He’s gone….at 5:20am Thursday 14th December 2006 John “Jack” Richard Westbury left us all.

Dad, Mum, Bec and I all flew down to Melbourne on Sunday following the sad news that arrived on Thursday morning and we arrived back from Melbourne this afternoon having completed our fond farewell to a father, father in law and grandfather - dearly loved, and one who will be sorely missed.

The funeral was on Tuesday, and about 150 of our family’s closest friends and relatives gathered to celebrate grandpa’s life. Atop the coffin was one of Grandpa’s famous white hats. The most difficult parts were just after I’d finished my short dedication to Grandpa:

Your unique view of the world,
Your sense of humour and of life,
All priceless heirlooms
That each of us will treasure
An continue to pass on.

Forever our guardian,
Forever our angel,
Forever our grandfather.

Walking back to the seats, I felt an unexpected sob rising in my throat, and couldn’t stand the thought of crying facing the entire crowd of onlookers – so in the rush to sit down, managed to headbutt Bec, and almost sit on my size 8 cousin… the kind of good thing was that it scared the tears away. However, after my uncle has spoken, and received some laughs to his recounts of Grandpa’s handy and inventive ways – and the “funeral song” – Always look on the bright side of life was played, the saddest thing that I have felt so far in this process occurred – the coffin was lowered into the podium on which is stood, taking the coffin to the crematorium chamber… making the reality hit home that he was really gone. Walking back out through the crowds with my head bowed to hide the flow of tears, I was strengthened by the thought of my family close by, and upon reaching the outside verandah, got a big hug from my dad, who was taking this all remarkably well given the incredible loss that he must have been feeling.

We all journeyed on to the location where Grandpa was going to have his 80th Birthday party, and proceeded to eat and drink and meet family friends.

Then we all went back to Grandma's, where we looked through old albums and had a good laugh at the four boys (and found one particularly spooky picture of dad that looks like Bec).

A very sad few days in one way, but in another, I'm glad that I went, and that everyone was in good spirits, including grandma. We've put on some lottery tickets that were found in Grandpa's car in his memory, and there were jokes about how maybe he could pull some strings for us all!! Ahhh, so glad to be a part of this family!

Well, it's back to work for me tomorrow and Friday before two weeks holiday - and boy I can't wait! Don't know what I'm going to do with the last week, but I'm sure that I'll find something :)

My Grandpa is really sick. Mum phoned at about 7:30am this morning and told me the news. Now the fact that he is sick alone is not a new one - he's had a breathing machine for a few years now... but this is serious, he's in hospital and he doesn't have long. I of course took the news the same way most people would, by crying, then discussing the details.

It's so sad, I love my grandies so much, and they've been together for over 50 years (I was at that anniversary) and Grandpa's 80th Birthday is on the 27th December, so only mere weeks away. They have lived a full life, with plenty of travel and a close, loving family (four sons, seven grand children and I would have to say that they have been the second biggest influences in my life.

But I know that Grandpa will be going to a better place, sad but true. The person who I'm most worried about is Grandma, whom I have loved as a Grandma, a friend, an advisory figure, a sister, a mother and every other respected female figure that you may care the think of. She is the salt of the earth, and I'm so concerned that as she wades through the early stages of dimensia and beyond that she will forget about her lifelong love, about the family that they had and about their many houses, grand and modest alike. She somehow connects with every generation with ease and she has always had advice to suit.

But back to Grandpa - through the years he has come into money, and lost it just as quickly. He found a passion late in life that was taken with him as his lungs started to fail - Lawn Bowls - he loved it, lived it even. He was always an inventer - going to the markets on a Sunday to sell the latest of his creations was a point of comedy among the family. He is my father's father, the last of my grandfathers and I will sorely miss the phone conversations with him in the bedroom on his breathing machine, and grandma in the kitchen, both bantering on, almost to the point of forgetting that I was there. They joined their single beds back up in their 70s and weren't afraid to flirt in public... True loves and soul mates.

He is in a drug induced coma to make him more comfortable, and I hope that the powers that be take him in peace, and keep him safe where it is he must go. It is sad to type this and think that I won't get to see him again, that any breath could be his last - but I am a realist, and these are facts and I will accept them.

Grandpa, it was such a pleasure knowing you these last 24 years. You have made me laugh through the years, but never cry. I admire your strength and courage to have lasted out what must have been a painful time for you this past little while. I will remember you fondly and with great love. I wish you peace and happiness,days full of Solitaire and Bowls, nights full of catching up with old friends. Most of all, I wish for your life to be pain free and for you to be able to breathe again freely and without assistance. With us you will remain, in spirit and memory for eternity. Thank you for being a part of my life. Your loving Granddaughter, Amber.

Hello World!

I have spoken before about the mystery of a book coma, but this past week and a bit, I have been absorbed in a slightly more brain decaying coma - a One Tree Hill coma! I have watched all of series one (a while ago now), two, and am coming to the end of three (thanks to a well-placed day off today - 9 hours, approx. 12 episodes)... now I just need to get a hold of season four, and I will be complete!! This is in addition to my Gilmore Girls requests (series one and two on DVD for Xmas) and I have series three, just another three to go if my christmas wishes come true (have doubts about that!!). So now that I am almost to the end (Ep 21 of 22) of Series 3, it's a bit sad... But in a way, I'm glad to say that I have grown somewhat - in that I used to drool over Chad Michael Murray - and now I find him barely tolerable - what the?!? I guess that's what high school dramas turn into for a girl in her mid twenties!

Had a "sickie" off work today - couldn't face the thought of going in. Luckily yesterday was an extrememly productive day, so got most everything off my desk! My boss is going OS for a month over the Xmas break, so I'll have a few lonely days in the office leading up to the Christmas break - a bit sad really if you think about it too much! Luckily, as with last year, we have been adding to the pile of "Christmas Jobs" - things that don't need instant attention, but do need to be done, so I will be a busy one!

The last year has been such a blur - a few major events have occured, none more major than moving in with Sam. And I could give you all the lovey dovey story of endless romance, and staying awake all night talking - but in reality, living together is hard work. I've discovered this the very hard way too. I have always (despite my parents best efforts) had a disillusioned idea of what happened when couples lived together, but boy were my ideas blown out of the water! It's taken us a few months to settle into each others little habits - not helped at all by my anally retentive habits from living by myself of course :) But maybe we have finally reached the norming part of our cohabitation, where we get to focus on each other instead of those little things that piss us off - And I'm not fooled into thinking that there won't be arguments over leaving the empty toilet roll on, or leaving too many lights on - but I have hope that those things will become less important to us as we move into a more stable defacto-hood... It's really a strange thing, never having had a "real" boyfriend before and now having done long-distance, close-distance and now co-habitation it's a fright that I've come through so many of the steps that others sometimes never even reach all in one hit - and I have in retrospect, learnt so much from the experience that I could never have understood before. And I'm sure you'll believe me when I say that I'm looking forward to learning the rest (if that's physically possible).

Other things that have occured, include two, coming up three trips to Sydney, one trip to Melbourne, two trips to Cairns, one to Townsville, a few to Byron, three nights on the Gold Coast, a fair few nights on the Coast, and various other localities (camping grounds), the most recent trip to the Whitsundays.

Some firsts that have happened this year:

1. Moving in with a boy (man - whatever, 6 one way, 1/2 dozen the other)
2. Travelling to Cairns
3. Travelling to Townsville
4. Travelling to the Whitsundays
5. Snorkelling (on the Great Barrier Reef, what better place to start hey?)
6. Going in a Helicopter
7. Going on a Quad bike
8. Going to the Motorcycle Expo
9. Going to my first Concert (thanks Kel)
10. Going to my first Big Day Out (thanks Sam, Lara and Bec for making it the day that it was)
11. First time on a driving range

So really, 2007 has a lot to live up to, and I'm looking forward to facing the challenge. Thank you so much to those friends who have made this year the absolute blast that it surely was, I loved every minute of it, good, bad and the ugly!

I am looking forwards most of all to spending the festive season with as many friends and family as I can fit in!

Almost feeling a bit sad that another year is coming to an end - next year will have it's own set of challenges... will I deny that I am turning 25, and do what I did last year and vow not to reach the quarter century mark, and go backwards to 23... will I make any resolutions that I keep, or remember for that fact...will I finally, electronically or otherwise become a published author... or will life just continue plodding on for another 365 days, whether I like it or not?

That's All. Good Night!

A new blog for the new month!!

Wowsers, only 25 days to go until the lovely event of December, Christmas!! Can't wait, have begun to eat my event calender already!

Today has been productive, I submitted two modules of my Certificate III in Meetings and Events, and got some promotional material off the ground for 2007 events. I am looking forward to the weekend, it seems to have taken it's time getting here!

Did anyone else know that today is Cassette Friday? Well probably not, cause I just developed it... in the evolution of all things technical in my home, it appears that the cassette player has been ditched in favour of my CD Walkman and MP3 Player. The only cassette players that I have access to are at Mum and Dad's and in the office on our "Boom Box". So in came some mixed tapes from the 90's that I haven't listened to since I upgraded to a CD player in the car (about 4 years ago now) and relegated the tapes to the boot. Amazingly, I still knew most of the words to one of Cher's 80's/90's albumns, yes, before she found techno re-mixes (some of her best stuff ever).

Anyway, we are going to have an early mark, so I must go pee-pee before going in search of a bus!!