Category: Diary

Diary of Aunty Uta

Peter and I just finished our morning tea. We were  enjoying sitting outside in the warm winter-sun,  watching a wild dove, who  seemed to watch us, while she looked again and again towards a large bush. Was she thinking of building a nest there? We had found birds’ nests in the past in bushes near the front of our house. It was not like this with this bird. She just took off to look around elsewhere.

Our thoughts went to our neighbours, J. and S.,  who had  left  early in the morning to go on a holiday to Queensland. J. sometimes comes to talk to us when we’re sitting outside having our cup of tea. Peter says that J. won’t be around today.

So, why do we suddenly talk about the games we played as children?  I think we were comparing our different attitudes to being left alone. I say I cannot remember ever having been distressed when I was left to do something by myself or to go to sleep. I had my ‘Kinderzimmer’, where I was  often supposed to play on my own. When I was all by myself, I liked to invent people who would talk to me. I totally accepted that not all the time someone could be with me no matter how much I loved to be surrounded by people.

‘Yes’, Peter says,  ‘I played with my toys all by myself too. I can imagine your Mum would have been home with you more often than mine because your Mum did not have to go to work, whereas my Mum always went away, and I hated it, when she went away. I did not want her to go away.’

I say: ‘I don’t think, it bothered me, when Mum had to go somewhere without me. But I sure was  very happy  when I was allowed go on an outing somewhere. And I certainly loved it, when I was allowed  to play  with other children.’

Many children my age and older lived in the neighbourhood  in apartments of five-story high buildings. Our street was very secluded with no traffic to speak of. We would play ball-games in the street. We also played singing games, indeed lots of games with singing or reciting certain verses. It doesn’t take me long, before I start singing  songs and reciting verses that went with our games. I am amazed at myself. that I can still remember the melodies and   the words quite effortlessly! (If someone asked me to recite something like it on a stage, I probably would not remember a word!)

Diary of Aunty Uta

 

Four weeks ago I saw Dr. B. I’m aware I ought to see my GP this week to get my blood pressure checked again. I check my blood pressure at home all the time. Sometimes it’s high, sometimes it’s low. When I get very tired, it’s usually very low. And when I can’t relax, it’s high. If I could get my emotions more under control, maybe then my blood pressure woul normalise?

Two weeks ago I saw the surgeon who operated on my tongue on the 31st of May. He’s very pleased with the way the tongue has healed. In three months he wants to see me again.

One week ago I saw the dentist at the Holistic Dental Health Centre in Sydney.I made another appointment with him for cleaning of the teeth and to discuss several health aspects. Hubby made an appointment too. Each of us are going to see him for one hour in the afternoon of the 21st of Septemer, which is my 77th birthday!

Before I got up this morning I kept thinking of themes for my blog. I could write about our area. We have beautiful beaches very close by. There’s also a bit of rainforest left in our area. I could write about different aspects in retirement. Whyx are retired people always pressed for time?

I could write about all the travelling we did over the past fifteen months or so.We had quite a few lovely breaks away from home. After every trip we enjoy being home again. We think our home is paradise! If I knew how to include pictures I could show some of them in my blog. I would love to show some pictures of our home and surrounds!

I only just started blogging. So mayby there’s still hope that it’s not too late yet for me to learn a bit more about blogging.

My First Memory

The other day there was a blog suggested with the

above title. I always thought my memories go very far

back however I could not immediatley recall what

my very first memory may have been. After thinking

about it for a while now I came to the conclusion

that one of my first memories may have been about

sitting in a stroller and sleeping in a cot. I remember

how thrilled I was when after my third birthday I was

allowed to change from my cot into a single bed. I felt

really grown-up then! And from that age on I certainly

was not pushed around in a stroller anymore. I was able

to walk to where ever we were going.I can still remember

the little store-room where my stroller was kept, looking

at the stroller and thinking, ah yes, I was pushed aoun

in this when I was little.

I was born in 1934. It must have been before my third

birthday because I remember I was still using the cot

to sleep in, when my Mum said ‘Gute Nacht’ and she

explained to me that she was going out that night. I

should tell her to have a good time (“Mutti amüsier

dich gut!” and kiss her Goodnight. Actually this

definitely happened on a number of occasions.

At the time we did not have a live-in maid yet. Ma father

did not always work in the same town where we lived.

When my mother went out at night-time, it would often

have been with her sister. So I, little Uta, was left in

my cot all on my own in the apartment. When Mum left,

I would happily wish her a good time. I really wanted

her to have a good time. Because then my Mum felt

happy. I loved it when she felt happy. I cannot

remember ever having felt scared as a kid because I was

left alone for a while!

At the time it was quite normal in Germany for people

to leave their little children unattended at home.

 

Encouragement

Bianca Schlimm  encouraged me to

open up a Blog so I could publish all the memories

about my life. Bianca has been reading some of my

memories and found them interesting. Bianca herself

is an ardent blogger . I sometimes have very

interesting Email exchange with her. Personally I

love to stay in contact with people via Email. With

Email I usually have no problems whereas blogging

is very new to me and I find it very confusing

to work out what to do with a Blog.

Diary of Aunty Uta

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.

In my reply to Bookjunkie I refer to walking and swimming.