“Yes, that Saturday before King’s Birthday was a very good day for us. I felt very good on Sunday too. but later on Monday I stared feeling a bit sick. On Wednesday I felt so sick that I went to see the doctor. I was given a lot of tests then. Most of the tests just confirmed my very good health. Yes, normally I still feel quite healthy. The course of antibioltics I am taking now nay hopefully clear up a minor infection.”
So, it had actually been a bit of food poisoning that had caused the sickness. I feel quite alright now.
In the meantime there has been the 4th Sunday of Advent, also the anniversary of Peter’s and mine 65th wedding in 1956! It was a very small wedding, only the two witnesses as guests!
During the last few years there have been many weddings in our family here in Australia! I am very proud of our family. I am already blessed with six great-grandchildren! Also a seventh one born only some six months ago. This beautiful little great-grandson is daughter Caroline’s step grandson, that is Matthew, her husband, has a daughter, Alex, from his first marriage, who has a lovely baby boy son now! We have been to the wedding of Alex and Josh among many other weddings within our family. Two weddings took place only after the couple had lived together already for a number of years.
Auntie, Sister. Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Mother and Wife of German Descent I’ve lived in Australia since 1959 together with my husband Peter. We have four children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. I started blogging because I wanted to publish some of my childhood memories. I am blogging now also some of my other memories. I like to publish some photos too as well as a little bit of a diary from the present time. Occasionally I publish a story with a bit of fiction in it. Peter, my husband, is publishing some of his stories under berlioz1935.wordpress.com View all posts by auntyuta
18 thoughts on “Uta’s December 2021 Diary continued”
doesitevenmatter3EditWhat wonderful memories! I hope they keep you smiling! (((HUGS))) PS…my hubby and I celebrated 45 years recently! We met as teenagers. We were together/dating 3 years before we got married. And we were good friends 1 year before we started dating. So we’ve been together 49 years! Reply
doesitevenmatter3EditThank you! Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season! (((HUGS)))
freefall852EditI trust you are keeping well, Uta and ready to step-up to the new year..I hope it is agood one for you and yours..as you say above…all the best..Cogito ergo sum..Cogito ergo sum ; “I think, therefore I am”… Can this be the sum of parts, the total the making of a man? Cogito ergo sum..I think..therefore I am? But what is it we think OF, that best explains WHO I am? Better perhaps to say; Memoro ergo sum; “I remember, therefore I am”. For it is memories of a lived life that more maketh a man. What are we without the sentiment of reminders, That places rich colours on the canvas? Like a watch-maker’s fidget wheels, Turning, turning, turning..in sweeping tireless whorls. Layer upon layer of the mechanics of a lived life, Jewels and teeth and precious times..and yes..strife..always strife, I cannot..will not deny to myself one treasured jot, Take the worst with the best…I’ll take the bloody lot! The unstoppable march of time doth come, When the ferryman of The Styx calls to claim his alms, I will welcome him to my house with a chant of psalms. My command of such memories maketh me more of a man. So . . . Memoro ergo sum, I remember, therefore I am…Reply
auntyutaEditWishing you, dear Joe, and yours a very good new year! Love, UtaReply
doesitevenmatter3EditHey, Uta! I just wanted to check in on you. How are you doing? I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s! We did! (((HUGS))) Reply
gerard oostermanEditUta is in Hospital for a while and I spoke to her just once. Very hard to get though as Covid is overwhelming all hospitals and shortage of staff means the phones are busy. Visiting is not allowed. She has a broken wrist.Reply
doesitevenmatter3EditThank you, Gerard, for sharing this news of Uta. I’d been worrying about her. Let me know if you hear any more news as the days go by. I wish her smooth healing and safety. (((HUGS)))Reply
doesitevenmatter3EditOh, Uta! I’m so sorry to hear about your wrist and your hospitalization! I’ve been thinking about you, missing you around here, and worried about you. You have my best wishes, love, and prayers for healing. (((HUGS))) Reply
gerard oostermanEditUta is still in hospital and is not allowed any visitors, not even on compassionate grounds. There is only limited telephone contact. Uta does not use an iPhone. She hopes to go home soon.Reply
auntyutaEditAt the beginning of this month I demanded that they let me go home. The medical staff in the private hospital I was sent to for so called ‘rehab’ is totally overworked with an influx of very sick or even dying non-Covid patients. All the so called medical attention I was given was decided totally without my consultation. Never ever was I given an opportunity to talk to the doctor of my choice. Severe pain all over my body was caused by a severe outbreak of Edema that gradually spread all over my outside body parts. The Edama was caused by a prescibed medication for blood pressure. This was the only medical prescription I took at the time. My blood pressure seemed to have settled down beautifully for about two months. Then in the middle of December some slight pain started during mid December. On Christrmas Day, after a trip to my son’s place in Benalla, Victoria, in his car and also with his beautiful dog in the car, I started experiencing quite severe pain. My legs became extremely weak. Trying to get up from my bed the next morning, my legs could not support me. I fell immediately back onto the bed and I was trying to support myself with my right hand. Little did I know that this was the wrong thing to do. After an increase in pain near the wrist it was discovered some two weeks later in Wollongong Public Hospital, NSW, that I had actually a tiny fracture near my wrist. They then put a cast on my right arm right up onto my elbow. With still a lot of painful swelling in my arm from this Edema outbreak, the pain in my arm with this horrible cast on increased a real lot despite constant very heavy pain killers, so that often I broke out in tears at night time when this constant lack of sleep because of what went on around me, made me very, very depressed. I was allowed hardly any contact with the outside world. I did get on well with everyone in the hospital except for the people who could not afford to show much sympathy for me because they were under constant pressure themselves. A lot of the health care workers had to work long hours, without ever having a lot of time off to recover from the stress they were under. I was not allowed to speak to any doctor. Nobody in charge seemed to have time for me for a proper talk. I felt it was worth than jail, not that I have ever experienced any jail. I imagine jail can be pretty tough too for some people. During my stay in Shellharbour Private I also experienced a severe outbreak of carpel tunnel syndrome in both hands. Half the fingers are pretty useless now because of severe pain. This is why I have to type everything very slowly and carefully and very often corrections are necessary because I hit the wrong keys.Last night I woke up in distress after only a little bit of sleep. So I spent now most of the night trying to look up some stuff on the computer. But I feel now desparately tired again and the pain is getting very severe again. So I have to rest and relax but not without thanking my kind supporters. Including you, dear Carolyn, and especially thanking you, dear Gerard. Sorry, that I tried to keep some of the stuff from you for a while. Thanks also for your emails. These tend to cheer me up a lot. So, thank you for that. Love, UtaReply
ambrosequintEditHello, Uta…It is Joe Carli posting under a pseudonym of Ambrose Quint…a name I have used for a while for posting things…I see that you are in a lot of distress..I can only wish you better feelings for the near future as this situation must be quite dire and unsettling..I cannot say anything more than this..except I feel sorry for your distress…all the best Uta..Thank you, Joe, thank you very much!My son, Martin, recently had a horrible accident. He was unconcious on the road. It nearly killed him. His lovely dog protected him till help arrived.This shook me up immensely – My own distress is gone now. I am glad that Martin is home again and could write me an email – His GP is looking after him now. Thanks be to God!Reply
freefall852EditHello, Uta..you said on Gerard’s site that you would like some good conversation…here is the link to a new blog-site that I started soley to put up my book…perhaps THAT can give you some “good conversation”..regs..Joe . https://ambroseambles.blogspot.com/2022/01/caesars.html There you will see the “introduction”/cover pages and the first part..scroll or click to see the next and so on..Reply
auntyutaEditHere is a bit of a copy from that article:“People into old age, need an ear to listen. They need someone to spend some time with. They should be felt understood, supported and valued. The losses of aging, increased dependency, anticipation of further deterioration of health or death, other physical illnesses etc. bother them very much and they should get a psychological support to make them feel calm.They need someone by their side toRestore their self-confidence and self-esteem Help them re-establish the continuity with their positive view of themselves Help them dealing with the loss of their loved ones Help them coping with the loneliness Support and make them feel their worthIT SAYS “they should get a psychological support to make them feel calm.”HOW MANY OLD PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY BE IN A POSITION TO GET THIS KIND OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT?
I often like to look up some old blogs that I have written. I copy here a little bit of what I wrote just a little while ago. For instance I quite often busy myself now getting my deck into a good shape. I like it very much when I can spend some time doing this. It relaxes me. And I like the looks of the deck when it is well looked after.
So, here is some of what I wrote about the deck in my post of 7th of February:
“My deck looks good at the moment for yesterday after the rain I busied myself with some good sweeping away all that water. I love doing this. It is so relaxing! Of course I do it very slowly.”
Another thing I mentioned in this post is that I liked to spend the previous day on my own. Come to think of it, Tuesday is actually the only day of the week where I can do pretty much whatever I feel like doing. On all the other weekdays I have to be ready at set hours of the day to go out somewhere! So here I wrote what I managed to do when I could stay home all day:
“I felt good staying on my own yesterday. Spending a lot of extra time in the kitchen as well as on the computer was good. So, so I managed to write several longer emails to keep in touch with some family members . . . .”
I have better bowel movements since I started taking MOVICOL I take it first thing every morning. My morning routine includes a cup of tea, a banana and some other fruit. After a wash or shower with nice warm water I get dressed and hopefully can go for a little walk. Later on I usually cook myself a nice breakfast. Often I have a second breakfast (Brunch) as well.
What do I do over one week? I copy here how a normal week goes:
Mondays I get three hours home help, that is the home help comes at 9,30 AM and leaves at 12,30 PM. Tuesdays I do in the morning whatever I feel like doing. Wednesdays I join a STABILITY EXERCISE class at CITOS Bowling Club, with coffee and talking after the class and sometimes lunch at the Club as well. Thursdays my daughter Monika usually picks me up to take me out for lunch with her grandkids. Fridays I go to the CITOS CLUB again early in the morning. Sometimes I have have a lunch special again at the Club. From 2PM on I play SCRABBLE and Rummy with some of my friends.
What happens on the weekend? Saturday/Sunday I usually have totally to myself unless a family outing has been planned.
To have to be ready at a certain time, I find demanding, since it takes me up to two hours to get ready! I do everything so very slowly and often keep running out of time. But I am very happy that I can stilll live on my own.
Tomorrow, Monday, the 12th of February, is the funeral of my neighbour Barbara, who passed away on the first of February.
My home help stays with me until 12,30PM. This is the time when I’ll be ready to be taken to the funeral which starts at 1,30PM in Kiama. Two of my very kind neighbours are going to take me to the funeral.
I had taken the painkilling tablets the doctor had prescribed for me. I was supposed to take three times two tablets per day, however not more than six a day with intervals of at of at least six hours. For three days I took the six tablets per day. On Friday I already felt much better. I walked a lot in the sun. The right hand didn’t feel as painful any more. There was still some feeling of pins and needles, but I was able to do a lot more house-work than during the past few weeks. Friday afternoon Irene and Marion came to my place. We played a game of scrabble as we always do when we meet on a Friday afternoon. Then we had our coffee break. And after coffee and cake it was time for some games of Rummy. Irene said she’d have to leave early for her son was to come to have dinner with them. She went home just before five. We had had three hours of togetherness. For me three hours was plenty. I honestly felt very, very tired and was glad when Marion decided to go home too. Maybe she would have liked to stay a bit longer. I don’t know. However I did not hold back and proclaimed that I felt dead tired and desperately needed a bit of a rest. I did lie down on the sofa in the living-room.
Peter had been doing his things all afternoon but he agreed that he would cook dinner. He cooked some lovely cauliflower with breadcrumbs in plenty of butter. I needed only a short rest. Soon I got up again to have dinner with Peter. I felt very grateful that Peter had undertaken kitchen duties. This bit of a rest was so good for me. Before Peter started cooking he took my blood pressure. It was extremely low, however the pulse rate was very high. Peter gave me a glass of water. When he took my blood pressure again after about half an hour, the pulse rate had normalised and the blood pressure seemed pretty normal overall. It’s amazing what a difference a bit of rest can make!
On Saturday morning I got up very early because I had gone to sleep early the night before. My right arm and hand felt like it was improving a lot. I took a shower and continuously did exercises with arms and hands. Since I felt so much better and it promised to be a calm sunny morning, I had the idea to be walking to the pool. I very much longed for the solar heated water of the pool. Just the perfect morning to stretch out in the water for a few minute, I thought.
I had breakfast with Peter. I planned to arrive at the pool towards ten o’clock. There was some time to do a few things around the house and in the kitchen. Ten thirty am is the time when we like to watch the German News Program from Berlin. At the same time we usually have a cup of morning tea. When I told Peter I would be walking to the pool he reminded me I would not be able to watch the German News then. My response was that if he picked me up from the pool by twenty minutes past ten we could both be sitting in front of the TV by half past ten. Peter agreed that he would pick me up at the set time.
So I walked to the pool. It was a very pleasant walk. I did not have to walk too fast. Very cheerfully I arrived at the pool and talked to some attendants at the entrance. I soon noticed there was a class of women in the deep end of the pool. The instructress stood at the edge of the pool and gave instructions to some lively music. I was happy to stay at the shallow end of the pool. I had the whole area to myself. The water was flooded with beautiful sunshine. Doing my movements I felt very invigorated. I loved to have this bit of music from the top end. It helped me with moving about rather enthusiastically. I thanked God for such a wonderful morning.
After a few minutes all the women from the class did get out of the pool and assembled in the shower room. I soon followed. I was ready on time for Peter to pick me up. A bit after eleven we got ready to go to Dapto Shopping Centre. It took us nearly an hour to finish our shopping there. We bought some very good food and felt very happy with our purchases. However on our list were a lot more things to buy at another place. This would have taken us another hour. We decided to buy the other things on the following day, which was a Sunday. We wanted to go home and get lunch ready.
Saturday night I did fall asleep in front of the TV. When I woke up I noticed the TV had been turned off and Peter was in the other room talking to his sister Ilse on Skype. Ilse lives in Berlin where they have a great heat wave at the moment. I could hear every word Peter was saying and also every word Ilse was saying. After a while Peter came looking whether I was awake. He suggested I come over and talk to Ilse for a bit too. I love having a conversation with Ilse. I went to talk to her. There is always something to talk about with Ilse. This talk with Ilse cheered me up a lot.
Sunday morning I was up early again, early enough to walk to the early Mass at the Catholic Church in Dapto. Our Vietnamese priest is still on vacation, however the old priest who is taking his place for the time being, is a dear old man with a wonderful singing voice. Gee, I love the way he sings his hymns so enthusiastically! On my walk to the church I had touched my ZEN stone a lot. The fingers of my right hand had not been able to make a fist for over a month. However the painkilling tablets and exercising the fingers with this stone and sometimes also with some Chinese Iron Balls made my hand much better now. It was so comforting to say some prayers during mass. I came to realise once more how important my Catholic faith really is to me.
As I said we had to do a lot more shopping on Sunday. We also bought some lovely flowers. For afternoon tea we used our red teacups. We took pictures of our afternoon tea with the newly bought flowers on the table as well.
Today, Monday, we had another beautiful sunny day. Peter and I drove to the lake and took quite a few pictures there. I am going to show these in another post.
Sunday,28th July 2013 I left the house as the sun came up to walk to the church.
Since Saturday I have reduced the intake of these painkilling tablets by half. Tomorrow at ten o’clock I have to be at Southern Neurology in Wollongong.
caption id=”attachment_3964″ align=”aligncenter” width=”300″] The GURU Coffee Lounge in Dapto Shopping Centre[/caption]
We went there early in the morning this week for a coffee break. I had been seeing a doctor in the Medical Centre across the road quite early in the morning. At 9am I had to go back to the Medical Centre for some tests.
The following day we went to Sydney to see my Prothetist at an Orthoplant Dental Laboratory who took on the immensely difficult task of making for me some new dentures. At the moment I was provided with some temporary dentures. Once I get used to them, he can create the real dentures.
After the appointment with the Prothetist (it was already my third visit to him!) Peter and I felt like going for a special treat. We chose the Lind cafe at Martin Place.
Later on we went to Hyde Park where Peter was feeding the birds with some of his muffin.
After our train-trip to Sydney yesterday (Wednesday) I had to go back to Dapto Medical Centre early this morning to find out about the test results. It was established there is no thrombosis, the blood test was normal too. But because I suffer from pain in my right arm, wrist and pins and needles in my right hand, some other test revealed that it has to do with a nerve strung. I did get now an appointment for next week at Southern Neurology in Wollongong. The doctors reckons all this has to do with old age. Ah, the blood test showed that I have Osteo Arthritis.
Today, Thursday, I went with Peter to Wollongong for Peter had to pick up there one of his hearing aids which had been repaired. Then we had time to go again to this beautiful cafe where we had been with Sylvia the previous Saturday. On the way we saw a few little toys. We thought it would be nice to have these toys for our three great grandchildren. So we bought the three toys.
With our little bag of gifts we entered the cafe. Surprise, surprise, we met there Monika, our daughter with Krystal, who is sixteen and Monika’s youngest daughter. It was such a beautiful surprise to see them there!
Going back to where we had our car parked, we took some pictures of MacCabe Park.
In the meantime there has been the 4th Sunday of Advent, also the anniversary of Peter’s and mine 65th wedding in 1956! It was a very small wedding, only the two witnesses as guests!
During the last few years there have been many weddings in our family here in Australia! I am very proud of our family. I am already blessed with six great-grandchildren! Also a seventh one born only some six months ago. This beautiful little great-grandson is daughter Caroline’s step grandson, that is Matthew, her husband, has a daughter, Alex, from his first marriage, who has a lovely baby boy son now! We have been to the wedding of Alex and Josh among many other weddings within our family. Two weddings took place only after the couple had lived together already for a number of years.
Auntie, Sister. Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Mother and Wife of German Descent I’ve lived in Australia since 1959 together with my husband Peter. We have four children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. I started blogging because I wanted to publish some of my childhood memories. I am blogging now also some of my other memories. I like to publish some photos too as well as a little bit of a diary from the present time. Occasionally I publish a story with a bit of fiction in it. Peter, my husband, is publishing some of his stories under berlioz1935.wordpress.com View all posts by auntyuta
18 thoughts on “Uta’s December 2021 Diary continued”
doesitevenmatter3EditWhat wonderful memories! I hope they keep you smiling! (((HUGS))) PS…my hubby and I celebrated 45 years recently! We met as teenagers. We were together/dating 3 years before we got married. And we were good friends 1 year before we started dating. So we’ve been together 49 years! Reply
doesitevenmatter3EditThank you! Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season! (((HUGS)))
freefall852EditI trust you are keeping well, Uta and ready to step-up to the new year..I hope it is agood one for you and yours..as you say above…all the best..Cogito ergo sum..Cogito ergo sum ; “I think, therefore I am”… Can this be the sum of parts, the total the making of a man? Cogito ergo sum..I think..therefore I am? But what is it we think OF, that best explains WHO I am? Better perhaps to say; Memoro ergo sum; “I remember, therefore I am”. For it is memories of a lived life that more maketh a man. What are we without the sentiment of reminders, That places rich colours on the canvas? Like a watch-maker’s fidget wheels, Turning, turning, turning..in sweeping tireless whorls. Layer upon layer of the mechanics of a lived life, Jewels and teeth and precious times..and yes..strife..always strife, I cannot..will not deny to myself one treasured jot, Take the worst with the best…I’ll take the bloody lot! The unstoppable march of time doth come, When the ferryman of The Styx calls to claim his alms, I will welcome him to my house with a chant of psalms. My command of such memories maketh me more of a man. So . . . Memoro ergo sum, I remember, therefore I am…Reply
auntyutaEditWishing you, dear Joe, and yours a very good new year! Love, UtaReply
doesitevenmatter3EditHey, Uta! I just wanted to check in on you. How are you doing? I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s! We did! (((HUGS))) Reply
gerard oostermanEditUta is in Hospital for a while and I spoke to her just once. Very hard to get though as Covid is overwhelming all hospitals and shortage of staff means the phones are busy. Visiting is not allowed. She has a broken wrist.Reply
doesitevenmatter3EditThank you, Gerard, for sharing this news of Uta. I’d been worrying about her. Let me know if you hear any more news as the days go by. I wish her smooth healing and safety. (((HUGS)))Reply
doesitevenmatter3EditOh, Uta! I’m so sorry to hear about your wrist and your hospitalization! I’ve been thinking about you, missing you around here, and worried about you. You have my best wishes, love, and prayers for healing. (((HUGS))) Reply
gerard oostermanEditUta is still in hospital and is not allowed any visitors, not even on compassionate grounds. There is only limited telephone contact. Uta does not use an iPhone. She hopes to go home soon.Reply
auntyutaEditAt the beginning of this month I demanded that they let me go home. The medical staff in the private hospital I was sent to for so called ‘rehab’ is totally overworked with an influx of very sick or even dying non-Covid patients. All the so called medical attention I was given was decided totally without my consultation. Never ever was I given an opportunity to talk to the doctor of my choice. Severe pain all over my body was caused by a severe outbreak of Edema that gradually spread all over my outside body parts. The Edama was caused by a prescibed medication for blood pressure. This was the only medical prescription I took at the time. My blood pressure seemed to have settled down beautifully for about two months. Then in the middle of December some slight pain started during mid December. On Christrmas Day, after a trip to my son’s place in Benalla, Victoria, in his car and also with his beautiful dog in the car, I started experiencing quite severe pain. My legs became extremely weak. Trying to get up from my bed the next morning, my legs could not support me. I fell immediately back onto the bed and I was trying to support myself with my right hand. Little did I know that this was the wrong thing to do. After an increase in pain near the wrist it was discovered some two weeks later in Wollongong Public Hospital, NSW, that I had actually a tiny fracture near my wrist. They then put a cast on my right arm right up onto my elbow. With still a lot of painful swelling in my arm from this Edema outbreak, the pain in my arm with this horrible cast on increased a real lot despite constant very heavy pain killers, so that often I broke out in tears at night time when this constant lack of sleep because of what went on around me, made me very, very depressed. I was allowed hardly any contact with the outside world. I did get on well with everyone in the hospital except for the people who could not afford to show much sympathy for me because they were under constant pressure themselves. A lot of the health care workers had to work long hours, without ever having a lot of time off to recover from the stress they were under. I was not allowed to speak to any doctor. Nobody in charge seemed to have time for me for a proper talk. I felt it was worth than jail, not that I have ever experienced any jail. I imagine jail can be pretty tough too for some people. During my stay in Shellharbour Private I also experienced a severe outbreak of carpel tunnel syndrome in both hands. Half the fingers are pretty useless now because of severe pain. This is why I have to type everything very slowly and carefully and very often corrections are necessary because I hit the wrong keys.Last night I woke up in distress after only a little bit of sleep. So I spent now most of the night trying to look up some stuff on the computer. But I feel now desparately tired again and the pain is getting very severe again. So I have to rest and relax but not without thanking my kind supporters. Including you, dear Carolyn, and especially thanking you, dear Gerard. Sorry, that I tried to keep some of the stuff from you for a while. Thanks also for your emails. These tend to cheer me up a lot. So, thank you for that. Love, UtaReply
ambrosequintEditHello, Uta…It is Joe Carli posting under a pseudonym of Ambrose Quint…a name I have used for a while for posting things…I see that you are in a lot of distress..I can only wish you better feelings for the near future as this situation must be quite dire and unsettling..I cannot say anything more than this..except I feel sorry for your distress…all the best Uta..Thank you, Joe, thank you very much!My son, Martin, recently had a horrible accident. He was unconcious on the road. It nearly killed him. His lovely dog protected him till help arrived.This shook me up immensely – My own distress is gone now. I am glad that Martin is home again and could write me an email – His GP is looking after him now. Thanks be to God!Reply
freefall852EditHello, Uta..you said on Gerard’s site that you would like some good conversation…here is the link to a new blog-site that I started soley to put up my book…perhaps THAT can give you some “good conversation”..regs..Joe . https://ambroseambles.blogspot.com/2022/01/caesars.html There you will see the “introduction”/cover pages and the first part..scroll or click to see the next and so on..Reply
auntyutaEditHere is a bit of a copy from that article:“People into old age, need an ear to listen. They need someone to spend some time with. They should be felt understood, supported and valued. The losses of aging, increased dependency, anticipation of further deterioration of health or death, other physical illnesses etc. bother them very much and they should get a psychological support to make them feel calm.They need someone by their side toRestore their self-confidence and self-esteem Help them re-establish the continuity with their positive view of themselves Help them dealing with the loss of their loved ones Help them coping with the loneliness Support and make them feel their worthIT SAYS “they should get a psychological support to make them feel calm.”HOW MANY OLD PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY BE IN A POSITION TO GET THIS KIND OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT?
Yes, I definitely feel, that I live on bonus time, not borrowed time, but bonus time!
I do not know of any person in my family, going back a few hundred years, wo did live for as long as I’ve lived already. I am still healthy and strong, even though I have a number of age related handicaps, like very bad vision, hearing problems, breathing problems, problems with arthritis and dizziness and overall balance problems.
Still, I am healthy, and some people seem to think I can live much longer, maybe even reaching the age of 100. I don’t care. for as long as I am allowed to die a natural death. The fact is, that for quite a few years now, I have lived on bonus time!
This reminds me about a dear friend of ours, that my husband talked about often. Lesley came to Australia as a Hungarian migrant. Irene, his bride, lived in Croatia near the Hungarian border. She followed him, and they got married in Australia and had two sons, who are doing well. The couple moved to our complex of ten villas when they were already retired. My husband Peter and I became good friends with them. Meeting Les at the letter-box, Les told Peter one day, that he was living on bonus time. Les was already in his eighties by then, and Peter was a few years younger. Three days later Les was dead. He had a stroke and could not be saved.
I am still good friends with Irene. But sadly Peter died in December of 2020 of some very severe, terminal health problems . . . .
Today I wrote into the comment section of that post the following:
So, I’m thinking how I’m still useful towards the end of my life. Also, I can still enjoy my life, very much so! And I can still stay fairly independent, for instance by sizing down. The plan is, that I give up my home and keep only one small room which is to be wholly just for me. Today, I’ll write about this plan a bit more in a new post!
So, I want to write now about my still useful life. The plan is, that daughter Monika and granddaughter Natasha are going to take over my house. All I keep is just one small room! All my earthly possessions have to fit into this small room. That means a lot of de-cluttering for me! I hope my family can do this de-cluttering for me over the next six months or so. Hopefully, after about six months, the new owners may be ready to move into the house with all their stuff!
Time it was And what a time it was, it was A time of innocence A time of confidences
Long ago it must be I have a photograph Preserve your memories They’re all that’s left you.
These are the words of the refrain from the beautiful song “Bookends” by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. A song about two old friends sitting on a park bench – reminiscing.
If you have more time on your hand you can be listening to the full version here.
Last month, Uta and I had our 60th Wedding anniversary. It was a moment to reflect on our past together.
Just before we got married this photo was taken of us two on the balcony of my mother’s apartment in Berlin. In the meantime, this building has been torn down and a more modern one has taken its place.
In the picture, my future wife looks rather sceptical at me. Or is it whimsical? We were innocent at the time. We believed in a better world and eleven years after WW 2 we had all reasons to believe in a bright future. Out of that belief grew our confidence to start a family.
In case you are wondering about the plate on the wall, it has been painted by Anselm Feuerbach and is of his favourite model, Nanna, in a classical pose. This plate is still in the family and belongs to my son now.
From then to now it was a time of great changes in all our lives. We moved to Australia and raised a family. Of our four children, our eldest daughter passed away nearly five years ago.
2016 was an especially bad year all round. The election of Donald Trump to be the new President of the US makes for interesting times. Interesting, because he seems to be unpredictable. He loves conflict and will have a fight on his hand, among others, with the American secret services. The establishment believes the advice of the services are sacrosanct without considering that they might have their own agenda.
Terrorism is an old game but since 9/11 it has become global, as so many things have since the end of the Cold War. We shake in our shoes as our governments think of more useless schemes to stop this menace. But all those measurements make the would-be terrorists more cranky.
On a personal level, my health is precarious. At least this is what my doctors tell me. Next week I will know more. At my age, anything can crop up in my body. When I was born my life expectancy was just sixty-four years. Fifteen years later I am still here to tell my stories.
A few years ago, I talked about this with one of my neighbours. We called it bonus time and laughed about it. This was on a Friday and the very next Monday his bonus time came to a sudden end. So, you never know.
In case you wonder what happened to the couple in the first photo. We changed into an old couple day by day without noticing it. And now, sixty years later, we look like this.
We have come a long way and I’m happy that last year we were able to visit Berlin, our hometown, once more. If we are lucky, we will be able to see Berlin again in two years time. Our health allowing, of course.
I nearly forgot. For the fifth time, we became great-grandparents. So the family is growing and we hope the politicians are not mucking up the great-grandchildren’s future.
For 2017 I wish all my followers all the best. Most of all stay healthy because without good health life can be a drag.
gerard oosterman on said:A very fine piece of reflection, Peter. Life can be unpredictable, which I suppose gives it colour. Helvi and I both wish you good health and all the best for the future.Reply ↓
berlioz1935on said:Thank you, Gerard and Helvi. Life is indeed unpredictable and was ever so. When the cave man stepped out of his cave he did not know whether he will bring home a Mammoth leg or he would we dinner for a Sabretooth Tiger. Today life is decided by Twitter. The American elect will run his country and us by announcing his intentions by twitter. How unpredictable is that? My own future is in the balance and I will hear tomorrow from my doctor was is in stall for me.Reply ↓
gerard oostermanon said:Our thoughts are with you, dear Peter and Uta.
Munira on said:Absolutely loved the song….moved me to tears. A very happy 2017 to you and Aunty Uta May you never be troubled by ill health and continue being full of life for as long as you live AMEN!! Congratulations on your 60th anniversary…….and the newest addition to your family! And thank you for your good wishes. Reply ↓
berlioz1935on said:Dear Munira, a heartfelt “Thank you” from me and Aunty Uta. It is so good to hear from you. In our uncertain times, one wonders and worries too much. I suppose.We are getting older and every time the body sends out a signal we wonder what could behind this. But we are still okay.Lots of Love and best wishes from the both of us. Reply ↓
How can a single woman have an attractive single man as a close friendin a strictly platonic relationship?
Usually it might be rather unlikely that this kind of relationship remains strictly platonic if it is a rather close relationship where they communicate more or less constantly. All of a sudden, Marianne becomes aware, that, even though Jack really likes her as a friend, he is not at all interested in having an intimate relationship with her. He might sometimes say so, but his actions are more, that he likes the attention of other women.
She realises now, that she has to cut herself loose from Jack. There is no other way. She reckons, she may still have a chance of meeting someone else. Anyhow, she does like the idea to have the freedom to be able to perhaps go out on a date. It has been an awful long time since she has been dating anyone in a romantic way. She thinks back, how exciting it was, when she was dating Gunter, her husband, such a long time ago. On their first date they went to see a movie. And it was a great success!
Actually, she thinks back, that she met Gunter by going out with a girlfriend. You never know, this sort of thing, might still work. Going out with one of her woman friends might perhaps be a chance of meeting an attractive man in her age group! Maybe, there’s going to be a New Year’s Eve party at the Club that they could go to. Well, she thinks, whatever will be, will be. Marianne is determined to make the most of the last years of her life. There might not be many years left anyway. She just hopes, that she stays healthy enough for a bit longer. And for Jack she wishes good health too, and Good Luck!
A week ago, I contemplated what would happen during the week of my birthday. (See below!)
Well, my birthday has come and gone on Wednesday, the 21st. Five ladies from the neighbourhood were joining me in some celebrations. But it was a cool, cloudy day. This is why we stayed inside for a bit of lunch. Then later in the afternoon we shared one bottle of Bubbly. There was also some birthday cake, that Joan, one of my neighbours, had been baking. We all had a very good time! 🙂
The following Thursday and Friday it rained a lot. I also suffered from an infection on my chest, and my voice did sound very weak. By Saturday I felt alright again. But my Friday outing to the Club I had to cancel. I’ll catch up with the celebrations at the Club the following Friday! 🙂
Now, yesterday on Sunday the 25th, I had a very good celebrations with my family. Luckily it was a beautiful, sunny day. Just perfect! 🙂
Today, Monday, it is cold and cloudy again. Feels, like we’re back to winter!
ambrosequint
AuntyUta 
