The BIG 7 0

 



This morning it is Autumn

Ah that wonderfully fresh air with a touch of coolness - I feel it on my feet as I sit here at the computer with the back door open. While the temperature today is predicted to be 26C, this morning's coolness is so refreshing.  Autumn is my favourite season of the year!  The only downside to it is the termination of summer daylight savings time.  But that won't happen for another few weeks yet - but the nights are drawing in quickly now. Once the clocks are put back the early mornings will be so much darker - harder to get out of bed.

My poor Mum is back in hospital again.  She's been there now more than 5 weeks - at first investigative tests and scans being done to get to the bottom of her severe pain - it seems she has the same problems I have had over the past few years - spinal nerves being caught and sending pain down her legs.  A decision by medical staff was made to do a decompressive laminectomy on her lower spine and release the nerves causing the problem.  That was done last Friday.  Her recovery is being hampered at present by a very low blood iron level so she is being given units of blood through transfusion.  We are hoping that may help her mental confusion once the iron level is normalised. Its fortunate that son CM has been in NZ on business for 10 days and weekends was able to make visits to the hospital.  Now phone calls to the hospital ward  to check on her progress and talk with her are the order of the day. Her birthday is in May and she'll be 92 - her recovery and rehabilitation may be a long tough road we're thinking, especially since this is the second major surgery she's undergone in 6 months.  Can only leave her in our Maker's hands, trusting that He knows what is best for her.

Even though the grandies are now back at school, I am being kept fairly busy. This week however is much less so for which I'm grateful.  Had the lounge room windows measured last week for new blinds - they will take about 4 weeks to make. Looking forward to them being fitted. Meantime I've been washing curtains and windows, and cleaning out in the garage - getting rid of stuff that's been accumulated for a number of years.  I'm not finished in there yet but a long way to being able to find things again! LOL

Have planted out some tomato seedlings which were a freebie on a gardening mag in January. These are specifically grown in cool weather as opposed to summer cropping so will be interesting to see how they do.  There were four varieties, two the little truss cherry type, one 'normal' and one Giant Tree Tomato which apparently yields fruit up to 500 grams each.  That should be interesting!  Also tried a couple of rows of carrots and they have now been transplanted into 4 or 5 rows - not sure how they will be now the weather is cooling. I think they do better in a warmer spring/summer season. Planted out a few mini cabbages and some spinach along with a final crop of purple runner beans.  Have had to spread bird netting over them all as a new neighbour's cat has decided our yard to be it's bathroom area - spraying citronella oil around helps but this guys' pretty determined! 

All for now - blessings!



Black Cherry tomato 



Giant tree tomato (with tiny basil seedlings alongside

Where do I start?

Where do I start?  So much to tell and for you to catch up on.

Up early on 13th of September after arriving in Auckland the night before. Mum had to be at the hospital by 7am for admission and surgery. For four days or so she doesn't remember anything much at all but she did have massive surgery for a 91 year old.  The surgeon felt sure the tumour had been contained and that all was removed.

Recovery was slow and the first few days for her, a blur. For me just getting back and forth to the hospital was about all I could cope with, as well as answering the huge number of phone calls from family and friends.

Out of the blue a phone call revealed there was a vacant 'pensioner' unit available which we had the opportunity to move Mum to.  My brother had come down with a dreadful bout of the flu and wasn't able to visit so after phone consultations and discussions, it was decided to 'take the bull by the horns' and accept the move for her.  I was given 5 days to do what I would ordinarily have said was impossible.  It's amazing what one person can do when called upon - added strength and stamina is given and boy did I need all of it over that time.  As soon as the keys to the new place were in my hands it was 'all on.'  I began packing from cupboards and drawers, sorting and 'chucking out' as I went. Over 20 years worth of gathering and stashing had to be gone through.  Organised a local Salvation Army shop to pick up what furniture was not going to fit and shopped for some new which would.  There were times when I wondered if I would get through but God was gracious and I felt his presence throughout. 

The move was finally completed with a furniture removalist coming and taking all that was too heavy for me and a final clean up and 'skip' bin delivered to take away all the rubbish and the move was done.  It was all finished in time for Mum's discharge from hospital and although it was so sad she wasn't able to go back to her old place, (she couldn't have managed the 16 internal stairs), she was grateful that she didn't have to physically do the moving herself.

A visit to the oncologist a few days after her discharge helped her decide not to go ahead with any further treatment and the family felt good about that.  Already the surgery and rehabilitation had taken a toll on her and her short term memory was not good.

Three more weeks I stayed with her, helping her find things where I'd put them and familiarising herself in her new abode.  The last week I stayed with rellies at night and went back during the day. This gave Mum a chance to be by herself and realise she was able to do things OK by herself. During this time she and her memory have improved and although physically a lot slower, I am hoping in time she will be able to once again enjoy the activities she has always been involved in.

Of course she was sad to see me return home but I was ready to leave and return to my family. My poor DH had 6 weeks by himself, still working full time made it difficult for him to prepare and cook meals but he did it and was pleased that I was able to go and spend the time with Mum. God works in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform - I've proved that so many times in the past few weeks and it has helped confirm my faith over and over again.

Thank you Lord for your mercies!

Fathers Day Downunder

The last two days have been wet, cold and miserable so it was a delight to see a brilliant sun shining when we awoke this morning.  However a keen wind had sprung up overnight and continued to buffet everyone and everything throughout the day, only easing late this afternoon.  Feeling so sad for the people of Christchurch New Zealand after a dreadful earthquake struck their city and surrounds.  They are saying it is the first earthquake in NZ with a richter scale reading higher than the 1932 quake which dessimated the cities of Hastings and Napier in Hawkes Bay.  My mum actually experienced that earthquake as a child at school and it still terrifies her thinking about it.  She is still very afraid to go into elevators or escalators and at 91 years of age still prefers to climb stairs rather than zoom up or down in either of those 'travel' aids.

Is it Father's Day in all parts of the world today?  I can never remember.  I think maybe Mother's Day might be the same all over but not FD.

Our FD was great.  A lovely church service this morning where a couple of young women trainee officers (Salvation Army terminology for minister) officiated and did a brilliant job.  They are going to be an asset wherever their first appointment out of College may be.  Home and quickly out again to join our Sydney family for lunch at a local country club.

Beautiful meal and great company.  DH was spoiled by our kids and grandkids - books and gift vouchers.  We had a quiet tea this evening contemplating what a lovely day it had been.

I've begun a new cross stitch pattern.  It's a chart I've had for a long time and I noticed it was produced in 1995 so it's not new by any means. It's very different in design to my usual pieces so I'll show you the first few stitches - some of you might be able to guess what the design is.

I'm flying to New Zealand to be with my mum when she undergoes her surgery soon.  I'm nervous for her - she has been told  by her doctor that it is not usual for people as old as her to be operated on however they consider her physical health to be good so feel there is every reason to go ahead.  DH will be looked after well by the family and is very proficient at cooking meals and doing all the other household chores that need to be done.

I'm hoping I will get a chance to look in on all  my blogger friends but I probably won't get the opportunity to actually put anything on this page for a while.

Meantime, blessings to you all!

Feel Kinda 'Under'

No I don't mean 'down under' cos that's where I live - just kinda sad and disappointed in some ways that my 91yr old mum has to go through hysterectomy surgery in a couple weeks time.  I will be traveling to Auckland the day before her surgery to be with her and drive her to the hospital. I guess its just life isn't it but I have a feeling this might have consequences for her down the track a bit.  Will have to wait and see the results of the surgery and biopsy first though so I'd better not get too much ahead of myself.

As for life this past week - it's been busy. Saturday E18 grand-daughter hosted a 1 yr old party for her puppy. This is the first time I've heard of this kind of thing but then that's probably not unusual as we don't have a dog but it turned out really well and all the little doggie guests behaved really well. Then in the evening looked after the two littlest grandsons while their mum and dad went to a school fund-raiser Trivia night. It was a dress up affair - something beginning with 'B'.  They went as batman and batwoman. Looked great too!

About all for now - need something to pull me out of the doldrums - perhaps bible study in the morning will do it. I pray so!

Blessings!

Texas the birthday girl

Pepsi

Family

Have had disturbing news in the past couple of days.  My 91 year old Mum has been diagnosed with cancer of the uterus and is having a hysterectomy soon.  I will need to go to be with her so have booked my flight to NZ but no return flight at this time.  I feel sad that a lady of her age needs to go through this trauma but she feels slightly relieved that at least something will be done. She has been in a lot of pain recently and I guess for her, the surgery at least will be a release from that.

Because she lives in a 2 storey townhouse, she is not allowed to go straight home after her release from the hospital but will need to go to some kind of rehabilitation facility.  It will be good to be there with her while she goes through this.

We never know just what life will throw at us do we?  I find it difficult to understand how so many people can live without a strong faith in God - sometimes that's about all we can cling to.  His daily presence assures us that we are loved and cared for by him, and the Holy Spirit's guidance will take us through these tough times with a hope for the future. I pray He will keep me strong in the future and for wisdom and patience in the days that lie ahead.

Blessings!

Scrapbooking

Just a few pages from a scrapbook I've recently finished for DH's youngest brother and new wife.

THE WEEK THAT WAS

A busy week - daughter's birthday, chimney swept, naval oranges ready to pick, rainbow on the road to Canberra, ducks visited on a rainy day, August 1 - Wattle Day, camellia's blooming, first Daphne flower burst open, beautiful sunrise this morning  ... God's blessings!

PICS FROM THE BIRTHDAY

Grandson blowing out the candle

Son and DIL join in the fun

Granddaughter's boyfriend shared the same birth day

DH and daughter with the hot air balloon ride voucher

Cutting the cake is serious business

A view of some of the group

A good time was had by all. I think the birthday boy felt very special!

HOORAY FOR THE BIRTHDAY BOY!

It turned out a nice evening. The family gathered to celebrate with DH for a nice meal at a local (newly renovated) watering hole. We had balloons and cake as well and the birthday was shared with young Glen who turned 20 yesterday as well. Grandies had a great time. Hope to have some photos by next post - son was planning to take his camera but forgot it in the rush to get out of the house - just as well son in law remembered his! Now I need to wait until he can send them to me via internet.

A lot of heavy rain overnight has left everything rather soaked so I think the washing will need to wait a day or so till the sun comes out again. Today might be a good day to catch up on a scrapbooking album I've started - oh yes, and another cake has to be baked for a special lunch tomorrow. Off to make a large pot of vegetable soup then put the cake in the oven.

Blessings!

LAST DAYS WITH THE TEXAS CONNECTION

The following days passed too quickly. With the children at their respective schools during the week, we had time to wander through shops, sit in the sun, more shops. The wildflowers of Texas are so beautiful - they grow along the sides of highways, out on sidewalk gardens, in ‘yet unbuilt on’ parts of new housing areas. Beautiful bluebonnets, evening primrose, pretty coloured daisy varieties, Indian paintbrush - all so brilliant and showing God’s handiwork in colour. The school where Grand-daughter A11 (soon to graduate for Middle School) attends, has a wildflower garden - DIL had provided them with seed of red bluebonnet flowers which had been growing in her garden, and they were also blooming amongst the other varieties. So, so pretty. A visit to the school during lunchtime allowed me to photograph some of them. A11’s classmates also had the opportunity to taste some ’down under’ Vegemite on crackers as well as a chocolate ’Freddo Frog’! One afternoon was spent watching Grandson A13 playing tennis against another school team. Considering he had only been playing for about a month, he did extremely well - but then he is a born sportsman and does well at most sports - just like his Dad and Grandpa!

Son took a day off work and took his Dad out to the ‘range’ - DIL and I presumed they meant the golf practice range. When they got back we were informed that it was the shooting range - they weren’t sure what my reaction would be if I’d known beforehand! In Australia it is illegal to carry guns unless you have a licence to do so - for instance police officers carry them on duty. I have never been able to get my head around the idea of people having guns in their homes (let alone carrying them). However Son has become quite proficient at shooting as a hobby and every so often goes with a group to areas specifically for the purpose of shooting wildlife. Son and a friend had a great morning ‘teaching’ Dad how to shoot targets! Of course got a photo for posterity! LOL

Sitting out on the deck some afternoons I was fascinated by the red cardinal birds who appeared to be nesting somewhere close by. The male, so vibrant in colour and his paler little mate would fly from tree to tree gathering nest-building material. I managed to get a photo of him but his back was turned - they are so quick and the trees so large it was difficult to just get the ‘perfect’ shot. Other cheeky birds were bolder and came closer to the house. Feeders for hummingbirds were hung during the week with great excitement when the first one came to drink. I managed to see one at quite a distance and was amazed at the minute size. Such amazing little birds!

Red Cardinal

Texas wildflowers Red Bonnets

Our son had purchased a shade sail to put up over his newly built deck - Dad came in handy with suggestions of what was needed to erect it and assisting to buy the necessary equipment then helping to get it up. It certainly made a big difference to the area and with a new outdoor setting gifted, outdoor meals and lounging during the summer months should be more comfortable this year.

The night before we left, we were treated to a great meal at The Salt Lick BBQ restaurant a little distance outside of Austin. The weather was warm and meeting with friends ensured a very memorable evening. We were sad to be leaving the family the next morning but all good holidays come to an end and in many ways it felt good to be going back home and sleeping in our own bed again.

The family at The Salt Lick

Resident peacock at The Salt Lick

Our flight back to Los Angeles was uneventful and we arrived there about 1pm - our flight to Sydney Australia wasn't due out until 10.30pm that night and as we didn't fancy sitting around the airport for all those hours, we took a bus to Westwood Village, near to UCLA and spent a couple of hours wandering around the area. Before we headed back to the airport we had coffee and cake at a little coffee shop. It was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

We were quite excited to know that the aircraft we were to fly in back to Sydney was a new A380 - what a huge machine! Fortunate also to have seats in a row which enabled DH to stretch his legs out in front of him - a treat indeed when travelling economy class!

Our son was at the airport to meet us when we arrived at 6.30am the next morning and once home and unpacked, sad to say it didn't take long to get back into the 'normal everyday' mode! Still we were grateful for good health and safe travels all the way around the world - I know our Heavenly Father had something to do with that!

FAMILY - here we come!

As soon as we reached the airport from the coach, we made for the airline desk and found we were able to check in and get our boarding passes for the morning’s flight. That saved us a good hour of extra ‘sleep in’ time and what was to have been a 3.30am wake up call! After checking in to the hotel we did a quick ‘re-pack’ of our bags - we tried to put equal weight in each to save any problems at weigh in the next morning, then in the early evening after a short walk from the hotel we found a typical English ‘pub’ and had a nice meal before settling back in our room for the night.

After boarding the shuttle bus from the hotel, we made it in very good time to the airport by about 4.45am. Our bags checked in, we had plenty of time to make for the departure gate at 6.30am. It was rather sad to be leaving England - we’d had a marvellous time there - but we were excited about meeting the family again. It had been some years since we had all met and we were so looking forward to catching up with our grandchildren and with the new puppy addition to their family.

Sidney

We had a long day of flying ahead of us. From London Heathrow, our next stop was Frankfurt, Germany. Our flight was very smooth and we landed in Frankfurt on time. Because it was still so early in the day, with few shops even open, we made our way to the departure gate to wait. And wait we did. Our boarding time came and went, and so did our departure time. Eventually we were loaded on to the plane an hour and a half late. We were soon told the reason - the smoke and ash from the volcano in Iceland had begun to create havoc with air traffic - planes were being diverted and consequently late in arriving at their destination. We were so fortunate we were able to leave when we did - we saw the dirty brown ash line as we flew south of England and on towards the USA. Our next stop was Los Angeles where we had to clear Customs and Immigration before we could board a domestic flight to Texas and because of our late departure, we were very much afraid we would miss our connecting flight. However, all went well and we were able to reach our departure terminal without further problems. We arrived in Texas on time but feeling very weary - it had been about 27 hours since we had left London - but even the heavy rain falling couldn’t dampen our feelings of excitement in meeting our family again.

Our DIL Rachel had made arrangements for me to go with her and some friends to a Womens Bible Conference being held in North Austin. We were to overnight at an hotel to save travelling once the Friday night session had finished and so the next morning I found myself packing my small cabin bag again with what I would need for the next couple of days. Lisa had already picked up Liz when she called for us in her vehicle and the four of us set off, excited about hearing speakers who were coming from California. It was a pleasant drive and although showery, the temperature was comfortable - which was rather enjoyable after the cooler UK days. Sheri Silk and Kim Walker-Smith were exciting speakers and kept the attention of the women during their sessions. Kim, a multi-talented young woman was the guest soloist on the Friday night and all who were there were thrilled at not only her voice but her Spirit-filled presence in praise and worship. Getting back to the hotel at the close of the session, it seemed rather strange to be sleeping in a room with three other women but the Lord took care of all the details and I think we all got our fair share of sleep without disturbance from any stray snores!

Rachel & me

Breakfast at the hotel then a ‘high maintenance’ call to a popular coffee shop to ensure we all were ‘wide awake’ and ready for the day. Another talented soloist, Bethany Martin accompanying herself on the piano, brought us into the Lord’s presence ready to worship. All too soon it was over - animated discussion while travelling back held our attention and in no time it seemed we were back to our family and catching up with what they had done while we’d been away. It was only just over 24 hours since we’d left but much ‘God Glorifying’ had been packed into those hours. I was so very grateful I had been asked to go - thanks Rachel, Lisa and Liz!

IPSWICH

The beautiful countryside passed by quickly and after a couple of hours we arrived in Henley, a hamlet just outside Ipswich, West Suffolk, at the home of our second cousins. It was lovely to see them again after nearly 20 years. We were quickly given lunch and headed off to spend a litte time at the Abbey of St Edmund ruins at Bury.

Abbey Ruins

Abbey Gardens

About a half hours drive from Henley, the market town of St Edmundsbury had a village atmosphere with the cathedral just outside a large shopping centre. The cathedral was once among the richest Benedictine monasteries in England. The cathedral is surrounded by the Abbey Gardens where the gardens were a vivid mass of colour. While meandering through the park-like gardens, a squirrel caught our eye climbing down a tree trunk quite close to the ground. We stopped to photograph it and it hopped down to the path and sat quite close to Fiona (cousin’s daughter) who had come with us. It was quite tame and fascinating to us as we don’t have them living in the southern hemisphere. Inside the cathedral we were able to see the beautiful ceiling of the new spire. The addition commenced in 2000, and has only recently been completed. Our day finished with a lovely meal and an evening spent with the family catching up with family news.

Next morning after breakfast we headed off to the university town of Cambridge which was north west about 71 kilometres (44 miles)from Ipswich. With little parking available in the township, large ‘park and ride’ areas are available for all day parking on the outskirts. We rode into town on a double decker bus taking in all the sights en route.

Views of Cambridge

This ancient town of colleges, museums, market street stalls, provides contrasting historic buildings with modern shopping venues. The town was crowded, with an obvious predominance of students and bicycles as well as large tourist coaches, visitors spilling out all along Kings Parade. As with many of these historic places, tour company employees bustled amongst the crowds touting their own special tours as being ‘the best’ or ‘the cheapest’. We were happy to continue our way through the narrow streets - we had an excellent guide showing us the magnificent buildings. Trinity and Kings Colleges, the Fitzwilliam Museum, ancient houses all had their appeal, and a wander along the River Cam was also a highlight with the beautiful cherry trees blooming right alongside.

We stopped for lunch at a little ’church’ café tucked along from the museum, where organic food was served at very reasonable rates. A short meal stop was an ideal way in which to rest our weary feet. We were soon ready to move on again and browsed the market stalls before heading for the ’park and ride’ again to pick up the car and head back to Henley.

A quick change and we were ready to be taken out for a delicious meal at an Ipswich Italian restaurant. We were helping Margaret and Magnus with their family, celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. What a lovely occasion to be sharing with them. We did enjoy the evening. Our time with these lovely people was all too short - in the morning we had another fairly early start to the coach station. Only one more day in England before we left to fly to Texas to meet with our son, daughter in law and two grandchildren.

We were ready to meet the coach when it arrived and we boarded and commenced our journey from Ipswich to Heathrow Airport. It was a miserable day so we were pleased we weren’t on a sight-seeing mission. After one stop half way to change coaches, we arrived at Heathrow about 1.30pm. We had booked a hotel room as we had a very early flight check in. This would ensure an early night and a short distance to the airport tomorrow.

WORTHING

Arundel Castle

When we lived in Zambia a number of years ago, we got to know Carol and David and their family of three kids. They have remained very dear to us and we were so happy to be able to stay with them during our time in England. They met us at Luton airport and we were quickly on our way to the very south of England, not far from Brighton. A beautiful sunny day to drive through the lush countryside. After dropping our luggage at their home, they took us to a lovely café right on the beach where we ate a scrumptious lunch. Leaving the coast, a short drive took us to the restored medieval Arundel Castle, founded by Roger de Montgomery on Christmas Day 1067 during the reign of William the Conqueror. It was build as a fortification for the mouth of the River Arun and a defensive position for the surrounding land against invasion from the Continent. From the 11th century onward the castle has served as a hereditary stately home and has been in the family of the Duke of Norfolk for over 800 years. Standing high on a hill, it towers over the tiny village below. Antique shops seemed to be predominant in this little precinct and we took our time and wandered from one to the next, browsing for that special bargain we might find. Sadly we didn’t make any purchases but it was an enjoyable afternoon. The next day was a ‘catch up’ day for laundry after which we drove into Worthing township to post mail and generally have a look around. A beautiful birthday celebration meal for Louise, prepared by our host (her mum) was a special time for their family, and we were privileged to be included. DH says Carol is the best cook around and her pavlova is wonderful! (I’d have to agree).

Some time ago I had made contact by email, through a genealogy website, with a lady who was descended from the Double family - as DH is. We discovered through corresponding that we had quite a lot in common and have continued to keep in touch. It was most fortunate that she lives only a few miles from Worthing and before leaving Australia we had made arrangements to meet with her. She drove and met us and took us to her home for a cup of coffee and a ‘catch up’ before taking us to lunch to Highdown House, a little gem just three miles west of Worthing and tucked in amongst beautiful gardens. This lovely peaceful garden with views out to sea is a real horticulturalists delight. So many rare and unusual varieties flourish at Highdown that the entire garden has been declared a national collection. Being a beautifully sunny day and after a delicious ‘roast dinner’ from the carvery, we spent time wandering through this beautiful little oasis with its blossoming trees and beautiful ponds and spring flowers.

The road leading to Highdown House

The next morning a bleak wind had sprung up but we received a very warm welcome at the church service we attended which made up for the chill outside. Monday morning we were sad to leave these dear friends. Again we were driven to our next ‘port of call’ - Ipswich.