My Family’s Love

On Sunday 31 January 2016 Barbara and I reached the milestone of 40 years married.  Hurrah!  Our family celebrated at The View Restaurant at Taronga Park Zoo – a wonderful experience with our loving family.  In this blog entry I want to celebrate my family’s love, which is so freely given.

Palliative Care Family Meeting

On the afternoon of Australia Day, Tuesday 26 January we had a family meeting to discuss palliative care for me in the last stage of my life.  In my Planning My Future blog entry late last year I included information on what I am including in my Advanced Care Directive.  Barbara and I had opposite views on palliative care.  I want to go to an institution so there would be no death at Club 55 and I would not be a burden on Barbara and the family.  Barbara wants me at home.  So, we decided to have a family meeting to discuss this.  No one wanted the discussion around Christmas or New Year.  We agreed on Australia Day.  Barbara and I and our four children and one of their spouses were there.  The other three partners had separate discussions with our children.

My family made very clear to me that they want me to be at home at Club 55.  Their reasons included our home being nicer than in a hospital, evidence shows palliative care at home is more meaningful and wanting to bring the grandchildren to visit.  Obviously mine is the minority view.  I am glad that we had a family discussion and I am very happy to agree to palliative care being at home.  I think the end time of my life involves all of us.  Hence, it should be what we all want.

We understand that in providing palliative care at home, the palliative care nurses make sure I am well cared for and will send me to an institution if sufficient care cannot be given at home.  Once I am stabilised they will return me to our home.  Thus the Australian health system will assist our family during this difficult time.

Our children showed their love and concern for us.  It was a very special time of receiving my family’s love.  Barbara and I are so thankful for the love and support of our children and their partners.  It is hard to imagine it being better!

40th Anniversary Family Celebration

That is enough of the serious stuff.  A very enjoyable family time was our family dinner at Taronga Park Zoo on our wedding anniversary day, 31 January.  It was too noisy in the View Restaurant to have speeches; so I am hoping we will have a speech time at our next family dinner.  Nearly everyone went to the zoo early in the morning.  I arrived at midday because I had a breakfast engagement with three friends from my professional life.

Our two older granddaughters enjoyed seeing some of the animals but they are a bit young to get that excited about the animals such as the seals, gorillas, elephants and giraffes.  I think the adults were more excited.  After our lunch, a passing stranger took two good photos of all of us.  This is the second one plus some other zoo photos:

 

40th and 1st anniversaries celebrated on the same day - 31 January!

With three of my grandchildren

Enjoying our meal

The giraffes enjoying their lunch with the Harbour Bridge in background

Our Private Celebrating

On Monday Barbara and I headed for Port Stephens for our personal celebration of our wedding anniversary.  We enjoyed lunch in Newcastle with my cousin Louise and her daughter Lesley.  Here in Port Stephens we are having a relaxing time.  Monday night, we had a mini celebratory dinner at an Italian restaurant in Shoal Bay where we are staying at the Ramada complex.  Tuesday we rested and slept – we needed this downtime and felt more normal on Wednesday.  Wednesday we enjoyed our celebratory lunch at the Point Restaurant at Soldiers Point – delicious hot and cold seafood platters.

At our table ready to begin our lunch

The mixed seafood grill in front and cold seafood platter behind

My after seafood lunch cappuccino

Last night we did a short walk including wandering through the local
caravan park where there are many rabbits that behave like pets!

Morning view from our accommodation balcony

My Tuesday morning walk view of Zenith Beach

View of ocean rocks and north head at end of Ocean Rocks Track

Today, Thursday, I walked the trail up the 161 metre Tomaree Head summit, which is the south head of the entrance to Port Stephens (the trail begins about 500 metres from our accommodation).  I have not done much hill walking for a while.  I needed six rests on the way up and none on the way down.  It felt good to make it to the top on this 2.5 kilometre return walk.  Barbara and I will head home tomorrow feeling refreshed.

View south on way to summit of Zenith Beach (left) and Shoal Bay (right)

Padlocks at the summit to celebrate loving relationships

View south from the summit of Zenith and other beaches in
Tomaree National Park

Proof I made it to the top (photo overlooking Shoal Bay taken by a walker)