Back again...nous voici de retour

Dicton du jour..

Quelle heure? Quelle heure?

C'est l'heure du beurre
Dans votre demeure 

What time? What time?

Time for butter 

In your dwelling.

It's ages since I wrote, life seems very routine, so I avoid it. However....

Winter's possibly moved on, although one day it's like summer and the next, the heating's on!

The warmer weather is welcome from my point of view. Whatever muscle I have left barely works in the cold. 

Ross has planted quite a few vegetables--broccoli, shallots, garlic, parsnip, beetroot, broad beans, potatoes and tomatoes (don't hold your breath though). At least the beds have something in them! The storm last Sunday night was amazing. I was going to get up and "inspect" the lightning, but it was warmer in bed, so it didn't happen. Our water tanks were dropping a bit prior to the storm and I was getting worried. Needless to say, they're full now. 

Our trees are in full leaf once again....shame we can't put them back a couple of months...the light is lovely when they're bare. 

Ça fait un petit moment...enfin...

L'hiver a peut-être fini quoique, un jour il fait chaud et le lendemain on se les gèle. La chaleur est bienvenue, comme le peu de muscle qui me reste semble fonctionner mieux hors du froid.

Ross a planté des légumes...brocoli, échalote, ail, navets, betteraves, fèves, patates et tomates (encore chétives). On se faisait du soucis car nos citernes d'eau commençaient à se désemplir....mais grâce à un orage spectaculaire dimanche dernier, elles sont de nouveau remplies.

A few weeks ago we had my nephews and Jason's wife, Limor visit along with other friends. It was very nice to see them--we hadn't seen Limor since their wedding in March. It was a lovely afternoon and very warm, but at about 5.30 the temperature plummeted so the somewhat fragile melbournians came inside. 

Other news...sadly my sister-in-law Sharon and her sister Robyn lost their father recently. I actually didn't attend the funeral as I was a bit concerned about my balance as my legs are weakening. As it turns out, just as well as it started Jewish time...some stuff up with the procedure and coffin...45 minutes late, I believe.

On a reçu mes neveux et ma nouvelle nièce récemment. Nous avons passé un bel après-midi ensemble, mais les pauvres sont vite partis quand la température à chuté vers 17h.

Autre nouvelle triste.....ma belle-sœur Sharon et sa sœur Robyn ont perdu leur père voilà quelques semaines. Je n'ai pas assisté aux obsèques, comme mon équilibre et mes jambes ne sont plus très robustes. Enfin, heureusement comme il y avait du désordre et tout a commencé avec 45 minutes de retard...donc à l'heure juive.

You may remember that in my last posting I spoke of my two falls?? As it turns out I buggered up the root of a tooth in my second fall and have had the tooth extracted and a partial denture fitted. Extremely depressing, but I didn't have a choice. I can still get around okay, but my legs are certainly becoming weaker and I have to really watch my step, literally. 

Peut-être vous souvenez-vous de mon dernier blog dans lequel j'ai parlé de mes deux chutes dans le jardin? Malheureusement j'ai endommagé la racine d'une de mes dents. Le dentiste a dû l'extraire et maintenant je porte un dentier.....c'est chiant...jamais je n'aurais cru...  Je marche encore, mais je dois faire attention comme mes pas sont moins sûrs qu'avant.

Other news, we had a nice concert here recently, featuring piano, voice, cello and guitar...quite diverse.

Lots of Spanish music. The evening was lovely and casual.  Everyone bought a plate to share (evening), but clearly they hadn't had dinner so there was only just enough food--not that anyone's likely to die of malnutrition.

Autre nouvelle--on a tenu à concert chez nous récemment avec, piano, voix, violoncelle et guitare....bien divers et apprécié par tous. Chacun a apporté un plat pour partager....il était évident que les gens n'avaient pas mangé avant car ils on tout bouffés...dévorés....enfin, personne n'est mort de faim.

Other news, Anna, Ross's daughter is pregnant with number two. They are both very happy and so far all is progressing well. But Anna makes me nervous already talking about number three!!

Quoi d'autre...Anna, la fille à Ross est enceinte de son 2ème bébé. Anna et Peter en sont ravis...tant mieux et tout progresse comme il se le doit.

Mais Anna me rend anxieux lorsqu'elle parle d'un troisième avant même d'avoir eu le deuxième.

Alors mes idées:

A baby is like a croissant....one croissant at a time...

Here's my advice...take it or leave it.

Let it prove in the oven.

Hopefully, it will prove nicely, rise appropriately, when cooked be light, flaky, not underdone, not burnt and be layered with butter.

Treasure the croissant for 12-18 months before you make another batch of dough....who knows, by then you may prefer to eat them, rather than to bake them!

Un bébé, c'est comme un croissant...un croissant à la fois....mes conseils...c'est à prendre ou à laisser.

Mets la pâte à l'étuve 

Laisse lever la pâte le temps qu'il faut.

Espérons qu'elle sera bien légère, bien feuilletée, bien dorée et pleine de beurre.

Une fois sorti du four prends bien soin du croissant pendant 12 à 18 mois avant d'en pétrir un autre, car il est possible après le deuxième, que tu préfères les bouffer que de les faire!

Finally, some nice news, my brother Michael is finally tying the knot with the lovely Julie. He's not speedy Gonzales but he's getting there...slowly. They're getting married in a registry office in Richmond London November 14. Peter and Sharon will be attending. Good for Sharon...saw her the other day and she's tired...needs a break. They have a crowd of about 30 joining them so we wish them all the very best--mazel Tov. After, the group is going to some nice restaurant in London (Soho) for lunch (wedding 11 am sharp). I've asked one of their french friends Vincent who is attending with his wife and her parents to photograph the food before the vultures attack! 

Julie is making her dress...she's very talented. I asked if it's white? "No David, I'm not a virgin". Seems like there aren't too many virgins left in this world.

Je termine avec une bonne nouvelle. Mon petit frere, Michael se marie avec la belle Julie, le 14 novembre dans un bureau d'enregistrement à Richmond, Londres. Michael n'est pas pressé...c'est le moins qu'on en puisse dire...mais il arrive peu à peu...  Mon frère Peter et sa femme Sharon assisteront à la cérémonie. Tant mieux pour Sharon--après la disparition de son père une coupure lui fera du bien. Ils seront une trentaine d'invités et Ross se joint à moi pour leur souhaiter Mazel Tov!! Après la cérémonie ils vont à Londres (Soho) où ils vont bien déguster et faire la bringue. J'ai demandé à Vincent un ami toulousain dont la femme est très proche de Julie de prendre des photos non seulement du beau couple (Peter fera cela sûrement) mais aussi de la bouffe avant que les vautours attaquent.

Julie est en train de confectionner sa robe...elle a beaucoup de talent dans ce domaine. J'ai demandé...une robe blanche?  "Non David, je ne suis plus vierge"....,Hélas, il n'en reste presque plus dans ce monde.

Bon. Ça suffit pour aujourd'hui....je suis crevé.  A plus.

David et Ross 

Recent activities September 1

Dicton du jour.

Évitez la margarine

Jetez-la par la vitrine!

Avoid margarine.

Throw it out the window!

Hi all,

It's been a while.

Can't really remember all that's been happening but I'll do my best.

Apart from everyday activities, we recently went to Castlemaine to visit friends and then we stayed at Ballarat where we attended a friend's 50th which was very nice.

The weekend in Castlemaine was most enjoyable and we also visited Maldon. The only thing is that it was so cold, I spent a lot of time coughing and feeling quite uncomfortable...every meal was accompanied by coughing fits.

Apart from walking around and looking at various shops, we went to Buddha House, okay, but it seemed a bit empty (of treasures). We later bumped into a lady who we'd known from the Hills who now lives there. She said that people have been knocking stuff off over the years, hence the rather scant display. If you ever visit Buddha house, my advice...avoid winter....no heating...cold's not the word.

Salut tout le monde,

Ça fait un petit moment..

Ross et moi sommes partis récemment dans le Victoria (Castlemaine et Ballarat) pour rendre visite à une copine et pour célébrer le 50 ème anniversaire d'une autre amie. Nous avons passé deux jours à Castlemaine; on a visité la maison "Buddha"...ça va, mais il n'y avait pas grand-chose à voir. Ou est-ce possible qu'on avait tellement froid que nos rétines fussent gelées? Enfin, on a rencontré une femme qu'on connaît dans un café, une ancienne habitante des "collines" (où nous habitons) qui nous a expliqué que pas mal des trésors de "Buddha house" ont été enlevés par les "visiteurs" au cour des années. A part cela, nous nous sommes promenés dans les jardins des plantes et dans les rue du centre-ville mais qu'est-ce qu'il a fait froid!!!  J'ai eu des quintes de toux affreuses....finalement le froid va très mal avec la maladie de Charcot.

En rentrant nous sommes passés par Trentham où l'on a acheté quelques viennoiseries dans une boulangerie très chic. Nous sommes également passés chez à charcutier bien connu dans le coin. Comme on n'est jamais dans le coin je me suis "laissė aller" et j'ai pris pas mal de marchandises. Les saucisses, salamis et les jarrets de porcs étaient bons, mais la pancetta.....malheureux, que de sel !!!! Immangeable! On a écrit au propriétaires à ce propos...toujours pas de réponse...que faire....tout jeter?

On our return we went to Trentham and bought some produce at their very fashionable bakery.

We also went to a reputable smallgoods place in the area whose name I shall not mention. The sausages, salami and ham hocks are very nice...the pancetta...salty beyond description and really no smokiness. We're stuck with several kilos of it. Have written to the people but haven't heard back. What do we do, chuck it all out?

Other stuff....I had the choice to sit for a driving test overseen by an OT but decided that it wasn't worth all the effort and money just for a few months of extra driving at most. Also, I figured, what's the point of going out independently if I can barely make myself understood once I arrive at a particular destination? So, I have ceased driving, which doesn't please me but it seemed the most logical thing to do. 

The other day I went to the dentist to have an extraction (molar). The tooth could have been retained (root canal therapy....invasive and costly) but we made the decision to have it extracted given my poor health, as the food which I now eat is becoming softer and softer by necessity. Frankly I'd rather use the money I saved to go somewhere with Ross. A bit analogous to the driving story above.

Just this week we went to Calvary Care for OT and physio. The physio observed that my walking was not as "sure" as before. Almost to prove the point I managed to fall not once, but twice this week in the fernery after the appointment. I do now feel that my legs are starting to weaken. I've fractured or bruised ribs...nothing I can do about it and have scratches in various places.

 D'autres nouvelles. Si je voulais continuer de conduire il aurait fallu passer un test ce mois-ci. Après avoir bien réfléchi mais j'ai pris la triste décision de je pas faire cela. Même si j'avais été "reçu", ce permis n'aurait duré que quelques mois sûrement. En plus de cela, a quoi bon d'aller à un magasin tout seul, si une fois arrivé je n'arrive pas a me faire comprendre?

Le dentiste...l'autre jour j'ai fait enlever une molaire qui posait des problèmes. Le dentiste aurait pu la sauver mais ça aurait entraîné plusieurs visites et en plus cela aurait coûté très cher. Vu que je suis maintenant obligé de manger des denrées très tendres j'ai pris le décision de la faire extraire. Franchement je préfèrerais me servir de l'argent pour partir quelque part avec Ross.

Cette semaine j'ai eu rendez-vous à la clinique où j'ai vu la kinésithérapeute et l'ergotherapeute. La kinésithérapeute à remarqué que mes jambes semblaient plus faibles qu'avant. Alors que se passe t'il? Comme pour mettre ses observations en évidence, je rentre et dans les jours suivants je tombe deux fois dans le jardin près des fougères. J'ai mal aux côtes et des égratignures à droite et à gauche. Je suis maintenant conscient d'un affaiblissement des jambes. C'est chiant!

To finish on a good note, after making contact with several people in the "Early Music" scene early 2014, I finally had some success.  The other week we held a concert at home featuring two lovely musicians playing works from the baroque period (Ruth Wilkinson and Cynthia O'Brien). It is my wish concerts form part of my legacy, so it is important get it going so that Ross gets into the swing of things as there is a lot to organise.  I mention the concert with a degree of hesitation as I do not wish to receive emails from people asking why they were not invited, so allow me to explain.....our home, spacious as it may be, is not a concert hall and cannot accommodate masses of people. We will certainly vary the crowd in the future, should it take off, but the omission of people should not be taken personally--it is purely a practical measure.

Pour bien terminer, après avoir contactés plusieurs personnes reliées à la musique ancienne à Melbourne début 2014 j'ai enfin eu du succès. Nous avons tenu un concert chez nous récemment avec deux musiciennes fabuleuses (Ruth Wilkinson et Cynthia O'Brien) qui ont joué des œuvres baroques sur des instruments anciens...violon, viola da gamba et flûte à bec. Je voudrais que les concerts fassent partie de mon legs mais pour ce faire il est essentiel que Ross se fasse à ça car il y a non seulement le living qui doit être changé (bouger des meubles) mais aussi tout le courriel (invitations), la bouffe, le parking etc. pour nous assurer d'un concert bien réussi. Je parle de ces concerts avec hésitation car je n'ai pu inviter tous ceux que j'aurais aimés pour des raisons pratiques et je ne souhaite pas offenser ceux et celles que je n'ai pas invités. En plus, notre maison, si spacieuse soit elle, n'est pas une salle de concert et on ne peut recevoir que tant de personnes. Alors chers amis, ne soyez pas offensés...nous espérons varier les invités à l'avenir si les concerts sont font plus fréquemment.

Le beurre

Le dicton du jour:

Mangez du beurre

Ça rend heureux!

Saying of the day.

Eat butter

It makes you happy!

Hi all,

Haven't written for a while don't feel there's much news of interest but nonetheless I'll let you know what we've been up to.

Our new bedroom (my old workshop) has been painted, floor done and awaiting blinds which all bedrooms and office are receiving next Tuesday. Our new couches have come...they're very nice but a little softer and deeper than I remember in the shop...in reality it's probably more about the progression of my illness as everything is getting more difficult as time passes.

Salut les amis,

On n'a pas grand-chose à dire mais tout de même voici les nouvelles de ce dernier mois.

Notre chambre à coucher qui servit d'atelier avant est maintenant transformée. Les travaux sont terminés (peinture et plancher) et nous attendons l'installation des stores dans nos chambres à coucher ainsi que le bureau mardi prochain. Nos sofas neufs sont arrivės...il sont très bien mais peut-être un peu plus mous et profonds que je ne pensais lorsque je les ai essayés au magasin....ou s'agit il plutôt du fait que ma maladie qui a progressé?...résultat...les choses deviennent de plus en plus difficiles....même les trucs les plus banaux.

We bought some steel shelving which has been installed in our living room. The shelving is illuminated with LED strip lighting which changes colour producing quite a funky display. We've put our shallots, garlic etc on these shelves so they are so longer in bags...the air flow should stop them from going mouldy, and therefore prolong their shelf life. We'll be using up quite a few shortly when we plant out the next crop.

Nous avons installé des étagères en acier pour garder nos échalotes, aulx et conserves. Nous espérons que les échalotes se garderont plus longtemps vu qu'elles ne sont plus empilées les unes sur les autres.  Ca devrait les empêcher de se moisir aussi...espérons-le. Nous avons illuminé ces étagères par des lumières LED qui sont assez spectaculaires vu les couleurs différentes (et changeantes) qui nous sont disponibles.

Back to vegetables. Ross has removed our tomatoes which were not great...a lot of green ones...don't have the energy to preserve them anymore. Some garlic has been planted--last year's crop was miserable, perhaps we'll have more luck this year? Ross will be planting broadbeans shortly, and in spring we'll plant out schallots which will probably be harvested late summer. We had some beetroot earlier in the year which was nice. We hope to plant broccoli as well..last year we had cauliflower which was nice, but broccoli is more useful, nutritious and it lends itself to a light pruning without the need to necessarily extract the whole plant.

Parlons "légumes"....Ross a enlevé les tomates qui étaient un peu quelconque cette annee-ci. Beaucoup de tomates vertes, mais pas le temps ou l'énergie d'en faire des conserves. L'ail est planté...la dernière récolte était très pauvre..il faut espérer que celle de cette année sera meilleure....il n'en faudrait pas beaucoup.. On a mangé des betteraves qui étaient très bonnes. Ross va bientôt planter des fèves, échalotes et brocoli. Pas de choux-fleurs cette année...les brocoli sont plus nutritifs et on peut en cueillir quelques fleurettes, sans prendre toute la plante!

The other day we went with a Hills friend Helen to the new Burnham bakery run by Shannon Bennett.

It is in Sherbrooke located at Burnham Beeches, which certainly has been in need of a facelift for some decades.

It's only just opened so the star himself was there. Good food and produce...you would expect that from him. Lovely staff, but dysfunctional computer system, meaning that Ross and Helen received their simple breakfasts 30-40 minutes after I received my croissant. It's all new...in its infancy...I'm sure they'll sort it out. The bread is good...we'll go back...lucky to be able to go during the week and avoid the tourists....it's still busy enough during the week. 

It's lovely to talk about all this, but for me it's a very mixed experience. I cannot go out and order what I want...EVERY meal I have now is determined by my ability to chew and swallow the food. It's a pain and it really does diminish my pleasure quite considerably. As I have lost so much weight, even the chairs at the bakery (wooden seat) were a problem for me because I no longer have a fat arse! I will have to take a cushion when we return.

L'autre jour Ross, Helen (une amie qui habite dans la coin) et moi sommes partis prendre le petit déjeuner chez Burnham Bakery (une nouvelle boulangerie).  Cette boulangerie est détenu par Shannon Bennett propriétaire du restaurant "Vue de Monde" au centre ville de Melbourne. Bonne bouffe et très bonne marchandise..c'est normal venant de lui. Le personnel était gentil aussi, mais l'ordinateur ne fonctionnait pas comme il faut. Ross et Helen ont reçu leur petit déjeuner 30-40 minutes après que j'ai reçu mon croissant. C'est tout neuf et ces choses peuvent arriver...ça va sûrement s'arranger. Le pain est bon. On va y retourner. On a de la chance de pouvoir y aller en semaine....le weekend serait impossible je pense...c'est déjà assez occupé en semaine..

C'est bien beau de parler de tout ça, mais c'est une experience très partagé pour moi. Je ne peux plus commander selon mes envies...tout plat que je commande est déterminé par mes capacités de mastiquer et d'avaler la nourriture. C'est chiant et ça réduit considérablement le plaisir que je ressens quand je sors pour manger. Qui plus est, tellement j'ai perdu du poids que les chaises en bois étaient inconfortables...mon gros cul est parti....la prochaine fois que j'irai dans cette boulange je serai obligé de prendre un coussin.

Other news...our next door neighbour from Balwyn back in the sixties died the other week. Phil Slattery was 92 years old. The end of an era and sad indeed. Phil was a strong and dynamic personality.

She also had a lovely voice....Ave Maria was her specialty. For those of you who were present at our commitment ceremony Phil was the old lady dressed in white who spoke about our family after our speeches.

Phil's funeral service took place at a church in East Brunswick--a substantial affair nearly 90 minutes long! (The Jews are much faster as a rule). Rebecca Bertoncello, one of Phil's grandchildren played Ave Maria on the violin....the highlight of the service for me. Thanks Rebecca--well done! 

Adieu Phil.

D'autres nouvelles. Notre ancienne voisine et notre voisine ancienne de Balwyn des années 60 est partie au paradis. C'est la fin d'une ère! Phil Slattery était forte et dynamique. En plus elle avait une belle voix...surtout pour chanter Ave Maria. Pour ceux d'entre vous qui étaient présents à la cérémonie de Ross et moi, Phil, la dame habillée en blanc a pris le micro apres nos discours et a dit quelques mots, parlant surtout de mes parents et de la famille Bloom.

Les obsèques ont commencé par une messe à l'église. Le service à duré a peu près 90 bien plus long que chez nous les Juifs. Pour moi, l'interprétation d'Ave Maria sur le violon, jouée par Rebecca Bertoncello l'une des petits-enfants de Phil était le point culminant de la messe. Merci à toi, Rébécca et bravo.

I try not to ramble on too much about my health on the blog, but that is one of its functions...to tell people how I'm going.

Speech nearly gone.

Hand function hugely diminished.

Fatigue very easily...don't have to really do anything to be tired...it's just part and parcel of the whole thing.

Arms..very heavy due to muscular atrophy

Ross has to shower me, dress me, do all the work around the house as I am now so weak.

J'essaie de ne pas trop parler de ma santé sur ce blog...mais tout de même, mettre les gens au courant de ce qui se passe, c'est l'une des raisons principales pour lesquelles nous avons débuté ce blog....alors en avant!

Mon parler est quasiment parti

Une forte diminution du fonctionnement des mains.

Je me fatigue très vite...même sans rien faire.

J'ai les bras très lourds suite à l'atrophie musculaire.

Ross doit me laver, m'habiller. Il s'occupe de l'entretien de la maison comme je suis trop faible pour ce faire.

That's it for today folks. Thought it'd be shorter. See you later.

Bon voilà tout pour aujourd'hui...plus de nouvelles que je ne pensais...

À plus tard 

Kathryn's eulogy at Jean's funeral

Dear all,

This is Kathryn's eulogy as far as she can remember it, which she dedicated to Jean at her funeral.

Kathryn is Ross's ex-wife and knew Jean for some decades.

JEAN BENBOW

Jean was feisty, robust, impulsive, strong willed, determined, energetic, funny, contemplative, skilled, hardworking – and unique. Some of her expressions are well known to us.

We’ve sampled “German stew” and many slices of “Double Mary” (a cake recipe bequeathed by an acquaintance, Mary, but, in Jean’s case, the quantities doubled of course).

She shared several of her recipes with me. In one the method went this way; “You add …., then beat the living daylights out of it!”

Surprising, and not especially useful, directions given to a city slicker were; “When you reach X’s cow shed then it’s 16 chain further north!”

Jean, of course, was a rock hound.

She loved telling her “bones stories”  Once I thought she was talking about a close neighbour only to find out that the person had died in the 1800s and was one of her “bones”.

Jean, Gwen, Ollie and Cynthia treasured the close relationships they shared with each other – more like loving sisters and loved friends rather than just sisters-in-law.  These women supported each other through some very tough times, celebrated with each other often joyfully and enjoyed great belly laughs together over cuppas.  Their relationships were expressed through generous, loving kindness and gutsy, practical care, being there for each other in whatever ways they could, even when distance separated them.

Jean loved the outdoors and was a skilled gardener, a legacy that was passed down to her from her mother and, in turn, she has bequeathed a feel for the environment, plants and soils to her children.  Jean didn’t “do gardening” – she was a gardener who worked in partnership with the many different environments that she lived with.  No two gardens were alike but plants flourished and were  beautiful due to her knowledge, touch and hard work.

Her passion for her gardens was evident when we visited Jean and Fred. Before we’d even said “Hello” Jean and Ross would disappear for a couple of hours to inspect and discuss each plant’s progress, diagnose and recommend action and only then was it time to come inside.  Similar rituals occurred when my mother and Jean caught up with each other – they would disappear into their gardeners’ heaven for hours.

There was another first night ritual on our family visits to the Gorae West Benbow home. Kids would be fed and put to bed, dinner was served and Jean washed the dishes while tea was still in progress.  Dishes and cutlery were whipped away to be washed before you’d swallowed your last mouthful.  IT WASN’T EXACTLY RESTFUL, BUT IT WAS EFFICIENT!  Fred would then move to the lounge and seat himself on the beanbag in front of the TV, the glass doors were closed, then began the real purpose of the day.  The round up of the “goss” from the town took place around the kitchen table, broken only for a short intermission for supper and cuppas, and when Fred appeared and growled, “Aren’t you coming to bed?”  Those sessions were not for the fainthearted, they’d go until two or three in the morning!  And when they got onto politics -!  I called them “The Razor Gang” because they shredded politicians’ reputations.

Many of us have enjoyed wearing garments – socks, jumpers, cardigans – valiantly knitted by Jean in limited light at times, while Fred, hatted, sat on his beanbag to protect his eyes from the powerful glare of the standard lamp!

[Jean was also a good embroiderer, and smocked beautiful nighties for Nicholas and Anna when they were bubs.]

Music was in Jean’s bloodsteam but she was very particular with her likes and dislikes.  At times she found solace playing hymns on her organ for hours.

When Fred needed nursing care at home, Jean found a bittersweet comfort in her new role.  She had always wanted to be a nurse and finally her dream had come true, although not in the way she hoped for nor expected.  She found a new dignity and purpose, and even joy, in the midst of hard and often quite difficult work, and she was a top nurse – compassionate, skilled and confident.

She lives on in so many stories, so many rich memories, we could go on for ever …… those you hold are just as important as these ……

THANK YOU JEAN.

Kathryn Richards

20th May, 2014

Ross.....and painting ...la peinture

Hi all,

Ross has received messages of condolence from various people.

Unfortunately as he is busy painting a room, he hasn't had time to respond to anyone...in fact he's barely had time to read his emails.

He has asked me to convey his appreciation and he hopes to write something about his mum, Jean over the next couple of weeks or so.

Chers amis, Ross a reçu les condoléances de nombreuses personnes.  Il est en train de peindre notre chambre, et n'a pas eu le temps de répondre...en fait il n'a guère eu le temps de lire ces mails.

Il m'a demandé de vous exprimer son appréciation et il espère écrire un article sur sa mère (blog) dans les quelques semaines qui viennent.

Jean Benbow

Chers amis,

Pour ceux qui connaissent Ross, je vous écris pour annoncer le décès de sa mère Jean, le 22 avril, 2014. 

Hi everyone,

For those of you who know Ross, I am writing to inform you of his mother's passing Tuesday 22nd April, 2014.

The funeral service took place at the funeral parlour at Portland, attended by nearly forty people.

Ross took the service which was secular as Jean was not religious and did not believe in the "after life". With Ross were his brother, Des and his sister, Rhonda along with other family members.

People were invited to say something....but country people are, according to Rhonda, quite reticent on such occasions.....one cousin however, did say a few words.

Ross read a tribute from our friend Liz and Alan read a tribute on my behalf. Kathryn spoke about Jean and in particular about her love of gardening. 

Hopefully Ross will write a few words about his mum shortly.

In the meantime this is my tribute to Jean:

(Just so you understand my last line, Jean and Fred used to fossick for gem stones...which they loved).

Good old Jeannie what can I say about her?

Jean was practical!!

It's probably fair to say that she was not as romantic as the Hollywood stars of the 40's....she had practical matters to attend to. Despite these practicalities, she was a warm lady and a most loquacious person.....(a bit like a certain aunty of mine).....when Jean was well, she could talk for hours.  When I met Jean in the late 90's she was quite sociable....this did wane in recent times...

Jean had some ways about her which were very foreign TO ME in terms of how a woman should behave.....drowning ferrel cats, and clubbing a snake on the head...

I grew up in the city...all the women around me were dainty and refined.....or at least they thought they were....

I have heard stories about Jean looking out the kitchen window and seeing the imminent arrival of visitors on the horizon. I am told that scones would be made and thrown in the oven before the guests had even rung the doorbell !!!

Jean loved her garden; when living in Dennington, Warrnambool, her last home prior to moving into the nursing home, she developed quite a large garden ...I believe she loved irises most of all.

This was one area in which Jean preferred to abandon the practicalities of vegetable growing in favour of flowers--simply to look at and for their scent. She wasn't rapt in green vegetables anyway....she hated broccoli !!!!!!!! and cooked her beans for at least 40 minutes....till they were grey.

Good old Jean....she was a good stick, a country girl, straightforward, ...no fuss, no bullshit.....
If she liked you, she liked you; if she didn't, she didn't. Nothing convoluted or surreptitious about our Jean....an admirable trait which is present, I feel, in the whole Benbow clan.

I hope you're at peace Jean and having a good time wherever you are.
May you find some lovely gem stones.

All my love

David



Sent from my iPad

Jean Isabella Benbow

Jean Isabella Benbow (née Finck)

25/09/1927-22/04/2014

Photo of Jean and grandson Eddie mid 2013