He then took us out into the vineyard and then we went through the area where they were bottling some un wooded Chardonnay and explained some of the differences in his style of making wine. A fascinating time and well worth the few extra minutes it took us to get there. I will be going back that way one of these days on my way to or from Swansea in July.
Then we traveled back to Coles Bay and had a very pleasant meal at the Bistro in the Lodge - the day was magnificent, as have been all the days thus far, and the meal was something special as well.
A pleasant drive back, a BBQ Meal and then a very quite night. Rushie and I are enjoying a Tullamore Dew and then heading for bed. A quite night with few other people wandering around so that is good.
There was time spent this afternoon in small groups looking at a process to use collaboration as the means to establish a small group - so easily that we can take it home with us and begin the process of building groups in our parishes.
I've had a look at some of the photos I've been taking and tried to put some captions on them - I'll have a word to Mark in the morning to see if we can show them at some stage tomorrow afternoon.
I'm having a quite night and hitting the sack shortly - tomorrow is a big day.
Today has been a reflection day. Again led by Frank Devoy, and today he was even better than before. His insights are just really great.
This afternoon's session started with an 'Emmaus' walk with one other fellow and then we went into a kind of feedback process with three of our company sharing some of their thoughts about the week and some of the things for the future. All three said different things but included some great stuff as an overview of the week. At the end of the feedback I showed my photos - some of which were really well received - some were a bit over the top but all good fun!
We then headed off for the final Mass before gathering for the Plenary Dinner. Again it was a great night, as it has been in previous years, but it is now very late and my birthday is well over and I need to get some sleep as I'm taking Frank to the airport - leaving here at 5.30am in the morning.
I overslept (through 4 alarm settings) and was only able to come out of a deep sleep when Frank bashed on my window. I jumped into my clothes and threw everything into the car and headed off, still dopey from lack of sleep but managed to get to the airport in plenty of time.
I then headed off to town to grab a bite to eat before heading off to the Tasmanian Council of Churches Annual Meeting. I'm not sure what happened next but no sooner had I got there and had a coffee than I felt decidedly sick in the stomach. I stayed until lunch time but I then came home and have been going very slowly this afternoon. I'm not certain what happened for the rest of the day at the meeting but I've been on the couch shivering with my stomach still not behaving.
I've just finished the newsletter so will head for bed and rug up and see if I can beat this chill before it takes hold and makes life miserable.
Yesterday was a difficult day. Not long after I had started adding details for yesterday's activities the phone rang and I headed out to see a young couple whose baby had just died. It was some time before I came home and it has turned out to be a little more traumatic than I might have hoped with them changing funeral directors during the day. I haven't stepped into the issue - I just hope that someone has contacted the original director so that newspaper information hasn't been sent through.
I headed off to Mass here and then off to Ouse. I'd got a phone call from Lorraine saying that she wouldn't make it to Ouse but would see me at Kempton this evening as she was still at Ross on her way home from Agfest. Later in the afternoon Sandy came with me to Kempton and she was sharing something of the details from the Agfest experience and it would seem that being with the Catholic Education Office wasn't all that good an idea. We will need to look at that issue into the future to determine if we can get there by ourselves or maybe with the Catholic Book Centre.
Anyway, after I got back from Ouse there was a phone message asking me to contact the family of the late Kevin Keogh re celebrating his funeral later in the week and have just returned home from spending time with them. The funeral is to be Wednesday morning so will work on that booklet tomorrow.
Also this afternoon I done a Baptism and spoken to my mother - when I rang just after getting back from Ouse there was no reply but when she spoke to me she said that Marti was back in hospital after suffering and angina attack sometime this morning. I'll see mum tomorrow and then probably take her to see Marti in hospital.
Now, however, it is time for bed.
There was a great deal of mirth amongst the brothers regarding last Friday night at the Plenary and after the meal when I didn't seem to have a care in the world. After the Mass I was able to collect some of the clothing and effects I'd left behind in my haste to get Frank to the airport.
The funeral was a big celebration of Sergio's life. The cathedral was packed and the level of participation was high which made the whole thing come together well. It was a bonus that I was able to catch up with a whole range of people from 20 years ago, including many of the young people who were classmates of Michael Giudici's at St Virgil's and who have now wandered off around the globe but who came home to say farewell to Sergio.
After the funeral I visited the family of baby Hannah and made the arrangements for the funeral for Friday and then, when I got home worked on the material for the booklet for the Keogh funeral before heading out to Magra to show them the draft. I'm not completely happy with the photo on the front cover so will look at that again tomorrow morning before printing off the final copies.
Now, however, it is time for bed and an early night.
The appointment I had for 7am rang to say that the issue had been resolved and that I wasn't needed to resolve anything. The same happened for the 1.30pm appointment so things were looking up. Then when the TCC Office rang to say that the Director of CWS was sick and wasn't making the trip to Hobart that meant that this evening (and tomorrow lunchtime) was free as well.
That meant that I could work on the material for the newsletters for when I am away and finish off the leaflet and the Big Book for the funeral tomorrow.
I went down to school to drop off the Raffle Books for the Winter Wood Raffle and then headed to town to drop off the Tent to get signs added to the front and sides announcing the Catholic Parish @ Central Tasmania. From there I called to see Tom Young at Computers + More and have organised with him to get three basic model computers for the three Team members who don't have good computers so that they can get onto the internet and email - one of the requests of Archbishop Doyle at the launch of the Diocesan Web Site and repeated during the Plenary last week.
From there I headed to the Church Office and then went to see Mum before coming home and doing some more work on the Newsletters (now finished). I've just finished working with one of the teachers who is taking long service leave and visiting Ireland and Europe. We worked out a busy schedule for a 9 day trip round Ireland but at least she will see a whole range of things.
Now bed.
I went off to St Matthew's this morning for the Prayer time with my friends as we pray for the local community. Then it was back here to finish off the notes for the Funeral of the late Kevin Keogh before Mass at 9am.
The funeral was at 9.45 so there was little time after Mass to do anything else but it all came together well. There was a slight mishap at the grave side - the family had asked for some balloons that the grandchildren might be able to release but these came loose from their anchorage and took off three minutes before the family arrived. I went back with them to the Wake but could only stay for half an hour.
Then I headed for town to collect Fr Al Concha, born in Ecuador but raised in the US and a priest of the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh. Al is the Catholic Chaplain on board USS John C Stennis, the US Aircraft Carrier currently in Hobart. We had a meal and then headed off to the Cathedral to catch Fr Brian Nichols who had been trying to contact him before we headed over to Lindisfarne to catch Monsignor Green (former Navy Chaplain)before we headed up to the top of Mt Wellington to get a view of Southern Tasmania. When we got to the top we met some young sailors off the Stennis who had ridden to the top - fit or mad or maybe both!
Then we headed back to the ship and he went back on board as he has duty from midnight.
I headed home and called round to see if I could help Sandy 'unfreeze' her computer - I managed to get some things done but she will need to take it back to a repair place to see what is wrong.
Then I headed down to school for a Board Meeting looking at some of the issues that need to be completed for the Opening of the New School Block. It wasn't a long meeting but I'm tired now so I'm heading for bed.
Then I went for a driving test with Ruby - apparently after turning a certain age there is an annual driving test - she passed but I think the thought of going for the drive added 10 years to her age.
Then it was back home to do a few more jobs before I assisted at the funeral of the late Steve O'Shea - he'd lived in New Norfolk for some time but had moved from here many years ago.
Then I headed for town to collect the photo of the late baby Hannah Stringer before heading off to get a haircut. I needed to get another ink cartridge refilled so while that was happening I went and purchased a 'bum' bag to carry my anti-flash gear with me when I need it on board Tobruk next week or whenever.
Then home, to have something to eat, to work on the photos for the leaflet - I think that I will be needing to print the covers as colour copies because the main photo is very white but I'll see about that in the morning.
Now I'm heading for bed - most things done so a successful day.
After Mass I headed into town to make the flight arrangements and managed to arrange with Paul Eaton at the Church Office for a ride to the airport on Monday and then he can keep the car for the changeover. I also managed to drop off the Diocesan Financial Return for the past year - in an abbreviated format but as close as I will be able to get it at this time.
Then it was back home to finish off the arrangements for the funeral of the late Hannah Stringer. I had started printing off the leaflet early this morning but had left the Big Book to last - and nearly got caught out because the family arrived really early and I had to work quickly to get it all finished.
After the funeral I finished off another couple of jobs here before joining the family at the wake at the grandfather's place and was a bit taken back by the behaviour of a couple of the younger members of the gathering so didn't stay too long.
From there I headed into one of the local supermarkets in Glenorchy and purchased some things that I needed to get before I head off on Monday and managed to meet up with a few people and spent almost an hour in the one shop.
From there I headed out to pickup Gabrielle and we headed for town to collect another friend before gathering at Mornington for my Birthday party - a week later than the event but as close as we could manage in the circumstances. We have set the dates for some future gatherings around birthdays etc so we'll now see what happens for the rest of the year.
I haven't been home long but I'm really tired and I need to hit the sack because the next two days have more than enough to keep me busy.
Sandy called in before lunch to check out how to download the email - there were 21 this morning, many of them junk but they keep changing their addresses so they are hard to block - as well as having a chat.
I've managed to complete the GST return so that can go with me to town on Monday but there is still some work to do on the BEACON before I leave but that will have to wait until tomorrow afternoon.
I forgot to include anything about Mother's Day in the Newsletter so will need to do something about that at all the Masses tomorrow.
Now it's time for bed - lot's of rest but not too much work.
Anyway, back to the morning.
As people arrived for Mass their first comment was - what are you doing here! I'm not sure whether they were happy to see me or disappointed that I wasn't gone. Anyway, after explanations they wished me well for the next few weeks.
Mass in the country was at Maydena and that went well although there were very few there. When I got back there was a couple waiting to see me - I hadn't cancelled them because I wasn't sure when I was going - they were on my list of things to do. Anyway, their marriage preparation work has started so that is now under way.
Mass this evening was at Bothwell and there was the usual crowd there which was good. After Mass I headed back to Hobart and called into one of the bottle shops where I purchased a supply of Altar Wine for the Parish and then continued onto the Cathedral to see if they would help me out with some hosts for my time away. Luckily Colleen arrived almost as soon as I did and got that sorted.
I then headed out to see Michele and John and the family and caught up with Mum for Mothers Day - I knew she was going to be there so that was good.
I've been home for three hours and the bed is now empty so I can hit the sack and get a good night's sleep - I hope!
This will be the last update until I return home from the Navy. I don't think that I will be able to upload anything from the ship but will have it all ready to upload when I return home on 14th June. Until then keep well and if you can't be good be good at it!!!
