Rosemary's Ramblings

Ramblings in May

Ever had a dog follow you around town? As we walked up Arapuni St a dog came from one of the houses and attached itself to us – not literally. We could not chase it off. It actually followed us into the Post Office. There some children got excited about it, meanwhile protesting to all and sundry, “It's not ours!” As by then I had bought my stamps, we quietly walked out and high-tailed it to the library. Without the dog.

May was the month for news. Dylan's mission call to the New Zealand Auckland mission, and TC being offered a job in Davis,California for three years. Wow!

I had another visit to the osteopath about my knee, which still had fluid around it and under the kneecap. The osteopath prescribed Voltaren. Now that is something I have often seen advertised and have always dismissed as a placebo and/or a money-spinner for the pharmaceutical company. Imagine my surprise when only one application eased the ache and applications for several days put me just about right. One skeptic was converted.

The day before I left for Australia we did a tidy-up in the garden. Ray cut off the top of the pear tree, because we cannot reach the pears up there. I steadied the ladder with trepidation. Then we loaded all the branches plus other garden rubbish on to the trailer. That is where I do my childhood 'top of the load' job. Branches and other awkward things are a different matter from soft hay, and 82 is a different matter from 12 when it comes to balancing, so I have a rope hanging from a tree in the driveway which I can hold on to while Ray loads up the trailer underneath. I have not fallen off yet.

Most of the other notable things we did in May (or not so notable things) have been mentioned by Ray. Saying that I feel like Ezra or whoever wrote Chronicles in the Bible, “are not the rest of these things written in the book of the kings of Israel?” The book of kings of Israel and the book of the kings of Judah are not the same as the Book of Kings we have in the Bible now, so it frustrates to know there is more to the stories and we cannot read it.

My Australian visit was most enjoyable. I can never imagine why most of Nathan's children seem so glad to see me, but they surely make me feel welcome. Nathan has touched on the episode referred thereafter to by Dylan and me as our “Airport Adventure”.

One day Nathan had to collect mattresses from a friend to help accommodate the influx of visitors for the weekend of the Farewell Party, so he took Dylan and me with him and we drove on to Thomastown to see the old German farm. What incredibly rocky ground it was. Worse than Wales. Dry-stone walls of rocks from the fields lined the property. The homestead still stood, and the Lutheran chapel, with the cemetery at a little distance. It was too rocky near the chapel graves.

That was my last ride in the Kombi. The following day, coming home from the party, the faithful orange character died. So Nathan had to get a 'new' car a few months sooner than he had planned. The party was a great success. Nathan kindly brought me home before the real noisy part began. Nathan had set up a projector showing slides of Ellen and Dylan as children and as youth. This show ran continuously and was a great idea. It was Ellen's idea, they told me. There was also a wall full of photographs of the young people and their friends. Vernice organized simple games for the children. Some of the young women, including Marion, put on a display of Polynesian dancing. The girls could certainly swing those 'grass' skirts! There were some songs and short speeches and then the food. Later came dancing and that was when I went home.

The house was full of sleeping bodies that night. All over the floor. The next day was for me the significant day, the day Dylan went to the temple for the first time. To be sure to get a shower I got up at 4.30 and then went back to lie on my bed until 6 or whenever we had to be up. Nathan, Vernice, Dylan and I were the ones that went early, to be there for 7am. The others came later. The endowment room is so small in the Melbourne temple, our family group just about filled it. I alone represented Nathan's side of the family. I was really happy to be there. When we came out, the crisp air and winter sun were beautiful. Many photographs were taken.

On Sunday 24th May, Janet drove me to Kyneton, where I stayed a week. I did a few walks with Margaret, mostly short ones. Margaret had planned a longer overnight hike, but the weather was not conducive, so we abandoned the idea and mostly stayed home. I enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles with Margaret, crossword puzzles with Huw, French with Huw and his friend Gerard, and just sitting by the fire and knitting or reading. One day it was fine enough for a longer walk in the Mt Macedon ranges. Margaret and I walked 15 kilometres, and had fair weather. We climbed the Camel's Hump and Mt Towrong.

Margaret and I decided on our Hikurangi holiday, and I exchanged emails with Maryann of Bush and Beyond. The upshot is, Bill and Maryann are going to take us on three trips, with two days rest between each, making 19 walking days altogether. This will in late November and early December. We are excited about it, hope for good weather.

On the last day of May, Ellen and Dylan fetched me back to Reservoir. Ellen phoned Margaret for directions, and got there with no trouble. After a lovely lunch, we asked Huw if Ellen and Dylan could see the 'harp room'. Ellen said she thought it could have been a dream she had as a child. Huw sat at the harp and began to play 'Come, Come, Ye Saints.' Dylan was absolutely blown away.
He thought the harp a marvelous instrument and wanted to learn to play it one day.

That's me for May, and a good month it was. The Rambler.