Saturday morning we visited The Grove Library where one of their daughter’s partner is running a coffee shop – great coffee and delightful cakes – in a new and modern library.
Then we went to Kings Park (on the western side of the city centre). The wild flowers were starting to bloom.
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| Graham, Barbara, Leonie and David |
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| Banksia |
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| Kangaroo Paw |
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| Eucalyptus Macrocarpa |
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| Gum nuts |
By the afternoon the weather had deteriorated and the rain gusted by strong winds lashed the house. That evening Graham and Leonie took us to Frasers Restaurant at Kings Park for a lovely dinner.
Sunday evening we enjoyed dinner at Selwyn, Monica, Sam and Josh’s place – a very happy family home. Selwyn worked at one of my major Singapore clients in the late 1990s and early 2000s. I have been able to visit them about five times since they immigrated to Perth.
On Monday Barbara and I enjoyed a coffee at the nearby City Beach village shopping centre. We walked through Beecroft Park, the park behind the shopping centre and around some of the residential streets returning to the shopping centre just as the rains arrived. We lunched on fish and chips and then enjoyed a peaceful afternoon. Monday evening we enjoyed dinner at the beaufort street merchant Highgate with one of our daughter's friends.
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| David lazing in Beecroft Park |
Tuesday, I took Barbara to the airport, bought seminar chocolates and checked in at the Hyatt Regency, Perth where I facilitated a Facilitators Workshop late afternoon and the financial modules of the Company Directors Course on the Wednesday. It was my first seminar facilitation in five months. Both sessions were well received. I felt energised from facilitating in my usual energetic mode. It was so good being back in harness. In September I am scheduled to facilitate for three days and in October I will be in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur running seminars. During the week I received two emails from the Australian Institute of Company Directors inviting me to facilitate two more sessions later in the year. So, by the end of my time in Perth, I felt that I was back to my normal life of being semi-retired.
Wednesday evening I met Leonie’s parents when we went to JB O’Reilly’s Hotel for ‘pie and pint’. Each week, members of their wider family gather at the hotel for dinner and time together – was good to be part of that.
Thursday I had coffee at Cups Cafe in Subiaco, catching up with people whom I met many years ago through the Think on Your Feet® network. Yet again, I was reminded that many of us have difficult phases in our lives and a lot of the people in the world live lives full of difficulty and deprivation. I reflected on the wonderful blessing of my being in a loving, peaceful and close family and the enjoyment of good relationships with wider family and friends. I drove around and ended up at City Beach shopping centre for a light lunch and coffee. During the afternoon I relaxed. That night, I enjoyed a delicious home cooked Moroccan dinner with three of us talking and sharing and imbibing in nearly three bottles of wine!
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| Sunset over City Beach |
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| The Moroccan dinner! |
Friday morning I left Perth on a glorious, sunny and warm winter’s day. I returned to a wet Sydney.
Barbara and I have enjoyed a quiet weekend on our own at Club 55. Saturday, Barbara and I had breakfast at my favourite Pain de Sucre. I caught up on my washing and ironing and some of my administration matters. Late afternoon we relaxed watching TV and we had a decadent dinner of three cheeses, pate, home made chutney and tasty olives processed from our friends John and Alison's olive trees. Sunday afternoon I had afternoon tea with Steve. Now, I am writing this blog entry. Tomorrow I go to chemo round 11!
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