2020

 

It’s hard to sum up the past year. You’re probably having the same difficulty. Besides the discovery of covid-19, the anxiety of the unknown, the panic buying, the lockdowns, hand sanitising, the forgetting distancing, and the bullying by other Australian Premiers because Western Australia eliminated covid-19 and doesn’t want to let it in.

At Cape Arid

In mid March Tom and I flew to Melbourne to catch up with old friends and family. It was a trip we’d had to cancel last year and I was looking forward to seeing these lovely people I’ve known so long. In Melbourne we travelled on trams, trains and buses and sanitised our hands a lot. It seemed strange seeing so many people wearing masks.  Something was about to happen. But boy, we had no idea! We returned to Perth in a crowded plane, just a few days before the interstate borders closed. Then we watched and checked for symptoms over the next few weeks. Had we caught the virus in Melbourne? No, we were lucky.

Cousins Kay & Mandy, Wagga Bob

 

With Heather & her daughter Liz in Croydon

With Kristina in Thornbury

On top of all that I got news that the cancer treatment was not working and there were now no other options. I stopped treatment at the end of July, a week before my low key covid-19 safe 70^th birthday.  

Amazing thing was, I suddenly had much more energy and my hands, feet and back no longer hurt.  I could do so much more. The doctor had said I’d have about six good months, so Tom and I have been actively filling them with wonderful experiences – Western Australian camping trips, north to Mount Augustus and the Kennedy Ranges, and east along the south coast as far as Cape Arid.  Our state borders only just opened last week, and the international ones are still closed.

My kind son Khalil was given approval to make a compassionate visit to Perth from his home in Kuala Lumpur. He and his family have not been to Perth since January 2020. He came alone this time, as 2+2 weeks of hotel quarantine with active 8 and 10 year old boys doesn’t bear thinking about. After he exited quarantine we went on a marvellous mother and son trip to Albany, Esperance, Mount Barker and Katanning, south east of Perth. Not only was it an amazing experience to spend such an extended period of time with my son, we visited beautiful places I’d taken him to when he was young, as well as others I’ve come to love and wanted to share with him. He even came on a cemetery crawl with me, looking up old family graves in Katanning.  I learned he’d developed a love of karri forests, didn’t like heights much and at 43, no longer needed my unsolicited driving tips. 

So it’s been quite an eventful 11 months so far. Not sure what it will be like up ahead but I am as prepared as you can be. Tom and Khalil have been so supportive. I am so fortunate.

The weather is getting hotter; summer starts soon, bringing the camping season to a close.  But we have planned a bakery crawl with friends. A day trip visiting a number of country towns, including the extensive Christmas shop in Toodyay. That should be fun.

I hope your Christmas is filled with joy - even if like me, you cannot be with your closest family because of covid-19 restrictions. I’m sure Zoom and Facetime will be running hot in the weeks to come. Best wishes for the coming year and do keep in touch. I love hearing your news.