2004 July, Territorial Darryn, Jackie & Sara-Jane in Brisbane, Maya Angelous poet

From: Margret

Sent: 31/07/2004 2:56 p.m.

31 July 2004 WHAT'S ON THE MENU TONIGHT? Last week,  Darryn, the Driver, arrived to attend the 'Saturday'  of the Auckland-Northland Regiment, based at Arch Hill, Auckland and he is brought whanau on his hikoi/heke.  Aunty Mona, the Welfare Officer, Keegan the Navigator, Courtney, the Hostess and they will be checked out the menu at the Brown's Bay 'Bro' House", a la the Buffet House.   Richard and I were there to be Official Food Tasters, accompanied by Aunty Marie (Nicholas) Cohen.  Mum said that the prawns were awesome, worthy of the previous family members who dined there.  My second visit and the prawns are, indeed spectacular and in copious amounts.  Courtney was our table waitress, probably enjoyed watching the starving-for-prawn diners peel the crustacea bodies.  Slurp, Yum, Lick and stinky fingers!! JACKIE AND DAUGHTER, SARA-JANE IN BRISBANE July 2004 Jackie had arranged a fantastic trip to the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast for the 28 members of the Junior Manawatu swim team.  The team, accompanied by four adults, trained twice daily, starting with the 5 am session and second in the late afternoon.  Joining her on the trip was Sara-Jane.  Other activities have been visits to the Australia Zoo and Movie World, both at opposite ends of Brisbane with other venues seen as well.  The temperature ranged from 23-25 degrees, whilst back in mild Manawatu, frosts and more wet weather, were occurring.  Whilst Jackie has been mobile via the wheelchair, she participated in many activities with the enthused swim camp members, travelling around in the rental vans to and from their accommodation, all these events being organised by the highly skilled Jackie.  In fact, the swimmers 'were fighting over who was going to be next to push her around'!   'A busted up leg', says Jack, is no inconvenience when he writes 'we are proud of our Cousin'.  Kia Kaha, Jackie.  RETIREMENT IS  SOUGHT BY DANNY, very keenly! There's a a whole host of responses about Danny's impending retirement, a problem eased by his detailed work at a North Shore business dealing with top-of-the-line marques.  The wisdom of Mari in her message, about how Jack tidied up 'her' kitchen cupboards was more of a hassle because HE FORGOT that she was left-handed was humorous!  So, Danny, find out the ground rules first about what you're allowed to do, and as Richard and I are told often, chill out!!  During these final weeks of working for Giltrap Prestige in Wairau Road, ring him up or go and say Happy retirement, Cuz!! and run. GETTING TO 70 - and what a good thing we don't genetically have the same need as Maya Angelou upon being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey about  where breasts may end up!  Jack has bulk-sent the interview about  body changes and I enjoyed her other comments and thought they were meaningful.  I first 'heard' Maya Angelou back in 1993 when she read her poem On the Pulse of Morning at the inauguration of President Clinton when it was broadcast on CNN.  I was astounded by the booming voice riveting me, reading her poem about the mastodon, the rock ... her country.  I rang up the USA consulate to find out who she was and could I get a copy of the poem and they sent it and on my reading went to follow up on her books down at the Herald Island library.  She was the first voice intoning her poem when Microsoft's Encarta encyclopaedia came online in version 1.  Read about her and the experiences of her life.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ROSALIE 10 JULY AND TO PATRICIA 17 JULY Rosalie, Missy to us also, lives in Picton and Patricia in the Tainui rohe.   Happy birthday for 14th June to Julie in Waitara.