FROM 2012 INTO 2013

I would like to send love and best wishes from my other half and myself to all my blogging friends.  May the new year bring you everything you are wishing for yourselves.  I have always joked that 13 is my lucky number so I am hoping the new year will indeed be lucky for everyone, including me and mine.

We had a hot Christmas and we are ending the year with a VERY HOT day.  It got to 42.1C (108F) today and at 5.20pm it is still 38C (100.4F) in the city.  Those on the coast are enjoying a sea breeze but even there the temps are still well into the 30Cs.   Wherever you are I hope you are keeping warm or cool, whichever the case may be.

I'd like to thank all those that visited my blog this year even if you didn't leave a comment.  Comments are always appreciated even if it to tell me I am a silly old duck!!  I know I don't have many followers, but those I do have mean the world to me so thank you so much for staying with me.  It is very much appreciated.

Until next year.  xxx

FAMILY MEMBERS.....MY 2 GRANDSONS

Both my grandsons have birthdays this month.  The eldest of the two (L) was 30 on 20th December and we all went to his mum and dad's home for a quiet afternoon tea on the Sunday before his birthday to spend time with him and wish him well.

Watching gifts being unwrapped on Christmas Day by his oldest sister and youngest niece (apologies about quality of photo).


"L" is very tall and has fair hair and is quite good-looking too.  He is a quiet person but has quite a sense of humour and is a very serious thinker.  I noticed him and MOH having a very serious conversation recently which they both seemed to be enjoying.  That pleased me.

I don't see "L" as often as I would like but single young men live quite a different life to we oldies and he is always busy with his work these days.  Although he studied intensely at university he has actually found his niche in the hospitality industry and, after working in that industry for several years, is now managing an hotel in Nedlands and we hope he will do well.  We also spent time with him at our granddaughter's home on Christmas Day so great to see him twice in the one month.

My younger grandson (J) will be 24 tomorrow and as I've not seen him for close to 11 years I am not even sure I would recognise him if I met him unexpectedly in the street as in the only photo I have of him he is about 17.  They can change quite a lot in 7 years.  This photo I believe was taken with one of his friends at the time of their school graduation celebration in ca 2005. 

He is the son of my own son who on my 70th birthday took it upon himself to divorce himself from all our family (including his own father) so my daughter and her family have not seen or heard from him and nor have I or MOH.

I believe "J" did very well at university and has a good job.  He no longer lives at home but shares accommodation with friends.  I still send him birthday cards but have not heard one word from him so obviously he has been told not to make contact or maybe he just doesn't want to or can't be bothered.  I cannot answer for what he does.

I am fortunate that my daughter-in-law, unbeknown to my son, keeps in touch with me via email about 2 to 3 times a year and through her I am kept somewhat up to date with what their family is doing.  She has sent me photos via email as the children were growing up for which I am most grateful.  It is still not the same as seeing them or even talking to them.

I know there are many disfunctional families out there but we are yet to understand why this situation developed in our own family.  Hopefully before, or even after I am gone, the truth will come out and perhaps there will family togetherness again.  One can only hope that this will finally eventuate.

In the meantime we celebrate "L's" birthday with him and content ourselves by sending "J" a birthday card wishing him all the best and hope it will have some meaning for him.

SEASON'S GREETINGS

May I take this opportunity of wishing those that visit my blog a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a happy, healthy and safe NEW YEAR.

I appreciate the few folk that have stuck with me over the past year.  I love to have you visit and I so enjoy visiting your wonderful blogs as well.

Please keep safe over the festive season and enjoy yourselves with family and friends.

MOH and I travel down to our eldest granddaughter and her hubby's home for Christmas Day tomorrow which I know we will enjoy as we always have a wonderful time each year and now with the addition of our third great-granddaughter it will be even more special.  There should be a dozen of us gathered together and while we enjoy ourselves we will all be thinking of B who will be enjoying her first Christmas Day in Alaska. 

WEATHER STRAIGHT FROM HELL

We had anticipated that we were going to have a hot Christmas in Perth this year but I got the shock of my life when I checked out the BOM site just a few moments ago.  It reads thus:

Monday 24th..34C (93.2F); Tuesday 25th..39C (102.2F); Wednesday26th..38F (100.4F); Thursday 27th..39C (102/2F); Friday 28th..38C (100.4F), Saturday 29th..38C (100.4F); Sunday 30th..37C (98.6F).

All I can say is WOW!!!!  We are going to be the hottest capital city in Australia including Darwin in our far north where Christmas Day is forecast to be only 34C (93.2) and they are used to heat up there.

Our cousins in the eastern states are all going to be sitting down to their Christmas dinners in lovely cool conditons.  They may even get some rain if they are lucky or perhaps that's not so good if you are planning to be out of doors.

I'm now wondering what it will be like at new year.  Obviously the heat from the west will travel across to the eastern states and they should have hot weather by the end of December for their new year.

The other thing that concerns me is what is the temperature going to be on 2nd January which will be my 81st birthday?  My past few birthdays have been very hot so we have stayed home and had a lovely lunch provided by my daughter while sitting in the cool of the airconditioning.  Could we perhaps have a sudden cool change????   They say be careful what you wish for and so I am not wishing for that as, knowing my luck, it could well turn out to be 40C.

The family say I become obsessed with the weather during our summer months and I must admit I do as I really do not thrive on hot weather.  I seldom mention the weather during our winter except perhaps to celebrate if we have much needed rain.  My ideal temperature is about 20C (68F).

I have managed to survive during some very hot summers and I am sure I will do the same this time but gee, snow would be lovely.  : )

 

 Oh, how beautiful that looks!!  Well, one is allowed to dream isn't one???

I MADE A NEW FRIEND TODAY

A friend of my husband, whom he worked with many years ago, always calls in to see us at this time of year usually bringing a gift of a bottle of wine.  He came this afternoon and brought Jim with him for a visit.

Yes, Jim is a beautiful golden retriever (in fact he is Jim #3 as Gerard has owned 3 of them now).  In came Jim and immediately lay down right at my feet.  Apparently he is quite fussy with whom he makes friends so we decided I must give out the right type of pheromones that attract dogs.  Anway, Jim obviously decided I was OK.  I of course began to pat him and stroke his head and every time I stopped I got a nudge from his nose to tell me not to stop doing it.  He is so good that when I said 'No more' he just lay down with his head resting on my bare foot.

We once had a golden retriever.  Emma was 7 when she came to us and we had her till she was 12 when she was so ill she had to be put to sleep.  She too was a beautiful dog and Jim bought back such lovely memories of her.

Gerard is a great bloke and we are always so pleased to have him visit but it was a double bonus today to have Jim along as well.  They stayed for about 90 minutes and I fell in love with this beautiful dog.

We are far too old now to own a large dog as they do need a daily walk.  I can't walk far and although MOH's heart is always in the right place I just know he'd not be able to walk day after day no matter how good his intentions were to begin with.

We are both hoping Gerard will call again, sooner rather than later, and if he brings Jim for another visit they will both be very welcome.

FOOTNOTE:  Gerard will never let us give him anything but last year while visiting us he mentioned that he had to buy some tea-towels (he is a bachelor).  Many years ago I used to collect tea-towels and even exchange them occasionally with penfriends.  I remembered I had a very large pile of brand new tea-towels so I brought them out and chose two that had dogs on them and gave them to Gerard.  This year I did the same thing and two more tea-towels have found a new home.  I have had most of this tea-towel collection for over 25 years now but they are nearly all made of linen and of course are still brand new.  Gerard went off happily clutching the new additions to his kitchen.  It has been great to find something that he wants.

A BIG SHOPPING TRIP (FOR ME ANYWAY)

Yesterday we went shopping as there were some things I couldn't buy online (what a fantastic idea that is for someone like me who can't walk for very long) and although I felt I was a dismal failure MOH said I did very well.

Yes, I had to buy myself a Christmas bear!! I began doing this in 2009 so now I have 4 of them each with their little red hats with the year showing.  I think the family feel I am a little silly but I have always loved teddy bears and when I was quite young and we didn't have much money I was given an old teddy bear when I was 6 by a boy who had 'outgrown' his teddy.  I loved that bear for years.  I have my bears lined up on top of a 4' bookcase at the back of our living room.  I wonder how many I will eventually have?  I am hoping family member will take one each one day as keepsakes.

I found a delightful shop that sells tea and all the things that go with tea making and the most fabulous cups and saucers, teapots etc.  MOH was off claiming refunds from Medicare and HBF so I had time to look at these fabulous things which was fun in itself.  Also had a rest on the seat of my walking frame as I had to wait for MOH to catch up with me.  I love to watch people so was able to indulge myself for a while and these days there are some very interesting people around.  Much more so than when I was young so many to look at and wonder about.

When trying to find a good Fisher Price toy for our youngest great-granddaughter and we were discussing the pros and cons of this toy or that a lovely young woman with a little one in a stroller stopped and said "that one is really good for that age" and then another young woman added her opinion as well and said she agreed.  It was so great that these two young women should bother to take time to help out a couple of oldies with their advice.  Solved our problem and made us realise there still are some really nice people around who care about others.  The chosen toy is terrific.  One of those that makes different noises when you press on its hands or feet and I am sure it will delight our g/gdaughter.  No, it is not the one in this picture but I thought this rather cute too when I saw it but not early as much fun.

We then went to a different shopping centre where we indulged ourselves with a cup of steaming hot coffee and a large lamington WITH CREAM each.

 Afterwards we spent more time finding last minute bits and pieces and I think we are now done but we can't think what to buy each other.  I have already bought MOH a couple of new knit shirts and some t-shirts but can't think of anything else.  I keep suggesting different items but he says "No, I don't need that" so perhaps just keep loving each other a lot which at our age is so very important.

All in all I am proud of myself in being able to keep on my feet (with frequent sit downs) for so long.  Oh, I do miss the days when I would delight in window shopping and just going for walks for the sake of walking but at least I'm still here to have a grizzle about it and I did manage yesterday and not too stiff today which is a bonus.

OH NO!!! NOT ANOTHER HOT CHRISTMAS DAY

Just checked the long range forecast and wish I hadn't done so!!!!  Christmas day (they say) will be 38C (100.4F) and here was me hoping for a cool day.  The temperatures have been going up and down in Perth of late and I had my fingers crossed they would go down next week but, because my hands aren't very supple these days, perhaps I didn't cross the poor old fingers hard enough.

I am fortunate in many ways though.  The family now consider me old so they don't burden me with having to do too much but perhaps provide plates, napkins etc. which I am always pleased to do and I will make any salads or similar that they need.  I wonder if they'll need Christmas crackers?  Must ask them about that.

It is one sure thing though, that we will all enjoy ourselves as the past few Christmases have been truly wonderful and now with an extra great-granddaughter to share it with, it will be truly special.  We will of course miss our #3 granddaughter who will be celebrating in the snow in Alaska but she will be with us in spirit as I am sure we will all be in her thoughts.

There are still a few gifts to be brought and cards to send....boy am I running late this year but I am still trying to boost my Christmas spirit and finding it hard to do so.  I have no idea why this is.  My age perhaps?  The difficulty of moving easily and getting things done?  Does anyone have an answer?

Never mind though....I truly am looking forward to spending Christmas Day with my dear MOH and our lovely family regardless of what the weatherman throws at us.....although I WOULD prefer rain.