Last day of January already

 

So this morning Himself had a doctor's appointment. He put in his hearing aids and complained that they were whistling which they were - I could hear them. Off he trotted to the doctor and he couldn't hear a damn thing she was saying with or without hearing aids. She, of course, was wearing a mask which always makes it hard to understand. She had to write things down for him in some cases. Turns out his ears are full of wax so he will get them syringed next week after some wax softening drops. I guess it's a good thing I'm learning Auslan!

The funny thing is I found that cartoon yesterday and was going to use it anyway because his lack of hearing and reluctance to wear the hearing aids is doing my head in. I should be a bit more tolerant.

Sally started school today. She was so excited she couldn't sleep last night! Mum and Dad were a bit teary but she was over the moon. I expect her to be very tired tonight and wonder how long before the novelty wears off. For the first four weeks she doesn't go on Wednesdays then when Amy goes back to work we will pick her up Wednesday through Friday.

She had a wonderful day and her teacher said she is made for school - whatever that means. We can only assume it's a good thing!

So. Miss Jinx has many hot spots caused by bitey play with Murphy. She had a shot of long acting cortisone, is on anti-biotics and I need to find a spray to stop him chewing on her neck. I think I'll try a natural one first made with vinegar and lemon juice or cider vinegar. She will smell like a fish and chip shop! The vet was new to us. A delightful Yorkshireman who is deaf. His hearing aids are connected to his stethoscope which means he actually hears the heart better than a hearing person. He was delighted with Jinx and said she is in excellent shape and wished more dogs were like her. I'm guessing he meant not overweight! Jinx was very well behaved and didn't whimper when she got her shots (3 in total) so she got 3 treats. When I told him Murphy was out the front with Himself he took a treat out to Murphy as well. I think he likes our dogs.

The temperature is not likely to get below 21 overnight but then it won't rise above that tomorrow either. Here's hoping February brings the lovely late summer weather but with the craziness of late I'm not holding my breath.

Pizza tonight. 

Sunday

 

I am not a lover of sport and I rarely watch it (including this current event) but I must say Ash Barty is a gem. She is talented but not entitled; she is a determined sportsperson but humble with it. She turned what started off as a Djoke into a true example of sportsmanship. 

I have spent the past hour or so watching YouTube videos on Auslan. It is a challenge because I am used to learning with books but that isn't going to help learn a visual language!

I forgot that I did that while I was waiting for some dough to prove. It's been sitting in a bowl in the sun behind me. It has more than doubled in size so I had better go and make bread!

I made the bread and it smells delicious (rye with carraway seeds) and I also made a double batch of biscuits. I usually double up as it means I use a packet of butter and make more so I don't have to make them as often. Except they get eaten regardless! One came over to help Himself with something so he went home with a dozen each for the girls.

I have done a bit of weaving. Not feeling this one and the next will be worse (scarves asked for by friends with the yarn supplied).

Jinx has developed sores on her face and neck. We think Murphy is the culprit as he tends to grab her there which creates breaks in the skin and then keeps licking the sores which makes them weep. Guess who's going to the vet tomorrow? If a cone of shame is required I reckon Murphy should wear it as Jinx can't actually lick the hot spots and even with a cone on her he could get to them. She also has a dodgy dew claw. I think she caught it on something as a pup and it split and has never really grown back properly - more at a right angle to her foot. I have been trimming it in the hope it will eventually grow out but I think it might need to be removed. Maybe they will both have to wear cones of shame!

Not my dog but you get the idea (if you're not a doggy person and have no idea what I was talking about!)

 

Bangers and mash with peas and onion gravy tonight and a cherry custard tart (thank you Mr Aldi).

Saturday stuff

 

It is so humid that the perspiration is stinging my eyes. My eyelids feel as if they have hot sand on them. I am grumpy.

That aside, today was our fortnightly L'arte Saturday get together. Fewer people than Fridays but a good bunch. Lot of chatter and we lost track of time. Went half and hour over but nobody seemed to mind. Amy and K have really hit it off. Amy suggested K go over for dinner at some point as Three is a bloody good cook. This makes me so happy.

Sally wowed everyone again but then tiredness hit and Daddy had to come and take her home. She starts school on Monday so some down time is probably a good idea.

Himself mowed the front lawn and weeded the rose garden. He has now gone to get dinner. I think I'll keep him.

Tomorrow I plan to spend a few hours on my course and some time weaving. 

Now, though, it's nearly wine o'clock.

A bit of weather

 

Where we have our craft catch ups is in a meeting room with no windows and fairly soundproofed from outside. When we arrived it was hot and steamy. It was quite unpleasant, in fact. In spite of this a great day was had by all with lots of laughs and some crafts. It is lovely seeing people open up and join in. When we left we were greeted with the above. Thunder, lightning, hail, floods - the works. Even now it is still thundering. The good thing is that the forecast heat for the next 5 days has changed and we will not have to put up with temps in the 30's.

The temps might have dropped but I am melting.

Good night

Better get in quickly

After my brain fart yesterday which saw my blog being posted today I thought I'd better get in early as I have my Auslan course this evening.

It was lovely seeing Three and Alice. She was a gem. The only time she cried was when she was hungry and that was easily fixed. She was happy to lie on her play mat or in her bouncer and after a couple of inquisitive sniffs and licks the dogs were happy to leave her alone. Jinx was never far away in case she was needed as obviously we have no idea how to look after our puppies! Three and I got to talking about Himself's family history and we spent ages looking over old documents from the war. Amy's mum is a genealogist so we will take them to her to see what she thinks about them.

Sally had a ball at Frozen. She was an exhausted wee girl when they came to pick Three and Alice up.

I have spent most of the day reading for my course. I did get a phone call from South East Trees (that's who my phone said it was) but it was a hospital calling about a job I had applied for! Apparently there is an issue with Samsung and the caller recognition thingy. The panel shop where Himself's car was fixed comes up as a Chinese restaurant. During the Great Storm of '21 we tried ringing the SES (State Emergency Service for non-Melbournites) and it came up as Dan's Donuts. 

Tomorrow is craft day at L'arte. Always a fun time. 

I am now going to make a ham and salad roll to have before class starts.

Catch you tomorrow.

Sally running through the Carlton Gardens on her way to see Frozen.

Austraya Day

And the debate continues as to whether we should celebrate Australia Day today (anniversary of the arrival of the first fleet) or another day or indeed, should we celebrate it all. Changing the date will not change history and nor should it. The way the Indigenous were treated by the English was appalling - especially through today's eyes. Back then it was the norm. Not saying it was right - it just was what it was. We cannot change the past but we can learn from it. We need to stop with the them and us and move forward as a country. Indigenous history should be as much a part of education as European history. We have the opportunity to continue to be the best country on earth. Keeping the date gives us a n opportunity to be reminded that must be an inclusive country. I would really like to hear the opinion of someone living in a remote indigenous community.

Enough of that. 

 Yesterday I posted about my anxiety rings. This is what they look like. The outer bit spins.

This company is who I bought mine from but a google search shows others as well. They come in quite a few colours. I have the rainbow and silver. Amy bought Three a black one and it suits him well. He has had it a while now and says it does help in stressful situations. 

Last night was interesting. I don't think zoom is the best platform for this type of learning but we don't have any other options. It will be a challenge when we lose the interpreter and have to communicate only with sign. We are not allowed to speak to each as it is disrespectful to the teacher who is deaf. We can ask questions in chat. We did a couple of activities and it was strange being in complete silence. I was knackered at the end. When I went to bed I put myself to sleep by finger spelling things from A-Z - countries, food, flowers .....

This evening Amy is taking Sally to see Frozen on stage. Sally doesn't know this - she thinks she is just having a Mummy/Sally dinner. She will be over the moon. Because it's hot and they don't have decent cooling in their house, Three will come over here with Alice for dinner. Himself and Three can go and see Mother in Law and I'll look after Alice.

Thank you, everyone, for you kind words regarding Mother in Law. Every time Himself's phone rings we expect bad news. It will take time but my gut feeling is this is the end.

Whoops. Three arrived and I forgot to post this so you get it a day late.

Today is the day

Talk about leaving things to the last minute! I finally got the links to my course and have spent the last couple of hours reading through and making sure my zoom works. The reality has sunk in that there will be little if any speaking in this course! The first 2 or 3 weeks we have an interpreter and then it's us and our deaf teacher. Oh well, they do say immersion is the best way to learn a new language. I can 't remember if I told you that Sally will be learning Auslan at school so we can practice with each other!

Himself's brother came up from his farm (a 9 hour round trip) and they went and saw Mother in Law. She's not eating and barely drinking. A doctor has prescribed diuretics to get rid of some of her fluid. A physio will start getting her up and about but I don't think that will be a great success. Our society is so focused on life at all costs that we find it uncomfortable to discuss dying. I wish we put as much into dying as we do birthing. When I worked in oncology I felt my best work was helping someone to a good death. For the patient and their families and loved ones.

I bought some anxiety rings for me and my mates and they arrived today. I am wearing mine and find I am spinning it constantly! It is quite bizarrely soothing.

Right. nearly 4.15. Time to grab a bite of something and get ready for my 6 o'clock session.

I just did a test run with my camera. Think I need to wear some makeup!!!!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

I don't do well with change. When I set this new computer up the order of my favourite blogs changed. Most unsettling! 

The big imminent change is with Himself's mum. It looks like we have started the gentle downward slope to the end. The ACF staff have been unable to get a doctor to review her so they called the ambos last night. After chatting with one of them it was agreed that she was as stable as could be expected and was comfortable. She could possibly do with a course of anti-biotics but that wasn't a reason to transport her to hospital. The ACF rang us today and are transferring her care to another medical practice so she will be seen by a doctor today (we hope). Himself was allowed to see her (in itself an indication of her condition) and said she was pale and drowsy but not agitated or in pain. Was more concerned that he was OK and the dogs weren't getting too hot. It is sad but it is inevitable and this way good-byes can be said if and when she deteriorates further.

I am still waiting to get the confirmation email from MPT. I spoke to them this morning and it is on their dashboard so I shall keep waiting.

3.15 and I'm enrolled. Paid for and everything. Now I just need to find out what I need to do to log in tonight! I have emailed the faculty and that's about all I can do. If I don't get the confirmation email today I will start on Wednesday. edit: I am now starting tomorrow which suits me fine. So Tuesdays and Thursdays. It gives me time to remember how to use the software (Moodle) and generally get my head together.

The old pantry is filling up with yarn but there doesn't seem to be much of a hole in what is left. 

How many of us feel a bit like this?

I am still waiting to hear back from the Polytechnic with the next stage of my enrolment. I hope to blazes it's still all go. I am not the most patient of people.

We were woken at 5am with the dogs going ballistic outside our bedroom then a squeak then silence. I got up and turned the light on the balcony and saw a trail of blood. I think it was a possum and most likely a young one as the mature ones will stand up for themselves and make a horrible noise. No sign of anything in the light of day. 

Himself has been eyeing off my new PC. He hasn't had a new one for ever (last one was a cheap throw out from The Men's Shed and the one prior was well over 10 years ago). The current price on this one is $300 off so I have sent him to buy one. I threatened that if he didn't I would buy it online and he would have to pay $10 delivery! He spends more time on the internet than I do and he deserves it. Rightly or wrongly (I say the latter) many days this is his only contact with the outside world other than moi.

Later ...

He came back a very happy man. He is now playing with HIS new toy. That means he won't play with mine and I can set it up the way I want. Method in my madness!

The kitchen renovation destruction has begun. One of the reasons we persuaded ourselves we needed a new kitchen was to address the shocking storage in our current one. The house we lived in prior to this had us spoilt for space and I really missed it when we moved. I don't know why '80s houses lack storage space. Anyway, we bought a pantry unit from Ikea (where else?) and it sat in the dining area of the open plan kitchen living area. Very useful but it made that corner of the room feel cramped. I need more yarn storage. See where this is going? 

This afternoon I emptied the pantry and it is now in my study/craft area. I will let it sit overnight to get rid of the smell of herbs and spices and then I will stock my yarn. This will mean more space for me and my yarn won't get dusty. It will also mean that we will be able to see what we actually use from a grocery perspective. Even as I was unpacking the pantry I was horrified to see how much stuff we buy just in case or cos it's on special. Avalanche hot chocolate anyone? I have over a dozen boxes. The great thing about the new kitchen is that we will be able to easily see what we have on hand. I threw out so much stuff that was well past best before (if it's dry and sealed like rice I don't stress but liquid and sealed I tend to allow 12 months then it goes; dairy or similar doesn't get a chance!)

Dinner tonight will be chicken from the freezer. It was going to be a butter chicken but when I opened the sauce (15 months past) I didn't feel comfortable so it will be a rogan josh well within. With rice and pappadums and raita. We didn't have dessert last night so those options are still there.

It's bloody hot here and will be for the next few days so I am hoping I don't need to go anywhere.

Still learning how to drive this thing.

 Himself has set the new computer up for me. Not that I couldn't do it myself but he gets a kick out of this sort of thing. The keyboard isn't quite the same so it's taking me time to type as I keep correcting but that won't take long.

Microsoft is a right royal pain in the arse. How hard can it be? I think we have finally got office working and my email linked to outlook.

I am still moving my favourite blogs over. I don't want to do a straight transfer as there is shit on the old computer I am happy to leave behind. Not blogs, folks, more the stuff from when father in law died and other stuff I have stored on the old one. I want this to be pristine - for now at least! I was also amazed to find that UK keyboards are different from US. For example, @ is above 2 in the US (and Australia) and on a UK keyboard " is above 2. At least that's what happened when I selected UK over US.  I stand to be corrected!

Today I went to SaY with the craft group and others. It was a great turnout and just what many needed. I didn't buy any yarn although I was sorely tempted. I did enable a couple of women to buy yarn and patterns to the tune of over $100. 

Amy came and left the girls with Three. Their house is really hot (rental and areshole landlords) and it all got too much for everyone. Amy and I left at the same time and I told her to bring the girls to us which she did. I thought Three would come but he needed time to himself. After a couple of hours here cooling down I sent her home with some cold beer for Three, a loaf of cheesy bread to bake and some finger pianos for Himself and Sally to play with (some crap I bought from a facebook ad which is sure to drive Amy crazy but Three will enjoy it).

Dinner tonight is pasta with some sauce from the freezer (when we could get mince), salad and the same cheesy bread I sent home with Amy. Dessert could be chocolate panacotta or flourless orange cake. 

Sleep tonight will be a challenge. The temperatures are unlikely to drop below 20*C. 

A good day

We had a fantastic day at craft today. B, who we met at Little Woollies on Tuesday, came along and I showed her my loom. She bought a loom and accessories while we were there. Gotta love online shopping. Then she fell in love with some yarn K was using and promptly went to Spin a Yarn to buy some in preparation for her new loom. I hope there is stock on hand! She got on so well with everyone. It's lovely to see people click over craft. Amy brought my THREE adult bibs. They are all R18 (language) and everyone thought they were very funny. Of course, I didn't spill anything today, did I? 

Sally and Alice came. Sally was soooo excited to be there. She was her usual outgoing self and charmed everyone. It was lovely to hear comments on her excellent manners.

I have had my enrolment interview and am now in the process of doing the last online bit. I am champing at the bit to get this done and they are taking their time getting back to me. Or the computer is as I was assured it's an automatic thing. Fingers crossed I will be starting on Monday evening.

I have mentioned before about the bloody Indian Myna birds coming into the house. Himself bought a rope curtain to hang at the back door to, hopefully, keep them out. It looks quite good.

The cooking pot is the dogs' water bowl. 

We should get our first delivery of kitchen stuff tomorrow. I am hoping to go to Spin a Yarn for an hour or 3 in the afternoon with my crafty mates. I shall judge the atmosphere here first as I have been out of the house a fair bit this week. I am in the process of cleaning up my study in readiness for getting the new computer up and running.

Steak and salad for dinner and a strawberry panacotta for dessert (courtesy of Aldi).

I am so excited

 

I had my interview with Melbourne Polytechnic and I am in and I can do the remote course. Two evenings a week for a bloody long time plus 4 Saturdays on campus over the year and assignments and other stuff out of class time. Please god let Mr Centrelink give me a reprieve. I have to make an appointment for tomorrow to pay and, fingers crossed again, I will be eligible for the concession rate. Himself said if I got in he would get me a new computer as this one is 5+ years old and a bit unreliable. I think we will be popping down to JB HiFi shortly.

Himself went out with the dogs to give me space. Sure as eggs is eggs they would have set off a barking cacophony while I was zooming. Whilst out the ACF rang with an update. He spoke to mother in law and she seemed quite alert although she wants to go home and they won't let her. She is still not weight bearing which is a worry but they are waiting for the community nurse to come and assess her. Damned Covid.

K woke up feeling terrible. She went to the testing station and was given 7 rats. Thank goodness she came back negative. It's probably new meds but it does mean we can all get together tomorrow. 

The online planner said she was happy to do our purchase so I have cancelled the store visit and we have an appointment with Mira at 4pm today. Himself went in to Ikea to check out lighting and we have changed our mind. We will be getting under cabinet lighting that is dimmable and very elegant.

Much later ....

I have a new beaut computer. It's not a lap top but an all in one thingy. It has a huge screen which will make all zoom stuff much easier. And it cost $12 more than the lap top we were looking at but is faster and smarter and stuff. I don't use the lap top as a portable device so a replacement wasn't a priority. I thought I had the option of a laptop or a desk top tower. I was about to buy said lap top as it was a really good price when the delightful young man (who was 22 and kept referring to his younger days) actually listened to the needs of this geriatric heffalump and suggested the item we subsequently bought. Even better he didn't try and upsell shit. It pays to treat people as people. We could have been dismissive (he looked about 15) and he could have been dismissive (we're old) but we clicked. 

This means a big tidy up of my desk area and this lap top is now on battery. Guess I'd better get a wriggle on and learn how to drive the new machine. Or find a power point for this old beast. I have been looking for a reason to attack "my" area and this will be it "My" area being what was originally the formal front room and dining room. I am spoilt.

We had the final consult with the Ikea online planner. Cannot speak more highly of them and Mira in particular. There are some items that are on back order. It will be a higgledy piggledy delivery and installation but that's ok. Considering current supply chains we really can't complain.

I rang Melbourne Polytechnic and have yet another phone interview tomorrow but I will be getting the concession.

Snags, salad and home made rolls for dinner. The wine was cracked a while ago. 

Craft tomorrow with people I love.

Am I wrong for feeling a bit apprehensive at my good fortune?

Kitchen and stuff

Hooray. After a lot of faffing about we finally have a kitchen plan. Basically today was back to square one. Himself had drawn up the kitchen and the online planner helped us fine tune it and has given us a quote. I have made an appointment for Saturday afternoon to go in and finalise the whole thing and hopefully get a rough idea of when we can expect delivery. There is a global shortage of the panels we want. Of course there is. And the microwave? Who knows. 

No word from the ACF to date (it's 2pm as I write this). I guess no news is good news.

I have baked a batch of biscuits and have pizza dough in the fridge for dinner tonight.

It is now after 5 so I have a wine in hand. I have warped up my next project. One of the ladies at craft bought yarn and asked me to make her a scarf so that is my next task. It will be interesting as I didn't have any say in the yarn and it's not really a colour combination I would have picked. 

Tomorrow I have the interview with the Auslan course. That fortnight flew by. It really depends on a) if there's a spot for me b) whether can I commit to two evenings a week basically for the rest of the year and c) whether centrelink will cut me any slack. But the place in the course is the main hurdle.

It has been warm and windy today. Not very pleasant and the foreseeable forecast isn't much better. Warm humid nights coming up. 

As you may be aware I am a messy eater. I have ruined I don't know how many tops by spilling food down my front. Usually egg or something oily. I told Amy I needed an adult bib. She came up with this. The words say "Adulting bullshit". 

Friday craft lunch will be a hoot. I will order eggs just cos I can.

Mother in law is stable. We think. It's so hard to understand the nurses at the facility. The phones are still out so we are speaking to people for whom English is not their first language on their own mobile phones with poor reception. This has been going on for well over a week. 

K, J and I went to Little Woolies. I gave K her scarf and made her cry. She wore it for the rest of the day and said it was like being wrapped in a loving hug. While we were sitting chatting in LW a lady came in and asked her if she had made it. It turns out this person, B, has always wanted to weave but didn't know how to get started. We invited her to join our group and I told her that if she comes along to one of our catch ups I would bring a loom for her to play with. The universe is always working to bring like minded souls together. Angela, she is also from Devon Meadows!

I bought some cotton to make some placemats with. I have made some in the past but they are pretty rough as I used them to learn new patterns. I am hoping these will be good enough to use for company. Which means they will never get used!!!!

I posted a picture of the finished scarf on a facebook page for this type of weaving and had someone from Greece ask me how much it would cost! I told her AUD120 +postage and she said she would convert it to Euros and get back to me. Even if nothing comes of it I am a bit chuffed.

I drove K as she is still feeling a bit shabby and we had a lovely chat. She is going to recommend her GP to Amy and Three so hopefully they will get some decent medical care.

We will have to be up at sparrow's fart tomorrow as our online planning session with Ikea is at 9.30. Fingers crossed this time tomorrow we will have forked out a huge amount of money!

Himself has gone to the supermarket to see what he can scavenge for dinner. It really is a case of whatever is available. I have some dough kneading so at least we will have bread. And wine. 

He's gone.

 

Now he is back in the northern hemisphere I can truly believe it. I wonder if it will be another three years before we see him as applies to anyone else who has their visa cancelled. 

This morning I had a phone call from the employment provider. I shall keep ticking the boxes that Mr Centrelink insists I do. There is doubt that doing the Auslan course part time will excuse me from my mutual (ha ha ha) obligations. She sent me an email with volunteer positions. I'll see what unfolds over the next few weeks but I can't really see me washing dishes for meals on wheels! Hells bells, I don't wash my own dishes!

We took the dogs down to the dog park for a really good run. They were knackered at the end which is always great.

Then we went to Ikea to make sure we really do like the cupboards. Of course the design we have picked has major delivery blow outs but we're not in any screaming hurry. We bought the sink and the tap so all we need now is the microwave. Over the next few weeks we are going to unpack everything and see what we use and what we can get rid of. I foresee many weeks of chaotic kitchening but it will be worth it in the end.

A phone update on mother in law. She is on antibiotics for a chest infection, her BP was through the roof but is now back down since they restarted her meds, she has a pressure area on her left heel, her pain seems to be under control and we can visit if we get special dispensation and wear full PPE. I'll leave that one up to you know who.

Himself's car roof has been making popping sounds when it goes from shade to heat. It could be something to do with the sealant used when they fixed it after The Great Storm of 2021. It's back at the panel shop so it can cool down over night and of course, tomorrow won't get over 21*C.

The scarf looks fabulous. I would have liked it to be a little softer but that could happen over time and wear. I hope K likes it. I'll give it to her tomorrow when we go to Little Woolies (the best yarn shop ever).

Steak and salad for dinner tonight.

My gin is going down a treat.

A quiet Sunday

 I loved A.A. Milne as a child. His poems had such a lovely rhythm. And who could not love The House at Pooh Corner. Before Disney got its hands on it and destroyed it. I shudder every time I see that bloated yellow obscenity masquerading as Winnie the Pooh.

We decided to brush the dogs. I suggested outside but Himself said we could see it easier on the carpet to vacuum up. Outside does tend to blow around a lot and inevitably comes back inside. At least he vacuumed up the mess.

My mind is working overtime to see what else could be spelled. 

I am reading Michael Mosley's latest book (he of the Fast 800 diet and many TV documentaries on health). This one talks about the importance of protein and how we may not be getting enough in our diet. He cites studies in his writing and whilst I haven't gone and checked the veracity of them all I do have a basic trust in his work. And what he says makes sense. One study (an Australian one, to boot) suggests that we have needs in our bodies for certain nutrients and will keep eating until the nutrient requirement is satisfied. For example a breakfast of toast and cereal will leave you hungry for protein. But the same calorie count of eggs and cheese will keep you going til lunch time. I'm not explaining this as well as he does but it has piqued my interest.

The scarf has been finished and is in the wash as I type. This is always the nerve wracking part in case it doesn't survive!

Dinner tonight is sausages and salad. I'm going to have a second gin.

* * * * * * * * * * *

And if I had a bottle of champagne I would break open it. That Tennis Player is being deported. Hoobloodyray.

Weary

I don't know why I am tired. Probably not enough exercise or something.

We had the phone call with Ikea and realised that the lass that "helped" us on Tuesday had no idea what she was doing. Himself took the Mermaid into Ikea today and saw said lass was being buddied with someone. We feel absolved. We now have a virtual consult on Wednesday to hopefully get this thing happening. Himself cut a hole in the back of the existing pantry and found we have a bit more space so all should be hunky dory.

This afternoon I worked on the scarf for K. We are meeting up on Tuesday at the yarn shop I bought the yarn from so I'd love to have it finished by then.

Still nothing on the MiL front. We can't visit or speak to her. Most frustrating. I want to make a fuss but I don't want to damage the relationship we have with the staff there that may impact on her. 

That blasted tennis player is still here.

We had our first proper craft get together of the year and it was great. There were 10 of us and lots of laughs as well as crafts. I always feel great when I leave there. One of the women has asked me to weave her a scarf. She has provided some beautiful wool so I need to get a wriggle on and finish the rainbow one for K. She was discharged yesterday and it was great to see her today but she is still a bit fragile. It will be another 10 days before she gets her results so trying times for her.

Mother in Law is still in isolation so no visitors. Her oxygen saturation dropped to 91% so they have popped her on supplemental oxygen and will get the GP to review. She is still in pain in spite of being on Endone. I just wish Himself could go and see her. I really think they are overdoing things in the circumstances. I think part of the problem is that no one really knows what we can and can't do anymore. We have so many government departments giving us conflicting advice. At least that's what it feels like.

Wee Alice sat in a high chair for the first time today. She has been coming to craft since she was about 6 weeks old. She will be 4 months tomorrow and everyone is amazed at how fast she is growing. She is a real chubby bub.

Mum gave her a suck on a chip. She complained bitterly when mum took it away.

I promise this will be my last celery related comment. Maybe.

Tired

So far the only side effect from my booster is an overwhelming tiredness. I slept until noon and could easily have gone back to bed but didn't. I don't even have a sore arm to speak of. That, I believe, is often down to the technique of the nurse. I gave good injections.

The ACF rang. Mother in law is still in a lot of pain and bed bound. They are turning her regularly to avoid pressure areas. Someone is going out tomorrow from Peninsula Health (the health network that runs the hospital she was in) to do some rehab. She is still in isolation from the assumed covid contact so no visiting her yet. It will be interesting to see how her memory has been affected by this.

I have just got off the phone from The Mermaid. She is terribly lonely. She has a son and a daughter. The son is married with 3 kids and his in-laws are very controlling. The don't want the Mermaid involved in anything they do as a family. They went on a two week holiday at a beach resort and not only was The Mermaid not invited, it was made clear this was THEIR holiday time and she was not welcome. Not even for an afternoon to spend time with the grandkids. She voiced her pain to her son and they caught up for some mum and son time but it's a shame it had to come to that.

Last night we had sausages and mash. Himself makes the best mash ever. It is full of butter and cream! The sausages were Cumberland pork sausages as they were the only variety left on the shelf. They were so good he went and bought another couple of packets and we will have the same tonight but with onion gravy as well. I have a batch of dough on the go. Hopefully it will be ready in time for dinner. I will freeze most of it for other meals. An Aldi key lime pie for dessert and all is good in my world.

Tomorrow is our first craft day at L'arte. Unfortunately our numbers will be down with people isolating and dealing with other health issues. It will still be good to catch up and forget about the world for a few hours.

Another use for celery:

Triple jabbed

My appointment was at 1pm. After hearing stories about long waits I took myself off with my kindle and was prepared to wait. I got there a bit early and was done and dusted including the 15 minute wait by 1.05.

I must say I am a trifle apprehensive about side effects as I have heard they can be worse with pfizer but I'll live. I'm doing my bit. 

Mother in law has been returned to the ACF. Himself is struggling with the guilts as he finds it hard to talk with her and feels obliged to visit. I told him to wait a day or so and let her get settled back in. He has gone to check out a dog beach in Mornington which will be much more pleasurable for him. If it is fenced we'll take them down when it's not too hot. I think Jinx will be fine but Murphy doesn't like water. I see some funny times ahead.

You know things are bad when KFC is running out of chicken! I don't know that I agree with the newsreader's description of the chain as a "restaurant". It is a worry for so many businesses (I"m not worried about KFC, in case you thought I was!). They are struggling to staff their cafes and restaurants and now they might not be able to get food. L'arte posted that although they are opening tomorrow after the Christmas break, they will be offering a reduced menu. 

We had another code red for our ambulances yesterday. When will people use other resources and stop ringing 000 for a sniffle. Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) can now be used as a way of officially testing for Covid. You report to the government your positive result on the app. I wonder how many false declarations there will be as a way of getting out of work. Or how many positives will be ignored cos there's a party at the beach. I don't think this has been thought through very well. And the advice that really made me shake my head was "If you have symptoms, don't go to work". Well that should apply to ANY illness; not just Covid. I really thought we might have learned that lesson, at least.

Think I'll go and weave for a bit. The phone is still waiting to be tackled. I don't know why I am putting it off.

I leave you with the following I found where I found the other celery thing. I don't know how genuine it is but they did use doctors to advertise cigarettes. Things were different back then!

Random stuff

Well I must say I am glad I'm not the only one who has brilliant ideas and then forgets them!

Yesterday I was watching a video about using bleach to create designs on fabrics. Sort of tie dye in reverse. When I had finished I swear I could smell bleach. Has that happened to anyone else? Sometimes I can vividly smell something I have been watching or reading about - coffee, christmas trees, paint. 

I am really shocked at the supermarket shortages. Last time it was due to panic buying but you knew if you were patient the shelves would fill again. This time it's lack of supply for various reasons and it's quite scary. No fruit and veg, hardly any fresh meat, toilet paper (of course), milk, cheese and other dairy products and no idea when the shelves will be stocked again.

Himself found a solicitor and was able to get the papers proving life for his mother to be witnessed. He then lost the pre-paid envelope. 

He is in my bad books at the moment. We went to Ikea to finalise the kitchen but he had fiddled around so much with the plans it was a disaster. The poor woman who was helping us had no idea what we wanted as he had changed it ("I was just trying to get things aligned"). Add her soft voice and face mask and the deaf old bugger who won't wear his hearing aids and it would have been funny if it wasn't. Ikea is stressful for me at the best of times. I hate the lack of natural light and the disorienting layout. So after half an hour of watching this woman get more and more confused and Himself getting more and more agitated I had a panic attack and we called it quits. I am now trying to get someone from HiPages to come and do an in house measure and plan. 

I scored level 5/5 for my English and 4/5 for maths on the Auslan test. You need 3/5 and 2/5 respectively to be accepted into the course so that's another hurdle done. Now it's just waiting to see if there is a place in the online group for me. 

Mother in Law is doing well and should be home today or tomorrow. We can then go and visit her. She is suffering from something called hypo-active delirium. It means she is doolally but subdued and sleepy. 

I am now going to go to the Samsung website to learn how to drive the new phone. I'm not sure about the sim card situation but I will NOT be asking a certain person about it today!

Dinner will be something. He can bloody well decide and cook it.

Vegetables

 

I actually quite like celery but I have experienced this phenomenon. Probably why I prefer my celery cut up small in a salad. Or baked. If I want to use it as a carrier for dip I will go for the almost white inner sections.

I was lying in bed last night and I had this brilliant idea for a topic. All I could remember when I woke up this morning was it had something to do with vegetables. 

Does this happen to anyone else? I have written so many brilliant words in my head but they get lost between there and my fingers!

No news from the hospital today so we can only hope that is a good thing.

Himself went to Rivers and bought two pairs of shoes and got them both at a good price. One was on sale and one was mistakenly listed in the catalogue so he got it at the catalogue price.

I have been weaving. The scarf is looking good. It's certainly bright.

Dinner is chicken breast with brie baked on a bed of veges. And home made rolls defrosted and baked. That is definitely a do again. Dessert could have been chocolates that were gifted to us before Christmas but they might have become brunch. I feel slightly ill now.

That bloody tennis player. The world is laughing at us.

Waiting

Last evening we got a call from the hospital where mother in law is recovering from surgery for her fractured hip. The hip is fine. Her lungs are not. I am guessing they have her on a drip for hydration and pain management but her kidneys are not up to par so she carrying more fluid than she should and it's impacting her lungs. They have given her drugs to get rid of the fluid but they are still concerned. The doctor we spoke to only works on weekends and initially said we should come and visit her. Now we have been explicitly told that only reason allowed for a visit is end of life care. You can imagine our reaction. They were conducting a further chest xray and we would be contacted if the news was grim.

Fast forward to this morning with no further news overnight. The same doctor rang again looking for consent to give her two units of blood. This is not unusual after a fractured hip. Her lungs are still a bit iffy and they will give her a CT scan this afternoon but the xray did show some improvement. We will wait for the treating team to be back on deck tomorrow and we should get a decent update. All things considered we cannot fault the care they are giving a nearly 91 year old woman with dementia. Our public health system is struggling but they are still delivering excellent care. And all in full PPE.

So while we wait we weave! Himself walked the dogs which is as good for him as it is for them. I have some dough proving in the fridge for pizza tonight. Last night was baked potatoes with bacon and cheese and sour cream and spring onion and capsicum and celery and it was yum.

I think February is a really good month to start a diet.

Hush your mouth.

tangled tales

K is a lovely young woman who has had her share of shitiness in her life. She is very giving but finds it hard to accept affection or indeed anything positive - some people in her life have really done a number on her self esteem. When we were at the yarn cafe we chose some yarn for me to weave her a scarf but I decided she deserves some really beautiful yarn so I went to my favourite yarn shop and bought these. She wants a rainbow and I think she will get one. She deserves the biggest brightest rainbow I can find.

The yellow needs to be wound into a ball first. I have a ball winder and umbrella (the thing you put the hank on and it spins as you wind the ball). Normally the ends are easy to find. Today .....

Usually this is a challenge I would readily accept but I want to get started. After fiddling around I whined in our chat group and T came to the party. I dropped it off at her place and she is going to untangle it for me. All 400m of it. She says anything is better than housework!

It is unnerving how empty the supermarket shelves are. Our local Aldi had to close 3 hours early as they couldn't get staff. And the headlines in the papers? Effing tennis

A Friday full of weather

 

We have had some doozies of storms. Isolated and pass quickly but when they come it buckets down.

Mother is law is OK. The surgery went well but they are struggling to manage the delirium. It's a balance between pain management and over sedating. And, of course, the unfamiliar surroundings and us not being able to visit.

I submitted my application to start the Auslan course. I should have done it last year as it is highly likely I won't get in. Oh well. I have an interview in 2 weeks (the earliest I could get) so I would imagine the 10 or so remaining places will have gone by then. And you know what? I am fine with this. Which is unusual for me. I must be mellowing.

A quick trip to Ikea to look at the kitchens again. We bought meatballs and loganberry jelly and sauce from there for dinner. We will have them with mashed potatoes and peas. Their meatballs are amazing.

My phone is charging. Tomorrow I will start to play with it.

Briefly

Mother in law should be in theatre but we're not sure. The hospital have been wonderful with their contact with us but as it's mainly me I am a bit wrung out. So many calls about pacemaker, delirium, anaesthetic risk and so on and we can't visit her which is heart breaking.

A few of us went to the yarn cafe's devonshire tea. It was packed which was great. Especially as it looks as if we have restrictions again. Which we were told wouldn't happen.

Some famous tennis dude has had his visa cancelled cos he didn't meet our border requirements. Or something. The world is horrified. I am pleased that the rules have been enforced but I am damn sure some court will overturn it. And people will flock to the tennis and this damn virus will keep spreading. But small businesses will continue to suffer as they aren't front and centre of the media. I am mightily pissed off. 

I have applied for the Auslan course. I had to sit an online English and Maths test. I took a call from Frankston Hospital during the English test which blew my time out. Hopefully that won't count against me. The maths test? Holy Moly. Trigonometry? Pi? I did remember the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the opposite two sides! And piRsquared being the area of a circle. My father would be proud.

My new phone has arrived. It is still in its box. I want to enjoy the unboxing. And I am frantically trying to delete all the shit that keeps getting transferred from phone to phone!

It is now dinner and wine time. Here is a picture of my hair ..

A mixed bag

Himself woke me in the wee small hours to say that the aged care facility had rung and MiL had had a fall and was complaining about a sore knee. Long story shortish. They called an ambulance several times but the ambulance service was in chaos. She was eventually picked up at 7. She has fractured her neck of femur (NOF) and is awaiting surgery tomorrow. We cannot visit her but the hospital (Frankston for those in the know) have been fantastic with communicating with us. She should be back in the facility by next week. In the olden days a fractured hip was a death sentence to the elderly more because they had to spend weeks in bed and developed pneumonia. MiL has the constitution of an ox so I am sure she will be fine. Never smoked etc etc.

We had our first breakaway craft group catch up today at the yarn cafe. A few had to drop out because of That Which Shall Not Be Named but it was still a lovely afternoon. Amy and K hit it off really well which makes me happy. We are going back there tomorrow for a crafting devonshire tea afternoon. I will have to eat a scone. Devastated - not. And I have my eye on more yarn. A cotton and silk blend which will weave up beautifully and will replace a gift I have already made. 

K came back here and cut my hair. I have now put a bright pink colour through it and am hoping I have enough grey for it to take. I would post a pic but no!

The hospital just rang and updated us on MiL's condition. I guess they sort of have to as no visitors are allowed but very happy with the care she is getting. 

Glowing

Growing up I was taught "Animals sweat, men perspire and women glow". With the humidity we have at the moment I am glowing up a storm. It's not that hot but just sitting doing very little results in a massive glow. Now I can say that next month is the last month of summer. We still get hot days in March and sometimes into April but at least there is a light at the end of the hot, sticky tunnel.

For some reason this really made me giggle.

We have been eating a lot of salad lately. I am not usually a salad person but right now it is certainly the weather for it. The bread roll worked yesterday. Today I am trying a couple that have been frozen for longer so we will see if the yeast has completely carked it. Himself really enjoyed the roll last night so fingers crossed he is as appreciative this evening. Just need to work out what protein to have with the salad. I'm thinking a bbq chook.

I finished the scarf. It has been fringed and is in the wash as I write. It will be interesting to see what it's like once I've dried it. I wonder what it would sell for. It only cost me $7 in yarn. 

Himself received a document from MiL's income stream fund thingy wanting proof of life. A bit difficult to get her to sign it so he has been trying to find a JP to witness him as PoA but everyone is on holidays. The company said a pharmacist could sign but our local one refused as it isn't listed as a designated signatory on the form. He has spent so much time dealing with her affairs. He will deserve a large gin when he gets home.

Vodaphone have lost a valuable but not valued customer. We will be moving our phones and broadband to another mob and save in excess of $600 a year. Himself has gone to try to find the phone I like to buy outright. I guess phones, like other appliances, have been hit hard with imports. He may be gone some time.

It is cooler today, thank goodness. We are forecast a bit more heat during the week but worse will be the humidity that will come with thunderstorms.

We have a craft group catch up on Wednesday at the yarn cafe. Unfortunately T is in isolation as her son has tested positive. Apparently 1 in 5 tested are returning positive results. They are saying the majority are Omnicron and those hospitalised are Delta. Or something. It's all a bit confusing. Again I ask, do we really need this level of information? Not many people really understand or need to know. It just adds to the confusion and anxiety. We can find it out for ourselves if we want. We don't need it shoved down our throats every time we look at media. 

T's sister is one of the aluminium hat brigade. According to her 7 doses of vaccine have been produced for every single person and one of those 7 is the kill shot. Sort of Russian roulette with vaccines. Do you know how it kills you? By activating your T cells. Which the last time I looked are actually an important part of the immune system (AIDS sufferers have very low to non-existent T cell counts). I hang my head in despair.

Well, Himself drove all over town in search of the elusive phone. Apparently there are a couple at Melbourne airport but that is way too far and no guarantee they would still be there. I am going to try buying on line from Samsung. 

More weaving this afternoon. I am using a cheap acrylic (and I mean cheap as opposed to inexpensive). It was to show the yarn cafe people what it would look like woven. I don't enjoy using acrylic yarn at the best of times. I should get it finished tomorrow. Then I can weave something pleasant.

Dinner tonight is steak and salad. I am trying freezing uncooked rolls and seeing how they go once defrosted. It will save us eating them all when I bake! I have one ready to try this evening. You have to use a bit more yeast than normal so it will be interesting to see how it goes.

Stillness

I know this is still the holiday season and people are out and about and down at the beach but I love these early days of the new year. There is a certain stillness. A time to reflect and wind down. To regroup and be gentle. To look forward with a quiet optimism. No need to go anywhere or see anyone. Time to just be.

Himself is on the search for a good deal on a new phone for me. Vodaphone - who we have been with since before they were vodaphone are being most unhelpful. So much for long term (decades) of customer loyalty. It looks as if we will buy a phone outright and change our provider. Boo sucks to you, Vodaphone.

Cherries, blueberries and raspberries with plain yoghurt were had for lunch. Tonight I am having a piece of cold chicken and a hardboiled egg with salad. 

One, Two and Three played a round of golf today. It makes my heart sing when my boys get together.

Right now, it's time for a gin and soda.

2022 here we come

 

We watched a movie last night and I was in bed by 11.30. There were fireworks but we can't see them from where we are and the dogs weren't fazed so all good there.

It's another hot day today so hanging around in the coolth of the air-conditioning. I will do some weaving and Himself is down in the garage doing something.

And while he was pottering in the garage he found the wallet. Where he told me it absolutely couldn't have been.

I finished a scarf and have started another. The YarnCafe sell on consignment and said they will take my work so I might be able to make a bit of money to keep my addiction funded.

I am also going to look at doing a certificate 2 and 3 in Auslan. Not sure if I will be able to claim a concession as I already have a degree but a phone call will sort that out. If I can do it, it will mean I won't have to keep pretending to look looking for work. I will never be one of those people standing beside the pollies but if I can volunteer to work with the deaf I will be happy.

Himself and I weighed ourselves and measured our waists bellies. Chicken and salad for dinner tonight. With a glass or two of wine. Softly softly catchee monkey.