Letters to Ann

Dear Ann,

I am so much into this market thing that you wouldn’t believe. I have gone along with my Curried Zucchini every month to the two markets I have become knows as a ‘permanent’. That is Warners Bay & Fennels Bay. One is on my doorstep & the other only a fifteen minute drive away.

All through this year I have attended both these monthly markets unless they have been waterlogged or had to be cancelled for some other serious weather condition. I only started with the relish to fill in the year until the Christmas Pudding season came around again. I was truly amazed at how popular this product has been.

The sales have been so good with many people remarking that they could eat it straight from the jar. Then it came down to those who had purchased it are now coming back for repeats & looking for me at the markets.

This posed a bit of a problem, but a nice one. How was I going to handle both products as I could see it would be necessary to take relish along as well as Christmas Puddings, so that I wouldn’t let my customers down.

My granddaughter Charley, was uppermost in my mind to help me out ,as she had indicated earlier in the year that she would be interested in markets where the Christmas Puddings were sold.

It was jointly decided that profit from this venture would wholly & solely be used for us both to return to America together when Philip & Greg have their home ready for visitors. During the year Charley also learnt to make the famous Christmas Puddings.

So September came around & it was time to make some decisions. Charley was, at that time, unemployed. As a suggestion she came along to Warners Bay Market to listen to my sales approach with the relish knowing she will develop her own spiel when she was on her own.

The idea was for us both to have different sites at the markets as we would both be giving out tasting samples of both products, but we didn’t want to be too far apart.

With this in mind we went the following week to Fennels Bay where I now have a permanent site. Charley was near to me as I was doing my thing with Christmas Puddings. For September we both did well & by now the bug had bitten both of us as thoughts kept mulling over in my head.

Charley and Dawn at Fennel’s Bay Market, September 2017

When we had the pudding business I used to go to a market held at Maitland about a half hour’s drive further up country & these markets were always excellent. I wanted Charley & I to get into that market.

During the week after Fennels Bay I was in touch with the coordinator, Kathryn. It turned out she was the daughter of the lady who did the job thirty years ago & had inherited the position.

Like her Mother, Kathryn could not do enough to help me. Before the next Sunday dawned it was all organised for us both to have a site under cover. The markets are held at the Maitland showground so we found ourselves under the grandstand pavilion, which was excellent.

We both had a very good day with the public wanting to know when we would be back again. In the three months prior to Christmas the markets are held fortnightly.

We had to miss the next fortnight as we were already booked, but were able to return fortnightly in November & December. Since then I have made a permanent booking at Maitland for every market they hold with the intention that Charley & I will go together.

In the interim our Warners Bay market for October was to be a two day event & quite a big one. It was to be held on the foreshore where the annual boat racing championships are held.

As it was to be a two day event it was a more expensive outlay, which is fair so I only booked one site. Then the angst started, decision making time: should I just take Christmas Puddings or should I take relish as well.

Charley holds the fort at Fennel’s Bay.

Being an astute sales girl I decided not to miss as opportunity. Charley & I would sell both doing it together. I made eight batches of relish which yielded 73 jars of the ‘to die for’ relish!

My printer had broken down so Riley did the stickers & Charley stuck them on. We used jars that were much the same size and priced them all at $10 per jar to keep it simple.

It was a huge success. We only brought home nineteen jars! Miss Charley was very much delighted as I had told her that all the sales were hers up until Christmas, after expenses.

I was not disappointed with the Christmas Puddings either, but what was really good is the way we worked together. The outcome of this was that we decided to keep it going that way as it is working so well.

We have now booked permanent sites at markets for all year round. This will mean relish only for nine months & we will share the costs & the profits.

Apart from all the serious stuff though we are really having a ball enjoying ourselves immensely. At the foreshore our site was facing the lake & we were very close to the outskirts of it.

The boat racing was amplified of course & people lined the shore about six feet deep all along the Lake. It’s a huge lake reputed to measure 365 miles in & out of every cove, a mile for every day of the year.

We could hear the boats revving up for the start of each race across the other side of the lake & as they neared our side, even though they were a long way out, the thundering noise of jet boats was so exciting.

I absolutely loved it & it was wonderful watching the amount of spray that went up as the boats jetted past. It was beautiful. All selling practically stopped while the races were on, but Charley & I had a captured audience when the races finished!

Puddings in waiting!

One thing leads to another & now we are into this marketing we are both getting involved more & more. Tomorrow we are going to a Halloween event at Cardiff, which is a few minutes away on the other side of me where David lives, with more events like this still to come.

From now until Christmas we are booked into ten definite markets but I have been told there are a few more yet that I have not yet been told about.

This is good as, apart from what’s stacked around the spare double bed in cartons, there are currently still 200 puddings sitting on the bed that Philip & Greg will need if they visit for Christmas.

Leading up to spring I made 550 puddings (some are for gifts). I am glad that I did them in the cooler weather as, if spring is any indication, it looks as if we are in for a very hot & dry summer. However, if I need to make more I will rise to the occasion – on the label it states “Puddings made with love” & they are.

And there is always love for you my dear friend. Dawn X O X O

Dear Ann,

It was over a decade ago when I was having lunch with my good friends, Pat & Judy &, I think it was Pat, who said she had noticed an advertisement in our local paper for line dancing tuition at Belmont Neighbourhood Centre. That wasn’t too far away from where we lived, so we decided to ring up & enrol.

I had had a yen to do line dancing for quite some time, but had never really given it much thought. We were told the classes commenced at 12.30 p.m. every Friday.

By the following Friday, the day it was held, we had made our plans & found a little cafe along the way where we could have lunch before continuing on.

After a couple of wrong turns we arrived at the hall & learnt that our dancing teacher was Jean who had two helpers: a friend by name of Joyce & Jean’s daughter Robyn. The class took two hours with three five minute intervals to have a spell.

Line dancing had always looked easy to me & so I was in for a bit of a shock as it is not as easy as it looks. As Jean told us, it requires a lot of concentration. You are not supposed to watch those near you, as you needed to remember the steps yourself, which all had a name.

We were also to learn that you needed a lot of stamina as some were very lively, far from the slow waltzes & we soon learnt to embrace the five minute intervals.

The very first dance we were taught was ‘The Bartender Stomp’. Jean took us very slowly through the dance steps until we had learnt them, then we had to dance it to faster music. I may have forgotten dances we learnt along the way, but that one I learnt off by heart & could do blind folded. I could even let my mind wander!

We learnt many new dances along the way: waltzes, chachas, etc. & a lot of really lively ones too. The three of us picked it up quite well.

In the early days Pat & I used to meet & go walking a lot, so along the way on a quiet road we would do a little practice of the last dance we learnt. I guess we were often seen doing our fancy little steps together.

So the three of us went for three or four years until Pat & Judy decided to give it up for various reasons. I didn’t. I loved the activity & the exercise, the companionship with the class & everything attached to it.

On the second Friday of the month we had what we called our ‘social’. This was when we wrote down our favourite dances the week before, to dance on that day. On these days we were not shown anything at all. It was expected that we would know them.

Over the years we learnt over one hundred different dances. Some people can do them all. I am not that clever, as often I have to wait for the music to start before my little feet could take off.

Line dancing class in full swing (Dec 2016)

Sometimes I had to get started to give of my best, but there were some I did learnt off by heart. I loved the lively ones like The River of Babylon, Don’t Stop, one of Michael Jackson’s, Crazy Foot Mambo (very lively & I loved it) but my very favourite was the Rock & Roll Waltz.

I would put a few down for social day & never failed to have that waltz down. I could just float away doing that dance & live in my own little world.

Then in August this year the shock came. Jean advised us that she & Robyn were going on a trip to South Africa for five weeks & after she came home she would make a decision as to whether she would keep on teaching. So we didn’t have any dancing for five weeks as Joyce had also retired.

We all felt down in the dumps as some had been dancing with Jean for twenty years. It was a bit like a death knell as we tend to take things for granted, but change is inevitable.

When the holiday hens returned it was announced that they would retire.

So at our last social I had to halt the tears as I kept thinking it might be the last time I ever do the Rock & Roll Waltz!

There was nothing for it, but to accept this change in our life, which shows how much we take for granted. On our second last day we put down all our dances we liked.

On the last day – 29th September – Jean & Robyn had all their favourite dances. After we had danced out little hearts out we then had a party where everyone brought along all the vital necessities to farewell our wonderful teachers.

Despite the feeling of sadness, it was a joyous occasion as we gave Jean & Robyn our gifts of thanks where we all had to hold back our tears, particularly Jean.

The staff at the hall also joined us giving Jean a very well thought up gift. It was a framed Diploma with little drawings of boots & cowboy hats with some very well orgnised written words.

As well as this they had managed to get two huge round chocolates wrapped in gold foil which they had attached to long ribbons to represent their ‘Olympic’ Gold Medals!

Jean and Robyn with their gold medals.

The whole party ended in lots of fun with Terry, our only male pupil, making it fun. He was always saying funny things at our classes like one day when he asked me what was the next dance that Jean announced so I told him ‘Falling for You’. As quick as a flash he replied “I think you are a bit young.” Terry is thirty or more years younger than I am!

I was truly enjoying a delicious sponge cake as light as a feather that someone had brought along to the party & went to get my third piece (I was only eating that), so Terry made an announcement holding three fingers up while he told everyone!!

We were all sad & happy at the same time. I think Jean is now going to another class where she can just dance & not be the teacher, which is good as she loves it too & has been doing it all her life.

I also have been given the name of three different classes, but have decided I have enough on my plate with markets, puddings & relish until the end of the year & will make a decision in the New Year.

Line dancing class, last day.

I really would like to attend a class that dance the dances I already know. I know over a hundred, which is a small drop in the ocean as there are over ten thousand line dances!

Jean made it nice for us all though, as before we left she gave us a printed note to say ‘Let’s catch up for old times sake & meet on the first Friday of every second month for lunch at one of our nearby Clubs.” This we will all look forward to.

I really am missing my line dancing. I am thinking that, as I enjoy the dancing so much, it makes sense to take it up again & I don’t fancy going to a gym!

Love always my dear friend. Dawn X O X O

Dear Ann,

In my life there are a lot of birthdays happening in the last half of the year. I guess the most important of all up to date this year is David’s 60th.

It is surprising how many birthdays in our family are celebrating a big one ending in ‘0’, which is always a reason for celebration. Trixie’s husband Bob, celebrated his 80th the same time as David was celebrating his 60th.

Then in December David’s cousin, Kassandra, celebrates her 60th also being just three months younger than David. They grew up together for the first few years until we came from Tasmania to live in New South Wales.

Also our little brother, Peter, who survived more than one war when in the army will also celebrate his 70th birthday in December.

And from where I sit & the experiences I have had, I don’t think males really like these advanced birthdays.  While Philip ignores his age completely, David was not looking forward to his recent 60th & I recall Peter wasn’t looking forward ten years ago to his 60th either.

The idea was, the less fuss the better while us females like to make a little fuss! (Editor’s note: perhaps it’s the fuss that makes us men not like birthdays.) David was quite down in the dumps when his birthday was approaching, but when the time arrived he had warmed to the occasion & it was quite a joyous one.

Like the other males in the family he didn’t want a party so it was decided to celebrate it at our usual fortnightly family dinner. It was really nice with just Lauren, David, Charley, Riley myself.

David usually cooks the dinner on family nights,but Lauren let him off the hook offering to do it for him instead. She made the cake complete with candles & David lapped it all up as he should. The cake was beautiful & David took care in cutting the right sized portions for everybody after successfully blowing all the candles out in one puff so that his wish will come true!

David’s birthday cake

With his birthday being a few days after Father’s Day it certainly is a problem to know what to get a man who has everything, or if he doesn’t have everything & sees something he likes can afford to buy it for himself before anyone else gets the chance. Our brains get a bit rattly trying to think of something different.

I took my problem to Dan Murphy’s famous liquor store as I think you can get every kind of wine from any country in that place. I love going there. I have a bit of a passion for that type of store,with so much to choose from.

I elected to get one of Dan’s employees to give me some advice & ended up getting a carton of crisp white wine, showing that it had earned a few gold labels. It originates from New Zealand & I was informed it was very similar to David’s favourite wine that he scarcely ever deviates from. So I bought a full carton!

Dawn and David with the wrapped case of wine.

While in the store I saw some very attractive little gadgets which you put onto glasses when having a party, so that everyone knows there own wine glass. They are to be seen everywhere, but I took a liking to the ones I purchased. I thought them to be a good idea with David’s mid year Christmas Party in mind, which he holds for the street annually.

I had really wanted to get him something cute for his Kombi, which he is very proud of & very wrapped up in, but hadn’t had much luck until one day when I walked into my own pharmacy I saw a book which was titled How to drink WINE out of fish heads while cooking LOBSTER in a VOLKSWAGEN HUB CAP. I couldn’t have found anything better & felt very pleased with myself.

When it came time for the gift giving after dinner I told him to unwrap from the largest gift to the smallest gift, as I knew the cook book would take the cake. But first he had to read his birthday card which took me ages to select & this is what it said:

My son you are a gift & a blessing. Your birth was a joy & a blessing!

Having you in my life has provided me with my greatest opportunity for growth & for that I am grateful.

I have come to understand & accept that love has brought us together for a reason.

I have learned so much about myself from loving you & learning to accept you as you are.

Watching you grow & develop has provided me with some of my greatest joys

Watching you learn from your journey has taught me how to let go.

Your talents & potential are extraordinary & I give thanks for the gift of being your Mother.

Thank you for all that is uniquely you.

I love you Happy 60th birthday. Mum

I think he loved his card, but sure enough when he opened up his parcel with his cook book in front of him he really did have a chuckle.

David unwraps his cookbook.

One of the reasons of why it appealed to me so much was that some months ago, when David was arranging for his Kombi to have a face lift, he was at a place chatting to somebody about Kombis who had two sons close to the same ages of about 10 & 12 years old. These two boys had built a business of making clocks out of old Komi hub caps.

Now who would have thought of that so David bought one, which hangs in his kitchen & looks very smart. So that’s why I thought he would enjoy his cook book even though I doubt if he will ever use it!

But anyway, who cares, it’s just a little something to show the fellow Kombi owners when they have their next bus stop which I think is going to be in Queensland.

So now my two little boys are over the hill advancing towards another decade & another big birthday ending in 0. You cannot stop old Father Time as he still marches on regardless.

A decade seems to go so fast & life goes on. What is gratifying to me though is that even though Philip & David are as different as chalk is from cheese they are now very much enjoying each other by keeping in touch regularly & enjoying seeing each other again as time permits.

I think the important thing with birthdays is to embrace them & for myself, I am old enough to be grateful that I am still here to celebrate birthdays & enjoy them. But then I am at the age where I embrace each day I am on planet earth!!

Love you dear heart. Dawn X O X O

Dear Ann,

Birthdays come around every year. All I can say is that I am very glad to be here to celebrate the happy occasions. However, it was a bit of a shock when I realised that Jean’s birthday was upon us in August & I hadn’t seen her at all throughout this year.

Jean has not enjoyed the best of health in recent years & never knows how she is going to be each morning, so in her positive way she just takes each day as it comes dealing with it as best she can. Therefore it is not wise for friends to arrive on her doorstep as a surprise & Ursula & I needed to plan Jean’s birthday with the lass herself.

Jean moved out into the country a couple of years ago to get as much of the good clean country air as possible & it takes a little time to get there. Also it takes a little bit of good navigating!. So when we conferred with Jean, it was decided that her friends would arrive on the happy day complete with the lunch to save her the trouble.

This wasn’t as easy as it sounded as, even though we made the trip without fault last year it was the opposite this year in making wrong turns. I was the driver & completely out of my comfort zone. Between Ursula & I, we took no less than four wrong turns.

The first of these was the funniest. As I pulled up in a quiet country street where a lady was putting out some unwanted goods for what we call Council Pickup. This occurs twice a year when we are permitted to put out anything on hand that we no longer deem necessary & is too large for the ordinary weekly collection. This is all left on the side of the road & could possibly be there for a couple of weeks prior to the Council getting to that particular area.

So when I stopped the car & alighted, I started to cross the road to where the lady was. She immediately thought I was coming to check over what she was putting out to be taken. Lots of of people drive by to see if there is anything worth having , mostly people looking for something worthwhile to either sell or reuse themselves – it is a common practice.

I was half way across the road when she told me there was absolutely nothing that could be reused, it was all moth eaten etc! I assured her I wasn’t looking for anything as all I needed was directions to get to the Retirement Village looking out onto the golf course. She apologised profusely (I told her not to worry) & she was a real doll & gave me some helpful directions.

We had a few more stops & starts until we arrived at our destination. It had got quite late for lunch & Jean was out the front of her delightful little house to greet us so we, & the lunch, got taken inside pronto.

It didn’t take many minuted to display the heap of sandwiches that Ursula brought, plus the slices of Christmas pudding that I brought. Jean had the kettle boiling for our hot beverage. A friend of Jean’s from three doors up the road arrived to keep us company.

It became quite a joyous occasion as we placed our birthday bags in front of our hostess to open. It’s always difficult to know what to give to senior citizens, so this year I gave Jean a nice set of cosmetic stuff that she can use like special perfumed soap, body creams etc. which she seemed to like. But I think more so when she opened up a pack of 3 little jars I put together of my Curried Zucchini Relish. I do find that older people enjoy getting some home made produce that I usually pop into the gift bag.

The trip home was uneventful, which I was thankful for because at that time winter was not over & I am not keen on driving after dark. We needed to leave early as night time was closing in around 5 p.m. It had been a very enjoyable day, seeing as we hadn’t seen Jean all year.

Ursula, Jean and Dawn on Ursula’s Birthday.

Then a month went by & it was 7th September & Ursula’s birthday, although she calls all her birthdays her 24th! I made sure there was a pack of relish for Ursula too as she let it be known that she rather liked Jean’s pack.

She & I had arranged to meet at Micheles Patisserie for the occasion. On the day I found I was out of birthday bags. Ursula likes unusual things, so I had a brain wave. Some years before Richard had given me a vibrant shopping bag with many scenes printed on it from Burbank. I think it was made available for their centenary celebration. I decided to use that for a birthday bag hoping that Richard would not mind. Ursula loved it.

Anyway to get back to the beginning of the celebration! I was waiting for Ursula to arrive & who should come walking in but Jean. We were not expecting her as she hadn’t been too well, so this was quite a surprise & nice for Ursula to have her long time friend in attendance unexpectedly.

So we had our lunch & got busy with the birthday giving, once everything was cleared away. Believe me when I say that no one I know takes more time to undo birthday gifts than Ursula. She has been known to take hours. I think it is something inherited from her native country, Germany.

She seems to prefer taking them home to unwrap, which may be the German custom, but we Australians like seeing the reaction when our gifts are opened.

Next to the pack of relish her favourite gift was a soft scarf I had purchased to match the evening bag I had for her. The bag went by the board as she fell in love with the scarf & wrapped it around her neck where it stayed until we were about to leave.

As for the Burbank Birthday Bag, she said that was going to be hung on the wall in her home where she can see it every day. Richard should not be disappointed at me regifting it.

We had almost finished unpacking the gifts when I had another tremendous surprise. I think I had hold you before about my friend, Sarah, turning up at a party when only four days prior I had prayed I would see her soon & couldn’t contact her as I had no details about her.

You could have knocked me over with a feather when I looked up & saw her smiling beside our table. It was a shock as I never expected to see her so soon after my prayer. I jumped up & gave her such a hug before introducing her to my friends.

It made the day all the more special especially as she was soon into deep conversation with Ursula & from the story Sarah told us how she came to be directed to Micheles, I think she was directed there for more than one reason. Apparently Ursula was looking for some advice about a problem she had & to be able to talk it over with Sarah was of great comfort I gathered.

It was a fitting end to a very lovely day which we all enjoyed.

My Fondest Love Always. Dawn X O X O

Dear Ann,

It was a special date in September when we recognise all the Dad’s in the world on Father’s Day. Riley came to the fore by inviting her Dad to a brunch. It was at a place called ‘The brewery’ situated on the foreshore of Newcastle overlooking the ocean.

While all of us have been to the foreshore dining at other venues there, none of us had been to ‘The Brewery’ & I was lucky enough to be added to the list of invites. Well I guess I was an important person for the celebration for supplying the wonderful man himself!

The day dawned clear, bright & I warm. I felt good as I drove up to David’s place en-route to the foreshore thinking along the way how David had turned out to be such a great Dad when he was such a daredevil as a youngster.

As I have aged & look back at the decades which have passed by, I realise how good life can be & how differently it turns out to what you expect. There are many changes as you travel through life. I think one of the most significant is when you hold your new born baby & realise how wonderful that bundle of humanity is. Then as you look at that dear little face looking up at you trying to focus, reality sets in a very strong bond & along the way you start to comprehend the task in font of you as a parent.

As I sat down to enjoy our brunch at the Brewery, seeing my granddaughters as adults, although different as chalk is from cheese, I could not help but think what a great Dad my son, David, turned out to be. I am proud of the whole three of them, as the girl’s early life it was far from easy. Throughout the adversities their Dad turned out to be a Dad to be proud of.

He worked hard at the task in front of him as a single Dad, & taught his daughters the important lesson of integrity. When, at times, he had to say ‘no’ to something they wanted, which was important to them, he would then go on to explain to them the reason behind his refusal to help them understand his decision.

David has brought his daughters up to be strong & reliable & can be justly proud of them both.

When David made it possible for Charley & I to go to America after my sojourn in hospital a couple of years ago, I was so impressed with her & the way she could communicate with anyone she met. I felt she could take her place very adequately with anyone in the world & she was immensely popular.

She left home when quite young; experienced quite severe hardships & has been able to overcome them all. She knows what it is like to be very poor, but has proved she is made of strong stuff & can survive working as a checkout chick at one of our popular stores for some years while renting a home. In some respects she is quite amazing & her Dad can be proud of the fact that he taught her so well.

Riley, David, Charley at The Brewery on Father’s Day, 2017

And no less amazing is her little sister, Riley who has her feet firmly planted on terra firma. Quite a long time ago she stated that she was going to: get her University degree; stay at home until she has achieved that; & has a job. Only then will she flee the nest to take her place in the outside world.

She is very set on what she wants to do. All through her uni years has held a job at Subway, built a nest egg for herself with a view to buying an apartment when the time comes to move. She achieved her University Degree in Communications majoring in Public Relations & received her diploma in Melbourne at a huge venue just recently. Like Charey, she is outgoing, can achieve whatever she sets herself to do & will succeed in life.

David deserves all the accolades as a good Dad & he can be justly proud of his wonderful girls.

So, on Father’s Day it was nice to be part of the celebration. As we drove to the foreshore my mind was going over all these things I have mentioned. The Brewery proved to be all it was renowned for.

I was lucky enough to get a photo of Dad & his girls after the distribution of gifts & before we enjoyed the delicious food placed before us.

When we walked out I stopped to take a photo of the delightful surroundings; the good country we were fortunate to be born in, thinking how wonderful to be with a truly good Dad & his wonderful daughters. Life is good.

My love to you dear heart. Dawn X X O

Dear Ann,

Approximately three years ago I was enjoying my coffee at Michele’s when a very unassuming lady came & sat next to me. We exchanged greetings & then somehow went on talking to each other.

She explained that she had been to a meeting where they do craft work in a suburb a little further over from me. She then decided she would catch a bus to Warners Bay, as the route to her home was better if she came to that destination rather than from where she had been.

I might have that mixed up a bit, but in any case she knew of the patisserie & I assume decided the coffee was good! We had a nice little chat & I also assumed when she left to catch her bus that I probably would never see her again.

Over a year later she came into the cafe again while I was there. I was not altogether sure that it was her until she came & sat next to me. I said “I know you don’t I?” She smiled & nodded in the affirmative, so we got chatting again just about things in general, nothing personal. I was very much warming towards this lady & I think she also felt very friendly towards me too.

I ascertained along the way that she was indeed a very committed Christian who had a great faith as she would mention the fact that the Lord told her to do this or that as she travelled along life’s path.

It was at this second meeting that I mentioned my interest in Emma, the little girl suffering from cancer, & that I was trying to get a prayer group going for her asking if she would like to participate. I think I have mentioned to you the fact that she simply said at this point “Why don’t we say a prayer for Emma right now?”
I am not used to saying my prayers in coffee shops, but there we were with heads bowed & this nice lady saying a beautiful & simple prayer for Emma. It somehow seemed seemed quite natural doing that together on the spot.

So we parted yet again & all I knew about her really was that she had a good old fashioned biblical name of Sarah & that she lived almost right into the heart of Newcastle city, which takes quite a time travelling on a bus to go & do craft work to where she goes plus a bus trip to my neck of the woods. However, this seems to be her pattern & I like it when we run into each other.

Then one night I was laying in bed thinking how I would like to tell Sarah what happened for Emma & Disney on Ice as it’s such a lovely & quite amazing story. However, I had no idea what her surname was or her telephone number so had absolutely no way of getting in touch with her.

So I phoned straight to heaven & as I said my prayers I asked that the good Lord would send her to Micheles patisserie again soon. I hadn’t seen Sarah for several months.

Four days later & I was at Micheles celebrating a friend’s birthday when I looked up & saw Sara standing at our table. I received such a lovely surprise at seeing her there that I jumped up & was quite emotional. We gave each other a great meaningful hug.

I think my amazement at seeing her in front of me was because Sarah was a long way from my mind at that moment & I wasn’t expecting my prayer to be answered so soon. I suppose I had in my mind that somehow she would walk in when I was on my own.

Ursula, Jean, Dawn & Sarah in Micheles Patisserie.

However, as the saying goes, “God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.” While this was not a wonder or in any way mysterious I think I was just so elated that my simple prayer had been important enough to be answered so soon. It didn’t take me long to understand why it was so.

I introduced Sarah to my friends, Ursula & Jean, who were at the table with me & explained we were just celebrating Ursula’s birthday. When Sarah sat & we all settled down again, Ursula continued to unwrap her gifts & I then heard the story of how Sarah came to be there.

Without going into details, I ascertained that Sarah had plans to catch another bus from where she had been but she told me the Lord said He wanted her to catch a bus to Warner’s Bay as she was wanted there.

Sarah says these things frequently when I am with her & makes it sound like it is so natural that the Lord speaks to her. I had to ask the question “Sarah is it an actual voice that you hear or is it some inner sense or something like that?”

From my own experience in life I do have an inner voice that I don’t hear directing me lots of times. It’s more of an inner sense. However, it is something that I have learnt from experience to take notice of as it is always right.

Sarah simply replied that no, it is a definite voice,  so(oh ye if little faith) I have to really believe it. Only once in my life did I actually hear a real voice in my head, which I told you about. When it happened I got such a shock that it reduced me to tears. My shock was evident to the person I was with at the time.

I therefore understand that some people do actually hear voices. I must say that Sarah talks about the Lord speaking to her as if it’s an every day happening & is very matter-of-fact about it.

The scriptures says that the Lord spoke to people on earth – Moses & Noah & many others – so I guess He can still make Himself heard in two thousand & seventeen.

Sara did tell me that as a younger person she told a group about the Lord speaking to her & someone said “Well, He doesn’t talk to me” to which Sarah replied in a matter of fact manner ‘Maybe you are not listening.” I expect that could be true.

I made sure as soon as Sarah sat down & I had told her about Emma that we exchanged surnames & phone numbers. Apparently the reason she had been directed to Warners Bay was two fold as it wasn’t long before Sarah & Ursula were doing some serious talking.

Apparently Ursula was carrying a heavy load about her granddaughter & was wanting some advice. I have no idea what it was about until later when Sarah rang me to let me know she arrived home safely. That phone call was only sponsored by the fact that I was getting so concerned when Sarah waa talking with Ursula so deeply that I prompted her, afraid that she would miss her bus when I had no need, she was already in the best of hands.

I have a lot to learn!

Love you. Dawn X O X O