trees in backyard
There are quite a few pictures from August that I published already towards the end of August.
I found now a few more pictures from that month. Here they are:
We try to sort out some DVDs. We have too many and they take up too much room. So it is best to get rid of some . . . However, for instance ‘As it is in HEAVEN is such a great movie I really would like to watch it again!
This is such a great spot in the morning winter sun!
Today, I looked at some of my old blogs. I like this picture blog very much. It brings back beautiful memories. This is why I copy it here together with a few other blogs.
https://auntyuta.com/2014/02/12/the-hannemann-family-in-australia-in-1997/
In this picture Peter and I are with all our four children. Daughter Caroline stands next to Peter. All five children of daughter Monika are in the picture too! Her very tall twin sons are eighteen, her two little daughters in the front are Natasha and Roxanne. Well, this was more than sixteen years ago!
This picture was taken at the beginning of September 1997, a few days after our daughter Gaby’s 40th birthday! We all met for a picnic lunch at Central Park in Merrylands near Gaby’s and David’s home. David, Gaby’s carer, stands in the middle of the photo behind Gaby’s wheelchair. Our son Martin (who’s holding onto the wheelchair) lived in Newcastle at the time and had come to Sydney to see us all. Merrylands is a Western Suburb of Sydney. The Central Park there is a very popular recreational place.
In the picture below Troy, who is one of the twins, walks with his girlfriend.
Ryan, the other twin, as well as Caroline, Martin and David presumably walked ahead.
However one of them must have taken this picture, right? Maybe Caroline?
After our picnic lunch we all walked right through the park towards the little waterfall. It looks like at the time there was still quite a bit of water to be seen. Sadly, after a few years without much rain, there was no water left in this area. When we took a picture there two years ago, everything looked completely dry. Maybe in the meantime the water situation has improved somewhat. We should go there one day and have a look.
This is a copy of what I wrote in April 29, 2015:
Recently I reflected a lot on our past two overseas travels. One trip to Berlin we did five years ago and another one two and a half years ago. When we travel we always try to economise, meaning we are not out to stay in expensive hotels or visit restaurants that are well above our budget. The greatest extra expense we consider to be the air-travel ticket plus insurance. Since both Peter and I are going to be past eighty when we travel next time the insurance is going to be sky high! We usually book a flight well in advance and look for special offers. The last two times we did fly with Malaysian Airline from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur and from there we had connecting flights with KLM. We thought these flights via Kuala Lumpur were pretty good. Soon we want to find out what’s on offer for next year.
2016 is going to be a huge family reunion in Berlin. Our Australian family is already planning for all this. Some members in our family have never been to Berlin yet and are very keen to get to know a bit about the city and the German family members who live there. Especially Peter’s sister Ilse is very hopeful that a large family meeting can take place next year in Berlin. She and Finn are already thinking about all the arrangements that can be made. One of our grandsons is busy making plans about all the destinations where he and his family intend to travel to. He worked out that a nine day stay in Berlin could be included. They also want to stay for a few days in London and maybe some days in Switzerland, and I think there was also talk about Paris.
When Peter heard that they plan on staying for nine days in Berlin, he soon thought about a number of places he could show them in Berlin. Peter knows Berlin very well, partly from personal experience but a lot he knows because he keeps himself always up to date on the internet about what is going on in Berlin. When it come to history, he can tell you a thing or two about Berlin’s history as well. The past few days he published memories about the last days in Berlin before the end of World War Two. You can look it up under:
https://berlioz1935.wordpress.com/2015/04/24/tuesday-24-april-1945/
The memories start already here:
https://berlioz1935.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/berlin-the-last-battle-in-europe-during-world-war-2/
There are diary entries of Peter’s mother which he translated. Also, Peter’s own comments about these eventful days continue for several days.
It is amazing how much Peter remembers about this time seventy years ago. This was just a few days before he turned ten! He also likes to read up on official records about the last days in Berlin before the end of the war, and he is also always looking for relevant pictures from that time.
https://wordpress.com/post/auntyuta.com/761
Today I wanted to write about our overseas travels. So I checked what, I had written about it before. Luckily, I was able to find quite a bit of information under the title ‘Memories from August 2010’. (There is a link at the top of this post!)
Anyone who goes to this post from 2010 is going to find out that even by 2010 we had done already quite a bit of overseas travelling. In the meantime we travelled overseas two more times, namely in 2012 and then in 2016.
Living in Australia and having some family in Germany makes us want to travel overseas as often as possible. So far we had the good fortune of being able to use all this airline travel. On top of it, Airlines do still offer low price airfares!
At least a few people must be aware by now, that air travel is extremely bad for the environment. But how many people do actually try to avoid air travel these days as much as possible?
In 1990 we did do a trip around the world. I wrote about it here:
https://auntyuta.com/2014/02/05/our-trip-around-the-world/
Our first trip overseas was in 1977. Caroline was born in December 1978. We travelled with Caroline to Berlin in November 1980 and then again in March 1986 when Caroline was seven.
In 1977 Peter and I visited my cousin Renate and her family in Munich. From Munich we did a day trip to visit my uncle Edmund and his wife Flora in Augsburg. Among other things we visited with them the Augsburg Fuggerei. For lunch they invited us to the close by FUGGEREI STUBE.
In 1977 we travelled a bit around Western Germany staying with family and friends. But most of the time in 1977 we spent visiting our family in Berlin.
Half Marathon finishing at Stuart Park, Wollongong, 23-8-1987
Caroline tries to take a picture of Tristan playing, Peter looking on. Grandma Uta enjoys watching Tristan.
Today is the official start of spring. It happens also to be Fathers Day because it is the first Sunday in September. And it is the Anniversary of the outbreak of WW II some eighty years ago!
Well, I grew up in Berlin, in Germany. I was born in September 1934. So I do remember that war started on the 1st of September 1939 when I was not quite five years old.
Soon now I am going to be 85. Personally I am happy, that since Germany’s capitulation on the 8th of May 1945 I did not have to experience any more wars. For sixty years, that is since 1959, I lived with my husband in Australia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Instrument_of_Surrender
“The German Instrument of Surrender was the legal document which effected the extinction of Nazi Germany and ended World War II in Europe. . . .”
and
Last Sunday we had some lunch at Bulli Beach, where it was pretty windy and no sun. But there were quite a lot of people at the Ruby’s Cafe. Many people came in groups and had difficulty getting seats.
Between 9 and ten in the morning is usually a good time to sit outside for our morning cup of tea. We are always looking forward to this!
At the beginning of the month we travelled again to Benalla to visit our son. This time we took the train to Benalla. We arrived in Benalla on Sunday, the 4th of August. Our return journey was on Thursday, the 8th of August. We had a great time in Benalla. Twice Martin went with me to the Benalla Swimming Centre. Peter did not want to come with us even though we assured him that the water was well heated.
Every day Martin drove us to a different place. So we saw at Glenrowan a multi-million Dollar anamatronic show. It was Ned Kelly’s LAST STAND at the Glenrowan Tourist Centre. I took the following pictures:
Maybe you’d like to have a look at this:
https://www.glenrowantouristcentre.com.au/the-show/
“This mulitimillion dollar anamatronic show IS NOT A PICTURE THEATRE it is an interactive theatre production
Through the brilliance of animation and computerised robots, you will be transferred back in time, over 100 years, to witness the events that led up to the capture of the Kelly Gang.
Starting as hostages in the Hotel, and then onto gunfights – burning buildings – a decent hanging, and finishing in our magnificent painting gallery.
The show is educational, historically correct and entertaining.
The show runs for 40 minutes every half hour (separate rooms) from 10:00am to 4.30pm daily.
The Glenrowan Tourist Centre is fully air conditioned. The theatre can seat up to 50 people at any one time.”
https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/ned-kelly
“On 28 June 1880, Victorian Police captured bushranger Ned Kelly after a siege at the Glenrowan Inn. The other members of the Kelly Gang — Dan Kelly, Joseph Byrne and Steve Hart — were killed in the siege.The gang had been outlawed for the murders of three police officers at Stringybark Creek in 1878.
Ned Kelly was tried and executed in Melbourne in November 1880.
The Kelly Gang’s last stand has become an Australian folk legend, however views are divided about how it should be remembered. . . .”
After the show in Glenrowan Martin drove with us to Wangaretta where we had an excellent lunch in the Preview Cafe.
We also had coffee and some desert!
This was probably on Tuesday when we were here at the Tolmie Tavern, and true enough: Nothing did happen! And we had thought, we’d get some lunch there! Everything looked closed and deserted.
We ended up having lunch a bit further on. I think it may have taken us close to two hours before we actually did have some lunch and decent toilets! Before we arrived at that beautiful old Tatong Tavern we had a good look at the Stringybark Creek Historic Reserve:
So, at the Tatong Tavern we ended up having a splendid lunch. I asked for vegetarian and did get this beautiful meal:
Trees in morning sunshine
These trees are my favourite destination when I go for my walk early in the morning. I want to get ready soon to go for a walk. For the last hour or so I tried to retrieve old pictures. Something did go wrong. A lot of my pictures I do not seem to be able to access. What a bummer!
Our daughter Gabriele would have been 62 yesterday. I found this little picture in memory of her.
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/elphick-gladys-12460
This article was published in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 17, (MUP), 2007
Gladys Elphick (1904-1988), Aboriginal community leader, was born on 27 August 1904 at Wright Court, Adelaide, daughter of John Herbert Walters, gas-meter inspector, and Gertrude Adams. Her maternal great-grandmother was Kudnarto, a woman of Kaurna-Ngadjuri descent, who had married English-born Tom Adams in 1848. At 8 months Gladys Adams was taken to live with relations at Point Pearce Mission Station, Yorke Peninsula. Educated at the local school, as a child she rode horses, swam, played sports and taught herself the organ. Leaving school at 12, she worked at the station dairy. Women Elders trained her as a midwife.
On 13 June 1922 at the Point Pearce Church Gladys married with Methodist forms Walter Stanford Hughes, a shearer. They had two sons. Her husband died in 1937; two years later she moved to Adelaide and found work as a domestic. On 2 December 1940 at St Ignatius’ Catholic Church, Norwood, she married Frederick Joseph Elphick (d.1969), a soldier. They resided first at West Thebarton and later at Ferryden Park. Employed during World War II at the South Australian Railways’ Islington workshops, producing munitions, she won an award for a shop-floor invention.
In the 1940s Mrs Elphick joined the Aborigines Advancement League of South Australia and in the 1960s served on its activities committee, which organised social and sports events. As founding president (1964-73) of the Council of Aboriginal Women of South Australia, she worked to raise the status of Indigenous people in the community. The council employed a social worker, set up various sports clubs and arts and crafts groups, and encouraged women to learn public speaking so that they could confidently express their ideas. Members campaigned for the `Yes’ vote in the 1967 referendum that ensured Federal responsibility for Aborigines, and lobbied for the franchise and Aboriginal rights generally. They established a women’s shelter and health service in Adelaide, and took steps to set up a legal aid service and a kindergarten. In 1973 the women’s council changed its name to the Aboriginal Council of South Australia and included men in the organisation. That year the Aboriginal Community Centre was established to house the various services; Elphick was elected treasurer and was later made a life member of the centre. She was a founder (1977) of the Aboriginal Medical Service.
In 1966-71 Mrs Elphick was a member of the South Australian Aboriginal Affairs Board. She was appointed MBE in 1971. An advocate of adult education courses for Aborigines, in the 1960s she had helped to arrange evening art classes, conducted at Challa Gardens primary school by John Morley. These and other programs led to the establishment in 1973 of the College of Aboriginal Education, as part of the Underdale campus of the South Australian College of Advanced Education.
Known as `Aunty Glad’, Elphick, according to Kevin Gilbert, possessed a `lively sense of humour’ and `a shrewd personality’ that pierced through `humbug’. A highly respected elder, in 1984 she was named South Australian Aborigine of the Year. She died on 19 January 1988 at Daw Park, Adelaide, and was buried in Centennial Park cemetery. Her elder son, Timothy Hughes , had predeceased her; her son Alfred survived her. In 2003 the Aboriginal women’s group advising the International Women’s Day Committee (South Australia) presented the inaugural Gladys Elphick award.
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I copy here what I wrote in last year’s blog including the comments to that post:
The soft boiled eggs that Peter cooked for breakfast were perfect. I ate my warmed up crispy bread-roll with the egg, I also had some fresh strawberries with strawberry jam on one half of the bread-roll. And I took all my vitamins. We both also had a great cup of coffee for our breakfast.
At nine o’clock we started watching the Insiders’ program on ABC TV. The politics that were discussed upset me a great deal. I mean I should be used to this sort of political talk by now where everything gets blamed on labor. But somehow it got to me today more than usual. I just could not keep my cool. Maybe I should stop watching these interviews where no question gets answered properly and were outrages lies are repeated ad nauseam. Soon Peter handed me a bit of brandy to calm my upset stomach. This bit of brandy that I sipped very slowly, actually made me feel a whole lot better.
Later on for brunch we had baked camenbert cheese with some bread and a glass of red wine. We also had a bit of vanilla ice-cream with apple sauce. Luckily my stomach had settled sufficiently, and I could enjoy this excellent meal. I enjoyed it very much indeed!
AuntyUta 
We forgot the ABC Insiders which is unusual. Just as well by the sound of it. Glad you made up for it by having such a lovely breakfast. We are finding that the ABC is so keen to remain neutral that it is now dribbling a lot of nonsense in its commentary, frightened to give an opinion, any opinion.
Here you can watch the whole program, Gerard, in case you and Helvi are interested.
http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/sunday-12-august-full-program/10111188
“Barrie Cassidy interviews Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg, and Fiona Katauskas talks pictures with The Feed’s Jan Fran. On the panel are The Australian’s Niki Savva, Guardian Australia’s Lenore Taylor and The Saturday Paper’s Mike Seccombe.”
Barrie Cassidy and also the panel did not upset me. The Energy Minister chose not to answer certain questions. Do you expect anything else from politicians? Sometimes I just cannot listen to them anymore! But I understand that the person who is interviewing has to remain polite. I went out for a while to calm down. But I did watch the hilarious talking pictures. A bit of fun and laughing is definitely preferable!
What do you think of the “National Energy Guarantee” program?
http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/balancing-act/10111158
https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/better-energy-future-australia
Thank you Uta for the links.
Helvi watched the whole episode on my computer. She thought Frydenberg was weak. We feel that renewables are the only way to get cheap energy that will also guarantee lower emissions. It is ironic that Australia with its overabundance of resources now has some of the highest energy prices in the world.
Sadly the word ‘renewables’ has become a dirty word in our Government. Those without solar and batteries will increasingly carry the burden of coal fired energy and its maintenance.
What do you think will give us energy at a price that is affordable? I just had my electricity bill which was $410.- for three months. The last gas bill was about the same.
Our recent electricity bill was a bit over 600 Dollars for three months, Gerard. But we use no gas. You’re right, only people who have solar and batteries can expect to pay less for power in the long run. Why does the government not want some of the old power stations to close? And why, oh why, do they even think of allowing new coal power stations to open? Surely no investor would want to invest in new coal fired power stations? Who owns the coal? Is it the government or some companies?
Surely, we have enough sun and wind in Australia for all our energy needs. We have sun and wind for free, whereas someone has a vested interest in all the coal reserves and wants to get some adequate profit from whatever their investments were.
I hate it that there are so many different energy companies now. The supply of energy and water should be in government’s hands only. The government should also have strict rules that our air and environment does not get polluted. But instead of looking after the needs of the total population in the first place, they are more interested in looking after vested interests and companies above all. Anyhow, this is the way I see this, and I am just an ordinary citizen without special knowledge.
You say that renewables are the only way to get cheap energy that will also guarantee lower emissions. I could not agree more!
Your Sunday meals sound beautiful and yummy! Especially the eggs Peter made for you with love! 🙂
I try not to watch news or politics TV shows. But maybe I should. Usually they upset me too much. 😦
HUGS!!! 🙂
It is kind of a tradition that we have soft boiled eggs on Sundays for breakfast. And usually it is Peter who enjoys boiling the eggs.
Hugs from Uta 🙂
I haven’t met an egg…fixed any which way…that I don’t like. 🙂