believers it’s poignant that our “stories, wrapped in skin, in time are lost”.

Thinking (hard), our stories do fade but . . . you know, Carl Jung and all his stuff about the collective unconscious; we might have a lasting effect; albeit stories remain gone?

. . .  OR, on the other hand, as a wise man from Muswellbrook once quoted – If you fill a bucket with water; then put your hand in; then remove it, the result is an example to you of one’s importance in the greater scheme!

At my (!) highly satisfactory funeral on Thursday, the celebrant mentioned our shared stories – the connection but the now and future "one-sidedness”. I thought that he nailed the condition.

Yours in research,

Michael

Krissula's 77th birthday

Oh how I love this beautiful group of people. We went to Foy's restaurant above The Flying Bear which is more expensive than we are used to, but the food was delicious.

Frenchy's for lunch

 It's always a delight to meet up with this beautiful group of people. I had my usual dish: Goat's Cheese Quiche.

Lunch with Shushann

We went to a lovely Thai restaurant in Crow's Nest. Shushann treated me as a thank you for the help I gave her with Google Ads. The little kid in the photo is temporarily inherited!

Lunch at The Alchemist with Xenia

 I love this little cafe in Cammeray.

Frenchy's for lunch

Frenchy's has become our new regular haunt. Food is great and the girls are in love with the French waiter who I must admit is quite a dish !

Helping Xenia setup her new iPhone 16 Pro

Xenia came round to my house to setup the phone. Her previous phone was an iPhone 6 so it was a massive upgrade. We then went to a local Waverton cafe to celebrate and she treated me to lunch by swiping with her newly installed Apple Pay on her phone!

Jane's birthday

 A lovely lunch at Balmoral Beach to celebrate Jane's birthday.

Lunch with Xenia at Balmoral

Xenia treated me to a delicious lunch for my birthday at a lovely restaurant in Balmoral. 

Lunch with B

B had a fall recently so has been working from home to recover.  We met up for a lovely healthy lunch in Crow's Nest.

 

Table tennis and lunch

Xenia joined Chris and I for some table tennis. She's pretty good!  Then Shushann joined us for some lunch at The Alchemist (a local cafe).
 

Frenchy's Cafe with Xenia and Jane

A wonderful French cafe to chill out in with friendly staff with delightful French accents. I had my usual, Goats cheese quiche and salad, followed by my favourite, raspberry tart. Delicious as always!

Nepalese dinner and pool with the boys

Oh dear, I'm so bad at pool!  But it was a fun night out. Always great to spend time with these wonderful friends.

 

Flying Bear with Chris

I always enjoy catching up with Chris. 

Cattle Baron with mum, Mike, Jo, Matt and Ivor

The steak (Fillet Madagascar) was absolutely divine. It was so wonderful that Ivor was able to join us.  He hadn't seem mum for so long and also loved chatting to Mike.