THOUGHTS ON THURSDAY

This is the day when I look back on the past week and look for the 'right' things that have occurred.  O.K. I've searched and searched and the only thing that comes to mind is the insurance assessor was here on Monday, checked out the damage, took photos and said a builder would call (eventually) to check it all out.  The assessor was a really nice man who seemed to fully understand that flooding one's kitchen was quite a normal thing to do and it seems we are fully covered which was a relief.  He even measured up the vinyl as he said that needed to be replaced as water had got underneath it.  Now, of course we wait, and although I dread the disruption that will occur at least it will or should be fixed.

The thing that is definitely not right for me is our damned weather.  While our friends and relations in the other states of Australia are getting some beautiful rain (even parts of our huge state have had rain, even some flooding), it is not raining here on the lower west coast.  In fact at our own place there has been no rain since last November and our garden is paying the price.  Watering on our two scheduled days is just not enough to keep our lawn in good condition and our little daisy by the front verandah has gone all brown and I doubt it will recover.  Even the big camellia is looking unhappy and I'd hate to lose that.  Phil is trying to grow vegetables in raised garden beds and is covering them with shade cloth each day but they too are battling.

It may sound crazy but you can actually tire of constantly bright blue skies with nary a cloud in sight.  Actually there were a few clouds to be seen the other day but they didn't bring any precipitation so what's the point of them being there.  Just teasing us is all.

The latest I heard on the weather front is that Perth could be even hotter next year and drier too.  Doesn't bear thinking about.  Perhaps we will win lotto (fat chance) and then we could spend our summers on the south island of New Zealand.  Well, one can always dream.  I can think of some delightful places there that I would dearly love to visit again.  Sigh!!


Yes, I am feeling grouchy but today I am going to valiantly try and find something to laugh at.  Surely, there must be something, somewhere, that will bring a smile to this old face.  I'll just have to search around in the hope of finding it.

TELLING IT ON TUESDAY..1948-1950 (part 7)

Looking back we had moved into 524 Fitgerald Street, I had begun my first job which I was really enjoying, I had discovered yachting and gone out with my first boyfriend, Gary Arnold.

Mum, Dad and I were very happy living in this rented house in North Perth but unfortunately inflation suddenly hit Australia and with dad not yet being eligible for the age pension Mum decided she could not manage running the house on the £3 a week he was giving her.  He said he had retired and didn't intend going back to work and that was that.  When you consider he was only 62 at that time and in quite good health I myself felt it was a bit hard on mum but dad was born in the Victorian era and although he was a wonderful father, and a good husband, his word was quite often law.  I was contributing part of my salary and, although I had had a raise to £2.8.0d a week within my first fortnight, I still had to pay bus fares, buy lunches and clothes as well as other necessities so doubt I was giving mum much more than 15/-d a week (that is fifteen shillings for those that don't understand sterling currency).

Mum began checking the job vacancies in the paper and discovered that the Women's Service Guild were looking for an honorary secretary.  Mum applied and was interviewed by the President of the Guild, Mrs Rischbieth, who decided mum was just the person the Guilds were looking for.  Mum began as a part-time secretary at an honorarium of £3 per week.  This is Bessie Rischbieth as I remember her.  She and mum became great friends and did a lot of work to assist in the advancement of women and protection of children, amongst other things.  It is quite worthwhile popping Bessie's name into Google and reading about her fantastic life.  I have a copy of Mrs Rischbieth's book "March of Australian Women" and when she autographed it for me in 1964 she wrote "Margaret belongs to the younger generation of women to whom we look to continue the work" - Bessie M. Rishbieth - 1964.  I am not sure I have lived up to her standards, or even those of my mother, but I have done my best.

Prior to this mum had been doing voluntary work with the Red Cross at Royal Perth Hospital which she had thoroughly enjoyed.  This is mum leaving the house in 1950.  She always looked so lovely and especially so when she was dressed up to go out.  She would have been 52 at this time:

Dad in the meantime had joined the North Perth Bowling Club and began playing lawn bowls.  To me he always looked very handsome in his bowling creams which he wore when playing tournament bowls.  On 'at home' days he just wore grey trousers and a white or cream shirt.  If I remember rightly he invariably wore braces.  I am 99% sure this picture was taken of him in the back garden just after we moved into 524 Fitgerald Street in 1947.  He was have been about 62 at that time.  Dad was 5'11" and always stood very straight as though he had been in the army, although of course he hadn't, as previously explained.

The insurance assessing business where I was a stenographer was growing in leaps and bounds and we had a wonderful staff of 3 men (the boss and two assessors) and 6 females: Greta, Peg, Wilma, Val, June and myself.  We were always very busy but the work was so interesting and there was never a dull moment.  At that time both Perth Girls and Perth Boys (two of Perth's high schools) were situated in James Street opposite our office) and thinking back I can't help remarking on how well behaved the young people were in those days.  There was a delicatessen next to our office where we bought our morning tea and lunch when needed and the high school kids also went there to buy food.  I can't remember one incident when any of them played up and I worked there for three and a half years.

Romance once again returned to my life when Gary begged me to go out with him again.  It was yachting season once more and on reminiscing I often wonder if it was my liking of Gary or my love of yachting that allowed me to say 'yes'.  That sounds mean but do remember I was only 16 and not all that well versed about 'love affairs'.  The wives and girlfriends of the yachties would often go out in a large boat to follow the races and on weekends we would sail down the Swan River from Perth to Peppermint Grove where we would pull the yacht up onto the beach and sit and enjoy our lunch and probably go for a swim as well.  I even once skippered Columbine" on ladies day but unfortunately we didn't get a place.  I did rather enjoy it though and remember it quite well.

The ANA Yacht Club had by now organised the first regatta at Mandurah for the Easter break in 1948 and it turned out to be very popular with the holiday makers as well as with the yachties themselves. When they weren't racing we would sail under the traffic bridge and right down into the Mandurah Estuary proper.  It made for a wonderful day out and we all had a fabulous time.  This would have been taken probably at the mouth of the Serpentine river where it enters the estuary when we have stopped to have a rest and possibly lunch and a cool drink.  Here is Thelma Fisher (who was the girlfriend (later the wife) of John Webster), Gary and myself.  I always had the feeling that Thelma was a bit keen on Gary at that time but he didn't seem to return the feeling one little bit.  Just not his type perhaps and John was 'potty' about Thelma and I was always pleased when she eventually accepted his proposal or marriage and they became engaged (they are still together and have recently built a new home to replace the one they had been living in for about 55 years.)

Way back then we had little money to splash around and quite often our 'entertainment' would be to catch a bus into Perth and go window shopping.  Some of the Perth shops had wonderful displays of every conceivable thing (I am not sure if they do these days as I've not been into the city for 5 of 10 years).   If we didn't do that we'd quite often just 'go for a walk' around the nearby suburbs.  I think that helped to keep us very fit.  I would usually also walk home from work which was a distance of about 3km and mostly uphill.  I always loved to walk and my biggest disappointment these days is that I am unable to do so for more than a short distance.  Such a simple pleasure now denied me.  Ah well, that's life I guess but I have wonderful memories when it was something we did for pleasure.

Once again my romance with Gary faltered. When we would be window shopping in the city he would begin to talk about furniture and house furnishings etc and, although by then I was 16, any thoughts of being that serious or thinking about settling down were far from my mind.  I was sorry to say goodbye to him but this time I made him realise it was final.  We still remained friends and quite often when going to a ball he and his current girlfriend would be part of our group.  I do remember my first husband (Aubrey) and myself visiting Gary and his new wife Jean in the home the had just built in Applecross but I am not sure that we had much contact with them after that.  Nobody had a home telephone in those days (or very few young people did) so unless you leaved fairly close to each other you lost contact easily.

I was saddened when several years ago Aubrey told me that (through John Webster) he had learned that Gary had had both his legs amputated due to diabetes.  Gary eventually passed away in 2007 at the age of 76.  I felt so sad that a man who had always been very active had his life end in that way.
RIP Gary Arnold.  You were my first 'love' and I remember you still.

IT SEEMS THERE'S ALWAYS HOPE

This piece of news appeared in one of our newspapers recently:

ENDANGERED RAT ROCKS UP

The elusive rock rat, last seen trying to get into a stockman's lunchbox in 1960, has been rediscovered.

One of Australia's rarest creatures, the critically endangered rat was found during a survey using remote-sensor cameras on the Haasts Bluff Aboriginal land Trust 230km west of Alice Springs.

Evidence was also found of the rare black-footed wallaby which has not been seen in the area since 1991.

"The rock rat was thought to be extinct until 2002, but finding it in another area that isn't protected is huge news" said Richard Brittingham of the Central Land Council.

Seems there is always hope for some of our creatures which have been thought lost for all time.

(Pictures found through Google).

JAPANESE CHIN (dog)

As the cat was Japanese I thought perhaps a Japanese dog as its companion a good idea and this little fellow to me seemed quite a charmer.

I found this on Wikipedea where it it says "this article is written in essay style rather than an encyclopaedic description of the subject.  Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopaedic style (April 2010)."  I am only going to copy most of it as it is written as I do not have the knowledge etc to do otherwise.

The Japanese Chin, also known as the Japanese Spaniel, is the dog of Japanese royalty; a lap dog and companion dog, this toy breed has a distinctive heritage.

The distinctive Oriental expression is characterised by the large broad head, large wide-set eyes, short broad muzzle, ear feathering, and the evenly patterned facial markings.  The coat is low maintenance, long, and smooth/silky to the touch.  These dogs are distinctively black & white or red & white in colour and have variations in colour intensity (lemon & white, mahogany & white, etc).  As of 11th November, 2011, any colour not listed in the breed standard is grounds for disqualification in competitions.

This  breed is considered one of the most cat-like of the dog breeds; it is alert, intelligent and independent, and it uses its paws to wash and wipe its face.  Other cat-like traits include their preference for resting on high surfaces such as the backs of chairs or sofas, their ability to walk across a coffee table without disturbing an item, and some of the surprising places their owners often find them in.  A companion dog, it is loving and loyal to its own and typically happy to see other people, though a few are distrustful of strangers.  Chin prefer familiar surroundings, but do quite well in new situations and are often used as therapy dogs because of this trait and their love of people. 

The Chin will bark for the purpose of alerting the household to the arrival of a visitor or something out of the ordinary, but are otherwise very quiet.  They were bred for the purpose of loving and entertaining their people.  While typically a calm little dog, they are well known for performing many enjoyable antics such as the "Chin Spin", in which they turn around in rapid circles, dancing on their hind legs while pawing their front feet, clasped together, in the air, and some even "sing', a noise that can range from a low trill to a higher, almost operatic quality noise, and which sounds much like "wooooo".  Here is a Chin puppy with an adult dog:

The origin of the Japanese Chin is clouded in the mysticism of Far Eastern ancient rites.  Small dogs were known to have criss-crossed the Silk Road accompanying travellers as both preseentations of trade and companions on the long journeys.  Some of these dogs became the pets of Buddhist Monks, who nurtured and mated various types in their sheltered monasteries and gave dogs as gifts to travelling dignitaries.  They quickly assumed their rightful position in the Imperial palaces, where they were closely kept and guarded for the Imperial family and the guards were charged with looking after the little dogs' every need, every desire.  Mere peasants were not allowed to own them as the small dogs became treasures more valuable than gold.

It would appear the the name Japanese Chin is actually a misnomer as the breed owes its rigins to China and not to Japan.  It has long been surmised that the Chin and Pekingese were once the same breed but with the Pekingese having been bred out to create the short, bow-legged, long-backed, pear-shaped bodied breed of dog known today.  The Chin is believed to have been kept basically pure but there is ongoing discussion about this.  There is a lot more on Wikipedia about just how this breed came about but I won't include all of that here.  If I could afford it and was young enough to own a dog again I think I would enjoy having one of these dogs as a companion.   I particularly enjoy the sound of its 'cat-like' traits and the fact that it rarely barks as so many small dogs do 'yap' a lot.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR TODAY

I ask you, what more can an 82-year-old wife ask for than to have her 84-year-old husband arrive home with a lovely bunch of carnations and wish her "Happy Valentine's Day".  It was a lovely surprise and I can smell the perfume of the flowers drift across our living room as I sit there.

I perhaps could have taken this photo in a better place than on our kitchen sink but there you are, that's just me.   I was so delighted I just had to take a snap of them while they looked so pretty and fresh.

Thanks you Phil and for loving me still after all these years.

P.S.  At least the sink is nice and clean.  : )

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

To everyone out there, young and old, may you have a very happy Valentine's Day.

A day perhaps to sit back and think what the word love really means.  To think about those we love and have loved that are long gone.  I do that often but more especially today with the word LOVE hanging in the air.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY.....may it be a special day for you and those you may share it with.

THOUGHTS ON THURSDAY

After Saturday night's fiasco when I flooded the kitchen and ruined two-thirds of the cupboards, not to mention making the edge of the vinyl floor covering pucker up, I have had mostly black thoughts this week.

I am trying to find something that has gone 'right' for us but my mind is mainly blank right now.  It is good that the insurance assessor will call on Monday morning to view the extent of the damage but I am somewhat apprehensive as to how far they will go to remedy the problem.  Just have to wait and see, and hope for the best.

It was nice to have our permanent cleaning lady back today as she is so easy to get on with and does an excellent job in just one hour which never fails to amaze me.  Even when I was fit I doubt I could have vacuumed the living room, main bedroom, kitchen, hall and back verandah etc and also cleaned the bathroom and the 2 toilets and washed the kitchen, bathroom and laundry/toilet floors in one hour.

Oh yes, another 'right' thing happened.  Our street light, as mentioned, has been installed and it is working.  It is very tall and doesn't shine light through our bedroom windows at all.  I know we have sunblock blinds but there is also a tall eucalyptus between the light and the house which would also deflect any light.

My nephew, who is an electrician, told me last week that if a street light does shed too much light onto a house it is possible to ask Western Power to put a shield on the light to prevent that problem. We fortunately don't have to do that but it's worth knowing.

Hopefully, by next Thursday we will know exactly what they are prepared to do for us with regard to the kitchen and things on the home front will be looking a tad brighter.  I can sense poor old Phil is worried about it too but he doesn't say anything but I feel so bad to have caused the problem for him, for both of us in fact.