The big news for us is that we have sold the South Island farm as of 1 June.   We are also in the process of selling the farm at Ararimu with settlements 1 June 2002 when the current share milker’s contract expires.  We will stay in Ararimu; our house is on a 20-acre lot so hopefully enough to keep Donald occupied gardening.

We are booked to fly to Britain 11 September returning home 12 November so we’re reading up and getting lots of advice to try and make the most of the time we have there.

I rang Air NZ to reserve our seats and they had deleted Donald’s booking entirely which was puzzling as I have a companion ticket that must be tied to a paid fare, but luckily we were able to get another reservation on the same plane.  Come back Sue!  We will come home via Los Angeles for a few days, quite keen to go to Disneyland although if Donald wants to attempt scary rides he will have go it alone.

I broke a toe early in the year, which took weeks to mend.  As it turned out this wasn’t a problem tramping in the South Island but the blisters were.  I walked the Milford and Kepler but stayed in Queenstown while Donald walked the Rees/Dart with my cousin from Australia and a Canadian couple we had meet in Nepal. 

The next incident was when as we decided to help Paul and Shona cut firewood on Bryce’s farm.  I was being very helpful and standing the wood onto a splitting stump for Paul to split.  One piece was wobbly so I put out a hand to steady it and wow, Paul had already started his swing to split the wood.  I had a hat on and didn’t even see the blow coming. Paul saw me and tried to deflect the blow otherwise I would have lost at least a finger.  I had gloves on and when I pulled it off I really thought I was leaving a fingertip behind but not to bad, a small break and a sore finger.  Donald was most disgusted as I took out not one but two workers as Shona had to run me to the A&E clinic.

April/May we took mum and George to Australia so they could visit George’s daughter in Canberra and an uncle in Brisbane.  We stayed in Sydney for a week after we’d put them on the plane for Canberra then met them in Brisbane.  Not a good trip for Donald as he had an eye condition that didn’t heal and we had to visit the Sydney Eye Hospital twice.  He had just got over that when he came down with what we thought was a terrible virus.  He spent the last three days in Brisbane in bed.  Came home and was eventually driven to the doctor where he found he had pneumonia.  Took weeks to get over this.

We have just got back from a fantastic trip to Malaysia with friends, Donald got sick again during the last week and has been driven to the doctor again with the same complaint, fluid on the lungs, goodness knows how he’ll cope with the 20 hours plus flight to London.  Might have to take antibiotics before he leaves. 

  Donald provided enough entertainment for 10 people in Malaysia. He orders Tom Yumm soup and we look up to find him gasping for breath, burping, perspiring, generally needing mouth to mouth and he had eaten what he thought was a green bean, in fact a green chili. Then he steps on a grating and to our shock disappears down the sewer. With the help of the locals we haul him out, covered in grazes, clean him up and on our way. Donald himself thought he was falling into the black hole and never to be seen again, needed some tender care and comfort. Then at lunch we noticed he has a red line through his hair and apparently he had walked into a hanging sign. There was a bit of competition re apparel, the guys, we traveled with another couple, who brought floral shirts, Donald paid more, 15rm, (about $10NZ), Carl only 9rm but Donald's actually fits! Cheapest not best.

The new web page is fantastic! A list of e-mail address posted on the site would be great.

If you want a list of family e-Mail addresses, contact editor@finlayson.net.nz. Don't forget to let us know if your contact details change!

Throw a dart to pick a destination for Marian and Donald's next holiday!