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My latest visit to my parents in Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast (near Brisbane) in Australia was in December 2002.
I made a couple of photos of him , and a few of my mother (but the lighting was bad in those photos, so I don't have any really good ones to show here.)
For most of his life, my father was a butcher. Together with two of his brothers, they had two butcher shops in the centre of Gisborne. I never did know why they had two shops ... Gisborne is not a big city, especially back when they got started after the second world war. I guess it was a hard life, as it meant that he had to get up at 4 am most days to prepare the meat for the day.
When I was young, we used to live above one of the shops. I remember moving from there to "our house" when I was about 3 years old. When we lived above the shop, I would call down to Dad if I could come and get some meat ... and then I would eat it raw !! Later in my life, I was a vegetarian (for about 7 years), and I then used to remember those days with a wry grin.
In those days, Dad enjoyed surf-casting (fishing in the sea with a rod). Beer was always an important part of the family life. Beer at the beach, beer on the back terrace on a Sunday afternoon (and evening). Even now, when I visit them, 11 am is time for the first beer of the day. Maybe this is the secret to a long life ?
In January 2003, Dad had a bad fall, and damaged his knee. He is now unable to walk unaided, so he has to live in a nursing home. 2003 has been a very difficult year for my parents. Well, for their sons, too. Especially John, and Anne, have done great things for them. They live in Sydney, but they are the closest. John found a way to resolve Mum and Dads financial difficulties. Thanks, John. |