Did I hear someone holler 'play'?

In another place, I am having a discussion about 'play' and how it differs now from when I was a child in the early '50s. I guess we look at our own upbringing with rose-coloured glasses to some extent, and we may also forget some of the things we did and why. I cannot remember back to when I was 18 months old, as Alannah is. However, I do have strong memories from when I was 5 until I was, let's use 10. For some of that time I lived in Hornsby, and for some of that time I lived on a farm outside Denman in the Upper Hunter Valley.

I had neither play-dough nor a sand pit, but I did Matchbox cars, and I did have a dirt patch in which to play.


This week, playing at Ma's, we introduced play-dough. I have no idea whether Alannah has used play-dough much before. She was hesitant on the Monday, but by the Wednesday she took to it with alacrity. For her, it has a very physical proponent. She like the feel of it, and the fact that she can mould it and pull it to bits. She is learning to roll it in her hands, and by next week maybe a ball will result. On Wednesday, I made her a Daddy and I made her a Mummy. We made balls, and snakes, and stars.

We have played with a sand-pit all year. We have play with small cars and trucks for longer than this year. But for the first time on Wednesday, we combined the two. We also used our collection of rocks, and shells, and leaves, to decorate the castle in the middle of our sand-pit, while the trucks brrrrmmmed around in the moat. I suspect this game with be expanded this coming week.

My window on the world

Sort of came to a grinding halt last week due to medical tests and lack of money paid WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAID!!!

But here is where I sit to do all this research and writing that I do after I have taken copious photographs. It is also where I do all my Family History work.

Next week one of my tasks is to get a new motor for the foundtain on the wall near my desk so that I can have the tinkle of water to keep me harmonised.

Tuesday, I traipse over to RPA where the very informative neurontology nurse, Alison, is going to strap me into a device that will rock from side to side and up and down. Yes, she knows that I am prone to both car sickness and sea-sickness and is used to "the obvious reaction". On Thursday I am over to Missenden Road way again to be podded and poked by the opthalmologist. I think the main thing he is going to do is to check whether my retina has fallen off its perch.

However, the week is not all medical tests. Tomorrow, I train up to The Blue Mountains to spend the day with the wonderful Joan Elizabeth. Wednesday I get to tour over State Parliament House in Macquarie Street. Thursday I get an introductory tour over the State Library and then on Friday I get to look after my daughter's cat as she and Darren choof over to Hawaii for a week to attend a friend's wedding.

Retirement is okay thus far.