Life's Journey by Patricia S. Gibbons

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Five things you would never guess about me:

1. I wrote my first book “the Rottweiler In Australia” when I was in my 30’s, and have always wanted to write a novel. When I retired and Covid lockdowns came about, that was the time to start. So I guess the thing in this sentence that you probably would never guess about me is that I will be 80 years old this year. Wow! Where did all those years go ?

2. The second thing that I wonder if you know about me, is that I am a Classical Homoeopath. I had been practicing Homoeopathy since 1998 , and I had my own Health Food Store with my consulting rooms at the rear for a number of years. These years were very enjoyable and I learnt so much about people, vitamins, and even more about the wonders of Homoeopathy.

3. I am also an “All Breeds Dog Judge” . I bred Rottweilers for 42 years before concentrating more on the judging side. I obviously love dogs. I spent a considerable amount of life breeding, showing, trialling & tracking Rottweilers. The dogs of course become part of your family and my two children grew up learning to walk with their arms around the wither of a Rottweiler for support. I was part of the “Pal Superdog Team” back then before Agility became popular in Australia.

4. I was leader of the Rottweiler Demonstration Team, and that was a great time in my life.

We travelled around to the large shows, Melbourne Royal, Sydney Royal and the Rottweiler Specialty shows, with our very popular Obedience and Agility Demonstrations.

5. In my capacity as an “All Breeds Dog Judge” I have travelled all over Australia judging in every State, and travelled overseas judging in the UK, Hawaii, USA, Philippines, Malaysia, N.Z and China.

Penelope, aged 9, and her family emigrate from the UK to Australia. This book covers her journey onboard the ship and her family's friendship with a Greek family. This friendship continues in Australia throughout their life's journey.

The book includes the life effects of being interfered with as a child, and the ups and downs of adopting children. Along the way there is mystery, murder, love and disappointment.

Patricia Gibbons keeps you intrigued and in wonder of what is to come.

An exciting read!

Read an Excerpt

When Australia was in sight, everyone was up on deck to see the new land that would become our home, and little did I know at that point that I would come to love this land and be forever grateful that my parents had decided to emigrate to Australia.

We were docking at Fremantle, and the Papadopoulos family were so excited, running up on deck to spot their father Markus jumping up and down and waving, running along the deck calling their names. Sophia was tearing up, and the boys were yelling and screaming at their dad with excitement. It was such a lovely sight, but also a sad time for my family, as we would say goodbye to the Papadopoulos family. Our family was to stay on the liner and continue to Melbourne.

Shirley was crying, not because she was happy for them, but because she was losing her shipboard romance in Theo. Would she ever see him again? There were so many unanswered questions for the whole family. We all had made such good friends, but Shirley, ever a romantic, had wanted her romance to continue. Little did we know how far away Fremantle was from Melbourne and how far away Theo would be from Shirley. Sebastian and I promised to write and visit when we could, but we eventually found out how vast this land called Australia was.

When we landed at the Melbourne docks, Dad was waiting with an enormous smile as he ran on board with excitement, grabbing me in his arms and throwing me around like a merry-go-round. I was terrified. I did not know my dad that well. He had been away for years in the war and then left to travel to Australia to ensure all was well for the family to arrive. I screamed as I felt this tall, dark-haired stranger grab me, until Mum, my sisters and John ran to Dad for a hug and kiss, and I realised this stranger was my dad.

Dad was a handsome man, a real English gentleman. Dark hair, dark brown eyes, and quite thin with a pencil moustache. He looked so handsome in his blue RAAF uniform. He smoked a pipe and although we were not a wealthy family, Dad spoke posh, obviously from a good English upbringing. Mum was a real down-to-earth Cockney, blonde, blue-eyed, a little weighty, everybody’s friend, and welcomed everyone into our home. Shirley had Mum’s blonde hair and blue eyes, as did John, but Kate had dark hair and blue eyes, a bit of both parents. I had dark hair but dark brown eyes; I always felt I looked more like Dad.

About the Author

Patricia writes under the fictitious name of Patricia Gibbons. She has lived a busy life and some of her adventures are in her new novel, Life’s Journey, but not all:

In her teenage years singing and dancing were also one of Patricia’s loves and she appeared in a number of stage performances.

Patricia successfully bred Rottweilers for 42 years, and wrote her first book The Rottweiler In Australia about the first 20 years. She published this book back in the mid-1980’s. After becoming an All Breeds Dog Judge, Patricia judged Championship Dog Shows all over Australia, and she travelled overseas to judge in the UK, USA, New Zealand, Malaya, the Philippines and China.

Patricia has a Diploma in Classical Homeopathy and Bach Flower Remedies.

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