Monday, November 30, 2009

Tripped and fell......

Metaphorically speaking (dont panic still upright really)

An elderly neighbour who taught both my children to swim yonks ago is moving to the Mornington Peninsula to be near her daughter as EN husband has alzheimers and has been moved to a nursing home in Victoria. EN needs the support of her daughter who lives there. So sad to see her house up for sale.

Anyway we went to a neighbourhood farewell for her last night. Guess what - drank too much and ate totally inappropriate foods. The scales this morning showed this too. Was doing so well. I am so angry with myself. I know I am supposed to think of well, what's done is done and move on, but I keep thinking how stupid I am.

First thought was, that's it - no more alcohol in December. Then I thought - I have drinks and trivia this Friday, Jess's birthday next Tuesday, etc etc etc. Okay, what I am going to try to do is this (weak willed creature that I am):

No alcohol - Monday to Thursday
Friday - Three drinks maximum (one at each event I am going to)
Saturday and Sunday - no drinks
Monday - no drinks
Tuesday - one drink with dinner
Wednesday - none
Thursday - none
Friday - we will see

Not much of a plan but the best I can do (repeating that I am very weak willed).

Saturday was so hot here that instead of trying to do all the housework that I should have done I slept..... for hours. Sunday was spent trying to catch up with everything I should have done on Saturday. I am on holidays again in 3 weeks or else I would seriously have to consider getting off this crazy merry-go-round.

Anyway back to work. Little rant has finished.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Little Ramblings

I was talking to Mark about you girls and he said, how do I know you are who you say you are. Well I suppose until I meet you I dont but somehow I do. LOL.

Well finally after a few little losses have managed a loss of 900g this week. Funnily I think it was that man of mine again who may have got through to me. He actually told me he was worried that all the weight I was putting on was adding to the strain on my joints in particular my ankle. Love him to bits - such a tactful way to say "get your act together". Trying hard to keep on the move without doing any exercise. Still trying to rest ankle until ultrasound next week. Wont see the surgeon again until following week. Please keep everything crossed for me. Anyway all those dangerous rolls around my middle are decreasing.

Nothing much else to report - work as usual and hopefully a quiet weekend coming up. I guess I should start to think about Christmas cards too. The weeks are flying by so quickly and Christmas will be upon us before we know it.
Enjoy yourselves

Friday, November 20, 2009

Procrastinator

I have been procrastinating a lot lately. Instead of getting in and doing what I have to do I put things off and then feel bad because I havent done them.

And usually when I procrastinate it involves food. Something along the lines of I wont do such-and-such now so I will sit and read the paper and eat instead.

I lost some weight this week. I know this sounds stupid but although I weighed in last night at WW and knew I had lost some weight I didnt check to see how much. Maybe this is a good thing.

Some good news on the ankle - the prosthesis is okay but the surgeon could feel/hear what I was talking about. A sort of a grinding. He thinks that maybe a spur is forming near that tendon that runs down the front of the leg and the worst scenario is that it might cause this tendon to rupture. Mind you that is the worst scenario. Anyway off in early December for an ultrasound and maybe a CT scan and then we will hopefully know what the next step is going to be.

Other than that nothing to report. Have a new little friend at work - a swamp wallaby came down to the window yesterday. He looked so cute hiding behind the ferns and peering over. By the time I got my camera out (and no I still havent worked out how to download pictures) he was off.

Sydney is hot hot hot at the moment. Sleeping is difficult and relief doesnt look like it is coming anytime soon. A lot of the state, and other states as well, are at catastrophic fire danger. Wasnt sure I was going to get into the national park to work today but the warning is standing at Severe Fire Danger so it was okay.
Summer is well and truly here. The heat is a bad but it is the humidity that is the killer.

Anyway have a great weekend, talk soon............

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Not a sad post just fact

Not after sympathy just letting you know where I am at.

Home again, on crutches with foot back in boot.

Have an appointment with surgeon early tomorrow morning after xraying.

May have done something stupid to a not fully healed new ankle. Hopefully not. I am such a doofus.

C'est la vie! Onward and upward! .......and all that crap.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

A Fraud

I really must do something about that photo - looks nothing like me anymore - boy have I stacked the weight on. Funny I dont see it when I look in the mirror but I definitely see it when someone sneaks a photo of me. And of course my clothes - I dont even want to think of summer at the moment.

But Lucy looks the same.

I am finding losing the weight really hard not only because of my age because it is harder to do when there is just two of you. Funny that.

Ankle is still sore - oh yes I forgot - a couple of weeks ago I got out into the garden for the first time in yonks and I may have done something silly. This is a secret at the moment from Mark as I dont want an "I told you so" coming my way. Going back to physio tomorrow so I will discuss it with Robbie. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Seems to be getting better.

Back at yoga and loving it.

Another joint is gone. The joint at the base of my left thumb has died or whatever they do. Nothing can be done (Dr P has said that before and we will wait and see). Dr suggested wearing a wrist splint to give joint some support. Lighting stove is becoming a challenge and opening doors can be tricky but honestly who cares. I can eventually see me in one of those little carts terrorising the neighbourhood.

Biopsy on mole on ankle also turned out fine.

Bathroom is finished and hopefully separate toilet will be finished next week and I can reclaim the front verandah from being a builders site. Will post pictures as soon as I work out how to download them from new camera - Wonderful birthday present from children - Mark has bought me tickets for dinner and Wicked. Must sort that out soon.

My eldest sister visited from Queensland with her partner and dog. Lovely time had by all and the beautiful daughter took us for a drive around the old 'hood so we could see what was happening. Our old house looks so sad and neglected. It wasn't a flash house but it had a lovely garden and Dad always maintained it well. I'd really like to give someone a swift kick up the kaiser. The tour culminated with lunch at Woolwich Pier Hotel. All in all a pleasant day and a pleasant visit.

Such a busy time of year and the calendar is starting to fill up. I am trying to pace things this year - not going out Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday. It just exhausts us - the weekends are meant for rest and gardening of course. Cant wait to hit the nursery to spruce up front verandah.

Anne, see you arent the only one who can ramble. Have a great weekend everyone and you are all, always in my thoughts.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Chocolat


Something I have been pondering - Last week I bought a block of Lindt chocolate - Orange Intense. Dont ask me why - I dont even particularly like dark chocolate but I do like the orange/chocolate meld thing. Every night this week since Tuesday Mark and I have had a square each after dinner. Now since Tuesday I have virtually stopped feeling nauseous all the time and I have been sleeping better. Actually we both have been sleeping better. Does dark chocolate hold some magical powers? Reminds me of one of my favourite books - Chocolat by Joanne Harris. Mystical and Magical stuff.

Some other good things -
Lost 100g (LOL - but better than putting on)
Bacterial stomach infection has gone
On at least two occasions, in the early morning, my right ankle has actually looked like an ankle and not a swollen tree stump.

Now a recap
One of my sisters came up and spent last Sunday with me which meant that I didnt get any gardening done but it was lovely to sit and chat.

My other sister, supervising the sale of Mum's house in Qld, managed the sale within one week for a really good price. Way to go! One less worry.

Gareth's cast finally off his arm. He took it off himself. Back to the snow fields this weekend not that it has stopped him snowboarding. Boys!

Think my DSLite is helping me. Either way I enjoy doing it.

The red dust day was incredible. Could not believe the sky on my way to the gym for my shower (yes I am still doing this). Mind you I think we will be cleaning up for a long while to come. The red dust just blended with the dust coming out of the bathroom. Just heard that our red dust has fallen in Auckland! We really are a sharing and caring nation.

Bathroom was waterproofed yesterday, the new ceiling has gone in, the drains are being done today and the tiling starts on Monday (I hope). Lucy needs another bath as she has turned back in to a "builders dog".

If I had just talked a little louder at WW meeting last night I might have been in trouble - the question was: What do you think of when I say Lasagne, Fish and Chips and there was something else. Everyone else was saying things like "fatty" and all I could come up with was "yum". Bad bad Julie.

Anne I can now see you on Facebook and will be able to keep in touch and comment. Anni if you have time to read this - I am so jealous and you sound like you are having a ball.

Have a great weekend everyone and take care.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

A Need to Talk

I was thinking this morning how sick and fed up I feel at the moment and then I thought that I could tell you guys.

I am trying really hard to get myself back in some sort of routine eating, exercise and just living but finding it extremely hard.

Not having a bathroom is extremely hard. I know I know that in the long run it will be all worth it but I am exhausted. I feel like Mark and I are part of of tribe of nomads setting off each morning in search of a shower. So many problems have come up with the old bathroom - we have virtually replaced all the plumbing in the house because the old pipes were leaking into the internal walls and now it is just a waiting game as we wait for the bricks to dry. Luckily the builder is meticulous otherwise we could have more problems later down the road. Anyway the plumbing and taps in the laundry have been replaced, the new plumbing is installed in the bathroom, the bathroom walls have all been rerendered, the new ceiling goes in today and the floor in the bathroom is being topped. Hopefully the tiles can go on next week but we will have to see how the drying out progresses. Today it is 30 degrees so that might help with the process.

Healthwise - I am sore and aching everywhere. Not just my new ankle which is still horribly swollen. Because my blood pressure has gone up again and that medication has been increased my RA medication has been decreased and I am slowly seizing up. Maybe the BP problem is caused by my weight or lack of exercise or both. It really is a catch-22 situation. My stomach is still acting up - I go for the Urea Breath Test next Monday morning and I dont know what to expect there. The antibiotics I took 6 weeks ago were supposed to clear up the bacterial infection but who knows. (Just spoke to Mark on the phone who is worried about how I feel and his presciption is drink "real" coke - LOL).

I want my old life back!

The song that keeps running through my mind is "Mother's Little Helpers" by the Stones - "What a drag it is getting old".

Anyway - I am trying (yet again) a new approach to losing weight. I have increased my points from 18 (really not at all realistic for me - I feel deprived) to 25 and will see how that goes. If I can lose weight slowly on 25 points a day I will continue if not I will reduce it by 1 point each week - looking for the happy balance. Not the approved method but I am past worrying about it and no one needs to know except me and you.

Now some positive - I really want to do part of the Seven Bridges Walk next month with Jess. I thought I would do the part of the walk in her area in case I have a problem and we could call on her colleagues to help me if they werent busy. At the moment I cant see me even completing one stage but I did go an buy new runners on Tuesday so that I can try and break them in beforehand. (The guy at Footlocker in HOrnsby was great but people make me laugh when they see my right foot with the scarring still very much in evidence - he didnt want to lace the shoe too tightly as he was so worried he was going to hurt me.)

Anyway, I do feel better now I have spoken to you - life is such a bitch sometimes.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Today

Today I sit here in my black clothes waiting for my children to come and collect me to take me to my mother's funeral. I wish I could fit into something more colourful but I cant so black it is.

I have bought the spot in a garden at the crematorium I know she would have loved, brought her ashes back from Queensland, arranged for the plaque with a little picture of a cat on it as a reminder of her beloved Angel, the dreaded tiger cat, written my little speech as no one else wants to speak, picked the music - Time to Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro) by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli and Somewhere over the Rainbow/A wonderful world by Israel Kam...... (cant spell or pronounce his name), organised the food for a light lunch afterwards - let me see was there anything else.

Not everyone is coming - we made a conscious decision that it would only be immediate family and the interstate branch has decided not to come. Sad but understandable. They have probably already said their goodbyes. This has been dragging on for months.

What made me post this morning was reading a post about someones Grandmother. Mum's mum was the complete opposite to Mum. She lived in South Hurstville in an old weatherboard house with an enormous chook yard, a gigantic tree (may have been oak) in the side yard with a rope swing, lots of interesting outbuildings, no inside toilet and I loved going there. I remember she used to let me eat my vegetables raw because that was the way I preferred them. I remember sitting by her coal fire listening to the radio. She was a small woman who had been married to a harsh man who was luckily gone by the time I arrived. I loved her so much and due to troubles at home I spent a lot of time with her especially in the school holidays or when I was sick. She raised rabbits too. It was only later that I realised that these little creatures that we dressed up and wheeled around in a dolls pram were destined for someones dinner table. One of the many ways she eked out her meagre existence.
I am sorry my glorious daughter never met her. I think they share the same spirit.

Anyway I am getting teary remembering a time that has long passed.

Today another chapter of that story ends - I hope my mother has found peace. I think it eluded her during her life but we all deserve a happy ending.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Good Intentions

As was once famously mentioned

“Good intentions don’t amount to a hill of beans when alcohol is involved”

4 glasses of wine
beer battered fish and chips and salad
a giant sausage roll and sauce (what was I thinking)
1 large skim milk flat white (a tiny bit of sanity)

Also there was a lot and I mean a lot of walking involved. Something that I am not supposed to do at the moment. I only just made it home – my right ankle really was a cankle or in the advanced stages of elephantitis by the time I got to bed around midnight after leaving home at 3.

There was talk of attending the rugby grandfinal in two weeks time and then doing a pub crawl back to central and then dinner. (My God - I am going to have to get new friends - I cant keep up with these ones LOL). I have let Mark know that I probably wont be going to the rugby but I will meet them for dinner minus the pub crawl if it goes ahead.

Time to grow up and slow down.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Enchanted mirrors!

Well here I am again. My rehab from ankle operation is taking up a lot of my time plus it is amazing how quickly you lose flexibility and strength spending 10 weeks in a cast so pilates three times a week is on the agenda and gradually I am clawing my way back but this is going to take a while which is frustrating the hell out of me. Wow, wasnt that a long sentence.

Anyway, about the title enchanted mirrors. I think all my mirrors at home are enchanted by a benign fairy godmother. I look into them and I think great I look okay and then I go out and sometimes it is me catching a glimpse of myself in a window or as was today in a change room at Sussan.

Doesnt look anything like me or at least the mental picture I have of myself and I really must get some sort of mirror arrangement for the back of my head, how did I leave the house with my hair looking like that at the back. When did I get so big and I really mean big. Tried on a pair of jeans in Sussans and a top and both were too small and they were the larger size than I used to wear. Left without buying and feeling dispirited.

That area around my middle which us over 50s are constantly being told to worry about is now really something worth worrying about.

So I have sat down and tried to nut out a menu for the next week which I will endeavour not to deviate from.

So, just have to get through the rugby tonight and early dinner with friends in the city and drinks with more friends tomorrow night. Lordy how am I going to do this. Weak willed lily-livered person that I am.

But maybe it will be an Oprah Aha moment for me. I know this has been building for a couple of months now but I finally think (hope) I am at the limit of my self-abuse (poor body) and will start fighting my way back and believe me it will be a fight.

A bright spot is Jess and I are going to the STitches and Craft Fair tomorrow to enlarge my hoard of material for my patchwork project and I know that she will keep me on the straight and narrow. She might be small but she is tough.

By the way an update
* Mark turned 59 yesterday and we had a lovely dinner with friends at local Vietnamese restaurant
* Gareth broke his wrist snowboarding a couple of weekends ago but you will be glad to know he has had a fibreglass cast put on so he can still go snowboarding
* Jess's police netball team came first in their netball grade and play their semifinal today
* My boss of the last 16 years retired at the end of last term
* I have a new much much younger boss now who seems lovely and is taking it slowly I think so as not to upset us oldies
* Mum is finally coming to rest at Palmdale Cemetry on Central Coast this week
* Mark talking about partially retiring in October
* Bathroom renovations started this week - finally
* I bought a new sewing machine (my first one since before I got married) and while I have not actually used it yet it is out of its box and my study has been rearranged to accommodate it.

Off to get ready for the rugby now so I hope you are all having a great weekend and I will catch up soon.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

I am going to try

I am going to try and get myself back into some sort of routine while I am on holidays.

I had my first physio yesterday, nothing too strenuous. It will be three times a week for a while I think.

Went back to pilates on Saturday. Not the normal teacher, in fact not a pilates instrutor, and while it resembled pilates it really wasnt. By Sunday night I couldnt lie down on the lounge and once I did get there couldnt get back up. So so sore. Who would have thought that 10 weeks of inactivity and eating would have done so much damage. I was okay on Monday so went back for another session (glutton for punishment) and this time it was beloved instructor and lots of old friends and it went fairly smoothly although last night my pelvic floor was a bit sad and required a heatpack.

Today I am getting my hair cut. Hasnt been done for over 10 weeks so I look abit wild and woolly. Looking at the time I had better get my skates on.

Put on 10 kilos (a kilo a week) mainly through boredom and inactivity. I am going to make up a very easy gym program, mainly upper body, today so that I can feel like I am doing something.

I need new gym shoes but have only been out of the aircast and slipper for a few days and my ankle swells up quite frighteninly. I need a least one new pair of pants to wear as nothing fits. I need new comfortable shoes to wear out and about. I need to do a lot of shopping in other words but after yesterdays activities my ankle is quite sore so other than haircut am staying at home today catching up on computer work.

We are off the the Hunter this Friday for our yearly visit with friends. We will be home on Monday. I am looking forward to going and catching up with everyone but I feel so blaah at the moment I wish I didnt have to go. But as blaah happens no matter where I am I mos well be with good company.

Next week is endoscopy and colonoscopy time. Can anything else go wrong with this poor old body. No really I am fine - heaps of people worse off than me.

I have read a few blogs - googlereader tells me I have over 160 unread ones and that is not including Anne. This may take a while.

Jess gave me a lesson in facebook last night. Lots of yelling involved. I really think that I am too old for this but I will keep trying.

Have a good week - off to get ready for hairdresser - hope it lifts me!

Friday, June 26, 2009

I'm still here, sort of...

I am still here. On the mend extremely slowly. Still not driving, well only once but soon to increase. I am so freaking sick of relying on other people to get me places. That sounds really ungrateful and I'm not - just used to independence.

Still wearing the aircast, especially when I am outside but luckily not to bed anymore so sleeping is returning to normal after nearly 6 weeks of very little sleep.

I've been back to Queensland again with Jess to help clear out Mum's house. We drove there over 2 days, had 2 days of solid work, and 2 days home. It was a big wake up call and I am really going to try and get rid of stuff I no longer use. Who knows I may open an e-bay account. I know my children will certainly not want even a quarter of all the stuff I have amassed. AND it is only STUFf!

I am back at work full time as of this week. Glad to be back but am exhausted. Sooooo glad it is Friday.

My final visit with surgeon just over 2 weeks ago scared the s**t out of me. The operation went well but it will take me 12 months to recover and for the bone to grow around the space invader that now lives where my ankle joint used to be. The wound is not healing which is a worry and the rheumatologist took me off my arthritis medication this week because it might be the cause of the slow healing. Hopefully I can start physio in a couple of weeks. I walk like a penguin.

Havent been to pilates, yoga or the gym in two months.

I havent been visiting blogs and I dread to think what my google reader account looks like. Probably about to explode. Holidays are only two weeks away and I will definitely devote a lot of time to dear blends (as Zanna calls them).

Oh new King lounge arrived two weeks ago. It is so comfortable and there is always a fight for the prime spot. Because of all the rain, the new bathroom is still a month away. Should be nice and cold by then. Mark wont let me organise any other projects till this is done and it is going so slowly it is driving me loopy.

I saw the other night that Costco is opening in Australia soon (Melbourne somewhere). I have read about this store on US blogs. Looks very interesting but I fear it will be like Aldi and Bunnings to me - it is too hard to find things so I dont bother.

OK, dragging my crippled self back into my warm cave where I will hibernate for a bit longer. This whinge is officially finished now.

Love to you special people and thanks for the emails.

Saturday, June 06, 2009

I am my best person...

This week I was lucky enough to catch up with the second appearance of Elizabeth Gilbert on Oprah. She has moved back to the United States with Phillipe and lives in New Jersey now and is working on her new book about marriage.

I am sure everyone knows that she is the author of that wonderful book Eat Pray Love about the journey she took after several failed relationships. This book still sits in my bedside table and although I havent read it for a while the fact that it is there to be picked up when needed is comforting.

She said on the show the following:
"I am my best person when I have less on my plate"

This struck home with me - I am sure I am a much nicer person when I am not so busy/frantic etc. When I can take the time to meditate (and I am not good at it as I have a grasshopper mind), to stop and reflect, to let things go, to not worry over things I cannot change.

I am so looking forward to the movie of Eat Love and Pray that will star Julia Roberts as Elizabeth. I think it is down for release next year, I can only hope.

There is a Borders bookclub interview at here.

On a different topic but still related somehow, the decluttering is progressing slowly and the opening up of space in the house is quite liberating. Still a lot to do but I am moving forward at last, a direction for which I am so grateful.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Moving on

Life is slowly returning to normal.

Went back to work yesterday and was totally exhausted by the time I got home. Jess took me as I still cant drive and she brought me home, went to the pet shop for me, bought me Milo (secret weapon in fight against no sleep) and finally took me to the doctors. Luckily Mark out at a work dinner which I had opted out of so it was a quick dinner of leftovers and then to bed. Took half a sleeping tablet and for a change had a okay nights sleep. Dont remember him coming home although apparently I had a conversation with him.

I am working two days a week for the next three weeks and then I think I will have to go back to Queensland to sort out Mum's house. Trying to co-ordinate 4 other busy women so that we can all do it together is giving me a headache. This afternoon Mark, being her executor, has gone to the solicitors, who luckily are on the central coast. I think this is going to be a lengthy procedure. I am off to memorial park next Wednesday to pick out her final resting place for when we bring her back to NSW. Put her death notice into the Sydney papers. My little brain is starting to explode. It hasnt had to think this much in 4 weeks.

My job is to keep the peace between sisters and a slightly aggressive niece who told me last night (hopefully jokingly) that I was no longer her favourite aunt because I was too nice! Niggling is starting already. God give me strength.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Mum

Mum died yesterday. She slipped quietly away, never regaining consciousness. Just the way she wanted to go. No pain.

She was a difficult mother. A troublemaker, always stirring things up, she could be vicious and mean but she was still my mother. Perhaps not the mother I would have wished for but perhaps I was not the daughter she wished for. None of us were. It was not in my nature to let her ride roughshod over me or mine but in her own way I think she loved me.

She grew up in the difficult times of the depression. Dirt poor, with a father who took to the road and didnt provide for the family and I am sure this moulded her into what she became. Who knows.

My children's last grandparent has gone. An era has ended. I am grateful that Jess took me to Queensland the week before last to say goodbye. I know now that if I had not gone I would have regretted it for ever.

My eldest sister said that her face was so peaceful the last few days. I hope she is happy wherever she is. That she has found peace and contentment finally.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Nightmare or Bad Dream

My sleep was woken this morning by Jess's usual good morning phone call but she woke me from a bad dream. A perceived threat. It had something to do with blogging, friends and work. It left me with a strange and uncomfortable feeling - very unsettled.

I know I had been thinking about my blogroll and the number of people who dont blog anymore. I will really have to do some housekeeping soon.

Which leads me to another interesting fact. I signed up for facebook recently so that I could submit an article about, you guessed it, Lucy the Wonderdog. All very strange and scary but an interesting thing happened - a lot of people I know personally or used to know through blogs are doing or have done facebook. Their pages came up when I initially signed in. Not sure that I am going to follow this up as I feel I spend far too much time wasting on the computer as it is but I found it interesting.

The weather here is perfect for staying in bed lately. Torrential rain and a bit blowy (sorry for people who are out and about in it).

Today I am going to do the washing (see how exciting my life has become LOL). Of course I cant hang it out: a) it's raining and b) I cant get it down to the clothes line but I will have it washed and ready for DH to deal with when he comes home.

Oh well its midday and I must have a shower and then settle in to watch Ellen and Oprah and may even get my embroidery out today.

Life doesnt get anymore exciting than this - no I really mean it, it doesnt!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

What's Happening

I am slowly trying to teach myself to walk again. Still use both crutches sometimes, still have the aircast on but sometimes I only use one crutch like a cane or in moments of sheer daredevilishness no crutches.

Still not sleeping well but at least do not wander the house as much at night.

Have decided that I am going back to work next week for two days. At least that is the plan and I will see how I go the first day. Have to work out how I am going to get there as I still cant drive.

Mum is being moved into palliative care wing in hospital. She has been in a room in the normal part of the hospital under palliative care but as this room in an acute response room it is needed for others. She spends a lot of her time sleeping now but she is hanging in there. As her doctor says "a tough old bird".

My sisters went to see the funeral directors yesterday before my middle sister (MS) flew home. We are going to bring her ashes back to NSW as requested. MS dropped in on way home from the airport and stayed for dinner so that they missed the peakhour traffic. Lovely night.

But still I'm not sleeping and it is driving me batty. Actually I probably am sleeping but just dozing and waking a lot.

New armchairs that I have ordered from Freedom are being delivered on Saturday week. They have been trying to deliver them for a while but with me being in hospital and then having to fly to Brisbane it has been impossible. Council clean up is the same weekend so it should work out okay.

Builder dropped in on Sunday to apologize for not starting the bathroom on time but really it is easier for me that it hasnt started. New date in a months time and by them I should be up and going again.

Am finally having a shower when I want to and not when there is someone around in case I have an accident. Mind you have to check in with daughter when I am going to have said shower and when I have finished. A brief look to life in the future.

Life is not terribly interesting when confined to home but I enjoy reading blogs. Off to attempt to make myself a cup of coffee. Have a good day.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Autumn weather and other things

Driving to Chatswood today through perfect Autumn weather - gorgeous soft mellow sunshine and the beautiful autumn leaves swirling around the car - made me realise how long it has been since I have actually been out of the house. My life for the last 10 days has been housebound. Tomorrow I will go out onto the deck and try and soak up some autumn weather - cant believe I am missing my favourite season.

Went to the surgeon today and he took the plaster cast off and the stitches out. The stitches hurt so much. I sat there with my jumper over my head, whimpering and my gorgeous boy hugging me. My foot is now in an "air cast" (ski boot type of thing) for the next 4 weeks. I thought I might be able to take it off at night but he said no. Only time I can take it off is for a shower and even then I have to sit. Bugger, I hate having things on my feet at night. I like cold feet not warm feet. Oh well four weeks of very little sleep I guess. It is now up to me when I ditch the crutches but probably not for another two weeks. Sigh.

Problems with Mum. She has apparently recently given all her jewellery to a cousin for "safe keeping" but when contacted said cousin said no Mum gave her the jewellery. Some people are so sad. Preying on old people should be outlawed.

Will give my eldest sister a ring tonight to find out what is happening. May fly to Brisbane later in the week but it all seems so morbid.

Hope your Wednesday was uneventful.

Monday, May 11, 2009

A new week

I've moved my laptop back into my study. No more bed blogging.

I'm daydreaming out the window - dark skies, sun's out but I know it is cold out there, green trees and bushes, noisy miners bickering on the deck, Lucy asleep on my bed because I have left the electric blanket on in case I have to go back to bed suddenly.

I had to laugh yesterday, Mark was absolutely exhausted after cooking dinner and lunch and doing all the ironing and putting all the washing away and cleaning up the kitchen. It was all I could do to not say "welcome to my world" but I didn't because I really appreciate what he is trying to do.

Jess is not working today and I am so looking forward to her visit. She always explodes onto the scene. Her entrances are always dramatic and make me laugh. She is like some little wild kitten, completely untamed. She will probably arrive bearing coffee (or she had just introduced me to vanilla chai skim latte which tastes too sweet to be good for my weight) and anything else that she thinks I might need. Actually while I love the coffee her presence is enough. I am so blessed to have her.

The nights are hardest although yesterday there were a few bumps during the day. You may have heard of the term "busy legs" (my doctor's term). I think only women in menopause have it. My definition is that when I am lying down, or even sometimes when I am sitting, I cannot keep my legs still. They have to be on the move all the time. Doesn't that conjure up a mad picture! Usually a dose of magnesium clears this up but it doesn't seem to be working at the moment and so I spend all night trying not to wake Mark and trying to get comfortable. Not conducive to a good nights sleep for anyone. If anyone has any other remedies I would appreciate it. This all might end on Wednesday when the plaster and stitches are removed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Two more attempted sleeps!

Got my Rudd money the other day. Whoo hoo. Am going to buy a sewing machine. Nothing flash just for repairs and patchwork. I have a friend who is willing to teach me patchwork so this will be one of my aims this year. Something to keep my hands occupied. Oh, and knitting but I am kind of scared of knitting (ridiculous isn't it?).

Hope today travels well for you all. I'm off to iTunes to look up a calming mantra I read about on another blog. Music sometimes helps me as does yoga and breathing but as I said at the moment nothing is working.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Whingey semi-bad patient

Believe it or not I am over being unable to walk and I have run out of pain killers and think that I am now suffering withdrawal symptons. Damn damn damn

Sick of being in bed, sick of sitting, sick of the effort of having a shower exhausting me.

Now I am going to be really unPC. I am tired of people visiting me. I cant do this. I am tired and while I love them all I have had to get out of my comfort zone twice in the past two days to have meals with friends.

Anyway..............

Happy Mothers Day to you all. Or Godmothers day or what a great aunt day. You all deserve to be fussed over as you are raising or helping to raise a generation of incredible children and grandchildren.

Gareth has arrived with another pandora charm and I know Jess will bring the same when she finishes work. My bracelets are filling up, each a wonderful memory of who and when it was given to me. Not the super expensive charms just charms that mean something to my beautiful children.