THE TIMES ARE A CHANGING

I have been kept away from blogging with making a life changing decision and its consequences. Sorry for the absence and there will probably be more. I must also add here that my Facebook account was hacked and almost my iPhone, so I have deactivated my Facebook account.

Anyway back to the scary decision we have made. We have decided after months of indecision to sell our family home and move into a retirement village. It wasn't easy. We love living here, we love our house but it was getting too much for us to look after. Hiring help was getting expensive so we are moving on to an easier place to manage, that is if we can sell our house for the right price.

Here are the photos taken by the real estate people:

The house is surrounded by gardens with wildlife visitors: (my photos)

Does anyone want to buy it?

A BUNDLE OF JOY ARRIVES

Continuing "My Story"


Bill and I wanted children but we waited until we had a home of our own. We worked to save for a deposit and mortgage and in September 1971 we moved into our new house. Carol–Ann was born in June 1972, so we were lucky that we didn’t have to wait long for our bundle of joy.

I worked until the end of the year at Mansfield State School having to dash from the classroom to throw up nearly everyday but I made it until December. Then I had time to get the nursery ready but now money was not so plentiful with only one of us working. We made do with second hand stuff and planks and bricks for a bookshelf.

We only had one car, which Bill drove to work so I stayed home most of the time. There was a corner shop about one kilometer away but we did our weekly shopping on a Saturday in the car. I did a lot of gardening, making curtains and baby clothes. Because I had a lot of adventures and travel beforehand, I was happy to be a homebody. Although I suffered badly with morning (all day) sickness for the first five months, I was very happy. I was going to keep this baby and love it to death. (That is another story you can read here).

Bill’s Mum and Dad had to return to Switzerland to claim their new apartment so they just missed out seeing their first grand child. It was a long time before they did. My Mum and Dad came from Sydney to be with me before and after the baby was born. In those days we didn’t know the sex of the baby until it was born.

Proud Mum

Proud Grandma

A proud dad and an inquisitive dog, Ricky, who was very gentle and protective.

Proud grandparents

 Carol-Ann, one week old. I was quite nervous as I wasn't sure what to do with a new baby but a mobile baby clinic came to Springwood once a month. However, it was a kilometre walk from home but I didn't mind the outing.

FORT LYTTON

On a grassy outpost near the mouth of the Brisbane River lies Fort Lytton, the heritage listed remains of Australia's only surviving moated, 19th century fortress.
From 1881 until the 1938, Fort Lytton was Brisbane's front line of defence. In a time of uncertainty and world unrest, the fort was built to protect residents from naval attacks from the Russians and the French, located on Noumea only three days sail away.
Fort Lytton became a major training base. Thousands of soldiers trained there for the Boer War, WW1 and WW2. In WW2 the fort became part of a much larger defence system to prevent enemy ships entering the Brisbane River. The fort is a typical 19th century garrison, a pentagonal fortress concealed behind grassy embankments and surrounded by water filled moat.

 Bill operating the famous six inch Armstrong disappearing gun. The gun had hydraulics to lift it up and then lower to be reloaded.

We had a tour guide, who was an actor, He was taking the part of a past Captain Harris. He related many stories about WW1. He also explained how this disappearing gun was operated.

I loved his boots and gaiters. He strutted around like a typical captain in those days. 

VERY SPECIAL VISITORS

Continuing "My Story"

It was October 1971. We had only been in our new house for a few months when we heard that Bill's Mum and Dad were coming from Switzerland to visit us. They had to move from their apartment because it was being renovated and turned into commercial premises. They had a new apartment to go to but they had to wait six months for it to be vacant so they came to Australia while they waited. They came by ship, which docked in Sydney so we had to drive down to Sydney to pick them up. Luckily we could stay a few nights in my parents house in Sydney

.

Mutti and Vater at Mum and Dads house in Sydney. They were very brave travelling by themselves to Australia when neither of them spoke English.

Soon we set off for Brisbane and we warned them that it was a long drive.  It is 1000k. My parents house is on the southern side of Sydney so it is about  50k to get through Sydney to go north. It takes about one and a half hours. Before we were out of Sydney, Bill's Dad said, "We must be nearly there now." They had no idea how big Australia is compared to Switzerland. If you drive for two hours in Switzerland you are probably out of the country. 

We stopped at Urunga over night to give the oldies a break. The next day we were excited to arrive in Brisbane. We were proud to show off our new home. Bill's Dad loved it here. He made a vegetable garden and furniture for us. Bill's mum found it harder to adapt to the hot weather.

Some time later, my parents also came from Sydney to stay with us for a while and help with making our house a home. Mum helped sew curtains and Dad helped concrete a front patio.

Then surprise, surprise my brother was on his way from Papua/New Guinea to Canberra for work and he stopped in Brisbane on the way to see us too.

Bill, me, brother David, Mum, Vater, Dad, Mutti. A rare photo indeed to have us all together except for sister in law, Ann and nephew Michael, who were in Papua/New Guinea. We all lived so far away from each other. (Don't you love the white knee sock brigade? All the rage in the seventies)

The four of us.

Time to say good bye to David at the airport (1971 style) as he flies off to Canberra.