One Third of 2019 Is Over! 17/51#LifeThisWeek. 44/2019.

No!

Yes, it is gone.

But hold on…I just wrote this post…..

January 2019.

After the non-excitement in our lives called “the year 2018 becomes the year 2019” there was something I needed to do. Before Christmas I noticed a growing area of skin from my ‘new gum’  towards the top of my upper prosthesis so after sharing a photo to my Professor in Sydney, he said “come down on 8 January for me to look”. At Chris O’Brien Lifehouse again, I took time for a coffee and a look around, said hello to Gail O’Brien and then went to my appointment.

“OH, good” says the Prof, “It’s the same as in the photo.” Me: “OK, but what now”. He said to keep an eye on it and if it grew more than maybe more surgery would be needed. And then when I innocently asked another question, the reply was “I’m a cancer doctor, that’s what we always think of first”.

With that comment, I was both grateful (it wasn’t) and chastened to think it might have been. On my drive home alone, I considered how I was feeling and to be truthful, it was that “cancer” had not entered my head. I have learned it can lurk and nothing should be taken for granted.

A third adult grandchild! How did that happen? We drove to Sydney to see our family’s new rental place and catch up. Of course, Happy 18th Birthday to our first grandson. This was a hot day but on the day he was born it was even hotter with many storms afterwards! This young man is an up and coming DJ in hardstyle. I admit I do not know exactly what that means but I do know he is good at music and sharing and being part of the ‘scene’.

Off to see my now 95 year old Dad on another occasion. Another January birthday boy. He had a celebration with my brother and family and some where he lives. Our morning tea was a quiet one as he likes it and he showed me the extensions for the club next door. After that I visited my niece in her new place and up to where we used to live to see what was happening with the renos. A lot.

Another appointment about my mouth in January and this time to the prosthodontist who could share the photos of his new (and first) grandchild. I got a “well-done” from him for my mouth care. Phew. It is hard doing what I can to keep my prosthesis and gums and abutments clean! But it is a MUST and I do that.

And we celebrated 48 years of marriage. Good on us.

February 2019.

I normally dislike this month and because of the weather that continues. However, there were some good parts to this month, including my daughter starting her new role as a teacher-librarian in a brand new school – with no air con on 45 degree days in Western Sydney – but everyone was chuffed to be part of this new and wonderful school which I will write about in a future blog post. I had a few twinges of missing going back to school but they soon went as the thermometer climbed. And, towards the end of the month, the man I married turned 70.

In no particular order, here’s how February panned out:

March 2019.

Sadly there were no participants in the mindfulness mandala classes I had offered to over see at the Library but I took that as a blessing in disguise with my on-going role with Beyond Five as an Ambassador taking precedence. In this month, I met a friend for morning tea and a catch up, got out the slow cooker to make lamb shank casserole after finding a very good and rather less expensive meat retailer near us. I also made a LOT of little cakes as we went to see our daughter’s (and granddaughter’s) new school for Book Fair. I made a few trips to the water to reflect and refresh. I would like to say I swam but I have not been interested in the years since we have been at this end of the Central Coast.

April 2019.

It jumps up at us, this 30 day month that contained Easter, School Holidays and ANZAC day. Here’s what I recall as part of my April. We celebrated a granddaughter’s 7th birthday at Easter and all of her family attended. As you have read in earlier posts, I got to meet up with (again) some writer friends at the Newcastle Writers Festival and seeing Rick Morton again was a highlight.

At the end of April: I visited here on A.N.Z.A.C. Day and then came home to make A.N.Z.A.C. biscuits. It was my late grandmother’s birthday on 26 April and I honoured her in an Instagram post. I found out I had been on twitter for 6 years. As @denysewhelan1 that is true but for years before that I was @denwise and made many friends then who remain now.

Sadly, to end the month…and that 1/3 of a year….

The social media world and those who knew Camille Condon (aka @curlypops) were saddened that her life was cut short from cancer. After making it through years with chronic illness, and a double lung transplant, she was told late last year that a rare cancer (not related to anything else) was in her liver. It was devastating news. Then, as she always had, she taught many of us (me included) how to LIVE. Thank you Cam, your life mattered a great deal to many. Her Celebration of Life is being held today. It is her 45th birthday. She had an ‘early’ 45th for family and friends at the beginning of April

She planned it all. Before she died, we were asked to post #colourforcam and I did. Of course. She was a rainbow colours person but most of all loved red, orange and yellow. I will keep posting in Instagram too…

That my friends, readers and bloggers is life till the end (almost!) of April 2019.

Hope yours has been a reasonable one.

Denyse.

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Next week’s optional prompt: 18/51 Taking Stock #2 6/5/19