Trenna’s Diary Summaries From Her iPad
Introduction
In Trenna’s iPad she has written summaries of each year. As you will see from what she has written she has gleaned the information retrospectively from a wide range of sources.
As I reproduce them on this site I’ll take the opportunity to clarify and expand on some of the stories. Trenna wrote these summaries (and there are many of them) to help her and I recall our many experiences. It was probably another preparation she was making to tell her story, or knowing her, making it easier for me to tell her story.
I have pasted below her summary of 1988, the year we got together.
Trenna’s Words and Greg’s Comments
1988
REFERENCE SOURCES:
Our meal calendar
Our memories
Photos from Family + friends.
Greg’s work diary’s
My personal diary
My gardening diary
Dates we purchased items
Medical visit & procedure dates
I HAVE LONG HAIR
JANUARY 88
Sat 2/1 – Going away party for Steve, Greg & me are interested.
GM in 2023: I tell the story of how we met and got together, HERE. It is a love story in four parts.
Fri 8/1 – Friday, Greg & my first date Shalhama Indian Restaurant, then Hillary’s Marina in the final stages of construction, then my place – I send Greg on his way..
GM in 2023: The reason I was sent on my way is explained in the link above.
GREG & ME ARE NOW AN ITEM
Wed 27/1 – Greg & me Dinner (Lamb Shanks?) & me stay over, our first! 🙂
GM in 2023: That’s explained in that same four part story.
FEBRUARY 88
Mon 1/2 – Thur 4/2 – Pemberton our 1st camp away.
GM in 2013: That too is covered in that same four part story of how Trenna and I got together.
Sat 20/2 – Sue Field’s house (still married) dinner outside, Milka was the friendliest.
GM in 2023: Regular readers will know that for many years my group of friends met over the weekend to share a drink and to talk. We call it the Session. This was Trenna’s first Session at someone’s house. It was also unusual in that most of us hadn’t seen Sue for a number of years.
It turned out being quite a strange session. Sue was welcoming but her husband was not. I think that was why we were all made to stay outside. Some time later Sue’s marriage ended.
I’m sure it is hard for a new Session goer (as Trenna was). Most of us have known each other for many years. It is therefore significant that Trenna notes that “Milka was the friendliest”. Milka is still very friendly.
MARCH 88
Sat 26/3 – Greg & me Dinner.
GM in 2023: I don’t recall this one, but it must have gone well as Trenna is at my place the next day for breakfast.
Sun 27/3 – Hot Cross buns on front porch for Breaky.
Sun 27/3 – Palm Sunday Rally Supreme Court Gardens 1.30. We have lunch @ HJ’s I buy Greg HJ’s watch.
GM in 2023: I tell this story in the post “A Burger with a Peace Rally, and a Watch on the Side“.
MAY 88
Sun 8/5 – Scarborough (Observation City) McDonald’s for Colin & José’s son, Toby’s birthday party.
Date deleted by GM – Brett Bradshaw born to friends Sue & Neil.
Tue 17/5 – Picked up piano from Christine’s women’s refuge.
GM in 2023: Our friend Christine managed a refuge and they wanted someone to take an old piano off their hands. It had a lovely cabinet and you could see where the candlestick holders had originally been fitted.
The keyboard however was wrecked, and I don’t think it played at all. We had it as an interesting, albeit large, ornament. We gave it away when we did our first home renovation a few years later.
Sat 21/5 – Colin & Linda’s dinner 7pm.
GM in 2023: Another odd night as I recall – and another marriage that didn’t last!
JUNE 88
Thur 16/6 – Prickles goes missing.
Fri 17/6 – Eric Bogle concert hall I can’t stop crying as P is still missing.
Sat 18/6 – Greg & me Colin & Jose’s wedding dinner disaster.
GM in 2023: “Disaster” is a reasonable description. I won’t go into the details as wounds seemed to have healed, but there was a misunderstanding between Trenna’s brother Colin and his wife, and the rest of the family.
The ramifications lasted for years.
Fri 24/6 – Slim Dusty Concert Hall dreadful.
GM in 2023: Probably no one in the Australian music scene has been more lauded than Slim Dusty, but I agree with Trenna’s assessment of the concert. I am planning a post soon to explain why I (and Trenna) say that.
Wed 29/6 – Dinner at James & Jane Best’s house we wrote in their guest book.
GM in 2023: James and Jane (whose marriage has lasted, I’m pleased to report) live just around the corner from me. I knew James and Jane through my work at the WAIT Student Guild. We were one of the first people to sign the book, which they still have.
I MAY BE LIVING @ KENSY NOW
7/88 (???) – I sell my Blackmore Ave duplex Girrawheen(?) Move to Kensington.
JULY 88
Thur 7/7 – Surprise Birthday drinks for Bart at Black Pearl Bar @ Hurlingham, we walked there & home.
GM in 2023: Bart has been a friend for many years, and is one of the Session crowd.
Sat 9/7 – Arvo tea Helen & Bob’s.
GM in 2023: Helen is Trenna’s friend who has been mentioned throughout this website. Bob was her first husband. I remember Bob, who sadly has passed away, was a keen gardener. He gave Trenna and me some Bridal Creeper when we visited on that day.
Mon 11/7 – Fri 22/7 Greg Holidays
Sat 16/7 – Dinner @ Jan & Neale’s
Sat 23/7 – HBF dinner
GM in 2023: HBF is where Trenna worked as a Trainer.
AUGUST 88
Wed 24/8 – Quiz night for Trevor Vaughn’s Rugby Club. We won, Greg naughty ditty.
GM in 2023: At one point in the quiz night tables had to complete the limerick “There was a young lady from Dalkeith….”. Fortunately, I already knew a limerick that started with that line, and we won that part of the competition, and eventually the whole quiz night.
I still remember the limerick, but it is so naughty that I am not prepared to publish it here.
Trevor went on to become the Mayor of the Town of Victoria Park for many years.
Sat 27/8 – Sally & Trev’s dinner for Gill’s 40th.
Sally is Trevor Vaughn’s wife and worked at HBF. She decided to throw a surprise birthday dinner for her sister Gill, who was Trenna’s boss. I recall it being quite a good night – but there is a follow-up tale to this.
In about 2015 I was making a business phone call, and found I was talking to Sally, who I probably hadn’t spoken to for about 27 years. She revealed that at Gill’s 40th I had spoken passionately about doing work that you really enjoy.
As a result, Sally had changed jobs and she remained grateful for my advice. I was flabbergasted to hear this!
Interestingly, at the time I was the Education Officer at the WAIT Student Guild, I think the job in my life that I enjoyed the most. Not long after that dinner I changed jobs.
Date deleted by GM – Kelly Blackwood born.
GM in 2023: To our friends Jan and Neale.
SEPTEMBER 88
Fri 9/9 – Colette’s going away BBQ @ her parents flash house Salters Point. NO tomato sauce!
GM in 2023: Colette worked with me at the Guild, she was a great colleague, but she decided to change employer. To mark the occasion she threw a party at her parent’s house for the people from work. We were all surprised to find that her parents were obviously rich. Apparently very rich.
They had a large, modern, multi-level house in a very good suburb, on a hill overlooking the Canning and Swan Rivers. A beautiful place. I remember we were all impressed that the house even had a cordless phone!!
Trenna and I were both therefore bowled over when we asked for the tomato sauce and Colette said she had none! Neither Trenna or I had ever lived in a house that didn’t have tomato sauce in the cupboard. And what’s more, we couldn’t believe that you would invite people to an Australian barbecue, and not have any sauce. Totally unbelievable!
Sun 11/9 – My 31st birthday.
Fri 16/9 – Work, I am sent to see Cardio Dr Stewart, am residing at Vista St.
GM in 2023: This was the start of the manifestation of Trenna’s heart problems which were caused by her Marfan Syndrome. She was at work at HBF when she suddenly felt very unwell. Mr Stewart, one of the senior executives there happened to have a brother who was a cardiologist, so Trenna was sent directly to him.
From that point Trenna was under the care of a cardiologist. In January 1990 she had major heart surgery.
November 88
Date deleted by GM – Christopher Bahn born
GM in 2023: To our friends Linda and Colin.
Wed 2/11 – Greg take Tren to Dr.
Thur 3/11 – Dinner @ The Lark, Vietnamese Northbridge.
GM in 2023: A really delightful, and pioneering in Perth, Vietnamese Restaurants where you could sit on a verandah and eat wonderful food.
Mon 7/11 – Fri 2/12 Greg holidays
Sun 27/11 – Jan’s for lunch, we dress there then go to Neil Purdy’s wedding. Greg fell asleep while dancing with me.
GM in 2023: Neil was a work colleague from the Student Guild. He married Karen.
DECEMBER 88
Wed 28/12 – Greg’s 31st birthday
Check Out Some of the Most Popular Posts
- We’ll Always Have Prague – and the China Lady on the Wall
Special Note: I had this Post finished and ready to publish on 21 December 2023. And then the tragic news of a mass shooting in Prague came through. I have therefore held back the story for a couple of weeks out of respect for the people who lost their life. 23 May – 4 June 2012 PRAGUE Wed, 30 May 2012 17:35:16 +0200 Hi Nance and Barb, Hope all goes well with u both. We have been in Prague now since last Thursday. It took 30 hours to get here. Horrid! We arrived mid morning so were able to do… Read more: We’ll Always Have Prague – and the China Lady on the Wall - Trenna & Public Enemy – 50 years of hip-hop
By Greg You may have noticed that we have just passed the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip-hop. It wasn’t an anniversary that was on my radar, in fact, neither Trenna or I were big fans of hip-hop. We didn’t dislike it, it was just that there was a lot of other music around. That is until hot one afternoon in December 2013. Perth International Arts Festival Each year Perth has an international festival. And each year I look at the extensive programme that is printed, I’m sure at great expense, and which finds its way into my letterbox.… Read more: Trenna & Public Enemy – 50 years of hip-hop - To Feel Able
Weekday Routine 2016 and 2017 Intro by Greg, and then Trenna Among the documents on Trenna’s iPad there are two called “Weekly Routine”. One is labelled “2016” and the other “2017”. It is actually not quite as pernickety as it seems. In this post I will reproduce both of them. In them Trenna goes into immense detail about times she intends doing things and what looks like a very strict routine. It is actually not quite as pernickety as it seems. Firstly, Trenna was fully aware that from day to day she never knew what life, or her body would… Read more: To Feel Able - The Wellington Earthquake
By Greg Business Class Travel – It’s Not For Everyone In November 2016 my then employer, Advocare Inc, gave me the opportunity to go to a mediation conference in Wellington, New Zealand. Travel was becoming increasingly difficult for Trenna. Her eyesight was very bad and her pain management was not going well. We knew that the long flight from Perth in Western Australia to Auckland and then down to Wellington would take its toll. On the other hand it really wasn’t feasible for Trenna to stay at home unassisted – it was just too hard. Plus, she had loved the… Read more: The Wellington Earthquake - The Kitchen Tapes
Growing up in Perth in the 1960s and 70s by Greg Mahney Trenna always liked to tell a story. She knew that her life story was interesting and that some people could find comfort in hearing how she coped with what life threw at her. We had talked about it for a long time and in April 2018 Trenna asked if we could record her tales. We didn’t have a firm view on what we would do with them. A book was always a possibility, but there was nothing decided. Trenna knew in 2018 – indeed all her life –… Read more: The Kitchen Tapes - The Key to Happiness and Fulfilment
Intro by Greg, Wisdom by Trenna Here is another pearl from Trenna’s iPad. It looks like she started it on 27 April 2016 (at 10:31 am) but then didn’t edit it again until 31 May 2017. (How nerdy is that detail I’ve given you?!) PLEASE NOTE: It is a 3 page document from the iPad, if your browser is only showing one page you may need to click on the link or the Download button. As I write this I recall the incident when Trenna’s cardiologist sent her to a Psychiatrist. I’ve written a post about that. You can see… Read more: The Key to Happiness and Fulfilment - The Green Salad Sandwich Maker, and Other Darwin Stories
By Greg Introduction I think Trenna’s Darwin letters to my parents convey a lot of the colour and light of our two year stay at the top of Australia. If you haven’t caught up with them I suggest you start them HERE. There were a few stories from that period that weren’t covered by Trenna’s letters, so I thought I’d cobble together a bunch of them in this post. Decision to Go We moved to Darwin so that I could take up the role of Manager, Student Administration at the Northern Territory University (NTU). It had been quite a good… Read more: The Green Salad Sandwich Maker, and Other Darwin Stories - The Earliest Days of Trenna AND Greg – Part 1
How We Got Together by Greg Relief I can still remember it clearly, really clearly. I took Trenna’s hand and looked into those enormous brown eyes. “Do you like me?” It sounds pretty stupid now but I had to find out what was happening inside that complex brain of hers. I couldn’t believe how well things seemed to be going between us. She didn’t answer immediately. Instead she took a sip of her glass of Moondah Brook Chenin Blanc, her long slender fingers with beautiful nails letting the glass linger near her lips. She sort of tilted her head to… Read more: The Earliest Days of Trenna AND Greg – Part 1 - The Craft Group and Caring for Terry
By Greg This story took me longer to write than perhaps any other, but it was a tale I wanted to tell. Thinking About Trenna Trenna’s birthday has recently passed so obviously I started thinking about her. One thing that came to mind was the time she spent with our neighbour Terry, near the end of Terry’s life. Terry Terry, her husband Neil, and their young son Jason moved into the house on the corner, two doors up from us many years ago. Apart from the occasional “G’day” as we walked past each other’s houses we really didn’t have much… Read more: The Craft Group and Caring for Terry - Soundwave Festival 2013
4 March 2013 By Trenna, with an intro from Greg Introduction I had always planned on including this story from Trenna’s iPad. As I read it I can tell that she has done a bit of a download of her brain to get it down in print whilst still fresh in her memory. I feel sure that she hoped to come back to it in future and elaborate on some of the comments. She either never got around to it, or she might have felt the energy that comes across in the original (see the PDF from her iPad at… Read more: Soundwave Festival 2013 - Moshing With Black Sabbath!
By Greg and Trenna Reliving the Experience Looking through Trenna’s iPad I came across the document she wrote to review/record the Black Sabbath concert we went to along with a friend, Adrian. It was the first time I had read this piece since 2016. It immediately brought back memories of a really fab night. I also found some of the turns of phase pretty entertaining. I will put her writing below, in the main body of this post but also embed a PDF of her writing as it appears in her iPad. A few things to bear in mind as… Read more: Moshing With Black Sabbath! - Marfan Weight Gain
Advice Trenna Got on How to Put Weight ON Regular readers will know this, but…. although I mention several specific brands in this post I do NOT get any financial or other benefit from them. I name them just to help you understand what I’m talking about. If you find this post useful or interesting you might want to check out three other posts: Marfan and Other Chronic Conditions – Things That Worked for Trenna; Things That Worked for Trenna -Part 2; and Marfan and Other Chronic Conditions – Things That Worked for Trenna – Part 3 . Marfan People… Read more: Marfan Weight Gain