Come on Down . . . .

This is to inform you all that we have more or less settled in and are generally "at home" for those of you who would like to visit. A phone call in advance would be nice just to ensure that we do not have other plans or that I am OK enough to see people without nodding off. Apparently this is disconcerting to some, as they feel it reflects on the content of their conversation when in fact it's merely the side effect of some of my drugs.

The photos above were taken this morning featuring a small portion of the backyard with Leanne,as usual, looking competent and ready for anything while I have had to crop my photo to show my best features while hiding the bald spot and other aberrations.

I have no idea what other people are doing, but we are going to soak up the sunshine and 26 degree temperatures while we can. To hell with the news from Washington and elsewhere that might even as I type, knock off substantial portions of my superannuation.

There is nothing I can do about it. I can however do something about my vitamin D deficiency by exposing my pale winter blanched skin to the suns rays for at least 20 minutes, after which a nice beach umbrella will preserve me from further harm.

All this and fresh air too.

What are you doing today?

We are told the Romans had bread and circuses to entertain them while Rome burnt, Nero had his fiddle. I guess all we can hope for is something similar if we have access to CNN, that way we can all watch the demise of the American Empire.

Now if only I had a violin, two hands that still work and some talent . . . .

Thanks for your condolences

Many thanks to those of you who have sent messages of condolence at the recent death of my father.

I cannot say how shocked and stunned we all have been. It is still unbelievable as he was fit, healthy, took no medications and this tragic accident seems as if it was so avoidable. It has robbed us of at least 15 years more with him and my family and I are quite inconsolable, as he was in such excellent health, being well on the way to beating his mother's record of 98 years.

The autopsy was inconclusive as to the sequence of events that led to his death and so there will have to be a coroner's inquest which could take more than a year before it is held. My own view is that he was leaning to pick some oranges for me (at my sister's home which is only about 50 metres from my parent's home on their property)and he either tripped and hit his head on the galvanised pipe fence post, falling to hit his neck on the electric fence, the pulse of which then caused his heart beat to falter and stop OR he hit his neck on the fence and then hit his head and then his heart stopped. What the medical examiner did say is that there was absolutely no sign of heart disease, no arterio sclerosis, no sign of an exit site for electrocution so all of them a re ruled out but there was a slightly enlarged heart. Our view is that this was due to the extremely hard physical work he did all his life including working as a blacksmith from a young age with his father, but we may never know the real reason he died.

What I can say is that I tried very hard to bring him back when I found him lying on his side in the paddock about 10 to 15 minutes after he left my mother and I cooking dinner. Unfortunately, either I was just a few minutes too late and/or my attempts at CPR were not successful or not skilled enough. I hoped to bring him back but there was no heartbeat when I found him, although the small amount of blood on his forehead was still wet and warm which would suggest I was not long in finding him.

Anyway, we gave him a very good send off with close to 250 - 300 people in attendance at the funeral and graveside. I wrote the Eulogy (with additions from my sister, mother and brother) which my brother and I delivered and my sister read dad's favourite poem "Bannerman of the Dandenong" by Alice Werner. My sister and I organised the funeral and my mother and brother organised the organist and grave digger. It was a very personal but dignified service. My sister, Narelle, organised Waratahs from the Wollondilly shire, grevilleas from her father in law's garden and other native flowers through the florist which meant the flowers were just beautiful and special.

So dad is buried at St James Anglican Church in Luddenham, only 200 metres from where he lived all his life and from where he was baptised. He knew all the graves, where the stone ridge runs through the church yard and did a lot of work in and around the church. His parents, grandparents, sister, aunts and uncles, cousin and many others are with him there and while the cemetery has been closed, my mother, siblings and I will all be there in due course too.

Thanks once more for all your support whether that's been through email messages, phone calls, flowers, visits and hugs. I appreciate it very much. You've heard it, no doubt, a million times before, but something like this really makes you think about what you want to do with and how you want to live your life, because it can be so shockingly suddenly taken away. The message I take from all this is to cling to the good people and things in life, discard the irrelevant and think about living each week as well as you can.

Salut for now - Leanne

Tethered to Marmaduke and other matters

I am writing this for Peter as he is feeling confined and frustrated by Marmaduke, also known as the IV drip pole, on which hangs his 1 litre of Ensure Plus.

Today we have been out together, albeit to undertake a few small tasks in Belconnen (northern suburbs of Canberra). The weather was sunny and still, so Peter was keen to take advantage of the softness of the climate and the few hours of freedom from the 16 hours of being tethered to Marmaduke (i.e feeding), to go out from the house. We visited an old acquaintance at her new shop in the Jamieson Centre (selling pearls and jewellery)for a few minutes and then chose some appropriate mounts and framing for a piece of needlework for my sister, from the only place in Canberra that does it properly (Antoinette's Fine Framing).

After that the leisurely 1/2 hour drive back home was punctuated with a couple of other minor stops before getting home in time for more medications and finally Marmaduke at 2pm.

The sheer delight of being out of the house on a lovely, clear and sunny spring day and of being together, rather than separated, cannot be underestimated. The freedom to go somewhere together which was not medically related, after more than 4 months of illness and treatment regimes, was a small but treasured delight.

Poor Peter was, naturally, very tired after this brief excursion and the few hundred metres of walking it entailed. However, I am hopeful that it is the start of being able to gradually reclaim some stamina and also assist in reducing the swelling he has in his ankles which appeared last week.

Trying to get the routine back into synch has been somewhat of a challenge as it is the same but different because the new peg tube we had to have inserted is less malleable and more difficult to use. Also we are unused to each other's habits and requirements at night again and need to re-establish a mechanism that suits both of us not just one or the other. On the home front,Peter is now very keen to have visitors and to see people generally. So please make contact if you are local as we would love to have you drop by. I think that we need to ensure this happens otherwise he will be left with only me for company and that is not optimal when I am so taken up with all the daily practicalities of keeping him and the house in order.

So with the milder weather coming on we may be able to spend a little more time out of doors while ever Peter feels well enough.

Enough for now. Best wishes to you all - Leanne