RIP Pat.

Yesterday Brett and I went to the funeral of Pat, our next dor neighbour. She died last Saturday, in hospital, from emphesyma. The funeral service was so sad, but also lovely. The music that Pat had chosen to have played was Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" as the casket was carried to the hearse. She also had a red V painted on the white casket, because she had been such a mad keen St George Dragons supporter (the Rugby League team here). I thought that was pretty cool, and just like Pat.

We knew Pat for 7 years, ever since we moved in. She was such a bright, sparkling lady. She bought herself a red sports car for her 70th birthday because she had always wanted one. She would always call out "Hello love!" if she saw me in the garden from her back balcony when she was hanging out her washing. Every Christmas and Easter she would bring my kids presents. The last time I saw her was just before last Christmas. I was getting out of the car when she called to me to come to her front door as she had some presents for the kids. I was so shocked by how tiny and frail she was. I mean she literally was as big as a 7 year old child, she had just shrunk so much. We hadn't seen her for a few months because she had been in and out of hospital. Pat gave me three packages for the children and told me that she had telephoned David Jones Department store and had told the 'nice girl' in the toy section the ages of my children. This assistant then picked out 3 presents, gift wrapped them and delivered them to Pat. She had gone to so much trouble, even though she could barely walk or talk without running out of breath.

I saw Pat's husband, Ray, last week when I was out the front mowning the lawn, and he told me then that Pat didn't have long. I think he's very relieved that she went sooner rather than later. At the wake after the funeral yesterday we were chatting to him and he said that she had been more or less unconcious for 2 weeks and she had just slipped away quietly on Saturday afternoon. He sems to be doing well, he told us some interesting things about Pat that we hadn't known before, like that she had grown up in Keiraville, on a dairy farm, and had gone to Keiraville School (where Simon goes now). Incredible to think of dairy farms here, as recently as the 1930's! You can still see some of the old farm houses, on top of the hills around here. I imagine they used to be surrounded by rolling green fields, now it's all houses.

Rest in Peace, Pat, we will miss you very much.