The Family.

Here is The Family.
Don't they scrub up well. Jeanine is the perfect Mother Of The Bride.
At the wedding I made a speech and slightly digressed at one point
and left an important part out, so I will say it here.
Steve has now a beautiful and clever and loving wife. As if that is not enough,
along with his bride comes the most wonderful family.

Sunnyhills.
I'm sure that name is because of the property at the top of the hill. The property that oozes love and the good life.
The two storied house. The big rambling section. The fruit trees and grape vines and roses and pansies.
The vegetable gardens with fresh greens and sweetcorn and juicy tomatoes, potatoes and carrots and sweet smelling herbs...
and down at the bottom of the garden the little worker bees buzzing in and out of the two tall hives, busy making honey for John to give to family, friends, the sick and one pot of honey for every wedding guest!
Yes, there are sure to be fairies down in the bottom of this garden.
Inside the two storied house you will find home baked goodies, wild venison, wild duck, homemade lemonade of the sweetest kind,
and the best fresh fruit salad ever. You will find books and good conversation.


You know about the beautiful daughter by now. There are three more in this family.

John. Father. Academic. Quiet and wise and patient. Hunter, fisherman, gardener and beekeeper.
The day before Mo died, his two brothers dug over Mo's vege garden. When spring arrived I faced a garden overgrown with weeds and thought.. Oh my goodness.. this vege garden is mine!
It was the very best therapy I must say. Whenever John and Jeanine visited, John would visit the vege garden and quietly pass on garden knowledge and wisdom. A wonderful teacher.

Jeanine. I dislike that word superwoman but it does come to mind! Dr Jeanine. Mother. Academic. Historian. Teacher. The worker bees learn from Jeanine ..or vise versa.. she never stops! Her relaxation is pedalling for miles on her bicycle. If you find a basket of goodies at your back door, it may be the fairies but more than likely it is Jeanine who left it there on her busy way. I know she loves beautiful music. It is the background to her busy-ness. Jeanine loves the theatre but being Jeanine, she doesn't just go to the theatre. She works there! When she has time off she spends it relaxing doing the garden at Richard's place. You are amazingly wonderful Jeanine.

Richard. Son. Brother.
Last year Jeanine, John, Ann and Steve cycled 800kms along the Danube River. During this time I had a phone call from Richard saying "Joan, there they are having a lovely time pedalling down the Danube
while you and I are home here by ourselves. I am taking you out to dinner."
I think that sums up this young man. Unique. Kind and funny and thoughtful. Thank you Richard.

What makes me so happy though is knowing Steve has been accepted into this warm and loving family
and I know he loves and appreciates them all.
His own little family has been rather shattered and his ma has needed time to find calmness and herself again, and it makes his belonging to this family all the dearer.
This family is warm and inclusive and makes me so welcome as well.

Well, I wasn't going to say all this in my speech. But it is easy to say for it comes from my heart.
I love you all.