Saturday, October 8, 2016

THINKING ALLOWED

Feeling nostalgic as today is the anniversary of my dad's birth.  He was born in 1885 which I worked out was 131years ago.  That just doesn't seem possible but when you realise he was 46 when I arrived on the scene I guess it makes sense.   He was a wonderful dad although rather Victorian in his outlook about various things but I loved him to bits.  It is now 45 years since he left this mortal coil and yet he still seems very close and even to this day I miss him very much.  This was my dad taken in our back garden way back in about 1948 when he would have been 63 (I think he always wore braces).


Feeling happy as my daughter and her hubby are on their way home from New Jersey.  I hope they will have a safe and comfortable flight.  On the outward journey I believe it took them 36 hours house to house which I couldn't imagine doing.  I found flights to and from New Zealand long enough and I was 30+ years younger then.  Will be wonderful to have them both home again.

 Feeling amazed at how men can sometimes be very dogmatic and once they make up their minds about something it is hard to shift them.  Instance in question:  Phil's Visa card expired last month and a new card arrived giving him another 4 years of use (one feels quite optimistic at 86 when you look at 2020 on the card and hope you will be here to use it).  He had a letter from HBF (our private health insurer) reminding him about the expiry date of his Visa card and requesting he ring them when the new card arrived so they could update their records.

"OK" you say "so what?"  Apart from HBF, Phil has four other payments deducted regularly from his Visa card (which, by the way, he pays in full each month); car insurance, house insurance and two small donations he's been making for some time.  I said to him that he would have to notify these organisations as well and he said there was no reason why he should as they would automatically know the card had been renewed.  I asked him why then did HBF write to him!!  He didn't really have a valid answer to that.  You can imagine the toing and froing that went on and he, in fact, got quite hostile (Phil when hostile is never frightening but just damned annoying).  "All right"he said "I'll ring the bank".  He rang the bank and of course was told "Yes, you must notify everyone where regular payments go to from your Visa account".  I didn't even tell him "I told you so" but rang all but one of the places to advise them of new expiry date.  Phil rang the university as it was difficult to tell to whom we had to speak but he found someone so all was done.

I of course had to smile to myself because I had been right and pondering on it afterwards it rather reminded me of the opening words in a wonderful children's book I read years ago and thoroughly enjoyed "Katy did"  "Katy didn't"  "Katy did" "Katy didn't"    Did you also read that book when you were a youngster?  I am sure you did.


Feeling disappointed we couldn't spend time with our grandson-in-law on his birthday last Tuesday.  We'd offered to take them out to dinner or go to their place and buy take-away but on the Monday our granddaughter messaged me to say she had come down with a really sore throat and a head cold.  Phil rang him and wished him happy birthday and said we'd catch up with him soon which I am sure we will when K and B return home from the US.

Feeling apprehensive as our weather appears to be heating up quite quickly with a 29C (85F) forecast in a few days.  It's really beginning to feel like summer to me and you know how I detest the hot weather.  I must not wish my life away as there may not be a lot of it left but in the next 5 or 6 months I will be outside my comfort zone....thank goodness for a decent airconditioning system now!!

15 comments:

  1. 1885..........wow

    Imagine. In perspective, the west was still forming. The Earps and the 'black cowboy' were the mainstay in pop culture. Only a few motorized vehicles were being played with. It would be another fifty years before electricity in homes would be common, almost a century before man walked on the moon.

    Whoa. The history flinging past my head is making me dizzy. So much has happened since your papa was born.

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    1. Yes, looking at it from the American angle yours was still a rather young country as was Australia.
      My dad was born in London and lived not too far from where Jack the Ripper committed his dreadful deeds. That really does put it in perspective doesn't it? Dad did tell me that Jack had hidden out in the very church dad and his family attended when he was a boy....scary eh?

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  2. I love your tributes to your parents.
    Hooray for the return of the wanderers. I hope they had a wonderful, wonderful visit, and know how much they were missed.
    I hear you on the visa card thing, and would have found it hard not to say I told you so.
    I do hope summer is gentle this year. For us all.

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    1. I must pay tribute to my folks as they really wanted me and gave me a good life for which I will always be grateful. I know they went without so I could have a good education.
      The travellers are home and K rang me this afternoon and we had a long chat. She had a bad head when she woke early this morning but was OK when we spoke. I think they had quite a wonderful holiday and were sad to leave but yet glad to be home.
      I think you would understand about the Visa card and had a good laugh about it.
      I am dreading summer. Was 25C yesterday and I wore a dress for the first time in months. Back to warmer clothes today as it is windy and wet. Weird weather to say the least.

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  3. Wow, your dad was born a long time ago; our daddies are precious to us. Mine was born in 1919, also rather long ago. Sometimes it is wise to not say I told you so, our husbands might be the smarter ones in the next situation. LOL

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    1. I agree with you about saying told you so as we are not always right and it could well backfire when 'they' are right.

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  4. Dads, we will never forget them, no matter how long they are gone. Mine has been gone 46 years ago this month and still wish I could sit for a while with him and just gab the way we used to.

    I'm sure you will feel good when the kids hit their native soil!

    Our autumn, but had 86F here today. Pretty warm yet!

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    1. I miss my mum as well but there is a difference between mums and dads as far as their children are concerned. Dad made the rules but left mum to enforce them. lol
      Kids back home safely and reunited with their two cats so their home feels complete again.
      Spring here and 86F next week and yet today is cool, windy and wet. Weirdest weather!!!

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  5. We're having some summery days here too, not too bad so far, at least I've been able to turn off the air conditioner after all the winter heating. It' comfortable her with the doors and windows open.
    What Katy Did was one of my favourite childhood books, with What Katy Did Next being equally enjoyable.

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    1. I hope you are doing OK with all that has been going on in SA.
      Ia was so happy yesterday not to have to turn the aircon on at all but Phil has it going again today as it has cooled right own again. Up and down all the time of late.
      I loved the Katy series and wonder if young girls of today enjoy those books. There was also Little Women and the rest of the series. Lovely family stories.

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  6. Hari Om
    Meanwhile I am wrangling my own octogenarian father as he is determined he knows how to do something, despite my having proved to him over and over this week that it can be done in two steps and not ten... sigh... This post made me smile, both with and for you Mimsie! Happy weekend. YAM xx

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    1. I thought perhaps you would get some fun from this post. Men are strange critters to be sure. Did you get your point across to your father I wonder.
      Hope your weekend goes well too. xx

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    2. ...he succumbed in the end!!! Yxx

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