Well, having revisited my enthusiasm and, as Lexi and Pelly feel that Houellie is merely interesting and somewhat prone to blushing, it seems I was a tad too playful here yesterday. Obviously suffering from too much OLO of late.

I'll just show myself out....carry on : )

Dear Poirot,

No, No, No. don't go!

As the old adage goes - "One person with passion
is better than several people merely interested."

s'okay, Lexi...I do get carried away sometimes : )

Dear Poirot,

Yeah, we know, and we think that's great!
;-)

Lexi do be careful of visiting "the old place", it can be disappointing.

My father built a house in Bathurst, with me sort of helping, in the early 50s. It took years. On a trip to Bathurst a while back, for one of those old racing drivers reliving their youth things, I went to have a look at it. It wasn't there, & neither were most of the houses in the road.

Evidently it flooded a few times, & the government helped move the houses.

I then went to see the house we built on our orchard at Young. What had been orchards & a horse stud was all houses. I drove up & down the road, trying to find our old place, but could not definitely recognise it.

When people were obviously unhappy at my driving up & down the road, I stopped to talk to them. Inside I could recognise the place, but now in suburbia, with a few additions, I had not been too sure.

I could not find our old place in Caringbah either. I think it might be under one of the six pack of flats that are everywhere, in the area. So, I'm afraid, going back can be a disappointment.

I should imagine many of the old Redfern residents feel the same way.

Dear Hasbeen,

You're probably right about going back to places
where we spent our youth. Memories tend to be
rose-coloured and the reality is often quite different.
I remember our old Catholic Church in Wenworthville -
and the beautiful wooden-cross above the main altar.
Such beautiful wood - and so simple and elegant.

My brother tells me that the beautiful simple wooden
cross is still there - but so much has been added to it.
They've painted the beautiful wood (bright pink and blue)
- hung a tassled circus-like multi-coloured canopy above the cross.
Painted all the individual wooden stations of the cross - in bright
primary colours - and totally destroyed all of the elegance
and simplicity that existed previously.

Still, the heart wants what the heart wants - and I would like
to see my old house just one more time. What if its still
there and as lovely as it was? Silly, I know.

Hassie, your memories have inspired me to tuck back into a
few of my own. Imagine this ...

Standing in the middle of a snow-field early in the morning,
with a thick white fog all around you - no sound to be heard
and nothing to see but white - all around. A solitary figure
in total emptiness.

Or - sitting in the middle of a large green meadow on top of
a hill, with a bright blue sky above, no sign of trees or
distant views - to be seen. Just you, the green below, and
blue above.