Here’s our Buddha. He seems to be happy enough in this wilderness area near our house. Being the 5th Sunday of Lent today, I should have attended Mass. However so far I didn’t go out at all yet. This afternoon we’re off to neighbouring Warrawong to watch Steven Spielberg’s Movie about LINCOLN.
So far so good. I am very happy that I am very much pain-free today. Tomorrow I’ll have to see the doctor about the test results. I anticipate the blood-test is going to show that I am okay.
What else do I anticipate? Well, I anticipate that I’ll probably live for another five or ten years. I also anticipate that I might perhaps even be able to venture on another overseas trip when I am in my eighties!
For next month I anticipate that we’re going to see the family over Easter and that Peter and I are going to enjoy our planned trip to Victoria. The beautiful warm summer weather will be gone by then. However I am looking forward to see a bit of the country side and then be spending a few days with family in Melbourne.
The back of our home where we had morning tea with Frances
Our daughter Monika said the other day: ‘I knew, Mum, that you’d like Frances.’ She wasn’t surprised at all that I very much loved having her around. Peter and I were always very much looking forward seeing her here at our home. This was some weeks ago. Very soon now we should get the result of these recording sessions with Frances.
I think Frances saw our daughter Gaby just a few days before Gaby died. Sadly the planned interview with Gaby could not take place at the time. There was some difficulty with incoming calls Gaby was expecting that day. Apparently Gaby was reluctant to switch off her mobile phone!
Gaby’s passing must have been a shock to Frances as it was to all of us. Frances had already been looking with Gaby at some of her documents. She was aware how Gaby caught polio at age four, and that she had lived as a quadriplegic with breathing difficulties for over fifty years. After Gaby’s passing she was keen to interview someone of Gaby’s family.
Frances found out from daughter Monika that we, Gaby’s parents, had gone overseas soon after Gaby’s death and wouldn’t be back for quite some time. In the meantime Frances started interviewing Monika. This is how Monika did get to know Frances. Monika agreed to be interviewed about her life in connection with Gaby. So Frances recorded twice one hour with Monika. Some time later, after our return from our long overseas trip, Peter’s and my tale was recorded too. Peter’s took eight times one hour, mine seven times one hour.
For part of the way the ocean can be seen from the train. This is going home in the late afternoon after having spent some time in Sydney. These train-trips are rather exciting because it’s such a beautiful scenery.
We traveled by train to Sydney last Wednesday and last Thursday. The picture at the top is actually one of the last pictures I took from the train on the way back home on Thursday. On Wednesday Peter had a dental appointment and I had a tooth out that gave me a lot of trouble. Thursday we went to Sydney again and I received my newly fitted dentures. I was glad then that everything was all right.
Still took it a bit easy over the weekend. Friday afternoon I played Scrabble and Rummycub with my friends as planned. Saturday morning was such a beautiful warm morning that Peter and I decided to pay the Dapto pool a visit. We didn’t regret it because the water was absolutely marvelous. Even though I had a bit of pain in my right leg, I still enjoyed some gentle exercises in the water.
A few hours later on Saturday unfortunately the pain did get really bad. Then with a lot of rest it got a bit better on Sunday. I felt I had to see the doctor on Monday morning to find out what was wrong with me. So I did go and saw the doctor this morning. He sent me to have a blood-test done. I am to go back in one week to find out the result of the blood-test.
The doctor asked me whether I had done too heavy work recently. I mentioned that last Monday we had gone back to the house where our deceased daughter had lived and which was being cleaned out. But I didn’t really have to do very much.
What else did we do last week? Well, I didn’t mention that on Wednesday we left very early in the morning to go to our friend’s place who had invited us for lunch. She went all the way to spoil us to bits! No wonder I felt so comfortable at her place that I didn’t feel like going to see the dentist. I told her, I’d rather stay at her lovely place a bit longer. Still we had to catch the bus in time for our appointments. When we did get home in the evening we had been out and about for eleven hours! Really a rather long day for us.
Our welcome drink – (non alcoholic)
cheese from three different countriesView onto the harbour
Peter and I went to the pool this morning. There was sunshine, hardly any breeze, and the water was beautiful!
At the entrance to the pool Peter noticed this sign that children of a certain age had to be accompanied by a responsible adult. This made Peter think back to his childhood days when he would as a six year old wander off unaccompanied to a pool some distance away from home. Well, this would have been more than seventy years ago. How times have changed!
After having been to the house on Friday, Peter and I went there again on Monday. David’s family had gone to the house once more on Sunday. So there wasn’t much to do for us anymore when we appeared on Monday. But it was a trip that went for well over 200 km because we also traveled to Parramatta to take some equipment to a health support department who had looked after Gaby. We thought it was only right to return the equipment which they usually pick up themselves. However it had been left in the house for all these months since Gaby died. So it was about time that we returned it. There’s still Gaby’s hoist left in the house. Before the renovators attack the building the health support people are going to contact the owners, the Department of Housing. Thereafter they may arrange that Gaby’s hoist, that’s still attached to the ceiling of her bedroom, can be dismantled. We told them, the house is empty now. Nobody lives there anymore.
Most of the stuff, that was still lying around on Monday, Peter could get rid of at a local opportunity shop. He had to travel there several times because we have only a small car. I occupied myself taking photos and sorting out a few things. For lunch we went to Central Park just around the corner. We have beautiful memories of this park from times long gone. We spent time there with Gaby and David and the whole family for picnics on special occasions. Gaby was even allowed to take her companion dog into the park!
Yesterday, Monday, we did get caught in the traffic. Leaving our place at 8,30 in the morning, we came to a snail’s pace after about an hour. The delay was caused by a minor traffic accident in a suburb where all the major traffic has to pass through. We were delayed by close to 30 minutes. Driving home soon after 2,30 in the afternoon we had again a bit of a delay but in a totally different suburb: One lane had been closed off because of some road work. There were quite a few workers around seemingly very eagerly doing their job. From where we live it takes us around 90 minutes to get to the Western suburbs of Sydney, but only on days when the traffic goes smoothly. Yesterday we had a two hour trip there and also a two hour trip back. By 4,30 we were back home. It felt really good to be back after having been away for eight hours!
When we had been meeting Gaby in Merrylands or Parramatta, this had meant usually a nine hour trip for us: Three hours each way by train, and seeing Gaby for about three hours. We were usually quite exhausted after a trip like this even though we could do a bit of napping on the train. Peter wrote about it here.
Last Friday, when we drove to Merrylands West together with our daughter Monika, Peter had to drive through pouring rain. On top of it there was for a short distance a bit of fog. Despite his deteriorating eye-sight, Peter managed the driving through rain and fog surprisingly well. But night-time driving he tries to avoid these days. We hardly ever go out at night-time anymore.
It practically rained all day on Friday. Still, we managed to do whatever we had to do on Friday. Yesterday, Monday, we were lucky: It didn’t rain at all.
Over the weekend we had lovely visitors: Saturday afternoon one of our grandsons did bring his family along. Baby Lucas has grown a real lot. On Sunday our youngest daughter came by train from Sydney and spent the day with us. She came on her own because Matthew had to work. We hadn’t seen them yet since they had arrived back from their holiday trip to Singapore. Caroline showed us heaps of photos they took during their one week stay in Singapore. The pictures showed us that they must have had a really good time.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, we’re off by train to the inner city of Sydney to meet a friend and to see our dentist in the afternoon.
David’s brothers and nephew did a great job carting the more bulky pieces away to the rubbish tip. They had to do this several times. On Sunday David’s sisters did go to the house as well clearing heaps of stuff away. Monika, Peter and I had our hands full too for a lot of the time on that Friday. A friend of Gaby’s turned up in the afternoon. He’s a very cheerful fellow. All of us had a good time resonating about past memories of the house with Gaby and friends.
Our visitors on the following day: 2nd March. Autumn had arrived with cooler weather.Ebony and Ryan looking at their son.7 months old Lucas with Peter, his great-granddadThis grows at the back of our house. Birds love it!
Opening the house on Monday, 4th March.
The back of the houseDoor to the garageInside the garageGarage DoorAt the back of the houseLooking out through the kitchen window
Gaby’s shower
Second toilet in laundrySomething more has to fit into the car.Ready to leaveLunch at Central ParkHe’s looking for something to eat
Here in Australia a house in a complex of free standing houses is called a villa. Gaby and David lived in such a villa for twenty-three years. Gaby and David each had their own bedroom plus a spare bedroom which visitors could make use of. In the early days Peter and I would sometimes stay overnight at their place. Later on this was not possible any more, because the room was being used very much as a store-room.
The whole complex of houses belongs to the Department of Housing. Gaby and David each paid some rent rent for it which was minimal. During the last year of Gaby’s life there had been talk by the Department that Gaby should be given another place because her place needed some major renovations. They offered a new place suitable for wheelchairs could be built for her. Several locations close by had already been considered. But it didn’t come yet to the actual planning stage. Gaby was just living in hope all the time that one day she could move to another brand new place. Only the question was, what would happen to David? Lots of people had been of the opinion for a long time that David actually needed nursing care himself. However I think David was a bit stubborn and didn’t want to hear of any changes.
Another serious problem was who would be willing to move in with Gaby as her constant in house carer? Gaby was in such a condition that she could not be left by herself in the house when she was asleep during the night. In an emergency she would be very helpless. There should be someone in the house she could call if she needed help. For a few hours in the morning as well as for a brief time in the afternoon and before going to bed Gaby would always have two outside carers who looked after all her personal needs. There always needed to be two because even with a hoist Gaby was difficult to be lifted and placed into her wheelchair. Gaby had also a cleaner coming in once a week and a cook at night-time. When David was still fit enough, he could do the house-work for her and he could take her out to different places. But these days were long gone. David’s health had deteriorated enormously over the years.
All of Gaby’s problems were resolved, when she ‘kicked the bucket’, I think the expression is, last year in July. David insisted on staying in the house on his own. How he managed to do this is a bit of a miracle. His problems were resolved too, when he collapsed around Christmastime unable to move. But he was able to call out and a neighbour heard him. He was admitted to hospital straight away. A few weeks later one of his legs had to be amputated below the knee. In the meantime he was placed in a nursing home. He seems to be feeling o.k. there. Maybe it finally dawned on him that he really cannot live on his own any more.
Two of his brothers and the son of one of the brothers of David turned up yesterday to clean out the villa. Peter, one of our daughters and I we helped with the discarding of things as well. But we could not finish it off yesterday. On Monday Peter and I are going back to help with what is left to be disposed.
David’s brother let Peter know that David is in hospital. We went to see him there two weeks ago on Sunday. We traveled by train to Westmead station. From there we walked to Westmead Hospital. We found David in good spirits. He looked much healthier than we had seen him before. We talked for about an hour. He called us ‘Papa’ and ‘Mama’. He showed us his leg where it had been amputated. He said he was going to get physio so he would be able to walk better. In a few weeks he was to go back home.
In the meantime the brother sent another message that David was to be sent to a nursing home. So the villa where Gaby and David had lived for the past twenty-three years had to be vacated. We were asked would we perhaps want anything out of the villa that had belonged to Gaby? We said, we would go up to the place on a day when David’s family was to be there too.
We were glad we left the car at home.
This was our way back to the station.
We didn’t take any photos inside the hospital. But David was in a pleasant ward, I think it was on the seventh floor. He had a room all to himself! He was listening to his radio which a neighbor had brought in for him. He had just had his lunch and someone came in to pick up his lunch-tray. He said he didn’t smoke any more and this was going to save him a lot of money. We were very happy David felt so much better after having had good medical care in hospital for several weeks.
Today Frances arrived for the last part of the interview.
All went well. Now we have to wait for just a few weeks before we’ll be sent the finished disks. Not that I’m looking forward to listening to my recorded voice! Thanks to all the encouragement I have been given by Frances, I survived the interviews. But I’m glad it’s over now. Talking to Frances was great. I very much liked our conversations. It was just a bit difficult at times knowing what I said was being recorded. Still it was overall a good, enjoyable experience. Frances always tried to put me at ease before the recordings and helped me along by asking relevant questions.
I was able to go to the pool yesterday. The water was wonderful. Did do me a lot of good. I hope I can soon go there again. I was told, tomorrow, Friday, another school carnival will be going on. However for next week no further carnivals are scheduled.
The past week Peter and I have been busy with the telling of our lives’ story. We had a very lovely visitor recording everything for the Oral History section of the library at Canberra. It takes a few weeks before these recordings are accessible. I understand they are going to be preserved for future generations. This whole project is of course extremely exciting for us.
Frances, who’s interviewing us, tells us, we as migrants from Germany, having been through WW II and post war years as children in Germany have experiences to recall which people would be interested to hear about. Also of interest are our experiences in Australia as migrants. In this regard it is of special interest to find out how our lives were shaped by having had a daughter who had been severely disabled by polio.
Neither Peter or I are experienced speakers. Having our voices recorded is something completely new to us. However Frances is very good at encouraging us. She gently guides us into the relevant sections of our lives by asking some questions. Peter and I are always being interviewed separately. Usually we have one hour each in the morning, then a lunch-break, and maybe another hour each in the afternoon.
I found out having to talk for one hour at a time about my life can be rather tiring and sometimes a bit stressful too. But I love doing it especially with such a good interviewer as Frances. By the middle of next week she’s going to be back for the conclusion of the interviews.
AuntyUta 