Welcome to Holtieshouse!!!

Woo-Hooo... we're back on the air, so to speak, now what to talk about?
Perhaps an up-date on the last 12 months, moving from Queensland (after 20 years) back to my State of birth, Victoria, note to self, don't do that again so close to Winter, in Queensland the Winter climate is almost perfect... in Victoria its just COLD.
OK, climate aside the move has worked out well, I have 2 of my 4 kids close at hand and I have a social life pattern that keeps me in touch with life time friends, I have got my new home to the stage where it feels right, my health is back to where its been for most of my life.
During October/November 20014 I drove to Perth WA and back, to visit with family, my other 2 kids live in Perth, the secondary reason for driving (almost 10,000 kms) was to prove to myself that I could still do it, both objects were achieved, I had a good visit with the kids and also some lifetime friends in both SA and WA.
The down-side of the year was the loss of my dear Sister Merle, it hardly seems possible that its been almost a year since she passed away, gone but never forgotten.
In honor of her memory I'm going to close this post with a joke as was her habit.

Bert feared his wife Peg wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need a hearing aid. Not quite sure how to approach her, he called the family Doctor to discuss the problem. The Doctor told him there is a simple informal test the husband could perform to give the Doctor a better idea about her hearing loss. 'Here's what you do,' said the Doctor, 'stand about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response.' That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he was In the den.  He says to himself, 'I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens.'  Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?' No response. So the husband moves closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, 'Peg, what's for dinner?' Still no response. Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his Wife and asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?' Again he gets no response. So, he walks up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. 'Honey, what's for dinner?' Again there is no response. So he walks right up behind her. 'Peg, what's for dinner?' 'For F*-#?? sake, Bert, for the FIFTH time, CHICKEN!' Until next time...