Thursday thoughts

Yesterday I was listening to the radio and they were talking about a report that states that the (silent) majority of people self censor so that they don't lay themselves open to abuse and criticism from the (vocal) minority.

It got me thinking and I realised that I do avoid certain conversations with certain people because debate and civilised discussion seem a thing of the past. You cannot hold a differing opinion.

There is a type who will shout you down and call you stupid if you disagree with them and their viewpoint. 

There is a type who assumes that you share their political outlook - and it's easier to just stay silent.

I think the past two years of lockdown and isolation combined with the frenzied rhetoric resulting from Trump's administration have contributed to this. (I am still gobsmacked at how much influence he held worldwide - he was a president of another country FFS yet people paid more attention to him than to their own political disasters).

The anonymity of a keyboard and the facelessness of social (oxymoron right there) media allow these cowards to spout their vindictive cruelty.

And I fear it is spilling over into real interactions with real people in real life.

We all need to take a deep breath, take a step back and be a little kinder. To ourselves, our world and everything and everyone in it.

Cough Cough

I needed a ball of wool that I knew I could get at a shop in Chelsea so met J for brunch. 

Bought the wool and then headed to a cafe.

And then the coughing started.

*OMG How Embarrassment! People were looking at me like I had the plague. You know. THAT one. 

Nothing helped. Not a glass of water. Not a butter menthol. I had to leave the cafe and hack up my lungs in the street. I thought I was going to be sick it was that bad. 

I would have left but J had ordered our meal. 

Finally things settled down and I was able to go and eat my omelette and  drink my coffee. 

I went to the chemist to get some cough syrup and they had sold out. I guess I'm not alone with this damned thing. I did get some tablets which contain the same medication so we will see if they help. There is something comforting about cough syrup, though. Maybe the foul taste makes us feel it has to be working.

Himself has gone to get Sally from school. She has a dance class at 5.15. Amy and I were working out how to get her there and for Amy to pick her and Alice up and it was getting rather complicated. Himself just said he'd take her home after her class and Amy can collect Alice from daycare and go home. Well how blindingly obvious was that solution!

*Who remembers Effie? I can't see Acropolis Now being allowed to screen in these politically correct days.

Bits and bobs

 

This is the first time we have had cats and dogs get on as well as these four do. We are so thrilled. 

Max sits on a chair and whacks the dogs as they walk by (he whacks everyone to be honest). They will turn and give him a lick.

I have had to cut back the cats' food as they were getting decidedly chubby. I have never, ever had overweight animals before and I don't want to start now! Especially as they are still kittens. It's hard to know exactly how much they eat as they share the dogs' dinner as well.

It's a miserable day here. It's cold, raining and damp. Himself and I are still dealing with our coughs and sniffles. Interestingly last night I didn't put the Vicks on my feet and was up a good part coughing. I shall treat my feet tonight and see if I am better.

It looks as if some of my daffodils might have survived. Whereas I was expecting at least 30 clumps I might have 5 or 6. Better than nothing I guess.

I have taken the latest scarf off the loom and am pulling fluffy threads through for bling. I will take a photo when it's done.

Aldi fishcakes for dinner. 

A productive afternoon

 

A decent sized loaf and 75 biscuits (the rest were still baking). 

Looked after Alice while Amy was at physio and got her to sleep in the pram rugged up on the front verandah again - hence the biscuits.

Himself and I are still not 100%. I go to bed at night with Vicks on the soles of my feet (I think it's a Pommie thing), a cup of black tea with honey and slug of scotch and a hot water bottle that I place on my chest/throat which relieves the coughing. I think this cold could last a looooong time - at least at bed time.

Man flu

Not sure if it's another bug or a hangover from Covid but Himself and I are both under the weather with cold and flu like symptoms. I feel vindicated for lying to my brother as we could well have been infectious on Thursday. It's not Covid as per RATs.

I checked my spam box and found a couple of comments from the past week or so. Sorry for not replying. I have also left comments on a couple of blogs that haven't appeared.

Stoopid Blogger.

I am so close to deleting Facebook but something keeps stopping me. That in itself should ring alarm bells. It's partly a fear of missing out and missing people.  Of feeling isolated again. I have met people and made friends through Facebook. I have found new hobbies. It's just such a negative, nasty place sometimes and noone needs that energy in their lives.

I have toyed with opening another Facebook account and being very selective. That might work in the short term. 

C and J and I were going to catch up for C's birthday tomorrow but J is unwell. Probably a reaction to the stress of the end of last week with the nastiness in the craft group. This means I have a very quiet week on the horizon. We will have Alice tomorrow when Amy goes to physio and we will pick Scallywag up from school tomorrow, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I was going to go to Angela's knitting group on Wednesday but unless I am feeling 100% I won't go. I think I probably need some downtime to lick my wounds. 

I walked with Himself down to the dog park this morning. The longest I have walked since getting Covid. I managed but was short of breath when we got home. It's not far at all but I plead walking up a hill in my defense.

I have been spending time reading over past posts of blogs I have recently discovered and am loving it. This is my happy place at the moment.

Dinner tonight is a sticky stir fried pork from the latest Coles magazine. It only has 4 ingredients and Himself is making it.

This is the cover. It is full of yummy recipes and it's free.

Dinner's ready. See you tomorrow.

Boys! (and men)

Things I've been asked/heard as the wife of a man and the mother of three boys now men. They still send a chill  through my soul!!

Mum I'm at the police station (OK he's making the call - this is alright) - turns out he'd been mugged on a train going to see a girlfriend when we though he was at a mate's place. Lesson learned, Three. Don't bullshit to your mother. She WILL find out! He was OK. He didn't want to tell us - the cops insisted. 

Where are the bandaids (over and over again and generally results in a bloody mess - there's the need for a bandaid or a tourniquet!) The latest was tonight "what happened?" "I opened a tin of sardines for the dogs" It was more than a bandaid but not quite a tourniquet.

Don't panic but ... (too many times)

Should my "insert body part" be this colour (sometimes yes and sometimes definitely not)

The ambulance is on its way (after three launched himself into his bedhead while I was at work and Himself was in charge - no major damage done; the ambos reassured Himself and left without any passengers)

This is Sgt XXX from YYY police station (not good) a story for another day that is now quite funny.

The bleeding's not that bad (it's not until it is - it could be a minor scratch or a haemorrhage - they don't seem to know the difference)

How do you get blood out of XYZ (see above)

Should my toe/finger stick out of my foot/hand like this (if it's not straight up then probably not)

Can you pick me up? I'm outside CDE cop shop (this one was a bit messy but it taught a certain kid valuable lessons - don't trust arseholes and it's ok to dob them in)

I remember standing in the school office (I was president of the PTA so doing fundraising stuff and not really taking notice of what was going on around me) and seeing a kid with blood running down his back from a cut in his head. "Shit - don't envy that parent". Hi Sparkling ... glad you're here - you need to take Two to the doctor for assessment.  All blonde primary school aged kids with blood streaming from their heads look the same from the back OK? Don't judge me for not recognising my own!

The lesson for today.

 

And that, folks, pretty well sums up the day. 

The craft group has a newish member (5 weeks maybe). She came at the invitation of another member. She has been cruel to one of the women who has some challenges but isn't stupid.

Why are some people (and I hate to say it's usually women in this case) so horrible.

You don't say "You are special, so so special. We know you are so very special" in that tone of voice thinking you are being so funny.

Bitch. Which is an insult to dogs.