Ex Sis in Law invited me to visit their new rented home she and her husband have just moved into. I drove the fifty minutes Sunday afternoon, after the train trip, to a very new area of what is at times referred to as Crimebourne.
It is a large house four bedroom house for two people but they know the owner well and she invited them to take on the home at a generous rental offer.
It is a nice enough home, with central heating, evaporative cooling and a decently sized roof top bank of solar panels.
I had heard about housing in new estates (it was new as my sat nav showed me driving in paddocks) and the minimal sized blocks of land they are built upon, but I hadn't actually seen one until now. I was shocked.
I took some light fruit cake from a new store I found called AhlDie but Ex Sis in Law's husband had baked scones, delicious with lashings of cream and jam. Best of all, the scones were already spread, hence saving dropped jam and cream from my shaky hands, while holding a knife.
Oldest Niece, her husband and their three turned up. It was nice to see everyone. The three children were gathered in the small front room watching tv as I left. They all gave me a hug, and the youngest boy who has just began school said to me, "I am sorry you have lost your friend". Well, that came out of the blue. I don't think he will remember Ray well, but his older sisters certainly will. He was at Ray's memorial.
I sent a message to his mother and his grandmother once home about what he said, and I made his grandmother cry. Ray was such an important part of the family, and it was always Andrew and Ray, rather than us individually.
It will be Valentines Day on Friday, and I asked Phyllis if he and Kosov were doing something special. Apparently Kosov has a secret plan. Sometimes Ray I and I went out for a meal on the eve of the day but mostly we just exchanged cards, his to me always with a nice heart shaped chocolate stuck to the envelope. I will miss the chocolate on Valentines Day this year.
Here are a few photos I took of the garden at Ex Sis in Laws new home. The owner has spent a bomb on exotic plants, and they will really need lots of watering.
The Australian back yard used to be a place of a lawn, fruit trees, a vegetable plot, maybe a dog kennel and heaps of space for children to play games. Now, two metres of land from the back of the house to the fence..jpg)
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Those small new build plots are just like the ones here, but you have so much more space down there.
ReplyDeleteThat was so sweet of the youngest boy to think of you and your loss. Not many would think of it.
Phyllis' meal planning could do with some healthier options methinks.
Valentines Day. I stopped hoping for a chocolate heart many, many years ago.
The back yard was essential for cricket and football practice, for my brothers and their friends after school. There was no concern for the boys' safety.. the parents knew exactly where their children were.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad the rapid growth in the south eastern suburbs, massive houses with miniscule yards. And no trees. Why not plant natives?
ReplyDeleteJ, natives aren't generally good shade trees, and many will grow huge and drop limbs.
DeleteWonderful what that young boy said to you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet moment with a small child. You know, Andrew...I have a feeling your Valentine's day will involve a chocolate heart. If I lived near, I'd make sure of it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet young boy to be so empathetic.
ReplyDeleteThat was a lovely thing the child said. What a nice person.
ReplyDeleteHere, too people want more house and less land to take care of. So you find yourself right up against the neighbors. I'd rather have more space.
Sausage rolls and chips! Yum, but where's the tomato sauce?
ReplyDeleteThat certainly is a small yard, but you shuld see the "banks" of townhouses near me. Tall and skinny backed against eachotherlikethis withnospacebetween and not a smidge of green to be seen.
The jar contains spicy tomato relish.
Deletethe meals look rather nice. The flowers are neatly pruned and presented on the fence. I don't notice Valentine for a long time. To me, it is just another day of existence.
ReplyDeleteLooks like sausage rolls and chips….where are the veggies?
ReplyDeleteA salad would have been perfect.
DeleteSame thing has happened down here, large houses, small pathway up each side of the house and no backyard for the children to play, children well most are inside on a computer of some kind. We still have a backyard as many do, it's just the new houses that don't.
ReplyDeleteOut of the mouths of babes - what a sweet child to say that to you, if it had of been me, I would be very touched as I'm sure you were.
A savory dinner for you then it seems.
The new suburbs are the same here, plots of sometimes only around 300 to 350sqm, a huge house and hardly any garden. I have a friend who built one in a small plot and you can hear the neighbours talk. So sweet of your young nephew to mention Ray, a very sweet kid.
ReplyDeletesome folks prefer the tiny yards, for the low maintenance. But mostly suburban houses here are crammed together, as close as they can be.
ReplyDeleteThis style of building has been the trend in the USA for several years, too. I suppose it makes more money for the developers (more houses per available acreage) but also cuts down on yard maintenance. Still, give me a big yard every time. I would much rather mow a lawn than look out at a wall or fence.
ReplyDeleteThe last house in Florida was on a huge lot, I grew to hate it. Way too much grass to mow. The house in Lexington was on a tiny lot, the back lawn was 10ft. by 40 feet (about 3 meters, by 12 meters.) It was enough to plant and mow. One nice part of high rise living, is no grass to mow.
ReplyDeleteThat is a small yard, to say the least. Wow.
ReplyDeleteIf you were nearby Andrew, I would drop of a heart shaped choclate for you.
I think my deck is larger than that yard. I would need a little more space just for sitting out, Andrew.
ReplyDeleteThat young boy is a sweet child.
I'm getting weepier and weepier with age; the hugs and littlest one's comment brought tears. And I agree with Pixie, about the chocolate and that yard. lol Hugs, my dear.
ReplyDeleteI felt like that later Darla.
DeleteBig houses on tiny blocks. Main point of the tiny yard is to avoid having any party walls. Makes a difference to noise. Even a tiny bit of earth and quasi-nature is worth it though many opt for artificial grass anyway. Days of big backyards must be numbered. Maintenance/gardening can be onerous (cf your own sojourn to your sister's place). Backyard cricket just at Christmas is a pretty extravagant land use. Better solution is to provide adequate (shared) open space. Not that I am confident that these greenfields developments do that.
ReplyDeleteYes, I know MC. All very sensible and practical, but I can reminisce. A land allowance really needs to made for large exotic trees to cool down these mega hot crammed in houses, and streets.
DeleteAbsolutely agree about the trees.
DeleteWell from a small country that hardly allows much space for gardens on estates, it has always seemed that Australia has plenty of land to go round. Sweet child to remember your loss.
ReplyDeleteThat was such a sweet thing for your wee nephew to say. Gentle words like these hit the heart. I'm not much of fan of suburban housing and managed to avoid it in my home ownership life. But the fence blossoms are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteXO
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