Where has the year gone?

I can't believe it's the last day of November and the last day of Spring.

It seems forever ago that the country was dealing with horrendous bush fires and I was getting ready for my knee replacement but it was only 12 months ago. So much has happened this year and yet so little got done because we spent so much time in lockdown. I feel so sorry for the northern hemisphere as it heads into winter and more and more cases of Covid. Hopefully we won't get another wave before a vaccine is available.

As I have said before (many many times and will no doubt again) this is not a good time of year for me. I stress over Christmas; about what to buy, how much to spend, keeping everyone happy, who to see, who not to see. I really don't like it. I am not religious (I'm a very happy atheist) but do have happy memories of Christmas and church as a kid (Christmas and Easter were the only time we went to church!) and back in those days Christmas was when you got the big things like bikes. Nowadays kids seem to get whatever they want whenever they want and everything is so much cheaper by comparison. I am looking forward to seeing the wee girls open pressies but really cannot understand the adult hype over this time of year. Apart from the retailers. And the supermarkets. I hope they have a good season as they have struggled this year. Just call me Grinch.

I took Jinx to the local off lead park this morning. It's only just been fenced off and people are still discovering it. There is a large table and benches that have been there forever and they are on a base of sand. It is obvious that several dogs (including mine) have had a wonderful time digging in this sand and there is a bit of a hole. It's not dangerous as it's under the table and I dare say that in time council will pave the area or remove the table. This morning she was having a sniff and a dig and, thank god, I was right there and noticed some broken glass. Closer examination showed that some arsehole had deliberately broken a beer bottle (the neck was on the table) and buried shards of glass in the sandy hole. I cleared as much as I could but it was hard on my own with a dog who wanted to help! Hopefully someone else can get rid of the rest. 

And on that note I shall leave you with my favourite photo of Three and wee Sally the day after she was born. I can't believe she's 4 now.

I've lost my crojo.

 One of the things I have learned to do over the past 2 years is crochet.

When we lived in Bonbeach I used to go to a craft afternoon at the local community centre where I cross-stitched, knitted, learned how to make stuffed animals (made 2, a cat and a polar bear, that's enough) and tried so hard to learn to crochet but decided in the end I was never going to be a hooker.

Fast forward to the end of 2018. I had stopped work and was still knitting and cross stitching. I joined a local craft group on facebook and half-heartedly read the posts. By February 2019 I was desperately lonely - I had hobbies but none of them involved socialising and I realised how hard it is to move into a new area at this stage of life. Himself encouraged me to go to one of the get togethers of the craft group in a local cafe and with my anxiety through the roof, I did. What a lovely bunch of women. I said I would never be able to crochet but they assured me I could. One of them lent me a hook and I was directed to a couple of you-tube channels and that was it. I was hooked.

This was the first thing I ever made. It sits on MILs bed.

I made beanies for the grandkids.

 I made ponchos for them as well.

Even after carpel tunnel surgery I kept at it

I learned amigurumi

I learned to make bags

I learned to read patterns and made blankets. Lots of blankets

I made shawls

I made a poncho for myself and cowls, berets and a couple of jumpers. 

I learned filet work and made a baby blanket for our niece.

Crocheting helped keep me sane during the first lockdown. Halfway through second lockdown I lost my crojo. I have 4 projects on the go and yarn and patterns for another 7 projects as well as sundry yarn that will make a nice shawl or blanket or something. AND I have become a yarn snob so none of this yarn is particularly inexpensive. I can't work with acrylic (hurts my fingers) and prefer pure cotton or merino blends. A friend gave me a pattern for my birthday which is another skill to learn and I bought the yarn for it but just can't. get. going.

Once I have finished the paintings for the grandkids for Christmas and things settle down I shall take some time to just sit quietly and crochet again.

I miss it.

Finally there is a light at the end of our Covid tunnel

 

Our premier announced this morning further easing of our restrictions. The border between NSW and Victoria will be opened. As of midnight we no longer have to wear masks outdoors as long as we are socially distanced. We can have more people to our homes. We can visit cafes (as long as they observe certain conditions) and hopefully by Christmas we can have 30 people a day in our homes. Not that that is an issue for us - we don't know 30 people to invite!

Speaking of Christmas, it's becoming more and more of a hassle each year trying to get the boys and their families together. Because One and Three married into divorced families their Christmas gatherings have been spread out over days (and One and Ebs go to Bendigo because that's where her extended family is). I understand this but have got so pissed of that no one seems to take into consideration that THIS side of the family would like to spend time with their kids, wives and children on a day close to actual Christmas Day. I know I will never have them for Christmas Day but Boxing Day would have been nice. 

This year we are celebrating on the day AFTER Boxing Day - the challenge will now be for One and Three to work out who will host it as they both want to. 

This time last year I threw my hands up and said I would go on a cruise for Christmas from 2020 on. Well I guess that will never happen! You would have to pay me an enormous amount of money to even consider setting foot on a cruise liner. Ditto overseas flights at the moment, too.

Because of the years of angst around this time of year and the fact that Himself has always hated it my stress levels are currently heading skywards. Add to the mix that I now have to start looking for work again to keep being eligible for the benefit I'm on which supplements Himself's aged pension and I am not in a pleasant place at the moment. I have another 2.5 years before I am eligible for the pension and am applying for jobs but dumbing myself right down. And that really feels weird.

And on that note I shall go and peruse the job sites. 

A story of a haircut

 

Just over 3 years ago I decided that I wanted to go short and blue/grey. So I found a new hairdresser and proceeded to go down that path. I really enjoyed the blue (and pink and purple) but eventually went back to brown. It felt more appropriate seeing as I was working and all.

Then I stopped working and decided last year to go back down that path. I loved the result. The only downside? A hairstyle like that needs regular maintenance. In July after on and off again restrictions I had my hair cut short(ish) and didn't go with a colour waiting to do it the next time.

Then in August we went into severe stage 4 lockdown. Hairdressers couldn't operate. My regrowth was getting beyond a joke. So one evening I took a glass of wine and a pair of scissors into the bathroom and cut my hair. It was SO liberating. I cut it really, really short. Think "is that your scalp" short! Himself, bless him, tidied it up as best he could with his clippers. 

The bliss of getting under the shower in the morning and not having to worry about drying and styling (not that I did - I just looked damp and untidy).

Finally I could see some grey. I have been wanting to go grey for so long. I hate the inbetween stages and I really hate grey regrowth so my plan was to colour it grey as soon as I could. I also hate the look on (mainly) women who keep colouring their hair the same shade year after year after year without realising that their skin tone has changed and their hair looks unnatural (says she who went blue) and often harsh.

Anyway, Himself tidied it up again after a couple of weeks (it was rather uneven - whoops) and then today he did it again with new clippers (it was so long - easily a couple of centimetres). I love the look. I love the feel. And for the first time in my life I don't fucking care if someone thinks I look odd. At 64 I shall sport short hair and enjoy the freedom.

 

Finally

 

My mother in law loves dogs. Always has. More than people. I think she grieved the loss of her dogs more than those of family and friends. When we took her out from the ACF and there was a dog she made a beeline for it (not always with the best results as she could ever understand why a dog wouldn't want to say hello and being blind sometimes missed the obvious indications).

We had made an appointment to go and see her today and take her out to the carpark to meet Jinx. When I went to book in I was told that as of today pets were allowed inside. So with much delight we took Jinx in. It took a while to get to MIL as everyone wanted to say hello and have a pat. She was probably the first pet in the place in over 6 months. And she is rather cute. 

Finally we got to MIL and the pictures say more than words could. 

And when we got home there was an email from the facility to say we no longer have to make appointments so Himself can take Jinx in far more frequently for quick visits. This will make MIL very happy.

Finished!

This is one of the paintings Mads requested for one of the granddaughters. Little did I realise that this one lacked a lot of detail so I did the painting by the numbers then added my own bits. A LOT of my own bits. The garden at the bottom, the eyes of the unicorn, the sky, the fairy's dress and face and hair and the trees. OK - I basically changed the whole thing! I am pleased with how it turned out and have bought some glitter paint to make it more magical. 

I now have two more fairies to do but I'm hoping they are a bit more detailed so I won't have to wing it as much. I love paint by numbers because you can switch off to a degree but still get pleasure out of adding your own touches.

Today I caught up with my English student and we went to Spotlight then back to her place for coffee. It's a very basic flat but it's her own space. She told me of the challenges she had staying with relatives when she first came here (on a Humanitarian Visa) for four years until she was able to rent her place. She is obviously happy there. 

There is nothing like listening to what so many of our refugees and immigrants have gone through (and are still going through) to make one appreciate what we have here.

Beef stir fry tonight (Jinx will be happy - she gets the offcuts) and then tomorrow I am catching up with my crochet friends for a browse at our favourite yarn shop followed by lunch. Then we will be taking Jinx to finally meet MIL. The residents are now allowed to leave the facility after many, many months. We won't be going far - just to the bench at the front! I shall try to remember to take some photos of the much anticipated meeting!

Bits and bobs

 

When I went to collect Jinx I took a soft toy (sorry Sally). The breeder gave her a soft squeaky toy and I have bought another one since but this grey and white cat is still her favourite.

We went and saw MIL this morning. She wanted more moisturiser - to add to the 4 bottles she already has! And jam donuts. She was pleased to see us and not agitated like she was last week but she is still obviously all over the place with her thinking - some of which is really weird (imagine someone with an accent like Queen Elizabeth saying "I can NOT accept people having sex with animals").

Himself rehung the doors for me (they still need a clean up and paint but I can close the room off now). I rearranged everything and now have a desk area, a nice place to sit and watch the world go by and have my craft bits and pieces all to hand.

Yes, that is a painting of Elsa from Frozen! It's for Sally for Christmas.

I am loving my $30 desk.

Somewhere to sit and crochet or read or just be. With the rehung doors.

My all purpose table currently set up for painting. 

I took Jinx for a walk to the local off lead park where she had a wonderful time with another dog. They raced around and really enjoyed themselves. I am so pleased that she is getting the opportunities to interact with other dogs and appears to really get a kick out of it. I would hate to have a timid or overaggressive dog. When I got home, Two was here which was a lovely surprise. It's always nice to see a kid. Especially on their own. 

Himself is making a chicken curry for dinner. I am having a glass of wine and will now go and spend half an hour on the current painting. 

 

I pinched this from Chris. It really sums up how just about everyone must feel about 2020!

There is a sense that things are getting better here in Victoria but the northern hemisphere is facing a terrifying resurgence and the prospects of a very grim Christmas and winter. 

We took Jinx to the local dog park this morning for a good run. She has a friend who is another shepherd about the same age and also loves running with the big dogs. This afternoon we might take her to an off lead beach and see how she goes with the sea.

I couldn't get hold of MIL at all yesterday. The ACF rang just now to let us know that she is more settled today with less confusion and no hallucinations. The doctor saw her yesterday and ordered bloods to see if there is anything happening that can be treated to explain the increased confusion. 

The Mother in Law

When my brother-in-law's marriage ended in the mid '80s he moved back home with his parents for 6 months. And stayed there. He lived in the granny flat (an original granny flat - no running water or cooking facilities so used the ones in the house which he didn't have to clean or buy for) and paid a pittance in full board. He had his meals cooked for him, washing done and did nothing to contribute until later years when he retired and his parents started to become more and more frail. Then he would take them shopping and to medical appointments and the like BUT he got paid petrol money for that!

Anyway, this isn't going to turn into a rant about him much as I could. I harbour a lot of resentment there but that's another topic for another day.

Fast forward to 2018. He had been diagnosed with bowel cancer about 5 years earlier and when it was discovered it had already spread to his liver. He had surgery and was recommended chemotherapy but opted against it as he didn't like the sound of the side effects. I reminded him that the side effects of NOT having it could be worse but he buried his head in the sand and the inevitable happened. Early in 2018 he was told it was back and inoperable. He was still pretty much symptom free but the home front wasn't great. He hated his father (who was a bit of a bully especially towards my mother in law) and resented having to do things for him. Himself and I picked up the slack. I would take FIL to medical appointments and Himself took MIL (BIL had never actually gone to any appointments - just dropped them at the door and came back later to pick them up so had no idea what their issues were). MIL had a thorough assessment with a geriatrician and dementia was diagnosed in July 2018. She, of course, promptly forgot! FIL suffered from crippling gout and arthritis in his hands and was often hospitalised to get the pain under control. He would then go to rehab and would then discharge himself because he didn't like being told what to do. And because BIL was considered a responsible adult noone challenged him.

At the end of August BIL was admitted to hospital for the final time. Shortly after his death FIL was admitted to hospital with exacerbation of his pain. For the first time in her entire life MIL was at home by herself and it became very obvious that FIL, for all his bullying and bossiness, was the glue that was holding her together. We were told that he couldn't go home and to start looking for aged care facilities. MIL, still believing nothing was wrong with her, took some convincing but we found a place for both of them not far from us. Then it became obvious that FIL (who was 97) wasn't going anywhere. It was hell trying to explain to a mal-nourished, poorly medicated grieving woman with dementia what was going on. On the 8th October at 11.45 she was admitted to the ACF and at 12.45 we got the call to say FIL had died.

She has now been in the ACF for over 2 years. The care given is outstanding. The affection shown toward her by the staff is genuine. The meals are excellent and they are quick to address any issues which arise. Initially she was really unhappy being there and couldn't understand why she couldn't go home. Over the past couple of years she has become more accepting of her situation but is still not happy. We reassure her she is in the best place and she grudgingly accepts this.

Sadly, though, her dementia is progressing and becoming increasingly difficult to reason with. She does suffer from recurring urinary tract infections which cause her to become very confused with hallucinations but the care coordinator tells us that she has just finished a course of antibiotics and her urine isn't showing signs of infection which suggests that her current state of mind is down to the dementia. She thinks she is in someone's house with 30+ servants and that there is a fitness studio in it where everyone is obsessed with their genitalia. She is also wandering a lot (often looking for her husband who she is convinced is deliberately ignoring her) and consequently goes into other residents' rooms. This is a huge issue on many levels. When she was first admitted there was a woman who did exactly that - and would climb into MIL's bed and leave clothes in her room. I discussed it with the staff who fully understood my concerns and acknowledged that the woman had deteriorated quickly but the family refused to believe there was anything wrong with her and had her moved to another facility. 

We know that the chances are high that MIL will have to be moved into the "memory support unit" - a nice way of saying dementia unit. It's a locked unit for obvious reasons but they still get excellent care and the lifestyle people ensure appropriate activities are provided and they have their own little garden to sit in. 

I just don't know how MIL will cope not being able to wander around the building and gardens at her will. She hasn't shown much aggression at this stage but does occasionally have a flare of anger. And she is becoming very sexualised which is not uncommon with dementia - the old MIL would be mortified if she knew what she was talking about.

Yesterday she asked us to lend her 20cents so she could catch the tram home. Poor Himself is so miserable watching his mother becoming like this.

It's an awful, awful disease.

**********************************************

This afternoon Himself got a call from the ACF telling us that MIL is getting increasingly confused - asking to be flown home to England among other things. It was a courtesy call but really hammered home how bad she is getting. She is still being her sweet self to staff and residents albeit very confused which is a blessing

. I forgot to mention earlier that she rang Himself at 2.00 this morning asking him to come and collect her and take her home. In my muddled sleepy state I had the presence of mind to tell him that his car had a flat tyre. That appeased her. And she forgot that I, too, have a car. Phew. Dodged that bullet. I hate lying to her but if it keeps her calm and reduces her agitation then that is the path we have to go down.

More house stuff

I do feel sorry for Himself. What should have been a simple job rehanging the doors into the front room has turned into a nightmare. I don't know why we're surprised! The previous owner was an engineer so one would assume keen on accuracy and finishing a job properly but we see no evidence of that. Measurements are off (we found some written on the wall behind a blind as well as on the doors that won't hang!), painting is sloppy and if it can't be seen it didn't get painted. I could go on. 

But, as I said previously, we do like the place and have become rather fond of it's idiosyncrasies. I just wish they didn't end up costing money. The driveway which is patterned paving (very popular in the 80s and 90s) had been painted prior to selling. Within days it had started to wear off and cracks keep appearing. It has obviously been fixed in the past but not well. Surprise surprise. 

This is taken from the listing when we bought the place. The driveway doesn't look like that anymore!

This is the rumpus room. All wood is now white, the bricks are plastered and painted grey. And the floor is timber. And we replaced the windows as well. I shall take a photo one day!

It's going to be hot today. We have had a couple of warm days so far this Spring but the next two or three are going to be stinkers. A good day to stay inside, turn the aircon on and potter.

A bit of a family update and random photos in no particular order.

 A lot has happened over the past 5 years. I have spent quite a bit of time over the past few days re-reading my blog (I wasn't joking when I said "look what I found"!)

As mentioned before I went into hiatus, One married Ebs in 2013. They are doing really well. Sadly they had a miscarriage in 2016 but went on to welcome Lily in 2017 and Ivy in 2019. Both gorgeous girls. On the downside, even though they only live in the next suburb it is outside our 5km boundary so Ivy is a bit unsure as to who we are. Hopefully we can rectify that now that we have the virus under control (shoooosh .... whisper that please)

Two married Mads in 2016. It was a fabulous wedding. The best I think I have ever been to. They have been living in NSW since moving there in 2014. He is still working for Qantas and she is working for Foxtel. They have Audrey who is 3 next week and Billie born last year. They have just bought their first house which is no mean feat in the current climate. I can't wait to be able to go up and see the house and the kids. Thank goodness for facetime and zoom.

Remember the girlfriend from hell that Three was going out with? Well, she is now a wonderful daughter in law!! They have Sally who was born in October 2016 and married in a lovely ceremony in December of that year. She had an ectopic pregnancy in the middle of stage 4 lockdown which resulted in emergency surgery - very traumatic for all concerned as she had to go through it alone - no visitors at all. 

Himself and Sally have an amazing relationship. It really was love at first sight for both of them. She adores her Grumpy and he is firmly wrapped around her little finger.

This was taken the day after she was born. My blokes with the first girl in our family. See the look on Grumpy's face?

I love this photo. It was taken when we only had 3 grandkids. The boys and girls wanted me to have a photo of my 3 granddaughters. They gave me a lovely photo based on one I have of the three of them as kidlets and this was the out-take. I think this is my favourite.

This is the photo it was based on. One, Three and Two and the grandkids are Lily, Sally and Audrey.

The photographers in the family said they had a new appreciation of those who specialise in kids pics.

Sally expressing her opinion of the world at 12 hours old.

I love this photo of Two and me at his wedding. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Yesterday I took Jinx for a long walk so Himself could work on building me a potting bench without her help! We walked through the local off lead park where she had a good run then up through more parkland, some bush and then turned for home. Except she'd had enough. And sat down. And refused to move. I had to pick her up and carry her until she decided walking was the better option! Down through more bush until we reached a playground with water and she had a good drink and .... sat down again! Again, I had to pick her up and manhandle her (think 13kgs of wriggly dog) until she agreed to walk. "Great" I thought. She will get home and collapse. She got home and went crazy! Ran round and round the backyard, in and out of her wading pool, chased the ball and generally acted like she hadn't had exercise for days. Then she finally collapsed and slept for hours.

This morning she decided that my toast (grains and seeds) isn't as nice as an english muffin so refused her second breakfast (for first breakfast she gets a bowl of puppy milk and usually a hard boiled egg but I'd run out of eggs). A frozen chicken neck sufficed. 
Himself is now up so I shall finish my cuppa, get showered and dressed and we can walk before it gets too hot. This time I will take my phone in case I need to be rescued!

Meet Jinx

 To add to the shit storm that has been 2020 we lost our beautiful Angus and Bonnie

We knew that Angus had been having issues with his hind legs for many years. We took him to the vet at the beginning of the year and were told he had 6 weeks to 3 months. We scoffed. 7 weeks later he had deteriorated so quickly he had sores on the tops of his hind paws where he was dragging them along the ground, was struggling to get up and was very unsteady when doing his 'business'. The sad day had arrived. Himself was devastated as Angus was his dog. 

At this stage I was just out of rehab for my knee replacement and was gingerly walking around the block with Bonnie as my trusty rehab companion. She had painful arthritis that we were treating her for and walking seemed to help. We hobbled together. Then we went into the first Covid lockdown. My anxiety skyrocketed and Bonnie and I would often go for quick walks just to get out of the house and I could talk to her without looking completely barmy - everyone talks to their dog, right? 

Mid-May and it looked as if we had beaten The Virus (oh how naïve we were). We could go for drives. We could see family again. And Bonnie and I continued our walks which were getting longer. 2 weeks later she got up in the morning as usual. An hour later Himself was calling me frantically. Bonnie had gone downstairs but hadn't returned. She had crawled under a bush and wouldn't come out. We took her to the vet. Scans showed tumours in her liver and spleen that had started to bleed. She was, in effect, bleeding out. The decision was no longer ours to make and we had her put to sleep. 

I was devastated as she was my dog and had helped me so much with rehab and anxiety management. Himself was reluctant to consider another dog so I went behind his back, found a breeder and paid a deposit. Sadly there weren't enough pups in that litter so I found another breeder who was expecting a litter the following week. 

By now we were in our second lockdown. Everything was different from the first. People were bitter and angry. Idiots were defying the rules claiming non-existent human rights (got to love the internet). Mental health became a huge issue across the board - and particularly in this house. And then we went to stage 4. No travel permitted outside 5km from your home. One person, per household, per day allowed out for one hour for essential shopping. One hour per person per day for exercise. No visitors to your house unless essential for care. Shit was getting real. And the breeder was an hour an a half away in rural Victoria. I rang the Covid hotline and was told I could go and pick her up as she had been born/purchased before stage 4. I had to take proof, fill my car up within the 5km of home, no ducking into McDonalds (she honestly said that!) and only one person in the car. So on 17th September when Jinx was 8 weeks old I went for my first drive in months. I had to pass through what has been referred to as the ring of steel around Melbourne. A massive checkpoint manned by police and army. Got through with no issues - the female police officer was as excited as I was about the puppy! Got to Morwell and met the breeders. Picked up Jinx and came home.

And our lives changed.

We've had sleepless nights, exuberant puppy nibbles, a disgruntled cat and wouldn't swap any of it (the cat might disagree). Unfortunately Sally, our eldest granddaughter who has just turned 4, is very wary of dogs and hasn't taken to Jinx but I'm sure as the puppiness settles things will improve. Lily (3) and Ivy (18 months) have dogs and are fine with her. Audrey (3) and Billie (14 months) live in NSW so haven't met her yet.

We take her for walks, we take her to the off lead dog park for socialisation and once restrictions are lifted we will take her to obedience school. Even Himself agrees I made the right decision. She is a beautiful looking dog, is highly intelligent and therefore trainable and we have come to realise that when she seems to be misbehaving she is actually trying to tell us something. She is a real joy.

Dipping my toes in the water

It feel good to be blogging again albeit this is only my second in 5 years! I have a morning routine - cuppa tea, read the headlines, check out a few blogs, checkout facebook, do a couple of puzzles then get on with my day. I think I can easily add an update here as part of that routine. We shall see.

Oooh - I can change colours. And size. And font.

And I can add stuff.

Now I just need to work out how to add photos from my phone. But that can be a job for another day.

When we bought this place back in 2017 it was beautifully presented. It only took a couple of days before we realised that it had been done up to sell. The couple that lived here before are lovely but the husband was not the handyman he thought he was! 

We did some fairly major renos (turned the ensuite and wardrobe into a decent ensuite and the fourth bedroom into a walkin wardrobe). Unfortunately that cost more than we thought and the building inspection which said the roof needed a $3,000 fix up was way off the mark and we ended up replacing said roof for a helluva lot more! But it improved the insulation which meant the house was more comfortable. We also installed a new split system to make the best room of the house (a rumpus room with a bar in it and a fabulous view) liveable. It hadn't been used for years because it would be unbearably hot in summer and freezing in winter. 

Now we have plastered the exposed brick and painted the timber cathedral ceiling (1980s anyone?) and replaced the ancient carpet with timber floors which match the rest of the house.

Within the first few months the dishwasher died, the range hood fan shat itself and the back of the wood heater sheared off. All more $$$.

You can understand why we have had a real love/hate relationship with this house. Especially as the house we moved from was new when we bought it so modern and airy, was close to the beach and had a lovely view. But it was a town house and our neighbours were close. Just before we moved a young family moved in next door with two small loud kids so I imagine the peace would be shattered. It was also body corporate which brings a whole lot of issues and lacked space for Himself to potter. This house is older, granted, but has a big block of land, a massive garage which Himself uses as his work area, is in a quiet leafy street and we are right on the outskirts of Melbourne close to the Mornington Peninsula and Gippsland. I am slowly learning to love it.

This is the entrance hall on the day we moved in. 

This is it now - 2020 decor!

The wood heater and my new hobby (crocheting not wine!). I'll talk about that another day.

What prompted that ramble was that Himself has gone to Bunnings to try to find a door kit so we can rehang the folding doors that the previous owners removed so we can make the house more dog proof. I have no idea why they moved them because the track was still there. As I said before, there is lot of stuff in this house that makes us shake our heads!

And on that note I shall go and continue working on a paint by numbers picture I'm doing for one of the grandkids. They will each get one for Christmas if I can get them done in time. This is another hobby I started in lockdown. It has helped keep me relatively sane (OK, it's stopped me going completely off the rails).

Well Well Well ... look what I've found!

 Helloooooo you poor neglected blog.

I need a lesson in how to drive this as it's been so long (5 YEARS!). I think facebook and the like have caused a drop in blogging but I still follow a favourite (waving to Chris) and recently rediscovered another oldie but a goodie. This, combined with the year from hell, has made me consider blogging again. 

So, what has happened in the last 5 years?

In no particular order (just as the memories jump into my head)

• all our kids are now married 
• we have 5 granddaughters
• we moved
• I found a job left it found another and left that one ... see next point
• In 2018 over the space of 5 weeks we lost Himself's brother, his uncle and his other brother's wife. His father went into hospital and was cared for for 3 weeks, his mother went into aged care and on the same day his father died. It was a shit time. I quit work to support Himself.
• His brother died from bowel cancer. He had declined chemotherapy because he didn't want to lose his hair. 
• Mother in Law has dementia and is now blind (the two are not related but certainly have an impact). The Aged Care Facility she is in is fantastic (far better than the one my parents were in) but with Covid our contact with her is minimal and even with daily phone calls she has deteriorated.
• We lost both our beautiful German Shepherds this year and our affectionate Ninja last year.
• The Stig is still around and very unimpressed with
• our new German Shepherd puppy "Jinx"
• I had a knee replacement in January this year
• Covid sucks big time. But not as much as the fucking idiots who spread it because they won't do the right thing. At least we are in Australia and whilst Victoria hit the panic button after 700+ daily cases and we went into lockdown we are now doing pretty well. I would hate to be in a country with case numbers in the thousands.
• I have started volunteering teaching English to migrants and refugees - and have been matched with a lovely woman from Armenia

Assuming I was blogging every day for the past 5 years what would I be talking about today?

Well, MIL had a melt down. The cruel thing with dementia is that she relives the loss of her husband and son over and over again. Sometimes we can distract and deflect but today was bad. The ACF (Aged Care Facility) allowed us special permission to go and visit her (see Covid) and I sat with her for an hour and a half and listened to her brain take her in too many places. I have learned that this is the best way to support her. Just follow her mind and engage with 

We took Jinx to a new off lead park where she met new dogs and had a great time.

I spoke with my aunt in FNQ who is struggling with life at the moment (she's 89 so is allowed to struggle!)

Himself cooked an awesome meal. As he does every night.

This all just makes me realise how much life has changed in 5 years.

And while it all sounds rather negative I am looking forward to blogging more. The issue I will have is posting photos!!!!