This year just seems to have flown by – so much been happening these past few months especially with some family issues over in the UK. Hence I’m off over there again in a couple of weeks time to help my brother sort out my dad’s flat and get it onto the market. After a long period of ill health, he’s had to go into full-time care in a nursing home.
We’ve been sweltering through a heatwave here this week (yesterday was 40 degrees)! Today is mercifully considerably cooler and the sea breeze has returned. It will be quite a shock to the system going from a Western Australian summer to a north of England winter!
I still have photos and stories to share from our month long trip to Europe in April/May, which I will do when I return from my travels in the New Year.
In the meantime, wishing everyone a very merry and peaceful Christmas and best wishes for 2025!
Au revoir from Perth:
Copyright © 2024 Rosemary Thomas Le Chic En Rose
Le Chic En Rose 
Merry Christmas to you and yours. I hope you managed to get everything sorted here in the UK. It will be cold compared to Perth, but a good coat will keep you warm.
We will be going to the South of Spain in January for some winter sunshine 😀
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Thanks so much Gilda – yes I’ve got thermals, warm boots, scarves, coats etc. It does get cold here in the winter but nothing like England of course.
Enjoy the winter sunshine in Spain and have a very merry Christmas X 🙂
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Hope your Dad settles well. It will make life easier all round. Meanwhile, have a lovely Christmas and very best wishes for 2025 xx
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Thanks so much Jo 🙂 We’re getting there – so far so good though obviously it’s not like being back at his flat. Still a lot to sort out …. It’s a much cooler day here today, which is lovely. Have a very merry Christmas too and very best wishes for the New Year xx 🙂
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I’m sorry to hear about your dad’s ill health, I hope he settles in the home, it’s always such a stressful situation. Meanwhile enjoy your Christmas and sunshine and I shall look forward to seeing your posts when you get the time. Safe journeys xx
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Thanks so much Jude – it’s a difficult situation and alas I know many friends going though similar things. That stage of life unfortunately. We had a lovely Christmas here – after the heatwave earlier in the week, we had the coldest Christmas Day for years with a fierce south westerly. We were all wrapped up in jackets and blankets sitting outside! Hope you had a very happy Christmas! xx
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Forgot to mention that exquisite sunset!
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Thanks Jude – Perth sunsets are magical!
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Happy Christmas! I hope your Dad continues to settle, and hopefully it will take a weight off your mind knowing he is always safe (speaking from experience here). I also know how hard it is dismantling a home so you have my good wishes for that too.
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Thanks so much Anabel – much appreciated. I certainly did feel a great sense of relief when Dad finally accepted that he needed to go into a home. It’s been an increasingly worrying situation particularly over the past couple of years but in reality Dad hadn’t been coping well for a long time. He is safe and well looked after now, but naturally he finds the change in his circumstances quite stressful. Yes I’m certainly not looking forward to the task at hand but it needs to be done – some things are straightforward but going through all the paperwork, books and boxes of old photos will take some time and be emotionally draining. I hope you had a very happy Christmas! X
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We did, thanks, and I hope you did too. It’s now three years we cleared mum’s house and I still have piles of stuff to go through. I can only do little bits at a time. Of course, it’s easier for me because I could just bring it all home!
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Thanks Anabel we did have a very nice Christmas. I find clearing anything out rather draining – it’s like all the old energy gets released or something! My dad’s flat will be at a different level as, although I’ve cleared stuff out before eg when my mother passed away, this is the final clear out now as Dad is permanently in care. I will bring some stuff back here in my luggage eg a few books and photos but will have to organsie shipping if I want to keep anything else and so I will only be able to save a small amount of stuff.
Happy New Year! 🙂
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Very best wishes to you and yours, Rosemary. Safe travels. BTW if you need any guidance on entry into Residential Aged Care here, navigating Centrelink etc, I may be able to help LOL
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Thanks Ken! Oh dear – I know from friends that navigating Residential Aged Care here is somewhat of a challenge to say the least. Very best wishes with it all and a Happy New Year!
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