The Grieving Widower #39

Sorry, this a bit long.

I cook at least once a week. There were six fat chorizo sausages in the freezer. I managed to split them into three and cooked three for myself, with frozen chips from the freezer and supermarket bought potato salad and coleslaw. One sausage was left over to eat the next day. There are also normal beef sausages and I've had a meal from them and there are more. Also frozen is a bolognaise sauce Ray made. Half of it would probably do for one meal. Can I saw the frozen into half with the electric knife? I'm sure I can boil up some pasta. Is there any parmesan cheese in the freezer? I am sure there would be and I know there is some bought garlic bread.

A couple of personal observations. It is just over 2 months since suddenly Ray died. He was the most wonderful person, but he struggled with life, and I was not his idea of a perfect partner in our latter years. We still had fun and did things and seemed like a perfect couple, but I learnt to be quite guarded about the way I expressed myself. He would read things into what I said that were not there. My arthritis is much better since he has died. That could be because I now go out each day when I feel physically comfortable to do so. Except it is not so different from when we used to out together. I am also drinking less alcohol. 

I've looked at professional grief counselling, but I can't see it working for me. Acupuncture and hypnotherapy never worked for me, and I have plenty of people to talk to about Ray's sudden death. Just when I thought the final condolences happened last week, the barista at where we/I bought/ coffee offered them this week. I don't know how he knew. My standard reply is, 'I have my moments but I am doing ok, thanks'. Depending on the person, I might add, 'Forty five years is a long time together'.

I am doing things now on my own that we both used to do and I do really miss Ray, tearing up. I hate how he was cheated out of his future, but I am so glad he did not know he was dying as he was unconscious. He never had the chance to worry about how I would survive, what would happen to his personal possessions. I've yet to really attack that. There is no rush. 

I think all the paperwork has been done related to his death. (It's not, as per an email) I am not changing the names on any bills, or anything. I will lose his pensioner concession discount on so many things. Come October, I will be entitled to them myself anyway. (Now an email from our power company, Raymond's post code no longer matches his address. Electricity pensioner concession pricing is withdrawn)

I've decided I won't send birthday and Christmas cards anymore. Well, Ray did that, and moaned about doing so. The exception is the greats who are young. We were sending $50 in each card, but now I am a poor old widower, I no longer have the funds. Ray is looking down on me and telling me to not be such a cheap bastard and keep sending them $50. Ok hon, we will compromise as usual, $20 until they turn five, then $50.

It is a week or so since I wrote the above and things have happened. I'll leave that for another post.

Quiz Answers

1. The capital city of Australia is Canberra. Anyone who thought Sydney deserves a slapping. 

2. Our island state is Tasmania.

3. Our largest territory is Northern Territory, larger than most of our states. 

4. Wombats burrow holes into the ground for shelter and to breed. If their pouches faced the same way as kangaroos, their pouches would fill with dug out soil. Well done Roentare for a concise answer. 

5. Again Roentare knew of the Goyder Line. From memory, a surveyor named Goyder explored South Australia and drew a line on a map which was the limit for land that could support agriculture and livestock. He was quite correct and those who breached the Goyder Line had their livelihoods destroyed by drought and long periods of low rainfall. 

6. My city, Melbourne has the largest tram system in the world. I think it is described as a legacy system, as Melbourne has had trams continuously since the 1890s. It is now a quite modern system, built on the old.

7. Again referring to Roentare, I have to disagree. The King on the advice of the Governor General of Australia can dismiss our Prime Minister, as Queen Elizabeth II dismissed our Prime Minister in 1975. I don't know if our monarch can dismiss an Australian Prime Minister without the advice of our Governor General, but I suspect that could happen. 

Rule Britannia, marmalade and jam. Five Chinese crackers...... bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.

8. Melbourne has recently overtaken Sydney as the largest Australian city.

9. When I was young, from books I always thought swans were white. No, Australian swans are black. 

10. I was wrong. PNG gained independence from Australia in 1975, not 1972. Maybe I should have fact checked my questions?

Extra question. A Winnie, Winfield, is a brand of cigarettes. Rough men use to tuck a packet up under the sleeves of their tee shirts. They were advertised on tv by Paul Hogan, once a Sydney Harbour Bridge painter who went on to world wide fame in the film I've never seen, Crocodile Dundee. The spoken by Hogan advertising slogan was, "Anyhow, have a Winfield".

Hmm, maybe I should have slipped in a question about our indigenous people. Bad Andrew.

Aussie Quiz

Yorkshire Pudding writes a weekly quiz, that often makes me feel poorly educated. However, it is a bit of fun. Obviously Australians will do well at an Aussie quiz, but how about the rest of you? Here we go.

1. An easy one. What is the capital city of Australia?

2. What is the name of our island state? 

3. Australia has six states and many territories. Which is the largest territory? 

4. Kangaroos and wombats both rear their young in pouches. Why would the wombat pouch face the opposite direction to a kangaroo?

5. This one is for Australians as I am sure few people overseas would know. What is the Goyder Line?

6. What city in the world has the largest tram (street car or trolley) system?

7. Does the Australian Prime Minister have more power over Australia than the King of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries, Australia being a Commonwealth country.

8. What is the largest city in Australia?

9. What colour are Australian swans?

10. Papua New Guinea is the largest Pacific island. No Cloudia, it ain't yours. In what year did PNG gain independence from Australia? 

10 extra. I couldn't answer the last question, aside from a guess at 1972 and I am fairly sure my educated guess is correct. 

So a bonus question, what is a Winnie which might be tucked up under the sleeve of your tee shirt and what does it have to do with a former Sydney Harbour Bridge painter?

Answers in 24 hours...hopefully.  

 

State Library 2 - Rennie Ellis

I published a post about Hazara refugees featured in photos at the State Library. I was actually there to see a much more fun exhibition, the photos taken by the marvellous photographer Rennie Ellis, 1940-2003 . If he ever took a photo without a human in the photo, I've not seen it. 

My expectations were low. What would the exhibition be like? Enlarged photos pinned to a wall? Oh no, it was so much more, with photos projected or on screens in a large size. It was just brilliant and well done to the curators.

I took lots of photos and I will remark on those who I knew of in the photos. 

Albert Park Beach. We often visited and I still do.

Probably Keferd Road Pier. The runner used to be seen all over Melbourne's inner southern suburbs, always topless. 

Like they need darker skin.

Tea for two. Do Aussies remember those ubiquitous mugs?

There were quite a number of photos from more than one Melbourne Cup, a horse race, and a public holiday for Melburnians. 

If you can't look glam, you can look interesting. 

Celebrity hair dresser the late Lillian Frank.

The year the carpark flooded, where the wealthy used to picnic from the backs of their cars, and champagne of course dahling. 

Sporting matches, Rennie could be there.

Music guru, tv presenter, Ian (Molly) Meldrum. 

Lillian Frank again. She lived her last years around half a kilometre from us.

The very naughty and sadly late artist Mirka Mora. 

Our Local Bearded Media Resident and now former politician with his then wife and the very popular singer, Johnny Farnham. 

Rennie got close to many famous performers. Sadly Tina Turner is history.

Jagger.

Molly Meldrum again.

Keith Richards.

I don't think Rennie was gay but he did like to photograph large gay events.

Protests for women's rights. 

I don't remember these anti Portugal demos. I guess they were about central Africa.

Anti nuclear protests.

Protests about the sacking of our elected Labor government by the Queen's representative, the Governor General.

Mr, All Prick and Ribs, Mick Jagger, again.