As someone who is an only child , born of parents who were only children, I have to confess that coming to grips with a family as big as this one has been an eye-opener over the years.
Nowadays Jude is the one who is the central point for keeping the various elements linked and informed about what is going on, which is no mean feat as she has a busy life with her own family and grandkids.
In a way she took over that role when Betty died, and I see a lot of characteristics of the oldest sister in the youngest sister. She loves having a big mob around and enjoys the buzz of it all.
I've always found her easy to talk to, and right from the start has made me feel part of the family. As far as 25 years ago we would stay at Jude and Barney's holiday house at Bateman's Bay, and it has been a place where some of our best family memories have been created over the years. Even during the most recent Christmas, we had an overflow of kids which stayed at Jude's place and having a beer on the balcony brought a lot of memories back. One of Jude's Bateman's Bay neighbours came in for a while and was singing her praises. It's a common thread, and even though we live a long way away from them in Melbourne, over the years I have come across people through my job who have known Jude and Barney and their eyes always light up when you mention Jude. If you know anything of Illabo and its surrounds, then you know Jude and Barney.
Family means everything to Jude and I can assure her that she means everything to the rest of the family.
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