Letters to Ann

Dear Ann,

However, let me tell you about my  birthday.  A couple of months ago I mentioned to David that if he couldn’t think of a thing to give me as a gift I would love a little old wooden rocking chair to put out on the front porch for me to rock in while I read in the sun &  survey my new garden that I must tell you about later.

I also suggested to my girls that my door chimes had tossed it in. I was hoping to plant a seed in this direction too as I am aware how hard it is to buy gifts for little old ladies like me.

So the night before my birthday he rang to say they would pick me up at 6.45 p.m.  I asked ‘Why”, he answered “Because it’s your birthday.”  I answered “It’s tomorrow.” So he said  “Well we’ll go out tonight because it’s Melbourne Cup Day”.

I stopped writing the letter I was doing & we went.  Lauren was in Adelaide at a conference for her work so David, Riiley & Charley called to pick me up with flowers & cards. My lovely card from my grand daughters told me how much they loved their Gran & I received a lovely bunch of flowers.

Then we drove off to the restaurant where I noticed David had a card ready to give me at the appropriate moment, which I felt sure would say ‘you have an old fashioned wooden rocking chair.

Family 87th B’day dinner for Dawn at Lena’s Rest. David doesn’t hand over a rocking chair!

We had the most delightful meal of Lobster Mornay with a lot of little seafood side dishes, which was so good after my very mundane meals I had been having.  I really lapped it up & felt the restaurant did us proud.

However, there was this slight little feeling of disappointment as there was no mention of a little old wooden rocking chair.  I am not sure why I had my heart so set on that but I did. Being a positive thinker I didn’t give up hope.

I still hadn’t given up hope, so when they left I popped my head out the front door to see if they had left a little old wooden rocking chair on the front porch to be a surprise in the morning which would actually be my birhtday.  However, I must have misheard what Riley said as the veranda displayed no surprise!

My last thought as I went to sleep was that I had had my birthday with my family & I had no plans for tomorrow & my birthday was mostly over before it had begun!  However I slept well.

As I put the phone down it rang again & a voice sang ‘Happy Birthday to you.’.  I didn’t recognise it at first, but of course it was Philip from LA  whose voice had improved so much I thought it was someone else.

Then cheery voice said  “Happy Birthday darling & what are your plans for today?” It was my dear friend Cheryl & in answer to her question  I said ‘Nuthin.” She said “Nuthin’? well we will fix that. I will go & pick Sandra up & we will meet you at Micheles’ Patisserie at 1 p.m.”

q  Dawn’s 87th birthday with Sandra & Cheryl

They did just that & came  complete with more flowers, pressies & cards.  They saved the day & I was so animated that in my enthusiasm I spilled my coffee all over my  new top, not once but twice!  Cheryl mopped me down, no harm done & I had a lovely time with my friends.

However, I love unwrapping gifts, so when it arrived in the post next day I made sure I had everything done so that I could enjoy the process of doing just that. Maybe I am into my second childhood era!

Kim always thinks of something a little different to the norm, which makes her gifts so exciting. When I unwrapped it I had a real surprise.  I had a pack of coloured pencils & three colouring in books, which is all the rage now. This is what Kim said they are doing for people in nursing homes.  The books are quite thick & although I have never done anything like this for many years I can see a challenge ahead of me should I ever go into a nursing home.

Our conversation ended around 10 p.m. which was why my other four siblings couldn’t get a word in, so I never heard from them until the next day or so.  I also heard from some nieces who are very dear to my heart & I can tell from their cards & messages that they love me as much as I love them.

That gesture just made my day as it was so unexpected & very thoughtful.  He also had the paper with the crosswords waiting for me on the table.  I thought that was so very sweet & the unexpectedness of it made my day.

Dawn’s 87th birthday with Ursula & Jean

Ursula, our mutual friend also rang me late on the night of my birthday after Peter & I had stopped talking & she had had the most disastrous thing happen which, again I will tell you about later.  The outcome of these two calls was that we would all meet at Michele’s on Sunday.

This was four days after my birthday & I had completely forgotten about it, but when I walked into the cafe I saw two birthday bags sitting on the table.  It took awhile for the penny to drop & to realise there was one birthday bag for Ursula who recently had a birthday & one for me.

In addition Ursula also had gifts for me. If all this gets confusing it’s just because there are too many bithdays at once among friends.

Ursula had told me abcout the Royal Flush, which is not to be muddled up with playing poker.  This was some very highly centred perfume to be used in the toilet using two drops into the water before use to absorb any odors.

I had never heard of it but it’s marvellous. I am sure the Queen must use it herself as her royal flush!  In additional was a book I know I am going to love, an autobiography by Chick Norris titled ‘Against All Odds.’ I am looking forward to reading it.

All the gifts were also lilac. There was a nice soft face cloth, a tube of very upmarket hand lotion in a lilac coloured tube & a lilac scarf.  I couldn’t help thinking that, for a person who is far from well, she did a fabulous job.

In addition to all of this excitement they had organised for a birthday cup cake complete with lighted candle  to  present to me which Dianne, a staff member did with grest aplomb & sang ‘Happy Birthday.   It was a belated birthday but I so enjoyed it & the love they conveyed.

Judy had asked if my birthday could be delayed as she went on a holiday to her very much loved Fiji where she was born. No one minded, so the birthday went on for almost a full week.

When we met on Monday they had thought up something special for me.  They knew I was getting my garden completely revamped & had bought for me a lovely gnome who had his arms crossed, a pick axe over his shoulder & a very grumpy look as if to start an argument so I immediately called him Grumpy.

He caused a lot of laughter at lunch that day & now sits under a special bush in my garden.  I also received a cute little drink bottle to keep my water cool for when I go to line  dancing, which I never had before & now am wondering why because it is so handy.

I receive about thirty cards each year & keep them displayed for a week or two, as I like to read & reread them.  However, my friend Judy gave me one which is so cute, so meaningful & so different I thought I would let you in on this one which read:

‘To a Special Friend, A friend like you is hard to find, hard to lose & impossible to forget.

Happy Birthday with lots of love from Judy’.

That was my 87th Birthday, another one to remember with love.

He suggested going to a couple of Bric a Brac stores in a nearby suburb. So one of my line dancing pals, Joyce, made a date with me for the following Saturday when we would go together & have a look.

When she arrived to pick me up she came inside saying “Come & have a look at my car.”  I thought & said “Whatever for, I know your car?”

However, I did what I was told. You wouldn’t believe it, but she had a dear little rocking chair just made for me sitting in the back seat!  She had just driven a block down from her home, passed a garage sale with a rocking chair out the front with a tag saying it could be bought for the princely price of $25 in almost mint condition.

Joyce was as tickled pink to find this for me as I was to have it.  David had been trying to buy one on line at eBay or Gumtree without success.

When he arrived for our Sat. afternoon chat I was able to show him what his generous monetary gift of cash had bought. He had indeed, bought me a rocking chair for my birthday.

Sending this with heaps of love..   God Bless, Dawn X O X O

Dear Ann,

I am missing my sister dreadfully now that she has returned to live in Tasmania where she was born, so it probably does not surprise you that I have turned to everything that reminds me of her. I thought it time that I went through again the calendar she gave me last Christmas titled ‘You are one Amazing Sister’. I want to feel that she is still near me & so I read:

Joice and Dawn in 1945

MAY - The Story of Two Very Different Sisters

One is here, one lives there.
One is a little taller than the other.
They have two different colours of hair, two very different outlooks on life, two very different views from their windows.
Both have very different tomorrows ahead.
Each is unique in so many ways.
Each has different work to do & different demands on the day.
Each has a different destination & a distinctly different path to get there.
For all the things that might be different & unique about them, these two sisters will always share so much.

They will be the best of family & friends, entwined together, through all the days of their lives. Their love will always be very special, gentle & joyful when it can be, strong & giving when it needs to be, reminding them, no matter what, how different their stories turn out.
They share the incredibly precious gift of being sisters.
And when you think of some of the best things this world has to offer, a blessing like that is reality…what it’s all about’.

When Lauren Atherton wrote that she must have been a sister herself to know & understand as it is all true. Then it comes to:

Dawn and Joice at Dawn’s wedding in 1952

JUNE – This is from My Heart You Mean So Much To Me.

A sister is friendship, fun & family all rolled up in one beautiful person.
She’s everything special to your heart, the one to lift your spirits, & the dearest friend you will ever have.
It’s funny that a sister doesn’t always hear how much it means to have her in your life.
I wonder why I don’t tell you more often how special you are to me, but I hope you will always know’.

And on reading this again I hope Joice understood what went unsaid as I said goodbye to her at Newcastle Airport a few weeks ago.

Joice (with Kassandra) and Dawn (with David) at the children’s christening in 1958

It is only my friends who know how much I wanted Joice all to myself in that last hour she was with me. I wanted to hold her to myself & all by myself before I let her go. I am selfish enough to love her that deeply.

And as I have written this, my dear friend Sharon, would understand as I know & have witnessed the love that she & her sister Denise share, It is exceptional & reminds me of Joice & I.

Sharon would be one person who understood how I felt that day Joice left Newcastle & me. So perhaps the next chapter says it better than I could of what I might have said as it would have been something like this:

Joice and Dawn at Joice and John Manthorpe’s Wedding

JULY – Sister I’m Sending You My Love.

Though I may not always say it with exactly the right words (or even out loud) I want you to know it makes me feel good & very proud to have a sister like you.

You know where I come from & you do too & no matter what happens in this world I will always be there for you.

You’ve been my friend right from the start, you’ve got a unique place in my life, days & heart.

Even if we fuss or fight I know it will be alright.

Where I come from you do too You’re my amazing sister & I love you.

And as we turn the page to the next month my calendar only expresses further what I wanted to say before she left:

Joice and Dawn for Dawn’s 80th Birthday

AUGUST – Sister I Want t Thank You.

I couldn’t let another day go by without expressing all you mean to me because you have been one of the dearest hearts I’ve ever been blessed to know.

Your heart has been one that I I’ve trusted with my deepest truths knowing that they would remain both guarded & understood.

Your heart has been attentive to all that means the most to me, listening to me in comfort & support.

Your heart has kept me smiling through all the ages & the stages we’ve passed through & it has loved me without question all the blessed days of my iife.

Today I thank you with love & gratitude for the countless gifts of your heart & trusting in return that you will always find a home in my heart too.

I will not go further with my beautiful calendar given to me by Joice last Christmas but as I read, it expresses so much of what I also feel for my sister & that great bonding came the day God answered my prayer for a little sister. Tears have been in my eyes as I have written this because it means so much to me.

I will miss my little trips to Forster terribly as I loved the little shopping sprees with my sister, but most of all I will miss both John & Joice. The love the three of us shared will be a loving memory.

As Philip has always said “Changes in life are inevitable & we must accept them & embrace them.”

God Bless, My Love Always. Dawn X O X O