Concert of delight

Yesterday we were privileged to be at a concert given by a couple of visiting Hungarian opera singers, Eva Toth & Viktor Lablanc, who are touring Australia. The singers did not only give us a treat of Hungarian and Austrian opera music, but they also gave us some Gypsy folk music that was close to their heart.

The cherry was of course their ability to act their parts well, and the display of love that emanated between them was obvious. Not only that, but Eva is also very good looking – like a blond doll, with long curly mountains of hair, and gowned to perfection with crinoline dresses of the period in white, red or blue. And Viktor – in his black suit and white shirt, and his very Gypsy looks complementing her beautifully. A treat indeed.

Renate

Artist, poet & the Author of

‘From the Promised Land to the Lucky Country’

As promised - From the Promised Land to the Lucky Country - Book 4

On our return from the USA we settled in Perth Western Australia (WA for short), where we lived till 1988.Our time in WA led us through the good and the bad, through achievements and destruction, through happiness and shear pain and dissolutions.

The clinic we built from nothing has done extremely well and the work was interesting and fulfilling. Gerry has broadened the range of treatment, and did what will be called in laymen terms - ‘miracles’; getting some spastics children back to normal, and sterile women to conceive.

At the beginning we lived at the back of the clinic and then moved to a home of our own where the children could have a proper home.We had the mandatory string of animals, including an Alsatian bitch that had eleven beautiful pups in her first and only litter; AND, we nearly had some field mice our Gill and friend decided to breed!

To get recharged, we went from time to time overseas, visiting countries as far apart as Brazil & Argentina are from Europe, South Africa from China and so on, meeting and learning the ways people live in those countries.

At the end of 1972 we went for a year to Israel, where

the 1973 Yom Kippur war surprised while visiting Germany, leaving the children with different friends in Israel.

A short while after our return from Israel, all hell came lose and we experienced several calamities, one of which was a car accident that rendered Gerry unfit for work, and left us nearly destitute.

However, during that time we also had some very rewarding and interesting occurrences: We fostered a teenager for a while & built an 18.3 feet steel ketch.We became detectives & lawyers of sorts during the car accident compensation trial that took 3 sitting and ended a year & a half later & were blackmailed as well. We lived on board our yacht for 3 years, and during the America’s cap that was in Fremantle WA.

The book ends with us leaving WA in 1988 to live in the Eastern Australia where we are living since.

Renate

Artist, poet & the Author of

‘From the Promised Land to the Lucky Country’

Just reporting

I am very excited. I could not believe it. My book "From the Promised Land to the Lucky Country" has gone up in its Amazon.com rating meteorically. Within 2 weeks it went from 830,00+ to 18,300 a couple of days ago. (worst about 2 million, best 1) and I was shaking all over. However, those rating do change every few minute once a book has broken the 100,000 mark. Rating is calculated on various factors, one of which is the number of book sold. Now I am in total state of anxiety, looking at the rating several times a day... Yes. I do remember that I need to tell you about the 4th book in - From the Promised Land to the Lucky Country - which is about Western Australia. I promise to do so soon

Renate

Artist, poet & the Author of -

From the Promised Land to the Lucky Country.

Our Poetry in Paradise

We have a Poetry Club on the Gold Coast for poets and the lovers of poetry. We meet every 3^rd Sunday of the month in one of the most beautiful spots you can imagine.It is on the veranda of a teahouse that is sat in a tropical garden with colourful birds tweeting all around us.We have afternoon tea served and listen to poetry our members read, some of which are very good.

The other day our Bob read a poem you must read.It has a message I completely concur with, so I have added it here.Bob also played the Didgeridoo for us.An aboriginal instrument that is very hard to use, and he has done a wonderful job on it.

Also, our Joan has made a web page for our Poetry club and I am inserting its link. Go and have a look, and if you live in on the Gold Coast or nearby, why not join us, even if you are only a listener.

Here is Bob's poem:

Being Old By Bob Dever

I have a regular chats with m grandkids Where tantalizing subjects just seem to unfold The other day one of them innocently asked ‘Grandpa, do you like being old?”

a ticklish question if ever I heard one My answer had to leave them with no doubt I didn’t have to agonise over it for long I guess mu feelings, just flooded out.

I would never trade my amazing friends For less grey hair or a latter belly I’ve shared a rewarding life, with wonderful memories Not like that rubbish served up on the telly.

As I’ve aged, I have become my own friend Yes, I reckon I’ve become kinder to my self I’m less critical and more tolerant of other points of view Quite content to be blessed with good health.

I don’t chide myself or eating that extra bickie Or for not making my bed when I oughta Or buying that silly cement goanna, I really didn’t need That looks so avant garde out on my veranda.

I am entitled to overeat and love something sweet And to be messy, or extravagant with a little fling I have seen too many dear friends, leave this world too soon Before they understood the freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read till late And having a nanny nap doesn’t mean your over the hill I will dance with myself to those wonderful tones of the 50’s And if I wish to shed a tear, over lost love, I will.

I know that sometimes, I can be quite forgetful But then again, some things in life are better forgotten I eventually remember the really important things And learnt how to cop we my heart was broken.

How can your heart not break, when you lose a loved one Or when you see a small child suffering But broken hearts are what give us strength and compassion And the experience to cope with understanding.

I am blessed to have lived long enough for mu hair to turn grey To have my youthful laugh lines forever etched in to my face So many have died before their hair turned silver So many never laughed, before they lost the race.

I find as you get older, it is easier to be positive You care less about what others think when you make a stand I don’t question myself, I’ve earned the right to be wrong Confident my loving family will understand.

So to answer the question, I like being old It has set me free and I am at ease with that I like the person that I have become I can say yes… or I can say no… and mean it.

I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here I’ll not waste time lamenting, of what could have been Or worrying about what will be, as it certainly will be For the time that’s left, my mates and I can still dream

For the fest time in my life, I don’t have to give a reason To do the things that I feel, I want to do I have put in a lot of time helping other people So I can be a bit selfish, and not fell guilt too.

If I want to play games on the computer all day Or lie on the couch and watch old movies then I might And if I don’t want to go to the beach or go shopping Then I consider that I have earned that right.

I sometimes feel sorry for the young ones these days They face a far different world from the one I knew When I was growing up we were taught to fear the law You always, looked after your mate in a blue.

We respected the old…the flag… and our country There was a lot more to life than just building wealth And I never felt the need to use filthy language While simply trying to express myself.

I am grateful to have been born, when I was Into a kinder, gentler world, with principles to uphold So the answer to your original question is Yes…I really do like… being this old,

Bob Dever 14.12.06

Renate

Artist, poet & the Author of -

From the Promised Land to the Lucky Country.

‘From the Promised land to the Lucky Country’ – Book 3

We are now at book 3 in my autobiographic journey:

Having the hospital for 4 years, and my husband Gerry having a dead end flying job, we needed a change.This need landed us in Davenport Iowa, which is located on the Mississippi River, in Midwest USA.

Here we did not only studied Chiropractic and related subject, but also learned how to live in deep winters, through some hair raising and funny experiences.

I loved the US and I cherish the life we had in this exciting country. We gained not only new professions and a new baby, but we also grew as human beings, and in our understanding of all that is around us; and we are forever in your debt, America…

Next time - Book 4 - Western Australia.

Renate

Artist, Poet and the Author of -

From the Promised land to the Lucky Country

My talk at the Runaway Bay Library

Before I continue with the 3^rd book in my - From the promised Land to the Lucky Country - which covers the period I lived in the USA, I like to tell you about the talk I gave last Wednesday in the Runaway Bay Library on the Gold Coast to the Sight Impaired Readers’ group, about my life:

We had 25 people attending and the meeting was great.Even though I lived in 3 countries each in a different continent, most of the question and interest centered around life in the "Land of Israel" (Palestine) under the British Mandate and Israel’s war of independence etc.

Wherever I go I find many people wanting to know about Israel, as it seems never to get off the TV screens.Unfortunately, much of the information is misinformation.Israel has much more to offer than wars and fights with the Arabs, and I welcome the inquiries I get.Not only that, but I have posted on the right hand column a list of some of Israel’s achievements for you to read.

Renate

Artist, Poet and the author of -

From the Promised Landto the Lucky Country.