Ruby
My darling daughter, Ruby, turned 21 the other day.
The years have flown by so fast!
She didn’t want a Birthday Party; all she wanted was a mother-daughter day out in Queenstown; hence to say we had a ball!
My gorgeous kind little daughter who never quite reached five feet, is beautiful on the inside as well as the outside.
How sad it was that Alex wasn’t here to see his beautiful daughter turn twenty-one.
He would be so proud of the lovely young woman she has become.
Sam, Aunty Belle and I, love her so much.
Ask Aunty S
Dear Aunty S
My friends and I are going to a Male Strip show next week and my husband is being nasty about it. He says our boys will be embarrassed if their friends find out.
It’s just a bit of fun.
What do you think?
Aunty S responds
If you are quite happy to wave goodbye to your husband if he decides to go out with the boys to a Strip Club, I don’t think there is anything wrong with your decision.
Your kids will recover from the embarrassment should their friends find out.
Thirty-five years ago a friend of mine was photographed whilst standing in a line waiting for the doors to open to a similar show. The photo was placed on the front page of our local Paper much to the embarrassment of her sons. Her husband laughed and thought it a great joke. As her sons were of a similar age to the strippers, they struggled to understand how their Mother would find boys of their age taking their clothes as entertaining.
It’s a different world now; anything and everything is acceptable so maybe your boys will be fine with it but I think you should ask them how they feel first.
My old friend wishes she had.
Old Age Rant
Oh my giddy Aunt……I have liver spots on my hands and arms.
Apparently nothing to do with the liver; it’s all to do with old age.
Sixty-one is just around the corner so of course I am old so why should I miss the glory of liver spots.
I remember a dear old friend who would have been a whole fifty-five at the time, telling me how she hated her brown spots and how she was using peroxide to fade them!!
What a drastic solution I thought at the time.
I should have told her how they looked fine but I didn’t because I was taken aback but in my defence, I was young and oblivious to how sad she must have felt at the prospect of growing old alone because at that point in my life I had absolutely no knowledge as to how sad widowhood could be.
I embrace my liver spots, my sagging middle, my padded back brace; which keeps me upright, and all the other body bits that are being affected by old age.
Each and every morning I look in the mirror and still recognize it’s me in this aging body which is differing from week to week.
How lucky I am to still be on Planet Earth and how lucky I am to have such a wonderful family.
Ask Aunty S
Dear Aunty S
A few months ago my husband and I made the decision to care for my elderly mother who is mentally alert but very feeble so cannot live alone anymore and she will be moving in shortly.
Our adult son opposes our decision and has made it clear he will not visit us when she arrives. He has never liked the elderly and stopped visiting his Grandmother when he left school.
Are we being selfish?
What do you think?
Aunty S responds
Absolutely nothing to do with your adult child my dear.
Don’t allow yourself to be manipulated by him.
Enjoy your time with your Mum and if your son visits, well that’s nice; if he doesn’t, his loss.
Ask Aunty S
Dear Aunty S
My daughter in law has been diagnosed with an illness, which means she will be in a wheelchair in a year or two.
My son is young and only married her when she got pregnant so he thinks it’s best if the marriage ends now as he doesn’t love her enough to cope with her illness. He has told her to go but she won’t. The kids are young so they will not miss my son.
I have told her she is being selfish but she refuses to listen and says if he wants to go, he can but she is not leaving.
How do I make her realize my son doesn’t want her?
Aunty S responds
What!!!
Why should your daughter-in-law leave her home??
If your son wants the single life he should be the one to leave.
What a callous young man you have raised; I’m sure you must feel such parental pride every time you gaze into his eyes.
Your daughter-in-law hasn’t been given a death sentence so what is all the drama about? Isn’t it just an excuse for your son to get rid of her.
Take a deep breathe before you say another unkind word to your daughter-in-law.
Over and out.
Ask Aunty S
Dear Aunty S
My fit and healthy husband was struck down by a stroke a year ago and our life is boring now as he spends all his time in his shed working on the work bench as he can’t walk far and is on sticks.
We have always had a rocky marriage and we grew further apart when the children left home years ago but now it’s unbearable living with him.
I will sign the house over to him when I leave as we have enough savings for me to buy another home.
My son works in a local town and says he will move back in with his father so he has company. They have a great relationship and have always spent every weekend together.
Am I being selfish?
Aunty S responds
You are being honest my dear.
You have thought it through and the fact you will sign the house over to him with no legal drama involved, shows you are a decent woman.
As you’ve made your mind up, sit down as soon as possible and tell him how you feel and what you want.
Obviously it won’t be an easy conversation so if he gets upset or angry, don’t retaliate with unkind words, as your husband has been through enough already.
Ensure your son is home when this all goes down as your husband will need the comfort, support and love from your son.
Good luck with your new life.
Ask Aunty S
Dear Aunty S
My daughter’s husband left her for another woman, devastating her and the children. He bought her out so he could move his girlfriend and her kids into the house.
We bought her a house putting it in her name and now we have found out that the man she fell for a few weeks ago is telling everybody at his work that he will get half the house as long as he does the time. He has no idea one of the people he is bragging to is a trusted distant relative of ours.
Her best friend also found out recently and wants us all to tell her together.
Is this wise or should my husband and I tell her alone?
Aunty S responds
Don’t delay, pick up her best friend, chocolates, wine, a huge teddy bear and a big bunch of flowers and tell her tonight and then help her pack his clothes and belongings and place them outside the front door.
She is very lucky to have wonderful parents and a true best friend.
Orchard Update………. 22 October
After rather a severe Winter and an extremely windy start to Spring I am hoping the weather will play the game and act appropriately as obviously our livelihood is reliant on settled weather and it’s a long way to go before the fruit reaches maturity.
Growing fruit is not for the faint hearted; one must have nerves of steel.
Last Season we suffered a wee bit of theft so more security cameras are now up and running and our friends in the neighbourhood have assured us they will be on high alert during the Fruit Season and will notify us if they see anything suspicious. Thanks guys.
“Big Bertha” our bird scarer will be up and running once again soon, assisting us greatly in keeping the cheeky birds off the bird netting as their main aim is to “infiltrate and feast.”
The big Orchards have many bird scarers along with somebody riding round shooting most of the day, scaring them off the nets ……none of us here have the time to drive around and it wouldn’t be cost effective to hire someone so Big Bertha is on her own.
This Season she has insisted we find her a friend to help with the workload so Big Barry may join her before the Season kicks off.
I am often asked about ‘Little Toot’, our pump tractor.
Very pleased to report she has coped well with the irrigation and frost-fighting over the past few months but does get a wee bit upset when she hears the big motors, further up the Valley, start up during frost-fighting as she has an inferiority complex about her ‘’small size and her feeble roar.”
She may be small but she definitely has enough grunt to pull the water needed out of the dam via the pump to frost-fight our 17 acres. And of course she does the same job when it comes to irrigating.
Little Toot along with Big Bertha are both valued workmates.
Even after twenty-five Seasons, I still love the sound of the collective hum of the frost-fighting motors within earshot of our Orchard as I know it’s the sound of livelihoods and jobs being saved and at the end of the day it doesn’t matter how big or small our Orchards are, we are all in the same boat, just trying to make a living off the land.
Ask Aunty S
Dear Aunty S
My brother in law and I are in love and we intend to move to Australia to start a new life.
He is leaving his kids with his wife but we are keeping mine.
My husband says he will stop us from taking the kids out of the country and now they are saying they don’t want to go and want to live with him permanent.
My partner says he will go ahead of time as he needs to find a job but I don’t want him to go without us.
What should I do?
Aunty S responds
Why not leave the kids with your husband; go off with your boyfriend and see how it works out.
Your children are old enough to know what they want and it appears they don’t want to leave their Dad.
Over and out.
Recent Comments