I find calm and inner peace reflecting on something like this. We found this verse the other day when we were walking with Caroline around the Nan Tien Temple.
We took the following photos after we had a very satisfying vegetarian lunch in the temples downstairs tea-rooms.
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Lucas, born in the early hours of Wednesday, 18th July 2012.
Following Gaby’s passing on Sunday, 15th July 2012, there was a viewing on Monday, 23rd July, for family and friends. We were able to take photos at the viewing.
The funeral service took place on Tuesday, 24th July, 12,30 pm, at
ROOKWOOD GARDENS CREMATORIUM, SOUTH CHAPEL.
The officiating celebrant was Michael Bourke. Michael lives in our area and came to visit us on Saturday, 21st July, to discuss with us the order of service.
Bernie, our funeral director in Sydney, organized the viewing at the funeral parlor. Daughter Caroline and Matthew had made first contacts with Bernie. Caroline took time off work that week, Matthew went back to work and also filled in for Caroline a bit. Son Martin took time off work too. He arrived from Melbourne in a hired car late on Wednesday, 18th July.
Martin drove daughters Caroline and Monika as well as Peter and myself to the funeral directors in Sydney on Thursday, 19th July, to make arrangements for the funeral. (Monika had taken time off work too.) Peter had that same day an appointment with an officer at Merrylands police station. After the consultation with Bernie for all the funeral arrangements we were on our way to Merrylands. The traffic turned out to be extremely slow moving because of an incident. So we were late getting to Merrylands. The police were very understanding. The interview with the police took about two hours. They wanted to know a lot about Gaby’s life.
By the way, on the day of Gaby’s departure Caroline and Matthew had driven us first to Merrylands West to Gaby’s house where we had a chance to talk to all the distressed carers including David. Later in the day Matthew drove us to Glebe. He had arranged that we could view Gaby’s body there at the morgue. The visit was very good for us. It gave us a chance to say properly good-bye to Gaby. A very understanding woman greeted us very respectfully. She made arrangements with Caroline to talk to her on the phone on our behalf whenever we had any questions. Caroline stayed with us at our place and was constantly doing all the necessary phone-calls for us. It was such a relief for us that she could do this. She was great in handling all the calls.
On Sunday, the 15th, when we were at Gaby’s house for an hour or so, we took some of Gaby’s photo albums along and also her computer, her digital camera and her mobile phone. The following day the police asked Peter to bring all these electronic items of Gaby’s to the next police station. At present these items are still in the hands of the police for further checking and investigation.
Early on Wednesday morning, 18th July, Ryan and Ebony had a baby boy. They called him Lucas. Ryan is one of Monika’s twins. So Monika is now a grandma. And Peter and I are great grandparents again! Our son Martin has already two grandchildren. So the family is growing. Caroline drove Peter and me to Wollongong hospital to see the new born baby boy. He was surrounded by his Mum and Dad and a number of aunties. We were all allowed to hold him. The baby was most of the time asleep and didn’t mind at all being passed from one to the other. It was a very joyous experience for all of us.
Bernie gave us ample time for the viewing. It started at 3 PM and we were allowed to stay there till 6 PM. People could help themselves to cups of tea. There were also some chocolates on offer.
From 11,30 on people arrived at Rookwood Memorial Gardens on the day of the funeral service. The Pall Bearers were our son Martin, Monika’s partner Mark, Monika’s twins, Troy and Ryan, Carolines’s partner Matthew and Gaby’s friend Steve. Welcome by Michael Bourke, Celebrant: Tributes by Peter, Soloist Elice Craig, and a choir of carers and friends singing Amazing Grace. Next a Photographic tribute with images of Gaby: Her life, her family, her friends.
Prayers: One Hail Mary. Verse: Michael Bourke and Committal.
After the service the celebrations of Gaby’s life were to continue at Parramatta Leagues Club. We stayed there for a while for drinks and to talk to people. Some nice pizza was available too.
Caroline, with some input from Matthew, did a tremendous amount of work in assembling the photos for the photographic tribute. She also organized the printing of the cards for the funeral service. Caroline stayed with Peter and me from the 15th of July until the day of the funeral. Martin stayed with us for one whole week too, and for part of the time Matthew stayed also with us. Recently Caroline stayed with us once more for a few days to sort out things and to give us some support. We’ve been driving with Caroline to some beautiful places here in our area. A lot of these places remind us of Gaby, of course. In our home we constantly find things that remind us of Gaby. Gaby had been a very demanding person, but also very loving and caring. She made sure that we’ll never forget her.
Peter and I just had breakfast. I had made scrambled eggs with salt and some parsley.
I added to my eggs extra spices: Curry powder, ground nutmeg, Hungarian sweet paprika and chives.
We’re awaiting our daughter Monika’s call. She offered to go with us to Gaby’s house. We have to work out which day she can make it. She might have to take a day off work again. David is still in the house but feeling very depressed. His life is very disrupted now. What can anyone do for him?
There are still some things in Gaby’s house that our daughters Monika and Caroline would like to have. The hundreds of Gaby’s photos are at our house at present and need to be sorted out at some stage. We promised Dave he could have some of the photos.
A few weeks ago I gave up walking with Irene. I just couldn’t walk as fast as she any more. I felt I was holding her back. In the meantime Peter offered to walk with me at my own pace. We’ve done this now a few times in the morning soon after breakfast. This morning we were lucky: The sun came out. We saw everything in this wonderful light. Peter took the above pictures this morning. They show parts of our walk. Later on he snatched a photo of me catching some sun at the front of out house. Since our place is at the back of the complex we feel pretty private sitting in front of the house. In winter we often have our morning tea there to catch the beautiful warm sunshine. Here in Australia we’re still in the midst of winter!
Laurie Baymarrwangga – Senior Australian of the Year 2012
From the first of July to the fourth of July daughter Caroline stayed with us. It was so good to have her at our place for a few days. Matthew had booked into Wollongong University for a daytime Winter Seminar about philosophy. In the evenings he stayed with us. Caroline had always cooked lovely meals for our dinner. She also baked a wonderful cheese cake for desert. Unfortunately we didn’t take any pictures at home.
On a cold windy day we went for a walk with Caroline along the lake. I asked Peter to take some pictures with my camera. I really like these pictures. I also like the pictures with Gaby in Merrylands. These pictures were already taken two weeks ago. Doesn’t Honey look sweet with that coat on? You can see it must have been a cold day:
On a cold day Gaby always lets the dog wear this warm coat.
Here now are the Merrylands picture
s:
We live south of Wollongong and Bulli Beach is north of Wollongong. From where we live to Bulli Beach is a fifteen minutes drive by car. So why did we book into a cabin at Bulli Beach when we can drive there from where we live any day really? The answer is simple. We need at least thirty minutes to go to this particular beach and back home again. Would we do this every day? No way. Most people don’t go to the beach regularly even if they live within walking distance. It is really quite different if you rent accommodation right next to the beach.
We had been staying at lots of other beaches before in different parts of Australia. Last year I had booked into hospital for a day-only procedure (biopsies on tongue). I had to leave the admission forms at Bulli Hospital. On that same day we went down to the beach to stay in that little cabin for three nights. I was happy we could do that. I found the place perfectly good for a little vacation. Why travel long distances for a three night stay when you have a beautiful beach close by?
Of course there are lots of other beaches all the way up and down the coast. Australia is blessed with numerous beaches. And all the beaches are open to the public! We spent lovely holidays at other beaches too. But last year, just a few months before my operation, we had this lovely time at Bulli Beach. Can’t wait to do something similar again.
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In October 2010 we stayed at this cabin at Bulli Beach for three nights
I am going to republish now a few pictures from our stay at Bulli Beach.
We spent a bit more time on the walking tracks of Mt Keira. The next lookout was totally closed off too. But the sculptures we were looking for were all there. We rested on some rocks. Peter discarded his long distance glasses on one of the rocks while he was busy doing something with his camera. When you have a very close look at one of the pictures, I think you can make out the glasses. But they are really hard to see.
After we had walked back on another very even track to where our car was parked and Peter wanted to put on his glasses for driving, he couldn’t find his glasses. He figured out that he must have left them on this rock near the sculptures where he had been sitting. So he went back all the way. Sure enough the glasses were where he thought they might be. And he assured me that they were awfully hard to see on the rock. Interesting that later on in the photo I could barely make them out. They absolutely blended in with the rock!
Back to the sculptures now. while we were sitting there a man with two kids appeared. The kids were full of beans and straight away started climbing around on the sculptures. They were overjoyed that they had found them. Apparently their Dad had told them they would be looking for the pyramids. And there they were in all their beauty! It didn’t take them long to look around. Soon all three of them disappeared again on another walking track.
So this big lookout to the Five Islands was closed off too. Nothing we could do about this. We sure didn’t want to risk falling down the cliffs!
After Peter had found his glasses again we could leave the mountain. Our way back led us along the Freeway. The Nan Tien Temple is close to where we had to pass. We hadn’t visited this temple for a while. So I suggested we could stop there for a cup of Chinese tea. Reluctantly Peter agreed. But a cup of tea doesn’t cost all that much, right? – Wrong.- We ended up each having a great vegetarian meal as well. The meal was excellent and, I think, really worth the expense. It’s just that Peter wants to save up for our trip to Germany. This trip starts in about three months! We really have to try a it harder to save some more money.
At the temple we took heaps of pictures again. This time we didn’t enter the temple. Walking around the gardens outside there were lots of motifs for taking pictures since the gardens are full of sculptures. We went along a way which leads the the Pilgrims’ Lodge. This is a place were ‘pilgrims’, that is visitors to the temple, can find overnight accommodation.
All in all, we had a truly lovely day. Afternoon coffee we had at home with Danish Apple cake, a frozen cake that we baked for half an hour in our oven. The oven warmed up our kitchen. And the cake was delicious.
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At the cafe at the foot of the Buddhist temple we had a lovely meal.
Today in between uploading these pictures we had a nice soup for lunch as well as coffee and the rest of yesterday’s cake, which was delicious warmed up a bit and topped with custard.
Thanks to Peter for letting me use some of his photos.
Here in Australia the month of June is the beginning of winter. With sunshine during the day the winter can be quite pleasant. However yesterday it was totally overcast and showers were forecast. Early in the morning Peter and I walked up to the newsagent to get the paper for the weekend. I mentioned to Peter I would like to walk a bit in clean fresh mountain air. I suggested to drive up to the highlands. Even if there was no sunshine it would be great to walk for a bit up there. Peter hesitated to agree. Then he came up with a compromise. He suggested to drive up to Wollongong’s Mt Keira. I happily agreed, that yes we could go there for a walk.
One of the tracks up there turned out to be a bit difficult for me. Peter frequently had to help me out along rocky steps. His strong hands gave me support. At one stage he drifted off a bit to take pictures of some wild flowers. I looked around. Suddenly I noticed a huge stick in the bush. It looked like some one had dropped it there for it didn’t seem to fit in the surroundings. I picked it up. It looked to me to be suitable as a walking stick, even though it was a bit long. It was easy to grab. I was very pleased with its very strong white wood. When Peter saw me with it, he wanted to take a picture straight away. Then he said he would like to put it on Facebook.
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When we arrived at the top of Mt Keira we noticed that the restaurant/kiosk up there had changed owners again and was still closed. It didn’t look to us as though it was going to be opened some time soon even though a sign told us it was going to be under new management in mid 2012.
As I said the sky was overcast but it didn’t rain yet. We took some pictures from the lookout. It’s difficult on these photos to make out where the ocean is and where the sky takes over. There were some boats on the water but you can hardly see them in the photo.
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We decided we would negotiate one of the walking tracks to another outlook. When we arrived at this outlook we found out it was closed off because of danger!
We were looking for these sculptures. After a while we actually did find them! How our day progressed, I’m going to show in another blog. I might publish it in a few hours. So, please, look out for it!
AuntyUta 