Sunday 31st May 2009

We have had enough rain this week to fill all the rain tanks in the district & deluge the golf course to the point that the course was closed today as it was so saturated with water. Not Happy Jan!!

Sunday 24th May we had a lovely day for golf. Our playing partners for the day were Yvonne & Des Wilson who were great company & we celebrated Joel's birth with them & other members of the club that night.

Monday was F-Troop day & we achieved a lot in the new gardens & planted out some pansies and Dianthus in the Magnolia garden as well as doing a general clean up of loose timber and dangerous tree branches from the recent bad weather.

Tuesday I played golf - or at least I was out there with good company. My playing partners for the day were Alice Collett and Yvonne Wilson & we were lucky to get some great weather & good company. After golf I took my last visit to North Gosford Hospital to visit Anne and Joel as they were due to go home the following day. Anne has had a slow recovery from her delivery but all seems to be going well. Joel is progressing better than expected & was looking really healthy when I gave him a going home cuddle on Tuesday afternoon.

Peter played golf at Tuncurry on Monday & Tallwoods on Tuesday and Wednesday with a group of golfing mates getting a good stay and play deal from Tallwoods Golf Resort.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday we had very unsettled weather with some very heavy rainfalls over the three days which kept me indoors with the exception of a visit to Rod and Anne & baby Joel to check if they had settled in at home okay. We hooked up to Foxtel IQ2 during the week so I have had fun using the new equipment which has been a great new toy to play with.

Friday was a good opportunity to go to the movies to see "Angels and Demons" which I was looking forward to seeing as I had read the book some time ago.

Today, Sunday 31st May nothing had changed weatherwise and we had more rain overnight which closed the golf course for the day. I find it hard to motivate myself for outdoor work & was happy that I had my undercover exercise equipment to keep me active. As there was no golf we took the opportunity to spend some time with Rod, Anne & Joel. They are all doing well. Anne still needs to keep rested and Joel is settling nicely to his new home.

Saturday 23rd May 2009

This week has gone very quickly considering we have been confined to quarters with such unsettled weather. Anne & Joel have had the best place all week. The boys had a big celebration night last night and were very quiet today.

Joel is getting more alert every time we see him & we actually heard him cry today - so all is well. We are hoping to have them home Monday or Tuesday of next week all going to plan.

It will be good to get some sunshine back - hopefully by tomorrow so we can play golf. The field was open today in the rain which is a good sign that the course drainage system is working better.

Friday 22nd May 2009

A quick "Joel" update for you.
Rod has reported that Joel is doing well. He has his feeding tubes out and is feeding normally and is out of "Special Care" after the pediatrician gave him the all clear this morning. Anne is also doing well so everything is proceeding to plan for a homecoming next week.

Thursday 21st May 2009

It was wet and windy for most of the day so it was a perfect day to be tucked up warm & cosy in hospital. Anne & Joel were both looking good when we checked in for cuddle No 2 this afternoon.

Joel & Anne are getting good reports & improving every day. Joel weighed in at 6lb 4 oz at birth which was quite good considering he is a few weeks early. He had been bathed which showed off his full head of hair. He did not open his eyes for us today but Anne assures us that his eyes are blue.

We arrived with the shopping bag which contained (among other things) a cricket set, a soccer set complete with outfit & soccer boot socks, a golf set and a "Thomas the Tank Engine" garden tool set. All of lifes little necessities. Joel will be the best dressed boy in town judging from all the lovely gifts that Rod & Anne have received from their family & friends - not that anyone is spoiling him!

Tonight we had dinner at George & Tosca's home and enjoyed a celebration drink with Trev & Marg, Carolyn & Garry and Vicki & John. George was looking good & well into recovery mode after his neck operation. Tosca cooked us all a beautiful meal so we had a lovely night catching up with everyone.

Joel Leo Martin - born 19th May 2009

Wednesday 20th May 2009 was our "first cuddle" day at North Gosford Private Hospital.

Joel is a beautiful little baby, so tiny and cute. He and Anne are being carefully monitored for blood sugar levels so that they can be ready to come home hopefully next Monday all going well.

He is a few weeks premi but still a healthy size and colour with lots of brown hair. We did not see his eyes open - so more surprises ahead!

Rod and Anne are very proud parents, Rod being present for the birth & was hands on very early in the proceedings. It is a little too early to tell the facial & eye features but I can see likeness on both sides.

I have a busy day ahead shopping for "blue" now that we know that we have another "little Marto" in our midst.

Watch this space for more updates!!!!!!!

New arrival news - It's a BOY-19th May 2009

It has been a long day today with much excitement. After golf I received the news from Rod that Anne had been transferred to North Gosford Hospital in preparation for the birth of their baby.

Shane & Sam came over to check out our new TV & stayed for dinner to await the anticipated news. At that time we did not know if it was a boy or a girl.

Joel Leo Martin was born at approximately 7 o'clock tonight which was the cause of much celebration. Both baby and mother are doing well & I should have some first photos to show tomorrow.

We are delighted with the news and are proud to announce that a new "little marto" has entered the world.

Sunday 17th May 2009

Monday 11th May 2009 was the beginning of a very productive week in which I feel I have made some good achievements one way or another. Monday was F-Troop Day at the Golf Club & we managed to get some of the rockery wall concreted into place and the Agave Feature garden completed at the new garden. We also replaced the cup and saucer at the Ladies garden that had been damaged some time ago. Some new trees were planted at the 6th with some weeding and watering done at the new garden.

Tuesday 12th May 2009 was a big day at the golf club being our Invitation Day which attracted 70 players and visitors around the coast and some Sydney Clubs. My playing partners on the day were Maggie Minjoy, Sue Suters and Margaret Nichols. We had a lovely day out on the course but did not come in with great team scores. Margaret had to leave early after golf so Maggie, Sue & I had a Keno Ticket just for fun & we won $668 for a $2 outlay each - so that was a great day.

Just as I was finishing my golf day I had a call to say Lyn McMahon was at home for a visit, so I rushed home to catch up with all her news before she had to leave to go home to Woolongong.

Wednesday I had a quiet day at home in the gardens removing all the old Potato Vine and managed to fill three green bins before all the work was done.

Thursday was a trip to the Entrance to pick up some plants that had been donated to the golf course gardens by friends of one of our members. I have put them in the holding yard in the BBQ area that is getting quite full now with donated plants that will eventually find a home on the course when time permits.

Friday I had another productive day at home getting a lot of things done that I wanted to do & that made me feel better. It is amazing how a few small achievements can give such a spirit lift. In the garden I managed to get rid of a lot of onion weed pest that invades the gardens.

Saturday was a quite day. Because it was so unpleasant and windy I used that as a good excuse to finish a book that I am reading. So the Sun Room was the place to be - lovely & warm & out of the wind.

Sunday 17th May 2009 was golf day. Graham & Anne were back from overseas & were having a couple of days at their farm in the Hunter Valley. It seemed to be a good excuse the have a game of golf with them. It was a magic day for golf & the golf course is in great condition so we were all set for a lovely day. We hit off just after 12.00 and finished in good time before it got cold. Graham scored two four pointers and Peter got a birdie & all three of us won a ball on the day. Anne played really well considering that she does not play golf regularly so it was a good day all round.

Graham & Anne needed to get back to Sydney so we stayed for dinner & met up with Margaret & Paul Ingham (Mudge Coleman) & Margaret's sister Sue & Don Wakeling who were also staying for dinner. It was good to chat with them & catch up as I had not seen them for a while.

Overall I was happy with the week & feel as if I have made some forward progress.

Sunday 10th May 2009

This week was fairly full on with activities. Overall not bad autumn weather with a few showers to water the garden .

Monday 4th May 2009 was F-Troop day at the Golf Club and we achieved a lot of good work in the gardens trimming down dangerous branches of trees over the new garden & planting in some agaves in the feature garden. During the morning I went over to Rosalie & Duncan Dyer's place to pick up some agaves that they were donating for our garden. We had a look at some of the Agaves that were out in a huge display of flowers. Apparantly they flower once in 100 years & the plant dies immediately afterwards. (reminds me of the old story of the female & male spider).

Monday evening we attended the Narara/Wyomong Junior Cricket Presentation Night where we donate a trophy for the "Most Improved Under 16 Player" This year the Under 16 team won the District Premiership which is a good sign for the Senior side for next year.

Tuesday I played golf at Gosford. My playing partners were Rhonda Robertson & Mary Beard. My highlight of the day was bringing home the winner Mary who scored Plus 2 in a par match.

Wednesday was a catchup day around the house & Thursday I played golf at Wyong with my next door neighbour Shirley Daly who invited me to play with her at the Wyong Club's Invitation Day as they were having a special day in aid of Breast Cancer with benefits going to the Jane McGrath Foundation. What she didn't tell me at the time was that we had a 7.00 am hitoff in a shotgun start. After an early start from Gosford at 6.00am we did manage to get there in time and had a lovely day playing with a couple of the committee girls from Wyong. We have been invited back to play again in October at their next Invitation Day so we could not have disgraced ourselves too badly.

Friday I spent in the garden at home & was happy to hear that the Court Hearing was adjourned until the 12th June at which time there will be a plea given and forward progess at last.

Saturday we went to Bill Hutton's 60th Birthday Party which was held at Berkeley Vale.

Bill and Sue were with us for our golf tour of NZ & we managed to catch up with more of the group at the party.

Sunday (Mother's Day) I was up early to pick some roses & then to Palmdale to visit Mavis and Marty's resting place. Afterwards we went to the "Boathouse"on the waterfront at Koolewong for lunch with Shane and Sam and Rod and Anne. It was a lovely lunch with a couple of red wines & a beautiful view over the water. How good can it get!

Anne is keeping well and her anticiapted Mother's Day is any day in the next three weeks.

Watch this space for news!

I was happy to hear that Brett & Carolyn Nelson welcomed their new baby girl this week "Ella"

(third grandchild for Ken & Margaret Gardiner). I have not received a photo yet (very slack Marg!)