Monday, December 24, 2012

Christmas Wishes

Well, Christmas has come around yet again and my family has had a rough year.  In my family, my Uncle Allan lost his fight with Prostate Cancer in April and so there went a wonderful man, brother and innovator and engineer.  He really touched the hearts of many people; however there are quite a few people who still don't know he's gone and so we've been receiving Christmas Cards and having to contact them to let them know by phone.  It's upsetting and sad.

Otherwise, in April as well, Gabe and Kat moved from Keperra to Brighton and lived in a lovely house for six months before they bought a house one street awayIt's been a big year for them.  We helped them move in April over the Easter Long Weekend and now, it's Christmas Eve, they're unpacking in their new home they've bought.  Tonight, Mum, Dad and I get to see it - how exciting! - for the first time.

During the year, I attended a workshop for the Pop-Up Museum which had to do with an arts collective about what people collected in their private lives.  The title was 'What Do You Collect?'... and my main collection is books.  So, with 9 other people, I attended 6 workshops to show and talk about my collection - and theirs - and we worked on making an art exhibition on our collections.  They were blown away at how rare and beautiful my books were (the ones I chose to bring along on the first day) and how much I knew about my books, my collection and how I found books that were rare, out of print and signed editions or special editions.  The Pop-Up Museum ended up being shown off at the Home Festival in August and it went off brilliantly!  Then, on 8th, December, we put it up at the Logan Art Gallery for a one-day exhibit.

During the year, my Mum was hospital at the North Side Holy Spirit Hospital to have a major operation.  Doctors had found a lung cancer and said she had to get it removed.  So, she was there for over two weeks.  While she was there, I house sat Gabe and Kat's house at Brighton; and I was there too for my birthday.  So, I got to see her over the time I was there; once or twice while she was in the ICU and a couple of times in the ward.

Over the last month or so, we lost a dear friend to Prostate Cancer.  Ted Lane - a man who I've known since I was around 6 years old and met when we began camping at Brunswick Heads - passed away in November.  He was 82 years old.  I got to see his grand-children for the first time in years; and they've  grown so much!  They don't remember me, and I had to tell them I knew them - had known their Grandpa since I was very young.  They were amazed as how long we had been friends.

Then, three weeks ago, my dear sweet little bird suffered a stroke.  Now, those who don't know anything about budgies, they're not supposed to suffer strokes.  They just die.  Sad but true.  Well, my little bird, Little Miss Stevie, suffered a stroke on 1st, December and I couldn't get her to the vet - let alone afford to pay them - and so I took care of her.  I fed her, made sure she drank water (by spraying her and letting her drink the water off her feathers) and then, getting her to climb and step from one finger to the next.  She found it hard to sleep and balance.  However, on the second to last day of her life, she sang, chatted and talked to the radio, birds outside and the television and then, the next day - the 8th, December - while I was out, she waited until I got home to leave me.  I was home 1 1/2 hours and she died from heart failure outside in my hands as the sun went down, with birds screeching and the balmy evening breeze picking up... she knew where she was as she looked around and felt the breeze on her feathers as she took her last breaths.
I've since had her Christmas ornament altered to show the years she was with me.  I'm organising to bury her in a large pot in my yard (as under my lawn is storm water drains and the earth is clay) and then I printed up the really good photos of her at K-Mart and put them all in a photo album... and they did a wonderful job!  I just have find a better album and enlarge some of the photos I want and print a few collages out to size and get it all done up right; and I'll be happy.

I hope your year has been better than mine.  Seriously people, I do hope it has.  I miss my little bird as her cage is still sitting where it normally does - on the credenza by the window - and it's been all scrubbed out ready to be used by another little birdy.  People have been suggesting I get a bigger bird, but I don't want to, I want a budgie... they're so cute and are real personalities.  Well, until next Christmas.  I wish you all the best the year.  Spend time with your loved ones, enjoy them, enjoy yourself and tell them all you love them.  Merry Christmas to you all.       

1 comment:

  1. hopes you will have a better and brighter 2013! Happy New Year!

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