Catch up with our news - part 2, January

Big things happened in January. We went to Bega to prepare our old farmhouse for sale. Having decided to live at Diamond Beach about three hours north of Sydney, we had to let go of the dream we once had of retiring to the Sapphire Coast near Bega.  But it was still a bit of a wrench to see it go. As old and problematic as the place was, we had grown to love it just a little.

Our wonderful tenants had kept the garden well and really looked after the place

David outside the front door

The place was built in the 20's, we think. It has lovely wood features inside

Lounge/dining room

Sunroom

The new kitchen we installed about four years ago, and the old fuel stove to the left

The Bega Valley really is lovely spot

But the neighbours, we didn't grow to like them.  An original old Bega farming family, from whose holdings our place was subdivided and sold many years back, they were somewhat hostile to our plans.  In fact their noisy industrial activities and their obstructiveness were part of our reason for selling. They were very keen to buy the place back and have it under their control again. They were put out when we sold (for less than their offer) to a young family man who was a friend of our tenants. He will love it and do what we would have done. Be done by as you did, I say.

The big January news was not about selling our Bega place though. Although the news, and not good news,  came through while we were in Bega. David was diagnosed with melanoma. Nasty, invasive and quite deep. It changed everything. The fabric of our world shifted and we were both badly rattled. All future plans went into limbo.  Back in Canberra our focus suddenly was on medical things and on trying to get David better.  There were lots of appointments and tests, hospital, urgent surgery and pain. Very stressful and upsetting to look at one's own mortality. But eventually the horizon cleared when the post-surgery pathology tests were good. It will be a few years of careful watching, but we are optimistic now. Poor David. What a ride. But friends and family were incredibly supportive, helped us get through.