Sister one is a couple of years younger than R and she is the sister he is closest to. She has been married three times, the first only lasting a week. We knew her third husband well as they married here in Sydney with us doing much of the planning. They stayed here in Melbourne with us once more and we cruised on the Mediterranean with them. He bolted a couple of years ago. She has two children by her second husband. She lives in a one bedroom bungalow council home. She has a partner who has just sold his house and bought a very nice apartment in a posh area, but it is not ready for settlement yet and so he is living with Sister 1. It was crowded in a one bedroom house for us, especially as she has become quite a hoarder. We had their double bed while they slept on an armchair and fold out bed in the lounge room.
Sister two had been married forever to the same man, a childhood friend of R. She has two children. They live in a three bedroom bungalow which they are renovating, even at their age. They have done well by renovating properties. They have two children.
Sister three has been married twice, the first for a long time. She and her husband have visited us twice, once with their daughter. She also visited with her friend once. She lives in high rise public housing and has three children. We stayed with her for a few nights as her place is a spacious two bedroom place and she is not a hoarder.
When I say they have children, they are all in thirties and forties now and most have families of their own.
PS Hopefully I am correct in stating a bungalow is a single storey home whereas a house is two storey or more.
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It sounds adventurous and well challenging also. I find staying with my family of origin is never easy so can relate. The tenterhooks thing and trying to fit in to their schedules, etc. Plus endless planning at times where I need a vacation after the vacation. Putting someone out of their own bedroom would be on my stress list :D
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
WWW, yes we did feel very bad about the bed business. I could have easily slept in the chair. Free accommodation comes at a cost.
DeleteYou are correct.
ReplyDeleteYou capture how siblings can lead very different lives.
They do lead very different lives Tasker. Each are nice in their own ways.
DeleteThese sisters have colourful lives by the sound of it. Good to learn a house is two storey building.
ReplyDeleteRoentare, certainly the past they did but they are older now and can't play like they used to.
DeleteYour understanding of what a bungalow is seems to be amazingly accurate!
ReplyDeleteYP, I am suspicious now.
DeleteIt would be difficult to stay with a hoarder for me. I'd want to clean up, organize, get rid of stuff, can't help myself. hoarders drive me nuts.
ReplyDeleteI am with you, Strayer. I have seen Hoarders on tv and it is smelly, disease ridden and dangerous to the legs/ankles.
DeleteGo the clean sisters!
Strayer, me too, except I would not know where to start.
DeleteHels, everything is scrupulously clean, just crap everywhere.
DeleteHoarding! Oh dear. Like Strayer, I'd be right there trying to straighten things up! I see it as a mental illness with a lot of illogical thinking that goes along with it. I would not be a very good house guest. Well done you!
ReplyDeleteDebby, perhaps I am exaggerating. It is only stuff she really wants to keep but it is not practicable. It's not like there are piles of newspapers or anything like that.
DeleteMy sons our both in there thirties. But I don't feel old.
ReplyDeleteThere been time I wonder if I'm not on edge of hoarder. But I doubt I would make the hoarder show.
Coffee is on, and stay safe.
Dora, maybe you are, but you have the space I guess. She doesn't.
DeleteWe have far too much 'stuff'. I don't think we are at hoarder stage yet, but I would really, really like to get rid of a lot of it. Someone else does not agree.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how different family members can be isn't it?
EC, it certainly is. I think of my siblings and none of us alike. You could discreetly get rid of stuff that will never be missed.
DeleteWonderful to be able to stay with family whilst away, saves travelling from Hotel back and forward. Also it's good that they could stay with you when in Melbourne. Lovely of the eldest sister giving you both her bed I guess she wouldn't have it any other way.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, quite true on all counts. Thanks.
DeleteThe first time I ‘discovered’ our ‘hosts’ had slept on couch cushions on the floor while we had their bed (only for one night thankfully) I felt quite embarrassed. Yet they said they do it regularly when company comes…..and their backs feel much better afterwards!!
ReplyDeleteMy pet hate was finding out the house had been painted/decorated for our visit - one of my sisters would tell me it was the only time she could get her husband to do anything so each time I mentioned we were coming she took advantage of his willingness. Come again she’d say each time we left.
Cathy, yes, having guests stay does motivate you to do a few things, if not redecorating.
DeleteI'd like to do a clean sweep of our house but the only way that will happen is if we move - and we have no intention of moving. Too much stuff . . .
ReplyDeleteNice work JabBlog.
DeleteThe only bungalows I know are all single storey. I can't imagine staying as a visitor in a place with ony one bedroom and hoardings everywhere. I would have gone to a hotel.
ReplyDeleteRiver, it staying there became untenable, that is what we would have done. We did have some times away.
DeleteWhen our friends from Brisbane came over to stay we gave them our bedroom and we slept on blow up mattresses on the spare room floor. I couldn't possibly have made them sleep there!.
ReplyDeleteJayCee, your self sacrifice is admirable and I hope they appreciated it.
DeleteDifficult to stay with someone who only has one bedroom, I'm sure you all made the best of it.
ReplyDeleteSami, it was difficult but there was good will all round.
DeleteAt our age and older, our siblings children, are middle aged adults. Some find me anti-social for doing so, I book comfy hotels when I am visiting family or friends, even those that have large homes.
ReplyDeleteTravel you are so wise, and I kind of wish we had done that, although we might have needed more car hire than we had.
DeleteNever, in a million years, will I stay with family or friends. Been there, done that... I agree with WWW, too stressful. Plus too much time wasted sitting around. I want to be out and about.
ReplyDeleteJackie, you are so right. As you say, there is so much sitting around too.
DeleteWell, that first set-up doesn't sound ideal! I'm not sure I could deal with someone else's hoarding issues. I think I'd be up in the middle of the night throwing things away.
ReplyDeleteSteve, I just wanted to kick anything that was on the floor into spare room, but there wasn't one.
DeleteIt is always nice to get home and into your own bed with your own stuff around you. That sounds pretty crowded at their place.
ReplyDeletePat, yes the luxury of space. Don't take it for granted.
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