HD Australia

Well we have our date set for the next benefit concert for HD!

11th January 2009

Here is the webpage (created by jason of course) with our latest flyer (designed by nays husband Matt)...
www.adayinthevines.com

So if your keen for a great day out with family at our beautiful local winery...then come along and join us!

Last year we raised $11,000 for families effected by HD. With that money so far we have been able to pay for three rural families to attend the national conference, assisted with the set up cost for IVF for one couple, provide remedial therapies for a person with HD, and we are helping with some home modifications for another family. We prioritize the money raised to assist families living on the Mid North Coast of Australia due to there being very little, if any, access to HD services. So this is our way of trying to make a difference to these isolated families.

However the most important thing is that on this day everyone thinks and talks about HD! We raise awareness of the disease and its impact on families, and this benifits all families effected by this disease....the more we talk, shout, yell, sing about HD, the more awareness we raise.... which means more chances for treatments and support for families!

The day is fun and positive!!

So we would love as many HD families to attend as possible. Tickets will probably go on sale in Nov.
So we will keep you posted!

If anyone would like to contribute to the day in any way let me know! The more involvement from the HD community the better! and if you happen to know a famous person...like you know...missy higgins...pete murray....we might even be able to fit them in our schedual...haha!!

take care everyone
Michelle

We also now have Jolene Anderson from All Saints (and the winner of It Takes Two) making a guest appearance!! Woo Hoo!

Well Anthony and I went to the Neuro today and I asked him about us going up to the fundraiser and leaving Bailey behind, whether he thought it wasn't good to leave Bailey due to his health. He wasn't at all hesitant to say go, stay for a week and do some non HD things too!!

So what I need to know is:

1.  Where should we fly to?
2. Would anyone be able to pick us up and either have us stay or help us to some accommodation?
3. How would we get to the fundraiser and also accommodation details while there?
4. Coming home are we able to get to the airport as we have no idea of the area we are in and won't have a car.

At this stage we are looking around dates 9th Jan to 13th Jan - I need to check with Bailey's carers that they are able to have him on or around these dates so we know what dates to book for.

So if anyone could help us out with these details in the meantime it would be great. We don't expect anyone to put us up, we are happy to stay in a motel if need be and won't be offended at all. I just want to come and have a great day selling Nay's jars (unless there is another job to do) and help out as much as I can while enjoying the day and meeting up again with people I met last time. Anthony can either help out in small ways or just sit with someone and enjoy the day - I don't think he will mind either way. Even if I could send him to the bar to get drinks for people he will feel useful and if the weather is anything like last time he will be doing lots of walking to and fro.

So I will check things out this end and see how things can be sorted out before booking anything.

Thanks

Debbie

hey Debbie! Thats great news!
If you fly to Port Maquarie on the 9th Jan Leif and I will pick you up, as we are picking up marquees etc on that day in Port Macquarie so that would work well. We can also drop you back to port on the 13th Jan. You are more than welcome to stay here again, or i can find you a motel close by so we can pick you up etc. It will be lovely for you and Anthony to have a little holiday together!

So book your flights in and out of Port Macquarie with Virgin Blue...and we will work out the accomadation.

Cool!! Im so glad you will be coming again! Nay has over 200 jars to sell so there will be plenty for you to do! and Anthony will have a great time!

Love Michelle xx

Wow thanks Michelle. If it is no trouble we would love to stay with you, it saves you having to pick us up all the time and I want to spend time with your children again. Only if you are happy with this, if not we can book in somewhere close by. We don't want to be a nuisance, just want to make life easy for your family and we can help out as much as we can. I love it.

As soon as I hear about Bailey I will go down to book. Thanks for that, can't wait now and it's given me something to look forward to. Will be great to catch up with your and Nay's parents too, plus your brothers and in-laws. Geesh...can't believe how many people I will know. I hope the lady I worked with last time will be there again, she was lovely.

Just waiting on Bailey now.

Debbie

YAY Debbie, how exciting your comming  There is 250 jars this time, so its going to be a stall on its own and I would love you to work there for me My dad said he would love to take you to and from the Fundraiser and Ive got my fingers crossed that I wont have to work on the Monday, so I can spend the day with you. Ive got to keep going got lots to do today before I go to work, plus I might be moving to Mackay in a few weeks so trying to get all the yucky forms out of the way, so I dont have to think about them at Christmas tomorrow

Got to run and I cant wait to see you again
xxx

We are excited too Nay, can I book the air conditioned stall if it's very hot please?
Thought I'd get in early.

Thank your Dad very much for us, is there any chance your Mum will be able to come or will it be too difficult for her?

It will be a new experience travelling with Anthony now, having to look after him but at least it is just him and I can concentrate more without the constant Mum, Mum, Mum in the background.
He seems happy to come but with HD they can't show it, I know he will feel comfortable being around people who know this disease as he was when Michelle and family called in. Hopefully I will see a glimpse of the man I married before HD struck. Fingers crossed.


Debbie

LOL. I wish they were all going to be air conditioned stalls I have put you down on the lucky bottle stall from 1:30pm-5:00pm if that suits you. You will be on there with one of my friends Lu, she is lovely and that way you can enjoy the morning help out in the afternoon and then enjoy the rest of the night

Ill have my fingers crossed that you will get to see glimpses of Anthony on the day and it does make such a difference when you are surrounded by people who understand:)

Mum won't come out, gosh I wish she could. She has only ever been out of the Nursing home onces in the three years and that was for my wedding. Mum has phsycotic episodes where she feels she cant leave the nursing home, she used to be the same when she was in the phsychiatric unit. So its better not to get her all upset, although I am sure once she got there she would have an absolute ball.

Anyway got to run to work, hope everything is going really well:)
xxx

Hey Nay
Did I read your response correctly - you might be moving to Mackay in a couple of weeks? As in Mackay, Queensland??? I live in Brisbane, still some 12 hours drive away, but we go to Mackay more frequently than Port Macquarie! Let me know if this where you meant and I might be able to help you with some 'local' knowledge!

someone say brisbane??? i am a northside girl  

not sure about making hte concert...really depends when my best friend has her baby..its due right hten and well a cute newborn will win out..sorry guys

am planning on making it down the highway before school goes back so might have to try and make my normal stop

Hi Erica, I'm on the northside too! I am not going to the benefit concert either, but it sounds like great fun - like a family reunion without the in-laws!

Yeah Shy you read correctly, lol:) I know its like a 3day drive from Port Macquarie, but I am starting to get desperate with the recession there are no jobs in NSW for public, private or independant High Schools. So I saw there were a few positions advertise way up there in QLD and thought I may as well give it a go, Im ready to move on from retail:) My dad thinks its an awesome idea, I think he like the idea that I would only be able to visit once a yr, hahaha:)

mackay would be lovely nay

shy...the concert is fantastic, we went odwn last year and it was a great day, the girls did super well....i just need a few things to really go my way befor ethen to come down for it

and me is on the peninsula...somewhere ...

High school teacher Nay - my condolences! I'm primary trained but after working for 7 years, took my long service leave and would prefer not to go back! While hubby is doing well with his business there is no need for me to, but we'll see what happens with this recession!

You will need to apply for teacher registration through the Queensland College of Teachers www.qct.edu.au and then I would register on the tracer website - they look after most contracts and supply work throughout Queensland, although you may get a permanent position through Education Queensland depending on your qualifications and experience.

Mackay is a lovely city with enough services to keep the avid shopper happy, but still country enough to see the mountains, beach and kangaroos just outside suburbia. There are some low lying areas which flood so be careful of sandflies and mozzie zones when you pick which area to live. I don't think there is teacher accomodation there - I don't think it is remote enough for the Remote Area scheme??? It gets pretty hot and humid during summer, so I would recommend an air conditioner - especially as you're from down south! There are several coal mines a couple of hours drive away, so you might find rental accomodation is sparse and expensive? Check it out before you go - www.realestate.com.au is pretty good website for sales and rental options. There are a couple of state high schools with a bad reputation there, but I wouldn't remember which ones off hand sorry.

Anyway, if you have any specific questions, just pm me! All the best in planning the big move!

Well I think we are just about sorted and only 5 days to go! (well kinda sorted...other than running around the three days prior to the event setting up haha)

Lets hope for a great day, lots of people, and we will do our best to raise awareness of this disease... as well as money for families! We have this great Woody Guthrie song that Jimmy Pollard sent me, called Gods Promise, Woody wrote it when he was hospitalized with HD and it has a nice little introduction explaining his battle with the illness. So we will play the song and also do some talks about HD as well! Hopefully noone will leave the concert saying "What is Huntingtons Disease?"

We will post lots of pics!

See ya at the airport friday Debbie