My Beloved Family

Tim, Amy & Chloe spent 2 beautiful weeks with me recently here in Perth.  What an absolute joy and delight it was for me to have them in my little home, especially as they would be my last visitors before my big move to Melbourne.  Oh how I enjoyed being Nanna to 5 month old Chloe with lots of cuddles, walks and babysitting.  I loved spoiling the family (or trying to) with cooking (something I am not doing a lot of these days) and generally trying to give them a good holiday in Perth.  Unfortunately the weather was not warm enough for swimming which was a big disappointment for them as they wanted to introduce Chloe to the ocean and of course we wanted to see her in her new bathers that I bought her in Rome (remember the pictures I posted after my trip to Rome?!!!).  Oh well.  

Amy had the phone ready to capture this beautiful photo !

I love this face.

Tim & Amy at King's Park.  We had a picnic lunch there.

This is my 500th post!!  Wow!  (Actually it has taken a bit long!  I have been trying to blog since April 2006!!).

Here is my 14 month old grandson Nathan playing peek-a-boo with Peach the dog.  As you can see, Peach is not taking the slightest interest, but it is 'oh so cute'!!  Just had to share it with you.

The days are racing by and I am ever conscious of the fact I will soon be leaving Basel and my beautiful friends here and heading back to Perth.  

I really can't begin to tell you all the things I have been up to!!  I can tell you I have been to Scuol in the mountains for 6 days with my lovely Swiss friend Christine and we absolutely had the best time together and I didn't really want it to end.  We hiked, went bike riding (and racing through my mind was......"what goes down, must come up"!!!), went on a rather hairy bus ride to 1800m and had a nice walk, saw the cows coming down from the mountains and even a little snow was falling.  It was bitterly cold! 

We had lunch up at S-Charl.  Disappointing not to see any wild life.  They were all hiding from the hunters who go up there this time of the year.  Christine was telling me the animals go into the National Park where they are protected.









Today Kiwi Christine and I went to a Cello Concert by Cyprian Kohut at 11am.  Roger and I met Cyprian and Alina in 2006 in Basel when they use to busk on the streets.  A very special couple and I think they will really go places in the music world.  They are from Poland.  I hope to catch up with them both for lunch next Saturday.

I continue to catch up with friends, enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful surrounds of Basel and I continue to thank God for all the blessings he has given me, but especially that I am here and beginning to feel music come back into my heart. 

PS  A little birdie has told me that Grace is keeping up with my writings here and I just want to send her my love and "see you soon"  xx

Wednesday 5 September 2012

I thought today might be quite an emotional day as I met together with our beautiful friends Dave and Simea and their cute little daughters in Weil am Rhein.

Getting to their place proved to be a bit of a challenge (and in the back of my mind I am saying to myself  'I don't always want to be a strong and brave person!!')  Read on .......

I left home at 9am and caught the train to Stetten.  I waited for the connecting train to Weil am Rhein.  I heard an announcement in German and panicked a little bit.  So I got on the train that was going to Loerrach and I found someone that spoke a little English.  "No, she said, you need to get off and go to the other platform"  (I knew this already).  So then I got on the train that said "To Weil am Rhein" and when it was arriving at Stetten (back to where I started!!) there was an announcement in German!!  Everyone got off the train and so did I!!  So...... what to do.  I spoke a little German to a lady and she was telling me there was no problem.  But I felt there was!!  

I thought, I could get a taxi but I did not have Dave's address OR phone number.  I only knew how to get there from the train station.   Grrrrrr.  Silly me.  Fancy not having his phone number.

So I decided to walk to the bus stop and saw the bus went to Weil am Rhein. I asked a lady what was going on and sort of worked out there were bridge works on the line!!  I thought that if I got to Weil am Rhein I could work my way back along the train tracks to the train station I needed!!  Needless to say I was very clever and arrived at Dave and Simea's home, but 1 hour late.  I was only slightly emotional.  Nothing that a good hug seeing old friends couldn't fix (and a cup of coffee).  We had a precious time together, but all too short.

I was picked up from their place by one of Roger's good friends Andreas.  Andreas was one of Roger's train buddies and they had some good times together.  Andreas has looked after Roger's model train layout and he discussed this a little bit with me.  (The layout has gone to a good home, which I am so pleased about).  He also mentioned that he still had Roger's trains and would I like them.  I didn't realise the impact this would have on me once I received them and got them home.  I burst into tears and had a good long cry on Christine's shoulder.  Now to get them back to Australia!!

I had a happy time with Andreas, Constanze and David and I was treated to a very yummy BBQ lunch which we were able to eat outside surrounded by very green German countryside.  A picture indeed.

Needless to say I now need to calm down and try and get some sleep.  I seem to be experiencing so many emotions whilst here in Basel, which is very natural I am sure.

My Granddaughter

I want to introduce my beautiful  granddaughter Chloe Grace born 31 May to proud parents Tim and Amy.  This picture was taken quite a few weeks ago.  She is now 3 months old.  How time flies.  I love her to bits and can't wait to see her again.

Reflecting

I am enjoying my time in Basel in every way!  Not only do I feel very much at home here, but because I am so happy and content I have been able to take time to reflect and set some goals for the future.  I promised Christine I would do this when she left for her trip to Canada/US for a couple of weeks.  

It has been good to do some challenging reading (3 books already) and to have chats with close friends about issues that are on my heart, and especially about moving into the future.  I do have rather big decisions to make when I get back to Perth and I need to be in a good place within myself and have a peace about the decisions I make.  Of course calling on my Heavenly Father, as always, is top of the list. What does he want me to do in the days/months/years to come.

Being here has again reinforced to me the wonderful life long friendships Roger and I made in Basel and surrounds and also how much our friends have loved and cared for us.  And of course they continue to do this for me and it is very touching and at times quite emotional just thinking about it.  Again, I feel so blessed that Roger and I had the 4 1/2 years in this area of beautiful Europe and made such happy memories together.  (I am thrilled to bits that 'Men Modelling' is still going at Centrepoint).  

As I walk the streets, catch the trams/trains/buses I often just long to have my family with me to share with them how I feel when I am here.  I just feel different.  I feel like I belong here.  Even though I don't speak the language, it is all very familiar and comforting somehow.  The other amazing thing is that I keep bumping into friends in the streets of Basel!!  But don't worry my beloved family, I will not be coming back here to live.

I think I can count about 7 clocks chiming at any one time from Christine's apartment.  They chime around the clock and on the 1/4 hour!  You do get used to it.  It means I don't always have to look at the bedside clock in the middle of the night!!  Also the clocks chime extra long at 7am!!  It really is time to get up!!  But thinking about it, I don't think they do this on the weekends!!  Of course on Sundays I can hear extra chimes!

Rogers name comes up often in conversations I have with him in my head (or out loud!!), but also with friends.  Laughter and tears are often the order of the day, but in a happy way.  Of course there is sadness that he is not here with me physically, but I can feel his presence and often his advice or chiding over this and that!!  But mostly I know he is so proud of me being here again and doing what I am doing.

I was very spoilt with special gifts on my birthday.  I now have new perscription glasses, vouchers to special baths in the mountains in Scuol when I visit with Christine 9 - 15 September, Ballroom dancing lessons (I've had 2 already - and I get very nervous before I go), and dear Sabine and I spent a wonderful day at the Thermal Baths the day of my birthday, her gift to me.

I have been here 4 weeks now and the time is going so quickly.  I am so pleased I made the decision to come for a couple of months and it is thanks to Christine and her lovely apartment that I have been able to do this.  To be able to stay in the same place for the time I am here, has indeed been a blessing.  I don't think I would have coped with moving around from one friend to the other.

So, no pictures this time.  Jocelyn said you are not leaving comments because you are jealous, so I am being careful!!  I don't want to lose my blogging friends!  Thank you to those of you who have left a little comment.  I love them and I love that you take the time to say hi through my blog.  It really is good to be back blogging again.

   

A small hike in the Black Forest

Here I am with Carla at the beginning of our hike.  The green in this area is amazing and I never cease to wonder at all the different greens there are!

Carla and Harry

Along the path.  Sometimes it seemed to disappear altogether.  

We were the only ones on the path.

 A couple of fitness signs!!

Harry was amazing the way he could find pfifferlinge (special field mushrooms you

 can find during the summer months).  They are delicious.

Back to the special Italian Ice Cream Cafe for a treat.  We felt we has worked for it!!