CollinsPlus E-news
Edition 2. April/May/June 2009
Editor: Barbara
Collins – admin (at) collinsplus.com
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Website news
If you have tried to access the newsletter archives, you will have noticed that the site is temporarily inactive. It will probably take me until the end of 2009 to transfer all the data into an new form. If you need any information from the archives, let me know and I will send it to you directly.
Collins Family News
Go
to Collins Family in CollinsPlus
Website
Con Collins
Con
Collins is the Ground Zero man for this website.
Con Collins
Con has recently completed a 12 day stint of radiation
therapy at the Epworth hospital. The side effects haven’t been too bad but have
made him very tired and he hasn’t felt like eating much. An ultra sound has
found marks on his liver that may or may not be gallstones. He has been taken
off the medication that was making his skin very flakey and now his facial skin
looks as smooth as a baby’s bottom. He’s not feeling 100% and a few bodily
functions aren’t working as well as they used to – but he’s doing very well
considering.
Graham Collins
(Graham
Collins is the first and only son of Con Collins. Graham
Collins Family)
Graham
Graham is off on his first overseas trip in late June. He
and some long time friends are heading to
Carly
I have begun the renovations in the new pad (just some minor
changes/additions in the bathroom and kitchen), and it is a mess at the moment,
because it's right in the middle of them! But by the next newsletter, I think
it should be fine for all to see. So that's keeping me very busy. Also, uni is
taking up a lot of my time as well. One exam is done and one more to go! So by
the newsletter time they will both have been done! I can't wait to have the
break, uni has been very stressful. I am training as hard as I can with the
limited time I have, for this Half Marathon that you all know about on June
28th! "Run
just wanna run it in a good time. It seems I am ranked in the Top 10
Fundraisers as well, position number 5 actually! Thanks to all the generous
people that have got behind the cause so far! I did not think out of all
the hundreds of people doing it that I would be up that high! So I am very
grateful to all those that have helped. That's about it for me at the
moment!
Darcy
I just finished my uni exams and whilst I have not received my results
back yet, I think I did OK.
Assuming I passed everything (fingers crossed), I will only have one more
semester of uni to complete which will leave me as a graduate by years end
looking for a full time job. (In case you guys have forgotten, I am studying a
Bachelor of Commerce, triple majoring in Marketing, Interactive Marketing and
Management.)
Football is going great. I am playing in the reserves at the moment with Wade
and we are 8-1 (8 wins, 1 loss) which is an amazing effort in 1st Division. We
play
This is the year for 21sts for me and I have been having 1, 2 and even 3 21sts
all clash on my Saturday nights but it has been fun, especially the free grog
part. I will most likely be having mine
October.
Wade
I started a new job about a month ago at a new company. I'm working as a
Case Manager in Insurance and Claims. It's a pretty good job and it’s paying
more than my previous job at GE Money, so considering the financial crisis I'm pretty
happy. Other than that just trying to play footy when I'm not injured and have
a good time on weekends!
Tyson
No real news over
the last couple of months, just bogged down in the day to day routine of work
and footy and then the weekend comes and goes just as quick. Pretty boring
really! Had a good birthday though.
We went out to Cookie in the city with Wade, Carly and a heap of friends for
dinner followed up with (in hindsight) too many beers, time got away from us
and ended up getting to bed around 6am. Was a
good night. I caught up with the whole family on following Wednesday night for
dinner as well.
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.
Aunt Kath says,
“Here we are at a coffee and cake place for my birthday on Sunday 24th
May. On the actual birthday, May 27th, Paul and Michaela took me to lunch
at Balgownie Estate which is near Yarra Glen. After a lovely
lunch we drove around Kinglake and viewed the result of the February fires.
It is such a sad sight with kilometers of burnt landscape, however, new life is
appearing as the green is returning on the blackened trees and the ferns are
now visible. A few new buildings are on the way. How
brave! I am delighted that my garden lady is to take from my place,
cuttings of one rose which is very fragrant, lavender, purple sage and
geraniums, and as they grow spread them around the Kinglake area in an effort
to obtain some colour as quickly as possible.
We have an
apprentice hairdresser now as Sarah has found her niche and has signed up
for the next three years. Michaela will have some one to do her hair in her old
age.
Collins folk are
still doing well with the cooking as Luke cooks for his family each weekend
taking recipes from Jamie Oliver. Paul is now the master of the
soufflé. Matt does part-time work with the ‘finger lickin’ crowd
and is regarded as a good chicken cook. Result being he was in a cook-off
in
The Zoch Family
Catherine
Zoch is the 4th girl in the Con and Bridget Collins Family. She is
married to John Zoch. Go to Zoch Family
page.
Cathy
I went to
Here are some photos of Bobskie
in his Bingtang (local beer to drink in
We had a nice surprise when we arrived at our Resort, we were upgraded to the Presidential Suite. WOW. It was the nicest accommodation I have ever experienced. We had our own swimming pool, lounge room, dining area with plasma tv. Our ensuites were huge. We had an outdoor shower area amongst plants and shrubs, absolutely beautiful. If we were to pay full price it would cost $1200 Aust a night to stay there and we got it for the cost of a standard room, $220
Our breakfasts were huge, that usually kept us going
till tea time. We didn't do any day tours this time - it was more relaxing,
drinking, shopping and just lazing around the pool sort of holiday. Bought lots
of things - handbags, clothes, pandora bracelets for the girls, dvds,
Elise got her licence last Monday and bought her first car on Saturday. Mitsubishi Lancer, blue.
We picked it up last night and she went driving around with Josh.
I was nervous this morning as it was her first trip, on her own, to Tafe. She texted me when she got there to say she made it safely and it was fun. Phhhhhew.
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.
Not a lot has happened with us since the last newsletter. We have been pretty busy with dad - his surgery doctor's appointments and his radiation treatment and general feeling of being un well so we haven't ventured very far away from home:
We are very pleased and relieved
that our house in
We had a nice Easter spent
picnicing on the banks of
We've had a couple of Chilean functions, out
to dinner with friends for a Lion's Club charity auction which was a lot of fun
(we got a great bargain - a huge jewellery box valued at about $140 for only
$31, I was wrapt, out to the movies and dinner (just the two of us) over to
Rene's nephews' birthday, and dinner over at the Zoch's.
Dad
(Con) has had two spilt air conditioners put into the house, these will be
far more efficient enviro &cost friendly - and John has very kindly
taken out the very very very old ones and repaired the holes in the wall.
Renato's employer
lost their tender for one on the establishments Renato used to supervise. He
was short 20 hours pay for about a month, but a new establishment came up
in Carlton on his way home from his Sth Yarra job, only 15 hours a
week though, so he's lost 5 hours a week, (sign of the times for some)
anyway he likes this job. However he's back to cleaning at this one, which he
hasn't done for a long time - upside (he is losing weight) lol.
Renato and
I have taken up Yoga (Arthritis Yoga) it is very basic but we love it.
Just a bit
of news from Bear. He had his first and last turbo wash and groom, by Elise who
needed a dog for her class and was going to be marked on it. Elise
said Bear was very well behaved and she was marked well on it.
Another
bit of news (end of an era). The "West Brunswick Community Craft
Group" that mum (Sue-Bridget Collins) founded with Margo Tankard has
finally folded.
Until next time, we hope you all keep well.
The Teres Family
Paul Teres is husband of Barbara Collins, daughter
of Con Collins. Go to Teres Family
page.
Barb has been very busy finding out how to transfer the newsletter site to a new format, and then doing it! She’s also been working on short term projects at her old workplace and working to maintain fitness levels in the gym. She has had a personal trainer once a month for a few years now and he jokingly refers to her as ‘supernan’ which is probably intended to be a compliment.
We celebrated Easter this year on the banks of the Maribyrnong with Con, Judy, Renato, Bear, Pauline, Lisa, Graham, Paul and Barb. It was a very pleasant way to spend the afternoon.
Barb and Paul travelled by car to
the
Pauline’s 92nd
birthday
We celebrated Pauline’s 92nd birthday in June at Sophie and Andrew’s house. Here is a picture of her with her great grandson, Josh.
Click her for more delightful pics of these two having fun. The difference in their ages is NEARLY 90 years.
Happy birthday to Mary
Gough and Peter Deacon in April, Graham Collins, Alex Gough, Pauline Teres and
Kath Collins in May and Tys Collins, Kevin McManus and Matthew Collins in June:
Click
here for your birthday card.
If your birthday falls in
April, May or June and you are not on this list, email the editor and send in
your birth date.
How do you feel about ageing?? Graham has sent this piece that points out some of the advantages of getting older. Sorry Graham, I couldn’t use the graphics that came in the email so I’ve tossed in some illustrations of my own. Read it here.
Funny Stuff
Paul’s clean
jokes
Paul collects these
jokes from all over the place – just for the newsletter. Check out the latest 3 here.
THE SHOEBOX
A man and woman had
been married for more than 60 years.
They had shared everything. They had talked about everything.
They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman
had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband
never to open or ask her about.
For all of
these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little
old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover.
In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man
took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside. She
agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box.
When he opened it,
he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totalling $100,000.
He asked her about the contents. 'When we were to be married,'
she said, ' my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage
was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you,
I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll.'
The little
old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two precious
dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two
times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst
with happiness.
'Honey,' he
said, 'That explains the doll, but what about all of this money?
Where did it come from?'
'Oh,' she
said, 'That's the money I made from selling the dolls.'
A Prayer.......
Dear Lord, I pray for Wisdom to understand my man;
Love to forgive him;
And Patience for
his moods;
Because Lord, if I
pray for Strength,
I'll beat him to death, because I don't have time to crochet.
Typical call:
Man rings up and complains that he is getting cabs at his address that he did not
order. This is not unusual, sometimes it is caused by a drunken person ringing
cabs for the wrong address accidentally - since drunk people often get numbers
transposed or similar.
Usually it is someone with a grudge who starts by sending taxis then graduates
to pizzas and fire engines and eventually to ambulances and funeral directors.
I asked the man for his address. I could see several cabs had already been sent
there, so apologised and said I would do what I could to stop any further
vehicles from bothering him for the rest of the evening.
After he hung up I went back to check the previous hoax bookings to work out
whether it was just a mistake and there had been other bookings at another
address in the same street at a party for instance. Something
about the phone number the calls had been made from, a mobile number, seemed
familiar.
I check back and the hoax calls were made from the SAME mobile phone that
complaining man was ringing from.
WT…???????
I rang the number and the same man answered. I explained I was Daphne from the
taxis and I was extremely confused because the hoax calls seemed to have been
coming from his own phone.
He said yes he already knew that.
He said his friends had been borrowing his phone and making hoax calls and booking
cabs just to see him have to answer the door and turn away the cabbies.
I suggested that possibly the whole problem might be easier solved if he took
his mobile phone, turned it off and kept it in his pocket.
He thought about that for several seconds and then said " Yes, I could try
that, let's see how it goes..............."
All websites featured in this newsletter are archived on the Links Page of the CollinsPlus site for future reference.
Shannon Lush – Domestic Goddess!
Have you heard of her? She’s the
new Martha Gardiner. Her website is
http://www.shannonlush.com/ but it’s currently undergoing
reconstruction – probably due to her amazing popularity.
But the site below gives a bit of
an idea on her ideas for cleaning EVERYTHING with cheap and easy-to-get
ingredients!!
http://today.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=268055
Congratulations this month to ….
ü Con on
coming through 12 days of radiation therapy
ü Elise Zoch on getting her driver’s license AND a new car
ü Wade on getting a new job
ü Bear on
surviving a turbo wash
ü Cathy on
her AMAZING upgrade
ü Carly on running the Half Marathon in this year's RUN MELBOURNE and being in the top 10 for raising funds for cancer research
ü Graham on
his first overseas trip – to
Passing on this newsletter
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