Newsletter No. 21: July 2003

Birthday milestones for the next couple of months. Jim Lyell is 50 on the 1st August and Raelene Turner is also 50 on the 29th September.

• Matthew and Clare Wensor had a baby boy, Thomas Benjamin on the 25th May, both mother & child are very well.

• A couple of family had operations in June, Barbara White had her 2nd hip replacement done and John Lyell had a prostrate operation, both are now recovering and by the sound of it they will running around in no time.

• Rob Wood & Clare Reilly have set a date for their wedding, it is on the 3rd Jan 2004 and will be held in New Norcia, West Australia.

• Pam & I traveled to Stanwell Park to attend Rachel Wood's first communion, we stayed their for a few days then drove to Canberra where we stayed with Rob & Clare before driving back to Melbourne, as Rob was on holidays he came back with us. On the return journey we decided have lunch and a break for an hour in Albury, which we did and after lunch while strolling through the shopping centre ran into Julian Wood & fiance Michelle and as we saying our good bys guess who walked up? Ann Collins, a pleasant coincidence for all of us.

• Michael & Sonja with Zac & Maddie over from Perth to go to the snow also spent a few days with us.

BIRTHDAYS

August
1st James Edward Lyell
1st Sonja Elizabeth Wood
2nd Joshua Dylan Wood
4th Leanne Mary Richards
4th Jake Mitchell Lyell
7th Betty Lyell
13th Justin Michael Wood
17th Nicholas Stephen Turnbull
21st Megan Rae Bellman
21st Patrick David Turnbull
22nd Vic Prawdiuk
24th Matthew Dean Wensor
28th Patricia Mary Wood
29th David John Turnbull
30th Bernadette Camish

September
14th Michael Craig Wood
14th Beth Robb
23rd Georga Rose Prawdiuk
26th Renae Lauren Turner
28th Robert John Wood
29th Raelene Elizabeth Turner

Details of a bike trip by the Bellmans recently

In the middle of May we went away with another family and their three kids to cycle part of the Rail Trail.We did the section between Myrtleford and Bright. On the Friday night we camped in tents at Mytleford. On Saturday we packed everything we needed on the bikes i.e food, clothes and sleeping gear and headed off, four adults and seven kids aged between 12 and six.

We stopped along the way for lunch at Eurobin and at a playground at Porpunkah. Then we stopped at Boyntons winery and enjoyed a bottle of wine in the glorious sunshine looking up at Buffalo. The weather on the Saturday was lovely. We reached Bright at about 4.00pm and stayed in a house for the night. The next day we got back on the bikes and headed back. Unfortunately it began to rain when we were about a third of the way and we got a little wet.We managed to keep warm enough and even called in at a berry farm and bought raspberries,blackberries and blueberries which we brought home to Melbourne frozen.

We did the ride back a lot faster than the day before mostly because the weather was not as good. We got back to Myrtleford and our car which we had left at the caravan park and had a hot milk milo made on the trangia which we had taken.We covered a total of 63kms which the kids managed very well. It was a fantastic ride that was very easy,flat and picturesque.We loved it so much we will try to do more long rides when the weather fines up again in spring.

JOKE OF THE MONTH

A nun in a convent walked into the bathroom where mother superior was taking a shower.

" There is a blind man to see you," she says. "Well, if he is a blind man, then it does not matter if I'm in the shower. Send him in."

The blind man walks into the bathroom, and mother superior starts to tell him how much she appreciates him working at the convent for them.

She goes on and on and 10 minutes later the man interupts: "That's nice and all, ma'am, but can you put your clothes on now and show me were to put these blinds?"