Powrie Family Gazette 2009

Les and Sal Powrie Family Gazette
Christmas 2009

Greetings to all our dear family and friends for Christmas 2009

If it were not for the fact that I look at our beautiful family, and see the growth, change and development, I would absolutely refuse to believe that another year has passed. But just look at them, and you'll see what I mean. I am extremely biased (as far as I know, that is part of the job description when motherhood rears its head). But I really can't help feeling unbelievably proud of them. Truly, our family makes up our greatest riches.
Now, lest you go thinking that perfection has arrived in the Powrie family, let me hasten to assure you that normality still reigns supreme. I still do have moments of feeling that insanity runs very strongly in the family genes. I would like to say that it is all on the Powrie side, however – I was the one who chose to have them all (with a little help from my best friend – Whatever would I do without the dear long-suffering man?)
And so what has the year held for us all?
To start with, Les hasn't had his greatest year health-wise. Let's see – there was the cracked vertebra – and no, I didn't thump him in a moment of frustration. He was thinking that he was a teenager, and diving for the volleyball at a Church picnic. You have to be careful at some of these Church activities – violent contact sports like volleyball are the order of the day. That resulted in a bone density test – all normal, thankfully.
Then there was the very low iron, which resulted in a million tests (you don't want to know all the places things were put in the process of the investigations). Anyway the conclusion was eventually that it was the result of giving in excess of 130 units of blood over his life. His ol' bod's had to work pretty hard replacing all that.
Then there was a funny thing that happened with his vision, and the ophthalmologist said that he was starting to develop a detachment of the viscous fluid in the eye, and that there was nothing that could be done about it. So he has been living with that. Hopefully it will not deteriorate.
He has now been with SANBI for 25 years (that's Kirstenbosch, which has changed its guise multiple times over the years. I sometimes wonder if these organisations that change their names recurrently are worried that they might be traced. Maybe they are actually some secret underground organisation. Hmm, so perhaps these plants that are being studied are in fact secret agents in disguise. Pretty small agents, when you consider that Les works with Karoo plants and Fynbos).
Les continues to serve in his favourite position at Church – as ward clerk.
Shelly finally finished her articles as a chartered accountant. Isn't that something? She really understands all that financial stuff which makes my head swim, and convinces me that I actually have got no brain at all. Then, not only does she understand it, she has returned to UCT to teach it all to other poor deluded souls who feel sure that it must be understandable. And she's so good at it that it's working – they do understand it – amazing! She's obviously got what it takes.
But that hasn't taken away one bit from her first love as a wife and mommy. There is nothing that has ever given me as much pleasure as watching my children play, and this is the greatest thing to watch and listen to. Playing “mommy-mommy” with such evident joy, love, patience and devotion – what more could any parent want to see in their children? And Andrew is just dotty as a daddy. I don't think that there is anything that he would not do for his little family.
The two of them are as busy as ever at Church, with Andrew as 1st counsellor in the bishopric, and Shelly as 1st counsellor in the Primary presidency, as well as being choir leader.
They have gone onto building an extra room onto their house now because - (drum-roll, please) – baby number two is on the way! We don't know yet what it is. It was a coy, modest little soul during the scan, unlike big brother Joshua at that stage. He had been only too happy to show the world just who he was.
Josh is an ongoing delight in all our lives. His vocabulary is growing daily, and, at 20 months, we are all starting to be named, e.g. “Nindy”, “Itch”, “Ganny”. I'm not too sure what the rest of us are being called yet. Oh, and can you believe it, he's going to the same day mother that my children went to the various occasions when that was necessary. Dear patient Aunty Wendy taking the next generation of our offspring – what a brave lady.
Colleen and Rohan are still living on a cloud, although when they visit, we are actually able to separate them sufficiently to be able to communicate with them. It is such a joy to see happiness in one's children, and it is my regular prayer that it may always be so. Rohan graduated as an engineer (Mechatronics – I hope I spelt that right). You would think that there would a market just waiting for the Rohans of this world to finish studying, and dying to employ them. Well, the world of employment is not as friendly as that. He has been given the run-around – what with being sent up to Pretoria for an interview and medical with the air force, and then to a company in Durban. That bunch actually wanted him, but the problem was that Colleen has to finish working here to finish paying back her bursary. So that would have meant them being separated for a year. Colleen was being very brave about the whole thing, and she didn't complain about the prospect at all, but the relief was obviously very heartfelt when he got a job in Cape Town, starting in January.
Colleen has been teaching at SACS High School, and on the whole has, I think been enjoying it – if one could remove the Grade 9's from existence that is. It seems they become a bit more human after Grade 9. But I must say that every teacher I have spoken to who deals with Grade 9's says they are some alien breed at that time. Her favourites are her Grade 11's, and she's really happy to know that she will be able to take them through to matric. Teaching at an all-boys school has certainly been different from her experience of the co-ed schooling that she had herself. But I think that overall it has been a good experience. She has been lucky enough to get on well with the rest of the staff, and this next year, one of the members of our Church will be joining the school as a music teacher, so that will be nice.
Colleen and Rohan are in Meadowridge ward at Church and are busy with their callings there. Rohan is Elders' Quorum President, and Colleen is the 1st counsellor in the Primary presidency
Our Andrew - 21 years old now – can you believe it (we always have to differentiate between the two Andrews in the family), has continued working at Federal with Andrew H, and he has been doing well there. He has plans for what he wants to do in the future, but I don't know that he wants me to talk about them until such time as he is able to put them into action. However, hopefully it will enable him to have the kind of life that he wants. I don't think that he will be happy being stuck in an office for the rest of his life. But that notwithstanding, his experience at Federal has been a positive one and has given him a lot of experience in business. I think that he will still be there for some time yet.
He has been taking on some extra IT responsibilities at work, even bringing computers home sometimes to do some kind of fixing on them – do not ask me what. If the computer gives me any lip, I threaten it with discipline from Les, and if I'm really fed up with it, I call in the big guns – my children. That's usually enough to get the jolly thing to behave again for a while.
The other thing that Andrew has also been doing has really been right up his alley. He's been helping promoting a couple of computer (or are they Xbox) games – Guitar Hero and DJ Hero. Bryan Banfield, who has been a lifelong friend with his family, is now living in Johannesburg, and I don't know what all he does, but part of it involves promoting these games. So Andrew and Bryan's brother, Chris, do these promotions here in Cape Town, and get to play these games in various stores all day on weekends and such like. So that has been a nice little bit of extra in his pocket.
Andrew still serves faithfully as a home teacher.
And so to Cindy. Can you believe that that our baby girl is 18, driving, voting, and has just finished her matric exams? We officially only have one child left in school! How weird is that?!!!! I think that it's been a pretty good year for Cindy. She has a lovely group of friends, and so, while we're not having to track her down because of a hectic social life, she has been able to enjoy the social aspect of matric.
Of course there were the responsibilities – studying being one of them (what a pity that has to mess up the fun of matric) and prefect duties. One of her problems has been her ongoing problems with her right wrist. This has been a real drawback. She auditioned for the UCT Music College, which has been her greatest desire – wanting to study piano and singing to teach (yes, another teacher amongst our daughters). However, this wrist problem (for which we have been to several specialists, had numerous cortisone injections, even had an MRI) was a real nuisance. The extreme amount of practice for her audition and her final practical exam put paid to her using it for a while. She got A's on her Final music practical exam, but didn't make it into the music college with piano – possibly a blessing all things considered. She did get in with her voice, but as that was to have been her second instrument, she is not able at the present time to use it for a BMus. So she is doing a BA in English, Media, and Writing, and she will apparently be able to take the singing as a subject in her BA. So a bit of a different direction than she had originally planned, but she feels good about it, especially considering the wrist – it would never have stood up to the intense practice needed at Varsity.
The Matric farewell bears a mention - the family picture in the front was on the night of the dance – and that gorgeous dress was made by Cindy! Excuse me – but all I can tackle are tracksuits. Where do the gifts our children have come from? Not from their mother that is for sure – Possibly from their dad. Mainly from Heavenly Father, when the truth be told. Each of them has such remarkable talents. Yeah, yeah, I know - I'm bragging about my kids again. Anyway, making her dress was the last project that she completed in order to get her Personal Progress award (an award equivalent to the Chief’s Award for Girl Guides, or Springbok Scout) given to the girls at Church, after 6 years of working on a goal-setting programme.)
Cindy is Primary secretary and loving it. And she also works with Shelly in running our ward choir.
Then of course, there's Richard, my little boy – as you can see from the family picture – He towers over all of us, and doesn't he just love that! It has its uses, I must say. No more problems getting things down from high shelves.
Well, he's just finished grade 9 – yes, the dreaded year that Colleen reports is the worst year in all high school life, as far as teachers are concerned. Richard assures me that he is a little angel. In fact, in his words – he's just awesome! Well, he's 16, so he's supposed to be awesome. He has done well at school, especially in the maths and science range of subjects, which is just as well, as his greatest desire remains to become an engineer. This is definitely a family thing. When it comes to the gift of tongues – well, I'm afraid, that like his mom, English is pretty much as far as it goes. So Afrikaans is going to be something that will be in need of extra work in the year ahead. I've promised him that we can work through library books together. So, who knows, maybe we'll both come out with stronger Afrikaans.
He has thoroughly enjoyed backstage work again in the school productions this year, and in fact became the stage manager, and he even has his own office with his name on it – now is that awesome, or what? So I guess he's right about being awesome. He has, in fact chosen drama as one of his subjects to take through to matric – mainly from the point of view of the backstage work. It'll all be good in terms of developing leadership skills, skills involved in engineering – what with the lighting, the sets and the sound. He is also planning on taking Advanced Maths and IT as extra subjects – so he has 3 very heavy years ahead.
He began karate this year and loves it – even when he comes home full of bruises. He has achieved his next stage of his Duty to God programme – the boys' equivalent of the girls' programme. So now he's into his final 2 years, and he has been ordained a Priest by his dad. He had his first opportunity to bless the Sacrament with Les 2 weeks ago.
Regarding me (Sally) – not a huge amount to tell. I've been working part time at the practice, but maybe, if truth be told, my sanity requires me to be less involved with direct clinical relationships with patients. More than 20 years of this have kind of taken their toll. I've had to acknowledge that I'm not the strong person I had previously believed myself to be. A humbling experience. So, who knows, maybe I'll be the next one teaching – at med school, or perhaps involved in research. But then like I said before, the world of the job markets are not looking kindly at prospects – probably less so at ones who are over 50 (Good grief – that cannot be possible. There must have been some mistake on my birth certificate).
Nothing further on the book-front. I have 3 books off at different publishers – one of them for nearly 1½ years. This is not an easy industry into which to break – and definitely not a fast one. I have another picture book that just needs some reworking, and then I have started on another historical novel. I don't think I'm likely to ever be another Stephanie Meyer or JK Rowling. But, still it would be awfully nice to finally feel that there's someone who feels my work is good enough, and have people actually choosing to read it and enjoy it.
Oh and guess what the cleverest thing was that I did this year – I got pneumonia and coughed a rib broken. Now doesn't that just take the cake?
My most exciting thing this year was to be called to teach Institute. This has got to be the best calling ever – challenging, make no mistake, but what a joy teaching these young single adults.
Well, I think that's enough news to have acted as the most effective soporific agent known. I congratulate all those stalwarts who have managed to persist all the way through this lengthy epistle. You are deserving of the Medal of Valour awarded only to those who endure through the most trying and inhuman of tortures known to man. I salute you!
Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas. May this most joyous of all seasons truly be that for you, and not a source of stress and sorrow as it is to some. If we can keep in mind the Saviour of mankind, and this season is just a reminder of the beginning of the earthly part of His mission for us, we will feel joy in our hearts and a desire to share this with those who do not feel it because of their private sorrows.
All our love and blessed wishes to you and all your loved ones at this season, and for a joy-filled 2010.
Les, Sally, Andrew, Cindy and Richard
Andrew and Shelly and little Joshua Herbert
Colleen and Rohan Schwartz