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The bits
of stuff that fall in the cracks between Life, Music and outrageous
fortune. |
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| December |
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1) Aunty
Marg and Chris have a summit at the pre-Xmas party 2) Kath,
Robyn and Sue reclaim Christmas for aunties
 
3) Fraser
scuttles across this paparazzo's bows 4) Chris finds the present
he's been waiting for and digs in..
Christmas
2011
27.12.11 - Christmas really started
on the Thursday with 'drinkies' at the McClatchys', which has
turned into quite a popular function and had over sixty in attendance.
Marg and Syl have moved back to Victoria, but Robyn and Fraser
(pic 3) came down from Queensland especially for the
Christmas 'dos', so there was a quorum of Burns' girls in the
room on all three days. (pics 1 & 2) Chris made
a point of greeting everybody he knew by name and startled a
few people, although he was fading by Boxing Day at the Sullivans'.
We dropped in to see the Rudds on the way over to the McClatchys'
on Christmas Day as they'd had a premature Chrissy in Mornington
the week before. When we arrived at Heathmont I discovered that
Nicole has usurped me as Santa, (and a good thing too), which
left me as a loose uncle with absolutely no commitments, a role
for which I am over-qualified. Everybody enjoyed Christmas dinner
and the seemingly endless thunder and lightning show.
I've mentioned this before no doubt, but I'm blessed with the
nicest bunch of relatives, so, despite the annual dread, Christmas
actually consists of a couple of lazy afternoons eating and
chatting in the most good-natured of company - for which I'm
really very grateful, although I could dispense entirely with
the build-up. |
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1) Legs
puts his best face on.. |
Culture
vulture
19.12.11 - I'm not often presented with
the opportunity to do something extracurricular, i.e.
something that doesn't involve the band, and so probably for
that very reason I decided that I should take up Maria Gravias'
invitation to travel up to Canberra for a couple of days and
partake of some of the culture on offer. First stop was the
Renaissance Exhibition at the National Gallery, featuring precious
paintings on loan from Accademia Carrara in Bergamo Italy, which
is currently being renovated. (Dick delivered the perfect squelch
when he mused 'So that's why the Accademia was closed').
I won't spoil it for you, but there were a few too many Madonna
and baby Jesus' for my liking, with most of the artists struggling
to capture baby-ish proportions and one deadset ugly
baby Jesus. Maria has promised to look into the mystery of painting
# 25*
The National Library had the Handwritten exhibition, which I
think I enjoyed more. Just breathtaking from nearly every point
of view. |
Back in Camberwell on Monday I
was accosted on the way to the office (Choclatté) by
one Denis Le Neuf, who'd been in London when Ariel was there
back in 1975 and actually interviewed me for an ex-pat paper
(The Australian Express), and we had a decent natter
about Denis' musical predelictions and music in general over
a coffee. I'm looking forward to some more similarly stimulating
chats in the future. On the way out I met Trevor 'Legs' Leeden
(pic 1) and he gave me this year's (double) CD of
his musical choices for 2011 (Lego). (I'll publish
his selections again this year - as always nothing if not
eclectic).
On Tuesday Bill and I had a date to meet with Ed Nimmervoll
(pic 2) and on the way home we dropped into Real
Guitars to chat with the Madders' Brenden Mason. (pic
3) Last night I had a visit from bro' Dick and we soaked
up some of the more esoteric bits I've recorded on Foxtel
- Dick's version of forbidden fruit.
While that mightn't be exactly it for the year of 2011, it
certainly has been a late injection of things cultural. Add
to that I finally finished the Dave Graney book and read the
Eric Clapton auto-biography in its entirety on the plane there
and back from Canberra, the Rudd brain cells are currently
in a state of over-excitement.
 
2)
Bill and Ed Nimmervoll at Caffe Latte in Hawksburn 3) Very
happy Bill and the always cheerful Brenden Mason
*There
seemed to be a section missing from the Lorenzo Lotto painting
(The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine of Alexandria). There
may have been an explanation on the headsets that I couldn't
be bothered with, but there wasn't anything on the otherwise
informative plaques. Maria found this explanation from the
catalogue by Professor Jaynie Anderson, Herald Professor of
Fine Arts, University of Melbourne.
'Behind the group, where there is now a large grey area, originally
there would have been a landscape view, possibly of Mt Sinai,
or of Calvary, or Bergamo. The landscape was cut out of the
painting in 1527, supposedly by a French soldier, when it
was taken from Bonghi's house to the church of St Michele,
ironically for safekeeping.' |
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Is
everybody OK?
21.12.11 - OK. It's a scary
Chrissy card, but Christmas always seems to get me feeling
that way. Or maybe that's just what I'm really like most of
the the time.. Thankfully it's a nice relaxed pic of Chris,
taken by Terry on his iPhone at Margaret's birthday BBQ.
I should say something about Chris' year, because there have
been some extraordinarily good moments along the way. With
some encouragement he's been far more chatty and communicative
and he appears to be generally enjoying life more these days.
Chris has been staying overnight with me quite often in the
'new' house and that seems to have been good for our relationship.
The staff at Vermont St, where Chris lives, continues to be
very supportive and Chris plainly enjoys his life there. There
have been a some changes to Chris' program at Alkira this
year and they seem to have been effective in reducing his
anxiety level. All in all 2011's been a good year for Chris
and there's no reason why it shouldn't keep getting better
in 2012.
My own health has settled down with the regulating influence
of medication (beta blockers and aspirin) and I'm still enjoying
the musical lifestyle. The voice remains intact and the occasional
memory lapse has not really been too much of a bother, (!)
so I'm looking forward to more of the same in the New Year.
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