Monday 8 December 2014

The Wilks Family Update and Christmas Newsletter 2014


Well, anyone who didn’t know we moved house this year must be hard of hearing, because it’s been broadcast far and wide.
We sold the house at Lower Templestowe and ‘downsized’ to a smaller place in Watsonia, although we are extending as I write. We built a self-contained bungalow/granny flat in the backyard for Miles, and we lost one of the original bedrooms in gutting the house for a larger meals area and bathroom, so we are building on another bedroom and outdoor decking, bringing it back to three bedrooms. This will all be more or less under the same roofline.

Miles' bungalow, during building
The back extension in progress
The renovations are long and arduous, so we will still be living in rubble into 2015. We will both be happy to get it all finished and finally be able to unpack the rest of our things and stop having to move our stuff around as areas are renovated. Jeanette will be happy to get her garage back too, as that’s where many of our possessions still remain.
Roy retired last year so he is enjoying his freedom with more line dancing, gardening, socialising, and sometimes helping with the renovations. Roy still keeps in touch with the folk at Croydon SDS. He is quick to down tools to join Amy walking her dogs or to pop around to Duane’s place at Noraccom, to visit or help with things that come up.
Liz continues to work at La Trobe University at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, three days a week. She is happy to continue her watercolour painting at U3A on Mondays, and enjoys catching up with old friends from former workplaces. She is involved in a community art project with Carers Victoria, that will take place in Melbourne in May 2015, so stay tuned.
Duane started working at HiCity Industries at the beginning of 2014. His previous employer (VATMI) was unable to offer enough work and Duane had been struggling to keep himself occupied with work only 2 days a week. He is now working full-time and much happier. In the past few months he received funding to access some outreach activities, which he is using to attend a local gym and do other physical pastimes to increase his stamina and lose some weight. We are hoping this funding will be renewed when the current funding runs out in March 2015.

Duane, cunningly disguised as a ninja turtle.
Miles loves his bungalow and his new independence. As his parents it is a delight to see him happily using his vacuum cleaner (a SHARK) and hanging up his washing and washing his dishes etc. At the latest state election he took himself to the polling booth and voted unassisted - a new milestone. Miles has had great success with his paintings this year. He exhibited in numerous exhibitions, including the Melbourne Art Fair, where he sold all nine works he had exhibited, and also was invited to have a solo exhibition at a mainstream gallery in Melbourne in May 2015. Invitations to this event will be sent when details are confirmed. We are all excited at the prospect. He has had success in photography also and loves seeing his photos at exhibitions. Miles still loves trains and sharks.

Miles in front of some of his paintings at the Melbourne Art Fair 2014
Displaying his medals at the Special Olympics National Games.
Amy and Craig have not learned from our renovation experiences and will be extending their house next year, more than doubling their floor space. Their two dogs, Charlie and Mittsie, and Austin, the cat, will be happy to have more space. It is lovely to have Amy and Craig living a ten-minute walk away. Amy changed jobs during the year and now works for a firm of accountants in East Ivanhoe, 20 minutes from home. She is much happier now.
Liz and Amy have set up a tradition of ‘Girl Time’ where they share high teas. Every month or so they can be found sipping tea and eating scones in various establishments around Melbourne. The quality has been high and the enjoyment has been evident.

One of our high tea excursions in 2014.
In January 2014 Liz, Roy, Duane and Miles enjoyed a two-week cruise from Sydney, via Hobart, to New Zealand. Duane and Miles loved shipboard life and soon got their ‘sea legs’. We’re sure they would be happy to cruise again. We sailed up the east coast of NZ stopping at delightful spots along the way, including an enjoyable day in Wellington with Jan and Kent Atkinson, and ending in Auckland and flying back to Melbourne. Liz will write blog posts about this trip, and the renovations, in the near future.



NZ photos taken by Miles
Now that all five Wilkses are residing in Watsonia we feel quite at home. It is great to be able to walk to the shops, the station, the library and visit other members of the family. It is just a 40-minute train ride to the centre of Melbourne. Liz can drive to work in about 10 minutes, and we can be drinking cups of tea at Jeanette’s kitchen table in about 15 minutes.
Well, that is the Wilks’ news for another year. We hope you have had a satisfactory year and are healthy and enjoying life. We wish you the compliments of the season and hope you will join us for a ‘coldie’ on our outdoor decking when the renovations are finally finished! (… Or before that!)

Love from
Liz & Roy Wilks.
XXXXXX
(Let Christmas 2014 begin!)

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