2003 - No. 6         www.malecek.com          Oct - Dec 2003
cuzzies Malley Christmas

     In November our quiet domicile was hit by hurricane Arlene (Gail’s cousin from Minnesota).  She blew in from Australia with her entourage: daughter Angie, friend Bonnie and her daughter Courtney.  Gail brought them to Rotorua for the geysers and Waitomo Caves for the glow worms.  It was a long day but they came back happy to have seen a cute kiwi and the glow worms.  Next day the ladies were off to the Auckland Museum (Bonnie thought the Maori act had beautiful harmony) and other parts of Auckland. enlarge C, B, A & A
 After a lamb roast supper I brought the gang to Karioitahi beach where they scratched "New Zealand" into the black sand and collected a couple pounds of it carry around.  On way back we stopped so Courtney could get a possum road-kill photo.  Then it was trifle and hokey pokey ice cream for dessert.  Wham, bam, thank you m’am and the whirlwind was off to Queenstown and back to OZ and Fiji.

     On the 24th Roché and Marcel dropped by with a great Goofy card, a bottle of Chilean cab-sav and a poinsettia plant.  Ian took the van to buy a large arbor vitae as a gift to himself.  A perfumed David and Trish came by for a meal outside - excellent chicken salad with roasted almonds from Trish.  Ne came home from Needham's where she was housesitting.  Had a rest then we played "Lord of the Rings" and Steph joined us for a game of Scotland Yard where Ne was easily caught.  Opened gifts - got Wisdom of the Bones and an air mattress from Steph, coffee flavored stuff and Disney duvet cover from Ne, flashlight from David.  Gave David a wooden train with sound effects, coffee cereal, blanket and keylight.  Ne's biggie was a warddrobe rack and CD writer.  Gave Steph a Christmas stocking since she had asked for socks.
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Gail                       Santa                  Kung & Fu                Sock It To Me
Decided that I needed a day off, so on Christmas we went for a short visit with Ann E who was just out of hospital after a major operation and was able to get out of bed for an hour. But on Boxing Day we kicked back into the spirit.  The Whites came by and I visited with the pool crowd then in for coffee where Ian was quizzing on things food and drinkish.  deVilliers came by and Marcel had great fun in the pool while I helped Julian overcome his fear to point where he would swim out a ways with kickboard and a flotation shirt.  All kinds of games going on all over the place.  Played Upwords with Susi and Gail.  We played Movie Mania game that Ne gave to Jackie.
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                                                    de Vs                                   de Susi
New Years Eve:  Russell dropped Ann (whom we set up in the rocking chair) and Chris off, had a quick meal with us and went to work.  Got up a game of Rummikub.  When de Villiers arrived I got the men upstairs for their first taste of pool.  Then we taught the adults Chinese checkers.  At midnight it was only the male of the species jumping into the pool.  Russell made it back just in time for the big splash and bubbly.  Guests left around 1:15AM.  David, Ne and I played Risk and I got to bed around 3AM.
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enlarge Doug R.I.P. Malley Muses
   My rock ‘n roll mate, Doug, tired of running in overdrive ever searching for peace of mind.  He is missed by so many people including the Malleys as he was not just a friend, but family.      Ministries

Apparently New Zealand has a Ministry of Fish. So I have to wonder whether or not a Ministry of Chips also exists.  And is there a Ministry of Ministers (secular or religious)?

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