a year ago

A year ago today, my father died. He didn’t in my words “pass away”, that’s what you do if you die in your sleep or your slip away in a hospital/palliative care etc setting after typically a long battle in which you may be quite medicated.

My father didn’t do that. In the morning he was alive, he called the ambulance because he wasn’t feeling good, he walked to the ambulance and then maybe an hour later he was dead.

This is what I wrote a year ago minus 12 days – 12 days ago.

It’s been a period of adjustment at varying levels for all of us over the past year and it will continue to be for the rest of our lives. As there are all those things that you just imagined Pabbi would be there to see, things like more grand-kids, weddings, graduations, Christmases and of course more volcano eruptions.

Yesterday Mum and I went to the Service of Thanksgiving which is an annual event “in recognition of organ and tissue donors and their families who make transplantation possible”. We went because we donated Pabbi’s eye tissue. It was a good event to go and it was nice to hear the stories of transplant recipients as well as stories of other donor families.

Below is who my father was. This is the slideshow that we played at the reception we had after the funeral.

Japan charm kawaiiness

charm kawaii'ness

This selection of charms, key chain straps or whatever else you want to call them are some of my favourite things I brought back from Japan. There is an elephant, a hamburger mirror, Hello Kitty doughnut, Mr Green Tea Ice Cream man, edamame, Miffy with Sakura, Madeline, a little tea set etc etc and more. Probably once a week or so, I change round what I’ve got on my hand bag, mobile and uni bag. I get to take some little pieces of Japan with me where ever I go. sigh 🙂

Three pictures, three parts of today.

Doing laps.
Walking
Spent some time with Grandad today – we did laps round the ward, practised his exercises and of course read the paper. Hopefully he won’t be at the hospital too much longer and respite care can be found which will make it a little easier in some ways.

Spring Flowers in waiting.
Spring Flowers in waiting
A sizeable number of Primulas have been planted in the front garden beds so there will be Spring flowers again (I said to Mum just after moving back in that I wished she would put plants in the front bed again – her answer to me of course was something along the lines of “you’re old enough to plant the bed yourself” so I did).

And then there is study.

Best done with a Kit-Kat of course. The flavour pictured is Shinshu Apple. It’s a sweet slightly fake apple taste.

a lot of Lotte

the most beautiful lot of Lotte. I saw a listing on ebay the a couple of days ago for a 30 pieces of Lotte – pick up only from Mermaid Beach. I patiently watched and watched and watched – only one person had bid on it and then right near the end I placed my bid, I outbid them and it was mine for just a touch over $100, I was prepared to pay almost double that. I’ve tracked the prices of what Lotte pieces sell for about 18mths-2yrs now, I know what prices the pieces go for, which pieces don’t appear that often etc etc. This set was a total bargain and I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am. I will now be eating off Lotte for breakfast, lunch and tea 😀 Le Sigh, so happy.

I had a lovely drive the coast, picked up the Lotte and then went to visit Georgie (my Japan travel buddy) and her partner who live down the coast. Such a lovely morning indeed.

Below is the lot of Lotte – you can click all the pictures to see bigger versions – ie so you can look at those designs and go “sigh”.

Lotte Dinner Plates
5 Dinner Plates – 2 Male and 3 Female

Lotte Salad/Entrée Plates
8 Salad/Entrée Plates

Lotte Bread and Butter Plate
6 Bread and Butter Plates

Lotte Soup Bowl
5 Soup Bowls

Lotte Cereal Bowl
3 Cereal Bowls

and 3 Saucers, I didn’t take a picture of those they only have the same border as the others and no design in the middle.

Excuse me while I kiss the sky

Excuse me while I kiss the sky

That’s right, Excuse me while I kiss the sky, I certainly don’t say it like Jimi said it oh it sounds good. Oh the sky has been glorious the last few days. That lovely blue, mostly clear with just whispers of clouds around and so crisp. Love it.

There’s been quite a few going-ons in my life recently hence the radio silence.
1) I moved back in with my mother a few days ago. I loved the location in Spring Hill but I had a few issues with one of my flat mates over what joint tenancy means … I gave a few options over Easter and my last option was that I would move out when she found a replacement.

2) Grandad is still in the hospital, he is now in the rehab unit but it doesn’t look like he will be going home to his home at the end of his stay. Mum is in the process of looking at aged care options. It’s sad. It’s also quite consuming visiting him.

3) Uni, ahh Uni. I handed in my Cost Accounting assignment on Monday night – so glad to have that finished.

4) Work, we’ve had our staffing levels reduced significantly the last few weeks with one girl resigning, one girl on leave and another two going on leave for a week each as well … It’s been non-stop at work.

Tomorrow though I’m going down the coast to pick up a very special purchase. You’ll have to wait and see what it is but I’m nearly over the moon in excitement at picking it up.