Weekend Coffee Share- 16th June, 2024.

Welcome to Another Weekend Coffee Share!

You’re in luck again this weekend more Anzac Biscuits, and you can take your pick of with or without macadamia nuts. While macadamias aren’t a traditional addition to Anzacs, I find they give them a sensational lift and their saltiness really pops against the sweetness of the Anzacs. Being a generous host, I’ll also throw in a cup of tea+ or coffee. Wouldn’t want you feeling neglected!

It’s been a busy week.

The Famous Face of Luna Park

Milson’s Point, Sydney

Broughton Street Lookout, Kirribilli

On Tuesday we went down to Sydney to see my lung specialist. That went well all things considering. Afterwards, we drove down to Kirribilli to the Broughton Street Lookout which is just under the enormous span of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and an extended stone’s throw from the inspirational Sydney Opera House. I’m surely not exaggerating to say this spot is “heaven” . We walked across from the lookout to check out Luna Park and I was hoping to use their toilet. However, in what I consider to be a cruel crime against humanity, Luna Park was closed. North Sydney Olympic Pool is little more than a hole in the ground and a construction site, which left us needing to walk up the hill with my dodgy lungs and shortness of breath just to put my rebellious bladder at ease. Not happy, Jan! However, the magnificent views sort of justified the strain on my bladder.

On Friday night, my daughter and I went to see Inside Out 2 at the local cinema. We’d seen Inside Out together along with her older brother back in 2015 when she was nine years old. We loved it. Have you seen it?

Wednesday, I was back at the Jazz and Blues Night at the Ocean Beach Hotel just down the road. Absolutely loved it, and glad to be back after missing two weeks with my chest infection.

Yesterday, I went to see Phantom of the Opera at our local theatre. A friend couldn’t use her tickets and our daughter was thinking of coming with me but didn’t make it in the end. It was the first time I’ve seen “Phantom” and I absolutely loved it and was particularly impressed by the size of the accompanying orchestra. I found the entire performing understandably gripping and intense, but so compelling. Selling her soul to the Angel of Music isn’t confined to the operatic realms either and you can see it in the ballet world we’ve been tapping into and so many spheres of life. Indeed, when I told my Dad about it today, he mentioned the pressures on professional golfers and sports people too and a recent talk at Dartmouth College by Roger Federer which emphasized that there’s no much more to life than the tennis court. Here’s the link and I highly recommend you check it out: Commencement Address Roger Federer.

A Camellia Reticulata my Dad planted years ago.

Today, Geoff and I went back down to Sydney. Geoff had to work, and he dropped me off at my parents’ place on the way. This was very much a play-by-ear situation, because my Mum has dementia and is also going deaf and has no hearing aid, which is clearly a difficult combination. We haven’t been able to see Mum and Dad for a couple of months as we’d been houseminding in Queensland for a month and after we got back, our son had pneumonia for three weeks and then I got a chest infection also for about three weeks. During that time, my aunt also visited from Western Australia and we couldn’t see her. I have to say that was all pretty tough and you think that problems like this are a thing of the dreaded covid lockdowns of 2020-2021 but we’re still needing to be responsible, especially where vulnerable people are concerned, and I am one of those myself.

Camellia Reticulata- Lasca Beauty whose average flower is 15 centimeters in diameter.

Doing this dementia journey with my Mum and Dad is tough, intriguing, frustrating but also joyful and ironically Mum and I get on so much better than we ever have and we’ve become very close and intimate where we’ve always clashed before. If there were only two things I could say about dementia well at least my experience with Mum, is that while some parts of the brain might’ve shut down, other parts of the brain might not quite be what they were but still sort of going okay. My mother for example has never had a great sense of direction and like me got lost very easily. So it’s not really surprising that this function was decimated by the dementia. She has no idea where she is, but at least it is familiar even if it’s not at a conscious level. Mum is a pianist and accompanist and she can still play the piano, although it’s starting to slide. She loves playing Happy Birthday and plays it with such flourish and might even play it through a few transposing the key as she goes. She had some real words of wisdom with me today, which I hastily wrote down and they’re somewhere in the jumble of things I’ve brought home. She can still read, although I’m not sure how much she’s taking in. So, I guess I wanted to point out that she is like the rest of us full of contradictions, and the disease hasn’t entirely consumed her yet. I really believe it’s so important to honour and respect people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia and try to see the good in their situation and themselves where possible. I’m not just saying this because I’m unrealistically positive and there are times where it’s tough and I really miss being able to chat with Mum and share what’s going on with us and for us all to spend time together like we did pre-covid, pre-dementia in what now feels like a perfect world despite its troubles. We were exceptionally close today and it was hard to say goodbye and leave her behind.

I’ve claimed Mum’s spotty Carla Zampatti top

And also this lovely pink jacket. We’ve both lost a lot of weight and we’re culling back her wardrobe which was breeding like rabbits.

In terms of other posts I’ve done this week, there was a flash Fiction piece for Friday Fictioneers called: The Last Train and Doors By Sydney Harbour for Thursday Doors.

Anyway, I hope you’ve had a great week and I look forward to hearing what you’ve been up to.

This has been another contribution to the Weekend Coffee Share hosted by Natalie the Explorer.

Best wishes,

Rowena

A Winter Camellia Wonderland.

Yesterday, I visited my parents for the first time in a year. Geoff was going down to work, and so he dropped me off on the way, and I was expecting to be there for a good six hours. Well, I can assure you that even after not seeing me for a year, my Dad didn’t think he could talk for that long, although their was the possibility my mother could, but she sleeps irregular hours and so she was also a bit of an unknown quantity. The other thing I came to consider, is that they’ve had very little face-to-face contact with anyone since Sydney went into lockdown last June and so even having their dearest daughter land on their doorstep for the day might’ve been overwhelming, and my Dad recently had an operation as well and so isn’t in prime form either. I guess it suffices to say they’re in their late 70’s and have slowed down a bit.

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I packed a book and my journal and looked forward to playing the piano. However, it was a glorious sunny day and they have a magnificent cottage style garden which is quite a camellia wonderland. Indeed, now in the depths of Winter, the camellias are in flower and were absolutely beautiful. As you walk down their driveway, there’s what I think is a Ted Craig Reticulata which is 15 centimetres in diameter and absolutely magnificent. To use a classic quote from Kath & Kim, it’s shouting out: “Look at me! Look at me!” it’s hard not to.

Their garden also has quite a few deciduous trees and there was some stunning yellow Autumn leavers out the front and the neighbours have a towering Liquid Amber which is now mostly a skeleton of branches and all those leaves have fallen somewhere and been swept or raked away. I dare say, many of them have dropped in my parents’ garden and while I was there, I found myself sweeping the front steps until I found myself down on the driveway. It was alright when I started out. I seemed to be making progress. However, a wind had come along and it was literally snowing leaves and they were almost falling faster than I could sweep them away. Of course, I started to see a sort of futility in all of this. Do I end up becoming a sweeper just to keep up with the never-ending tide of leaves or do I simply leave them be? Well, it’s easy for me to say, because I don’t live there and we don’t have any deciduous trees here, except our jacaranda but it rains purple flowers instead. That’s why I guess sweeping up all those Autumn leaves was such a thought-provoking novelty. It’s not something I usually think about.

Anyway, I wanted to share that going round and working on your parents’ garden can be a great way of spending time with or around them while not being underfoot or tiring them out too much. My uncle showed me the way here. He used to go round and work on my grandfather’s garden. This way you can have a chat and a cup of tea, do some gardening. Have another chat and maybe even talk about the garden or they could sit out their with you too.

Their Driveway

By the way, I should also mention that I took over some Date and Apricot All Bran Muffins which they love. Home baked treats also keep to make a visit special.

Are you into gardening at all? Or perhaps you have elderly parents. What enhances your visits? It would be great to share some ideas and special memories.

Best wishes,

Rowena

Camellia Dreaming.

In a split second of eternity,

everything is changed,

transfigured.

A few bars of music,

rising from an unfamiliar place,

a touch of perfection in the flow of human dealings…

I lean my head slowly to one side,

reflect on the camellia on the moss on the temple,

reflect on a cup of tea,

while outside the wind is rustling foliage,

the forward rush of life is crystalized

in a brilliant jewel of a moment

that knows neither projects nor future,

human destiny is rescued from the pale succession of days,

glows with light at last and,

surpassing time,

warms my tranquil heart.

Muriel Barbery

The stunning pink camellia I’ve photographed in situ here, was lying on the mossy grass in my parent’s garden yesterday. It was about the size of a saucer and absolutely beautiful!

A taste of a Sydney Spring.

xx Rowena