I bought a letter box for myself on Fathers Day

How do you like my new letter box?

I've always wanted one of these stone letter receptacles and finally I have one. Bit of an impulse buy for myself on Fathers Day. Why should Dad have all the presents?

It was probably time. The old one was on the other side of the driveway, being engulfed by a daisy bush. I am sure it used to give the postie the shits, having to fight with a daisy bush, let alone our dog who is obsessed with barking at things with wheels. Or maybe it's just the postie. That aside when I tried to bend the metal pole to remove the old letter box, the rust had eaten it and it broke off straight away. Totally justified the 99 dollars I dropped on the new one.

There was some words thrown about concerning where the number eight should go, with me stating  it would go wherever I bloody well wanted it to. I've Tarzan gripped it there so it doesn't "move". 

Last night was spent at my sister's having dinner with Dad. Roast pork with all the trimmings. 

I love listening to Dad tell stories. He talked about the wolves in the mountains in Spain. How they would attack at night, that they wouldn't attack alone. If they came across you alone, they would howl to call for help with the kill. Scary shit. 

He said his first job out of the army was as a goat herder. They would leave at 8am and take the goats up the mountains, when the sun was high in the sky (noon), they'd start bringing them back down and lock them under the house for the night, so the wolves wouldn't get them. He'd seen lambs torn in half, like the wolves had used a knife.

In the army (which was mandatory) he became a chauffeur because he couldn't shoot for shit. They sent him to school for two weeks so he could pass his licence exam, and he drove generals and military big wigs around, mainly to pubs apparently. Well not mainly, but it did come up in conversation.

We remembered the time he made soup for us and stirred it with a plastic spoon, which melted and disappeared into the soup.  The time he made my nephews pancakes and used garlic powder instead of flour. They didn't get eaten. "These pancakes don't smell right Pop".

I'm glad I've written it here actually, because I am forever telling myself to write this sort of stuff down otherwise it's one ear and out the other, and one day he won't be around to talk about it. 

My Dad's mum had dementia, I hope he doesn't go down that path. But it's starting to seem like he is, according to Mum anyway, and she spends the most time with him. It saddens me to think he will not be my strong, invincible Dad forever, just a shell. I want to hear more stories.

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Memories with the olds

I would give anything to go back thirty five years. Sitting in a cinema in Mount Gambier at the age of ten, about to watch ET for the first time. One of the few times I ever went to see a movie at the movie theatre as a child.

I don't remember if both my parents were there, I wish I had a better recollection. I do recall crying like a baby though. That little alien got me good!

via GIPHY

On Saturday night I went to the theatre to see Mamma Mia 2. My father seated on one side and my mum on the other. I never thought this would make me emotional, but it did! I realised then, that this was the first time since I was a child I had been in this situation, and it brought a tear to my eye. It happened at the beginning of the feature, and thank goodness the lights were out. Here's this weirdo with tears in her eyes at the start of a movie.

I am the oldest of five, and for the first time in 44 years, I was sitting in a theatre with my parents all to MYSELF, and it felt special. By the time I was five, I had four siblings, so alone time with just me and the olds after the age of one was pretty rare!

Well, towards the end of the movie, Mamma Mia had got me good too! That I guess, is what happens when you go to the movies in a fragile state. You get emotional at all the shit. I was doing the sly eye wipe. Dad was too, god love his precious soul. I can see where I get my big softie sook genes from.

When mum had mentioned she was going, I jumped on board quickly. This was my opportunity to get out of the house away from my husband and kids, YES! Even the checkout lady at the cheap shop was saying YES, when she heard me and mum talking about in front of her, the day before.

I am so glad I went and spent this time with my olds, doing old people shit like going out ot dinner at the RSL after a movie. I should have stayed out longer and told mum to drop me off at the pub before dropping me off at home, because it wasn't much fun coming home to a trashed house and the kids still not in bed.

You can't have it all. What I had sitting in that theatre with my mum and dad was pretty close to it though.

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It was the Summer of '89

I had just finished Year 12. My schooling days had come to an end and Mum wasn't letting me rest on my laurels. 

circa 1989 (dork)

She'd lined up a summer job for me in a nearby Southend, a seaside village, and I worked in one of the local delis, across the road from the caravan park. 

I wasn't totally sure about it, being a quite, shy person, a total introvert. It worked out OK.

It's probably everyone's dream job over the summer, and at the time, I probably didn't appreciate how cool it was. 

I remember selling loads of ice creams, and meat pies! It always seemed busy, with local fishermen and holiday makers dropping in.

I can't really remember what I was spending my earnings on. My guess it was probably spend on clothes, makeup, and at the music store in those days! 

My boss was a little old lady, Mrs Campbell. The shop was attached to the front of her house, and I remember sitting at her kitchen table for lunch, several times.

Funnily enough, the owner's of the other shop, at that time, the Crowe's, have been my neighbours in town for years!

Having no car at that stage, I lived in a caravan at my Gran's house. It was pretty awesome.

Gran lived next door to Kasey Chambers' Grandparents (totally unrelated to this story). Kasey was recently back in Southend (where she really grew up) for an interview with Julia Zamiro, for her Home Delivery show. There was much excitement around that Kasey was back in the region. Personally, I was more excited that Julia was!

I really enjoyed that summer. It was the first time I'd lived away from my family and all my brothers and sisters.

Occassionally Gran would take me back to town (Millicent). I made the mistake of sitting in the front passenger seat. This was her dog's seat on her travels. The dog was having none of it and sat on my lap, farting in protest for the entire twenty odd kilometres. Gran thought it was hilarious!

My summer job was over when all the tourists went home. I walked straight into another job, back in Millicent, and worked there until I was six months pregnant with Jake, at 19.

What was your first job? 
Did your Gran have a farting dog?
What were you doing the summer of '89?

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Life this week....

Who hasn't had a go at Shoebox yet? 

The new way to store and share your memories. It's a lot of fun to create entertaining slideshows of your treasured pics. You can link and pull photos straight from your Facebook or Instagram accounts. It's easy.

I am excited about it because my blogging friend Denyse is starting a new linky on a Monday, called Life this week. This is the perfect way for me to easily share what's been happening, in a neat way. I am practicing for it already!

Her linky will be making it's debut on September 12th. Write it in your blogging calendar!

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My sister had a birthday last week. We are the same age for the next two weeks, after which I will turn 44. That number is really uncomfortable to say. I tend to live in denial mostly, and am always having to actually think about how old I am. How did I get here?

I made her a salted caramel chocolate tart. It's based on a Valli Little recipe, called Forest Gump tart, mostly relating to life being like a box of chocolates, hence the Lindt and Ferreros on top.

Summer cut her darn hair, mainly her beautiful fringe. The good thing is that hair grows. Not fast enough.

She had two days of Book Week dress ups, one of those days she insisted on going as Spider Girl, who ever that is. Surely out there somewhere has written her into a book!? I didn't care, she was happy. THAT'S ALL THAT COUNTS....says Mummy's sanity.

Luckily Izzy only had to dress up once. She was happy to be The Little Mermaid, and we have the book! Her best friend went as Ariel too, they were mermaid twins.

We stayed at our holiday house in Pelican Point on the weekend. Sunrise, sunsets, fishing and beach walks. 

What has your week looked like?

June #52weeksofmemories

School holidays have just started. Today will see me braving the supermarket with both of them. Send me good vibes.

We have guests staying in the holiday house this week, all the way from Healesville near Melbourne. They're leaving Saturday morning. I have plans if it is not rented again, to go down there by myself on Saturday night. I need some time out. I am guessing I will be bored shitless within the first hour.

Wednesday I am taking the girls to see Minions. I haven't taken them to the movies before, so it's going to be a treat for them. I am more excited than they are!

The weeks seem to be going by in a flash. I can hardly keep up. I'd totally forgotten to wrap up my June with photos from the prompts supplied by Toni at Finding Myself Young. It's a lame attempt, but here is a bit of our June.

22. Yum

Portuguese doughnuts with lemon curd. Yum!

23. In the car

I like being the passenger in the city. I leave the driving to Brett. I can appreciate all
the pretty sights.

24. Hands

These are from the playground on South Terrace in Adelaide.

Adelaide Aquatic Centre

25. Family

Brett and the girls after Disney on Ice. Waiting for a tram back into the city. 

Brett and his brother playing silly buggers. Brett bought himself a mower for the holiday
house. Boys and their toys.

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Kalangadoo SA - #openslather

My place in time #50 - Somewhere I used to live

This is where I grew up.

All of my childhood memories stem from this little town, up until we moved, the summer before I started high school.

It was a time of innocence. Life was so carefree, no responsibilities and not old enough to have made any of life's big fuck ups. 

It lives in my heart this place, plays with my emotions and reminds me of a time when life was simple.

The church we used to go to, across the road from our house.
My two sisters, twin brother and I were baptised here when I was eight.

We used to roller skate here on weekends. There was a picture of the
queen hanging on the wall, probably still is.

The old post office and looking down John Street.

The veranda on the right used to be a shop, I think it was Humphries store. I stole an eraser, can't remember how old I was, Mum made me go and hand it back. 

Log trucks still hurtle through town. There is a timber mill in town still, not as
busy as it was back when I was a kid.

The laneway I walked up and down a lot as a kid. The fences were not there then. There was a deli and fuel pumps on the right. I remember Dad giving me $5 to buy him a packet of Marlboro smokes, there was enough left for a can of coke, a pie and a huge bag of lollies. There was also an area where Dad and others drank plonk and played bowls(or bocce) under a pergola covered with grapevines.

The house I grew up in, on Ann Street, a little lot old now. Dad built the bit at the left, onto the old workers cottage. This brings happy memories of fresh cut grass and playing with my sisters and brothers. Happy times. I knocked on the door, no one answered, with the intention of asking for a cutting off the rose. I took one anyway.

Mum seems to think it is 'Sutters Gold'. It's special to me and I can't think of anything better than to have a cutting off the actual plant, I hope it takes.

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Memories with Dad #openslather

Dad came for a drive to Beachport for the October long weekend market. I was so glad he agreed to come. 

Mum had been away for almost two weeks over in The Gippsland visiting with and looking after my nephews while they were on school holidays and their parents worked. I dropped in to clean up the house and to make sure he had some homemade food to eat. It's not like he can't cook things for himself, he can, but I like to spoil the old bugger.

Check out the mutton chops, he's had those for as long as I can remember, since
Tom Jones had them probably, and his trademark hat. It used to be towelling ones :)

He in turn spoils the grandkids, all of them! He now has more time he is retired and my girls probably get to spend more time with him than the others did, and they adore him. 

While we waited for our fish and chips, Dad got them a ball each out of the $2 machine and played with them, they were in hysterics and so was he.  He does this thing where he throws his hat on the ground in jest, they crack up at his silliness.

As we ate, Boggy asked Dad about his family in Spain. I had to turn and pretend I was getting something out my bag as I blinked away tears when Dad said he hadn't seen his little brother since the age of seven. My uncle lives in the south of France now. Dad has two sisters still in Spain, and a brother, my Uncle Roger, who lived next door to us growing up. He's still in Australia. 

Dad left Spain after his mandatory national service in the army, so he would have been about 21 I think. He spent some time in England, as a porter(yep! I'm thinking Manuel from Fawlty Towers lol) and then came to Sydney in 1964(I think).

Dad has no plans to go back to Spain, he wants to remember it the way it was when he left. I wish he would go back.

On the drive home Dad asked with a laugh in his voice if I remember the Toyota Dyna we used to have. How could I forget! It was a faded rusty red double cabin, tray top truck. It's motor was under the front seat, and I recalled the time smoke started coming from under the seat and there was bedlam as Mum pulled over and five screeching kids jumped out. 

I will never forget when we first moved and Dad drove straight through town, like The bloody Clampetts, with furniture piled high. My sister and I sunk down in our seats in the desperate hope no one saw us, with Madness probably coming out of the cassette player. It's the only music I remember hearing in that jalopy.

I then recalled the time the bonnet flew off the Bedford van while we were careering down the highway. Mum had a few choice words about Dad that day. Boggy then chirped in with "What sort of cars did you have?", with a bellowing laugh, which had Dad proudly admitting that he never spent more than $400 on a car. He probably would have got more for his money in the 70s and 80's than he would have now. It's no surprise then just before Mum and Dad sold their business, Mum went out and bought a new Holden, she had waited a lot of years for a brand new car!

Dad went on laughing as he recalled the piglet incident. He had bought a piglet to fatten up and put it in the back of the station wagon in a cardboard box, only to have it escape while waiting at the main traffic lights in the Mount. He says he will never forget the sound of that pig squealing along with five kids and a wife screaming too. Bloody funny......now.

Don't you love it when all the funny family memories get rehashed? 

It's one of those special things about being part of a family.