Welcoming the new year at the Welcome Wall

A few years ago I gave my mother a Mothers' Day gift of an inscription on the 'Welcome Wall' at the National Maritime Museum. A wall with the names of several thousand immigrants who crossed the sea to make Australia their home. Our family arrived here on the 3rd of September 1969.

The inscription reads, 'Yvonne Alice Walter and family'. Mum was thrilled with the idea of it and was disappointed she couldn't make it to the grand unveiling.

However, we have eventually managed to get her there -after some complicated logistical planning involving trains, trams, casinos, two aunties and sister Shelley. Shelley tried to make sense of it all and we think that on balance, she enjoyed the day out.

Part of the expedition needed to include Star City casino as my visiting aunts were keen to experience it. Fortunately, it was just along the road.

So the Walters have now been well and truly welcomed in appropriate style.

F

Bah humbug!

Sister Shelley loves Christmas. She loves having the relatives around her. She loves the carols, Santa, the present giving ceremony, the whole festive deal.

That is until she's invited to participate. Suddenly it's 'Bah humbug' to everything! 'No way, Jose am I going to have anything to do with any of this nonsense', seems to be the message.

And then she unwraps a calendar present, and maybe a second and a third. After all, we all know calendars to be one of Shelley's abiding passions. (Only the other day she was telling every stranger in every shop to change their calendars in January.) 'Bah humbug' gives way to 'Oh, the joy of life'!

We spent Christmas Day at our house, with Yvonne, Shelley, sister Wendy and her two boys Ryan and Shayne, and family friend Sandra.

To anyone out there in readerland, we wish you a very merry Christmas! Whether you're a humbug person or not, we'd love to hear from you, with all your seasonal news.

N & F

Starry starry night

Weeks of clear skies have given us heatwaves, high fire danger, and a garden under severe stress, but one upside is the starry view at night. I'm planning on getting myself a nice little telescope again one day soon. 35 years after starting to grind my 250mm mirror for the crash hot one I was going to make myself, I've finally admitted it's not going to get finished (and I lost the mirror during a house move some years ago too), so I'm just going to have to buy one.

In the meantime, you can do lots with binoculars, or just by pointing a camera at the sky and giving it a few seconds exposure. Above is a shot of Orion and part of Taurus, rising above the house the other night. I used to do lots of this sort of thing, and I've dug out a picture I took of Halleys Comet and the moon taken in north west Tasmania nearly 24 years ago.

N

Taking to the streets

It was Sydney's fifth annual Walk Against Warming, and it was the most colourful street march I've ever attended.

Churches, political parties, local councils and unions were there, plus all kinds of big and little action groups. Kevin Rudd was there (up to his armpits in coal), new Opposition Leader Tony Abbott (as The Joker), several superheroes, a gorilla, green Santa, a polar bear, the lot. Plus about 20,000 ordinary folk, young and old, from suburbs far and near.

It was of course all about sending a message to the delegates at the big climate change conference in Copenhagen, now half way through its proceedings. As one placard said: 'Rudd, Wong, don't come back climate criminals - set real targets - 40% by 2020 on 1990 levels'.

N

Rose tinted cinema

We love going to the Roseville Theatre. It's a cinema really, which shows the latest gentle arthouse releases from around the world, as opposed to the usual Hollywood blockbusters.

The building is elegant art deco with a comfortable, homely interior - a bit like its audience. Usually over 50, elegant, with exceedingly good taste. It's no wonder we love going there! We also love sinking into the large leather sofas and sipping our hot chocolates before the movie.

We recently saw 'Departures', a Japanese film about a hapless young unemployed cellist who finds himself by going to work in the funeral industry. He'd answered an ad thinking it was for the travel industry only to discover that the word 'departures' was a misprint for the word 'departed'. A five tissue tearjerker but worth it.

F