Hosts play an important role in creating a more connected wo...
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Hosts play an important role in creating a more connected world, especially during a particularly lonely time. This series ex...
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I have just become a grandparent again and had to take a few weeks off and head east to help welcome the first male son into the family for the past 76 years....yeah, I was the last male born into my family 76 years ago!
Well here he is, Sailah Louie Shannon.....
He is just two weeks old in this shot and...... I am as proud as punch.
But, as we are scattered out across this large country the family get togethers are precious so I make the most of them.
Having a drink at the bar with Ivy......
Having a crack at the Mt Keira run on the skateboard......
Helping the Grandies set up the Christmas tree.......
And of course a few Christmas lights out the front of youngest daughter Kate's house.....
All in all it's been a good year for us, I really wish that our good fortune had been universal, but I am sure good times are round the corner for all, a Covid vaccine appears to be not far away and I wish all my fellow contributors here a wonderful festive season!
Cheers........Rob
Hi Linda, I hope you are staying safe over there in San Antonio, I am still a bit sad that your trip here had to be abandoned due to this pandemic earlier in the year. I was so looking forward to meeting you and having you stay here and show you a bit of Aussie hospitality. Never mind, hopefully these vaccines they are talking about are just around the corner and International travel can soon become a reality again.
World events have been kind to us here, despite the chaos of COVID-19 we will still host over 100 stays for the year and around 238 hosting nights, so I can't say that this year has been out of the ordinary, but I do feel terribly for other hosts who have had their business robbed from them by this China virus.
We in Australia are a little unsettled at the moment by China's consistent attacks on our trade and our independence to the point where we are now feeling somewhat uncomfortable with our relationship with China and are scrambling to diversify our trading markets. This is unfortunate for me because I have always regarded my Chinese guests as my best, and they comprised a large portion of my hosting business. I just hope that the Chinese leaders will accept Australia as a sovereign nation instead of a takeover proposition as they do with much of the Pacific arena. We are not some little Island to be manhandled and I hope they come to realise that.
Thanks for your nice comments Linda, I do love my family and the great times we get together. My eldest grand-daughter Madison is on the spectrum and although she is ahead of her years in her schooling she suffers socially, but I am sure she is going to be a gifted musician.
I have played a piano all my life and from the time she was 15 months old she wanted to join me on the piano.......
She is now at the age of 7 playing both Piano and guitar.......
She says to me ...."Papa, I don't want to play scales, I want to play grown up music"
So I sat down and played Lionel Richie's "Easy Like Sunday Morning" and she was just spellbound by it! She watched my fingers and what I was doing so intently and then she had a go at it.....it wasn't exactly right....but it wasn't wrong either so, I spent some time going over it with her. She has had to simplify some of the cords because her fingers will not span the octave but she is now at the age of 7 playing a bloody good interpretation of, "Easy Like Sunday Morning"!
I am sure if Lionel Richie heard it, he would approve!
I am so proud of her!
Linda, all the best mate, I hope you and Richard have a lovely festive season and we get to have that catch-up some day!
Cheers.........Rob
