(41) WHAT A TREAT! WHAT A HUSBAND!

My husband had a not so insignificant win on our national lottery, and he gave it ALL to me to have a complete day of spa pampering. Despite my protests he insisted, so I got on the Internet and found a little oasis called Aramsa in the middle of Bishun Park2 and took myself off for a really deep massage for an hour, another hour for a facial and a 2 hour manicure and pedicure. My hands and feet were a wreck and she wanted me to do 3 hours!! Then I took myself to their cafe and had a vegan burger (how pure!!). The surroundings are absolutely gorgeous, set in a public park and all I did whilst I was being pampered was think that this is the sort of house/surrounding I'd love to retire to. Huge leafy plants, koi ponds, bridges, rock waterfalls, no grass, just pebbles and rocks, filtered light, outdoor showers, lush bamboo and palm privacy walls. Oh life can be bliss occasionally. How nice that it's just a few minutes away from the Australian International School where we hope Mya will be attending next year..... I might just get lost occasionally and find myself there again. How very sweet of George. He also took Mya to see the Bee movie and they loved it.


He's taking her to Sentosa to go on the Luge (a high speed cart that races down the hill) and then to the dancing water pool today - Sunday. They'll have a great day again and I'll get into my sewing room. George accidently packed my sewing stuff to come home via the sea freight instead of the air freight and I was like a junky without drugs because I'd taken my sewing machine feet to Melbourne to let a friend trial them. No feet, no sewing, no relaxation. Jerry and Rosie my local Bernina suppliers have be really kind and lent me some feet for my sewing machine. So today I’ll be using a borrowed foot and off I go into another day of bliss - this time in my sewing room making handbags. Oh yes and lunch with one of my Singapore sisters.

It's so good catching up with my friends. I caught up for coffee with my quilting friends on Friday, and on Tuesday we are having our Christmas lunch.

I start house hunting on Monday. I just have a good feeling this time we'll find something super. - I hope so. We deserve it after 2 years in this place. Anyway not ungrateful we had somewhere to live, but I want something to feel like home - a sancutary that fits us.

By the way, most of you know my feelings about this election, all I can say is YIPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEE welcome home to our soldiers, hopefully we have a better chance at a peaceful life in Australia now. Maybe someone who can see past the next election in their planning, some international "bridge building" and a dam or two for the future, some world class education and health care would help!! Good on you Australia let's hope we have a government we can be proud of for a change! Now I might start feeling like being an Australian again.

This has been an unpaid political comment - hahahahaha.

(40) ALLELUIA, HOME IN SINGAPORE AT LAST.

We arrived at Singapore's Changi airport at midnight on the 21st of November, exactly 7 months to the day since I left with the news of mum's diagnosis. Mum's happy and settled in her new unit and has great carers and friends close at hand. Everything to do with mum's move and the sale of the house is finished, and everything in place.

We were exhausted, depleted, and completely worn out, but so glad to be together and back to our own home at last.


Mya walked into her room and said "It's so nice to be home Mummy".

Spent the first day determined not to hit the deck running, so I emptied 3 of the 4 suitcases, fixed the clocks, phone chips (Australian number dead now) also the computer settings to change to Singapore - PLEASE STILL USE THE .co.uk address - I know it's confusing, BUT IT'S A "FOLLOW ME" EMAIL ADDRESS and works around the world. Also my Skype follows me too, so if I'm no on line and you want to talk, hang on and it will be forwarded to my mobile - free to you.

I chased up the agent and will be house hunting as early as Monday when Mya goes back to school.

Our container of 35 boxes from Melbourne will be arriving by slow boat so we only have to unpack it into our new home. I can't wait it has my new sewing table and accidently all my sewing accessories - but friends here have volunteered to lend me theirs. So kind.


Well it feels like writing the end of a story, but the story fortunately is not over. Although this blog started off as mum's blog, it'll continue now with our life as the main feature. Please feel free to drop in and read any time.

Lots of love Miranda

Love from all of us.

(39) OUR LITTLE GIRL IS 6

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Mya
Happy birthday to you.

The star of the show is the mermaid on the left.

Here the hard workers take a rest in the cool air conditioned part.

Pin the treasure on the map.

SOMEONE'S A HAPPY LITTLE GIRL

Dad's other little girl, and Mya's big sister Jodie.

STEPTOE AND SON

Face painting by Crystal the clown.



Even Tooty the bird got into the theme with a home made pirates hat of skulls and cross bones.
Poor guy it must have been 100+ degerees in that costume.

We had great fun playing follow the dagger.

Guess who loved her icecream cake.

Girlfriend and boyfriend. Mya and Blake.



BELOW:

Oh by the end of the day someone had had enough of smiling at cameras. Otherwise this is a rare photo of the Rowlands Family together in one country at the same time.... (Tony we may ask you to do another photoshop on the smile!!! AGAIN for us.... and perhaps some cropping on me.)

(38) BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS OF THE HOUSE...

A picture says a thousand words….

So here are several thousand words encapsulated in a few photos.

To see the professional photos please look at Fletchers’ real estate site.
The property will soon be listed - Manningham Road Doncaster
http://www.fletchers.net.au/index.cfm?fuseaction=s.viewResults


In exactly one week, we prepared mum’s unit, moved her in, emptied her house, renovated and titivated painted, scraped, cleaned, sorted, lifted and shifted, redecorated and VOILA!! Here it is....


But before we take all the praise, we'd lke to acknowledge some of the people who have contributed voluntarily to bring this massive project to its completion:
Brett, Irene, Mya, Pam, Sue, Thanasi, Thimitra, Thimo, Tony, Zari,

And people who chipped in by caring for Mya, so she didn’t have to completely live in shambles and boredom.
Ahmed and Lumar( Omer), Jodie (Rachel), InSook(Jenny), Margit (Tamlyn), Sharon (Matthew and Andrew), Stacey, Vicky (Maree)

We hired http://www.hiphouse.com.au/ to do the final decorating touches.

THANK YOU EVEYRONE – WITHOUT YOU WE WOULDN’T HAVE HAD SUCH A GREAT RESULT in such a short time , nor A SANE CHILD. Mya has had to endure a lot of changes, not a lot of attention, little family life, her mum sleeping in a different room as her bed was being moved to make way for work to be done. Her own be d one night, a friends house the next (Sue and Tony - again thanks) for a night and then a hotel for the next few nights. And yet anther country and school change. Mya's been really brave through all this upheaval. I bet she won't want to become an interior decorator or renovater when she grows up.


If I've left out your name inadvertently you probably will forgive me if you knew what time I was writing this....My apologies and please let me know, it's just sheer tiredness not rudeness. My honour role where I wrote everyone's name is at the house - I'm in the hotel.


Hope you like it.

B E F O R E - A N D - A F T E R

Master Bedroom

















Lounge Dining


















Formal Dining



















Kitchen

Entrance hall

3rd Bedroom

2nd Bedroom

Family room /Mya's Cubby House Now TV alcove and Family room/study

Zari my cousin who's put in a lot of time helping said "It looks great girls, you deserve lots of accolades"

The real estate agent said; "I'm looking forward to selling this."

Mum said; "It looks lovely girls."

The real estate photgrapher said, "I could move in tomorrow".

Everyone who's seen Loretta and I work, have
said - "Can you come and do my house?"

Our answer......"SORRY, WE'RE BOOKED FOR THE
REST OF OUR LIVES!"

(37) MUM'S IN HER NEW INDEPENDENT LIVING UNIT

We got there, with everyone alive.....and I have to admit…. "Just alive". Loretta and I are so exhausted we can barely walk, but mum is in her new unit and set up with everything in its place. There is only one small area to be sorted in her own time. She has lots of support there and the staff love her, so she will be well cared for. Our friend Pam has already offered to take her shopping list to the Vic market for fresh produce and any other little shopping needs - as they share the same shopping centre. How lucky - how generous of Pam. My friend Sue continues to support mum, visiting, taking her for outings and chatting on the phone. lots of my friends over the years have adopted mum and it's a wonderful feeling for us that our friends care for her.



Mum's new phone number is 98 77 63 69.


Our family home got all but emptied today too. Everything got moved out of our house this morning into Mum’s unit or the garage downstairs, ready to be sorted for a garage sale. All we have of the original furniture is one double bed and a kitchen table in the entire "mansion". Super Sue came to the rescue with camp beds, chairs, crockery etc etc. It’s so nice to have such thoughtful friends.

Then what hasn’t sold in the massive garage sale on Sat Sun 17th 18th Nov, goes to charities, and what charities don't want will go in a huge rubbish removal container to go to the tip. Its’ a process of elimination with the least amount of physical shifting.


Boy those moving staff today were incredible. After all the moves we’ve done, I’d have to say they were excellent. Anyone in Australia needing movers – I recommend http://www.minimovers.com.au/



Anyone offering free back massages, physical help with the house clearing, garage sale monitoring , minding Mya whilst the cleaning up and garage sale happen, or simple moral support will be entitled to one extra present from Santa this year. Hmm Christmas, will be a very small affair this year. By the way, today being the 7th October …It’s 48 sleeps till Christmas. But I think our Christmases came all at once today with mum content in her secure and supported background. A rare flutter at the pub casino tonight where we went for dinner because we were too depleted to even cook for ourselves, saw my $4 turn into $52 in 3 minutes. SO maybe my luck is changing!!! George arrives next Tuesday.

Margit continues to take Mya to school every morning and I collect her daughter in the afternoon- why didn't we think of this earlier! Margit even checks Mya has everything she needs in her school bag - with so much going on my brain isn't always able to remember everything - I didn't know last Monday was a Curriculum day and Mya was ready and waiting to go to school - and there was no school!! Jodie and Jin/Irene and Stacey take Mya for an hour or two staving away her boredom and giving us complete working time. Mya's classmate’s mothers are really supportive. She's being looked after this entire weekend 10th 11th, so we can have a child-free zone for all the people volunteering for our Working bee -

Any spare time anyone????
Keep well.... I can't write another word, I'm too exhausted.

(36) Mum visits the doctor AND>>>>>>>

Mum visited the doctor's yesterday, he said "Every time I see you, you look better and stronger. Looks like you have beaten the cancer hey?" Now we are not sure if that was a metaphorical comment, but who knows????....It true she is definitely in better health than any time since the cancer diagnosis 7 months ago. He's even letting her drive (which she did twice last week anyway, to our dismay...) Oh well, she said that she'd written a letter upstairs and it looks like her application has been rejected. She may be right.

(35) A BIG DAY - MUM SIGNED FOR HER NEW UNIT

A BIG DAY - MUM SIGNED FOR HER NEW UNIT

"Ladies.... I'm signing."

The big day when mum signs for her new Independent Living Unit.

Done! Documents Signed, Sealed and Delivered.
The commitment is made!

After her respite, mum came home adamant she was not ready for the stage of hostel living. "It was full of old people" she said. We had a case management meeting and an offer was made for an Independent Living Unit which is attached to Strathdon Community Aged Care. She will have her own two bedroom unit, someone will come in and supervise her morning personal care, and then once a week she will have help with housework or shopping.


Mum's unit is one of 8 in a building detached from Strathdon Aged Care, but situated within the complex grounds. Hers and 3 others are upstairs, and accessed from a raised car park so there are no stairs to negotiate. It faces a verdant cul de sac - with established gardens belonging to the neighbours as a view. She has a lovely large L- shaped balcony for her beloved flower pots. Her lounge faces a large treed area and opens out to a panoramic open view. Her dining room is next to the kitchen which has all modern fittings as the unit is only 4 years old. There is a large bathroom with all the support rails for frail people. Then there is a medium sized bedroom which mum has chosen for herself and a larger one for us or Loretta when we visit.
Lots of storage too.

It will be freshly painted, the curtains went off for dry cleaning and today the carpets were steam cleaned. Mum's helper Georgia, who is a brilliant housekeeper, is going to give it a spring clean. Starting tomorrow we will be moving into the bathroom, kitchen and bedroom knick knacks in. On Wednesday the removalists will deliver the big furniture.

We have to hire some furniture to keep Mum's house livable for us until we leave on the 16th December. In the meantime we finish packing mum's items to be moved this weekend (we've already done half) and then once she's moved into her unit next Wednesday....... We start a new phase....It's heads down and bums up to get everything out of the house to prepare it for sale/auction.

It's not only an emotional time for mum, it's been our family home too, and mine for about 25 years. Boo Hoo. But the incentive is that the quicker we get it ready, the quicker we can get back to our lives, our husbands and our own homes.




Mum is so happy. Strathdon Community has been her primary case management service for the past 7 years. She has so many friends there and when we went to inspect another unit to get an idea of the quality of the unit, the lady told us that she thought mum would fit in nicely into the unit's family atmosphere. The others we met today all seem very nice. SO!! mum will have old friends and new friends there. Today she had 4 people she knew from the Strathdon staff come to visit. They, all promising to take her to lunch or have their own with her whenever she feels lonely. They are exceptionally caring.

The best thing is that the Community Aged Care Centre offers a lot of services – the most important being a 24 hour nurse on duty. There is also podiatry, day care, therapy, hairdressers, kiosk – you name it – it’s there. Also there are 2 major shopping areas close by. Mum already seems happy about going there. She is independent but has services on site if she requires them. Also if her health deteriorates, she will be moved from the independent living unit to the hostel then to the nursing home, all on the same complex and without us having to return to find other staged alternatives every time. We'll visit when we can - not in emergencies only as has been the case in the past.

Mum can go for walks in the quiet safe neighbourhood. She will also plan to go out with her friends to the nearby shops, local restaurants or cafes. We have about 4 sets of friends living within a 3 minute drive from her place, and one of her carers who is also a friend is 5 minutes away. Pammy has already put her hand up to take mum to her house to enjoy their lovely native garden with native birds - it's a street away from mum's new local shopping centre.




We have applied for a phone connection and as soon as it is installed. You can ring her on 9877-6369. She does ask that people ring before calling in. By next weekend we should have mum totally settled and then the massive job is ahead of us. In amongst all of that, we have George arriving and Mya's and his birthday. We're having a Pirates and Mermaids party. Fish and chips for party food to go with the maritime theme. Our little girl will be six!!!!! Life moves on.