UBC – A Day in History – a challenge for the Ultimate Blog Challenge, is timely, as it was on July 20th, 1969, that Buzz Aldred and Neil Armstrong landed on the moon.
I remember it well. It was a great day in world history, and in our family history. My small family, husband and 14 month old daughter Janet and I, had arrived in Melbourne, and moved into our house after the transfer from Warrnambool.
I was also very pregnant. Tired, Exhausted. There were piles of boxes throughout the house, and hubby had gone to work. The television was on and the footage of the landing on the moon was rivetting, as the Apollo landed, and Neil Armstrong walked, wearing a monstrous outfit.
During the day, I unpacked boxes, played with my little baby, and mostly watched television. The house was in Seaford, between Melbourne and Frankston, and the only way to do my shopping was to catch a bus to Frankston, and carrying my daughter on and off the bus, dragging the pram on board, and on the return journey, dragging the shopping as well.
The house was in Seaford, between Melbourne and Frankston, and the only way to do my shopping was to catch a bus to Frankston, and carrying my daughter on and off the bus, dragging the pram on board, and on the return journey, dragging the shopping as well. I remember living at Seaford very well, as it was while living there that I learned to drive a car, and we bought a car for me. (It was a scary drive home for me in the car – all the way from the city of Melbourne to home.)
Gavin arrived in mid-September – giving me two little ones to care for – often on my own as my husband was a sales representative and travelled frequently.
When Gavin was about 6 months old I applied to work at Frankston Hospital on night duty, which I did for quite a few months before we moved to Sydney. I managed to work two nights a week while my husband looked after the children. After working all night, I would come home and sleep. We had a lady who came in and took care of the children while I slept for the morning.
There are a lot of things I remember about that time – but the Moon Landing was certainly the most exciting television viewing.
