Ah, Christmas is here again and this time last year who\nwould have guessed how 2020 would go. It has been a few years since I did a\nmissive, but I picked a good year to produce another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n \n\n \n \nBut let us look back a bit first. 2019 seemed so normal but also\nmarked a milestone. Kiara had finished Year 12 with good results and was\naccepted into Deakin to undertake the Nursing Degree she wanted. However, first\nshe would take a year off, work, save and travel. Siobhan was going well at her\nSocial Work Degree, Cath\u2019s business continued to thrive and challenge, while\nteaching still kept me amused. Plans were made for a holiday in Europe for late\n2020. Such optimism! Christmas was in Melbourne with lunch with cousin Debbie\n& Michael then dinner at sister-in-law Terri & Damien\u2019s. Much fun was\nhad with myriad cousins big and small.\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mountain hut<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n \n \nFor New Year\u2019s we visited friends Susan & Pete in Mt Beauty,\nwhile skirting the start of the bushfires, which should have been a warning.\nJanuary was packed with activity as Rod & Mary visited, then our cousin\nVincent, we saw \u201cCome from Away\u201d, finally got to see our friends Peta &\nBrian first daughter Rudy and then went to Sydney to catch up with all the\nfamily there! Our biggest fear was with the growing bushfires (remember those?)\nwould we be able to drive to Sydney and would we be able to get back. Fortunately,\nwe escaped that crisis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Surf carnival, Manly<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
MCA Sydney<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
MCA Sydney<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n \n \nRemote teaching was an interesting experience, walking out of the\nbedroom into class \u2013 properly dressed \u2013 disembodied voices for students,\nremembering to mute when needed and unmute after \u2013 apparently something I was\nnoted for forgettingJ\n\u2013 was anyone there or was I just talking to empty laptops? But you quickly\nlearn to adapt and make the best of things. New skills are developed and now I\nam a dab hand at making little instructional videos, maybe. Siobhan struggled\nthrough trying to complete her course on line but seemed to be mastering zoom\nmeetings for Socialist Alternative. Cath\u2019s business was a bit up and down but\neventually settled into a rhythm with businesses adapting to meetings online. Kiara\nwith her job at Bunnings suffered the biggest impact but not what you would\nexpect. With everyone stuck at home DIY went crazy and she was working almost\nfull time sorting online orders for people and dealing with stressed customers\nand the occasional \u201cKaren\u201d. Listening to her unload after a day\u2019s work was\neducational. Oh, also while she was trying to build up some hours for her\nlicense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
February seemed quiet after that but in the background this virus thing was ticking away before, bang! Lock down 1.0! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Driving lessons?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
By mid-year things seem to be improving and while Europe was definitely off the cards we hoped for a small trip to the country. Alas, Lock Down 2.0 killed that idea. So back to remote learning, zoom meetings to see family & friends, teaching in the bedroom while Cath ran her business remotely from the library, Kiara & Cath developing their mask making skills and everyone sharing one small house. We envied the chooks easy going life and started seeing strange things with spoons. We became closer as a family if a little stir crazy at times. Dan\u2019s morning briefings became compulsory viewing. How did he manage to do it for over 100 days without losing his cool! We celebrated each little milestone and analysing every new rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n
As we moved through these difficult times the shining light\nwas \u00a0\u00a0\u2026.. another Richmond Premiership <\/strong>\u2013 getting a bit monotonous but it\ncheers Cath up \u2013 **and Storm winning again!<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n**
But eventually we made it out the other side and now coming up to Christmas it almost seems normal or at least the \u201cnew\u201d normal. School is wrapping up, celebrations are happening, presents are being bought and trips planned \u2013 in a Covid safe way. Oh and our niece Natasha and boyfriend Alfred have moved down to Melbourne. Excellent!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
**So while much and nothing happened this year and 2021 is\nclouded with uncertainty, remember to enjoy what you have because you never\nknow what is around the corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n**
Merry Christmas, from Paul, Cath, Siobhan and Kiara.<\/strong> **<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n**
PS: what I noticed as I went back through my 2020 photographs was how few had\npeople in them. Sign of the times? Here is one from another time and place.\nCould be the dinner for my 60^{th <\/sup>from 2019?<\/p>\n\n\n\n}
$\"\"$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ah, Christmas is here again and this time last year who would have guessed how 2020 would go. It has been a few years since I did a missive, but I picked a good year to produce another. But let … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=516"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/516\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":529,"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/516\/revisions\/529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

Mountain hut<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n \n \nFor New Year\u2019s we visited friends Susan & Pete in Mt Beauty,\nwhile skirting the start of the bushfires, which should have been a warning.\nJanuary was packed with activity as Rod & Mary visited, then our cousin\nVincent, we saw \u201cCome from Away\u201d, finally got to see our friends Peta &\nBrian first daughter Rudy and then went to Sydney to catch up with all the\nfamily there! Our biggest fear was with the growing bushfires (remember those?)\nwould we be able to drive to Sydney and would we be able to get back. Fortunately,\nwe escaped that crisis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Surf carnival, Manly<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
MCA Sydney<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
MCA Sydney<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n \n \nRemote teaching was an interesting experience, walking out of the\nbedroom into class \u2013 properly dressed \u2013 disembodied voices for students,\nremembering to mute when needed and unmute after \u2013 apparently something I was\nnoted for forgettingJ\n\u2013 was anyone there or was I just talking to empty laptops? But you quickly\nlearn to adapt and make the best of things. New skills are developed and now I\nam a dab hand at making little instructional videos, maybe. Siobhan struggled\nthrough trying to complete her course on line but seemed to be mastering zoom\nmeetings for Socialist Alternative. Cath\u2019s business was a bit up and down but\neventually settled into a rhythm with businesses adapting to meetings online. Kiara\nwith her job at Bunnings suffered the biggest impact but not what you would\nexpect. With everyone stuck at home DIY went crazy and she was working almost\nfull time sorting online orders for people and dealing with stressed customers\nand the occasional \u201cKaren\u201d. Listening to her unload after a day\u2019s work was\neducational. Oh, also while she was trying to build up some hours for her\nlicense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
February seemed quiet after that but in the background this virus thing was ticking away before, bang! Lock down 1.0! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Driving lessons?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
By mid-year things seem to be improving and while Europe was definitely off the cards we hoped for a small trip to the country. Alas, Lock Down 2.0 killed that idea. So back to remote learning, zoom meetings to see family & friends, teaching in the bedroom while Cath ran her business remotely from the library, Kiara & Cath developing their mask making skills and everyone sharing one small house. We envied the chooks easy going life and started seeing strange things with spoons. We became closer as a family if a little stir crazy at times. Dan\u2019s morning briefings became compulsory viewing. How did he manage to do it for over 100 days without losing his cool! We celebrated each little milestone and analysing every new rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n
As we moved through these difficult times the shining light\nwas \u00a0\u00a0\u2026.. another Richmond Premiership <\/strong>\u2013 getting a bit monotonous but it\ncheers Cath up \u2013 **and Storm winning again!<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n**
But eventually we made it out the other side and now coming up to Christmas it almost seems normal or at least the \u201cnew\u201d normal. School is wrapping up, celebrations are happening, presents are being bought and trips planned \u2013 in a Covid safe way. Oh and our niece Natasha and boyfriend Alfred have moved down to Melbourne. Excellent!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
**So while much and nothing happened this year and 2021 is\nclouded with uncertainty, remember to enjoy what you have because you never\nknow what is around the corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n**
Merry Christmas, from Paul, Cath, Siobhan and Kiara.<\/strong> **<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n**
PS: what I noticed as I went back through my 2020 photographs was how few had\npeople in them. Sign of the times? Here is one from another time and place.\nCould be the dinner for my 60^{th <\/sup>from 2019?<\/p>\n\n\n\n}
$\"\"$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ah, Christmas is here again and this time last year who would have guessed how 2020 would go. It has been a few years since I did a missive, but I picked a good year to produce another. But let … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=516"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/516\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":529,"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/516\/revisions\/529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mcglynn.id.au\/deblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}