Catching up.

I'm not sure where to begin with this blog. It's been so long since I checked in and so much has happened, not all of it good. First, I guess is we arrived in Sydney safe and sound to find half the family waving signs and a welcome home balloon. It was nice to see them all so excited to see us, of course the first thing Corki asked for was money, but hey she's a teenager what could I expect? Two days later I found out I'd been bumped from the Karin Tabke One Line Comp. But I did make the last 25 which for a first time was a great achievement.
Four days later my Grandmother was admitted to hospital. She's been sick for a very long time and hospital trips are not a new thing for us, but this time was different. I can't say how we knew but all of us did. Even though they kept her five days and sent her home she was back in again two days later. After living with emphysema for 15 years and lung cancer for about 3 she gave up the fight and left us on New Years night. At 83 she'd had a good life and really hasn't been the same since my Grandad died 12 years ago. In the words of my daughter, 'now she can breath'. We'll miss her but she'll be fondly remembered.
Christmas with the family was great and everyone found the changes in the kids amazing. We found a few little pressies for people from overseas that got some laughs too. I got some great books, (nearly all of my wish list) and I'm looking forward to reading them. I've started the Leigh Michaels book On Writing Romance, and already I'm picking up some great advice. I got some great reading books too, some Aussie authors I've been keen to read among them. I also go the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English with Writing Assistant and 88,000 Spoken Examples. Not sure what that all is but I can't wait to get back to Singapore and take a good look at it.
After all the Christmas festivities we packed the car and headed for our on site caravan at St Georges Basin two hours south of Sydney. It was great to meet up with people we haven't seen since last year and New Years Eve saw us partying and watching our very own fireworks. After drinking all night Hubby wasn't too happy making the drive back to Sydney to say a final goodbye to Grandma, good thing I needed to do something to take my mind off what was happening.
Spending the rest of that week at the van was a great distraction, and between then and the funeral I held it together rather well. The funeral was lovely but I felt it was a little sad that the only people there to say goodbye were family. You don't realise how isolated people get in their old age, especially when they're ill.
On the way back to the van from the funeral I received a phone call to say my father had been taken to hospital. He'd been sick for a while with what the doctor said was a virus but after weeks of feeling ill and not eating the toll on his body has been too much and now they're doing test after test to find out what's wrong. They keep asking how much he drinks but he hasn't drunk anything for over 20 years, I'm not sure what that says about what they're thinking. We still don't know what's wrong and with me heading back to Singapore next Thursday I'm feeling a little stressed about it.
With all that's been happening I've done no reading, reviewing or writing. That's depressing. I need to write. I can't write. I've had internet access for three days now and other than checking my emails I've not blogged. I'm hoping this will break the drought. I'll point out not that this has taken me all day, I keep going away and coming back to add a bit more. I guess it doesn't help that I tear up every time I mention Grandma or my Dad.
I jumped on a couple of blogs to see what every one has been up to and was delighted to see my best cyber-buddy, Devon Grey, mentioned me in her blog about the great things she's achieved in 2007. I'm a high light! I have to say she makes my list too. I'm going to have a think about all the good things to happen in 2007, after all that 2008 has had to offer so far I need to remind myself of the good things.
Until my next blog stay safe and happy.

Take nothing for granted, let everyone you love know it, you might not get another chance.

Rachel.C