SOME MORE MEMORIES

My father finally left for good, just after I was married. In fact, a friend came around on the morning of my wedding, all dressed up to give me away, if Dad failed to appear. But Dad was there for me. My mother was pretty upset at the time just after. Dad bought a house in Thornbury for her and Peter. He was married from there, and Mum had boarders, as a little extra money was handy, Also some company after Peter left. A while later, Dad bought her a home beside where I lived in a small country town, and it became my job to look after her. She never drove a car, and at that time I did, so took her wherever she wanted to go ~ shopping or visiting her sisters in a nearby town. By this time, Dad had moved to Queensland and spent the rest of his life there. Mum spent many years in Nathalia ~~ I remember our usual Christmas mornings. She would come to our house with a big bunch of Hydrangeas and a Trifle she had made, as well as presents for all. My eldest son John used to go to her house after tea of an evening and sleep there, so she was not alone. When he left for Queensland, my younger daughter Kathryn used to go to stay overnight with her.. Kathy said she watched Nan make the trifles and one time, Nan put the sherry (or whatever) over the cake at the bottom. Then she did something else, and back to the trifle put in more sherry. Later she picked up the bottle again until Kathy told her she had put it in. I bet that trifle tasted good. When Kathy and her family lived near here, I used to make the trifles for birthdays or Christmas, I also used to make lots of Pavlovas. Yummy!!! I still cook lots of meals etc and give John some and also a friend. His mother and I were best friends until she died of Lung Cancer, and as he lives alone, as does John, I make up quite a lot of meals for them and myself. But rarely make sweets now, as I am diabetic and they do not seem to want sweets. So only occasionally I make them. I make slices and biscuits etc, mostly for them and to have some here for visitors. My other son, Geoff says I could live for 3 months with the food in my little freezer. Always have some meals in it etc. So while my Dad and his wife lived in Queensland, as did Peter, I lived in Nathalia, Victoria with my husband and four children and did all I could for my mother. She looked after us when we were little, but as happens sometimes the tables are turned and I looked after her. She died of a stroke in 1977. My father and step-mother had many overseas trips and lived very happily for about 40 years. I had many trips to see them, mostly with two cousins. The last few years we visited them twice a year, and always had a lovely time. They retired to a lovely unit right on the Tweed River, which was a great place. We occasionally saw dolphins in the river, also boats of all descriptions. Always a changing view. Dad used to sit by the window in his last year and watch the people walking on the lawns in front of his unit, and the river always changing. The ocean was close-by so the tide would come and go. Really a wonderful place to live. We all loved Ada and they were so happy. Ada died a year after Dad did in 2001. They both lived in Nursing Homes for the last lap ~ first Dad, and then Ada. My nephew, Marcus did the funeral service for Dad and did a great job. Unfortunately, I was too ill to go to Ada’s funeral the next year as I had been put on VIOXX and it nearly killed me in a fortnight. Could hardly breathe, talk o r eat. So all I can take for my constant pain is Paracetamol. Doctors assure me that it safe to have 8 a day, so I hope they are right, though I try to only take 6 per day. Enough tonight.