Regular readers: I’m sorry this one has taken so long to appear. The website was broken and I was having trouble fixing it. I’m not sure why it is working now, but, on with the story…
It was maybe 8pm by the time we got word that Andrew Hodge was on his way. The team of doctors and nurses that were now constantly surrounding Trenna started moving her bed to the lifts to take her to … Read the rest ... “Trenna’s Heart Valve Replacement – Part 2”
Photos played a very big part in Trenna’s life, especially in later years as her mobility decreased. She spent hundreds of hours sorting, scanning, dating and captioning photos stretching back to her very earliest days.
I therefore take quite a bit of time and care in choosing the photos I use on the site.
Below is a gallery of all the photos I have used so far. I have also created a page that displays all those photos. You should … Read the rest ... “All Photos Published on the TrennaMahney.com Website”
By Greg
This story took me longer to write than perhaps any other, but it was a tale I wanted to tell.
Trenna’s birthday has recently passed so obviously I started thinking about her. One thing that came to mind was the time she spent with our neighbour Terry, near the end of Terry’s life.
Terry, her husband Neil, and their young son Jason moved into the house on the corner, two doors up from us … Read the rest ... “The Craft Group and Caring for Terry”
By Greg
The FREE e-book I refer to is a copy of the autobiography Jack’s Luck by Jack Mahney (written with assistance from Trenna). There is a download link to it at the bottom of the page.
Some time around early 1997 my parents lived in a retirement village and on a weekend we would often visit them. It was nice place with plenty of gardens and lots of … Read the rest ... “Jack’s Luck (and a FREE e-book!)”
By Greg
This post has a connection to the Menu Diaries series. If you aren’t familiar with the series, a good place to start would be HERE.
Some of the items and practices I discuss here are mentioned in the series of posts in which I explain some of the mechanisms Trenna used to cope with her Marfan’s Syndrome. That series starts here.
As I have explained a few times, meals and their preparation were central to Trenna’s … Read the rest ... “Tales From Trenna’s Kitchen”
By Greg
If this post interests you there have been three others on this topic. All with things that Trenna tried to help her or my life as we coped with her multiple medical conditions.
I don’t think for a moment that every tip or anecdote will be useful, but I certainly am hoping that people living with chronic illness or … Read the rest ... “Marfan and Other Chronic Conditions – Things That Worked for Trenna – Part 4”
By Greg
If you find this post useful or interesting you might want to check out two other posts: Marfan and Other Chronic Conditions – Things That Worked for Trenna; and Things That Worked for Trenna -Part 2.
As the name suggests yet another instalment in a series of posts that tell the things Trenna tried in an effort to make … Read the rest ... “Marfan and Other Chronic Conditions – Things That Worked for Trenna – Part 3”
Trenna had no recollection of ever having a birthday party as a child.
I found that hard to take as my family always made a big deal of my birthday, even though it was just 2 day’s after my little sister’s birthday and just 3 days after Christmas.
So when I met Trenna I tried to make birthdays a bit special.
Where possible, and it almost always was possible, I would take the day off work … Read the rest ... “9/11”
By Greg
This post relates to the Menu Diaries series. If you aren’t familiar with the series, a good place to start would be here.
The other day I was talking to a friend who likes the TrennaMahney.com website. I asked for some feedback, and this is what she said.
“I love all the stories about what Tren got up to – there’s lots of stuff I didn’t know. I don’t read those Menu things though… I’m not … Read the rest ... “Why You Should Read The Menu Diaries”
By Greg
As I hope you know, one goal of this website is to get you to know Trenna a little better. So, I thought I’d provide some insights into the things Trenna liked to drink.
It would have been 1986 or 1987 when I first met Trenna, and it was in a downstairs bar called Cine Cellars near the corner of Hay and Barrack Streets in Perth city. She would regularly go there … Read the rest ... ““Better than sex” – Earl Grey and Other Favourite Drinks”
By Greg, plus Trenna’s iPad document
This story has it’s origin in 2007, or maybe earlier.
In the 2000s Trenna became part of a group of women from around the area – mainly in our street – who had formed a craft group. Trenna hadn’t been much of a craft person, but she was keen to be part of the community.
She had met most of the women before, but because of the group she developed a friendship with … Read the rest ... “BABY ZARA HEIRLOOM BLANKET”
In 1990-91 Trenna and I employed builders to do our first home renovation. Trenna had recently resigned from her job at the Hospital Benefit Fund (HBF) and therefore had the time to keep a record of what tradesmen came when.
I believe I’ve still got that record, but that will be the subject of a totally different post.
The reason I … Read the rest ... “Introducing the Menu Diaries”
The popular-culturally literate among you will immediately be thinking “Being John Malkovich“.
What’s this got to do with Trenna?
Well….
I have decided that in most cases I’m NOT going to put the original sound recordings on this website – at least for now.
However, I thought I should put up at least one, to provide an idea of what the original … Read the rest ... “Floor 7 1/2”