Uta’s Diary, July 2015

On the first of July Peter and I drove up MacQuarie Pass. It was a cold, but beautiful sunny day. On reaching the highlands, we took the tourist road. Our destination was the cafe of the Bradman Museum where we were to meet our blogger friends. We arrived early and ordered already some refreshments.

The pumpkin muffin was huge and we shared it. It tasted yummy. Our tea arrived in pots. It was leaf tea with milk on the side. Very nice! Our friends soon arrived and ordered some refreshments too. Sorry, we have no more pictures from that day. It was lovely, to meet our blogger friends in person, and we hope to see them soon again.

The Entrance to the cafe, which was heated pleasantly.

Peter took all the pictures with his mobile phone.

A warm, savoury pumpkin muffin with butter.

Uta’s Diary, July 2015

I took this picture this morning. It is the first picture I have taken in a long time. I think all through June I never took a picture because my camera did not work anymore. Then I started using an older, smaller camera. This must have been in May. I loved walking around with this smaller camera taking pictures. All of a sudden this did not work any more either. It just would not open up, even though the battery was still full. So I gave up and just did not take any more pictures.

This morning Peter checked the little camera. Surprise, surprise, it opened up for him! Peter said, it was all right, I could use it for taking picture. When I took the above trial picture, it actually worked all right. So wish me luck, that my next pictures are going to be all right too.

There is a heatwave all over Europe right now, while we have very cold winter weather. At least it is not windy, and the humidity seems to have gone too. Right now it is beautiful sunny. The outside temperature has climbed to 13 Degrees Celsius. I should go for a walk. All morning I’ve had the heater on in the computer-room. So the temperature here has gone up to 19 C. (In the morning it was only 13 C inside and 8 C outside!)

For morning tea we had green tea with ginger, Vietnamese bread-rolls, Berliner Fleischwurst and lovely fresh radishes. For dinner we’re going to have fried fish, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, and sweet potato. From two o’clock on I am going to be at Marion’s place. Irene and Barbara are going to be there too. We are all neighbours. Every Friday afternoon we women have a games afternoon. We usually play one game of Scrabble, then we have a coffee/tea break, after which we play seven games of Rummy-Cub (A Rummy game with tiles instead of cards.)

Yesterday I found out something about the ‘anti-monopolist’ Landlord’s Game by BY LIZZIE J MAGIE. I did publish some of the rules. I would be interested in finding out exactly how it works. As I understand it, it is kind of based on a single tax system which Henry George had been writing about. In this Landlord’s Game with some anti-monopolist rules apparently no player ends up as a monopolist, also all players can play right to the end, only that the players end up with different amounts of money and this determines who the winner is. Maybe the players are allowed to cooperate with each other and no player is allowed to fall below subsistence level.

We are all familiar with Parker Brothers MONOPOLY Game. This works out quite differently, doesn’t it?

I better get ready now for my morning walk.

Meeting with Granddaughters in Melbourne Two Years ago

I copy here a blog that I published two years ago. At the time we had spent a lovely evening with Justine and Lauren. Both their birthdays are in June. They are six years apart. Justine lives in Melbourne and Lauren lives in Newcastle. Because it is their birthday this month, I thought I republish this blog which has a few lovely pictures with the birthday girls.

Out and about in Melbourne

Famous sculpture at the Yarra River in Melbourne.

Peter, granddaughter Lauren and I had been waiting at Flinders Street Station for granddaughter Justine who was going to meet us there after work. It was a happy meeting after not having seen each other for sooo long!

Uta and granddaughters at the Yarra River

Dinner at Il PRIMO POSTO, Italian Restaurant

After dinner we strolled to a Gelato shop that was still open. We each had a little tub of this delicious gelato and sat down at a large table with a terrific view of the Yarra.

This was a lovely night out with the granddaughters. Justine caught the train back home from Flinders Street Station. Peter and I went with Lauren by train back to Essendon where our son Martin was waiting with the car to take us home.

A REAL LIFE POLITICAL THRILLER

http://www.abc.net.au/news/programs/killing-season/

Here is a summary about ABC’s program: The Killing Season.
I did not write this myself. I just copied it!

“THE KILLING SEASON is Sarah Ferguson’s gripping three-part examination of the forces that shaped Labor during the Kevin Rudd / Julia Gillard leadership years.

It is a documentary series like no other. Visually striking, scripted like the best political dramas, The Killing Season is an enthralling account of one of the most turbulent periods of Australian political history.

Packed with political intrigue, strong feelings and frank disclosures, this is a must-watch series for the nation.

For the first time, Kevin Rudd gives his own, full account of the period and relives in vivid detail the events of losing the Prime Ministership – a retelling he found painful.

Julia Gillard is forthright with her recollections and analysis and doesn’t spare her colleagues.

A comprehensive cast of the main players – including many of those still in parliament – speak frankly, providing a dramatic portrait of a party at war with itself.

Episode Two of The Killing Season goes to air on Tuesday 16th June at 8.30pm, on ABC1. You can watch Episode One on ABC iview and at abc.net.au/killingseason.”

It is still Tuesday today. Peter and I just finished watching Episode Two of the above program. Having just watched it, I feel sick to my stomach. I wonder, wonder why on earth politics has to be such a dirty business?
Yesterday was a lot of talk about the Magna Carta, which was written down 800 years ago. The principals that led to the writing down of the Magna Carta have not changed in 800 years. People are still the same. What you own of the land or the wealth of the land determines what class you are in and what your political powers are. All politicians who want to stay in power have to be prepared to do more for the rich than the poor. It is as simple as that.

Why can’t the poor have simple housing, healthy food, clean water, clean air and adequate clothing? And of course a job according to their abilities. Is that too much if the poor expect as much as this? But even this much the rich of this world are not prepared to leave for the poor of this world. Has anything changed since Jesus walked the earth? Ah well, he said we are always going to have the poor with us. But do we need to drive them to desperation or distinction?

We have laws that forbid killing. Still, wars and killings go on and on. Why?

People are capable of heroic acts. They often help other people not counting the costs, sacrificing themselves. A species that can resort to such heroic acts, also needs to kill at times? Why is that so?

As far as politics is concerned, I find it very difficult to reconcile myself with mainstream politics, be it Labor or Liberal. To my mind they are practically the same. How can I like to be governed by back stabbing, scheming people who do everything to support big business at the expense of poorer people?

Correction, personally I don’t really mind that much being governed like this, for I have all my creature comforts. So what do I complain about? Well, I do not like how people through no fault of their own can end up being desperately poor and without a job. And I do not like how politicians constantly do scare all of us and try to keep us in line that way.

What did we have for Lunch?

This is our coffee (flat white) after lunch on Sunday. Caroline met us at Central Station. From there we walked to a coffee shop. Caroline and I had the soup of the day, which was a very well spiced tomato soup; Peter had a chicken/veg. pie.

On Sunday we had lunch with Klaus and Tilde at the OAK FLATS BOWLING AND RECREATION CLUB. The lunch special was Roast Meat and Vegetables. Peter, Klaus and Tilde went for the Roast, I chose just Vegetables. I did get a beautifully arranged plate of lots of different vegetables. It was yummy! We each had a glass of beer with our lunch, Tilde had a glass of white wine.

For coffee we chose to sit in a different area of the club. As usual we asked for flat white coffee. Peter had a huge Waggon Wheel with his coffee. I had some yummy cheese cake. I think Tilde chose cheese cake too.

Uta’s Diary, June 2015

Peter took this picture near BELVOIR Theatre on Sunday.

Peter says he took this picture because the lake can be seen a little bit in the background.

I must admit it never occurred to me that it was possible to see the lake from this spot at the OAK FLATS BOWLING CLUB. I am talking of course of LAKE ILLAWARRA. We used to live near the BOWLING CLUB. To go down to the lake took us only a few minutes.

Last Sunday we had mostly sunshine. It was very pleasant to be out in the sunshine near the lake where we went for a walk. Later, in the Bowling Club, where we had lunch, it was beautiful warm. We stayed there with our friends for three and a half hours! It was good to see them, catching up on all the new.

Peter later complained to me that we were talking too much about sicknesses. Klaus and Tilde are about the same age as we are. They are thinking about selling their home to move to a retirement village. That makes me wonder whether Peter and I are going to be able to cope indefinitely in our own home.

Our friends know people who had to move to a nursing home. They pointed out how awful it must be to move from a large, comfortable home to a confined space in a nursing home. However, once you do need constant nursing care, you do not have much of a choice, do you?

When husband and wife, both need to be in a nursing home, it can happen, that they are being separated and have to move to different nursing homes. Even if they end up in the same nursing home, they would probably have separate rooms, each one of them sharing their room with one or more strangers.

We were discussing how fortunate people are who die before they have to go into a nursing home. To live in a retirement village it is different, of course. You have your own private unit where couples can stay together. But you do get help with the things you cannot do for yourself anymore.

The disadvantage is that these residences are usually privately run and can cost quite a bit of money for the private organisations do have to make a profit for their share-holders. Peter’s and my mantra seems to be to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible!

At the moment we have quite a bit of rain here in Dapto. It has been raining off and on since Sunday night. Monday morning I went for a little walk before it starting raining again. Today, Tuesday, it is very wet and cold. No sunshine, none whatsoever. Ah well, I am comfortably warm near a heater.

Around lunchtime we’ll be going out to buy some groceries. Peter hopes that the rain is going to ease off a bit so that he can go for some running before we go out in our car for our shopping. Peter did not do any running for a couple of days. So he’s really keen to do it today.

Our Weekend 13/14th June 2015

Yesterday, Saturday, we went to the BELVOIR Theatre in Sydney.

http://belvoir.com.au/school-performances/mother-courage-children/

“HSC Drama: Significant Plays of the 20th Century

Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children really needs no introduction to teachers.

Anna Fierling is a refugee. She has three children, a shop in a cart, and buckets of chutzpah. She buys and sells her way through a massive and pointless religious war – gulling, lying, charming, inveigling. Will those great capitalist qualities save her from the common fate?

Mother Courage and Her Children is a magnificent pageant of humanity in extremis. A 20th century colossus about a 17th century war is a vision of the 21st century – of globalisation, religion, violence, capitalism, love and pity.

Eamon Flack (Once in Royal David’s City) directs Robyn Nevin in a Michael Gow translation of this epic play.”

As far as I know, Bertolt Brecht asked the question who profits from war? And I would say his answer was that the well off always did profit from wars, but never any of the not so well off.

Today, Sunday, we met some friends for lunch at the OAK FLATS BOWLING AND RECREATION CLUB. We had a very good lunch there and later on coffee and cake.

There's ample parking at the club. — There’s ample parking at the club.

I guess this is for elderly people who drive around on scooters instead of cars.

A View of Lake Illawarra from a Park in Oak Flats.

We took advantage of the beautiful winter sunshine spending some time in this Park at Lake Illawarra.

A visit to Australia’s Wonderland in Sept. 1988 and another Visit to Canberra in Jan1989

Caroline with friend Amy in Australia's Wonderland, Sept.1988 — Caroline with friend Amy in Australia’s Wonderland, Sept.1988

In January 1989, during the summer school holidays, we went with Caroline, Troy and Ryan to Canberra. Previously we had stayed in Canberra only for the day, driving back home on the same day. During the kids’ summer holidays and Peter having a few days rostered off, we took the chance to book into a Canberra motel to stay there for a couple of nights.

This is a park in Goulbourn, where we stopped for some refreshments on the way to Canberra.

Let's do a city tour here in Canberra. — Let’s do a city tour here in Canberra.

A Trainride around the Cockington Greens

Having some Fun at the Motel's Swimming Pool. — Having some Fun at the Motel’s Swimming Pool.

Our Visit to Canberra towards the End of June 1988

Towards the end of May 1988 we had been in Queensland. Some time later we went for a visit to Canberra. Caroline was nine and a half.

In the Pine Forest near Canberra, June 1988

Visiting Queensland in 1988

After Peter’s birthday in May 1988 we went by train to Murwillumbah. We had a sleeper compartment on the overnight train. Our new car, the Nissan Pulsar GL, went with us on the train!

Caroline took this picture of us after we had arrived in Muwillumbah.

Caroline liked that our train had had a dining car!

From Muwillumbah it was not far to Queensland. Our destination was Brisbane. At the time there was the 1988 EXPO in Brisbane. We had booked accommodation very close to the EXPO. There was heaps to see for us at this EXPO. A few days later our car took us to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.