Wednesday, June 24, 2026

What to write?

I find somethin'.

Last Wednesday, I lunched with my neighbour HH. We drove in Perl to a Port Melbourne bakery. She ordered a vegetable pastie and I ordered a curried egg sandwich. I asked for half on a plate and half to take away in a paper bag, as I used to do with Ray at the same bakery. 

HH talked and was slow to eat her pastie, and eventually I opened the package and ate my other half of my curried egg sandwich. I then went up to the counter and ordered a fruit tart and coffee. 

I asked if HH minded if I bought a packet of frozen mixed vegetables, requested by Phyllis, and a 2 litre container of light milk at the supermarket. HH waited for me inside the supermarket and had spied a bottle of sweet chilli sauce to buy for herself. 

Do you mind if we visit the florist for a bunch of flowers for home, HH? The flowers were so expensive, I suppose because it is winter here. I didn't buy any. 

Do you mind HH if we give Perl a wash on the way home, HH. No problem, so I went through the car wash.

Once home before parting, HH said, I would like to take you, Phyllis and Kosov out for dinner to thank you for you kindness and care over the last few weeks after I had my fall. 

It was no big deal to help her, and she never really asked. She gracefully accepted offers of help and meals cooked by Phyllis and Kosov.

I went out again in Perl in the afternoon and it was an absolute disaster, mainly because I forgot my phone. from basic paying, to not have store cards, to paying for parking without my phone app, for buying the wrong thing and having to have money refunded, to extraordinary key and remote juggling because of recent changes. I just should not have gone out again, and my phone is as essential to me to go out as my car keys.

32 comments:

  1. Every small thing can be huge when you write about it. I am trying to notice little things while on conference in Adelaide

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    1. Adelaide Roentare; a couple of degrees warmer.

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  2. I usually count items I need to bring with me. Have done it forever. When travelling it's super helpful. But even now going out, I count the cane, the cart, the crossbody bag, shopping bag, keys, mail.
    XO
    WWW

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  3. My difficulties are almost always technical. So I don't write about them in case young people think I am retarded :(
    This week my blog post appeared on line at the right time (6 pm Tues) but it didn't register on other peoples' computers. It feels like 8 precious hours of writing and 2 hours of editing gone down the drain :(

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    Replies
    1. The timing delay is not your fault, could be blogger playing games or connections elsewhere going awry.

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    2. Hels, that admission cracked me up.

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    3. Hels, I don't read your post until Wednesday, and it was sitting there in the morning.

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  4. Our phones truly are indispensable at this point. Kind of you guys to help your neighbor even though she didn't ask for it, or especially because she didn't ask for it! Yeah, sometimes it's good to quit while we're ahead. Savor a pleasant day instead of risking it with more outings. But maybe that's just me a pleasure to read as usual Andrew. Wishing you well. Aloha

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Cloudia. Yes, forgetting your phone makes you feel very uneasy.

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  5. Sounds like you're better off leaving the house with HH in tow.

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    1. And she always remembers her phone, Kirk.

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  6. It is nice of you and the boys to be helping HH so much and I would think a dinner for all of you is a nice gesture, so go and be fed.

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    1. River, if she mentions it again, we'll take up her offer.

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  7. HH sounds like a lovely lady. Gosh, we can't get by without our phones, we are lost.

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  8. Heavy cream and light milk? We call it double cream and 5% fat milk. You do a lot of eating out in Australia, we could do with better restaurants here in Tod.

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    1. Our light milk is 2% fat but I don't have any normal milk to check its fat content. Double cream is decedent, and delicious. I don't eat out often now, like we used to in the evening, but I often have something out in the day time.

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    2. Normal milk is only 4% fat and better for you in my opinion.

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    3. I may not have the fat content for light milk correct. Does 97% fat free equal 3% fat? I don't like full cream milk. It seems 'greasy' or 'fatty', or something like that.

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  9. How did we become so dependent on phones?

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    Replies
    1. Opiate to the masses TP. As long as our phones work, we will remain compliant.

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  10. Nice of you to help out a neighbor. So many people might look the other way.

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    1. Bob, when Ray died, there was no end of offers of help from various neighbours, which helped me adjust to my new life, even if I didn't take up the offers.

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  11. I use my phone for very little but always bring it along.
    I'm not out much after dark to take pics of signs either, Andrew.

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    Replies
    1. Pat, they do make you feel secure when you are out.

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  12. How kind of you to help out a neighbour, Andrew!

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    Replies
    1. We always have Linda, wherever we lived, and others helped us too.

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  13. There's nothing better than having good neighbors, or being one. Assisting others is such a spiritual and emotional boost. Hugs, my dear.

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    1. I agree Darla. If only we could bring that to more people who aren't neighbours.

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  14. Couldn't live without my phone. I have a sign on the door "keys, phone, wallet", although my wallet is now my phone.

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    Replies
    1. Jackie, long before personal phones, there was a male saying here before leaving home, 'spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch'.

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