Vale Barry

We received one of those phone calls today. The conversation quickly went from cheery hellos (on our end) to "Oh no" to "I'm so sorry" to "When's the funeral". I was listening in from the kitchen and my heart sank. All sorts of scenarios were unfolding in my head. The reality was that the father of my husband's best mate had passed. He had cancer, so his death wasn't unexpected, but it was sooner than anyone had anticipated.

We're both deeply saddened.  He was a good man. An environmental advocate, an outstanding natural athlete, a man of integrity. His recent passion had been damselflies - collecting, identifying and learning about them. He and his wife had travelled the world, raised three gorgeous daughters and a son and had a gaggle of grand kids.

So, instead of kicking back enjoying the Australia Day break with friends, we're heading off for a celebration of a different kind.  On the upside we will get to spend precious time with my husband's family - his father begins treatment for cancer the morning we leave. I fear this is not the last cancer-related funeral we will be attending this year.

Supporting your friends

I was talking with friend today about attending the funeral of a mutual friend's mother. The friend I was speaking with was amazed that I'd attend a funeral of someone I'd never met. Whilst I had actually met my friend's mother once, many years ago for about 30 seconds, I'm attending the funeral to show my friend that I care about her, and want to support at this time.

Other than sending a card, an email, flowers or calling, I don't know what else I would do to show my friends that I want to offer them respect and condolences at such a difficult time. I'm also interested to hear about this woman's life.

My friend's mother was a respected potter. The National Gallery has pieces of her work in their collection. I have a piece of hers (given as a gift to me years ago). Years ago I went to the last exhibition my friends mother held. Her work was the type that appealed to me - delicate but robust, gorgeous glazes. refined. You could see the confidence of the craftswomen as she had formed the clay.

New Year

Perhaps successful new year would be a better wish. (Our business is going through a major slump and we've spent the last week trying to see if we can make it through to the other side)

Or healthy new year. (My father in law has had a cancerous growth, deemed to a be secondary, removed recently. I don't know if they've found the primary. I fear he's not long for this world). And my husband has leukaemia, which is a cloud that quietly sits above our lives.

Or a fiscally responisble new year (The fiscal cliff is scaring me - perhaps the US will drag us all down. But on the upside our stock market has had the best result for few years and the price of iron ore is on the up.)

Happy New Year - I hope so.

Hot, hot, hot nights!

It's summer in the Southern Hemisphere and, true to form, we're in the middle of what feels like the annual Christmas/New Year's heatwave here in Perth.  The trick is to bunker down early, turn on the air con and fans and set your self up with what ever is your fancy - books, tv, games on the iPad (spot the guilty pleasure). Once the heat of the day passes it's wonderful to open up the house and do some outside things that during the day would have been really unplesant (gardening and hanging out washing come to mind).

This weather does make for glorious nights though.  Tonight we're celebrating the new year with friends in their gorgeous back yard. They used to have a dog but since Paddy went to the long paddock they have rejuvenated their back yard and now it is a productive little oasis! My friend is a fantastic cook so we will be feasting well, sitting on the cool lawn, looking at the stars.

We were meant to go and spend this new year with other friends "down south" but I've hurt my back and long car trips (or sitting down for long periods) is pretty much out at the moment. My down south mate is making me feel guilty, posting on Facebook how great it would be if we could be together. It would be great, and we will spend other new years eves together, but her posts let me know how much she loves me (and my hubby, too, of course!).

Last new years eve was spent with friends in Brisbane on their back deck. We cooked a Spanish feast that was meant to go for 4 courses but at the end of course 3 we threw our hands up because we were all full! We've recently seen those friends and reminisced about what a lovely evening we had.

We are so fortunate to have such wonderful friendships. They are what sustain us when the going gets tough.

Summer - but not as we know it

Climate change has been on the agenda for a few years now. I can remember having to research rising sea levels when I worked as a librarian for an engineering company back in the early 1990's. For most people, however, it's the day to day weather that is most obvious demonstration of how our climate is changing.

Perth's usually dry sunny summer weather has been replaced, for the immediate future, with humidity, grey clouds and, late last night, a spectacular thunder storm. Plus rain. Torrential tropical buckets of it. Walking the dogs this morning I could see evidence of the run off around the streets.

I don't mind the rain. Living in a dry climate makes me relish every single drop that falls. But I am hoping that Christmas and New Year will be our usual hot dry weather. Followed up with a few more cracking thunderstorms!

Getting better!

I managed to catch a bug on the plane home from our trip to Canberra and Queensland. The flight home was cramped and stuffy - not good. So this week has been brought to you by panadiene (the coedine stops the sniffles), hot showers and general patheticness.  

It wasn't all bad. I did go and see the final installment of the Twilight saga (saga is the most apt description) with my book club gal pals. (I really don't see the attraction, but half of them are crazy for Twilight!) And we went and saw Skyfall last night in the Gold Class (thank you, generous client). It was pretty good. Not great, but that may have been my general malaise, plus the wait staff walking in front during moments of high drama.

However this morning I'm up, have walked the dogs, unpacked suit cases (stuff is all over the bed, but we're making progress), put on washing and am about to put up my Christmas tree.

Yay! I'm getting better.   However I feel guilty celebrating recovery. I read a blog of a woman who lives with what is probably an incurable syndrome, which, along with other nasty things, is slowly robbing her of her quality of life. I admire her fortitude, which she willingly admits deserts her from time to time, so my glee in getting better feels quite churlish. But it's so nice to see the end of feeling blah. However my hubby has just rung to say he's probably coming down with the bug. Oh well.

Wheely good news.

My husband & I went to see my Dad on Sunday afternoon. He recognised me immediately, which is always a good sign! The previous week he'd fallen backwards out of his wheelchair (which shook him up) and so the facility had decided he needed to go into a bigger wheelchair. Why they hadn't made this judgement call earlier is a bit mystifying. I think he had put his feet on the ground and straightened his legs and the wheel brakes weren't on so the wheels slipped and over he went.  One of his little fingers was damaged, but that was it. Fortunately I turned up to visit him and Mum had turned up just after it happened, so he had lots of loving support to help get over the shock.

My mum had described the wheel chair he was now in as one of those padded ones. So I was imagining they'd put him in one of the massive wheel chair/bed contraptions that the severely disabled residents are put. Thankfully that's not the case. He's in a larger, more robust chair and he can't put his feet easily on the floor (and give himself the leverage to tip over).

My husband & I were exclaiming over the wheelchair (you're in the Rolls Royce of wheelchairs, Dad!). When I mentioned he won't fall out of this one he was mystified because he's completely forgotten about his little accident!

We also got his TV working properly - not that he really watches it, but he has laughed when we've watched funny things so it does bring him some pleasure.