Jet Setters

I can't keep up with Susan (although in the stuff I talk about below I did manage to do just that - but only for four days).

I had planned a restful Christmas holiday (24 December through 4 January), followed by two strenuous days at work (5-6 January), and then another holiday (7-17 January).

Instead, sometime in early December, it was decided that Susan would go to Sydney and Newcastle at Christmas.

Oh, well, ok, that won't be too bad. I won't have papers to deliver, at least. I might get a bit bored, but nothing worse.

Sue did, indeed, leave on 24 December, flying to Sydney, train from there to Newcastle. She came back to Sydney on the 5th of January, and home on Thursday the 7th.

Friday we are off for our annual time with the Van Boxels on the Hokianga Harbour - and the commemorative Mass. I may say we had a wonderful time. David has almost finished his new house - the kitchen was used for the first time only about a week before we arrived. The weather was excellent (unlike Susan's in Sydney and Newcastle, where it rained much of the time she was there). I managed to risk my life in the western surf at Waimamaku Beach - and astonishing place, really. Sue and I came home on the Monday.

And decided today, after three days' discussion, that she will go to America to see Adele, and her sister Candace.

There is much detail behind this, but fundamentally Adele has been in the States since July, 2005 (according to Susan; it seems impossible to me that it has been that long, but Sue is probably right). She is married, has a daughter who will be two years old in February. We have managed to scrape together money (don't ask from where :-)) for the trip.

Sue will leave on Wednesday the 24th of March. She will actually fly into JFK Airport (which I still think of as Idlewild Airport) in New York - cheaper than flying to Newark, though the latter is closer to Adele. She arrives late on the 24th, US date, and will leave on Wednesday the 7th of April - so really 13 full days there - the most we can manage, arriving back home here on Friday the 9th - just in time to go to the Eucharistic Convention - which I presume she will sleep through, just to catch up!

Life in the fast lane! But we so much want her to be able to spend time with Adele, especially, and with Candace. It would be wonderful if I could go as well, but in addition to not being able to afford it, someone has to keep the Franklin County News in circulation (and keep the income flowing that we get from it) - and that someone is me.

My dearest love to you, Adele, and to you Candace.

And to you, Father Horgan! Father Paul Horgan, SJ, very dear to our family, is currently living in New York, awaiting his next assignment. Father Horgan, we hope and pray that you will still be there at Easter of this year. If you are, Susan is definitely coming to see you!