Hatsujouki

Poor Beni chan. She is on heat and seems to have been so for ages. While the crying is driving me crazy, I bet it's a lot more uncomfortable for her than for me. It's my fault really - I should've had her desexed ages ago. Now I have to wait for it to subside this year before getting it done. So, for the time being I will just have to put up with the cries that sound like she is possessed by the devil, the constant need for attention (usually expressed by her jumping on the computer keyboard) and the need to pee anywhere but the litter box (usually on my clothes).Shin chan seems to be dealing with it all a lot better than me. Typical male, hejust ignores her.
Well, while Shin chan takes his 14th nap for the day, it looks like another hard night for the two girls in the house. Ganbare Beni chan!

I wanna get away, I wanna fly away～

最近、旅にすごく出たくなって落ち着きがない

生徒がいろいろな国に行ってきて、その話を聞くとうらやましい

この三カ月ぐらいだけでスペイン、インドネシア、トルコ！　私も行きた～～～～いよ～～～～

行きたい所がたくさんあり過ぎて、今度時間とお金があったらどこに行こうといつも考えてる。　もちろん海外にも行きたいけど、日本内でもいいな～と思う　今の行きたいリストのナンバーワンはやっぱり沖縄だわ。　こっちが寒くなると南の島に行きたくなるでしょう

でもこの話は家族に内緒だよ　だって３年間オーストラリアに帰ってないからそろそろ行かないと怒られるわ　

みんなはどうでしょう？時間もお金も問題じゃなかったらどこに行く？？？？

Life and Death

Yesterday morning my aunty passed away. She was only 51 years old. She died twodays after the 17th anniversary of her older sister's (my mother's) death. Her sister died when she was 43. The sisters had a lot in common - same hair, same body type, a fondness for champagne, marriage to men in the armed forces, 2 children - first a boy and then a girl, and most significantly I guess, they both had the same medical condition - primary pulmonary hypertension. It's not a well known condition among most people but in my family it has affected so many people that it is a name no one can forget.

I am not a doctor and what I have learned about the condition has only come from living with my mother and later from the internet but basically it is high blood pressure in the pulmonary artery.

As I said my aunt was only 51 when she died but infact she had been very close to death 13 years ago. At that time her condition had worsened to the point that she needed a heart lung transplant desperately. After what seemed like an eternityon the transplant list the phone call came to say that thanks to a donor a heart and lungs were available and to get to the hospital straight away. To cut a long story short, the operation was a success and my aunt was not only given a longer life but a much better one, despite all the medicine and complications that come from having had a transplant.

So, while I am so sad that my aunt is gone, I am glad she had those extra 13 years. Time to see her daughter get married, to see her first grandchild born, and generally just to enjoy life - and I know that she certainly did that!

Hopefully the sisters are somewhere together, enjoying a glass of bubbly, and catching up on all the gossip.

Rest in peace, Sue and Rhonda.