Peter took this picture on the 21st December 2012, our Wedding Anniversary. The Corbett Gardens are in Bowral. This day in 2012 was the last time we went to see the Gardens. Over the years we did go a few times to have a look at the tulips there in spring time during the tulip festival. This year we missed out again on seeing the tulips there.
Two years ago in December we quite liked to walk through Corbett Gardens on a summer day. There were no tulips there, but the gardens looked lovely none the less.
On the way to the Gardens we had stopped at the Bradman Museum.
Yesterday afternoon I wrote the above. In Megan I have a helper who is not only interested in helping me with my housework and shopping, but she is also very interested in what I am writing, Really, she is such a pearl for she does not shy away from trying to help me with my writing. We had a trial writing session yesterday, that is, I asked her could she take over my typing. So I was telling her bits and pieces, whatever came to my mind, what I would like to be writing about. Sometimes I was talking rather fast. Still, Megan was able to catch up with most of it, just keeping on with the typing, here and there making a few changes. I can say that basically it remained a first draft, so I can now decide whether I can use it for something.
I am ninety. So I know that my time is very limited. But that does not matter for as long as I feel happy about being alive and maybe can also still do a little bit of writing. I very nuch care about relationships. To devote a great amount of my time to respond to what people say is important to me. Without significant relationships I am nothing. I have to say that relationships that I did have in the past do count a lot too, and I want to be able to tell about them and write about them. However I feel I should not forget to write about present relationships too!
So, where am I at this stage? Can I prioritize and devote myself to the things that are the most important to me? How can I still make the most with the time that is left to me? Even though I cannot know exactly how much time I may still be given, I can still try to make the most of every day that I still feel alive enough to be doing something at all. To be able to do something is such a blessing!
What about loneliness? It is said the feeling of loneliness can be a killer as much as any sickness. For most people it seems to be important that they have someone to hug and to kiss. How can hugging and kissing be so important? But it is. Instead of generalising I want to tell here something about myself. I think for most of my life I was more an introvert than an extrovert. Has aging changed me in some ways? Maybe yes. In my old age I find it usually not very difficult to be somewhat outgoing in communicating with people who in the past perhaps would have been very much out of reach for me. Also I find now often some increased desire to hug and kiss people.
Looking back at my longtime marriage, I think it lasted fot that long because we always had some kind of love and respect for each other. Now that I have a ‘boyfriend’ who is nearly as old as I am, we too love and respect each other. He too comes from a very long lasting marriage. It seems to me he has sometimes difficulty treating me just as a girlfriend. I like him very much, but I like him as a girlfriend, not as a wife . . . .
So, where am I? I am happy that Les and I have found each other. We have lots of fun together. Les has a wonderful sense of humour. He often makes me laugh. And he likes me to laugh a lot! 😂
Peter took this picture on the morning of Sunday, the 7th of September 2014. This was Fathers Day in Australia. There were blue irises as well as a bottle of Peter’s favourite port-wine. The cake made with ground almonds was for the afternoon. Monika arrived in the afternoon with sons and daughters as well as two year old grandson Lucas. Monika brought gifts along for her Papa: A lovely bottle of wine, chocolates, scratchies and a card.
Son Martin rang from Melbourne at night-time. This call was diverted to our interim mobile phone that Telstra had sent us to use while our landline phone was out of order. This mobile phone had no ringing sound. Instead a computerised female voice always announced to us when we had a phone call.
Caroline and Matthew had been going away for a few days to attend the wedding of their friends. They are back now and we are going to see them on Sunday. They probably made a lot of pictures and are going to tell us a lot about their trip.
Peter thought he had a lovely Fathers Day last Sunday. We are looking forward to seeing Caroline and Matthew very soon.
Nearly two months ago was my 90th birthday. It was not celebrated the way it had been planned. Come to think of it, the changes were not all that bad. I tell myself, I am still a lucky person. I am grateful for being alive and able to enjoy life a lot. Here is what I published before:
auntyuta Yes, Linda, It took hours and hours before it was esablished that Monika could not receive her new passport soon enough for us to be able to board the ship before its departure. Finally, we had to find a way back home at our own cost. What a horrible day! However, my sweet daughter Caroline drove me all the way home to Dapto late in the afternoon. When she heard of our plight that we were not allowed to board the ship, she left her work early and retrieved her car to where it was parked in Sydney to take me home to Dapto. We had a bit to eat at my place and at about 10pm Caroline drove back to her place in Sydney.
As you know, on Wednesday, September 18th, the ship left without us. My daughter Caroline drove me back home on that day.
Three days later was Friday, and this was my 90th birthday. On that day I had a good time staying overnight in a nearby hotel with my friend Les. Naturally we spent the following weekend together too.
Thursday September 27 was the day that the Carneval returned to Sydney, and our luggage was there to be collected. I had borrowed from Les a big suittcase for the cruise! The suitcase had done the trip to Vanuatu and back without me. My family picked it up for me and I was happy that I got it returned in a good condition.
On the following Sunday, the 30th of September, we had as planned a family gathering to celebrate my turning ninety as well as great-grandson Alexander turning ten on the 27th of September just a few days after my birthday!
We had a nice birthday lunch as well as afternoon cafe and birthday cake at the neraby German Club. About ten people were present, including the birthday boy of course. Unfortunately some people could not join us on that day because of illness.
I feel sorry for Monika and Natasha that they had to miss out on a cruise that had cost them so much money. All that money is lost now. But they still hope eventuallyto be able to go onto another cruise. I made up my mind now: I do not want to book another cruise again. I prefer to stay close to my home.
Wednesday, the 18th of September, was a pretty horrible day for my daughter Monika, granddaughter Natasha, and me! We could not go on the cruise and that was it. We had paid for a 9 day cruise. We had paid for the trip to the boat and back. It was all for nothing. We were not entitled to any money back. In the end I thought maybe it was all for the best that I couldnot go on this cruise. I feel now. that it is best for me if I stay at all times very close to the place where I live. Just to stay away for 9 days, I had had to pay 700 Dollars in insurance. This shows what a risk I am if I do not stay close to home. So, from now on no more cruises for me that take me too far away from home.
How did the three of us find our way back home after the cruise was cancelled, and how did we get or luggage back that was already handed in for the cruise? Well, these are questions that I want to answer some other time. For now I just want to point out that I made the most of it celebrating my birthday with a very special person in a nearby hotel on Saturday, the 21st of September. On Sunday, the 29th of September, followed a special birthday celebration for ten year old Alexander and me at the nearby German Cl;ub. (Alexander is a gteat-grandson of mine who was born just a few days after my 80th birthday! 😀)
September was the month when I was supposed to go on a cruise with daughter Monika and granddaughter Natasha. On Wednesday, the 18th of that month, we were right on time in Sydney.. Carnival, the big ocean ship was waiting for us at Circular Quay. Straightaway we were able to check in our luggage., that is, each of us had a large suitcase to be checked in. So there was no problem with that, none whatsoever. But when it was time to board the ship, we were told we could not go on board yet since omething was not right with Monika’s passport. The problem was that Monika’s passport was only valid for another four months! They said, it should be valid for at least another six months.
Today is already the 13th of October. Exactly one month ago, on Friday the 13th of September, I had some friends over in the afternoon for some pre-birthday celebrations. We were sitting outside on the deck having some bubbly wine and or some soft drinks. I liked the wine and had a bit too much of it. It affected me so much, that I was actually quite drunk, and due to my drunkenness ended up with a nasty fall. Since that day one month ago i haven’ttouched any alcohol again.
AuntyUta 