The other week we saw a terrific theatre production of

Summer of the Seventeenth Doll

at the Belvoir Theatre in Sydney. This Australian play was first produced in November 1955 in Melbourne and made its way from Australia to London and New York under the direction of John Sumner. The play was written by Ray Lawler and was very successful over the years.It was also made into a movie.

The play is set in 1953 in Melbourne. One gets reminded what life was like in Australia in the 1950s. I think it shows especially what women’s life was like in those days. Women should never appear to be too easy going. This was what was expected of them. Unless a woman could get married, she really had no security at all.

The two women in the play had their men only for the five summer months during wich time they aimed at enjoying themselves to the utmost. The rest of the year their men worked as cane-cutters in Queensland. That went on for seventeen years. They never married. Then in the seventeenth year one of the women had just gone off to marry someone else.

So a new woman, a widow in her fortieth, comes into the game. They want to see whether she fits in so they can keep on playing the game of being absolutely happy during the summer months. Somehow it doesn’t work out because the people involved haven’t learned to take on responsibility. They just do not want to grow up. Maybe they think they can  enjoy themselves like that for ever and ever. They never seem to want to grow older. The five months spent together have just become a habit. They are under the delusion that this makes them happy.

Stressful situations like this still exist if partners have to work in different occupations in different countries for part of the year. So I think the play has still relevance today!

We were lucky enough to be at a debriefing last Sunday with the playwright Ray Lawler. He is in his nineties now and a dear old gentleman. He told us much about his life. He started work in a factory at age fourteen. He did the factory work for eleven years. When he started writing, he went to the Melbourne Public Library which opened at 10 in the morning and closed at 10 o’clock at night. It was quiet there, in winter warm and cool enough in summer. He counted himself to be very fortunate that he was able to write in a place like that.

For the said production Belvoir Theatre Company cut a window into the outside wall of the theatre  so that proper lighting could fall onto the stage through this window. That gave the audience the illusion that it was outside either daytime or night-time.

In the photo the two lamps are covered. The lamps are being used for lighting effects durings evening performances.

Only one week ago I published a blog about my daughter Gaby. Since then quite a few changes in Gaby’s World came about.

It started with her carer becoming so sick that he had to be admitted to hospital. On short notice someone had to be found to stay with Gaby overnight. One of her daytime staff agreed to stay with her for the night and the following night and the following one. But how would it go on?

There’s an organisation ‘Respite Carers’ who helped Gaby a great deal to get more funding for continuous nighttime caring. The funding however applies only for the following two weeks. For the moment Gaby is somewhat relieved that the next two weeks are being taken care of.

Before Gaby got the good news about the new funding arrangements she was immensely upset and close to tears for it looked very much like, if nobody could stay with her overnight, she might have to be taken care of in an institution. All this made Gaby terribly anxious. Seeing her ‘independence’ slipping away, I think is one of the worst things that could happen to her. In her distress Gaby was somewhat lucky again because some people with some kind of authority took pitty on her and did their utmost to help her out. I’m sure she is very grateful for this. One person who looked into Gaby’s case meant the new arrangements wouldn’t ‘look good on paper’, but still was prepared to go along with it. That shows what can be done if people are of good will.

The picture shows Gaby promoting her favourite Football Club.

Last week Peter and I had a look at Port Kembla Beach Swimming Pool. The beach is right next to the pool. It was a bit cool, however there was no wind. It was great for a walk along the beach. There were hardly any people,  even though the school vacation was still on. The pool cafe was open. We sat outside under the umbrella with some good fruit juice.

On the way home we stopped at a Lagoon Reserve and watched some pelicans. For lunch we had grilled fish with salad and chips as well as tea. Delicious meal in a hidden away cafe in a close by shopping centre. The shopping centre was full of people including lots of children. I wonder, why some of those people weren’t on the beach on a beautiful springday like this?

I must say for swimming in the pool the water still seemed a bit cold. I prefer our solar heated pool in Dapto where the temperature is never less then 24 Degrees Celsius. I went with my feet a little bit into the water at the beach. This was very enjoyable!

On another day last week we went up the escarpment along Macquarie Pass and then all the way to Bowral, a lovely township in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. There are some lovely gardens in Bowral and most of the tulips there were still in full bloom. Peter took the chance to take lots of pictures on both our outings. We had a lovely time!

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Celebrating Life….Dear IT, I just read your post about your 40th birthday. It so happens, that my son’s birthday is also on the 8th April. He turned 51 this year. Belatedly I still want to wish you all the best for the years ahead! And may you be able to visit your folks as planned. I read your post about your Dad. It shows what a good upbringing you had and how grateful you are for this. Your Dad and your Mum too must have been great parents,

Again my very best wishes for the future!

Tuesday, 5. 7. 2011

Yesterday I saw Dr. B for the first time. My own GP had already ten patients enrolled for the morning. I did not feel like waiting around just to get a new script. So I enrolled for the next available doctor. ‘May I take your blood pressure?’ Dr. B asked. ‘Sure,’ I said.

When my blood pressure turned out to be quite high, I explained to Dr. B that I had been rushing a bit before I went to see him. In a very gentle voice he responded by saying:

‘We all feel rushed at times. However it may be quite dangerous if because of feeling rushed the blood pressure constantly reaches too high levels. Do you take your blood pressure tablet every day?’

‘Yes, every morning, Doctor. – I just need a new prescription.’ – ‘All right, I give you your prescription, but I want you to see your GP in four weeks time so he can check your blood pressure again.’

I had told the doctor about the cancerous growth on my tongue, also that it had been successfully cut out during a procedure at the hospital. After having looked at my files in the computer, he asked me whether I was going to see the specialist, Dr. P, again. I said yes, I was going to see him again this month.

‘My tongue feels all right now, Doctor. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.’ The doctor gave me the script for my blood pressure tablets. He asked, whether I wanted to talk about something else. But I there was nothing else that bothered me that morning. I just wanted the repeat prescription! I was only too happy to leave the consultation room, script in hand, after having signed the form for Medicare. I liked Dr. B. I thought he tried to be very helpful.

Since that conversation with Dr. B I keep thinking about my problem with blood pressure. Why is it that I feel so easily rushed? Why does the blood pressure immediately go sky high with just a little bit of rushing? I am seventy-six. Why don’t I slow down a bit more? If I did everything really slowly I”m sure I’d have no problem with blood pressure!

The Thursday Heart Move Exercises at Heininger House are just called ‘Gentle Exercises’ now. Martha is a very good instructor. She sees to it that the exercises remain gentle. Whenever someone in the group cannot cope with all of the gentle exercises that person is encouraged to sit down and do the exercises sitting down. Some of the exercises we all do sitting down anyway. The exercises are for senior citizens. Twenty people are enrolled in the class. Each of us pays only two Dollars fifty Cents for the one hour session.

After having exercised for about thirty minutes we have a little break when glasses of water are being offered. Some people use the break to go to the toilet. The exercises are so slow moving with lovely accompanying music that I hardly get a chance to feel out of breath. Since everything is done slowly, I usually don’t find it too difficult to keep moving for the whole hour. I find the exercises improve my balance! And they seem to be good breathing exercises as well.