Well, good morning, y'all.
It's the Iish Day today, March 17th and everybody's wearing green, even Matthew came over in a green T shirt and a little badge that said, think green.
And there's all kinds of jokes on the radio, Mayre Burns having Kennedy up to Chicago today to walk through the streets and celebrate St. Patrick's Day, when asked why she didn't ask the president, she simply said well apart from the fact she doesn't support the president she's supporting Kennedy that he's Irish, he's Catholic and she's supporting him anyway, and the joke this morning, Ross and Wal our radio broadcast as a joking that it's going to be snowing in Chicago today, supposedly that makes the ground very slippery and as Mere Burns a blondly hope.
But they're not crossing any bridges.
Anyway, he's still in the race as you've probably heard the whole thing gets more and more ridiculous, he's got to be so thick skin that man, it's just unbelievable.
Anyway, it looks like Carter will.
Probably get back and certainly as strong as he ever will be.
Anyway, I just decided that today I had to get this tape made it was the last thing I do and it may well be, I just don't seem to, I don't know where the days go, really we just seem to be flat out all the time.
I don't know, and yet not getting grip, I have still not done as much with the house as I would like to have done.
But we seem to be very busy the whole week is taken care of Monday nights Rachel has gymnastics Tuesday we have soccer practice Wednesday is our one free night which we tend to do shopping and go to jelly beans or whatever Thursday nights is choir of course and Friday nights is soccer again on Saturday we've got two different soccer games at two different fields so as you can see and then Sundays of course it' church again and we've got the work to do in the garden.
And supposedly redecorating this house and I just on then cleaning campus as well and so on last week I cleaned.
Oh about about 11 campers, I got 110 bucks for just a couple of afternoons week, which wasn't a bad deal, it's certainly a good look.
You know, well worth having, at the moment, they're quite busy because of some are coming on.
Anyway, so where were yet I haven't heard from you since I last made a tape, no, so there was a few things that I meant to mention.
I can't think what they were now as usual now what have we been up to oh cleaning campus last week was funny I think it was Thursday and I had just one or two more to do and I picked up the kids from whatever we were in the Mu stove or it might have been Wednesday it was.
And we went back to the place and with the kids and picked up John and he came to help we had to steam clean some carpets and the ward, the cha that owns the place, he said,Oh he said, where's Rachel and she came along he said, " oh do you know who had this camper for the last two weeks and Sean Cassidy had had the camper and I we found a nice hairbush one of those very expensive sort of varieties with the special kind of Brusels which she has now the proud owner of and tells everybody it belonged to Sean Casidy and little bottle of perfume and some Coca- Colla you know throwaway cups and some plastic spoons and Ward said to well here?
This is Sean Cassidy's personal cups on his silverware, so the kids last weekend had a little picnic with the kids next door, so they were drunk out of Sha Cassidy's Coca Colla.
Glasses S got quite excited. As Rachel had had a T shirt with Sha Castle Diion. I don't think she was all that in priest. But now that she's actually been in the camper, he was done for two weeks. She was quite excited.
What else has been happening. Socccer is just a bundle of joy. We've just the season has just started. They have two seasons. They have a fall and a spring. And of course, we're beginning the spring season. We're running two teams at the moment. both call Grease lightning Rachel's really quite good at soccer. And we've just had all the shirts printed with the names and everything. And of course, I've been chargeable get this she. And go by the time you get all the sizes of each boy right, and the number that the kid wants. And then the names spelt right. And of course, they all have neckcknames here. So they always have their neckckname on the shirt. time you get everybody organized and then get a dollar 30 from each mother to pay for the printing. and God knows what it was just.
 down of the soccer field the other night and that Rachel was doing special practices for the chorusister's Guild Spring Festival last weekend, which was most enjoyable.
And I don't know. We've just been.
The Asia seem to go.
where the weather's perking up, you know, I think last time I made the tape we just had our second snowstorm for the season which was very exciting for the children the snow that time was more powdery and much more enjoyable.
And but after that the weather has got a lot better we've had a bit of rain it's quite mild no we don't need any heating on and the spring flowers are just everywhere the officially spring starts on Thursday but the daods all over the place just popping up wildly and hyacinth and all kinds of.
Flowers are popping out now trees are starting to get buds on shortly I would say within a matter of two or three weeks everything will be green again and stopping very nice.
What else has been happening I well last weekend was quite fun on the Saturday, Rachel she'd been practicingising for this festival at the chorusters Guild Festival and it was all the choirs around Atlanta I think there was 14 of them were in this thing I'll send you a program but you of course you'll look on the back and you'll see that the 14 choirs were mostly Methodist and Baptist.
And Presbyterian, I believe there was only one Episcopalian Church involved, which of course was holly innocentn and guess who got left off the program much to Meredith Green's discussed.
The Rachel Squire director, she was most unhappy about it, of course they made an announcement, but that doesn't quite.
Make up for the fact that your name is not inprint on the program.
Anyway, she had to practice Friday night for that so she must have soccer practice by the time I got to soccer and to choir and everything else we were running around like fleas and foots and on the Saturday morning at 10 o'clock she had to go and they started practicing and they had a.
sack lunch and at 230 the public were allowed to come and don't cry, but during the week Rachel said to me oh I wish Nanna was here and I said, well I know darling but.
Anyway, I saidMarshs coming and Mrs. Curley is coming in Ferana.
And they both didn. Mara, I had to go and pick up. and she came. And she really enjoyed it. Well she said she did. It really was nice. They had a proper service. Marsha and I were not altogether popular with the two ladies in front of us, who were obviously.
Sttorunch baptists.
 first of all, I had gotten them there at about 12 to help the roing and everything and Rachel had said to me I'm glad I'm not a baptist she said, have you seen the robes they wear and they're really god big heavy silk things andburgundian gold they've been white, they looked like blue kluucks cleaners Our little girls look cute and they're bright red and white I think they looked the most thincent of all and they looked cute but there was 300 kids in this thing.
Quirs all over the place and I'd learned all the same songs well they made it into a full service and I was going to take the whole thing for you and of course I get down there and I'm in a mad rush or morning to get organized and get Rachel there and mate not to where he was going or he stayed the night with Matthew, but I had to check on him and so on.
And.
I get batteries for the tape recorder, which I haven't used on battery for a long time because I've been able to plug it in here. I get down there and try it on out and it wouldn't go on batteries. So I tried it out with the.
The.
Electricity and I'd taken the cord with me. And it worked. So there was just something wrong with the connection between the battery operation, which was infuriating. I finally found a plug outside of the doors and the acoustics in the building was so good. I could have taped. but that plug the only one that was in the aui of breaching the room. I couldn't was in the main sanctuary. And Rachel had told us, you know that it was just beautiful. It had a big chandelier and it did it was very nice. So I couldn't plug it in. And so I decided when I went to pick up Mara that I would just buy another lot of batteries all at great expense. These batteries are so expensive and I.
Rushton got another lot of batteries just to be sure that it wasn't the bad. And Mara and I were sitting in our pew all finally settled down. I've got the tape recorder and everything else.
We were fiddling around pulling batteries out of packets before the things started, of course and fiddling around and these two women in front started giving us the over the shoulder glare you see and Marcisha got the gos and you know I mean onely is enough but when you get two or three you start getting a giggling and then we still couldn't get the tape to go finally we gave that all up and discussed but these women kept turning around then we read the program and we noticed that they were having a collection which we thought wasn't fit on the nose and that sent us into more gos and then of course Mrs. Curly turns out and she had wanted to see Rachel beforehand and I don't know.
Whether you saw the.
Our Berg hockey game of course you knows that the Americans are all just bananas over the fact that the hockey team won and you possibly saw that game but at the end of the game one of the big players turned round and you could see and say, where's my dad you know when he'd won, well when I told Marcia about this Mrs. Curley had called I'd called her in the morning to tell her what time exactly that they were saying and she said no I've got to get there early because I've got to see Rachel before she goes on she said to alleviate the anticipation she said I know what it's like Rachel must know I'm there or she'll be looking for me in that.
Dtract her and it's just not good and dirty dear and I must see her beforehand So she said I know you're busy so I'll find her and so on and so forth. well I had to go and pick up Mara at too and Rachel was in the room being gowned at that time and Mrs. Curley still wasn't there and I said to Rachel now wait here till Mr. Curley gets here and I'll go get Mara which was just a couple of minutes away I'll be five minute You wait here when I got back there'd obviously been told they had to go up to the fellowship room which was upstairs.
Rachel had gone out so I placed Marcia in the sanctuary and I rushed out and went up to the fellowship room and I couldn't find Rachel anywhere and then she comes rushing up she said I've seen Mrs. Curley she said I snuck out twice and I finally saw her and everything was fine and when I was telling Marcia about this business of Mrs. Curley seeing Rachel before the program she said, oh I can just to her you know created this thing of wheres my dad and for the hockey game and I've got on love anyway so then I go and rejoined Mara and Mrs. Curley.
 and I hadn't seen her because Rachel had been duck and diving up and down the stairs and I hadn't seen Mrs. Curley and then so on and so forth.
And I get into the church in the sanctuary, and this is the second Ponte Leon Baptist Church, by the way.
Huge, huge church.
And I see Mrs. Curley but one row in front of us, Marcisha and I of course you know and everything on the shes looking around and saying which sides Rachel gonna to come down and so on and so forth Well this really got these women there and they kept glaring at us Well Maher and I just you got to be more and more ridiculous. And this woman that was one of the two woman had danduff all over the back of her and I next time she looked around. I'm going to say what a terrible shame it must be to have such severe danda falling Marcia just couldn't hardly contain her So anyway, but Rachel was just so cute and all these quiet kids they'd split them mixed them all up and there was 300 of them all in them.
You know all and singing together and they just really got cute well John popped along at one point and took photographs so hopefully we've got some photographs of the whole thing and Meredith Green, the choir director thinks that the chorusterss guild have taped the whole thing so I may well get a tape of it anyway it's about an hour and they were really cute the kids.
So that was a busy day for Rachel and that finished at about four and Marsha took us back to Baskin Robbins and shouted Rachel a doubledecker ice cream we dropped her off home and then we came back and Rachel was really tired because he'd been standing since 10 o'clock in the morning and so I made her have a rest because six o'clock she was going down to the why to the basketball social if you please eight years of age going to a social and next day I said to her how many kids were there she said,  well we had 200 McDonald's hamburgers the wide bought 200 hamburgers and so you can imagine how many kids were there and they had Swm in games and all kinds of things and that last I think it was from6 to830 good to nine or something John went down and got her she was really tired wonder she could even get up to go to church yesterday.
Let me see how things are go.
Well that's the why very good with these children they really do an awful lot with them there was a couple of things I missed out about the second postte on Baptist Church it's an enormous building and it has all kinds of other buildings behind it because they have a lot of social life, you know the Baptist church I mean that's where they go Saturday nights and so on.
So it takes up a good block right on Peach tree and anyway it's all painted white, absolutely white and Marsha and I as we were walking into it, Marsha's churches nearby, she's an Anglican and Walter is a Catholic and their churches all the churches are on a corner, you know this is the area that she comes to she said, my goodness and we both agreed this look just like a hospital and inside it's all white too everything is just all white and these big crystal chandelier isn't.
Marha and I both decided that this building had been exercised and was completely clear and finally, the next day, John said to me God that church is like a hospital, isn't it, because hed utter in to take photographs. He workedped out of the garden and just to run down with a scamca, you know, he had a t-shirt on and he was upstairs in the balcony. I saw him Wi And I said to Rachel, did you see daddy, And she said, yes, he was running around upstairs. She'd seen him go for one side of the other at this church? Oh dear whatever anyway, Rachel had her social and Maitland had stayed the night with Matthew. He's got this little friend Matthew next door. you know, and him and Matthew, a great mate. he stayed that this is his third time that he has stayed the night with Matthew, and he counts up the times and he said to me on Saturday, Sony had said she'd take care of him all day with all this going on with the church and everything.
And he came to me and he said,Mmy, you miss Green, Ms Green, she's green too not to be confused with Meredith Green of the choir doctor this is Sunny Green, the neighbor and he said to me mummy you and Miss Green share me because Id said, we miss you boy you know the first night he stayed there Sony's you know got great patience with children rather too much you know they sort of take if you're talking to sunnyny and the kids and well the kids and, she never goes on she listen to them with open ear to the point that I think is you know ridiculous but anyway she's awful good with kids cause mate and gets lots of attention.
First night he stayed she said to him the next morning she figured he probably hadn't been away from home you know in a long time and she said to him Maitland, have you ever stayed away from your mother and father for the night, you know have you ever stayed away from home for the night before and he said yes, he said yes once last night and check on the you know now he's counting up for this third night he stayed at Matthews and they're both really good you know they get to bed and they listen to one tape and then they turn it off and go to sleep Matthew's got every game you can imagine so they have lots of wing to do and apparently Sunny was saying the first night he stayed the night she goes and and tus Matthew and she just took meland on and he sngggled over and.
The second night he stayed he was lying on his tummy and she just gave him a weak kiss on the cheek and you know he was sort of snggled down anyway and then on Saturday night she said he was flat on his back and he gave her a big hug and a kiss so hes really good news to Sony I saidDo you want the.
Permanent toothbrush on the rest of the clothes and over he's just as happy as the clam over there and Amanda loves having a phy idizers mate when she's just that much younger.
And Sony took them out to the.
 to the Chatahooche Nature Centre Park the other day on the Saturday when we were up the quiet, I think they had the time of their lives.
Anyway, what else is news well, things out of Matt, I'm still working for Bob, I'm for Bobber but one day wheat, which is good.
I just do the book I usually go out there one day I usually do the laundry and stuff out there that day and the things in John's office I can't remember as to which date I'm two weeks behind in my diary if I don't get up with back tonight I'll just you probably never write it again you know what it's like once you get behind so I'm just sort of having to remember what we've been doing.
And I can't remember at what point I'd got to with John, you know and out at work there, I think I took the religious outfit you know left and then there was the problem with the Continental, which is now going to be a court case and then the.
The new company was called Jay andJ, which is Jack and Jesus Bo it on up and then they were robbed one weekend and they had the great flood another weekend in the partss burst and then that just Monday week ago I think it was they were robbed again but this time somebody whoopped off with their work so it looks like it's us and we wouldn't be surprised all Jack I mean you can't help them think that Jack's possibly involved and he's such a religious freak and he's gone from.
From the puts of life to the serenity of seeing the light and so he could easily resort to that, I think any of these people that go from one total extreme to another.
A little dubious.
So things out there they're fairly busy well they're very busy.
I got a couple of new staff out there, a girl who.
Does waxing and stuff on a new guy called Kenny, who's a real country in West and with, you know, real Western shirts and boots and a big hat and he's a hoop.
Everything but is guitar.
We've been oh Bev and Jack have been to Colorado skiing with 26 kids, they took young Harry Ol, the youngest he was 15 yesterday too and he took all his friends out on Saturday night to a hockey game because of course we've got the big hockey star now and the flames in Atlanta the first night that he came after the big.
The Olympic Spanish he came to Atlanta the following Saturday night and played prior to his joining the flames, they'd sold 7,000 tickets at the Omni and by the time they knew that he was coming on the Saturday night they'd completely sold out of full house, I think it takes about 20,000 but they say that we'll lose the flames ice hockey team anyway because ice hockey is just not.
You know, there's just not enough spectator participation here that people just don't go and see it even with this big news staff.
Who's made a fortune you may have read in Sports Illustrad or Time magazine or whatever the first.
Week that he joined. He did a one of a Coke and got something like.
00 or $30,000 just in once a.
And he's got all kinds of.
Extra money other than a salary, which you might as well get because one's life expectancy in these things can never be guaranteed.
Anyway, so that.
Of course politics is real bigg right now, there's an awful lot going on.
On the political saying.
And oh, well, Conley's just dropped out of the.
Out of the race and interesting thing about Connolly, he apparently has got a remarkable ability to raise finance and he has raised you know 11 million dollars or something for his campaign.
And he just dropped out.
Got one delegate and or something having spent $11 million That's how sick this whole political scene is here that he could spend that much money to get one delegate, they claim that if hed gone ahead and continued to fight the battle right through that he would have spent something like at the rate he was going he would have spent 300 million on his campaign which just it suck isn't it I mean goodness Of course we had a budget or whatever they called it here last week and they put gas up another 10 cents and taxes and goodness knows what and it mainly affects those people that used credit a lot I so it doesn't affect us one but.
And.
HWhat else, oh yeah, young Harry had gone skiing with F and Jack based in down Bridge time.
And John was overtken to Eddiedie Olen yesterday, while the boys were the boy home on spring vacation, Charles and Lewis from Harvard, and Charles is off to E next year, well this year for the, I guess after summer for a year, hes studied in Greek history or something.
AndWould't it be nice to be able to send your children to the best schools in the world just for a year or so?
And.
Anyway, they seemed to be okay over there. wet they hadn't been doing very much although the weekend of the snowstorm and John had gone over to I don't know whether I told you that in the last tape the Sunday that it snowed John, she called John to see if he'd go over and light the fire that they hadn't had a look in the lunch for a while just to check that the chimneys weren't going to catch on fire, they were having a lunch on that day and there was some men and tuxedos and goodness not knows what running around preparing the food.
Getting everything organised her on the Snowden, but her staff seemed to manage to get there.
.
Well, it's Monday today and last week was the last night of our creative writing class, which we really wasn't.
My it was found, but it wasn't.
Exactly.
I guess I don't know whether I, in fact that I had the flu so many times during the class and just never seemed to find a time to get it all together quite how I should have done, I feel I just didn't do a very good job of the whole deal but you know I guess I learned something and I met some of those people anyway and we had a lot of fun but.
Yeah.
The teacher was so useless I mean she just got to the point where we were running the class ourselves and we've all decided that if we got together once a month with our writings that we'd have just as much use for one another as we did in the class she got to the point where we'd all start discussing things and trying to be helpful to one another in class and it had come 930 and you could see her pecking up fidgeting so of ready to go but didn't know how to excuse herself this is the teacher I mean you know it was really rather silly but tonight.
One of the girls is having us all over to her house and we're going to you know just a little social evening.
But there was apparently.
The.
One of the girls in the class, I guess the course quite as stir. there was a couple of weeks where we had particular subjects which had caused quite a lot of interest where you couldn't discuss the subject because we weren't there for that purpose,.
You know, it was the way I' had been written, but one girl had been to a male strip club.
and had described that in great detail and then we had to do an interview and she went back and interviewed one of the strippers which was quite fascinating and then we had one girl who hardly came at all but,
One night came and had written a story about how she had, well virtually she didn't say this.
Ptually boiled down to her, having seen the light and it had saved her marriage and oh dear and so on and so forth. and the rest of the class were just sort of seething with.
The ridiculousness of this particular story. But it was a typical, you know, religious thing. The sky ward that owns the campus. He explains that he said, you've heard of the Bible Bel. He said, well, this is the buckle. And for sure it is. you know these baptists are real weird. I lump all baptistism together. They're not all the same, of course, but.
I said home always the breakfastptists were considered slightly weird, but here you've got so many different kinds and the sort that.
You know Jack that John used to work with, well he's Pentecostal Unity Church, which is different again from just Pentecostal so you know they have their own little lectures.
So on, but the Edwards, you know, next order to B and Jack, well they got their first daughter got married last weekend.
You know, they're baptists, but they boiled on to being typical, you know John had a bit of a funny thing with her he didn't you know, they're pretty tight when it comes to money, they their religion goes out the one day when it comes to money and he owe John quite a button and John had a little bit of trouble getting it out of them in then.
And which an annoyed John because he'd paid him very low wages anyway, and he bloody knew it, you know, but they're typical and we but with Jack, you know, they'd really just turn on you, they just haven't got an ounce of Christianity in them really, That's what's so upsetting and.
Were a bit weary enough any baptists because of much as they hammer.
God and Jesus and all the rest of it at you they're just as too face as can be.
And you really do have to be quite careful of them, especially if you know business dealings with them here, they're real weird.
Anyway, what else has been happening on the civic scene we have got?
The chief of police has been reelected, George Nepper, I think his name is, and of course he was because he's black and so is the may so he naturally was going to reelect him.
And what else has been happening of course we had Marvin Arrington was elected as president of the Council and he's black of course, and his kidsson class with Rachel, I think I might have told you, but Rachel came home to tell us that Marvin Arlington Jr. was just thrilled that his father was president because he's getting a lot of publicity and he just likes that.
They don't they're not like Whitman's forward, but Marvin Arton was at the.
Children's production at the P O the other night of Hans and Gretel, which was very well done. Little Matthew next door had played the part of narrating the whole thing and did a very good job. Rachel was just so happy in this class. Missus Miss first, the lady felt F U R S T is a.
The real dark southern be. And she talks jazz like shes so sweet as can be and.
Sonny and I Sonny's a really quite a nice person next door, and she's sort of very down to earth and she believes that so much of the free American way is about as free us being you know, imprisoned, but.
She was, we were talking about Valentine's Day. You know, they just go bananas on Valentine's Day and everyone's getting hearts and flowers to another. All the Americans sent.
Thousands and thousands of Valentines Day cards to the Canadians.
Oh boy. Well, that was about an hour and a half ago. That little knock at the door. It was my friendly Anne Marie.
You may me telling you about Amway. Well, that's his wife. and she came up because I had, first of all, sponsored her in an.
Aerobic dancing.
Thing to raise money for cancer or heart or something heart Foundation, I think it was the other way.
I came to collect her money because I haven't been down at the wire doing my exercises and also of course to sell me a few more mway products which I can't live without, I'm sure.
Anyway, so we chatted for a while and obviously, and here I am about eating an nectarine and with another yet another cup of coffee and where was I, oh Valentine's and hearts and flowers were drop.
Well, Sony said, you know, this was a good example of what some Americans are like and what Miss first is like one day she had little Amanda in the classroom and Miss first said to her,W manda, you just look the sweetest little thing that I've ever seen you look like you just stepped out of storybook, didn't she look so sweet?
And Sony thought em of my goodness, But she said, you know, she was rather proud. She thought, too, that a man not rather cute with a little ribbonn on a we pretty dress and everything. And Sony had gone to know and trouble to have a man to look sweet.
And she said, she went off and was doing something else in the classroom.
And somebody else came in with their little girl and Mu first was just telling her how we, you know, she just looked la stepped straight out of a story more and Sony said talkk about a compliment falling flat, but that's what they like you know, they really Ruy was like that you know.
Anyway, so you just take all that with a grain of salt. but she's really sweet. She thinks these kids are cute. and she breeds gerbals if you please. And we are about to get the letter of gbal time. Rachel's that excited about it. Maybeevly's given us the little cage that the gerbals will live.
And.
Me first actually said to me she said as far as I'mkin and she said rodent to rodents, but she said don't you dare to all my children she said they think I just them and so she creates this illusion with the kids that she adores these little throatdent.
Anyway, what else is news Well sidetracked again, it's now Friday must be the 21st does it reach Yep, it's the 21st and I didn't know it's spring got the kids are on spring holiday they went to school Tuesday.
And then since then they've been on holiday and we're all just sitting around now having breakfast and shortly we're going swarming at the way we've gone for five days we've been every single swimming every day for the last five days we're back into the swimming.
See here comes Maitland in his sleeping bag with a little head poking out the top. Hi Maitland.
O, he ain't too happy.
It didn't record.
I see you sign.
Okay, here we are on side too, and I guess I'd better backtrack a little bit just spell you in on the week and then the kids can have a chatter to you.
 first of all, on Tuesday, we went to the Superor court with Rachel's class, I ended up taking three little black children who were they Rachel Lewis, Marvin, Eringington Jr, and there was George Shes and there was Teresa.
What that.
Thereesa, I think her name was all little black because they were real cute. It's quite fun to touch their hair. It's like, why I did. I keep touching them on the hood because they kept holding my hair there. anyway. So we went to the Be court. And who did we have morning to with Rachel.
The judge of what we had from want to cookies.
Cool light, Co late and the secret about her good.
The judge secretary may call they.
The secret about it was it had it was grape and strawberry mixed together because she didn't have enough grape or enough straw and's wife made the Yeah there was probably about 30 there and they were all gone They sure were there must have been at least 60 cookies darling because there was 30 kids and I reckon there was at least two cookies each was there not No five five cookies each.
God, judge's wife must have been thank for it.
One boy a 17 Oh federal state really I didn't see that he must have never stopped be.
That was Jason, really.
Oh well we went into the judge's office for morning tea but we'd been in the court prior to that and there was a just a mara case, a case against Marta of some girl that had a parking lot downtown, they were trying to find something a little more juicy for us but three of the boys in Rachel's class must behave matter.
Situation wouldn't.
Be quiet they were tanling their feet and knocking the seats so we couldn't go that and so we just went as they elevator ready to leave We were about to leave and a very handsome DA came along and saidWhat are you were looking for?
And it happened that he recognizedd Miss first And he said, oh, you're married to a doctor and she fluttered her eyelashes and the usual Miss first fashion said, why, no, I'm a widow and he looked absolutely embarrassed. And then he said, oh, you know, what can I help you with she what we' really like. is an empty courtroom so that we could I'll take pictures. So he finds us an empty courtroom We're in fact, a jury was just out in the jury room. and the kids all tearran and he said, well no they mustn't sit up on the magistrate on the judge's chair and all kids tearing and take over the jury stand and so on. And he said oh, you know, they've did not got up there and Miss first said, why, my children ain't just oh near children. my children a gift.
As though you know they're going to be judges one day anyway, so we might as well start right now and the DA said, oh these children gifted and sort of she just gets away with murder of this woman.
Anyway, so then this guy was real cute. I think he rather fancied Miss first and he put on a complete act for us it took almost an hour. and every kid was in a juror or defendanter or a witness or prosecution or whatever and he helped them and they acted out a complete little trial which was most interesting that it was quite cute at the very end did you hear him Rachel when he said no I don't want to see any of you children back here for any reason other than to come and see it like you did that date, didn't want to see anyone any trouble and he said and he'd explain what stealing was about and he said now I don't want to hear about me of that now none of you would steal anything would you and two one little boys say sounds so spell my dictionary Jeff said Jason Sta's dictionary Jeff's father camp.
He was explaining how it worked, the crime system works and where everyone sits how the jury works, how the jury works in the court.
And he had to have one defendant who stole the.
Who stole something from somebody and Jason was the defendant.
And Gf was a person who the dictionary is still from so G Jason still my dictionary we had a really good day at the court didn't we reaching then we came back to school and then on Wednesday was our first day off on holiday what did we do on Wednesday?
Weday we must on s that's right and then Becky came around oh we had a little wasn name to stay for the night didn't we Becky's little girl Ashley left she came to stay the night Becky and oh yeah but she stayed the night and all the next day that was Wednesday we went swimming and we play we had a good time Becky came for lunch.
And then on Thursday, yesterday, you all went down to Matthews for breakfast.
And then you and I went to clean campus for the day you forgot to tell something Okay, we went down to Mes and we were meant to have breakfast before night and we were going to go swimming at nine o'clock night like normal.
But Stan wasn't organized for everybody that rushed down there and had breakfast. And so we ended up having breakfast at 11 o'clock had a miss.
Wlling.
 and I enough we went to campus a base day and.
I help mom instead she's going to pay me then.
He wanted me to go buy some.
Scraps to make some cake No, that wasn't scraps telling we're not down to the scrap yet I wanted you to go and buy some sponge from the cake shop. We could make trile Oh yeah scrap you're quite right dling, they're just little scraps of sponge they take Yeah when they're making the big wedding cakes that wasn't strong wedding cakes they make weddings out of sponges, can you believe that.
Yeah, and you went and got there and I came back and.
Said to mom, when I went to the bakery, I smelled all the plane doing that and cooking. and I came out and said I was just see mum gave me the whole purse because we didn't know how much the sponge cake was.
So, then we.
Got down there, I got down there and I smelled all the things. And so then I said I was just about to sneak of money and buy a donut that I did and came back and told mom what happened then she told me I could go down and buy donuts. so I went down and bought a donut and it was all gone by the time I got back so I ate it.
 how many how many campus did we clean yesterday, right, six six and it took us five hours, five hours, that's right.
And  before we started on the way to the campberra place, mum got me a drink. and she got her two coffee. She drank so much coffee. Now, she got two coffee. And she already had one coffee in the car. So that was three.
And then we did all the campers and got the doughuts and after that we went back when it was time for me to go a choro one and to miss it so we missed it and.
And we went to Wendy again and got a hamburger for lunch and then.
We came back.
Before we left that was at 330 you had a very late lunch 330 at 330 the man said you got another camp and we said you didn't put on the unless you know anybody and he said yes, I did so I couldn't find the list but he didn't put on you've been checking the list offger Rachel that wasn't on that and there so we.
Mum started to drive me to Wendy's for lunch. and so then we went to Wendy's and I got a hamburger and mum got two more coffee so that was five.
Office.
And then we came back 178 and a three birthday party taking place on Friday night with 94 cent Strs beer and kmicikas and free balloons and toys fit for a three year old That's Friday night of the Hart moon saloon Sunday night thet Moon Sal saloon a full moon party it's going to be a while1 but 94cent Miller like beer the costume themes the mark so keep mind all these things Wednesday moon shadow Friday the Harve Moon Sunday the Hart Moon Peteberg F Market Moon Johnson Roadiff Craig Ashwood for94 Q went up we went.
Those noises come out though we went to swimming after that Okay tell about tell her about the woman who came rushing it in.
 toldold the Chinese man that his pies taste Oh, she came rushing back and she'd already bought some honey cakes.
She went out to a car I didn't have noticed that at first but she'd been in and bought one of these little honeycakes then she went out to a car and she obviously she had a great big round lady and she must have consumed that one fell swoop and she liked that so she came back and she'd obviously bought a great big giant one which you know a really big one and she got out to a car and obviously that one so good so she came back in a Chinese guy hardly spoke English this is a domestic Chinese store and she said to him.
You know what stale means and he sort of didn't you know of course and she said oh taste bad you know and pointed to these things and he said a you bring back bring back, bring back so she brought them back and he just exchanged them for four others but I was laughing she obviously would have consumed this whole brick cake before she didn't got home again small one it exchanged.
That's right anyway, what else has been happening that was that's all that happened.
And then we went swimminging from.
630 to 7,30 last night.
And.
I didn't know, what have you got to tell animately?
Meitland Well, what else has happened? Oh, dear. Shall I tell Na about what happened to you in school, Maitland.
Yes.
Yes.
About me.
What they.
You want to tell you tell her about your book, what's it called?
What's it about, It's the latest book out.
And it's the encyclopedia of aviation.
And he is thrilled to B, you know, Uncle David's planes probably on there boy, you know that it is and I want to you because they told me.
 like Uncle David'sll tell what happened to me that that was on Tuesday darling after I got back from the field truck bundle.
nererves haven't had four kids in the car.
And that's not Uncle David's boy that one's got little bicycle wheels on Uncle David's got a little bit newer than that one.
Anyway, and then I got home and Sunny had called in the morning. My neighbour, and she had suspected that Manda had check and pop' first thing in the morning. So I called him to see if she wanted anything from the store or whatever. We were sitting having the peaceful cup of coffee and the telephone rang. The school said Matthew had fallen over. Could we please come and get him. we suspected that Matthew was overreacting because when Matthew doesn't get his own way, he clenches his first bracess.
Griitz his teeth together and flies his fist through the air and1 potential. So what I suspected it happened that he had done this and hit a gold post or something for his hand because it's always blown through the ear. Then Uncle David's assessment.
Yeah, that probably is Uncle David's assessment.
Make on found your as on place 44.
And then we got him and he was taken to the Pimont. Well, Sun took him to the doctor and the doctor thought something was wrong And then he went to the Piermont Hospital.
And they took it in X ray.
Ed found it was broken, so he had to miss soccer practice and was taken out of soccer because he asked to have it on for six weeks and he got it plastered and came to soccer practice.
That's right, you can be playing soccer. but your first game last week was cancelled, which was rather lucky Rachel, wasn't I didn' tell about that And then.
It was brought home.
Then he started when we were having breakfast he started over and acting, he said he couldn't get his clothes off when he really could and then one time I forgot what day now mum said that we're all gonna have to be more careful of him and watch out for him and help him so he just bangs until a mandarin wants her to just get out the way he thinks he could just walk through everything and everyone's gonna get it out the way for him but it didn't happen and he not pull mandar over onto the furniture.
 she's only four. And then.
Saturday, when our game was cancelled, what day was that month Saturday you were in the choir last Saturday.
Yeah, when we had the choir, I've told later about that.
A game was canceled.
But.
Because the fields are too muddy.
Because it had just rained Fridayling too, so they're knocked and on Windsor Park when that's a big gray area of the.
Area.
And so that was canceled and I was going because I didn't want to miss the game and the other girls get to play it.
That was good. And they say they were playing. We were gonna play the bad news bear bad news we were you both playing because a girls team on the bad news Bears and the boys team like based the boys your phantom of these pig. Yeah, what sort of airplane is that boy.
That's called a Lockheed lightning.
Now lightning, Lockheed, one of the most famous American fighters of World War I.
The twin engine P38 single seat lightning had an unusual design with a visualised pod for the pilot centered in the wing between two Allison angels.
That's a strange you playing board and now left this book. we had to go to the library without him yesterday And so we had to choose his book for him. and he always likes us bring a book home for him because you get excited Don't avoid when you don't know what it's going be about and this one you really like This Saturday coming up. We gonna play the angel so.
That it's going to be pretty hard to keep their uniforms clean because their uniforms are white so that's going to be kind of strange.
Well, I don't know what else to say mum might have to talk to Russians aren't necessarily bad people born talking The Russians are communist people favor they're like us, you know they nuts.
The Russians but they built a big helicopter boy.
New galaxies.
OhMitland's wrapped in this book, Uncle David will have to get it for his birthday.
No.
You get one the little cousin Stephen we got a model body that shows it inside the body you Na you and we saved and worked by picking up pine cones for 25 seat of shopping bag for.
And we soon just picked up four bags and decided we hated that job. So then we just started earning money some other way. So then we earned up.
$6.
Something I forgotten now.
$695.
Was 65. and then we went to buy the body, which was only $4.
I'm5.
And that was $4.
61 after we pay tax.
And then we went to the store, the magic market and bought these waste suckers You enough house sometimes on the ground you find little.
Plastic things with a hump on the top and they fit like a ring.
They don't think they find them in New Zealand Darar because they here Na must seen them their rings down just tell none of their rings that rings either they have big diamonds which are suckers and you suck them look like babies dummies.
Brother bought one E for 25 cents.
And then.
We left and still had quite a bit of money left and we're starting to stay again and I'm what we to see did you say that boy did you want most rubber snake a rubbernake and you believe anyone I want to say that for a rubbernake and so he got that and the book I got from the library was the book called B and fancy.
Fanty fantasy and it's about all the movie stars and that has pictures from when they were born to when.
Right up to Joe Gialter.
They goes the Hollywood they who did you find in there Rachel when they were young?
Well, I found Dorothy on the Wiizard of Os you told mena what Dorothy's real name was France has gone.
What youIn this book they had a picture of when they were young and their real name and what they changed their name to, but Elizabeth Taylor didn't change her name and she was cute when she was a baby.
And.
.
Who else did you find then, There's Sambar French lady and her name Ws. she's Chinese Chinese wrong.
Laung, and she turned her name to in my room.
That's an air shook forward.
There's bunch of across the Atlanta here is Qantas, the place in this book and it's calledThe Girl can't help it and it.
Oh, I don't want to tell it. It's called the girls can't help in. you know, they's think of something else too show me and it and like he wants to see it. Baylights Playboy magazine.
There's lots of things in here and they tell all the famous movie stars.
There's a place you could pick out the movie star.
Pick out the star and they show you two pictures. And one of the people have be changed to a normal old person you got to guess which picture is the true movie stars and which one's not. And it's really kind of hard. if you don't know the movie stars. but I got through it and finished the book.
Well, I finished put on pauses because we getting rather tired of that dribble just this one a little here Well poor old makeitland, we had a bit of trouble with home last week he came home one night and he said.
Oh, I've be moved in the cloud and I said, oh, have you made them or are you sitting, and he said.
Oh.
You know, just by myself and I said well you're not sitting out by the television Are you and he said yes and I said are you sitting with he said Jason and I think I've told you about Jason the teacher couldn't put Jason with anyone because he was just so naughty.
 I knew something had happened I said, Matt what way are you facing and he said, I'm facing the kindergarten and there isn't a whole lot I for learning very much facing the kindergarten because you're not even can't even see the blackboard.
Okay, so that was all right. The next morning, I went to see Misss first about something about this field trip we were going on. So John decided to go and see Miss Mormon.
And then when I'd finished with Miss Thursdayrs I came back, well, Miss Mormon and Maateland and John were all hovering round Then. there was me and all the kids in the class were watching, and they obviously knew something real. Bgg was up for both parents to be there.
AndFor knew was real upt, as Norman said, now mate on, you tell your parents why you've been moved.
And Aman finally had to say that he had just what was the problem right, Made, you weren't?
What were you doing?
You went what?
Yeah he just shrugs his shoulders, What was the word?
You know.
Just a shame that what did you tell me you went?
You it you weren?
Well, come and down now, exactly what it was.
 hurry up get on the tape, hurry up boy.
It's kind almost mouthful of toast rage. shall we say?
He wouldn't cooperate that what he so he was moved, which is the only way to cope with somebody that won't cooperate isn't it, he says cooperate.
Anyway.
So he got moved that must have been when, was that right last Friday and then?
We had a test after he had his first math test and home it came.
And he go, I is 29, which was a hole.
It was a very similar experience to the first spelling test, a complete complete blockout. It was all plus, but he just didnt one it. and he got, I think he got two right. and you ran three. Go right. I'm sorry. must have been. You must have gone.
That's right because there must have been 35 questions or something Anyway, we had a long discussion about it in Maitland.
Reed that he was not cooperating body and they had another test just a few days later and how many did you get mate one?
How many make one lived here?
100.
Let's hear it for Maly.
He got one.
He was very proud and the very same day.
What else happened, boy.
Oh you go spelling tears, how many did you get the spelling?
100, but you also got moved in the class again, didn't you?
What where'd you go?
Back with your friend back to the middle of back to his little girl friends where he. Who you sitting before.
, Susan no.
Cary.
Oh she knows her used to be in second grade, didn you No, that was another school.
Oh don't talk rubbish Rachel.
Anyway, so I mate ones on the straight and narrow again actually one.
And.
Anyway, what else this news Ban?
We.
This one.
Guess what manner the sweater you sent fit.
And Can W, Yeah, Can W for is what week.
And the sweater fit real good.
And it looks super.
.
We show Viy when she came and.
She likes it, too.
They really don't nice and that's a good size it'll fit you really still fit you well mixed winter so that's super and we'll still get some weather now that we can wear it so we're real pleased to have it in time because it's funny the weather's real weird one day it's hot on the next day it's cold it's springtime the spring flowers are popping out but we'll still get cold days so and it's a great little jacket doesn't it rage.
Well, what's been happening in the garden, Rachel?
Youve got to watch the garden at the moment, Don't you make one Can I be your boyfriend.
I.
How is coming Stephen.
Cousin Stephen, you like cousin Stephen, don't you boy,ha, because he's your boy cousin.
.
And what have you been up to with Matthewthe Bay?
I spent the last three times Lisa.
You've spent the night with Matthew.
Can you sleep at his half?
Dont inre way you sleep.
.
It is bad. And when does he sleep.
Now it's a free and doesn't it boy, he gives you his bid and he sleeps on the floor.
Are you good at Matthews?
Now, what about basketball, are you good at basketball?
Can you dribble?
W, come on, Tony and, I'm granded about something.
Still.
Tll on hurry up' tapes nearly he finished.
I went.
To Matthews, we had breakfast, and then.
.
We played and Rachel, we were using something of hers.
And we're using it as an an.
And.
Rachel.
Sorry.
And we were using it.
B name a fist, and Rachel took it off us.
And then the screen, she took it.
Oh.
And then me and Matthew were trying to then her.
Matthew and I are trying to.
What were you doing with the amethyst boy, what are you getting together of that collection and were you putting the names on them?
And we used his last y he had Did you want your little rub off letters to put on the rocks, were you putting the names right on the rocks?
Yeah.
And Rachel.
Made him the last wife, for no reason.
Youve just all you've done is tall tales, mate one?
Whathy don't you tell Na G something happy?
You don't want to that.
Very do this morning.
What about swimming? How are you going swimming.
Good he likes swimming.
I could swim past our YMCA pool and the water with no no breath.