Archive Page 2
Coming up for air
Mould - erk
Exhausted and I have a nagging sore throat, but I wanted to share a few photos and thoughts from the last couple of hectic weeks.
We spent about four days last week moving…I think we did 18 trailer loads – although we kind of lost count..and even more car loads… (and yes- next time we move we are hiring a truck and scrawny, muscly removal guys!)
Load five - still smiling.
And then I spent a couple of days cleaning the rented house – one of those tricky, hard to clean places. The agent had organised to repaint and re-carpet when we left. We argued that it need re-carpeting, but didn’t need repainting – more like major work on ventilation, insulation and condensation -but more paint it is. Just cover that mould I say! Took time to take quite a few photos of mould. We had an inkling that there was mould behind our bed…but discovered this when we moved the bed – I felt really quite ill. We always sleep with the bedroom window open- even in minus temperatures as I love fresh air when sleeping. I just wonder how many mould particles we inhaled while snoozing.
And then during it all…it hailed one day three times, just to add to the fun. And in between the hail..an hour or so of sunshine. Very strange. I like the photo below as it reminds me of an English garden, and it is hail and Dickson in Canberra!
Hail in Dickson backyard
We even have the chooks back from their sojourn in Candelo – Tilda, Feathers and Heather (sadly Fonzie died after much care and attention was lavished on her by Carl’s parents). And yesterday – the first egg! Yay for the chooks!
Here are the chooks enjoying their first moments of freedom after a four hour drive. The chook run is overgrown with grass and all sorts of chookly goodness.
Chooklets are home!
We finally got to sleep in our new house last Friday evening, except I was then on my way to Bowral and then Sydney to have lunch on Saturday to celebrate Jeremy’s birthday. I didn’t even sleep in the house the first night! - but as dad says – it makes for a good story.
There is champagne in the fridge and I have found and unpacked the groovy anodised aluminium champagne flutes. Maybe this weekend?
So here we are …. coming up for air – mould free air too.
Kx
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Tags: family, happiness, house, me
Fantasy future
I saw the latest Harry Potter movie on the weekend. I really enjoyed it, although I think I liked it so much just watching Isabel’s face throughout it all. She was soooooo engaged.
There are a few films that I am looking forward to, and the strange thing is they are all of a genre that I don’t usually follow that much. The sort of fantasy, fairy story, animated film? I am usually up for a serious, searching type of film. Films that don’t hold back and ask hard questions. Or funny, clever, intelligent movies – like the Coen Brothers movies. We are currently re-watching Coen Bros movies with the kids, and loving them all over again.
Maybe it just shows where my head is at at the moment, and my need for fantasy…or lightness…or something else?
First off: Where the wild things are. I know this book back to front and front to back . I have read it so often with the children when they were small. Looking forward to what Spike Jonze can do with it.
And then: Tim Burton and Alice in Wonderland. YAY! Can’t wait. I loved Edward Scissorhands and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Sweeney Todd. Such rich, rich, colourful, colourful, whimsical, whimsical films (and yes I am deliberately repeating myself). I did have the link to the trailer from YouTube but it’s been pulled.
And finally: The Fantastic Mr Fox with the equally Fantastic George Clooney. I know, I know- I am with millions of other women and men who think George is a honey- but I love his voice, so George being Mr Fox should be, well, fantastic….
and thanks: thanks so much for all your messages, cards, emails, texts of love and support over the last few months. I feel really blessed (in a totally non theological/religious sense!) to have such a wonderful network of support and happiness around me.
Kx
ooh- almost forgot…Library themed ice-cream? Can you think of any? Library Liquorice? I like the sshh sshh sshh sherbert.
Jack, Kate and Isabel at Lez' funeral
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Tags: food, libraries, movies, state of mind
No words
Lez
Lez my father-in-law died last Friday. So sad, so sudden and unexpected. He was up in Canberra from the South Coast (3 hours away) having some medical tests. Lez died waiting to see the specialist in the Canberra Hospital. Lez was to turn 80 this Thursday. On Thursday we will attend his funeral. On Friday we will all go down to Lez and Margaret’s house in Candelo and have a party to celebrate his life. I liked Lez a lot – the whole in-law relationship can be tricky or so you’d be lead to believe, but I’ve never found it the case with either Lez or Margaret. Lez had an opinion on everything, but I never felt judged. I will miss his quiet “alright love?” as I walked into the room. Always wanted to know that you were alright.
We are all going to miss you Lez. I feel sad. I feel sad for Carl. I feel sad for Jack and Isabel – their grandad has gone.
An online friend wrote to me “remember what made him great, how your life was richer because of him. Take your time…”
Lez in the Warrumbungles, 2004
Jeremy
Jeremy started chemotherapy three weeks ago. He has to have 12 weeks treatment, with chemo every third week. First time through and the end of the first week was bad. He’d lost 5 kilos in that first week and said to me later that at that time he didn’t want to do any more chemo. He has felt better in the last two weeks, so much so that he has been doing half and occasional full days at work. I’ve told him off about that…as have others…half days at the most…you have to look after yourself. It’s really important that Jeremy walk daily and get his lung capacity up. Being ill takes time – there are countless medical appointments, exercise routines, and the bloody paperwork and bills to contend with. Luckily living in Potts Point there are just the most special walks - all close by – Elizabeth Bay, Rushcutters Bay, Botanic Gardens, the Cross. I managed to spend a couple of days with Jeremy and Max in Sydney in the second week of chemo and he was definitely feeling better. Another round of chemo started yesterday – a 12 hour day in hospital. I have had some nice phone calls and some lovely times over the last few months with Jem. It’s a shame that it takes an illness to bring us closer together….we have always got on…there is a special connection…but we are all busy and don’t spend enough time just being together. Heal! Dammit.
Too many words
A week or so ago I had too much to drink at a party, and said some inappropriate things about a friend. I was trying to explain to another friend about how I was feeling. I was all over the place. I was also ranting about a whole bunch of things. I don’t even know exactly what I said. What appears to have happened is that someone told this person. I have tried to apologise but I have been ignored. I stuffed up. And now online I have been deleted, locked out and blogged about. I stuffed up.
Thanks… (haven’t done this for a while):
- for knowing Lez
- family – both sides, all shapes and sizes
- a daughter that just offers to cook and especially seems to know when no-one else wants to….and then cooks fabulous delicious meals
- tea
- Carlo
Kx
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Tags: family, words
Fly me to the moon
Lots of talk about the moon landing 40 years ago has got me thinking.
I don’t have huge memories of times before I was six or seven – I just can’t really remember. Isabel tells me she remembers things from when she was two or so – but I’m not sure if she is prompted by lots of photos, someone talking about a particular event or the occasional video of the time. How do you construct memory?
Moon from Ainslie 29 Dec 2004
I do remember watching the moon landing…but was it a replay or live? Not sure.
According to …yep…wikipedia…the moon landing was 20.17 UTC. Sydney is 10 1/2 hours plus UTC which would make it 6.30 in the morning? What was the delay on relay back to earth?
I remember watching the moon landing on a black and white television in a house across the road from Clemton Park Public School. I was seven at the time. I remember the whole class went and sat in the living room. We didn’t have a TV at home and it’s unlikely that the school had one either.
I love the moon. I don’t think about it a lot, but when I do I am filled with awe (most of the time- other times I am blaming the full moon on crazy behaviour- mine or anyone elses!)
Moon from Ainslie 30 Dec 2004
And I love, just love some of the names of geographical features on the moon. I’ve always liked the idea of seas called names like Sea of Tranquility, Sea of Serenity, and apparently there is a Sea of Crises too and more. Oh and Sea of Nectar!
Here is Doris Day singing ‘Fly me to the moon’. I like this song…not particularly Doris’ version, but I like a woman singing this one, no smooth Frank for me. My memory of this song is my brother’s dear ex-wife Amanda singing this song. I do remember Mandy singing a lot around the house.
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Tags: memory, moon, words
are we there yet?
so close….so tantalisingly close. Giving three weeks notice on this house on Monday.
Sky through pergola
The worst thing about waiting is … the waiting.
winter sun
In other news Jack got his L plates during the week.
grey water - about to go in
Tomorrow – trip to IKEA to grab stuff. Izzy is coming and we’ll be listening to the JJJ hottest 100 of all time and coming up with our own lists. Of course saying ‘of all time’ is always going to be controversial…
sky, house, windows, reflections
are we there yet? ….almost…but then again we’re never *there* are we?
Kx
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Tags: building, house
