Well, looks as if that last 'frustration' posting did actually get published, so I'll have one last try at updating my news of the last few weeks. If I lose this posting, I give up. So, back to January ...
As foreshadowed, I spent the Australia Day weekend at the 150th celebrations in in tiny Walla Walla in New South Wales, where I had a table in the Exhibition Hall to promote advance copies of In Search of Anna, a sort of pre-launch event, appropriate because the last section of the book is set in that area. A great weekend, where I caught up with many friends and relatives of former years, and had a guest event at the Jindera Pioneer Museum, one of the best country museums I've seen, and a family reunion dinner after. A special pleasure was watching the final day historic parade, with its original pioneer trek wagons and even the Burdack family sulky I had ridden in so often as a child.
Back to Adelaide, with full scale preparations for the formal launch of Anna, at a wonderful evening when 250 friends gathered to hear SA Premier, Steven Marshall, launch the book and David Harris propose the toast for my 80th birthday. Best possible way to celebrate this day, especially as all four of my offspring came from interstate to be with us.
The time we’d spent in Oberammergau last year proved rewarding in many more ways than even the time itself, for all the interviewing I’d done there led to the writing of a number of travel articles. A number have now been published in various magazines and newspaper, with a few out there looking for outlets. But, as a result, I’ve been invited to attend the opening night of the 2020 Passion Play as a press representative - bonus is that the invitation is for two, so David and I are now beginning plans for our overseas travel in 2020. We’ll attend both the first night as guests then go a second time at the end of May with the reservations we’ve already made. Between the two dates, and before and after, some other travelling, still in planning stage. It’s exciting.
Much of the last few weeks has been spent in marketing Anna, with radio and guest speaking events. But more time-consuming has been David’s move from his Adelaide Hills home to a place much closer to me in suburban Adelaide. Any house move is strenuous, but this especially so, with his huge shed taking inordinate effort to clear out. After all that went to Oxfam, various charity shops, the antique auction market and into the big skip he hired, it was amazing how much was still left to deal with and move into the new place. Inspirational though - I now feel I ought to be doing the same culling of possessions, however lack the will and stamina to do it. But it’s great to have him so much closer, and no longer facing the daunting long drive between our homes.
So there hasn’t been much writing done in these recent weeks - mainly poetry, and I’ve been happy with news of some acceptances, especially in the Canberra Times, one of the few places that actually pays for publications.
This is a third increasingly frustrated attempt to add an entry to this page. I've written two extended articles, but both have vanished into cyberspace. This is just an experimental third attempt. Here goes