Saturday, February 6, 2010
CLARIFICATION OF LAST POST RE FAMILY
It sounds as though my husband was not the only one living with his parents in North Perth but as though all the family lived there (smile). What I meant was that his grandparents lived just down the street from his folks and his 3 uncles and families also lived in houses in North Perth. Hope that clarifies that slip up I made.
WHEN OUR CITY WAS SO MUCH SMALLER
I was cogitating the other day (don't you love words like cogitate?) about how little I see my friends and family these days and realised that, for some reason, it is not only that family members seem so much busier these days, but that the distance between our homes has increased considerably.
When I was young, yes my folks and I lived in various suburbs until they finally settled down for 5 years in a rental home in North Perth and then when I was 20 they built their own home in Joondanna (then called Joondanna Heights).
I married a man who lived with his folks in North Perth as did his grandparents and his aunts and uncles. He and I lived in North Perth as well. Not long after my marriage my own mother also moved into a house in North Perth so we were nearly all within walking distance of each other. It was simple to go for a walk and pop in to say hullo to someone without making it an 'official' visit, perhaps have a cuppa while there or perhaps not. We seldom telephoned each other because our homes were so close together and back then not everyone had a telephone. We certainly didn't have a phone till we had been married about 5 years or more.
Now I live in Hamilton Hill, my daughter and her husband live in Kelmscott as does #2 granddaughter and her daughter, my eldest granddaughter and her family have moved to Settler's Hills and #3 granddaughter and grandson share a unit in Carlisle (both of whom don't drive). My son and his family (whom I no longer have contact with) also live a good 20 minute drive from our home.
Not only are the distances between our homes greater, the traffic is also heavier which means it takes longer to travel those extra kilometres. Most of my close friends have sadly left this mortal coil and those that remain live in Mandurah or way up in Mindarie (all reasonably long trips from Hamilton Hill).
I suppose it is not as bad as families that are in different states, which in our country means many, many kilometres apart but it still does make a big difference altho'. come to think of it, there may be those that are glad the distance between us stops me 'popping in' as one once did. That's a question best not asked (smile).
We all of course have telephones these days (mobiles too of course) but one is reluctant to ring 'cos, as said before, everyone seems to busy these days and the good old chats one once had are a thing of the past. My mum and I would usually have a good long chat every Sunday morning when my hubby was playing golf and I did miss those chats when she died 25 years ago. My first husband's sister lives in Canberra and every few weeks we keep the telephone wires buzzing for up to 2 hours as we talk about all sorts of subjects ranging from family, TV, music right through to politics. I miss that type of chat when one could talk about any subject without fear of arguments developing and one was entitled to one's own opinion and we also respected the opinions of others. Verna is now 87 and I am 78 so I doubt these wonderful conversations will go on for many more years but we can only hope that there will be more opportunities still for us discuss how we would put the world to rights if we were in charge. It all sounds so simple when you talk about it doesn't it?
Probably one of the big differences is that back then not many women worked so were home during the day and more visiting took place also of an evening as well. Dinner would be ready for hubby when he arrived home from work so dishes were cleared away earlier than now and visits could be made or visitors entertained more easily too.
None of the above is meant to sound like a complaint but rather just comparing what once was with what now is. Fifty years has made a big difference and I would think that probably the next fifty years will make even bigger differences one way or another. I won't be here to see what those differences will be but one can't help but wonder.
When I was young, yes my folks and I lived in various suburbs until they finally settled down for 5 years in a rental home in North Perth and then when I was 20 they built their own home in Joondanna (then called Joondanna Heights).
I married a man who lived with his folks in North Perth as did his grandparents and his aunts and uncles. He and I lived in North Perth as well. Not long after my marriage my own mother also moved into a house in North Perth so we were nearly all within walking distance of each other. It was simple to go for a walk and pop in to say hullo to someone without making it an 'official' visit, perhaps have a cuppa while there or perhaps not. We seldom telephoned each other because our homes were so close together and back then not everyone had a telephone. We certainly didn't have a phone till we had been married about 5 years or more.
Now I live in Hamilton Hill, my daughter and her husband live in Kelmscott as does #2 granddaughter and her daughter, my eldest granddaughter and her family have moved to Settler's Hills and #3 granddaughter and grandson share a unit in Carlisle (both of whom don't drive). My son and his family (whom I no longer have contact with) also live a good 20 minute drive from our home.
Not only are the distances between our homes greater, the traffic is also heavier which means it takes longer to travel those extra kilometres. Most of my close friends have sadly left this mortal coil and those that remain live in Mandurah or way up in Mindarie (all reasonably long trips from Hamilton Hill).
I suppose it is not as bad as families that are in different states, which in our country means many, many kilometres apart but it still does make a big difference altho'. come to think of it, there may be those that are glad the distance between us stops me 'popping in' as one once did. That's a question best not asked (smile).
We all of course have telephones these days (mobiles too of course) but one is reluctant to ring 'cos, as said before, everyone seems to busy these days and the good old chats one once had are a thing of the past. My mum and I would usually have a good long chat every Sunday morning when my hubby was playing golf and I did miss those chats when she died 25 years ago. My first husband's sister lives in Canberra and every few weeks we keep the telephone wires buzzing for up to 2 hours as we talk about all sorts of subjects ranging from family, TV, music right through to politics. I miss that type of chat when one could talk about any subject without fear of arguments developing and one was entitled to one's own opinion and we also respected the opinions of others. Verna is now 87 and I am 78 so I doubt these wonderful conversations will go on for many more years but we can only hope that there will be more opportunities still for us discuss how we would put the world to rights if we were in charge. It all sounds so simple when you talk about it doesn't it?
Probably one of the big differences is that back then not many women worked so were home during the day and more visiting took place also of an evening as well. Dinner would be ready for hubby when he arrived home from work so dishes were cleared away earlier than now and visits could be made or visitors entertained more easily too.
None of the above is meant to sound like a complaint but rather just comparing what once was with what now is. Fifty years has made a big difference and I would think that probably the next fifty years will make even bigger differences one way or another. I won't be here to see what those differences will be but one can't help but wonder.
Monday, February 1, 2010
THE BLESSINGS OF GRANDCHILDREN
37 years ago yesterday my beautiful first born granddaughter was born to my daughter and her husband. She was such a good baby and a delightful child and that child has grown into a fantastic woman who in turn has a daughter of her own (of course that makes 4 generations of we females...quite daunting to some!!!). There have been many changes during her 37 years but I feel she has dealt with them head-on and in most cases very wisely. I can only wish her many more years of special happiness and thank her for being who she is. I love you very much. xxxx
CHANGING THE PAST.....IMPOSSIBLE!!!
I hadn't realised that it has been 4 months since I last added anything to my blog. No reason really and although I have plenty of thoughts I am never sure about the propriety of sharing those thoughts with one and all. Perhaps a little bigheaded of me to think that others would even be interested anyway.
I did a few WHAT IF blogs in which I spoke of happenings in the past that possibly changed the direction in which my life went, which of course does happen to all of us.
There is one thing I do often find with What Ifs.....people do let these unavoidable events get them down in later life. I think this happened to my son who just over 8 years ago chose the path of having nothing further to do with his parents or sister. We know not why this happened and yet I fear after many years the fact that his father and I divorced may have him thinking his own What If? Not that his father was a really wonderful father but time lends enchantment and perhaps our son really does believe "What if they hadn't divorced? Would my life have been different?" This from a man who has made his way in the world very successfully much of which, if he was honest, was due to his step-father's encouragement. Still, all that is really another story.
I myself was adopted (as I think I have mentioned previously) and was fortunate to find two very loving new parents and I have never regretted any of that. I have never felt I needed counselling of any kind because of events in my life and part of a poem by Omar Khayyam comes to mind which makes me realise that YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE PAST:
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ
Moves on; nor all thy Piety or Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a line
Nor all thy tears wash out a Word of it.
We cannot change past events and to live with regrets sours our minds (and our souls if we indeed do actually have souls) and can make people quite bitter. Even today events happen that make me sad but I can do nothing about them or change the behaviour of others so I must learn to live day to day and try and be thankful for what I do have. (and keep in mind those wise words that Omar wrote so many years ago).
I did a few WHAT IF blogs in which I spoke of happenings in the past that possibly changed the direction in which my life went, which of course does happen to all of us.
There is one thing I do often find with What Ifs.....people do let these unavoidable events get them down in later life. I think this happened to my son who just over 8 years ago chose the path of having nothing further to do with his parents or sister. We know not why this happened and yet I fear after many years the fact that his father and I divorced may have him thinking his own What If? Not that his father was a really wonderful father but time lends enchantment and perhaps our son really does believe "What if they hadn't divorced? Would my life have been different?" This from a man who has made his way in the world very successfully much of which, if he was honest, was due to his step-father's encouragement. Still, all that is really another story.
I myself was adopted (as I think I have mentioned previously) and was fortunate to find two very loving new parents and I have never regretted any of that. I have never felt I needed counselling of any kind because of events in my life and part of a poem by Omar Khayyam comes to mind which makes me realise that YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE PAST:
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ
Moves on; nor all thy Piety or Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a line
Nor all thy tears wash out a Word of it.
We cannot change past events and to live with regrets sours our minds (and our souls if we indeed do actually have souls) and can make people quite bitter. Even today events happen that make me sad but I can do nothing about them or change the behaviour of others so I must learn to live day to day and try and be thankful for what I do have. (and keep in mind those wise words that Omar wrote so many years ago).
Sunday, October 4, 2009
SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT A BLOG I DELETED IN FULL
Today with a heavy heart I wrote exactly how I was feeling about my life in general and how disconnected I had become from nearly everyone in my life.
It did me good to put it into words and I meant all of it but somehow, perhaps being a little too soft, I deleted what I had written in case I should hurt anybody's feelings. This regardless of the fact of just how much mine may have been hurt over past months or even years in some cases.
Earlier this year I was very sad and ended up in hospital as a direct result of this sadness. This may sound somewhat nonsensical but I am sure I am right in saying this. If perhaps I had sat down then and written about how I feel it would have helped me a lot and I would not have become ill. Even tonight I don't feel all that wonderful but am sure I will get through and come out the other side of it.
Even though I have deleted what was written earlier today I still feel the same way but in order to save the feelings of others it is gone from their sight.
I still have my dear other half and he has me and for that I am very thankful and with that I must be content. I also give thanks for my computer through which I do have some contact with others, some of whom are really great people and I am thankful for that contact.
It did me good to put it into words and I meant all of it but somehow, perhaps being a little too soft, I deleted what I had written in case I should hurt anybody's feelings. This regardless of the fact of just how much mine may have been hurt over past months or even years in some cases.
Earlier this year I was very sad and ended up in hospital as a direct result of this sadness. This may sound somewhat nonsensical but I am sure I am right in saying this. If perhaps I had sat down then and written about how I feel it would have helped me a lot and I would not have become ill. Even tonight I don't feel all that wonderful but am sure I will get through and come out the other side of it.
Even though I have deleted what was written earlier today I still feel the same way but in order to save the feelings of others it is gone from their sight.
I still have my dear other half and he has me and for that I am very thankful and with that I must be content. I also give thanks for my computer through which I do have some contact with others, some of whom are really great people and I am thankful for that contact.
HIP REPLACEMENTS & MRI
A while back I was talking about having an MRI after bi-lateral hip replacements. What I wrote at first was correct as it is apparently about which part of the body is being viewed on the MRI that is important. If it was my head then I would apparently be OK as the lower part of me would not go into the machine. I could not have the lower part of my body go through the machine because of the metal implants. Just wanted to clear that up and say that what my physiotherapist told me was absolutely correct. She just didn't specify why, where etc.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
P.S. TO MY LAST POST
Was at my exercise group this week and mentioned about the metal in my hips and having an MRI and two people said they had had MRIs....one who had had a knee replacement and the other a hip replacement. Seems I may have been misinformed about the dangers of me ever having an MRI. Will have to seek further information about this subject as feel it is important enough to know the exact truth.
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