Short Story Writing and a bit of Musing

I found this post in my ‘memories’ section. Maybe this is an opportune time to reblog this post!

In the past I stuck mainly to journal or diary writing, or I tried to come to grips with some of my childhood memories. Only occasionally did I resort to fiction writing in the form of a short story. As far as my reading tastes are concerned I must say, in my younger days I always preferred reading novels: Only occasionally would I read a short story.

These days the time I spend reading novels seems to be getting less and less, even though I still like novels a lot. Today for instance I spent half an hour reading a short story. It turned out I did very much love this story. It was a story I had been reading many years ago and I could still remember the subject of this story since this is a subject that interests me very much: What happens to a mother when she…

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Uta’s Diary

Big Loss

Our Dream Home, is this it?

https://auntyuta.com/2011/11/

All the Sundays after Peter died

Today is the4thSunday after Peter died/On th 8th of November, that is just a few weeks ago, when Peter was still alive and able to visit the local doctor (with Olivia’s help that is), yes on the 8th of November I republished one of the posts from November 2011.

Now, I assume that most of my readers would not like to go to the trouble of looking up all these posts. However, for me it was most interesting to read through all of them again. It helps to give some kind of substance to what I do remember about the past nine years or so. These posts show me, that already nine years ago I could not help myself thinking about what would happen when Peter and I would come into our eighties. Well, Peter made it to 85 without any significant changes in our surroundings. I am 86 already. I must admit I am not at all used to organising some trades people to do any necessary repairs. Peter always did this. He always pointed out to me: “You can do it if you like!” But did he really want me to do it? I don’t think so. Whenever he was supposed to show me something, he soon got impatient and took over, doing whatever needed to be done rather himself. I must admit, I am a rather slow learner and always got scared I would not learn fast enough or forget soon again, how to do certain things. This also went very much so with work on the computer too. Whenever something went wrong on the computer he would take over totally, yes, maybe showing me a few things but without making sure that I had understood it properly. And it was very hard for me to ask for repeat instructions. He would just say: “But I showed you already!” and leave it at that.

In a lot of ways I am now totally dependent on the help of my children. I am extremely lucky to have three capable and loving children. But it is difficult for me to accept that I may have to disrupt their lives too much. I would like to have a certain type of independence where I feel that I am still capable of making my own decisions in every way and where I have not to told by anyone how to live my life!

One of my concerns at the moment is the ever increasing need for an overhaul of my backyard. When I look at that post from 22nd of August 2016 about the loss of three of our big trees, I am astounded how this backyard has changed again over the last four years or so!

Memories

Last Day of the Year 2012

auntyuta Diary, Life in Australia, Memories

I did a bit of copying from my post from January 2013:

https://auntyuta.com/2013/01/22/2464/

I want to document what Peter and I did on the last day of 2012! Our day started with a trip to Bondi Junction, where we met our daughter. We had a cup of coffee with Caroline (sorry no photo). Then Caroline had to go shopping. We strolled back to the station. This time to a different entrance of the station, one that we weren’t familiar with yet. A beautiful large rest asrea opened up in front of us. Lots of different food and drinks were on offer at different outlets. In the middle of the plaza some delicious looking (homemade) ice-cream caught our eye. Peter and I each had a cup full of this very refreshing treat. It wasn’t expensive but tasted wonderful. There were plenty of seats everywhere to have a rest. We took the lift down to the platform. Only a few minutes and our train departed. We got off at Town Hall Station and went to the Queen Victoria Building where we had a beautiful lunch.

Later on we looked at the displays of some cake-shops. We were hoping we would find some Berliners. It is our tradition to eat Berliners on New Year’s Eve. We had no luck. We couldn’t find any. We went back to Town Hall Station to catch our train to Dapto. While we were waiting for the train we took some photos. The trip to Dapto took nearly two hours. Some shops in Dapto Shopping Center were already about to close when we arrived there. We knew we had a bottle of Bubbly at home in the fridge for our end of year celebrations. But we were still without any Berliners. I felt a bit tired and was sitting down for a while. In the meantime Peter rushed into another shop that was still open. Surprise, surprise, he came out with some delicious looking Berliners in the form of stars! He got them at half price for they were the last ones that were left! At home we watched “Dinner for One”, which is a tradition with us to watch on New Year’s Eve. It is a sketch about Miss Sophie’s 90th Birthday. Very, very funny! We’ve seen it so often and every time we laugh our heads off again. Peter tried out to take a few pictures from the TV showing Sydney Harbour. At midnight he took also some pictures of the fireworks. Soon after we went to bed. But of course we did have our Bubbly and did eat the heated up little stars with it. They tasted delicious, just as good as the balls, called Berliners, do taste. Of course we did get messages and phone calls from our children before we went to bed. All were wishing us a HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Sorry,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My first Pictures in 2014:

https://auntyuta.com/2014/01/01/my-first-pictures-in-2014/

There are quite a few pictures in that post from the 1st of January 2014. And this is what I wrote:

At about half past eight in the morning of today’s New Year’s Day we drove down to Lake ILLAWARRA at Kanahooka and went there
for a leisurely walk. It was a fairly warm and calm morning, meaning there was no breeze. However, the sky was quite overcast. And the cicadas were very, very noisy! Lots of walkers and runners greeted us on our walk. They all had had the same idea we had that it would be good to start the New Year with an early morning outing.

Peter reminded me that we should be back home before 10 o’clock to watch the live special German News of the Deutsche Welle. 10 o’clock our time was midnight over in Berlin where Fireworks Celebration at the Brandenburg Gate were to be shown. We made it in time for the big show. Ten hours earlier of course we had been watching on TV the huge Sydney Fireworks. At that time we had welcomed the New Year with some sparkling wine. Between the two of us we had half a bottle of that sparkly. That meant we had half a bottle left. It was not difficult to empty that left over half bottle at 10 o’clock in the morning! Peter’s sister Ilse, who lives in Berlin, soon did welcome the New Year by doing some skyping with us. Isn’t the technique marvellous for occasions like this?

RTSF 2019 – Dietmar & Nellia – Never Stop Jiving

Rock That Swing Festival 2019: Dietmar & Nellia at Deutsches Theater (3 March 2019).

Pot-Pourri –

Pot-Pourri (Banda Cover versão completa) – Rivers of Babylon – Sugar Sugar – More Than I Can Say – Forever and Ever – Mississippi – Guantanamera – Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me – Jeany Ich Brauch’ Dich

Handel’s MESSIAH

auntyuta Diary December 4, 2011 1 Minute

Yesterday, Handel’s MESSIAH was performed in the Wollongong Town Hall. We went there with Caroline and Matthew. The Soprano was Siobhan Patrick, Caroline’s friend, who has been performing professionally for 20 years.

Peter is not religious. But he loves music like this. The text to the music is taken from the bible. It starts with:

THE PEOPLE OF GOD AWAIT THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH, THE REDEEMER IS BORN, CHRIST BEGINS HIS MINISTRY

In Part 2 comes:

CHRIST SUFFERS FOR HIS PEOPLE

I felt weepy when they sang:

He was despised (Alto) . . . .

All that see him laugh him to scorn (Tenor)

Later on:

THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED, DISCORD ENSUES, BUT THE LORD GOD REIGNS OVER ALL

The Soprano sang in a very lovely voice: How beautiful are the feet of those . . . .

Then the Bass: Why do the nations so furiously rage together?

And after that the Hallelujah Chorus

Part 3 . . . . THE FAITHFUL SING PRAISE TO THE REDEEMER

I know that my redeemer liveth – Soprano

Since by man came death – Chorus

Behold, I tell you a mystery – Bass

The trumpet shall sound – Bass

Then shall be brought to pass – Alto

O death, where is thy sting? – Alto and Tenor

If God be for us – Soprano

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Amen – Chorus

It was a truely memorable performance!

“Handel’s Messiah for Our Time”

@handelandhaydn hasn’t missed a performance of 𝑀𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑎ℎ since 1854 — and by partnering with @GBH, that streak remains unbroken.

All the Sundays after Peter died

One day after Peter died was a Sunday. I asked Martin, could he drive me to church. And of course he volunteered to do this. I made it to the early Mass at 7,30 am. I did light a candle for Peter after Mass. Then, Erica came to talk to me. She knew that Peter had died and said, she was sorry. She remarked, she was happy that I came back to church. And she asked me, did I have a lift home? I answered, Martin, my son would pick me up again. It so happened, that Caroline and Matthew had gone out to the shopping centre to get fresh breadrolls and eggs for breakfast. They picked me up from church at exactly the right time on their way back home.

The following week on Sunday Martin drove me once more to the 7,30 am Mass. So, I could light another candle for Peter. On that Sunday I did not see Erica. It was the Suday when Martin went with his dog Millie back to his place in Benalla, Victoria. He left soon after breakfast and arrived home soon after 4pm. The border was closed the following day. Martin was lucky, that he had made it home without having to go into quarantine!

Now, today, is the third Sunday after Peter died. I was supposed to ring Erica and ask her, could she give me a lift to church! But somehow I did not feel like ringing. And I am glad I didn’t! I had such a lovely morning here at home, enjoying beautiful sunshine and doing a bit of gardening. Thinking of lighting a candle for Peter, I am going to do this right now, here at home!

Daughter Caroline and son-in-law Matthew went back to. their place in Marrickville. But they did stay with me for quite a while. I wanted to visit Martin in Benalla. But this is not possible for as long as the border is closed. Daughter Monika lives not far away and can help me out when needed. But for the next week or so she is on a holiday at the NSW Southcoast with her children and grandchildren. In the New Year Caroline and Matthew are going to help me with the settling of a few things. And so it goes . . . . .

You are not alone’: the Queen addresses nation in Christmas message – video

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2020/dec/25/you-are-not-alone-the-queen-addresses-nation-in-christmas-message-video

The Queen has praised the nation for rising to the challenges of 2020 in a her Christmas Day address. The monarch is sheltering at Windsor Castle with the Duke of Edinburgh, and separated from the rest of her own family who normally spend Christmas together at Sandringham. In the broadcast, pre-recorded in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, said told those suffering loneliness or loss amid the pandemic: ‘You are not alone, and let me assure you of my thoughts and prayers.’

Queen praises nation for ‘rising magnificently’ to challenges of 2020

Never Go Back!

“. . . as we move from 2020
to a new year, we’ll create a better normal. . .”

JanBeek

No, I don’t want to go back!
I don’t want to revisit the old normal.
Surely as we move from 2020
to a new year, we’ll create a better normal.

This is my prayer this Christmas:
Lord, help us learn what You
have in mind for us to learn
from this rare year we’ve just survived.

Letter from a Wordsmith

With his permission, I am sharing with you the first part of a Christmas letter I received this week from my former pastor, Rev. Brent Mitchell. He is a master wordsmith! He said what’s in my heart so much better than I could have said it.

“Mark it how you will,
2020 was a year not lost,
but forever to be remembered
for both its absences
and its unexpected gifts.

By the middle of March,
it became apparent that
what we thought as normalcy

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