BABY MATILDA

Being a Grandmother is the most spectacular feeling. Immortality springs to mind.
When my friends become Grandparents, I live that wonderful feeling all over again.

When Trent was born, I joked that I would be "the paternal Grandmother". For years, he called me Nana Laurie. I made a speech on behalf of the Grandparents at his 21st birthday. Logically, I am now the paternal Great-Grandmother.

Congratulations to Trent and Janelle on the birth of sweet Matilda.
Didee, I wish you many, many years of great joy.
Verna will be watching over the little one.



Trent and Matilda



Tilly with Didee, GG Harry and Mummy Janelle.

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Market

Sunday was Market day. We had forgotten that this month there was a large display of veteran cars, and the crowd was enormous.

We drove a block further on, intending to walk and gopher back, but ................ The parking spot was right in front of the old second hand shop that has been closed for most of the year and it was open!
I went in, telling Steve that I would ride up to the market to meet him later. Famous last words!
2 hours, 2 large boxes and $23 later, I phoned Steve to ask him to come down and open the truck. By the time he had looked around the shop a bit, the market was packing up and I never got there.

There were goodies of all sorts, including lots of Christmas decorations. A Breville blender was one of the treasures and we've had some good use out of it already.

Another "treasure" shows up my eccentricity in the worst way! For the grand sum of $3, I bought a skirt and matching top. They are purple with bright pink trimming. The skirt has a nice shape to it. The top has the most garish piece of mostly orange flowery material inserted on the diagonal. I took a photo for Madeleine, who thinks it looks lovely. When I protested, she said that she was looking at it with a fresh eye! I'm putting in a tiny picture of it, just enough for you to see but not enough to make you vomit. (At least, I hope it's not enough!) I'll never wear it outside the house, so why buy it??? The only answer is eccentricity!!!!!

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Who Listens??

• Remember how I had trouble getting rid of a cold?

• Remember how the doc wouldn't even look in my throat and wouldn't give me anything for a viciously sore throat?

• Remember how I was getting new dentures?

Let me put both things together ... and demonstrate how people don't listen.

I picked up my new dentures on Friday, Aug. 28th. As the dentist was about to put his ungloved fingers into my mouth, I said, "I have a terrible sore throat; mind my germs." (To tell the truth, my main reason for saying this was that I never saw the man wash his hands. To be fair to him, he did have 2 rooms, so he may have washed in the other.) But his answer didn't console me at all. He said, "Oh don't worry; you should have seen some of the foul mouths I've put my hands in." YEEEEEK. That's exactly what I was worried about!!!!!

By the following Thursday, one side of my throat felt a little better but the other side was still puffed and very sore, so I went to the doc again -- a different one. I explained the whole story of a 3 week long sore throat and felt obliged to add that I also had the difficulty of a new denture that was rubbing and making my gum sore.
This doc "kindly" looked in my throat. The first thing he remarked on was that a big ulcer had formed where my denture was rubbing. "Oh yes, but that came recently; the sore throat is much older than that and it's in a different place." Then he spent 5 minutes explaining why my throat could feel sore from the denture -- referred pain, and other explanations that went over my head. My throat was getting sorer from explaining! He prescribed antibiotics, so I gave up explaining!

The very next day, I went to the dentist to get him to adjust the denture. He was quite doubtful that the denture had caused the ulcer. "Oh yes, it has only come since I got the denture; I had a sore throat for much longer but it's in a different place." Then he spent 5 minutes explaining why my gum could develop an ulcer because of the sore throat. My throat was getting sorer from explaining! He went away to rub the offending spot on the denture, so I gave up explaining!

WHO LISTENS????

Would it have helped if I had told doc #2 that doc #1 had seen me because of the sore throat, well before I had the new denture?
Would it have helped if I had reminded the dentist that he knew about my sore throat before the denture began rubbing?

By the way, both throat and denture ulcer are getting better!

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Sam, the Mad Hatter

I had a good talk to Sam on Monday night. He told me that the three performances of Alice in Wonderland went really well and he had a lot of fun.
With the aplomb of a professional, he explained how a tape was played too early, over the top of the people speaking --- but that it was neither here nor there and didn't spoil the play.

I love how both Sam and Madeleine talk about their enjoyment of the performances, not about their own abilities.

Break a leg for the last 2 performances next weekend, Sam!!

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Out of the past

Jeanie McMillan arrived today and we have spent the evening talking ---- trying to catch up on nearly 30 years.
It's amazing how we meet so many old time friends up here in Moree, thousands of kilometres from our homes.

I first met Jeanie in Wonthaggi in 1967. Barely out of her teens and with her own newborn baby boy, she became nanny to 4 little girls who had lost their Mother. That was the beginning of my great admiration for her courage and fortitude. As I said to her tonight, I have always wanted to write her biography. That really surprised her. Modesty is one of her virtues.

Today she has 15 grandchildren and 4 great-grand children. Driving a Toyota Troop Carrier, towing a camper trailer, she is returning from the very tip of Australia, Cape York. A grandchild has printed a sticker for the back of the truck --- Nan's Tonka Truck. I'm sure that they must all be very proud of her.

Men see her backing into a camp site and ask where hubby is. (Sexist pigs!!) I would love to be there to tell them exactly what this amazing woman has achieved on her own, over the years. I'm in awe!

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Grandkids on the move

CONGRATULATIONS to Maddy, who received a Judges' Award at the Talent Quest. Keep singing and composing, Madeleine.

CONGRATULATIONS to Tatey, who passed her driver's licence yesterday. Keep driving safely, Tatum.

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I WANT TO SPIT

EXCUSE ME...... I am Laurie Jenkinson, who gets a cold about once every 3 years. This is my second cold in 4 months. THAT'S NOT ON. If I didn't feel so sick, I would feel totally offended. For all these years, I have prided myself on not catching colds. As a kid, I had a lot of colds, so many that Dad used to ask, "Is this next week's cold or this week's cold?"
My throat has been viciously sore for 10 days. At the diabetic nurse's suggestion, I went to the doctor. I've never taken a cold to a doctor before and told him so. He applauded me for this ....... and the applause was all I got. He didn't even look in my throat! So here I sit, coughing up my toenails and waiting, waiting,waiting for nature to take its course.
Maddy has suggested that I go to the beach. That would be about a 10 hour drive, otherwise I would. Dad used to take us on a little red bus to South Melbourne Beach. He stood on the sand and called to us, "Keep swimming. Kick those legs. Don't stand up." When we got out, he rubbed us dry with Mum's roughest towels. Then he bought us hot chips, which we ate on the way home, before getting into bed. I want to be a kid again!!

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