Sunday, 9 September 2007
Encycopedia of Me Meme: Z is for .. the END of the alphabet ...
..... but the beginning of a new life for the Fleas. Talk to you all soon(ish). And, thank you again.
Encycopedia of Me Meme: Y - is for YOU
I have so enjoyed YOU, my cyber friendships and exchanges with you all. I haven't reponded to the last several lots of comments, and I've really fallen behind with reading your blogs, which I enjoy very much. I'm glad that some of you have enjoyed reading this blog and seeing the photos of our wildlife. I have enjoyed all your comments and promise to catch up when I start blogging again. Thank you.
Encycopedia of Me Meme: X is for ......eXtraordinary
It's eXtraordinary what crisis and change reveals about people - good and bad aspects of their nature that you had not appreciated in the ordinary turn of events.
We have had a lot of help from friends and family - and as always, when the crunch comes, have discovered who our true friends are. Disappointing to find that someone you would move heaven and earth to help, because of your friendship, is not prepared to move out of their own way to do you even a small favour. It's a bit reminiscent of when Gpa Flea had cancer, 11 years ago - all sorts of unexpected people came out of the woodwork to lend their support, moral and physical, while someone we thought was amongst our closer friends showed their true colours in a quite unnecessary and hurtful way. That sounds a bit judgmental - it IS judgmental, but the hurt lingers long after the event. However life moves on and we don't take those people on our journey. (See why I find blogging so demanding? - the potential to be misunderstood is enormous - do I sound bitter and twisted? I hope not - just disappointed.)
The photo is the Flea family - minus the little Fleas, whose faces I don't like to expose to the world at large. The biggest Flea (third biggest in height, biggest in age) is in the purple jumper, second biggest (actually the biggest but second oldest) has the goatee, third biggest (but second tallest) is in the heavy duty jacket while Gpa and Gma Flea are the two oldies. Clear as mud? They have been a great help and support. They all came home to this house as newborns and did all their growing up in it, but have all said their goodbyes. Gpa Flea is a bit short-tempered and I'm sure it's because he's sad to be going, but he seems excited at the prospect of moving into the new place - he's a stoic like his Mum. My dear neighbour came down today and was quite upset and I felt a bit guilty that I'm so happy to be leaving - although I will miss some of the neighbours and our beautiful wildlife. Our two lovely young male neighbours have been so helpful with lifting things for us, and on Friday night had a good-bye neighbourhood get-together for us - we are only moving one station away, so we'll have no trouble staying in touch.
We have had a lot of help from friends and family - and as always, when the crunch comes, have discovered who our true friends are. Disappointing to find that someone you would move heaven and earth to help, because of your friendship, is not prepared to move out of their own way to do you even a small favour. It's a bit reminiscent of when Gpa Flea had cancer, 11 years ago - all sorts of unexpected people came out of the woodwork to lend their support, moral and physical, while someone we thought was amongst our closer friends showed their true colours in a quite unnecessary and hurtful way. That sounds a bit judgmental - it IS judgmental, but the hurt lingers long after the event. However life moves on and we don't take those people on our journey. (See why I find blogging so demanding? - the potential to be misunderstood is enormous - do I sound bitter and twisted? I hope not - just disappointed.)
The photo is the Flea family - minus the little Fleas, whose faces I don't like to expose to the world at large. The biggest Flea (third biggest in height, biggest in age) is in the purple jumper, second biggest (actually the biggest but second oldest) has the goatee, third biggest (but second tallest) is in the heavy duty jacket while Gpa and Gma Flea are the two oldies. Clear as mud? They have been a great help and support. They all came home to this house as newborns and did all their growing up in it, but have all said their goodbyes. Gpa Flea is a bit short-tempered and I'm sure it's because he's sad to be going, but he seems excited at the prospect of moving into the new place - he's a stoic like his Mum. My dear neighbour came down today and was quite upset and I felt a bit guilty that I'm so happy to be leaving - although I will miss some of the neighbours and our beautiful wildlife. Our two lovely young male neighbours have been so helpful with lifting things for us, and on Friday night had a good-bye neighbourhood get-together for us - we are only moving one station away, so we'll have no trouble staying in touch.
Encycopedia of Me Meme: W is for ....a While
It will be a While before I post again. Once we leave this house I'll be off the air for some time - so check back in again in late October - I can probably post from my daughter's computer.
Encycopedia of Me Meme: V is for ... Venturing Forth
Venturing into a new life.....
Today is Sunday - tomorrow someone is coming to take the washing machine (we hope) - a freebie because of its age and idiosyncratic ways. Our two lounges (sofas) and the dining room chairs ( a misnomer since we don't have a dining room!) are being collected to be recovered while we are away.
Tuesday, the moving people come and take our very few pieces of furniture and our 150 boxes to storage. Tuesday night we move our suitcases and files and computer to Maroubra to our daughter's place (she is in Canada at present) and sleep there until later in the week.
Wednesday, we come back here to clean up the yard and the inside. The cleaners are also coming in the afternoon to help.
Thursday, I go shopping to buy some summer clothes that fit my 15-kg-heavier-than-last-summer body. I'll also buy a swimsuit if I can do so without looking in the mirror.
Friday, we fly to India and Thailand for 4 weeks - and while the rest of our group are out looking at the Taj mahal and other things, I intend to explore the cultural differences of massages in the East!
October 10 we return to Sydney, stay with our daughter until October 13, when we move to her sister-in-law's (luxury, I have been told) apartment at Coogee where we will house and cat sit until October 23, when we will resume our nomadic existence until our place is finished - mid -November we have now been told, but I'm counting on Christmas.
When we do move in, we're faced with the enormous task of again sifting and throwing out, as our new place is for over-55s - that is, on the small size. About a 50 box size! I suspect that when we get there, so much of our stuff will be so obviously unnecessary that Vinnies and the Salvos (both within walking distance) will have a bonanza.
Today is Sunday - tomorrow someone is coming to take the washing machine (we hope) - a freebie because of its age and idiosyncratic ways. Our two lounges (sofas) and the dining room chairs ( a misnomer since we don't have a dining room!) are being collected to be recovered while we are away.
Tuesday, the moving people come and take our very few pieces of furniture and our 150 boxes to storage. Tuesday night we move our suitcases and files and computer to Maroubra to our daughter's place (she is in Canada at present) and sleep there until later in the week.
Wednesday, we come back here to clean up the yard and the inside. The cleaners are also coming in the afternoon to help.
Thursday, I go shopping to buy some summer clothes that fit my 15-kg-heavier-than-last-summer body. I'll also buy a swimsuit if I can do so without looking in the mirror.
Friday, we fly to India and Thailand for 4 weeks - and while the rest of our group are out looking at the Taj mahal and other things, I intend to explore the cultural differences of massages in the East!
October 10 we return to Sydney, stay with our daughter until October 13, when we move to her sister-in-law's (luxury, I have been told) apartment at Coogee where we will house and cat sit until October 23, when we will resume our nomadic existence until our place is finished - mid -November we have now been told, but I'm counting on Christmas.
When we do move in, we're faced with the enormous task of again sifting and throwing out, as our new place is for over-55s - that is, on the small size. About a 50 box size! I suspect that when we get there, so much of our stuff will be so obviously unnecessary that Vinnies and the Salvos (both within walking distance) will have a bonanza.
Encycopedia of Me Meme . . U is for Unknown
Yes, UNKNOWN - the completion date of our new home. My blogging has, of necessity, been neglected for the last couple of weeks. The sorting, packing and throwing out of 40 years of accumulated junk takes a lot of energy. When faced with an overwhelming task - I postpone/avoid. I have to confess to playing scrabble online instead of writing my blog. Writing my blog requires thought - of the introspective kind - do I say this - do I reveal that - what have I done that others might find interesting - while scrabble is in the moment - racing the clock and concentrating only on the things immediately on the screen. My apologies.
Somehow, despite my worst efforts, it all seems to be coming together.
Somehow, despite my worst efforts, it all seems to be coming together.
Thursday, 30 August 2007
Encycopedia of Me Meme .. T is for teeth ..
T is for the teeth I still have - despite the prognostications of a dentist that I had gone to when my children were all very small. My dentist was a train trip away - I didn't have a car, and with three little people 4 and under, and no family to help, getting to the dentist was a major undertaking. So I tried another dentist, closer to home. Imagine my horror when he informed me that my (regularly checked and already heavily filled teeth) needed all sorts of major work, preferably done all at the one time, under sedation and at a very large price. When I expressed some concern about this, he really put the heavies on, telling me that unless I had the work done, I would have no teeth left by the time I was forty. He suggested that my previous dentists had probably been older (which they were) and were not up to date with their procedures. I agonised about this for some time, and eventually, with my cap in hand, went back to my own dentist and told him the sorry story. He said that technically, what I had been told was correct, but that as my teeth were so heavily filled, and fillings had a limited lifespan, that by the time I was forty, the problem fillings would have all been replaced anyway.
When I rang the "new" dentist to tell him that I wouldn't have the work done, he was very unpleasant about it - uttered dire warnings again and put a lot of pressure on me, but I stuck to my guns. Thank heavens - because about twelve months later he was arrested and struck off the roll for molesting his female patients while they were sedated! A couple of local women had been having coffee when one told the other about a strange dream she'd had when sedated at the dentist's - when her friend said she'd had the same dream, they decided that it wasn't a coincidence and went to the police. A young female officer went undercover for a dental appointment and was given the story about needing a lot of work under sedation. She returned with some sort of communication equipment, ostensibly to have the work done, and the dentist was caught in the act. Life works in strange and mysterious ways.
When I rang the "new" dentist to tell him that I wouldn't have the work done, he was very unpleasant about it - uttered dire warnings again and put a lot of pressure on me, but I stuck to my guns. Thank heavens - because about twelve months later he was arrested and struck off the roll for molesting his female patients while they were sedated! A couple of local women had been having coffee when one told the other about a strange dream she'd had when sedated at the dentist's - when her friend said she'd had the same dream, they decided that it wasn't a coincidence and went to the police. A young female officer went undercover for a dental appointment and was given the story about needing a lot of work under sedation. She returned with some sort of communication equipment, ostensibly to have the work done, and the dentist was caught in the act. Life works in strange and mysterious ways.
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