Sad News

First off let me apologize for the lack of posts recently.
We have had another tragedy in the family and it has been a tough couple of weeks.
You’ll read more about that in just a second but first I’ll give you an update on what we have available on the Stall.
We currently have tree ripened Cox’s Orange Apples available in 5kg bags for $5 or 12kg 2nd’s boxes for $10.
They are at the stage now where they are lovely and sweet and the flavor is absolutely terrific.

Back to the sad news.

In Loving Memory of Grandma Gloria

My Grandma died two weeks ago here at home on the Orchard.
She died very peacefully in her lounge wheelchair moments before Mum was going to change her into her pyjamas and tuck her into bed.
It was such a shock as she had a lovely day singing and talking to herself hence there was no warning.
So to say her death was a shock is an understatement as it was far too soon after Dad’s death.

She was heartbroken after Dad’s death and even though she hadn’t spoken in over a year, she started scanning the room with her eyes singing and talking clearly after his death.
It was obvious that she was looking for Dad.
Whenever he used to walk past her he would pat her on her head and say, “good girl Gloria”, or “lovely day Gloria”. She just loved Dad.

She was in her 80th year and her Alzheimer’s first became noticeable after she returned from a holiday to Norfolk Island in the year 2000.
This is when my Mum asked her how she enjoyed her trip, and her response was, “What trip?” It was pretty obvious something was up!!!
We are so glad that she lived with us for over four years. She had a new lease on life when she arrived.
Some of the things she enjoyed were her rides in the Orchard, new clothes, collecting teddy bears, shower gels, perfume, mirrors, sponge cake, sitting on the deck with our cat, sitting in the garden trying to work out what bird was tweeting.
She was never correct in her naming but we played along. Her car trips were a highlight and as she would often lose track of time, a 20 minute morning trip around the block did the trick.
She would arrive home and say she’d had a lovely day out with Sandra! She loved Mum so much as did Mum her.
My mother has a wonderful sense of humour which Grandma responded to!

She never had a day’s sickness. Not a cold or flu. She was strong as an ox like her mother is what my mother would say.
My Great Grandmother whom my Grandma took after lived until she was 89 years and we all thought Grandma would make it into her eighties.
She was such a fixture, I never thought of life without her but then again I never thought of life without Dad.
We miss her so much as we do Dad.
How life can change in less than three months!

In the first three years of her living here, she could often be found sitting proudly in her Lazy Boy chair in the Fruit Stall greeting customers.
Sometimes her comments were a bit weird but everybody was so kind to her.
Thank you to all those who showed her kindness. You made an old lady very happy.
Life was never boring with Grandma. We saw her go through different stages of Alzheimers and during the past year we watched her hold onto Mum’s hand as if she was saying, “Don’t put me in a Home Sandra?”
She had continually voiced this in the past and was always told that this wouldn’t happen, but when the words couldn’t come, the pleading look
in her eyes was upsetting at times for all of us as we all backed Mum as we would never have put her in a Home.

Grandma was a beloved member of our Hobbs Family and is buried beside Dad at Roxburgh Cemetery.