Iris Burwah Mangan 1924 - 2014

It was a hot day today....it got up to 33 degrees this afternoon.It was also Iris's funeral at Mt Thompson Memorial Gardens at 1.00 pm.The service was held in the West Chapel and was lovely. It was lead by Jenny Trebilcock (pronounced Trebilco....apparently) the celebrant.Iris's neighbour Gwen came over to talk to us before the service and she got upset when she found out who Dulcie was. She had heard Iris talk about Dulcie often. After the service we chatted to one of Iris's step sisters and were invited back to the wake at Iris's house but Dulcie did not want to go so we made out excuses and left.Here are some photos of the Order of Service.

Dulcie is sad that she did not get to see Iris before she died. It all happened so quickly. We knew she was ill and that she was in hospital having tests done to find out the cause of her illness but had no idea it was so serious. The day the hospital discovered it was stomach cancer was the day that Iris died.I am very sorry I never got a chance to meet her.

On speaking too soon!

So......just when I said that 'Respite' had settled down and was at a regular time.......Yesterday I had a phone call..."I know your 'Respite' is down for 10 until 12 but would it be ok for us to come at 11.15 tomorrow?""Well, I have no appointments booked," I said.....sadly I never do....."So that is fine.""Thank you," said the caller.Following that call Will made arrangements to meet up with his workmates for coffee at the cafe up on Kangaroo Point tomorrow.Today dawns and Shanita turns up at 9.45!"Er.......I had a phone call yesterday to ask me if it was ok to move respite to 11.15, " I said."Oh," said Shanita," Well, the client I just left was unsure if her grandsons were visiting today and they were so she didn't need me. I should have rung you I suppose."Well, yes she should....but we didn't say anything because Shanita would have probably cried.We rushed about trying to get ready to leave and wasted 20 minutes of our time.Luckily Will's workmates had arranged to get to the Kangaroo Point cafe early.

We had a lovely but brief catchup with them and were 5 minutes late in getting back at 11.50.Shanita had gone and Dulcie was sat on her own!I rang Blue Care and spoke to Indira."That shouldn't happen and it will never happen again," said Indira.I felt a bit bad for Shanita for dropping her in it. She is still inexperienced but she would learn a lesson today.There is apparently a 'holiday' next Monday.....no one we knows seems to know if it is Labour Day or for the Queen's Birthday.....but it means no shower for Dulcie.As I hung up on Indira I rang again to speak to Lynn to see if she could squeeze Dulcie in for a shower on Tuesday...."Hold please.........yes, we can but cannot give you definite time."'Why change the habit of a lifetime!' I thought. 

Mundane news update.

We had a little trip out today in search of a Boysenberry plant. Will must have one.We had a drive out to a lovely little garden centre at Eight Mile Plains but unfortunately they had everything but.....Will got a thornless blackberry, a raspberry and a strawberry plant as consolation.His garden is looking great and we have already had eggplants, snow-peas, garden peas, kale and the pumpkin from it.We had 40 mls of rain in a storm on Thursday......I have never seen rain like it........but it only lasted for half an hour or so. Last night, as Will and I were out for a river walk in Brisbane, another storm passed over. We took shelter under the verandah of sailing club for about 20 minutes until it had passed over then carried on. There was thunder and lightning, the works and it absolutely tipped it down but when we arrived home we, disappointingly, only found 4 mls in the rain gauge.There are still bees flying around the garden and a small swarm still clinging to the branch of the Buckinghamia tree....Will has texted Jonathan. He might have to come back!We saw Joanne, next door today, she has been in hospital at the start of the weekend for an operation but is home now and despite feeling a bit sore looked good.In other news......I have taken my camera for a sensor clean.....to get rid of the dust spots on the lens."Ah, well some blokes just stuff their cameras in their pockets and it's no wonder lint gets into the lens," said the camera man."Guilty," I said.Blue care seem to be finally on the right track. Lizzie has been most often for the showering and she has been remembering to ring before she comes and has not been coming too early in the morning.Respite has been regular and at the right time......give or take 15 mins.....the last few weeks. There have been a few different people on the Tuesday but Andrea, from the UK, has been on the Thursday. She is nice if a bit loud!We have been on a wild 'Vimto' hunt having heard that a 'Foodworks' at Morningside had some in 2013......it didn't when we got there.....disappointed but we have since discovered that Will took me to the wrong 'Foodworks'........hope remains. If the worse comes to the worse 'Loud' Andrea says that they have it at 'Britain by the Bay' in Birkdale.....I googled it.....it is over $17 a bottle, that's about £7 a bottle........bargain?........gulp!Wendi, Will's sister, is nearing the end of her European tour and is currently in Venice....as is the newly married George Clooney....coincidence?The seventh whale this year got caught in shark nets on the Gold Coast but managed to get itself free, Big Brother has started here and is bombing apparently.....we don't care and we haven't watched it. The 'Footy' Finals are coming up and excitement is almost at fever pitch.....we couldn't give two hoots! Tony Ferguson (who?) has a new diet out which includes all the food groups and portion control......so what? A local Mosque was vandalised by an idiot who thinks being Muslim makes you a terrorist.And what have we to look forward to?........er............hmmmmm.............er.................ah, Yes! Deranie and Phoebe are on their way up the coast to see us.........Brisbane is hosting the G20 summit in November....chaos!.........and in 11 days we will have been here for 1 whole year.Hopefully I will have some Vimto by then!

Riverfire!

It was 'Riverfire' tonight.....the spectacular end to the Brisbane Festival.We watched it on the TV, eating an ice cream cone........it wasn't the same as being there though....I imagine.

Sad news.

We had a phone call today to say that Dulcie's friend Iris died last night from stomach cancer.The last time Iris rang us last week she did not sound well and said that she was having tests done and that the doctors did not know what was wrong with her.I'll never get to hear the story of the little pig and the molasses from the 'horses's mouth.'