For Merv and me, this has been a year of change. After our holiday at the Tweed with Renata, Wayne and the 4 grandchildren, I visited the physio for help with my back problems. As it happened, I was unable to start the school year and because of results of scans and Xrays, was advised to apply for salary continuance as I would be unable to return to teaching. It took until the end of June for this to come through, a very anxious time, and I then decided to retire after having served 22+ years at Concordia - a sad way to end my teaching career of 36 years. The school had wonderful farewells for me which helped to soften the blow of leaving school.

Merv also decided to retire from his bus driving after 13 years. He had been toying with the ides for a few months as he was feeling the pressure of the unexpected. Bunkers Hill also gave him a marvellous farewell which I was able to attend and he was paid many tributes for his care of the children. So we are now a happy retired couple, broke, but so thankful to be able to spend time together.

I had applied for some of my Super, so we bought a Toyota Coaster.We had always planned to do this when I retired. It just came a year and a half early. Our first Coaster trip was to Monduran Dam in September to visit Lynton and Bev. This helped us to feel that the coaster was ours. It’s great. It has 2 fridges, a microwave, toilet and shower etc. This will enable us to travel as I can lie down any time when I’m sore.

It had always been my dream that when I retired we would holiday in Tasmania. So we had 17 wonderful days at the end of November. It was much cheaper to fly and hire a car than to take the Coaster. We were only home 3 days before we went to Singleton with Renata, Katie and Sarah in the Coaster. We met David, Margy, Isaac and Rachel there on their way home from a holiday in Canberra. Merv’s great-great-grandparents (Heuschele) had migrated on the "Peru" from Auenstein in 1855 and had worked at Goorangoola Station just north of Singleton for 7 years before coming to Toowoomba in 1862. It was very special to walk the ground where his forebears walked after having grown up on the original home and property in Toowoomba.

In May we were privileged to celebrate our 40^th wedding anniversary. We had an afternoon tea at David and Margy’s place and had a small thanksgiving service and bird release of 2 white pigeons. A very special occasion and we thank God that we have been able to celebrate this milestone.

Merv has continued to help out with taking services when needed which is a special joy for us both. It has also been special to have our children, their spouses and our grandchildren close to us and we look forward to spending more time with them in the coming year.

We wish you all a very blessed Christmas and a happy and joyous New Year as we all move into 2004.

Love Mary and Merv Heuschele