ISABEL
- Special Guest -
G'day guys,
From time to time I feature extraordinary people - young and old. Today I present an Australian woman who has seen and done much in her nearly 94 years - Isabel. She is one of 11 kids, is an artist, musician, poet, animal lover, mother ... and so her talents go on.
Welcome, Lady Isabel ...
TELL
US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF – AGE, HOBBIES, GENDER AND LOCATION.
Hello Clancy. I'm Isabel. I'll be to 94 years old in a few days time. I
have a good sense of humour. But I'm a bit handicapped at present because
recently I fell and broke my wrist, and a few ribs. I like painting and I also
like writing some poetry. My heart is in the bush, where I grew up. When I go
for a drive these days, I don't see the houses but I see the beautiful trees
and listened to the birds.
HOW
WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LIFE IN A FEW WORDS?
I've had a wonderful life. And I have lived in many places mainly in
Queensland. I was born in Pittsworth, on the Darling Downs. Life there was a
joy, where I spent many hours and days and weeks on my grandparents’ small
farm. We had chooks and ducks, and a large vegetable garden. I spent a lot of
time with my grandparents and my favourite aunts, Auntie Mary and Auntie Annie.
I was named after two of my aunts, Auntie Annie and auntie Bella (Isabel).
Isabel was a bit of the grouch but I still loved her.
It
was only when we left Pittsworth when I was six that I realised that I had so
many older brothers and sisters. When I was seven my eldest sister married and
right or wrong I wanted them to take me on the honeymoon. They didn't. In all,
I have 10 brothers and sisters. I am the eighth child born to my parents. Two
of my older brothers died in infancy and my next closest sibling in age died at
the age of four from tetanus following a traumatic accident. She died a few
days later which broke my heart. I still think of her.
WHAT
HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST JOY IN LIFE?
One of my greatest joys in life was holding
my newborn children one of whom had
bright red hair and looked for the
entire world like a life-size toy doll.
WHAT
IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT AGING?
One of the hardest things about getting
older is that there are things that I can no longer do which I once took for
granted. My hearing isn't the greatest, and likewise my vision. So, I can no
longer paint, and have found it increasingly difficult in recent times to play
the piano. These days I spend a lot of time listening to my favourite music on
the radio, and listening to some selections of audio books.
I started drawing when I was six after a very sad event in the family when my younger sister Jenny died following an accident. I have never had a painting or drawing lesson in my life but I love painting and drawing. I still think of Jenny even in my old age. She never had the opportunity to grow old.
WHAT
WERE YOU IN A PAST LIFE?
I love frogs and dogs, horses and big
animals. So maybe I was really a domestic or a native animal in a past life.
The two dogs in my life at present give me great pleasure.
WHAT
IS YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?
One of my greatest achievements I think its
actually reaching the age of 94, overcoming medical problems but I still feel
in my mind and heart like two year role, sometimes a two-year-old horse and
sometimes a two-year-old egg.
WHAT
INSPIRES YOU?
People have inspired me my whole life, my
grandfather, my uncle Joe and my big brother, Les. My brother Les was an adult
when I was still a child. He had a pilot’s license and sometimes after-school
picked me up, and would take me on a joy flight in an open cockpit plane. I
loved it, and I loved him. A sense of adventure is something that stays with
you for your whole life.
My uncle Joe would sing to me when I was a
child and I would play the piano for him. He would sing Italian songs and
French songs, and then tell me what the songs meant in English. He was such a
talented man. I still miss him.
Never give up, never ever, try and try
again you will achieve what you set out to do.
DO
YOU SUFFER MUCH? HOW DO YOU COPE?
I have suffered a lot in my days, during my
life, but you have to keep going and don't give up. With the support of my family
and my daughters and my son-in-law, my doctors, they have helped me a lot and
they have all saved my life on more than one occasion. I am also thankful and
grateful for having had such a wonderful mother who taught me so much.
WHAT
IS YOUR GREATEST JOY TODAY?
My greatest joy today is enjoying life at
94, music, my family, my animals, my garden, and the blue sky. I love the sound
of rain on the roof, and the smell of wet grass.
Most of all I like music. My favourite
composers of all time are Mozart and Chopin. I used to play their work. My
favourite piece of work is the’ flute and harp concerto’. It fills me with a
feeling of joy and pleasure - awe-inspiring.
WHAT’S
THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED?
The greatest compliment I ever
received was a recurring one, when people said, ‘that’s the best apple pie I
ever tasted,’
At one time I wanted to be a
concert pianist. I could play classical pieces on the piano after only hearing
them once, and without the aid of music. My father bought me a piano to play as
he recognised the talent that I had. Somehow this ambition to be a concert
pianist never came to fruition.
WHAT
WAS THE WORST COMMENT?
The worst comment that someone said to me
came from my mother when she said ‘you’ve just wasted those great goose eggs,’
that I added to the mud pies I was making. She was right of course
WRITERS
AND CREATIVE ARTISTS ARE SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR
OWN LIVES. ARE YOU?
Yes.
I
like to write poetry mostly, blank verse. And I write about things from the
past, things about my childhood, about my family, and about my children. But I
don't do enough of this. With the help of my daughter I would like to write my
family history and my own history. There are many things which I have never
told anyone. This would be a way of recording where I've come from and my
journey along the way.
Memories from my childhood are very
important to me. I had lots of siblings. We had family gatherings around the
dinner table on Sunday lunch. My father always served the Sunday lunch. He and
my mother grew lots of things in the family garden that were served on the
table at our Sunday lunch
DESCRIBE
YOUR PERFECT DAY.
My description of a perfect day, now that's
a difficult one. I guess, just to be
happy and have my family around me.
IF
YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND WITH ONE PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE? WHY?
Of all the people in my life, the one
person who taught me the most, whom I still miss, who was always full of great
ideas, I guess this is the person I would take on a desert island with me. This
person is my grandfather.
WHAT
WOULD YOU SAY IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO WORLD LEADERS?
If I had had the opportunity to speak to
one person in history, a world leader about a significant event in my family
history, I would ask Winston Churchill, ‘Why did you send my uncle to
Gallipoli. Four went and only one ever came home.’
WHAT
ARE YOUR PLANS?
My plans are to enjoy the rest of my life.
I would like to write some more of my poetry and my life history. I need help
to do that with my failing vision, arthritis in my hands, poor dexterity, and
reduced hearing. Not impossible however.
Isabel's magnificent garden
WHAT FIVE BOOKS WOULD YOU TAKE TO HEAVEN?
I would take all my music books.
I would also take:
Alice in Wonderland,
The Snow Goose,
Anne of Green Gables,
The Robe,
Dear and Glorious Physician.
ANYTHING
YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
I have been blessed with four children,
and many animals that I have loved during my life. My very favourite dog, a
black poodle died some years ago. She was part of me and I still miss her.
Today
I spent some time alone
Just
me and my memory
And
it took me back to my childhood days
When I
remember this valley
Cradled
by the hills
With
its colourful bushes, the small trees, and the tall trees
And
wild flowers of many sizes, shapes and colours.
The
lush grass crackled under my feet
And
the gentle breeze fanned my cheeks.
The
small birds sang, the larger sang
And
the kookaburras applauded with their laughter
Clancy's comment: It's been a pleasure to interview you, Isabel. Thank you for your time. I'd love to taste your apple pie.
Love ya work!
Love ya work!
I'm ...
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