Categories
1990s Darwin Writing

The Darwin Letters No. 2

Trenna's Family
Trenna's family were out in force at Perth Airport to see us off. Greg and Trenna are 3rd and 4th from the left.

By Trenna, Intro by Greg

It’s been a long time coming, and then it is only a short piece! The whole Chapter is only three paragraphs long.

Future installments will be in a different format, as you will see.

If you missed Chapter One, you can find it here.

By Trenna

Chapter Two

Leaving home

Finally, after months of consideration and anticipation, and weeks of preparation, departure day Thursday 10th November 1994 has thankfully arrived.  The past couple of … Read the rest ... “The Darwin Letters No. 2”

Categories
1960s Craig House Grief Kitchen Tapes Mofflyn Homes

The Twelfth Kitchen Tape

Happy Young couple
Trenna's Dad and Mum, Eddie and Jean, after they were engaged. 1947.

Recorded 5 May 2018

Sadness Warning

[GM: I found this perhaps the hardest transcript (as well as the hardest recording), both because of the sad content, and it shows how Trenna blocked out a few years from when her dad died until she went to Craig House. I don’t think when we started the conversation that either I or Trenna had any idea where it would lead.]

GM:  Today is Saturday, 5th of May 2018.  We’re talking with Trenna Mahney.… Read the rest ... “The Twelfth Kitchen Tape”

Categories
2010s Household Tips Snippets and Vignettes Visually Impaired

A Rug for Jack and Jade

Trenna with Baby
"Sleepy Jack, Tired Me." Christmas Day 2014.

by Trenna and Greg

To fully understand this post you are going to need to access the iPad document I have embedded above.

You won’t need to know much about crocheting, and you don’t need to read the whole document, provided you scan through the lot.

So what am I talking about?

Well. Some time, probably in September 2014 Trenna and I received the wonderful news that one of our 9 nieces was pregnant – congratulations again Jade.

Trenna decided … Read the rest ... “A Rug for Jack and Jade”

Categories
1980s 1990s Menus Recipes

The Menu Diaries No. 4

June 1992 Menu
June Menu Diary up to 25 June 1992.

June 1992

Bachelors’ Dinners and Fetta in Oil

For an introduction to what these Menu Diary posts are about, please click HERE. And for the reasons why you really should read this series, please click HERE.

Friday 29 May 1992. A date which will live in infamy. Our good friend Helen invited us to her pace for dinner with her and her then husband, David. I fell asleep at the table. Big Whoops! Helen and David were good … Read the rest ... “The Menu Diaries No. 4”

Categories
Heart and Lung Failure Marfan Medical Medical Records

Medical Records – Cardiology No. 1

Table showing Cardioversions
A document from Trenna's iPad showing the 14 cardioversions she had.

And Cardioversion

PLEASE READ THIS FIRST – THIS POST IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE

The following historical information is for interest only. It should in no way be thought of as medical advice applicable to any other individual. Medical science has moved on, and no two people have the exact same medical circumstances. I hope you find the information interesting, To see the “Introduction” to this series of posts, please click here.

Common abbreviations used by Trenna in this series:
AF … Read the rest ... “Medical Records – Cardiology No. 1”

Categories
Coping Heart and Lung Failure Marfan Medical Medical Records Visually Impaired

Introduction to The Medical Records

IPad Screen shot
A screenshot from Trenna's iPad showing a portion of the folders she used to store medical records.

Introduction by Greg, all the records are Trenna’s work unless specified

I’ve tossed around in my head what to do with Trenna’s extensive medical records.

They mainly comprise the detailed notes she would make at the end of almost all consultations with medical professionals. At first she hand wrote them on A5 pieces of paper (actually hand written on the back of bits of paper that otherwise would have ended in the recycling bin).

Later she recorded them on her … Read the rest ... “Introduction to The Medical Records”

Categories
2010s Carer End of Life Heart and Lung Failure Medical Snippets and Vignettes

A Trip to the Psychiatrist

Trenna in fancy dress
Trenna in 2017. Hmmm! Pehaps she did need to see a psychiatrist?

By Greg & Trenna

This wasn’t the first time that it was suggested that Trenna might need to see a psychiatrist. See also this anecdote from when she was a child.

The recent post “The Key to Happiness and Fulfilment” got me thinking of a visit to Trenna’s cardiologist, which ended up turning into a trip to see a psychiatrist. Here’s what happened…..

It was Monday, 12 June 2017 at 9:30am (actually from about this point we never made appointments, … Read the rest ... “A Trip to the Psychiatrist”

Categories
2010s Collected Wisdom Coping Featured iPad Knowledge Snippets and Vignettes

The Key to Happiness and Fulfilment

Trenna and Greg outdoors
"Happy & Relaxed @ Crowded House Gig." 14 November 2010, Sandleford Winery.

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 … Read the rest ... “The Key to Happiness and Fulfilment”

Categories
1960s Kitchen Tapes

11 – Trenna’s Favourite Number

family photo
"1957 Mummy holding me on the swing at home with Barbie, Nancy and Colin."

The Eleventh Kitchen Tape

Recorded 4 May 2018

Greg’s Notes:  During this recording Trenna started to remember more details about her very early life as she cast her mind further and further back.  You can “hear” this is some of the sentences in this transcript. At the end she told me that it had felt like she had been talking for an hour, but in fact it was just 30 minutes (which was our usual target time). 

GM:  Today is … Read the rest ... “11 – Trenna’s Favourite Number”

Categories
1960s 1970s Kitchen Tapes

The Kitchen Tapes No. 10

7 year old Trenna Facing the camera
7 year old Trenna, and Barb on school holidays with the Anderson family, camping at Meelup. January 1965.

Recorded 22 April 2018

Early Years at Craig House and with the Andersons

GM: OK, today is Sunday 22nd of April, 2018.  We are with Trenna Mahney.  I think Tren you wanted to talk a bit more about the early years at Craig House.

Craig House

THM:  Right.  I don’t really remember getting to Craig House. I knew I was getting excited to go to where my sisters and brother were, and when I got there I didn’t … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes No. 10”

Categories
1990s Menus Recipes

The Menu Diaries No. 3

May 1992 Menu

May 1992

Nibblies, and Scones for Dinner

For an introduction to what these Menu Diary posts are about, please click HERE. And for the reasons why you really should read this series, please click HERE.

Monday 4 May. Steak with green pepper sauce, herbed spud, beans, carrots. Tren describes it as gluggy but yummy. She is referring to the green pepper sauce. I haven’t had it for years. It was made with peppercorns that came in a small … Read the rest ... “The Menu Diaries No. 3”

Categories
Carer Coping Heart and Lung Failure Marfan Medical Snippets and Vignettes Visually Impaired

Things That Worked for Trenna -Part 2

Table set for Lunch
Trenna preparing for a long casual lunch with her friend Linda. 30 December 2017.

Strategies and tips used by someone with a degenerative condition and chronic illness

By Greg

Things Trenna and I Tried, That Worked

in no particular order

This is the second part of this list. For the first part please click here.

I’m already working on part 3 as things we have done in the past pop randomly into my scone.

Coloured Lever Arch Files (although there are electronic filing alternatives now)

As you will find out by going through this … Read the rest ... “Things That Worked for Trenna -Part 2”

Categories
1990s Menus Recipes

The Menu Diaries No. 2

Menu Diary April 1992
Menu Diary April 1992

April 1992

Anzac Day and Hungry Jack’s

For an introduction to what these Menu Diary posts are about, please click HERE. And for the reasons why you really should read this series, please click HERE.

Saturday 4 April. “Ragaletto”! A pasta sauce from a jar!? Could this be right? Then I remembered that when we were first together and both working it wasn’t uncommon for us to have Dolmio brand pasta sauces from a jar. On this … Read the rest ... “The Menu Diaries No. 2”

Categories
1960s 1970s Craig House Kitchen Tapes Visually Impaired

Number Nine, Number Nine…

Tren and Barb in a park
Tren and Barb having a can of Fanta each in a park. I think Trenna told me it was in Queen's Park.

This Kitchen Tape Recorded on 21 April 2018

GM:  OK, today is Saturday, 21st of April, 2018 and I’m with Trenna Mahney.  Tren, you were going to tell us a bit more about Craig House, I think? 

THM:  Alright.  The main house – I was talking about the kitchen and the back enclosed…  well, I guess, in a way it was a bit of a pantry, where it had the fruit cupboard, and all that. 

Sleeping Arrangements

That leads into … Read the rest ... “Number Nine, Number Nine…”

Categories
1990s Menus Recipes

The Menu Diaries No.1

March 1992 Menu
Menu Diary March 1992. The very first one that Trenna did.

March 1992

Rissoles, Rumah Batik and Sunday Sessions

For an introduction to what these Menu Diary posts are about, please click HERE. And for the reasons why you really should read this series, please click HERE.

The first thing I notice about this menu sheet is that there are a number of crossings out. I think at first Trenna was drawing up the sheets with what she expected we would be eating. Then when circumstances changed she had … Read the rest ... “The Menu Diaries No.1”

Categories
1990s 2000s 2010s Menus Recipes

Introducing the Menu Diaries

Greg and Trenna preparing morning tea.
Trenna's caption read "The hosts in new kitchen, 6 January 1991." Of note to me is the "Wisteria" coloured bench top, important staples on the bench - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Baileys and Tia Maria, the bone china cups (which Trenna brought into the relationship), the impressive at the time Chef brand automatic under bench oven, and the white china tea pot and the spoon rest, both of which I still have.

A New Series of Posts Based on Trenna’s Records of Evening Meals

A New Career and a New Kitchen

In 1990-91 Trenna and I employed builders to do our first home renovation. Trenna had recently resigned from her job at the Hospital Benefit Fund (HBF) and therefore had the time to keep a record of what tradesmen came when.

I believe I’ve still got that record, but that will be the subject of a totally different post.

The reason I … Read the rest ... “Introducing the Menu Diaries”

Categories
1980s Featured Love and Marriage Snippets and Vignettes

A Burger with a Peace Rally, and a Watch on the Side

Trenna in the back garden
Trenna wearing the skirt she wore to the rally (she didn't wear my blue singlet to the rally!). She is pictured at my house (she hadn't moved in yet). The outside laundry and toilet are are on the right of the picture. February 1988.

By Greg

Palm Sunday, 27 March 1988

Here is a special bonus post, because it is Palm Sunday today. Neither Trenna nor I were religious, but there is a story related to this day that Trenna and I always remembered.

Setting The Scene

I got together with Trenna at the very start of 1988, so our relationship was very young. I’m pretty sure by that stage we hadn’t said the word LOVE in a sentence to each other.

The Cold … Read the rest ... “A Burger with a Peace Rally, and a Watch on the Side”

Categories
1960s 1970s Craig House Kitchen Tapes

Tape 8 from the Kitchen

Perth by night
Perth City Lights from The South Perth Esplanade. November 1972.

Recorded on the 20th April 2018

Mainly About Meals

[GM: Before we start. Also see the post “Floor 7 1/2” as it contains a player to hear “Tape 8 from the Kitchen” spoken in Trenna’s own words.]

GM:  OK, today it is Friday the 20th of April, 2018.  Tren, yesterday we were talking about Craig House and meals.  Tell us a bit more about Craig House. 

THM: Having talked about meals, there was something I haven’t mentioned, and that … Read the rest ... “Tape 8 from the Kitchen”

Categories
1960s 1970s 1990s 2000s Craig House Kitchen Tapes Travel

Floor 7 1/2

Trenna and Greg on the Tube
On the Tube in London. 15 September 2009. I think Colin Perry took the photo. I've only just replaced that satchel bag in 2022.

… and Trenna’s Voice, Recording Kitchen Tape No. 8

By Greg, and then Trenna’s own voice

The popular-culturally literate among you will immediately be thinking “Being John Malkovich“.

What’s this got to do with Trenna?

Well….

I have decided that in most cases I’m NOT going to put the original sound recordings on this website – at least for now.

However, I thought I should put up at least one, to provide an idea of what the original … Read the rest ... “Floor 7 1/2”

Categories
2010s Love and Marriage Music

THE Rolling Stones Concert – Part 2

4 people at a concert
Four in the Pit. Greg, Judy, Sue and Trenna. 1 November 2014

By Greg

As the title suggests, this is the second part of the story, the first part is here.

Near the Stage

So there we were, in the tongue pit with Tren’s great friend Sue, who she probably hadn’t seen for a couple of years, and Sue’s sister, Judy.

“Ahhh! You’ve got the same top as me!”  Both have a black (of course) “It’s only rock n roll” singlet top.  Judy has a different, but equally cool Stones top.… Read the rest ... “THE Rolling Stones Concert – Part 2”