Family/Friends

I just spent 4 days in Hawkes Bay for my son's wedding. A couple of hours sailing in warm and comfortable conditions on Friday, catch-up with friends on Saturday before the wedding, again warm and sunny, likewise Sunday and Monday.....



Saturday and the wedding though was the peak of the weekend. Great weather, great people, great location, great food - what more can I say.



While it doesn't have quite the same attractions as Kerikeri did in January, the climate has to be an attraction. Having said that Wellington has been pretty damn good the last few days although the wind is drying out the garden.

Jeez - it sounds a bit pompous but I am - now - a grandad.

There is some debate going on as to whether I will be grandad or Jim (and no Poppa doesn't rate consideration thanks Gord). I'm in favour of Jim. My Mum & Dad called me Jim, my kids call me Jim, pretty much everyone else I know calls me Jim (one or two renegades insist on James) and I feel good about my name so that's that.

Still don't feel old enough to be a grandad though - does anyone ever?

I got an email last week telling me that my old friend Sam Sampson, the "Fluid Druid of Stewart Island" had died of cancer. I just got back today from his funeral/memorial celebration.

It's about 4 years since I last saw Sam on the island and he was obviously not well. The main problem apart from his ongoing battle with depression at that time was his emphysema, no doubt brought on by a lifetime of heavy smoking. I wasn't aware he had cancer although it didn't surprise me when I heard that.

He was cared for over the last year or so by the community on the island and there was no doubt that he was loved by the locals as much as he loved them and the island itself. There was nowhere else that he wanted to be.

Sam had a lifetime interest in education, and was one of the early initiators of outdoor education programs for high schools in the late '60s. He taught the natural and human history of areas he worked in (Nelson Lakes, Tautuku and on the island) and got the message acroos to his students through a mix of dialogues, story telling, singing of folk songs and whatever would engage the attention of teenagers. There are thousands of ex-students throughout the country who will remember Sam for who he was, if not all the lessons he imparted.

There were a variety of stories told in the community hall on the island yesterday that raised many knowing laughs. As a story-teller of some note himself Sam would have appreciated those. And the afternoon ended quite fittingly at the bar.

I don't usually enjoy whiskey but I downed a couple in memory of Sam. They went down well and seemed to fit the occasion.

I'll try to find some references and pictures to link to from over the next few days.

Here is the death notice that was published in most main centre newspapers last week. Quoted here 'cause I don't know how long it will be available on the NZ Herald web site.

SAMPSON

Charles William. Sam the Fluid Druid of Stewart Island. Sam passed away peacefully at home with friends on Monday 8 December 2008, at Stewart Island, aged 65 years. Privately cremated. Sam would like to welcome all his friends and colleagues to a memorial service to celebrate his life. At the Stewart Island community Hall on Monday, 15 December at 2:00 pm. Messages to PO Box 65, Stewart Island. Avenal Park Funeral. FDANZ.

Published : Saturday, 13 December 2008

Continue reading "The end of another era" »

Chris phoned at 11.15 p.m. to say the hospital called him to say Dad had just died. I came up to Hamilton yesterday to get things under way for the funeral. The undertakers brought his body home this morning and he is now resting in his study by the window to the garden. Funeral will be Monday morning at 11.00a.m.

Chris is heading home for a few days and Bob has just arrived.

I've been a bit out of touch of late and spending far too much time in Waikato Hospital at my father's bedside. It's stressful doing nothing except try to figure out what you can do to help someone recover when the spark of and for life is almost gone.

Dave and Anna have been in Bolivia for about 7 months now and were enjoying much of the life style. However in the last week Anna has required hospital treatment after being attacked by a coati and Dave, feeling like some attention, decided to go low level flying from his bike and broke/cracked a bone in his shoulder. He says a little about it here and there are some photos including Xrays here.
Dave has now had a screw put in to secure his shoulder - actually he just wanted to follow his father and uncle and start collecting metal bits attached to his bones. Not able to ride for a while, and Anna less than excited about rabid coati coati, they are will be figuring out where to next in the near future.

Away camping at Paekakariki. We headed there with a group of friends for our regular weekend out of town. Paekakariki seemed like a good choice as its very close to Wellington so minimised travelling time.

Arrived at the campground late afternoon on Friday and set up our tent. The others arrived over the next few hours and we had takeaways for dinner.

Continue reading "Great weekend - good company" »

I have been out of town and not active in most areas of my life in the last few weeks as my mother has been very ill. She died last Friday morning and tomorrow we farewell her at her funeral.

It's been an emotional and quite difficult time but a new learning experience. I have never dealt with death so up close and personal before as we cared for Mum in her home for the last few weeks, and I'll continue to learn as we deal with the business of dealing with Mum's estate.

I think she knew that she was terminally ill and didn't let on to us, holding out to see her 80th birthday just over a month ago. After that her decline was very rapid.

After some difficult days, her last couple of days were quite peaceful.

RIP Mum.

When my Dad turned 70 eleven years ago, we got all his children and grandchildren together in Wellington (being central) and spent a weekend talking, eating and being a family.
The following year we passed over my Mum's 70th and it wasn't until their 50th (Golden) wedding anniversary seven years ago that we all got together again, along with a few other relatives and friends. Last year Dad turned 80 and we had a smaller family get-together.

Yesterday Mum was 80! What a great day we had in Hamilton. All of her descendants (grandiose - she now has a great granddaughter) apart from my brothers daughters who are in Oz, plus a few other relatives and some of here friends going back 70 years or more to her school days. That group included Merle, her bridesmaid and Ailsa, Merle's sister who Mum was matron of honour for at her wedding.

There were a few cousins representing other branches of the family and I caught up with two I hadn't seen for probably 40 years. We had a great buffet lunch then headed back to Mum & Dad's place for more relaxed conversations, drinks, take ways for dinner, more talking, more cups of tea more talking.....

Great fun.