Back to the Future?

As I sit here freezing my proverbial arse off, I am reflecting on one of the most amazing weekends I have had.  One reflection is that all of my Queensland friends really do not have ANY idea of the real definition of "cold".

The more important reflections are those of friendships, old and new.  I hate to bang on (ok, I don't really) about how integral friendships have been in my life, but shit, they have!  Proof was in the pudding 25 year primary school reunion I attended Saturday night.

I am well aware that school reunions are not everyone's cup of tea, well proven by the fact that not all 79 students I finished Grade seven with turned up.  Ok, there were a few exceptions, but these are the stats as they stand:   79 students.......71 of them found (turns out one of said classmates could have a successful career as a P.I.).......60 invitations sent out (no thanks to Australia Post who it seems didn't quite stand up to their end of the bargain with a few)........35+ RSVP's.  Being the mathematical genius I am, I'm thinking they are pretty good odds?

Majority of people I have spoken to about reunions are rather shocked by the fact that it was a primary school gathering.  High school reunions are FAR more popular and all the rage - especially when you get to my age and 20 years have passed!  But this weekend was a special one.  As was our class of '87.

Amongst the attendees were two of our three grade seven teachers, and our awe-inspiring school principal.  Very exciting stuff.  And very amusing to be buying said teachers a beer at the bar!

I spent the evening wondering wandering.  Many "oh my gods" were propelled across the room, as people's name tags revealed their identities.  Some you could pick before you read, but others required a little eye-squinting and standing back.  But basically, every single person still looked like the little person I recall.  Mind boggling.

One of the highlights of my evening was my school principal's recollection of my Mother as "a wild woman"......this was greeted by a WTF from me.  Mum - we will be talking.

I was confused to hear that I was remembered as "the bossy one" and "the leader of the pack".  I'm quite certain they have me mixed up with someone else?  Surely.....

The reminiscing continued well in to the night, lots of laughs and stories to tell.  And then a bunch of us got our groove on, well in to the morning.

And the OTHER 60-ish hours of this long weekend?  Let's just say I have a sore jaw......from talking.  Hours spent talking to women I was lucky enough to meet over 30 years ago.  Shacked up in an apartment with the essentials - tea, coffee and cupcakes.  I am BLESSED.

Some of the bestest friends a girl can ask for!

I have more to divulge about this weekend....but you will have to wait!

Have you been to a school reunion?  Were you surprised to find out you weren't really who you thought you were!??!

Reality Cheque and Other Random Crap

Reality is hitting here.  We REALLY have bought a house.  Shit.  We have a mortgage.  Shit.  Don't mistake my cursing for regret - I am VERY excited.  But I am also VERY scared!  Yesterday I posted a very big pile of papers off to the conveyancer, after signing my life away - a million times.  Enclosed was also a VERY hefty cheque - for stamp duty - BOOOOO!  And today, two VERY big envelopes arrived from the bank.  More signing required it seems.

Today's school newsletter announced that I am retiring from the uniform shop!  Made me laugh.  Also received a letter from the kid's new school welcoming them.  Reality...again.

I have started doing what I do best.......shopping.  I made a very quick one hour trip to Spotlight on Monday, I only needed one metre of fabric.  I ended up in the homewares section and came home with half a dozen cushions, bath mats and curtains.  Whoops.

I also purchased some amazing fabric online last week, (on sale - thanks to The Intrepid Thread) as I am planning how to decorate the girl's bedrooms.  Andrew has suggested perhaps I have been watching too many episodes of "The Block"?  I haven't given him the real story - I've been spending too much time on Pinterest.  God I love that search button and the gasp of air that leaves me as I have a whole screen full of divine decorating ideas in the specified colours!  Bless the creators of Pinterest....

The other thing I have found myself doing, much more often than I used to, is taking photos of random things of interest.  If I find it somewhat amusing/disturbing or just plain wrong, I whip out my iPhone and file it away for future reference.  And You are the lucky ones that get to share them with me!

This text message came through last week in relation to my eldest son's basketball game.  I pee'd my pants laughing at the voicemail's text version of events.  Mostly because the club he is playing for is sometimes lovingly referred to as "Bosnia" instead of its correct suburban name.  Trailer Park Jets seemed quite fitting.....

I was strolling through Target yesterday and was deeply distressed by the sight of these revolting jumpers.  Not only are they in bizarre colours and prints, they are also knitted AND in the "groovy" section of the menswear department.  As I stood readying myself to capture this image, I was even more disturbed that a middle aged woman stopped to lovingly feel them and consider purchasing.  Shame.

Up until a couple of years ago, when Masterchef hit our screens, I had no idea what an actual proper macaroon was.  All I recalled were the coconut macaroon biscuits that were in The Woman's Weekly recipe books of the 80's.  It seems they're all the rage these days?  I took Ms Chloe for morning tea at the shops today and had my first ever macaroon.  Mine was the Lemon Tart version on the right.  Chloe's was the ghastly BubbleGum on the left.  I wasn't overly thrilled.  I need a chef.

This little beauty is the latest creation at Ms Midge.  I did a pattern review for The Oz Material Girls, which you can find HERE.  They are the prettiest ruffle skirts ever!

Finally - I am off to the Gold Coast in precisely EIGHT MORE SLEEPS!  Not that I'm counting.  I will be gone for three whole nights - CHILD FREE!  Not that I'm excited.  I will be spending the entire time with lifelong friends, and will be going to our 25 year primary school reunion!  I am so very excited but have one very big concern

WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO WEAR????
HELP

Nobody is Safe Anymore!

It seems you can pretty much find anyone you're looking for......if you use technology!

Around six months ago, a bunch of my lovely life-long friends, whom I met in our first year of primary school, decided we should plan a 25 year reunion.  Twenty.......five......years.........  When you say it out loud, it seems impossible that it was that long ago we were all chasing each other around the playground, having play dates, and preparing ourselves for the big step to high school.  But alas, we are all turning 37 next year, so it must be true!

Given this task anytime prior to say 2000, and I don't know how you would tackle it?  How DID they put together school reunions before the computer age?  Before the internet?  Before Facebook?  Did they send a telegram? Hehehehe......

So far, one of my lovely friends has turned all P.I. and has found the majority of "lost souls" - aka those who are not on Facebook - by trawling through phone books, googling and generally leaving no stone un-turned in the pursuit of the elusive classmate.  It has paid off!  At last count, there were only five of our fellow Graduating Class of 1987 left to find!  Until today....

Image from coompax.com

Earlier this year, I did my own little Google search for one particular classmate.  She was a beautiful girl, and we were quite close friends through our formative years.  Sometime around Grade 5, she and her family set off on an adventure, sailing around the coast of Queensland.  We were pen pals over those few years, and it was always very exciting to receive an envelope in the mail from some far-off place I'd never heard of!  And although she returned to the Gold Coast (yep, I was one of the lucky ones who had the pleasure of growing up in sunshine) to resume her schooling, we sort of went our separate ways and formed our own friendship circles.  But I've never forgotten her.

So back to the google search.  I typed in her name, and not much came up.  The only thing I could even remotely connect her to, was a connection between her name and a Boating website.  So I took a punt, given the boating connection of sorts, and sent off an email to the address given on this site.  I explained we were searching for the woman named on their site, and if it was the same person I was hoping it was, if they could pass on the message.  Now I didn't hold much hope at all - the last activity on this website was years old, so any thoughts that I would ever receive a reply were minimal.

Fast forward to this morning...........whilst cruising one of my Facebook groups, a sewing library of all things, one of the ladies in there noted that a message I had not received from her could be in my "others" folder........Others folder??  What the?  One little click on message, and wa-la!  An Others folder!  And in this mysterious folder were 42 messages from all sorts of Facebook groups dating back months!  Whoops!  As I scrolled down, deleting as I went, I saw a message from a fellow I had never heard of - dated 23 June.  And as I clicked on it, this is what I read:


Hi Melissa

You didn't leave your email on the Boating contact so I Googled you which led me here. 

Yes, it's the same "Jane Doe"  you went to school with. You can contact her at janedoe@gmail.com

Cheers
Bob


OMG!!!!!!  I was flabbergasted!  That this person had then gone to the trouble of googling me to reply!  It has seriously made my day.  But it has also led me to believe that really, nobody IS safe anymore!

The other good thing that has come out of today's discovery?  My gf - the P.I. - won't have to delve into any illegal people searching, as she was contemplating!