CollinsPlus
E-news
Edition 4. May/June 2007
Editor:
Barbara Collins 
You can
send news at any time to The Editor. A reminder email will be sent out
a little while before each edition is due. So please keep the newsletter in mind
whenever anything happens in your family that you would like to tell everyone
about!
Index
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Website news
3rd Year Anniversary coming
up
The next newsletter will mark the 3rd anniversary of the newsletter and the CollinsPlus site.
That means it’s
time to update.
Many of you sent in your bio THREE years ago – can you believe that!!! And lots of things have happened since then.
So, if your bio is already on the site, I’ll be sending it back to you – together with a link to your bio. It will be a word document so you can change it in anyway you like and send it back to me. Have a look at the photos that go with your bio. If you are happy with them, don’t do anything. But if you have ones you would like changed or added – just sent them to me. If you don’t have a scanner, send me the hard copy and I’ll scan and send the originals back to you.
If you are on the website but do not yet have a bio online – you know you are very welcome to send one to Barb!
Do you have a My Space address? If you do and would like to send it to me, I’ll put it in the next newsletter and also in your bio.
Collins Family News
Go to Collins Family in CollinsPlus Website
Next Family Get Together
Diary Dates
- Have you put October 14th in your 2007 diary yet for the next family get together? Details tba.
- Also, put in your diary on Sunday 9th December: Memorial for Bridget. Details tba.
Con Collins
Con Collins is the Ground Zero man for this website.
Con
On June 5th, Con went to the National Ageing
Research Institute in Parkville to undergo a series of balance tests to see if
he is eligible to take part in a research project on balance in ageing. He
underwent some pretty high tech tests and Barb was very unhappy that she did
not take the camera for a picture!!! At one stage he was encased in a frame,
and a harness, as he balanced on a cushion with his eyes shut. Then he became a
'human mouse' as he had to make a stick figure on a computer screen move by
just moving his body backwards, forwards and side to side. NOT as easy as it
sounds. Anyway, the results showed a weakness on his left side. Unfortunately,
he was not accepted into the research project but the tests results have proved
invaluable.
On June 7th, Con was seen by a Geriatrician who went over his whole medical story. She had the results of the balance test and thought that his dizzy spells may be a result of an inner ear problem and is sending him to a specialist in that field. She also thinks he has had a minor stroke which has created the weakness on his left side. So when he gets dizzy, he tends to fall to the left.
Joke from Con: Have any of you thought about putting in a triple flush toilet? Full flush - half flush - no flush.
(Con already has one he's had a triple flush toilet for years and years.)
Mothers Day
Judy has written a beautiful piece that I know speaks for us all. Read it and see pictures here.
Margo
Bridget’s good friend, Margo Tankard, has passed away. Bridget and Margo lived a few doors apart and Margo would take Bridget on adventures, on public transport as neither of them drove, all over Melbourne. Margo would visit Bridget at the nursing home when she was in Melbourne. Judy wrote a condolence message to Margo’s family which included a watermark picture of the last time Margo visited Bridget late last year.
Visit to Cath O’Brien
On Wednesday 11th July, Con and Barbara set off to visit Cath O’Brien in Kyabram. Cath was Bridget’s cousin. Bridget’s Mum and Cath’s Dad were brother and sister. Cath and Margaret Martin have been invaluable in collecting the O’Brien history and Cath is a treasure trove of information. She filled us in on a few gaps in knowledge and our time with her was too short. Here are pictures of her holding a photo of her Mum and Dad’s wedding picture and of her standing outside her home. Attached is a cutting she gave us from the local paper showing her in front of the post office box her that has been in her family for 70 years!!
Graham Collins
(Graham Collins is the first and only son of Con Collins who is the
Ground Zero man for this website. Graham
Collins Family)
Darcy
It is 'football season' so all
my news and interests relate to footy, footy and footy.
I am playing with Wade in the reserves and we are on top of the ladder,
undefeated, which is a great way to start the season.
My uni exams are starting soon and I have not studied at all for them so wish
me luck.
Tyson
Not much has been happening lately, settling into work which is going well, very challenging but I'm really enjoying it. Footy is going well, we're 6-1 sitting on top of the ladder and I've played every game with no real bad injuries (touch wood).
The Bill Collins
Family
Bill Collins was the only brother of Con Collins. Kath is Bill’s wife. Go to Bill Collins page for more information on this family.
A very big surprise was news of
The 27th May I turned 72 and Paul took myself and Joe to Holy Mass in St. Patrick’s Cathedral after which those who could attended lunch at the Templestowe Hotel.
Joshua obtained his Learners so he is
having a few lessons with Mum and Dad and there will be more with RACV.
Daniel was a handsome partner at a debutante ball. Joshua playing footy and
Matthew playing soccer whilst Luke is giving that a rest and trying archery.
Luke is to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on June 24th. Sarah has started working at a food outlet.
The Cabrera Family
Judith
Collins is the second girl in the Con and Bridget Collins Family. She is
married to Renato Cabrera. Go to the Cabrera
Family page.
Judy and Renato have not heard anything more at this time on the Insurance claim on their house. Four weeks ago an assessor for the insurance company came out. They sent a building engineering company out to do another building Inspection report for them. The insurance company is writing for that report to make the decision on the claim, however they think all this is eventually going to be a Current Affair/Neil Mitchell tell all. In the meantime Judy and Renato went to an auction for a house in the same strip of terraces that was in need of renovation and were shocked to hear it sell on the day for a staggering $455,000, now they are keen to see how much the next one up for sale in the same strip will go for. It has been tastefully renovated and they are asking in excess of $480,000.
John very kindly gave up his time to strap the wall
of the house that is falling. He arranged getting the steel rods made to
size, then Renato and John did the labour to do what is called strapping or
tying the house. This is a bandaid effect to ensure the wall does not fall on
the house next door, it is only temporary and will not hold it forever, but at
least I can sleep peacefully at night. So to thank John for all the work he
went to we took him, Cathy and the girls out to dinner at La Botte restaurant.
Note Elise with the wine bottle top eyes - it's an old party stunt that
Uncle Graham used to do with beer bottle tops. (One for the modelling portfolio
Elise????).
We had a nice dinner out with a girl I work with and her husband she is a real wag and loves to gossip about work, so given that I'm only there 3 half days a week, it was great to get the rundown on everybody and everything, she's a real comedian too, so Renato and I had a good laugh that night.
Mother's Day was the 1st Mother's Day without mum, the day before we went up to her resting place and visited her. I had news before I went that her good friend Margo Tankard was passing away so asked her to make a special place there for her. Sadly on Mother's Days Margo passed away. On Mother's Day Renato took me out for a lovely brunch and we went to the movies (we had the whole theatre to ourselves). I have to admit that I was a bit teary that day. (See report in Con Collins news).
We had a wonderful day out in May to help Paul's mum, Pauline, celebrate her 90th Birthday at Moonee Valley Racecourse Bistro. It was our 1st 90th Birthday party.
Bear is well on his way to recovery, he has now started to put his
repaired leg on the ground, but he still holds it up if he is walking very
fast. All his confinement cages have been taken away, but his days of
playing soccer are over.
Poor Bear, we are sure that he wonders what he has done wrong, he still needs to lose weight and he does not get any tit bits (well not from Judy anyway) so he gets shut out when we are eating. Also his walks are much shorter and he is desperate to play fast running games and we can't let him do it.
That's about all from us but I thought you might be interested in this place. We had to get rid of some old petrol that dad had stored for years around the sideway, so we took it to this place www.darebin.vic.gov.au/detox. You can dispose of fluoro tubes, petrol, paint, motor oil, gas bottles, car and household batteries free of charge, and given that these things must be disposed of properly to protect the environment and your family health, we thought it would be of interest to some.
The Deacon Family
Peter
Deacon
is the son of Mary (Molly) Deacon (nee Lennon) who is the youngest sister of Bridget
Collins (nee Lennon) who was married to Con
Collins
The Deacon news this month comes from Peter’s wife,
Judy:
“I was born in
Another impressive site that I discovered on my
recent visit was the tulip garden that covers a massive area of land containing
all sorts of colorful tulips.
The 2008 Olympics Games will be hosted by
China
has been a backward country for hundreds of years, but is now undergoing
monumental changes: improving living standards, challenge to the natural
environment, the political atmosphere and the unprecedented economic boom.
So everyone please pack up your
bag and go visit China
You’re seeing a strong emphasis
on Asia , including both Japan China
-- Bill Gates
The Teres Family
Paul Teres is husband of Barbara Collins,
daughter of Con Collins. Go to Teres Family
page.
Mothers Day
Barb and Paul had Mothers Day
lunch with Pauline on their way to Portarlington. We visited the Ukrainian
Elderly Citizens Hostel and spent an enjoyable few hours with Paul’s Mum.
Portarlington Holiday
Barb and Paul spent a few days at
Portarlington in May. The weather was cool but it was a great rest for us both
after a busy period. Here’s a picture of Paul at Point Lonsdale watching a
cargo ship pass through the heads.
Wasyl’s memorial
On May 5th, the Teres Family met to
remember Paul’s father, Wasyl on the first anniversary of his passing.
Read more about
the memorial here.
Pauline’s 90th Birthday
Pauline turned 90 in May! We celebrated this
milestone at the Moonee Valley
Racecourse bistro. Read more about the occasion
here.
Happy birthday to
Graham Collins, Alex Gough, Rick Watkins, Margaret Martin, Pauline Teres (90),
Kathleen Collins, Kevin McManus (60th), Tyson Collins: Click
here for your birthday card.
If your birthday
falls in May or June and you are not on this list, email admin at
collinsplus.com and send in your birth date.
I’m bored
http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=23607
Thanks Sophie
Amazing
This photo story is pretty amazing – I think there might have been guardian angels at work here!
Pick the celebrities
See if how many you can guess.
Thanks Graham
A strange
but true story that happened to Judi
This is not a joke - it is exactly the way
it happened.
I was serving on the registers at work today
and I had quite a queue.
The next person approached with a toddler
and I greeted them in the same way as I do every customer.
"Hello how are you today?" The
customer said how are you going JUDY. I said I'm really good thank you (All
customers call me JUDITH as that is what is printed on my name tag) so I knew
that this person knew me, when they called me Judy.
I looked at him trying to work out who
it was, admittedly he had crappy dark black sunglasses
on, and I said, “Do I know you?” and he said, "I'm
Frank." I said, “FRANK are you kidding, I don't think I would have
recognised you if I fell over you.”
The entire time his face was so unhappy
looking, no smile not even any emotion, I asked how he was going and he replied
almost with a very unhappy response, “Oh OK”. Basically that was
that, as my queue was getting longer, I said thank you and goodbye.
I honestly did not know him (isn't it
amazing how you can erase things from your mind, that you choose not to
remember) or (is it a sign of dementia????) When I told the girls I work
with, they were totally amazed that I could not even recognise someone I had
been married to for 17 years and knew for many years before and worse than
that went to primary school with!!!!
All websites featured in this newsletter are archived on the Links Page of the CollinsPlus site for future reference.
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Congratulations this month to ….
ü Pauline Teres on turning 90
ü Kevin McManus on turning 60
ü Joshua Collins on obtaining his Learners
Passing on
this newsletter
Pass this newsletter on to people in your family who have not seen it yet. They
might like to become involved as well. All they need to do is email the editor
they would like to be on the site, and they will be sent information. If you
want to send this newsletter to an extended family member, this is how you can
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- Go to File in the Toolbar
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