Tonight Rob and I were very proud to attend a function at the WACA to receive an award for Elwyn on her behalf. When her ex-fellow players asked why she couldn’t accept it herself, I cheekily told them that they should have sent her a UK to Perth airfare and she would have!

When Rob went up to accept the award, this is what they read out about our Elly:

Elwyn P. Campbell

70 matches

Western Australia 1995/96 – 2004/05

Debuting in 1995/96 Elwyn Campbell was a patient and skilful top order batter. Scoring 1440 runs at an average of 21.5 and a highest score of 93, she is one of the leading run scorers for Western Australia.

Elwyn was a member of the team who contested the WNCL final in 1999 against NSW at the SCG.

Elwyn was vice captain of the Western Fury in season 1998/99.

Elwyn toured with the Australian U23 side in 1998 and 2000 and was an Australian Youth Squad member during this period.

Elwyn was the dominant bat of her time in club cricket scoring numerous centuries for Subiaco-Marist and High Wycombe cricket clubs.  She particularly enjoyed destroying pace attacks with effortless and elegant cover drives.

Currently living, working and playing in England & in her absence her mother Wendy has joined us today.

I took the photos, and the one above (Rob and I with the framed photo she was awarded plus the locker in the men’s locker room that they named after her) was Elwyn’s favourite when we told her all about it over the internet after we got back from the WACA:-)

My sister Fiona, who was staying with us for almost a week, also took the opportunity to chat with Elwyn, including an in-depth inquisition about Elwyn’s boyfriend as only our darling Fi can!

Very special news from Elwyn, who has taken a long time to find someone right for her, who is also available…

Just thought I’d let you know I’m dating a nice guy called Robin (or Rob – this could be confusing!)

Met him up in the peak district in late October and after a bit of emailing started dating in December, just before Morocco.

We have quite a strong connection, and share a lot of things – both software engineers, climbing, biking, & he likes watching cricket. He lives up near Derby so it’s a bit of a hike but it’s nice to visit the “proper” country, away from the south east of england. I’m even prepared to overlook the fact that he’s shorter than me which says quite a lot. Tricia and Adrian approve of him too.

Early days yet, but thought you’d like to know.

Luv,

E

This week Jeanette and Tom had an adventure which included going on “four buses!” as Tom told us when he got back to our place. This is what Jeanette wrote to Elwyn about it:

Subject: biiiiig expedition

hello!

yesterday i met mum and tom and thea at kings park.

tom was being impressively badly-behaved (actually he wasn’t too bad at the park, but had been awful for the previous couple of days).

so after a bit of a play at the playground – where he was quite grumpy until i gave him the minimum possible help to climb up onto a big high bridge then he was happy, probably cos of being slightly adventurous – me and tom went into town.  on the BUS.

and tom got to decide whether to eat lunch in the city or next to the river.  he chose the river.  so we got off the bus at london court, then walked down to barrack st jetty, then shared a toasted panini and and orange-juice.  then we caught CAT bus, and got off at the terminus, which was handy cos then the bus stayed put so i could explain to tom about the biiig cat on he side of the bus (he couldn’t see the cat at first).  then caught another 2 buses to go back to grandma’s house.

oh yeah, and he liked seeing the big new ferris-wheel (but we didn’t ride on it).

so his big news of the day was that there were FOUR BUSES!!!!

hopefully next time there will be a ferry.

I took Blaine and Thea back to our place in the meantime, and Thea enjoyed a quiet time with Grandma while Blaine had a rest.

Here we are at Mandurah, after a hell of a trip into southerly seas to get here for our Christmas dinner. Rob’s on the phone to Elly (with the sun setting in the background), and I’ve done what I can to decorate the boat:-)

This year we had our family Christmas early. Originally everyone was going to be away at Christmas so Rob and I decided we’d leave early for a Christmas on Dusky Dolphin. By the time we’d got organised everyone else was staying at home!

We had an early Christmas anyway, including a long, long iChat with Elwyn that included playing golf with her over the internet using Rob’s new Wii! You can see Elwyn on the computer screen.

Rob went shopping today, to get some long-needed electrical gear…he said it was my Christmas present…good thing I’ve got a sense of humour:-)

The 2 little Christmas horsies are gifts from Tom and Thea – they made them at Tom’s kindergarten today:-)

Tonight we had the first real taste of summer – luscious, ripe mango!

Yummm – something we look forward to every year, to be enjoyed with avocado and spicy barbecued chicken, all drizzled with fresh lime juice:-)

Today was the 40 year reunion of my class at high school. I haven’t been to many reunions, but felt called to this one.

The reasons worked out to be:

1. I caught up with 2 ladies with whom I’d been good friends. Why we lost contact with each other I don’t know, but they are lovely company and we’ll keep in touch.

2. 2.At times I stood back and listened to to group of them, and wondered why I’d never before realised what a delightful group of people they were…

3. 3.The class “bully” was there, who had given me (or had I chosen that?) so much grief when I was at school. Now a sad lady, mourning the loss of her younger sister who died from cancer last year, she is very angry and alone. When she told me about the loss of her sister my heart ached for her because she was still in deep grief. I reached out and touched her arm, looked her gently in the eyes, and said “I’m so sorry, D…”. For the first time ever she looked me in the eyes, let go the angry mask she keeps for the world, and said “Thank you”.
   And the spell was broken.

We celebrated Rob’s birthday last Sunday, although his actual birthday was not until today.

Elwyn and I had an idea some time ago for something that he could share with the family (and possibly friends) that would just be fun – a Wii with the new Tiger Woods golf game. So after we came back from the UK in early October I spoke to Elwyn and Jeanette about it. If I bought it, Jeanette offered to hide it at her place for “road testing”. So the day after someone ran into the back of their car, and they were house-bound, I arrived at Jeanette and Christopher’s with the Wii, the game, and other bits and pieces – good thing to take their minds off the trashed car!

In the meantime, I had to remember not to tell Rob, so he’d get a surprise. Hard work!

So last Sunday we all arrived at Jeanette and Christopher’s for a birthday morning tea. After chat, morning tea and little birthday cakes, Christopher gave Rob one of the games in its box, which confused him, then Jeanette led him around to where the Wii was set up, and got him playing the game. Of course Tom helped, and then Tristan. It was good to see them just relax:-)

On Rob’s birthday today, Blaine, Tom and Thea came for the night because Tristan was away with work. So when Rob came home from work, Tom very beautifully said “Happy Birthday, Pa”. That made Rob’s day.