A BIT OF HIGH COUNTRY R & R

EVERYONE must have a break now and again and we chose tiny Madesimo in the Italian Alps for a wonderful week's relaxation at the end of January.

That's Fran and I relaxing at 3000 meters, a place where the ski season ends in June! It was all sunshine, warmth and sparkling snow. Skiing? Great. Did we try it? Not at this level, where the runs - on and off piste - looked suicidal. Fran sat it out altogether, Maggie and I did well on the least demanding of the blue runs. Maggie and I did get brave near the end of our stay and went up the mountain to try out a longer blue run. It was NOT a good idea. Scary slopes which, well before the end of the run, turned into a vicious red one.

To save life and limb, we walked to the end.

GUESS WHAT HAPPENED AT THE BASKETBALL?

INTO the third year of a "whirlwind" romance, Den has finally got up the courage to pop the question to our Maggie.

Mind you, he did wait until she was in his home village of Sudislav, up in the hills and backwoods of the Czech Republic, on a cold and windy winter night of inclement weather, Maggie dressed in her pyjamas and there was no escape.

So, Maggie said "YES!" and Fran and I found out that our little girl is now an engaged woman when our phone started making a noise in the fourth minute of the third quarter of the Sopron (Hungary) v Lille (France) Euroleague basketball match. It is fair to say, this was the most memorable basketball match Fran and I have ever been to.

So, what now? Well, the happy couple have informed us of the following:

1. Maggie goes home and does her final year of studies at Sydney University, where she will graduate with the same brilliant results she has been maintaining until now (this saved an argument with her strict and merciless Mum and Dad!). In 2007 - five Distinctions and one Credit!

2. Then there will be a gathering of the Scott "clans" in Sydney, March 2009, for her graduation ceremony, where, of course, we will have to choose carefully what we will wear, because Fran and I and Den will all simply be bursting with pride and we don't want to make a mess of Sydney Uni, do we now?

3. Maggie plans to enter her profession's workforce in Britain, with Den, who has already spent considerable time working in London, also looking for livelihood over there. So, the search and planning will begin. Fran and I approve, not least because while Australia is tens of thousands of kilometers away from us, Britain is a mere 100 minutes from Budapest as the birds fly. And, airline tickets are cheaper, as well. (It will probably be no more than lucky coincidence that our likely frequent visits to England will coincide with Chelsea's Premier League matches. Pure luck, mere coincidence, I say.)

4. All going according to plan it will be a beautiful country wedding in Sudislav nad Orlici, Czech Republic, in the summer of 2009.

Hope to see many of you there!

WELCOME TO THE SCOTT FAMILY BLOG!

Well, it had to happen sometime.

From today we will try to keep you up to date with what is happening to us at this end of the world, far from our friends and families in Australia, North America and those of you nearer to us in Europe and Israel.

WHY are we doing this? Good question. One answer is practical - it is easier than sending separate emails to everyone. The other answer is emotional - we hope that all of you, our friends and family members, will reciprocate in kind and keep us up to date about your lives. Help us keep the bonds of friendship, regardless of the distances between some of us.

So, here goes! Hope you enjoy reading about our goings on as much as we - hope to - enjoy sharing it with all of you. We may be far, far away from most of you, but you are never far in our thoughts!

We love you all!

Peter, Fran and Maggie (:-))))
Budapest, Hungary - Winter 2008