What I wrote on the 4th of July 2017 about our Visit to Benalla

. . . . . Recently we have been visiting Benalla in Victoria.  Unfortunately, because of bad eyesight, I cannot drive anymore. So  Peter had to drive to Benalla and back all by himself. We were driving to Benalla to visit our son Martin and to see his new place. Door to door it was about 600 km only, whereas when the son lived in Melbourne (Essendon) the distance was about 800 km.

Since we are in the midst of winter now here in Australia, daylight hours are only about for ten hours, namely from ca. 7 am to 5 pm. Well, Peter had no problem driving the distance within daylight hours. However, I suggested that on the way back we could stay in a motel in Holbrook  for one night to interrupt the journey, and that would give us the chance to look around a bit and familiarize us again with some things in the area. But oh no,  Peter insisted on driving straight home. I like to call it ‘homeritis’!

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On our last day in Benalla, a Saturday, all of us went for lunch to the Art Gallery Cafe. We were very happy that our Grandson and his wife and two daughters could meet us there.

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On the way to the Cafe
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Here grandson Tristan arrives with his family to meet all of us.

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Son Martin having a rest in the park.

Son Martin took these pictures of Peter and me on the terrace of the Cafe.

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View from the cafe’s terrace

It was a bit too cold to sit out there. It was better to have lunch inside.

Here is some of the food that we had.

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This is grandson Tristan.

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Kia
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Jak.i

After lunch we had a look at some of the pictures in the Art Gallery.

It was lovely to see great-granddaughters Kia and Jaki again as well as Tris and Steph. And now I include some more pictures from another park nearby that we took on another day.

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And on the 6th of July 2017 I wrote this:

We had arrived in Benalla two weeks ago on Wednesday in beautiful late afternoon sunshine. I was very happy that we had found our son’s new place straight away and that we had made good time on our a bit more than 600 km trip. We had left Dapto early in the morning as soon as it got a bit light and we made it to Benalla before it got dark. In Benalla the air was fresh and cool, but the sun still warmed it a bit. Martin, our son, said that during the night the temperature could drop to freezing point. First thing in the morning he would look outside and check whether the birdbath had been frozen over again. In Martin’s house it was warm and cozy. A cup of tea was very welcome. Later on we had an excellent home cooked dinner.

Martin had bought a two bedroom house. We were given the spare bedroom. It was similar to what it had been like when we used to visit him in Essendon in Melbourne, where he had rented a two bedroom place. Before Martin left the place in Melbourne, he had given away most of his furniture for he was in the lucky position to take over the Benalla house with all the furniture and other things in it. This is furniture, I might say,  is absolutely great to have and very tasteful. On top of it it saved Martin quite a bit of moving. Still, he had to get rid of his old furniture in Melbourne, which was not all that easy, I guess.

The stuff that he had to move to the new house some 200 km away he packed into a hired  van. He had to return the van the same day after having travelled the 200 km to Benalla and back. Martin is 57 and not used to lifting heavy things. He’s only used to office work and a lot of walking and he even did quite a bit of running in the past. In Melbourne he did not need a car. He could walk everywhere or use public transport. For travelling he often hired a car.

Now, in Benalla, he’s already used to walking the few minutes into town. Still, he says he might perhaps buy a car sometime soon. But he’s not sure yet. At the moment he has  problems with sitting. With all that sitting at the office his back was vulnerable. Now with having had to lift a lot of stuff to clear his place in Melbourne just a few weeks ago, his back became very painful,  still is very painful  when he is sitting down or lying down. He can never sit for very long. He does most things standing up. Walking, he finds is very easy for him. So he feels fine walking. But lying down is difficult and he has trouble sleeping through the night.

Peter and I were lovingly looked after by our son as always. For the four nights in Benalla we stayed in Martin’s spare bedroom, which is the Japanese room. I show here some pictures of it:

In that bedroom there was also a large built-in wardrobe. And a heater was set up for us. We never felt too cold in Benalla.

 

Saturday Afternoon, 3rd of March 2018

Peter and I just returned from an outing to Austinmer Beach where we had some lunch at the Austi Beach Cafe. After lunch we drove to the Ruby’s Cafe at Bulli Beach for some coffee. It was a beautiful late summer day here in the Illawarra of Australia, and we took heaps of photos again, that is, I think I probably took most of the photos!

http://austibeach.com.au/

https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restaurant_Review-g255333-d4845634-Reviews-Rubys_Cafe_On_Bulli_Beach-Wollongong_New_South_Wales.html

 

The View from the Cafe

Yoga classes seem to be popular in Austinmer.

 

For lunch we had fish and chips, a small salad, and some ricotta pancakes.

 

 

The following pictures are taken at Bulli Beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday again

Two weeks ago was the wedding of Caroline and Matthew. During the week after the wedding they went to the South Coast for a little holiday. When they returned from their honeymoon they stayed with us in Dapto for one night from Friday to Saturday. I think it was on Friday when they drove us down to the lake where we went for a lovely walk.

Well, and then on that Saturday one week ago they invited us and some friends to the Hellenic Club in West Wollongong. We had always wanted to get to know this club. So far we had never made it there. So last Saturday we finally actually went to this club. and had lunch there. We did like the club very much and definitely want to go there again.

http://www.wollongonghellenicclub.com.au/

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This is the Entrance from the back where the cars are parked.

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Towards the End of Summer in Australia

Yesterday, on the last day in February, I spent the day exploring the Wollongong Harboursite a bit while Peter had to spend the day in Wollongong Hospital. It was a glorious late summer day. I used the Free Tram to get to the Harbour.

Click to access gongshuttlemap.pdf

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Since we had had a very early breakfast that day I felt already a bit hungry. So first thing I sat down here in Osborne Park and had some cheese on Rye as well as some grapes and water. Before going down to the harbour I took some more photos:

 

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Walking down to the traffic lights it was easy to cross the road to the other site. The next pictures show where I walked along then.

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http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/4835205/see-wollongongs-new-blue-mile-tramway-take-shape/

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Here at this bus stop I caught the free tram back into the city where I had some lovely hot chilly chocolate drink. Then I took another bus back to the hospital where I spent a bit of time at the outside terrace. I waited then for quite a few hours in different areas in and outside the hospital until Peter was ready to go back home. Our daughter Monika was called at work when Peter was ready. She came and picked us up and drove us back home to Dapto. Next Monday Peter has to see his cardiologist. So we have to wait and see what he has to say.

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From this outside area at the Hospital one can see Mount Keira

http://www.visitwollongong.com.au/things-to-do/lookouts

 

Last Monday in February 2018

Today, the 26th of February, I think back on the last few days. I feel it has been a long time since I mentioned anything that is going on in our lives. Too many things have been happening, mostly very lovely things! Saturday, the 17th of February was definitely the best of all the recent happenings: It was the wonderful wedding ceremony of daughter Caroline and son-in-law Matthew.

As usual I am running out of time again. So I just want to insert a.few photos and write another post when I have a bit more time.

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THE RECEPTION WAS AT THE MARRICKVILLE BOWLING CLUB. THE CEREMONY HAD BEEN HERE AT THE STABLES THEATRE;

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Matthew and his brother Ben

I can publish some photos of the wedding ceremony when we get the official photos from the wedding photographer. Here now are some photos I took at the club of people dancing. I want to mention here that Caroline and Matthew did a magnificent opening dance, and I’ll show some pictures of the bride and groom dancing at some other time when I get some photos of it!

 

 

 

 

Can the Writing of Emails be seen as a Substitute for Letter Writing?

A few weeks ago I referred in my blog to something I had read about ’emails and tweets’:

https://auntyuta.com/2018/01/27/nobody-inherits-emails-and-tweets/

Nobody inherits emails and tweets!”

This is what Wally says in Di Morrissey’s novel:

https://auntyuta.com/2018/01/26/the-red-coast/

I regard email writing more or less as a substitute for letter writing, and I do save a lot of emails for future reference.  I like that these days some instant communication is possible with email writing. In the past a letter would take quite a while to reach the receiver. Even though instant communication is possible per email, most people seem to prefer  the making of phone calls or sending messages by phone  or using  something like Facebook or twitter. These messages would probably not be kept for very long. But to my mind if you use emails as a substitute for letter writing, these emails might well be of some interest for future generations.

Or what do you think?

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Peter and I saved heaps of letters that we received in the olden days when we had to rely on the postal service for the delivery of letters. We usually made copies of the letters we sent away and these copies are in these folders too. Well, all this someone interested might find in these folders once we’re gone!

Uta’s Diary: Last Day in January of 2018, that turned out to be a very cold Day!

 

 

I think it was Wednesday when the weather suddenly went from very hot to much, much cooler. This was the day when I baked some vegetables in the oven. I cut up one of the kohlrabis and some potatoes and arranged the pieces on the sides of the tray. In the middle of the tray I placed the cut up carrots  and right behind it some pieces of sweet potato . The whole lot I sprinkles with olive oil and a bit of sea-salt.

 

It was nice to have a bit of red wine with the meal.

Diary towards the End of January 2018

On Monday we had some goulash and dumplings left from Sunday. Peter liked the spicy gravy very much. He also got a little bit of left over red cabbage and some other vegies. I chose the following for my meal: Cannellini Beans ( Peter did get some of these too), Natural Yogurt,  and Beetroot.

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To the beans I added some Psylium Husk Powder and grated cheese. I also added some Turmeric to the beans and there were also some salad leaves on the plate. We were both very happy with our meal!

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The other day at Bunnings in Warrawong we did get a spray can for painting the outside table a bright yellow. Peter also bought a new shower head. He already changed the shower head. And the new one works very well! Good job done Peter.

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We always buy a lot of different fruit. Every day we eat a bit of banana. The banana skin gets cut into small pieces for the worms in our worm farm.

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The apricots were delicious. Peter added one onto a piece of bread and thought it tasted as good as jam!

Up until last Sunday we watched a lot of tennis on TV. They showed quite a few very good matches from the Australian Open in Melbourne. The adds were very tiring though. It was usually  very hot during the AO. Here at our place we had a lot of hot days and nights the past few days. We even put the air-conditioning on a few times!

To find Meaning in Life

After browsing through a lot of articles on the internet, I ended up with the following blog about the Meaning in Life:

http://bigthink.com/21st-century-spirituality/4-ways-to-find-meaning-in-life

 

Derek Beres refers to  Emily Esfahani Smith’s  book, The Power of Meaning: Finding Fulfillment in a World Obsessed by Happiness, and says:

“We are obsessed with happiness, often believing it a birthright, yet as journalist We are obsessed with happiness, often believing it a birthright, yet as journalist Emily Esfahani Smith notes in her book, The Power of Meaning: Finding Fulfillment in a World Obsessed by Happiness, all that searching is actually making us unhappy”

Beres further says the following:

“As with my recent conversationwith Robert Lustig, Smith cites Aristotle’s concept of eudaemonia as a force for “cultivating the best qualities within you both morally and intellectually and living up to your potential.” Instead of chasing pleasure, we need to institute the search for meaning.

This is challenging during a time when you’re constantly instructed to do “what you love.” Smith counters this advice by invoking German philosopher Immanuel Kant. As with the mythologist Joseph Campbell, who, while famously remembered for saying “follow your bliss,” continued, “If your bliss is just your fun and your excitement, you’re on the wrong track.”

“To Kant, the question is not what makes you happy. The question is how to do your duty, how to best contribute—or, as the theologian Frederick Buechner put it, your vocation lies ‘where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.’”

Smith’s beautifully researched homage to this hunger hinges on “four pillars of meaning.” By seeking, cultivating, and maintaining each of these, she argues, happiness arises from a deep sense of contentment rather than the incessant and unyielding grasping for pleasure. “

Then there are four interesting write-ups about

Belonging

Purpose

Storytelling

Transcendence: Here Beres points out that Smith grew up in a Sufi household.

Beres says: “Transcendence is at the heart of most spiritual traditions. It can be achieved through psychedelics, music, scripture, or meditation. A deep sense of connectedness carries adherents beyond the normal trappings of society. People are able to intimately connect with their environment and peers. Writing of volunteers in a 2015 study focused on the development of empathy through transcendence,”

Smith notes:

“They abandoned the conceit, which many of us have, that they were the center of the world. Instead, they stepped outside of themselves to connect with and focus on others.”

 

 Derek Beres is the author ofWhole Motion: Training Your Brain and Body For Optimal Health. Based in Los Angeles, he is working on a new book about spiritual consumerism. Stay in touch on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Here is what I found in Amazon.com about the book:

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Meaning-Fulfillment-Obsessed-Happiness/

The Power of Meaning: Finding Fulfillment in a World Obsessed with Happiness Paperback – September 5, 2017
by Emily Esfahani Smith (Author)
In a culture obsessed with happiness, this wise, stirring book points the way toward a richer, more satisfying life.

“Too many of us believe that the search for meaning is an esoteric pursuit—that you have to travel to a distant monastery or page through dusty volumes to discover life’s secrets. The truth is, there are untapped sources of meaning all around us—right here, right now.

To explore how we can craft lives of meaning, Emily Esfahani Smith synthesizes a kaleidoscopic array of sources—from psychologists, sociologists, philosophers, and neuroscientists to figures in literature and history such as George Eliot, Viktor Frankl, Aristotle, and the Buddha. Drawing on this research, Smith shows us how cultivating connections to others, identifying and working toward a purpose, telling stories about our place in the world, and seeking out mystery can immeasurably deepen our lives.

To bring what she calls the four pillars of meaning to life, Smith visits a tight-knit fishing village in the Chesapeake Bay, stargazes in West Texas, attends a dinner where young people gather to share their experiences of profound loss, and more. She also introduces us to compelling seekers of meaning—from the drug kingpin who finds his purpose in helping people get fit to the artist who draws on her Hindu upbringing to create arresting photographs. And she explores how we might begin to build a culture that leaves space for introspection and awe, cultivates a sense of community, and imbues our lives with meaning.

Inspiring and story-driven, The Power of Meaning will strike a profound chord in anyone seeking a life that matters.”

“Nobody inherits emails and tweets!”

Nobody inherits emails and tweets!”

This is what Wally says in Di Morrissey’s novel that I talked about yesterday in my blog:

https://auntyuta.com/2018/01/26/the-red-coast/

So, I think Wally raised the point that what is written down as a family history, can be passed on to future generations.

Wally says there is a chance that someone might find the written down family history sometime in the future and become interested in it. But something like this is not going to happen with emails or tweets. And I think this statement is correct!

This statement makes me feel good since for the past few years I tried over and over again to write down as much about my family history as I could remember. According to Wally I seem to have done the right thing writing down whatever I could. There is just one thing, I am still far behind in copying everything onto paper. To my mind it is much safer to leave everything on paper besides having it in the computer. So far having my writing in the computer seems to be more or less safe. However, I am not so sure that safety is guaranteed for all eternity! It should really be one of my priorities to copy my writing onto paper. Why do I find it so hard to persevere with this? Many distractions. perhaps? The distractions seem to be never ending. I make excuses every day why I cannot do certain things. With advancing age there are days when I find it difficult, to continue reading interesting articles in the media or in WordPress. This dreadful lethargy makes me just play games on the computer. At least, usually I am still capable of getting good results when I play these games. I stick to three different games only. I am not interested in finding any more games to play on the computer. These three games, that I keep playing, I find to be enough entertainment. I do not want to get bogged down with any more games!

My three games on the computer are:

  • Free Cell
  • Spider Solitaire
  • Solitaire

Today, after a break of two weeks, we finally managed to do some house cleaning again. I was happy to be able to share in the task, and I was also very happy when after a couple of hours or so I had the feeling that now the house was reasonably clean again.

The next thing on the list was travelling to Warrawong for a bit of shopping. Peter was not very happy when I suggested a tea-break. Bunnings, the huge hardware store, where we managed to get a few things that we had been looking for, well, this hardware store was not air-conditioned. It was very hot and humid outside. The hot humid air was allowed to fill the store through the open doors. I think a few fans were blowing in the shop. It was not disastrously hot, but the humid air made it extremely uncomfortable. I usually do not like a lot of air-conditioning, but when the hot air is so very humid, then I am really grateful for a bit of air-conditioning. Our next stop was the huge Warrawong Shopping Centre, and this place was cool.

This is when I suggested our tea-break. It took a while to talk Peter into it. When Peter goes shopping by himself he never stops for tea or coffee. And very reluctantly he agreed to have this tea-break with me.

 

Today was the day after Australia Day. The coffee/tea shop in the shopping centre still had some Australian flags on display.

One week ago, on Saturday, we had our lunch meeting with the future in-laws. The wedding of Caroline and Matthew is going to take place in three weeks time, namely on the 17th of February 2018. This is the day when twelve years ago Caroline and Matthew met for the first time!

 

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