James White 1843-1895 FAMILY REUNION 17th January 2009

Photo: Frank and Jane White of Redland Bay, with their children Halley, Frances, Frank, Joyce, Lavinia, Hilary, Lucinda, and Ruth
[For more family pix go to http://www.aitex.com.au/family/]

JAMES WHITE, 1843-1895 PETRIE QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA REUNION
This message has come from my brother Frank White
"Would anyone with connections to James White [our father's Grandfather] please note that there is to be a reunion at Old Petrie Town on Saturday 17th January 2009."

His children were (according to my list) Sam, Joe, Harry, William, Charles, Lilly, Frank (father of FWF White - pictured above with his family), Fred, Walter, Jack, Ben – of his first wife, Elizabeth Angelina (Smith) who died age 35 in childbirth with Ben. He married again (Catherine) and had more children including George, Jim, Albert and Norman (I think there were a couple of sisters too). Fred and Albert died in France in World War 1. It is likely to be a big gathering.

This reunion is to coincide with a special display
at Pine Rivers Heritage Museum, from November 08 to 1 February 2009. "This is the fifth in a series of exhibitions exploring the lives of significant European families in the district. Each exhibition has highlighted the contributions made by members of the families in various aspects of life. Pioneering the Pine V continues the story of our earliest settlers, with the Dohle, Cruice, Fogg and White families sharing their part of that story."

Barb and Allen at Somerset Dam

A weekend at Phillip Island

Noel and I were delighted to spend a brief weekend with Mizz, Bec, and Alistair, at our friend's holiday home at Phillip Island.

Knitted slippers

This is a very easy and quick pattern for knitted slippers. They will fit any adult size foot. Use smaller needles for smaller feet. Here it is:

2 balls of 8-ply wool

4.5mm knitting needles

Cast on 5 sts (if you do this twice on the same needle, it’s easy to keep the pattern equal)

Knit 6 rows [the strap]

Next row: Increase in the 2^nd stitch of each row until you have 22 sts on the needle

Next row: Inc each stitch across row (44 sts)

K2 P2 across every row for 15cm (6”) [This is the rib section]

K2 together across row (22sts)

Decrease in 2^nd st at the beginning of every row until there are 5 sts left on the needle

K 6 rows [the strap]

Cast off.

Fold in half and sew the rib sides together. Sew the 5 sts on top together to form the strap.

Members of our family at Marion's birthday party in Tamworth.
1. Marion and Stuart
2. L-R Rab, Kate, Stu, Marion, Stuart, Laura, Ben, Duncan, Miriam
3. L-R: Mizz, Bec, Alistair, Anna, Josh, Joy, Noel

Joy has a birthday!

Another one.

How soon they come

from just last year.

What rhymes with fifty eight?

Fifty – drifty, sifty, thrifty …

Nifty sounds just great.

Eight – great, straight, pate …

How’s mate?

Nifty mate sounds good to me.

The synonyms for nifty say ingenious, clever,

effective, natty, neat – yes they are all correct.

For mate read friend, pal, buddy, chum, companion,

comrade, helper, assistant – yes, they’ll do too.

Dear nifty mate,

you mean so much to me.

All these synonyms and many more

make you very special to me.

I love you.

Thank you dear Joy.

Happy Birthday

Christmas 2007 greetings from Joy and Noel

As we join each year in the celebration of Christ’s birth, the annual letter has become a moment in which we reflect on the year that has passed, and look forward to the coming year. We remember our first family Christmas letter, sent from Michigan USA in 1973, complete with a picture of Noel and me proudly holding our baby Miriam. Over the years that picture has developed, as you know, and this year we are delighted to include our new son-in-law, Alistair Gray, who married our lovely Rebecca earlier this month.

The other highlights for us in the year past include visiting family members in Queensland and New South Wales, as well as being able to welcome loved ones into our home. We enjoyed our month of relaxation and refreshment in January, driving long distances across this vast sunburnt country.

This year Noel’s mother Lily, who is 95, has moved from her own home into residential aged care. Although frail, she is looking well, and enjoys outings to special events and family meals.

Noel continues his work in our company Aitex, as well as being Session Clerk in the Church. I have been privileged to continue in midwifery, attending two or three births a month; most in the home. This year I have increased my role in facilitating peer support groups for new mothers.

This sort of letter would be incomplete without a brief mention of our young ones – each precious to us. Miriam lives in Sydney; and works as Project Officer in a government health service. Rebecca and Alistair are setting up home in Bendigo, and Bec has transferred her employment to Bendigo. Paul, Leanne, and Poppy (who is a dear 3 ½ year old) live in Boronia, at the foot of Mount Dandenong. Josh and Anna have returned after a wonderful short-term mission experience in Cambodia, and are settling into new jobs.

Last month we celebrated Noel’s sixtieth birthday, and are thankful to God for his health. Our prayer is for wisdom as we go about our daily tasks, and the unexpected challenges that come from time to time, and for strength sufficient for each day.

With our love and prayers for God’s continued blessing on you,

Noel and Joy