20170217-24 – Gail’s place at Morriset

20170217- 23 – Searched for a chair

At 7.15 I packed up and drove to “The Blue Goose Cafe” for breakfast. I have been pretty economical as far as food is concerned but really felt like a nice breakfast this morning. I was really extravagant and ordered eggs, bacon, tomato and mushroom and a mug of flat white, cost $24.00, ouch! Well, it will be my last luxury for a while. I took the first mouthful, and then found I wasn’t very hungry! I hate that, looking forward to a beautiful meal and then finding I just can’t eat very much of it. I have been just grazing as far as food is concerned and it seems that the amount I CAN now eat is greatly reduced from normal. I ate what I could, the eggs, a mouthful each of bacon, tomato, mushrooms and greens and then I just had to leave the rest on my plate. The waitress came up to me before I began eating and asked me if I knew that I had my t-shirt top on inside out!! Oh dear. I went to the bathroom and changed it round.

I searched for and found a hardware place on google maps and drove there, but they didn’t have any chairs so I searched for a Bunnings and there was one at Shell Cove which is further north up the ocean road. I started to drive there and found that it was quite a long way. I took a wrong turn – too far to the left – and ended up at a road with a gate and no turning circle!! I had to back my trailer back a very long way – not easy for me, but I did it, in the end!

Then when I got into the entrance of the Cove shopping centre, I found it to be a veritable maze. I ended up driving into an undercover car park (there seemed no other way to go) and there (of course) I could not possibly park my trailer, and getting out was difficult – which way to go? I went to my trusty “Google maps” and loaded “Bunnings” into it and it kindly led me through the car park maze to Bunnings (thank you Darren for telling me how to do this).

Bunnings car park was full to overflowing so I parked in a factory looking place nearby where there was no trailer parking as such, but plenty of empty carparks. I parked over three car parks and put up my disabled sign, because one of the parks was for the “disabled.” Then I found that the place itself was a camping and outdoor outlet, so to my delight, I was able to buy my chair there. I was so happy, mission accomplished!

I don’t think I could have taken this trip or the last trip without “Google Maps.” It makes everything so easy. I remember what it was like when Jeff and I used to travel many years ago, struggling with maps on my lap, and arguing about directions. I had a good sense of direction and Jeff did not, so I mostly relied upon signposts, but Jeff always had to know exactly where we were. It is amazing how different personalities makes for difficulty on so many fronts.

I found a chair and purchased it and the young lad carried it out to my car. I thanked him, and then looked around (in Google maps of course) to see if there were any good amenities or reserves nearby, but couldn’t find one and wasn’t enough bothered to keep searching. I set my direction for the Werri Beach North public toilets and continued on my way – no wrong turn-offs this time, thankfully.

After I had used the amenities I drove around the corner to Berrie Bungle Reserve, that nice little reserve that I found yesterday, and now, here I am, sitting at my own private bench overlooking the water and the hills, in this obviously little-known resting place where you can apparently go kayaking and possibly swimming I would imagine. I would go swimming myself, but not alone and in water that I am not sure of, because these days I lack the strength and panache of youth.

 

 

 

 

Eventually I went back to Werri Beach Holiday Camp to the office to pay for my site and go to my new camp site, No 20. No 20 is right behind the Camp kitchen and has a concrete pad in the middle. My little trailer takes up very little room and so instead of parking on the concrete slab, I parked close to the camp kitchen wall, leaving the complete concrete pad empty. I thought that it may be somewhere where everyone can bring their chairs and sit around and chat over the weekend. I guess it depends where everyone’s cabins and tents are located. We shall see. No 20 is also a drive through site, so I can drive off and back with ease and don’t have to do any backing at all. Wonderful!

For dinner that night, I went to the fish and chip shop that is on the seafront at Werri Beach. I purchased two pieces of fish, battered and a small tub of cole slaw. I peeled all the batter off and only ate the fish. I couldn’t believe how much batter there was on the fish and thought of all the carbs if I had eaten it all.

I got back to the camp site and set everything up and was sitting in my new chair and had my ipad on the little round table where the brazier sits and was typing up my diary when a car pulled up on the concrete pad, and there were Beth O’Connor and her sister Faith McGovern (Joseph) and my niece Mishael Jj. It was so good to see them. The years just rolled away and we were talking with the ease of close friends. Dear Beth, she was a sweet girl when she married my brother and she is a sweet dear lady now. Faith is as feisty as usual and Mishael is chirpy and funny. So many years!

They all left eventually to go and find their cabins and to sort themselves out and hopefully get some sleep. I went to bed in my cosy little trailer and slept pretty well, but during the night I sat outside in my new chair to enjoy the beautiful breezes

20170218 – Saturday – Beth and Mishael and Faith arrive

This morning had breakfast in my car; a tin of camp pie and drove down to the north beach amenities block and went to the loo there. I am driving there each morning because it is easier to go there than to walk up that hill to the Amenities at the Caravan Park at Werri Beach.

I then drove around to Birrie Bungle Reserve and spent a pleasant time there typing up my diary. The breezes were as I remembered, funnelling through from the water between the houses that flanked the reserve. The bench is always in the shade as well. I would spend a lot of time here if I lived at Werri Beach.

I went back to the Caravan park and was sitting by my trailer with my back to the wall of the camp kitchen when up drove my niece, Mishael Jj and Faith McGovern (Joseph) Beth’s sister and Beth, my dear sister-in-law. Mishael took a selfie of Beth and Mishael and myself. I will treasure that picture.

They are going to be staying in the cabins along the sea front, so they won’t have to worry about using the amenities in the park. Later on I rang Miriam and she told me where the Joseph cabins were located. Shane and Danielle Butters were in cabin 15, Miriam and her three children were in Cabin 7 and Mishael and Beth in Cabin 9. I went to visit with Miriam and then a few of the Joseph clan all came and collected there too. I took some individual photos of them all. Miriam has three children, two boys and a girl. The boys are Jake and Declan and the girl is Abbi. Jake and Declan both have the really curly Joseph hair that Beth and Mishael have. Their heads were simply mops of curls and looked very striking. Abbi has the most beautiful almond shaped eyes and long blonde hair. She is very beautiful! And sweet I was told. I have a photo I took of Miriam and Abbi together in the camp kitchen. I recognised Shane Butters and he reminds me so much of Mick Hindmarsh.

There was one of the Joseph’s who was there who I recognised instantly, but have actually never met. I guessed (and was right) that he was Peter Joseph’s son (Beth’s brother’s son). He had Peter’s eyes. I think his name is Stephen, but once again not, sure. I have a photo of him with his two children, a boy and a girl. There is also. Nahum who is also one of Peter Joseph’s sons (Peter Joseph came to stay with us at 118 Glen Osmond Rd Parkside, in Adelaide, when I was 16 or so, after I had met him when I visited the Joseph’s at Bodalla in 1956ish. I asked him to stay and he stayed), Anyway, Nahum was another of his sons and there is also another older brother and a sister and I think her name is Jenny. Beth’s brother Chris and his wife and daughter were there as well. Chris is the second youngest Joseph so. He met his wife in Thailand and so their daughter is a blend of Asian and Australian. I saw them later, the whole family sitting together, and there is a brother too and he has a blonde girlfriend. Fiona Carol was there, the Wallacess and so many others whose names and identies I don’t know.

At lunch time, all the Joseph’s who had arrived so far gathered at the camp kitchen for a communal lunch. All the women had cooked up and there was a ton of food. I sat with Beth in the gazebo at the front of the Camp Kitchen. While we were there the heavens opened and it felt as though the heavens had unloaded a huge bucket of water on us and the gazebo was immediately flooded, so we all moved into the camp kitchen. I seemed to be the only one who had a passcode to get in, so it is a good thing I was there.
Faith has changed so much since I saw her all those years ago when she was bridesmaid at Beth’s wedding as was I. She had more weight on then and now she tends to be very thin, but it suits her and her face has become a very merry face. Peggy Joseph was there and she showed me a picture of a quilt that her daughter had made for her and it was all made of photos (on cloth) and one of the photos was the photo taken at Bodalla of David and Peggy and Beth and I and Nancy King all sitting on a tractor with David Driving on the Joseph farm at Bodalla.

Well we had a wonderful time and a glorious lunch (and I stuck to no carbs). I can’t believe how disciplined I am being. I have some photos of Beth sitting there looking sweet and peaceful as she does. One girl passed by and I said “Jan Joseph,” and everyone laughed. It was not Jan Joseph of course, it was her daughter, who looked just as Jan used to look when I knew her when she stayed at out place in the late 1950’s Jan and Malcom Bonner were there too but they didn’t stay for the lunch.

After lunch everyone dispersed to their cabins and I went to my trailer for a sleep. Mishael came to my trailer to see me, said she was going to clean up the camp kitchen ready for the party that evening. So later on we all gathered together again for Beth’s actual birthday feast and we repeated the whole process all over again. So much food!! We all sang happy birthday to Beth and then there were cakes and all sorts of deserts. I didn’t even have one piece!!

There are lots of videos of the happenings that are all being put up on the Joseph family reunion 2017 on facebook. Heidi wants me to put up photos so I will have to do that tomorrow.

I had another good night’s sleep. I love my camper trailer.
20170219 – Sunday – Left Werri Beach and drove to Gail’s.

I got up in the morning and packed up and organised everything to get on my way early. I knew that Mishael and Beth were going to the beach to the Rockpool that is there. I decided not to go because I really wanted to get on my way. I thought I might go into Geringong for breakfast, but couldn’t find a place where it was easy to park, so decided to just eat a banana and go on my way to Gail’s.

It was overcast and was pleasant for driving. Again I thought how much I love having GPS, it makes the whole trip so very much easier than it would be if you had to consult a map all the time. I bet it prevents a lot of accidents too because there is not the same uncertainty about whether to go this way or that

I received an SMS from Sarah O’Connor while I was driving. I was good to chat with her. Pauline and Barrie Oliver also contacted me. Pauline says that her operation on her knee is taking a very long time to settle down and hurts a lot and she is really “over it.”

I arrived at Gail’s, and got a message from her that she would not be home until late. I went upstairs and had a shower and washed my hair. Then I came down and dressed and scrounged in the fridge for some food. I messaged Gail and asked if it was okay to raid her fridge and she said “for sure,” so I boiled three eggs, ate a mango and sliced off some chicken and ate that with some lettuce, cucumber, red pepper and some beetroot salsa she had in the fridge. Then I went into my little lounge and went to sleep. At 6.30 I woke up to find that the movie that I had on which was “The man who shot Liberty Valance” was just finishing and I had watched none of it.

Gail messaged me that the man who is renting her upstairs flat was likely to call on me and his name was Ant. He did call and so I invited him in and we went out into the the rear courtyard and sat down there and chatted. He is a writer and writes film scripts and other stuff. It began to sprinkle with rain so Ant went home and I went inside. I sat at the kitchen table and wrote up my diary.

By now I was quite tired, so I went into my little lounge which is to be my home for the next week and lay down on the settee and watched some TV. Then Gail came home and she made us a drink and we sat together and chatted. It is so good to see her. *

We discussed what we would do for food while I am here. I told her about my “no carbs” diet and what that would mean for the type of food I would be eating while here at Morriset. I said that I would be very happy with sliced meat, any kind and salad vegetables. Gail of course eats pretty much the same, and so we will not have to worry too much about meals, we will just graze. Gail has quite a few things planned for me while I am here and we worked out when we would be doing things together and when we will be apart.

Gail went to bed and I put the sleeping bag on the settee and with the two pillows that Gail had given me to use, I was very comfortable and slept really well.

20170220 – Monday – Morriset and Gail’s place

I slept wonderfully well. I was so comfortable. Gail came down at around 6 am and she made some beautiful scrambled eggs with bacon and greens and pepper, delicious. Then a nice cup of coffee and a chat. Gail then went outside and cleaned out her garage because it was hard rubbish day. Ant from the flat next door came out to help her with the lifting. Then the lawnmower man turned up so I removed my trailer and car from the lawn at the side of the house and parked it further up the street. I got my camp chair out of my car and sat and watched proceedings. Gail is so fit and so decisive. She did a really good job. The lawnmower man used his blower in the end to clean to floor of the garage. Gail was chuffed with that.

Then I changed into clean clothes and we went to Morriset for Gail to have a haircut. We took my walking frame, so I used that to walk to Lena’s Lakeside Cafe so I could have a coffee and work away while I wait for Gail to have her hair done. It is so beautiful here. I would love to live over here.

Rob Thiele contacted me on Whatsapp while I was in the cafe. He wanted to know more about the “no carbs diet,” so I chatted to him and tried to encourage him to get into it because his health could certainly do with a lift. When Gail returned, we drove into the Morriset shopping centre and to a floor where they do car washing. She chose the cycle she wanted done and we left the car there and then went into the mall to a “healthy food” place and had a beautiful salad for lunch. Then Gail went to a nearby beauty shop and I stayed in the little central cafe and worked away on my computer.

When Gail returned we went to Clark’s Rubber to look for a mattress for her car. The seats in her car all lie down flat so that there is room to put a mattress in the car, but she has to make a template for them to make it to fit. That has given me the idea for what I could do in my “next car.” I would like to get a car that the seats lie down flat so that maybe when I get too old to be able to handle my little trailer, I may still be able to travel in just my car if it had a bed in it.

We then went on our way home, and Gail saw a young Chinese girl walking along the side of the road and she guessed that this girl was a Chinese tourist who had got lost looking for kangaroos and was now walking towards the railway station but it was a long way away. She was right. We turned around and drove up to the girl and asked if she wanted a ride to the station. She did. Gail drove her through the Park to show her the kangaroos that come out in the evening in their hundreds, which is what the girl had been trying to find but had got lost. We then drove her to the station. She was very grateful.

We went home and for dinner had steamed vegetables and a couple of lamb chops. It was lovely. Gail then told me that a few weeks ago she had had a bit of a meltdown. She has been overworking in ICU and she is needing to make some changes in her work environment.

We watched TV for a while and then both went to bed.

 

20170221 – Tuesday – Marg Ryan

 

 

Gail got up early and cooked some scrambled eggs for us both. Eggs and bacon and it was lovely. Gail said that she would be staying at her son-in-law’s place that night, Tuesday night, and so I would not see her again until Wednesday night. I was quite happy about that because it gives me two days to myself. I washed my clothes and hung them out after Gail left and then worked on my diary and the photos of Beth’s 80th. I put up some photos on facebook, and in Joseph family reunion 2017 and some photos for Heidi, Sharon and Dana (Brinkerhoffs) over in America. I spent some time trying to get my Scrivener diary in order so that I can put the information on my web site. I spent quite a bit of time getting photos from iPhone to ipad, took me ages to work out why they were not transferring, but got it right in the end.
I had rung Marg Ryan earlier and she had suggested to we have dinner at around 5.30 at The Caves Hotel. I went early because I just wasn’t that sure where it was. Marg was early and so we went into the Hotel together. We had a lovely dinner. She had a curry and I had fish and salad.
Marg told me that she now goes to Booleroo. I took a photo of her which turned out very well, and she took one of me.
I went to bed and watched a bit of TV when I got home.

 

20170222- Wednesday – Rest Day

This morning I cooked some scrambled eggs for breakfast and ate that in front of the TV. I felt really tired and since Gail did not come hone last night and would not be back until late tonight, I decided to have a very slow day. I lay on the couch and watched TV and slept on and off.
John from next door came with another man and knocked at the door. I opened it and they came in to look at the pianola. John’s boss is a removalist and they were checking to see if the pianola had easy access when the moved it for Gail.
They left and I lay down again. I sent a message to Marg Ryan with the photo I took last night at the Caves. It was a beautiful photo. She is certainly a beautiful woman. I also sent a message to Shoshanna Hindmarsh and arranged to go to her place for lunch tomorrow at her place  in Hamilton NSW.
Then I contacted Joan Bowen and she invited me for lunch on Friday. I felt quite satisfied after that because I somehow felt I done SOMETHING worthwhile for the day. It is now 4.22 pm and I am still just sitting around and I still feel quite tired and not wanting to do anything. I think travel takes it out of one, and that is why I feel so much in need of rest today.

20170223 – Thursday – Shoshanna Hindmarsh

I slept from about 10.00 pm last night right through to 4.45 am, without stirring, and that is after spending the whole day yesterday lying on the couch. I think the day before took so much out of me that I needed all that time to recover.
I woke up in the morning feeling wonderfully rested and happy. When Gail came down, she didn’t look so good, she was really pretty exhausted. Stress doesn’t help either. Gail cooked some scrambled eggs which we shared, and last night she had cooked a big piece of meat in the slow cooker so that I can have protein today. She’s such a good girl.
When Gail left, I got up and got dressed and by 7.15 I was on the road. I had decided to go to Shosh’s place early, and find a cafe to sit and work in. I found a place called La Crema cafe and it is really lovely, open and very pleasant. I worked away for quite a while, had fruit salad and yoghurt and cream, and a flat whit. Later on I had a small plate of salad and then my ipad battery went flat. I asked if there was a PowerPoint I could use and the only one was in a kids play room they have. They put a table in the kids room for me and I am now sitting here and working away.
I went to Shosh’s place at about 12.00 noon at Hamilton, NSW. She looks pretty good. She was wearing a black sleeveless top and a gypsy skirt. Her hair is now black again which suits her whereas the lighter colour she had when I last saw her didn’t suit her much at all. Shosh told me about a job she is thinking about taking  at a school. A friend of her’s works there and she needs to go on 1 year’s maternity leaven and would like Shoshanna to have her job while she is away, and then when she comes back they maybee could share the position.  I thought she should take this job. It would also mean that if Mick wanted to he could drop back to only three days a week end maybe he could  look after the kids for two days a week.  Shoshanna asked me what makes someone happy and I immediately remembered NCs words about the whole crux of Ecclesiastes, “Godliness with contentment” is how a man can be happy, I said.  I love it when all I have been reading and studying proves useful and valuable in my contact with people.
Shoshanna told me that I had turned up just at that crucial time when she needed me, “as I do,” she said. I am so glad that I was able to help her sort out some of her thinking.
I left soon after and drove back to Morriset. I cut a piece of the meat Gail had cooked and a piece of cheese and that was my dinner, and then I went to bed.

 

20170224 – Friday – Joan Bowen

I didn’t wake up when Gail came down this morning and by the time I did get up she wasn’t anywhere to be seen. I felt a bit confused. She had opened the blinds and everything but was not around. Then Gail came in and she brought bags of groceries with her. I asked where she had gone shopping and she toiled me Bonnels Bay. Now I know where I need to go shopping next time i need anything. .
I drove to Joan Bowen’s place and once again I am so thankful for GPS, being able to find my way just about anywhere without worrying at all. I parked my car and trailer in their driveway and knocked at the door. Barry came to the door and we walked down to the dining area which is in a beautiful open space in the middle of the house. I sat down at the table and in front of me can see their “wailing wall” as they call it, because it is a wall along the boundary of their property behind the courtyard area which is made of huge blocks of stone and looks just like the wailing wall in Jerusalem. They have plants growing in the the cracks between the stones, and not little notes written by worshipers however.
I had told Joan earlier that I would not be eating any of her beautiful “high tea” cakes, and that what I would love would just be some salad and meat. So salad and meat was what we ate, and it was all beautifully laid out and prepared. Joannie is a perfectionist and it was beautiful. I have known Joan and Barrie for a lot of years now, certainly way before they were married. I remember Barrie when the Bowen’s lived at Lakemba and I was so impressed because he was fixing his motor bike in his lounge room. I must have been 17 or 18 at the time.
We had no trouble finding things to talk about, and when I told Joan that I had been doing a lot of transcribing of studies of various speakers in the last year, she asked me to recommend speakers for the Newcastle and surrounds ecclesia’s combined weekends. I suggested Neville Clark from TTG with his studies “Encounters,” “Revelation,” “Romans,” “ Zechariah” or “Ecclesiastes,” or “Job.” I played the first 5 minutes of Neville’s Revelation Studies so they could see how he went for presentation. They were very happy with him and are going to put his name forwards to their committee.
For an overseas speaker, I suggested Jonathan Bowen, for his “Cherubim,” or “Revelation” studies, and I told them that he has written two books on “Seek ye first” and the other one that I proof read for him. Couldn’t remember the title but would look it up for them. I also suggested Jim Dillingham, but don’t think that he would come this far to put on his series of “Visions of the Kingdom Age.”
Around about 3.30 pm I said goodbye and drove home to Morriset. I was tired so I veged out for most of the rest of the day and then had a shower and washed my hair. Gail has a set of scales there so I climbed on and to my delight I was 103.6 kg so I have lost 3.4 kg since the 9th Jan 2016. It is not really that much, but for me it is huge. With my previously out of control diabetes and the high insulin dosage I was taking, losing weight just didn’t happen.
Now I am taking about 70 units of Lantau and 10 units of Novarapid each day, and my sugar levels are ranging from 4.00 to 11.00 now which is the best it has ever been in the last 30 years or so. Deb says I will not be “cured” of my diabetes until my pancreas kicks in again. I wonder if it will?