I must confess, I love my new job. Granted I'm cleaning houses but to come home and know that you've helped out people who really need it makes you feel all warm and happy inside. It's corny I know, but it's true. I love the fact that I'm not spending my time making some company richer, I'm helping someone who would otherwise be institutionalised stay in their home and independent.
And it's nice when you have clients who love having you there. Fair enough, I have the odd one who is a pain in the butt but the majority are so happy to see you. To be hugged four times and thanked a hundred after each visit really makes it hit home just how much this service means to some people.
And one of the great things about the job are the hours. I'm only working part time but with Christian's income we comfortably pay the mortgage and other bills and have enough left over to start building back up our savings. And the work is pretty easy - I mean, it's exactly what I do when I clean my own place every weekend. It keeps my hands busy but allows my mind to wander. And one of the things I think about often is my recent trip to visit Boo and Mouse.
It's amazing what small things pop to mind when I think about the trip especially since you'd think it would be the major things that get remembered the most.
It's just little things like...
*I can still remember the buses we used to get into the city. The 42 stopped right outside of Boo's house but wasn't as frequent so we most often caught the 4 which was a short (or if you were tired, LONG) walk away.
*I wonder if those cats from the window sill ever showed up...
*Even after telling the story (several times) of our niece vomiting into my sister's mouth after throwing the baby into the air, Boo went ahead and did the same thing. With the same results. Yum.
*There are no rocks in Scotland.
*There are however a LOT of hat factories.
*Spending forever walking around trying to find somewhere to have lunch at that would a) admit babies and b) fit the pram in.
*Marveling at the differences to home whilst grocery shopping (you buy oranges per orange, not by the kilo! And you can get FRESH raspberries! And they're so cheap!)
*Suddenly finding myself humming the music from Little Big Planet.
*Wishing Molly was a lot smaller and more rodent like so she could climb all over my head and wuzz my hair.
*Hearing the *thunk thunk thunk* of Sam getting her ball stuck in the kitchen doorway.
*The view from our window of Arthur's Seat.
I just have so many memories, most of which pop into my head randomly, making me miss my friends so much. I wish I could come visit again soon but I know it's not viable until at least 2014 :(
I've been thinking about doing a photo post from the trip but since Boo has covered it so nicely I feel like I'll just be boring everyone with the repetitions. Plus the photos are on the other puter...lol. I'll see how I go, maybe I'll get to it one day.
Showing posts with label memories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label memories. Show all posts
Friday, October 29, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Evoking memories
I was just munching on a frozen lamington (the ONLY way to eat them!) and it really brought back memories of when I was a child. I then started thinking of other things that always evoke those sorts of memories and came up with this list.
*Frozen Lamingtons.
For those foreigners who read this and don't know, a lamington is a sponge cake covered in chocolate icing and then rolled in coconut. They used to be big fundraisers back when I was in promary school (before Cadbury cornered the market with their cocaine laced Freddos ;-) lol) and since there were three of us, Mum would usually put in an order with each class. So the end result was quite a few boxes of lamingtons all arriving at the same time. So they wouldn't go stale we would freeze them and now it's just habit to do that. What makes it even more special is if they're raspberry ones!
*Playing darts.
My Mum was a champion darts player and so from the time we were tall enough to throw a dart without missing the board, we were playing. It used to be a family affair too - uncles and aunties and cousins would all converge on our place and we'd play in teams. Many a New Years Eve was spent playing darts and ringing in the New Year with a game of Burma Road.
* John Forest National Park and Fred Jacoby Park.
Dad took us out to many, many places when we were little but these two really stick in my mind. Whenever we go there now for a bbq or just a wander about it always brings back memories of Dad and all the fun we had there. My sisters have always enjoyed taking their kids there too since we all want them to have the same happy memories of those places as we do.
*Coke and salt and vinegar chips.
When we lived in Roebourne the hub of the social scene was The Club, basically the pub with a family area so kids were allowed. It was at the front of a large oval and it had an old concrete skating rink and an even older steam train for us kids to play on. Mum and Dad would head down to the club, Dad for a quiet drink, Mum for the darts and us kids would get a baby can of Coke and a bag of Samboy S&V chips and we'd run off and play with the other prison officer brats. Whenever I have that combination it always brings back memories of the Roebourne Club.
*Indoor potted palms. I spent a substantial amount of my childhood in the Roebourne hospital, usually bed ridden and awfully sick. But when I'd start to get better I would get very ansty at being kept in bed and would want to go and play. Hospitals however are not generally equipped with great play areas and so when they would allow me out of bed I would head down to a small waiting room area between the X Ray room and the ward where there was a small atrium full of potted plams. It wasn't a playground but it gave me a quiet, out of the way area in which I could stretch my legs and be free of my bed for a little while.
*Corned beef and AFL.
I don't know why but it always seemed that Mum would cook a corned beef on a Saturday at exactly the same time as Dad was watching the footy. I just always remember the feel of the house when those two things combined, the smell of the beef cooking and the sounds of the tv mixed with the busy but relaxed feel of the place on a Saturday when no one was rushing off to work but we were all home at once. The weird thing is, it was never a very comfortable feel. I don't know why, maybe it's because I don't like AFL but it always made me feel slightly on edge.
There are many many more but I just can't think of them at the moment. What about you? Is there any particular object or scent or song that reminds you of your childhood? I'd love to know.
*Frozen Lamingtons.
For those foreigners who read this and don't know, a lamington is a sponge cake covered in chocolate icing and then rolled in coconut. They used to be big fundraisers back when I was in promary school (before Cadbury cornered the market with their cocaine laced Freddos ;-) lol) and since there were three of us, Mum would usually put in an order with each class. So the end result was quite a few boxes of lamingtons all arriving at the same time. So they wouldn't go stale we would freeze them and now it's just habit to do that. What makes it even more special is if they're raspberry ones!
*Playing darts.
My Mum was a champion darts player and so from the time we were tall enough to throw a dart without missing the board, we were playing. It used to be a family affair too - uncles and aunties and cousins would all converge on our place and we'd play in teams. Many a New Years Eve was spent playing darts and ringing in the New Year with a game of Burma Road.
* John Forest National Park and Fred Jacoby Park.
Dad took us out to many, many places when we were little but these two really stick in my mind. Whenever we go there now for a bbq or just a wander about it always brings back memories of Dad and all the fun we had there. My sisters have always enjoyed taking their kids there too since we all want them to have the same happy memories of those places as we do.
*Coke and salt and vinegar chips.
When we lived in Roebourne the hub of the social scene was The Club, basically the pub with a family area so kids were allowed. It was at the front of a large oval and it had an old concrete skating rink and an even older steam train for us kids to play on. Mum and Dad would head down to the club, Dad for a quiet drink, Mum for the darts and us kids would get a baby can of Coke and a bag of Samboy S&V chips and we'd run off and play with the other prison officer brats. Whenever I have that combination it always brings back memories of the Roebourne Club.
*Indoor potted palms. I spent a substantial amount of my childhood in the Roebourne hospital, usually bed ridden and awfully sick. But when I'd start to get better I would get very ansty at being kept in bed and would want to go and play. Hospitals however are not generally equipped with great play areas and so when they would allow me out of bed I would head down to a small waiting room area between the X Ray room and the ward where there was a small atrium full of potted plams. It wasn't a playground but it gave me a quiet, out of the way area in which I could stretch my legs and be free of my bed for a little while.
*Corned beef and AFL.
I don't know why but it always seemed that Mum would cook a corned beef on a Saturday at exactly the same time as Dad was watching the footy. I just always remember the feel of the house when those two things combined, the smell of the beef cooking and the sounds of the tv mixed with the busy but relaxed feel of the place on a Saturday when no one was rushing off to work but we were all home at once. The weird thing is, it was never a very comfortable feel. I don't know why, maybe it's because I don't like AFL but it always made me feel slightly on edge.
There are many many more but I just can't think of them at the moment. What about you? Is there any particular object or scent or song that reminds you of your childhood? I'd love to know.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
