Traded in my VW van today...

I haven't been on here all that much of late...just needed a bit if a break, but I feel more like it now...I think I was just going through something where it was simpler and easier to get up on Facebook...whereas it takes more effort in here but as with many of us who have been here for a while the effort is worth it.

Don and I in about 1987 you can see our VW  - green in the background)

Don and I bought a VW Microbus in 1982 - we had ii till 2003 but in all those years it was unable to be air-conditioned because the motor was just not strong enough. This was a disaster often for us in extreme hot weather as Don had no internal body temperature control (peculiar to Quadriplegia) and more than once we came close to having to go to hospital because he got overheated inside the Van. So in 2003 we bought a 2nd hand VW transporter van...it had belonged to Ann and Dennis Hill (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0384187/) and (http://ctva.biz/Aus/Skippy1966.htm) Dennis was the producer and director and from what the paperwork which we were given when we bought the van of Skippy...Yes we had a Skippy van! It was a good van but when it did break down it was always $1000...and we had many issues with it. But since I moved to Melbourne I have spent $4000 at least on repairs so thought to sell it... I have never liked driving little cars but surprised even myself by this...trade in buy

the Skippy van

Ali and i with the 2008 Nissan

posing

then i noticed a spot!!!

think the kids wanted to leave after that!

So I bought on trade in of only $4500 of my van a Nissan X trail - yes a 4wd...like those snotty Toorak mums who would rather run  me over than go around...because "yes" they do own the road... But its 1 litre per 100 kms and it goes and after trade in it was $13,500 so have to pay it off...but I got a bit sick of getting towed by RACV and NRMA before them...I will as normal have it for a decade at least... or who knows if it gives no trouble it may even see me out!

Pretty dramatic trip to college this morning...the VW van has been making a lot of noise and had it booked in to get fixed on Thursday... I noticed people pointing to me on the drive down and there was a lot of smoke coming out from underneath...lucky I could get of the busy road...there was an acrid burning smell and thought at first it might be on fire but it was just smoke...lucky I am in the RACV...but an hour of standing in the freezing wind seemed to take a while...its at the mechanics now and as soon as fixed it will be traded in ...it has cost me way too much this year and it never seems to end... I am a bit fond of it but sick of breaking down...hasn't been he same since the VW people down here mucked with it in December - had to go onto Tafe as I am already behind from being away...caught up pretty well today but can't afford to lose any more time... I guess they will tell me soon enough the bad news but feel its going to be pretty big - was a lot of smoke.

Home

Back Home and the cats are still talking to me amazingly. I arrived back here late Friday. I had a wonderful time visiting my daughter - I am lucky as our girls are my best friends as well and am always so relaxed with them and they seem to like me being there. As well I got to meet up with the two best friends from high school. We hadn't all been together for 41 years and it was as if there had been no time in between. We laughed and gossiped for hours...it was wonderful. One lost her husband when he died suddenly at 42, then a few years after that she had breast cancer. Other things which are private and yet she is still the same...has the same heart. I believe you do have a choice, no matter what happens...you can choose to not become bitter and a misery to those around you, or you can choose to grieve but still to be a happy person. When I got home and picked the cats up they were a bit unfriendly as it had been two weeks in the slammer for them...but now back to the normal walking on the keyboard and sitting on the mouse and router at the wrong time...

Melissa and another Handbag

Gwen and Pam two schoolfriends

Enjoying the sun and being waited upon

Early photos of my holiday

Joan and Veronica climbing up the fire escape on a pub  which shall remain nameless

Veronica and Joan...shockers in the morning

and again

Joan, Me and Veronica

Joan Me and Veronica

A devil of a person

looking very suspiciously at our eldest sister who had more vanilla bean ice cream than  us

Off to Brissie and Sydney for a couple of weeks - more regular posting when I return - its been a very busy couple of weeks - will miss my little place but I am looking forward to seeing my sisters and other daughter.

Late on Saturday afternoon

My favourite - a sunset over the roof tops

 Not a lot of things happening here...my van is broken again - the engine mount totally cracked... now I know what that ominous knocking sound was...I have signed up for and start a Tafe Course to refresh what I did last year...hopefully this will lead to some work at the end. And this beautiful sunset - I can take living in town (only just) as long as I can see sunsets like this...I think its hard for those who have never lived out of town to realise how one can miss just seeing away into the distance all sides every day - there is a feeling you can't explain and it certainly isn't tame. I find it very tame living in town... but I guess its like someone who has lived all their life in the burbs being unsettled by the isolation of wide open spaces...

Cuss

Cats are okay as you can see...a few plants growing...

Tiger

Some Primulas from my tiny yard

Werribee South beach last Sunday

Werribee Beach South

Last Sunday arvo about 4pm I went out for a drive out to Werribee South Beach. It was a beautiful winter's afternoon and the sun was beginning to head down for the night ...Its the time of day when you realise that shadows are not black but varying shades of blue - I took some photos but these are my favourites. I spotted these two blokes coming across the water in this tiny little boat. They looked pretty happy. I could see a couple of doggies in their boat but it wasn't till they beached that I realised they had four of them on board. I would hazard a guess these two are natives from about here because they were so at home as they dragged the little boat up and carried it to its trailer. What was really funny was that the man with the hoodie on took charge of the dogs from the other man who had them at first. When he stopped to do something all four doggies went round and round his legs with their leads...it was just so funny and he cracked up laughing

The place was just beautiful and there were so many fishermen of all ages, sizes and races...not that I saw anyone catch anything

beautiful photos

Just came across these again - Don took these of the girls when they were about 14 and 11...it was when we lived in a house before the one out at Craggy Island. Beautiful photos - if you click on them they are better

Home now

A visit to Windsor NSW

Melissa and I near Windsor NSW

I have just arrived home from visiting our eldest and her husband...only a short visit but it was wonderful. Just to do something as simple as watching TV with people I am comfortable with is a novelty...not sure what my son in law thinks of me in trackie dacs under a blanket watching their at present favourite series "Foyles War" wine glass within reach...but he seems comfortable with this mother in law... I can't be anyone different than I am. I was made really welcome and so happy to see them especially as when Melissa saw me when I got off the plane she burst into tears. Its been a hard enough time for them both and I know from personal experience what it is to have to adjust as they are having to. I at least had had my kids when Don was injured so badly....even though its more work they always seemed to lighten things up a lot. Kids I think actually keep you younger, because you just can't get too set in your ways when they are about.

Melissa clowning about

I had a couple of days there where the winter sun was out and no breezes so just to sit out in the sun like that was wonderful. Back here its a lot colder although today the sun is just glorious and spent a bit of time out there with Alison.
Its funny, when I am with one or other of the girls I miss the other one more. I would give my eye teeth to have them both close. I am actually really lucky because they seem to like my company and along with the love between mother and child they are my best friends and there is nothing that we can't talk about. Also because they really are the only one who remember how it was at home with their dad, the fun we all had, the trouble he could cause if there was cause  - and what he got away with... One day Alison said that what she missed the most was his wit. She would phone up and be sad about something and he would talk with her in depth about whatever it was then I would hear him making up stories or telling jokes and she said when she got off the phone he'd have had her chuckling again... added a couple of photos of Ali which i took just before I went away. Back home now I have enrolled in a Tafe course just to refresh what I did last year which i most likely have forgotten... with a view to picking up some work later this year.

Melissa took an actually decent photo of me for a change

Chris with his own little growth Sooty - who seems to be permanently attached to Chris

Melissa and Chris

The view down the back of Melissa's place - it was something just to be able to see the sun set on the horizon - something I really miss

Out the back of Melissa's place

Alison and Andrew

Alison with Tiger