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James Family Newsletter for 1999

G'day, it's us again!

Fancy having this Newsletter ready before Christmas! Perhaps it's because the news this year is mostly an extension of last year's!

The family has been pretty busy keeping to the "straight and narrow" with existing commitments, without branching out too much on new activities.

Here are some individual perspectives ...

Colourful Karen: KJ turned 14 on 28 March this year and did well in Year 8 at Campbell High School. She has participated vigorously in school sports and acquired more friends than poor old Mum and Dad can possible keep track of. Party commitments (sometimes more than one per day) have been an important part of life, with pressies for friends a significant pocket-money budget item. She took a starring role in the School's Fashion Parade, which was rather special.

She competed this year in the Christian Basketball Assn, building fitness and honing skills. Girl Guides have occupied her with weekly meetings, trips away and camps, but she will soon outgrow Guides and consider going on to Venturers.

Karen was thrilled to achieve a Credit in her Preliminary Grade Piano exam, and continues to make progress with Mrs Farrington, who unfortunately is leaving us for Melbourne this month. Her BIG NEWS is that she's starting (well, had a preliminary shift) waitressing at the "Yarralumla Gallery & Oaks Brasserie". This could be her Grand Entre to the big wide world of work!

We all went with friends for a Lodge-and-Camping holiday at Malacoota in Victoria, an area we hadn't explored before. Karen went with AJ and CJ and friends (and Dad) to the Black Stump Monster Christian Music Festival near Appin in October, which was something quite special.

Crazy Chris: I dunno where to start! Chris has embraced life at Dickson College (year 11), doing brilliantly in Drama and well in other subjects. He works at Target (department store) as a checkout-chick, Electrical-Dept. salesman and Bags-Inspector. This job is really interesting (well, it was for the first week or so), and it's better working conditions than eg McDonalds.

This complements his strenuous involvement with the Warehouse Circus where he trains twice weekly. They received rave reviews in the Canberra Times for a week-long show at the Street Theatre. In various combos with mates, CJ has performed at the Queanbeyan Show, the ABS Christmas Party (WOW!) and numerous busking and private events. He finished training as a Guide at the Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG), and assisted with events there.

CJ has been driving on "L-plates" for months, and (having just turned 17) is now ready for the big driving test and leap into the world of solo P-plate driving! He's been highly committed to his Venturer activities, working towards completing requirements for the coveted Queen's Scout award in the next few months. He's off leading a Venturer camping hike before New Year, a two-week Venture expedition in January, and a School trip to Tuscany (in Italy!) next year. Dunno how he'll manage this along with Year-12 studies ... we'll let you know in a year's time.

Adrian's Antics:

Adrian was 19 in Jan 99, and launched into the wide world of Tertiary Studies, doing Communications units at the Canberra Institute of technology. This has gone well, and he should complete the Diploma course next year. He has a beaut cadre of mates, with whom he's made an impressive debut onto the Canberra night-club scene.

AJ has trained and worked as a volunteer Guide at the War Memorial, advanced with his Tae Kwondo grades, and attended meditation activities with his Mum.

After delivering Queanbeyan Chronicle newspapers for months, AJ has unleashed his special talents into professional child-care work at after-school centres around Woden, where he is popular with staff and kids. Although not necessarily wanting to make a career of child-care, he has found this work to be rewarding and good experience.

Adrian and Sootie are a familiar sight running around the roads, paddocks and forests of Wamboin, after which Sootie cools off by plunging into the dam. Adrian has been saving up for an Outward Bound 4-week course in January, which should be a rather special experience. His appetite was whetted by a previous OB course, and would rather like to work in that area professionally.

Jumping Jeanne: Jeanne has had another exhilarating year teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) at Hughes Primary School. It has been rather stressful, as the School was embroiled in strife over reporting of student numbers for budget allocations. However, things are looking better for next year, and the delight of working with young children compensates for other factors.

She completed an Asian Studies course, which complements her multicultural teaching environment, and continues after-hours tutoring of students in English.

JJ has launched out into the local choral scene by joining the ACT Singers, who practise weekly and perform a wide variety of musical works around town. She has found this a fulfilling outlet, and met many new friends.

Jeanne's Mum (Lola Leaver) lives in Queanbeyan, so we often have the pleasure of her company for Sunday Lunches at the Queanbeyan Leagues Club and selling her jams and wares at the Markets.

Jeanne's niece Wendy Leaver, who lived with us and then Lola for some time, now lives with friends in Newcastle.

Romping Robert:

RJ passed the "Big Five-Oh" age this year, resolving to make the next half-century (even) better than the first! He was thrilled to see his sister Kathy Chapman ("L'ill Daffy") and Bob at the surprise party organised by Jeanne, along with lots of friends.

He has been busy at the Aust.Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for most of the year in the Year-2000 Coordination Team, preparing for the "Millenium Bug". This has been a challenging project, from which the fruits have yet to be tested.

The rest of his time has been spent on such activities as transporting people to piano lessons, cello lessons, Tai Kwondo lessons, Venturers, Guides, youth groups, Chronicle deliveries, Target work, birthday parties, basketball practices and matches, circus practices and performances, CMAG exhibitions, War Memorial guidings, drama performances and, oh yes, School. We drive about 2,000Km per week, so there's plenty of time together in the car.

RJ participates in various Church committees, working bees, a Jungian discussion group and drives to Sydney occasionally to meet friends such as the Arcidiaconos and the Coxes.

Simple Sootie:

Karen becomes concerned at Sootie's sometimes intense interest in her guinea-pigs, which free-range around the garden. However, they seek refuge under the railway carriage, and Sootie actually seems to have established an incongruous friendship with them.

Sootie doesn't have much to say ... He has a lovely deep voice but rarely uses it. He remains Plump and Prosperous, Big Black and Beautiful, Fun and Friendly. He never fails to greet us warmly on arrival home, never becomes cranky or resentful. I would just love to be as good a person as Sootie thinks I am!

Editor's note ... It's embarrassing to talk so much of ourselves, but more practical than writing snippets of news on Christmas cards - at least, this way, you get most of the stuff in one go!




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