POP-STAR’S HONOUR ROLL

January 30, 2013 by Kenneth Robson

The Littlest Three

Pop-Star’s tally is seven at the last count; grandchildren that is.

Five are sturdy little fellows ranging from three to a not so little twenty-one year old. Two are Pop-Star’s little princesses.

They are just the smartest kids. Get it from MPS no doubt.

The Youngest Three

“Maginative Mike” at three, by watching his Dad, learned how to negotiate the iPad and even worked out how to down-load the Disney films he wanted to watch. Dad, (whom we’ll call P for Pater), had wondered why the iTunes bill was bigger than usual.

One day recently Mike’s teacher took P aside when he arrived at the school to pick up now five-year old Mike. He just wanted to let P know that Mike had told some pretty tall stories at school; stories that couldn’t possibly be true.

Back home P somewhat sternly interrogated his boy. Why was he making up these stories; didn’t he know that he was telling lies? P was taken aback by his reply, and could hardly hide his mirth.

“But I want to tell lies! I want to see how big my nose will grow” It was a perfect rebuttal and just goes to show that one good lie deserves another.

Mike is quite creative. He enjoys drawing, painting and colouring-in activities. However he is always ready to exchange fisticuffs with his young brother; but is quite protective of his little sister.

Toughest of the bunch is three going on four-year old Sunny Sam. A constant muncher, he is building the physique of a miniature Sumo wrestler, and likes nothing more than a good fight with his older (I’m not sure who is the bigger) brother. He can be a bit of a villain. He will needle his brother, and when Mike retaliates, guess who gets the blame.

He has inherited P’s fun-loving nature, and love of sport. Soccer is his favourite and already he is displaying above average skill. Although he can happily play by himself for hours, he loves it when someone takes the time to test his ability. He giggles and giggles when he watches Pop-Stars efforts.

But the smiles desert him when he is unwell or hurt; Mummy’s boy then, wanting to be comforted. No one else will do.

The last cab off this rank is the not yet two-year old little Miss Charming . When last seen by Pop-Star (the family has regrettably had to move interstate) she was still not talking but knew how to make her wishes known with her own language of signs and actions. She also knows how to express her displeasure, and how to boss her big brothers around when necessary, to get her own way. She’s not boisterous like her brothers, loves her clothes, and nestles into Pop-Star’s shoulder when he picks her up.

The Middle Two

The older child in the second family liked being the only girl grandchild up until Miss Charming came along. It made her feel extra special. Although no longer the only one, she can never be displaced from being the first. Pop-Star likes to think of her as Maid Marion.

She has a love of all kinds of animals, and even as a toddler knew how to safely pat a dog, or stroke a cat. For this reason she is not so keen on eating meat preferring, but not exclusively eating, a vegetarian diet. It is her ambition if it works out that way, to become a Vet.

Soon to blossom into adolescence, she is already taller than MPS and a picture of elegance. Blessed with long and lustrous hair, it is a continual battle to keep it knots

The Middle Two

free. They say it is a woman’s crowning glory; well worth the effort to look after it.

She might look like a guileless Innocent Abroad, but she has a mischievous streak, and loves to tease, and play games; especially with her young brother, to his annoyance.

Soon after she learned to walk Pop-Star would take her with him when he went for a stroll around the block. It was a stop-go excursion. She loved to halt the walk, sit on the ground, and sift through the soil and the stones. Then when she could, to Pop-Star’s great alarm, she would take off at a great rate down the footpath with the old man struggling behind to catch her before she got run-over.

He might be only nine years old, but the mostly quiet and Polite Paddy is mature beyond his years. He speaks beautifully for one so young, and is quite thoughtful and perceptive about life.

Like his big sister he is bright with his school work attaining excellent grades. He is amazingly flexible and agile, and shows an élite ability in gymnastics, swimming and diving.

He has set his sights on achieving well. His recently declared ambition is to study Law at Harvard University in the USA. Pop-Star would be very proud if this became a reality.

Paddy shares Pop-Star’s addiction to computers but he is far more knowledgeable and adroit in using his. Their respective choice of web-site shows something of a generational gap. Considerately the oldies do not have to listen to the young ones’ music in this day of headphones.

Pop-Star is grateful that the Middle Two live nearby!

Story To be Continued

The day Mrs Pop-Star Said Yes! Jan 26, 1963

January 25, 2013 by Kenneth Robson

English: View from the lookout at the town of Meekatharra, Western Australia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: The Kumarina Roadhouse on the Great Northern Highway, between Meekatharra and Newman, Western Australia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Locator map for this town within Western Australia, showing position relative to the state’s capital city, Perth. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Anniversaries of life’s main events, for those concerned, are like public holidays minus the holiday unfortunately. They trigger memories, and remind us what is important; they are an opportunity to revive our love, our fidelity, our friendships.

Mrs Pop-Star or MPS wasn’t her real name then. That will be confidential. Pop-Star thinks the initials MPS appropriate even back in those good old days. He thinks they stand for “My Personal Secretary”. Certainly she has been all of that for him. Then too it could be said that the abbreviation is “My Partner for Sex”. The less said about that the better, the children think. Mrs Pop-Star is inclined to think her husband treats her like he thinks it stands for “My Personal Slave”. There is more than an element of truth in this.

It is rather remarkable that the day MPS said yes was Australia Day, just 50 years ago. “Australians all let us rejoice for we are young and free”, ‘Pop-Star asked me, and married we will be’! We didn’t get to the fifth stanza, but for the record “Advance Australia Fair” has been Australia‘s National Anthem since 1984.

http://www.imagesaustralia.com/australiannationalanthem.htm

Pop-Star had actually popped the question to MPS two years earlier. He thought she would be a pretty good catch. Good looking. Smart and intelligent. A top nursing graduate. Industrious like her mother. Enjoyed a joke like her father, but told better ones. Convivial. She would compensate for all that Pop-Star was not.

MPS didn’t say yes then, but then she didn’t say no either. She just decided to take a position as nurse, cook, bottle- washer, ‘jill’ of all trades, at a school for indiginous Australians at Karalundi, near Meekatharra in the remote outback of Western Australia. Letters were exchanged during the year, which she duly read to the school-kids. They were quite impressed with Pop-Star’s literary skills, but enjoyed the bits at the end most.

MPS must have thought that the suggestion he had made back then was worth accepting before he changed his mind after a 2 year wait. She decided Australia Day was the perfect auspicious occasion for the announcement. Forever afterwards all Australians would join in our celebration January 26.