32, 13-12 & 14 2 go!

So I've hit the holidays and what a way to start! Last Saturday night I was with a friend shivering because I hadn't worn a jacket. Today we've hit 32 degrees C here in Brisbane - summer's arrived a month or two early! (No more shivering) And last night the Broncos won (in Golden point time) with Darren Lockyer kicking a field goal in a fairytale finish in his final game in front of a home crowd of 50,000. So with 14 days of holidays to go, I think it could be shaping up as a great week for the start of my break. Yesterday I made the quarterly trek to Coolangatta with my buddy Greg and purchased books on the Marx Bros, as well as crime novels by Ian Rankin, Steve Hamilton, J A Jance, Michael McGarrity and Robert B Parker.

Today I've slept in, taken it easy and read about 200 pages of Moonlight Mile by a favorite author Dennis Lehane. I'd forgotten just how good Lehane is as a writer and working my way through 200 pages has been an enjoyable task. Its also helped me be reminded of how envious I am of those who get to visit Boston - one of THE cities on the list of where I have to try to get to before I drop off the perch. Tonight I also get to view the program on AJ Millar that my buddy Dave Millikan has put together over the last few months  so I've been looking forward to seeing the end product on Channel 7 tonight. So it doesn't get much better than this for the start for a week off.

My buddy Greg and I became somewhat overexcited last night with the Rugby League victory as our team, the Brisbane Broncos, advanced through to the semis - watching the win on his large screen LED and drinking too much Rekorderlig strawberry cider. On Tuesday we have plans to see a samurai warrior film 13 Assassins in the Portside Theatre (which we hope won't be inundated by holidaying school students). So almost the perfect start to the week.
Burn brightly, Pete

Awakening

After a reasonable night's sleep, I'm at home on my own today with a goal to achieve something tangible by day's end. It's raining at present so I'm hampered in my next job of hanging an external blind on the windows over the downstairs kitchen (three down, three to go!).

I've already lopped some trees and shifted branches this morning, as well as continued my reading of the next Nesbo novel The Leopard. I'm desperate to finish this and a Jane Haddam I'm halfway through to move onto Jar City. Arnaldur Indridason is an Icelandic writer and superior but similar to Henning Mankell. He comes highly recommended so I have him lined up as my next purchase and a treat for when I've finished this round of marking.

It's been an interesting change of gears this week - from idyllic and restive surroundings like Berry with old friends, to the mundane but comfortable feeling of home and family. There is of course the obvious sense of displacement of place and time and the awareness of intrusion on other's lives. David and Susan gave generously of their time, friendship, counsel and their warmth is genuine both as a couple as well as friends.

I return from my sojourn refreshed and inspired to be a little more optimistic in my view; to read more widely; build more in terms of my house as well as the people who pass through its doors; to walk and exercise a little more. (But you all knew I needed to do those things anyway!)

Burn brightly, Pete

Images of Berry

Having spent the last few days in idyllic Berry, it seemed reasonable to at least post a few images of my whereabouts. Susan and David's property is nestled near Kangaroo Valley on Broagas Creek outside of Berry, south of Wollongong.

The house is about 20 years old and is built at the base of a ravine with a road and the creek dividing two parcels of land. On the other side of the road, David has built a studio/writing shed where he and Susan work. David is currently working on a doco for Channel 7 and Susan has an advance on her next book due at Penguin by June.  

                                       

Behind the studio, the creek runs and they have rights to land halfway across the water, with a steel cable bridge stretching across the creek to a neighbour's property.

They've made a home for themselves in this rather isolated community and have a wonderful circle of friends from nearby properties who call in unannounced for a wine or a pizza or just a chat. David is trying to convince me to sell up in Brisbane, leave the kids to their own devices and head south to buy the property next door for $600k. He thinks I could invest the balance from the sale of the house and live off the interest and become a neighbour (it is tempting!).

David has a wonderful theological/philosophical/history library under the house and a great home theatre system powered by Bose.

Tonight we watched his step-daughter Maeve McDermody in "Beautiful Kate" with Bryan Brown and Rachel Griffiths whilst sipping some of his wonderfully smooth Kentucky Bourbon. Life at the moment is verrrry good.

Burn brightly, Pete.

Berry Enjoyable

So I'm in NSW outside of Berry on acreage enjoying fine wine and food with friends. I've managed to eat pizza from a woodfired oven, talked with printmaker David Preston, driven a boat up the Shoalhaven River to Arthur Boyd's property, eaten fresh oysters , trekked through the bush and help fix up a water pump to bring water from a nearby waterfall. Last night we drank red wine, watched "The Happening" (until it became unbearable), drank bourbon and slept deeply. So life is good!

Burn brightly, Pete

Last Romance

Through an extraordinary act of Grace, Dave Millikan has fallen into the arms of a woman who is loving, gracious, independent and intellectually his equal. For me, this is one of the great love stories and its is wonderful to hear Dave speak and laugh, full of life and love, vigorous and returned to the man I knew 20 years ago. His passion for truth, fierce defense of the Gospel and willingness to pick up a fight wherever he finds it shows the robustness of his beliefs, his resilience and recovery. It was great to spend a night exposed to new ideas, listen to old lies and the retelling of somewhat embellished stories. I wish both he and Susan the very best of everything to come.

Burn brightly, Pete W

Riding the Whirlwind

Tonight I have three old friends arriving for overnight stays concurrently: Tony Williams and Dennis Clare  (mime artists and performers) and Dr David Millikan (theologian and filmmaker). At the same time, my son will be rehearsing with his band in our library (bookshelves provide soundproofing to some degree) so I think we'll all be heading out for dinner and another assault on my Mastercard.

I've not spoken in depth to some of these gentlemen for almost two years and in that time marriages have fractured, health has declined and aging continues to make its marks, but I also know there is a richness and continuity of a long line of stories, shared history, big lies and laughs, and the largesse and warmth of old friends.

This is my last week of term - stress levels are at a three year high, introspection at an all time low and other aspects of personality and relationships are snapping at the heels of my sanity at times. These friends are gifts - jewels that litter my life and I need to hold onto the precious moments we have together.

Burn Brightly, Pete