Dad's Letter Christmas 1952

 June 29, 2021

 Sent back home by my 19yrs old fighting in the Korean War in 1952. Now I have grandchildren this age and understand better just how very young he truly was and to be enduring this horror.

 Page 1...

From Korea

" Dear Family,

Well Christmas is here but I never thought I('d) be in a place like this. We're still in the line & will be for the New Year we pull out on Jan 4th:- so by the time you get this we should be out.

I've just received your second parcel & thanks very much family it's OK. We(ve) not had a proper dinner, our Christmas dinner comes on the 4th Jan. You should have seen the lads when I opened it HA HA + the Christmas(cake?) & cards very nice & thanks for the candles HA HA & 20 Woodbines.

The Daily Mail gave us a bottle of beer 20 Capstan and a bar of chocolate, not bad for a thank you. I also got the (news)papers & thanks for putting in the Daily Herald.

I am very sorry about Doreen(SIL), I just don't know what to say, it was such a shock to me, I only hope she soon gets well again & I know she will. When you go to see her give her my love Alan or Mam when you go, ask her if she remembers last Christmas Eve HA HA

Thanks Mrs Winters very much for putting something in for me, I've not forgotten her.

Page 2

We was woke up this morning with a cup of tea, I wish they would do it every morning then I might sign on HA HA.

We've just got a new draft come to us. I've one sleeping in with me. Every time he hears a bang or sees a flash off a gun he's always asking me what it is but being an old sweat, Dad, I tell him HA HA. It's a shame for him, he's 19 but he looks about 15. they make me sick back home sending blokes like him out. You should see the difference between the new blokes and us HA HA

The Chinks have been putting Christmas card(s) and presents on the wires and playing carols across the valley to us, very nice of them but the RAF didn't think so HA

Well I'll close now as teas up, Spam and cheese HA HA. Thanks once again sorry I couldn't be there & thank Auntie Maggie and Betty for the parcels. I'll try and drop them a line. Hope you got my card.

Your Loving son

Jack

xxxx

xxxx

xxxx

Dad passed away on January 18th this year at the nursing home and is much missed, This is his last Christmas, 68 years later...

Waves From Behind The Settee

 

Erky Perky as Rose used to say...I've been away so long that everything in Blogger is different lol

 I've been pretty 'down' this year as I continue to support Dad in Care during Covid times. Dementia is so hard to watch and deal with but he's safe and well looked after these days and could no longer live by himself although that doesn't stop him asking why not?

Here is my knitting which keeps me sane!

It's Spring alright now so I took some pics outside...

We are so fortunate here in WA as our government has kept the interstate borders closed for months now so Covid is almost non-existent here; the only cases have been returning residents who have kept in hotel quarantine. Other states have fared badly and Charlie's other Nana hasn't seen him for a year now...it's very, very sad. My English cousins are also in lockdown as are our Canadian loved ones.

My brother, Ian turned 60yrs this week and he and Wendy visited 2 weeks ago to pick up their new car...it was wonderful to have so many of the family under my roof as we got Dad out for the day and we gathered here for lunch. We also took Dad to the park in September for his 87th birthday...I think Gord is describing a fish he caught ;)

Hope you are all keeping well, big love, Sue

xxx

March 2020

Hallo Every-one, rather over-due for an update methinks.

So the whole world is in the grip of a pandemic, a virus named Corona Virus or Covid-19. It can be fatal for more vulnerable members of society so several entire countries are in lock-down...ie stay at home unless you are in an essential job, need to shop for food or medications. These strategies have come gradually as the virus spreads rapidly and people are still socializing despite being told to keep 1.5 to 2 metres away from non-family members. Restaurants, bars, cinemas closed last week and we are restricted to 20 minute visits to nursing homes. Any-one returning from overseas must self-isolate for 2 weeks and there are some big fines for any-one not complying with this law.

Today our schools have closed for teaching, they remain open to supervise students whose parents are working. My daughter has been home-schooling since the start of the year as they prepare for their bus trip, Jess's school closed 2 weeks ago and Charlie has been kept at home to avoid infection. Cody is doing his TAFE work from home at Grandad's...not an ideal situation for a young man to be so isolated but at least he is safe and has a roof over his head.

Which brings me to Dad(86 yrs) who has been in a nursing home for 25 days now and is very unhappy...he cannot understand why he is there with all those 'old people' but he truly could not live at home any longer as he needs constant care which we are not able to provide. He blames me for his 'incarceration' although the hospital doctors told us it would be unsafe for him to go home, his short term memory is awful but the cancer still hasn't manifested itself with any pain etc. I do hope he'll settle soon, he's also fallen 4 times since he went in.

Joe and I have stayed at home for almost 3 weeks now, I shopped carefully before we started this and was also very grateful for our small stock-pile which I learned about from Rhonda's blog and the forum when it was running. I've been out twice for fresh fruit and vegies which are now running low so I am trying to order on-line from Woolworths but they are so busy that I can't place my order.

https://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-simple-art-of-stockpiling.html

Joe usually stays at home so this doesn't mean much change to him but I am enjoying the time to actually rest and also to catch up things such as de-cluttering our clothes, pruning shrubs outdoors, growing lettuce, silverbeet and lots of fresh herbs...even having time to sweep regularly makes such a difference. I have cut up old clothes to make toilet wipes (google family wipes) as toilet paper of all things was the first thing to disappear off the supermarket shelves when panic buying began about 3 weeks ago!

I'd been to library and borrowed 8 novels before they closed for the duration so I am reading them now.Foxtel have given us free documentaries, I am really enjoying that...Alaska is now on my bucket list.
 I'd also bought lots of yarn from Spotlight while it was on special and have been making these basic small blankets from them....250 sts of 8ply on a 4mm circular needle and then alternating the colours and using a wide variety of stitches in bands of 12 rows

This one is plain garter stitch but there's nothing plain about really and it's so simple I can knit it anywhere...a lot was done while Dad was in hospital for 11 weeks before he moved to the Aged Care home...

Dinner tonight will be pasta with a sauce cobbled together left-over roast chicken, frozen red capsicum and some rather watery bolognaise sauce I'd made and frozen...will boost it with chili, anchovies and olives .

I am so very grateful for so many things these days, our home is comfortable, we have power and running water and plenty to eat. Our families are safe too and that means more than anything.

How are you managing? Are you locked down where you live? Do you have any tips for easy meals or simple pastimes for children?

Big love, stay safe
Sue

Curtis's Pumpkin Soup et al

The two big supermarkets here publish a free monthly recipe book using products they sell. I don't always pick it up but this month Coles had slow cooker recipes and a chorizo, pumpkin and white bean recipe by an Aussie chef named Curtis Stone.

My adaptation

1/3 cup chopped chorizo...and seriously any tasty meat or mushroom etc will work(sage leaves?)

large chopped onion and carrot

5-ish cups of chopped pumpkin

3 chopped garlic cloves

drained can of white beans

1/2 cup cream or sour cream

salt and pepper

saute the meat and remove from pan

saute onion and carrot, then garlic and pumpkin

add 1/3 cup of beans

cover with water or chicken stock

cook until tender, blend and season well

add the cream and the rest of the beans and heat through

To serve sprinkle with the fried chorizo or mushrooms

Bon appetite 

We bought a Sunbeam Pie Maker recently and have been enjoying some delicious home-made pies, simple make a thick 'stew' or pie filling and the pies cook in under 15 minutes without having the big oven on for ages.
My two elder grandson are flat-sharing these days...I packed up a couple of hot meals for them...no-one starves on my watch...I spent a whole $10 at the op-shop on 2 Pyrex dishes/platters, the big pasta bowl you can just see here and 4 kitchen utensils. These pies are a chicken, potato and corn mix...

These meat and tatie pies were my all time favourite as a child in Lancaster and Morecambe, I had no idea they were a local treat...I thought the whole world must love them nearly as much as me! Elizabeth and David were most appreciative lol

Lancashire Meat and Potato Pies

I finished little Darcie's cardigans, the second one looks a bit lop-sided unfortunately...I hope she is too busy running around for (m)any people to notice! Those wooden buttons come from Spotlight and at $2 for 6 are very good value...she will love the little hearts...

Off now to drop Joe at the podiatrist's and take Dad to the shops
No rest for the wicked!
Love,
Sue

Craving Oranges

Don't you just love the way your body tells you what it needs? Day 12 of this bug and all I want is juicy mandarin oranges...at the greengrocer's I hefted each by hand looking for the heaviest and therefore juiciest fruit. All that Vitamin C must be good for me! Those apples are this season's...they are very crisp and firm, there was also a new type of apple with an very dark almost black skin, must try them soon too...

I've made a cable stitch 'beanie' for my nephew, Jack...he's a young fashion designer now with an eye details so I think he'll love working out how the cables are formed...it's a free ravelry pattern ...

I'm also smitten with these 'knotted' scarves and another type called a 'keyhole' scarf

Celtic Knot Scarf

I've made this lovely keyhole scarf already...it's that no longer available Jeans yarn from Spotlight...
I'll post the instructions separately soon...

We've had an incredible amount of rain recently, Elizabeth's bus is leaking and weeds are sprouting everywhere. Speaking of weeds, David turns 10yrs old on Saturday...how did that happen?

Vera is settled into a lovely nursing home with her own room and ensuite bathroom, I haven't been to visit yet as I don't know if I'm contagious or not...I cancelled my blood-work appt yesterday just in case. The 'flu virus is killing people so it's best to stay indoors if you can.

Last night we had lamb chops for the first time in years as they are rather expensive. These were delicious and so very tender...Joe carefully cut off all the fat but I just hoovered up everything but the bone lol I fried off onion and capsicum and 1/2 t curry powder and cooked rice and raisins and fried some tomatoes separately too. Tonight we'll have Italian style sausages and pasta and there's left-over Indian chicken for lunch from the freezer.

So that's us for now,
Hope you're well and happy too
Love from Sue
xxx

Thursday Morn

I went outside to hang out the washing and was delighted to see these four galahs on the fence, Carol next door puts seed out for the local doves and these gorgeous 'cockies' have found it too...

Not sure if you can see but the bird on the left has black eyes so is a male, his Mrs is next to him with her soft brown eyes...

I'm knitting two cardigans for Darcie(2) who is my grandaughters' step-sister, this is sewn up now and I've nearly finished a stripy one in bright left-over yarn for her...I also made two cotton tote bags from Vintage inspired cotton for my grand-girls' birthday presents, they can use the bag again and again that way but I forgot to take photos!

Joe has stopped the chemotherapy for his skin cancers as the side effect of muscle cramping was becoming unbearable, legs and abdomen were so very painful...it's good to see him getting some proper sleep at last.

I was prompted to write this small post by Outback Tania who is going to post more regularly...these little things all add up to make our story don't they?

Bye bye for now
xxx

Knitting and a Bus

I seem to have been knitting these squares forever, at least 2 years, it's 100% wool and very heavy, very random too, knit 6 varied squares, join them end to end and add them to the side it suits best. This is the first time I've knit a border too, size 5mm needles and 12 stitches;start sewing it to the edge once it's nearly long enough as you will have to stretch it slightly to keep it tight...I also finished a pair of 8ply socks for Wendy, my SIL...it gets quite cold in Albany in Winter...

  This is a free pattern and I made these last year but hadn't given them away, the pattern is from Joyful Toys and is called Peter Rabbit, it uses very little wool...

Joe's chemo is going well and his brother is on the same treatment in Canada...it's to stop the basal cell carcinomas associated with Gorlin Syndrome that they both have. Enough with all this cutting them out, Joe looks like a patchwork himself these days and it's very painful.

Elizabeth has finally been in position to buy a smallish bus which she plans to gut and turn into a camper and then hit the 'frog and toad' with her 2 younger boys....she's had enough sorrow recently to last a lifetime so let's hope this is a turning point in her life...she will never be homeless again anyway!

Lots of work ahead but it's so good to have a goal isn't it?

Dad has gone on a holiday too...he's gone down to Albany to my brother and SIL's home for a few days. He'll come back on the bus which takes about 6 hours, quite an adventure for an 85 yr old.

I've tried some new recipes since we got home, this eggplant curry is particularly good, frugal and easy too and I made some basil and spring onion pesto with basil from the garden that had grown so much while we were in Tassie...I added a few roasted cashews too...one jar is in the freezer to keep it very fresh...

and how's this for colourful...a white chocolate cake with white chocolate buttercream made by Bree, it had 2 little troll dolls on top later!

So that's all for this quick update, I hope all is well with you,
Love, Sue
xxx

Using Icing Colouring to Dye Wool

Hallo every-one, it seems I've been knitting non-stop for weeks, one thing was different though because I dyed my first a skein of 4ply merino wool with icing colouring! This is the technique, the dye is very thick and you only need a little, DIL Bree is making beautiful cakes with the dyes too*

using Wilton's icing colouring to dye wool

When it came to applying the dyes, purple and royal blue it looked as if they'd just mixed together to become one dark blue mess so I didn't agitate the wool in the dye...this surprised me by leaving pretty parts un-dyed, and some parts with varying degrees of colour...

 drying the skein before rolling it into a ball, a 100gm skein is enough for a pair of short socks...

it was a bit of a struggle to wind the ball as towards the end it got tangled, I sat and persevered to make sure none was wasted...it doesn't look enough but it was...

  ta-da! my new socks, I used Winwick Mum's Basic 4 ply Sock Pattern again, it's simple and knits up quite quickly...

This is Charlie's new jacket made with that lovely soft Jeans yarn and this pattern  , you will have to join  ravelry to see it but it's all free and wonderful over there...the buttons are wooden

  another pair of socks made with Spotlight's 'Not Just Socks' yarn, the pattern is on the ball band, again 100gms makes one pair of socks

Mum's collection of matchboxes from the days that they were complimentary and placed in a clean ashtray in restaurants and hotels, thank goodness those days have passed, some of these are from her overseas holidays...

Will finish off with yet another photo of this stunning hibiscus...
Love from Sue

* just some of Bree's gorgeous cakes using the Wilton's Food Colouring,
for more pics look for Bree's Cake Creations on FB

A Lovely Weekend

Well I think this says it all, the maximum temperature reached 42C on Sunday after a hot Saturday so we stayed indoors with the air conditioner just set on 'dry' and 24C which is very comfortable. I watered the garden and filled up the bird bath early in the day.

This pretty candle holder from the op-shop reflects the blazing sun...

For Christmas I made bunting with thread and dry gum leaves, if I'd had more time it would have been nice to write a wee note on each one...

while watering I spotted this big pod on my Bower Vine...friends have advised to put a paper bag over it to collect the seeds when the pod bursts as it will eject them far and wide...

I finished my first socks using the Not Just Socks yarn from Spotlight...the pattern is on the ball band and it uses one ball per pair of socks...normally sells for $13 so I watch out for it coming on sale and buy a few at a time...it's quite fascinating both watching the colours develop and also the intricate construction of shaping the sock...

On Sunday I also made this 'back pack' from a curtain remnant and some cord...I needed help from Marie at the DTE page as I couldn't visualize how the cord worked...this pattern is similar if you want to have a go, they would make useful gifts too...

filled with a cushion...I would prefer to use this than a shoulder bag while walking around town...

I made a yummy lamb curry and rice for Joe and I but Dad needs something mild and soft so I made him a quick seafood meal, wild caught salmon and prawns, a potato cake and some soft broccoli...this is a bread plate as he needs to eat small meals now...he loves his seafood and would happily eat fish and chips for every meal!

That's my round-up of recent happenings here, today I am going to see Elizabeth and the boys and get the paperwork started for C to start secondary school next month. Just the cost of the uniform is mind boggling and I have no idea how many families can afford it at all. At this new school there is a Student Support set-up where you are sent if you turn up out of uniform. They will lend you a complete uniform until the end of the day when you go and change back into your own clothes...the humiliation of that makes me cringe.

Bye bye for now
xxx