ANZAC Day - An Open Letter

An open letter to all those who plan to attend ANZAC Day services in Gallipoli in 2015:

2015 will mark 100 years of the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops in Gallipoli and you are very fortunate to be able to attend this event.  I do have a few things to ask of you and also to please remember you are attending a Memorial Service.  It is not a party where you stay up the whole night and "grog on" and wave the flag and generally act like some Yobbo.  It is a Memorial Service.

During the ANZAC Day eve, sit there quietly with your friends.  Sit and try not to make a sound, remembering how scary it would have been for the young men lying on the beach waiting for dawn, to attack.  Think how they would hide the flame from a match prior to lighting their cigarette and also think what some of the thoughts might be going through their head.  Yes, on ANZAC Eve, sit very very quietly and think of the terror these young men would unknowingly run into.

And remember, you are in another country.  

This is the flag of Turkey.  This is the flag of the country we invaded and where we lost so many young men.  8,700 Australians, 2,700 New Zealanders (Wikipedia) lost their lives in the ANZAC landing and we didn't progress a mile inland.

So when you are at ANZAC Cove for the Memorial Service remember we are being permitted to enter another Country for this Memorial, even though we were the enemy.  Keep your Australian flag waving for ANZAC Day parades back home here in Australia.  And please, show respect to the Country who is permitting us to attend Memorial Services there.

Also, in showing respect, leave the Anzac Cove as clean as it was when you arrived.  If you had room to bring in cans and food, then take the empty cans and wrapping paper with you.  You are at a Memorial site and not the local tip.  Be a good traveller and remember to "only take photos, and leave your footprints".

And finally, remember also the young men who lost their lives and pay respect.  My Great-Uncle was killed there aged 21 and is buried on Turkish soil.  And because of that I would also like us to remember the monument put up by the Turks to honour those who invaded their county.

Engraved forever at ANZAC Cove are these words from Kemal Ataturk, the Commander of the Turkish 19th Division during the Gallipoli Campaign and the first President of the Turkish Republic from 1924-1938:

"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives. 
You are now living in the soil of a friendly country therefore rest in peace. 
There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us 
where they lie side by side here in this country of ours. 
You, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. 
After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."

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 They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

 

On the UP!

I am pretty chuffed with myself as today I washed and vacuumed out my car.  It was very grubby after the 800 + kilometre trip home and also the doggies tend to leave lots of white hair everywhere, but now it is pristine and looks fab.  Mind you, I can barely walk today as my back is killing me after the work yesterday and cleaning the car today.

Popped into Coles Supermarket to pick up some cinnamon sticks and an orange.  First time buying an orange for years as I have an orange tree however they wont be ready until July or so.  I am going to cook Cajun roast chicken and make some friend rice for Matthew and Aida for his Birthday dinner.  I have a container of Zatarains Creole Seasoning that I picked up on a visit to the USA and jealously guard it.   Other times I have made my own Creole seasoning which is pretty good also. 

For dessert I am making Poached pears in Red wine and whipped spiced cream.  Yummo!

Off to have a wee Nana Nap as nackered.  I might post the recipe for my Poached Pears...  

Feeling More Up Today

Today I put on my Big Girl Panties and decided to get on with the rest of my life!!    I have to do this every so often as I am prone to suffer depression and the blues from time to time.  

So today I mowed the back lawns which are now lovely and green after a small amount of rain over the Easter long weekend and I also raked a bit out the front as I have a lovely Illawarra Flame tree and this time of year it tends to drop leaves.  I mowed the dead nature strip out the front but this was more to pick up the leaves than it needing to be mowed.

Showing the back Verandah

I have to put the seats like this to stop Darcy climbing on the table

My little rain gauge - hardly used in Adelaide,. sadly

Even after mowing the lawns, once I went inside I felt the house wasn't so untidy and cluttered.  I had done the dishes but the vacuum cleaner was still sitting in the kitchen eating area.  I guess just having known I had worked outside, I felt better already mentally. I then vacuumed the rest of the house, even the family room and carpet square as we tend to collect lots of doggie hair from Jackie and Darcy.  Next I washed the tiles in the family room and also the kitchen and eating area and put everything away immediately when done!  

Decided to give Jackie a bath as she tends to get grubbier looking than Darcy, however at least now she is on that medication she doesn't pull all her hair out and stink smell like she used to do with the skin allergy.

Jackie is just so funny when it is bath-time.  She hears me running the water in the laundry trough and immediately heads down to the family room.  I will call and call her and she just stands there looking at me.  The second I take a step towards her she heads out the back door and hides.  So my method now is to run the bath and then go and sit at the computer desk in the family room.  She eventually comes to her bed (by the desk) and I grab her and off to the bath we go!

After my shower I had a late lunch and did one load of washing as the Autumn weather is just glorious and there will be no problems getting it dried on the line.  

So all in all this Lady in her Big Girl Panties feels pretty bloody good.  And it is Matthew's birthday tomorrow and he and Aida are coming here for dinner.

Also have to add here.   Doubt if anyone reading but I need to write and talk.  It all means something to me and believe you me.... If I am happy...then the whole World is happy!!!  

When I Feel Low

I had recently posted that Jackie (The Princess Dog), Darcy (The Dapper Dog) and myself were going on holidays.  Well the holiday didn't turn out as good as I had hoped and I returned home after 9 days instead of the expected 4 weeks away.  Since my return I have tried so hard to keep myself on the up and up but I find I am steadily getting lower and lower.

I did attempt to buck up and made a cute little Doggy Quilt for Darcy but that seems to be the limit of my achievements since the Thursday before Easter.  

My younger son and his wife went away for Easter and that was one of the reason I had decided I would go away at the same time.  I really didn't look forward to spending Easter alone as here in Australia Easter is not just a Holy Feast, it is also one of the last good breaks we get prior to the Winter months.  Good Friday is a Public Holiday as is Easter Monday, and most businesses shut for that period.  But I survived Easter by heading out on the Saturday and buying some fabric (for Darcy's quilt) and getting stuck into preparing some photo albums online for my Daughter in Law, Aida.  I had popped up to their house on Good Friday to collect hundreds and hundreds of photos onto my external HD and noticed a large basket of laundry.  Now my little Aida works so very hard and I know Matthew wanted to get away on the Thursday evening so of course she wouldn't have had time to do any washing prior.  So I took the laundry home and did it on the Friday as it was such super weather and no problem getting the washing dry.   Just as well I did as the rest of the weekend was very overcast and light rain on each of the days.

I treated myself to going to the Cinema on the Saturday evening and saw Hyde Park on Hudson which left me feeling confused, to say the least.  I did enjoy Bill Murray's performance as FDR as he seemed to be enjoying his role so much.  However the role of "Daisy" Suckley left me wondering what the hell FDR saw in her to have an affair.  Talk about limpid!!! 

I attended Mass on the Sunday morning and it was lovely to witness 2 little baby girls being Baptized during Mass.  So much hope and expectation from the new parents.  So much happiness.  And it really was good to be part of that happiness, even though as an onlooker and member of the congregation.  And it was delightful after Mass when Father Peter asked one of the altar servers to fetch a basket and he then announced the Easter Bunny had visited and for all the children to come up to get a handful of chocolate Easter eggs.  Kids always make me smile and when it is a holiday like Easter and Christmas they certainly do know how to have a good time.  I then did a bit of work outside the house and mowed my back lawns.

Matt and Aida returned on Monday afternoon from their Easter break and called in to say hello as we hadn't spent anytime together since my return early Thursday morning.  They didn't stop as Matt was tired as apparently the traffic was horrendous coming back from the Peninsula and I was just so thankful to see them as that road is notorious as a killer road over a holiday period.

So here we are now the Sunday after Easter and my house is looking very much like a bomb has hit it.  Other than doing dishes and making the bed, nothing else seems to be getting done.  I did vacuum the carpet and the family room and washed the floor tiles there and the vacuum cleaner still sits in my kitchen/eating area along with the mop and the bucket of cleaning water.  

I did a google to try to find some "funny" quotes on depression but they don't tend to have funny quotes on depression.  But gosh, some of the other quotes sure hit the nail on the head for me.

But I know why I am feeling this way.  I know just what has triggered my feeling of hopelessness and loss.  I know and yet I permit this bloody feeling to overtake me??  Grow up, and put ya big girl panties on and take control of your life again.  

 

 

L .... short for Hell

I have often experienced Learner Drivers, and sometime with me being the Teacher aka Victim!!

One of the earliest memories was being a passenger with my Mother when she was still learning to drive and she would not use the L plates and drive around Centennial Park, Paddington, NSW.  Now this wasn't too hair raising as there was a speed limit within the Park but it was once she got her licence panic set in.  I do remember there were sometimes I would keep my eyes closed for a fair part of the drive to my Uncle Harvey's home in Waverly. 

My Grandmother (Mum) learned to drive after she bought this cute little Morris with a dickie seat.  Mum would have been about 60 plus when she learned to drive and like most people in the Eastern suburbs, she used Centennial Park as her testing and learning ground.  I do remember one time after she got her licence and my sister and I accompanied her on her drive to visit her son, Uncle Harvey.  We got to one intersection and she dutifully stopped on the red light.  Good Mum!  The lights then changed and we did a kangaroo hop as it was a hill start.  Again the lights turned red and we all relaxed until the next change to green.  Again a kangaroo hop and the car stalled.  By this time motorists behind her were getting just a little bit annoyed.  It was when one motorist got out of his car and offered to drive the car to the corner across the lights that I then suggested I run and get Uncle Harvey and he could drive then.  She agreed with that idea and off I set down Birrell Street at full pelt.  Puff Puff, but I then got to Waverley College and realized I didn't have far to go to get to Uncle's house.  And lo!!!! there drives past me Mum and Joan in the little Morris.... and they didn't stop for me!!!

I eventually arrived at my Uncle and Aunts home exhausted and my first words were "you didn't stop for me" and Mum's reply? "But we did wave to you, darling."

You know, looking back neither Mum or myself (I was about 12 then) even thought how Uncle Harvey would then get his own car home after driving Mum's.  I guess Mum would have just left her car parked on Birrell Street and he would drive us back there when it was time to go home.

If I Had Known.....

"If I had known I was going to live so long, I would have taken better care of myself"  as was said in the musical Chicago.  Oh, how true ....how true!!

This week saw me wake with pains in the hip and my back and I only assume I must have slept in a "draft" as it has been very hot and I left the overhead fan on overnight several nights.  We never seem to appreciate our good health until something goes awry and then we sort of put the "pain category" into different levels.  Like toothache to me is still the 10/10 of pain level.  Well my back was about a 9/10 and the following day I loaded up on pain killers and have had a pretty darn good week since!!
Early Wednesday morning (and early being 4.30am) young Aida phoned me and asked if I could drive Matt to the Hospital as he was in a lot of pain with his neck/shoulder.  I hobbled out of bed and drove to their home and we went to the Hospital.  I dropped him off in Emergency and then drove to the carpark.  They now have automated car park and you have to pay to park there.  I hobbled from the car to the entrance and learned  I had to press the buzzer to be let in.  That being done and deciding to leave the kids at the hospital I proceeded to the entrance door (but now would be the exit door).
NO OPEN!!!  I then limped back to Emergency and enquired if doors could be opened for me to leave.  Nope, the rule is you have to go out through Emergency and walk half a block to get to the car park!!!  Oh I do love the logic of sending someone out in the dark to walk around... and probably that person is ill.

Anyway, Matt and Aida asked me to wait and not long after he was discharged.  He is a Brickie and had strained his shoulder at work and he said driving home the Tuesday had been hell with the pain.  I called into my house to pick up some pain killers and then took them home where we all had coffee and dosed up on pain killers!!  Aida was the only one who doesn't drink coffee nor needing pain killers.