From Athabasca: December 2001

 

6.12.2001

Athabasca

 

Dear Alan,

                                Now you will discover that my handwriting is worse than terrible.

                Had dentist hell this year. I had a tooth pulled in May. 5^th left bottom. For a month or more the pain had increased to the level that every night I took an aspro or I couldn’t sleep. In March 2000, part of the tooth broke off, a couple of years before the filling fell out. It had rotted down to the nerve. Either root canal ($2,000) or bridge ($2,000). So I got it pulled. I then had work done in September on 6 teeth, over $400 worth. Yuck. George who has also avoided the dentist has started to get his teeth fixed, but fortunately didn’t lose any. It will cost $1600. Farming is definitely the wrong business.

Farming has been one step forward, two steps backward this year. It had everything from the thief who stole money and fuel from us, including all the boys’ coins, the Cree J, who disappeared with his pay to a reserve, the grandson who drove a grain truck into the pickup and a retired soil scientist who came for a week in harvest and thought repairs were exciting. The wheat has ergot a natural poison, the canola didn’t make it, so got frost damaged and didn’t turn so is only grade 3, the barley was good, but one crop wasn’t going to make it, so we cut it for silage, so we have too much. Our water to the cattle is completely out at the moment the cows are eating snow and we didn’t buy any feeders. We haven’t weaned our calves but our car failed us, the trip was hell.

George got 2^nd @ 3^rd burns during harvest when he opened the radiator cap. He is worn out at the moment. Both Aurora and Bryce visited in Spring. Aurora 15 year old Yale who is a computer whizz kid. He has a website. To both of them we out of the real world and LA is it. Bryce kept cleaning his expensive shoes because they got dirt on them.

Wedding anniversaries don’t appeal to me, I would be more interested in Dad’s 80^th, but that’s not until 2003.

                Tempted to enclose some GE canola. Did you know the first genetically modified product was insulin. Do all insulin users get kicked out of Tassie when Tassie goes GE free? If commercial farmers are so bad how come we are living longer and are taller?

                I imagine Bradley can already hit a cricket ball and kick a footy. Robert can do head stands. He is too competitive and having trouble at school showing tolerance to others. He has his own sense of fair play.

                                Love Pam

From Merrivale: July 2001

 

July 2001

Merrivale

Dear Alan, Lorna, Bradley @ Girls,

I am sitting in the verandah at Southbroom enjoying a lovely sunshine day.

24 Degrees. We have been to the beach 3 times but I haven’t swum as there has been acold wind blowing off the snow, But Uncle Brian has swum twice haven’t been too well as my heart plays up every now @ then @ it makes me very tired @ weak. I am seeing a Dr on Monday, But I am afraid our health services have gone to the dogs. Leah has to have an operation on her one eye as it is slightly squint @ she has to go to the African Hospital at Edendale @ they’ll be lucky if they’re not hijacked or have their car stolen.

Sheila has lost her marbles as she has taken in an alcoholic father @ his 3 daughters @ a half colored grandchild @ she has the smallest house I have ever seen much much smaller than ours @ If you say anything she takes off. I’m fed up with her as when we stayed with her she told me how Ronald couldn’t stand having everybody in the house @ then we left in a hurry@ she kept phoning @ telling me how Sherry @ Juan were always there @ she didn’t know how to tell them nicely not to come so often then she takes in permanently 5 delinquent people @ tells me how happy they all are @ phones me @ gives me hell about something had nothing to do with then adds that she still loves me @ I’m the best mother , so I was so hurt we won’t go back there again in a hurry. Sherry, Juan @ children are still with us but have got a house, so will be shifting out soon. Sherry has a job but Juan not as yet.

Josh is growing fast @ is getting cute Lionel @ I had 2 fights @ Dad said he wouldn’t go back to Debbie’s if Lionel was there, then he phoned me late one night @ said he was coming to Dad’s party so I said he was one of the family @ so was expected. Ronald @ Lesley never came.

Thank you for Dad’s present. He had such a lovely party. People are still talking about it. 100 people. The Church did all the catering too. Setting out of the tables. Sheila didn’t come as she was forbidden to come by Ronald @ also had that household to take care of, but they could come all the way to Durban for a 2^nd marriage for a friend of Ronald’s so I am very angry about that as only Neal @ Debbie came @ of course Sherry, Juan @ family. I am hoping to send you a video of the party. There were quiet a few rude remarks made by old friends because Ronald didn’t come.

Jenny phoned Dad @ sent him some tools with Regan. Regan comes over to see us, but Clinton has never had the decency to come @ say hello since he came home from the UK. Tara @ her boyfriend were at the party, now I’m preparing for our 50^th which will be much bigger @ Sherry will do the decorations she ahs been very bust making decorations for each table.

I’ve got a nasty cough so hope it clears soon. I’m going off now for my afternoon snooze. Hope Melissa can write her exams a bit earlier @ be here for our 50^th. Missing seeing Bradley grow up. The Hayes are coming over in Sept/Oct.

Tons of love @ thanks again.

Dad, Mum @ family

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Merrivale: June 2001

 

June 2001

Merrivale

Dear Melissa,

I am sitting in the sun at Southbroom balancing this letter on my lap hence all the ups @ downs.

I am writing to say PLEASE PLEASE try @ make it to our 50^th wedding anniversary on 6^th October as it will really make our day @ give you a chance to meet a lot of your relatives who haven’t seen you fro 15 years.

Grandpa had such a wonderful party with 100 people @ everyone is still talking about it  We have it on video @ I am going to get Juan to make a copy for you all to see.

Sherry, Juan, Aaron @ Leah are living with us until Juan gets a job. We adore the children but I do find it very tiring us all living cramped in our small house. Josh is growing so fast smiling @ trying to talk. They have gone two Shu Shu some hot springs . I can’t stand it there as it is so primitive 1 longdrop @ sometimes 1000 people.

We are missing Bradley as he looks too cute in those pictures of him in his bubble bath. We always seem to talk to Jolene when Mum phones you always seem to be out. How’s varsity Mum says you have to do another 6 months as they have changed the curriculum.

It’s Regan’s 21^st to-day. He has come back to south Africa. So has Tara who lives in Empangeni.

I think Sheila has lost her marbles as she has the smallest house imaginable @ she has taken in  an alcoholic father , his three daughters @ an illegitimate grandchild. Byron now lives in St Francis Bay @ Wesley at varsity at Stellenbosch. Garrett doesn’t know what he wants to do, but he is doing some varsity degree through Unisa. He wants to be an actor or model, I must admit he is very good looking but unfortunately has a very bad skin through bad eating habits.

Well I am going to close now give my love to everyone.

I have just come inside @ seen the South Africans give the Aussies a good hiding in Rugby. Ha Ha.

Tons of love to everyone.

                From Papa @ Nana

 

 

 

From Merrivale: June 2001

                                                                                                                                                         Merrivale

Dear Melissa @ Jolene,

Thank you for your letter Melissa. When I sent off the postcards to Jolene @ Stacey I had a lovely one for you of a whale, but somehow it got lost so decided to write this airmail to both of you. All the photos you sent Debbie were lovely I am going to frame the ones of grandpa working in his garage. He will turn 80 on the 8^th June so we are giving him a party with 100 people. We are having it in the church hall @ it will be a lunch. I wouldn’t know you girls if I saw you now with your long hair. The computer phots of Bradley in his bubble bath are too cute. We have only see Josh Michael 3 times as Lionel was so rude to Grandpa that we are staying out of his way, but Debbie comes to visit with the children when she has a car as Lionel had an accident in hers @ its not going n@ wasn’t insured. We have a wedding on Saturday Tony Kennard our nephew’s daughter Meloney is getting married. She is a lawyer @ so is her husband to be. On Sunday we are going to “Thimble Bee” Grandpa’s siter Kathleen’s old home for a braai. Aunty Norah another sister of grandpa is coming here after the wedding for a few days then friends are taking us down to a cottage at Shelly Beach for a week @ during that time another very god friend is having her 50^th wedding anniversary so we’ll have to go to that which is about 120 kms from Shelly Beach. Petrol goes up here every month last month they put it up 19 cents now this month by 9 cents never ends.

We are hoping to celebrate our 50^th wedding anniversary on 4^th October @ again will have a lunch in the church hall, wish you could all come as it would really make our day. The whole family are coming from St Francis Bay, Aunt Jenny not, but Tara is back in South Africa so she @ her boyfriend will come We also have a friend who is flying over from the UK just for the 50^th anniversary.

Sherry Juan Aaron @ Leah have settled down well in St Francis. Taryn was looking after Leah @ let her fall into a bath of near boiling water so she has a badly burnt hand @ arm. Byron is also living in St Francis his girlfriend comes to see us regularly . Can’t wait to see you girls @ hope we will be able to take you to St Francis Bay one of the most beautiful places missing Stacey @ Bradley so tons of love to each one of you.

Papa @ Nana