A matter of contrast.

An Irish family who have lived and worked in Australia for over ten years now faces deportation because their 4 year old son has a disability which the government deems to be too much of a ‘burden.’ Unbelievable, and how does Australia keep getting away with these deplorable cruel acts? https://www.sbs.com.au/news/this-irish-family-is-facing-deportation-because-of-their-son-s-cystic-fibrosis

If it wasn’t for our retreat into our garden with daily sun and nightly stars we would have left this barren and morally depleted country years ago. To be honest it’s not the country’s fault really, and perhaps the idealisation of perceived better places elsewhere on this earth might be totally wrong. I happen to read up on Iceland and was astonished to read they have a law that prohibits women earning less than men. They also do not have an army and at one stage had a government with women only. They also jailed corrupt banking moguls. Those sort of facts about a country gladden the heart, don’t they?

In fact, we did leave many years ago and lived with our three children back in Holland for just over three years. That first summer was glorious with everlasting evenings. The sun did not go down till 10pm and woke us up at 5am. We bought bicycles for all of us and rode around without a worry with weeping willows bowing to the wind and in our faces. We made the move back to Australia because my family were living there and I was missing my brothers and sister. We also had Whitlam,  Bob Hawke and Paul Keating as Prime ministers who moved Australia into the twentieth century.

But, let me just look at the positive. A few days ago I happen to take the above photo. As I walked out of the door I noticed this isolated daisy having risen from the garden during the night. I took out my iPhone and took this picture. Isn’t it lovely? A shy golden nugget daisy nestling against the coarse bark of the Manchurian pear tree. They seem symbiotic. The softness and colour of the flower gives sustenance and beauty to the coarse barked tree which in return gives shelter and support to the daisy.  The flower is raising its head in gratitude to the tree and the trunk seems to answer with ‘no worries’, mate.

If you look carefully at the picture you might see a cane basket at the back of the flower. It was used as a laundry basket for decades but was past it’s use and started to break. Helvi put it in the garden and filled it with leaves and some soil. No doubt the basket will be reclaimed by the garden in time and more daisies will come up. It is a give and take, isn’t?

 

Family news-flash.

Japanese Windflower

Well, as they say, ‘there is never a dull moment.’ There isn’t a nook or cranny that we are now not familiar with in regard to our local hospitals. How a fortuitous choice we took some eight years ago in the decision to live almost next door to not one but two hospitals. It’s a toeing and froing not just of ambulances but also care-flight helicopters whirring over our roof-top picking or delivering patients that are in a hurry to receive life saving procedures. What a prime position! At our age one needs to be within metres of caring nurses and doctors. Better than water views. We are also blessed with two hospital cafes. So both, the alcohol laced hand sanitisers and the lattes are never far away.

Going back to ‘never a dull moment’, Helvi came home from her operation two days ago. The lumps and nodes that were cancerous, removed by the surgeon. We are now waiting for the community nurse to exchange the plastic bag into which her lymphatic fluid is being directed to flow in.  Compared with her chemo therapy, the breast operation was a pic-nic. Yesterday we joined the community care organisation and met two of their staff who will now take care of Helvi’s post operation recovery.

Helvi doesn’t really like any attention to herself and her plight, so I have been somewhat reluctant to write about something which she feels is unimportant in the general scheme of things. She is more interested and concerned in issues of others.

Even so, she is happy how many people have shown they care and is grateful for the attention and well-wishing she received and is still receiving. It is amazing. The dedication and sheer hard work of hospital staff admirable.  Helvi is thanking all the blog followers and friends and will keep you informed.

This journey is ongoing.

Hugs, Helvi and Gerard

 

 

‘Café Society,’ and ‘Girl on a Train.’

The ever shrinking Cornetto

As an antidote to ponderings about stolen Cyclamen and the combative state of some of our Body Corporate residents, we went to see both above mentioned movies. Bowral, even though having a small population, has a movie complex housing four cinemas. They show movies not normally shown at other cinemas and include monthly presentations of ‘Art House Movies.’

We were told that even though ‘The Girl on a Train’ wasn’t as good as the book, it was still a very good and watchable movie. It’s main theme is about Domestic Violence, but for me it was more of a thriller. Most murder and mayhem are domestic related. We all live in a world whereby we are separated by a sixth degree. Remember the movie ‘Six Degrees of Separation?’ It showed that any two of us are separated by just six steps. Can you imagine that? I am reflecting on our present PM Malcolm Turnbull. The latest from him banning FOR LIFE those refugees that have arrived by boat trying to reach Australia. They will NEVER ‘for the term of their natural lives, be allowed to enter Australia. Is he separated by six degrees from me? Is he one of us?

Try and get your head around this little gem.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-31/dutton-says-refugee-ban-won’t-break-international-obligations/7979242

We thought that the movie ‘The Girl on the Train’ seemed a bit confused dealing with different time spans over which it ran. I also had difficulty with the two women whom I thought looked too much the same. In fact, I thought they were the same, till the latter half when the film started to make more sense. The acting was very good and we both thought it a good movie. The main girl in the movie grappling with alcohol and memory. She finally came through and it all fell into a satisfactory end. ***

‘Café Society’ is a better movie. Woody Allen’s movies of the last few years seemed to be getting a bit luke warm. However, this latest creation is one of the best again. Thoroughly enjoyable. Superb writing. He is a master of words and plots, uses with great skill, wit, pathos, satire, Jewish issues, the use of much reflection… New York City superbly used for much of the background. Hollywood, and its jewellery bedecked glitterati,  Family, gangsters, love-affairs, smoking, jazz music, the saxophone. It is Woody Allen’s work at his best.**** It is very funny.
He is 80!