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http://www.lupusqld.org.au/inspiration/diane-hansen
AUGUST 2010 31st Chloe has landed in London just in time to support Leesa as she tackles issues with the Immigration Department. We had 25oC today. The feeling of Spring is just around the corner. Tomorrow in fact. Travelled out of my comfort zone today and went out!!!! I enjoyed the tear jerker "Matching Jack". The movie is about a little boy with leukemia. The tissues were out of the handbag and firmly placed under the eyes to catch my waterworks. The cold is subsiding but still lingering with some intention of trying to return. Go away I say to it. It is disobedient. I have 7 days before I fly to Melbourne for an action packed 6 days. Can't wait. I had a huge amount of trouble settling down after watching the 2nd Netball Test against New Zealand. We won only in the 3 minutes with a 5 goal margin. What a match!!!!!!!!!! I have a work meeting tomorrow, hairdresser appointment and then trivia in the evening. I haven't been to trivia for ages. The team won without me last week. I just can't understand how they did that. hehehe!!! I worked a fairly long shift on the weekend. It was great to make a difference with marginalised kids. I am still getting over it though. Leesa and Chloe leave for their Contiki Tour on the 4th September. Leesa is missing Spain and hopes to return if she can get an extended visa. Justin has flown the coup and I am home alone again. I am missing William and will organise to see him real soon. The Lupus Diamonds girls ran/walked/crawled their 5 km race at the Brisbane Bridge to Bridge last Sunday. Their aim raised money and awareness of Lupus. Well done girls and thanks. Ok I am ending now. See you in September.
27th Everything is now confirmed and organised for my Melbourne trip on the 8th Sept. Now to feel better!!!! Ummmm!!! Thank goodness it's only a cold. 26th Happy Birthday Dad, wishing love, peace, good health and happiness xxxxxx Cold hasn't really got any worse. I have a hoarse voice so can't talk a lot. Leesa "Skyped" last night and she couldn't hear me. She leaves Ibiza tomorrow morning for her return to London to meet Chloe who is flying in on the 1st Sept. Both girls meet their Europe Contiki tour on the 4th Sept which goes for 3 weeks. 24th It's been 6 days since I last logged on. I have been feeling pretty good up until last night when a sore throat hit me. It has kept me awake since 5am. Not good. My body doesn't cope well with colds, flu etc. I am remaining optimistic that it will go away. I have hot and cold sweats as well. Not happy!!!!! The outcome of the election was pretty obvious. A hung parliament. Interesting outcome with a high number informal votes. What a wonderful weekend William and I had playing games and just hanging out in the garden, and spending time with his cousin's Isabella and Louis. Collingwood has ended the season a Minor Premiers and St.George looks as though it will end the season in the same position. Fantastic. Now to make it to a winning Grand Final. I am flying to Melbourne on the 8 Sept to spend time with family, old friends, some long last family and attend my high school reunion. I am looking forward it. I am enjoying my very basic lifestyle with the simple things bringing me joy. My veggie garden is growing in the beautiful spring weather. Picking my greens for dinner is just the best!!! I have to start growing tomatoes next. Leesa's friend Chloe flies to London on Sunday. Leesa will meet her at Heathrow and from there where they will join a 3 week Contiki tour of Europe. Lucky girls. Not much else to report at this stage. TTFN
18th Congrats to my friends and neighbour Nadine, Brian and their 3 boys on the arrival of no 4 Bella-rose. She came into the world yesterday at 1.30pm and was a healthy 8lb 8oz. Gosh I had a big nap this arvo. I needed it as I was getting a snarky. So snarky has gone now and I am back. 16th Work was great. I kept busy all day which made the 8 hour day go by in a flash. I enjoyed getting back behind the wheel for the drive with the music banging away. Always a good feel. I thought I could just keep on driving and do the loop around Oz again. Alas I had to put the brakes on 1/2 hour down the road. Next time. I planted some lettuce and coriander seedlings in my veggie garden on the weekend. I find it most enjoyable going to the backyard to get my veggies than going to the shops. I am going to play with my caravan again and start trying to remember what stage I was up too with the packing when I fell ill. Anyway it keeps me excited and focused on the future. I am feeling nearly back to normal now (well as normal as I'll ever feel) though still have some headaches. Feeling better brings sunshine into my life. When I am so sick, I feel like there may not be a tomorrow and it can get pretty tough. I would like to thank everyone for all your well wishes and support for this last couple of months. Facebook and Friends Reunited has brought some interesting people from my past back into my future. I have found out some interesting family history and another sister I didn't know about. Unbelievable. The paternal father was such a busy boy. I found out the other half of me is from Cornwall. That makes me a pommie american indian yank splashed with french canadian. Well I am a bitzer. 15th Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go. Today!!!!!! 13th It's Black Friday. Sorry if you have been trying to send me emails. It should be up and running now. If you still can't get through just send me a message through this website and I will ring optus again. The problems all began when I upgraded my ISP Plan. The movie "Killers" was funny, action packed, great eye candy and romantic. I would give this movie a 8.5 out of 10. Lunch was reasonably priced and not too bad with great company. Big day out for me and may do it again next week. Jane enjoyed her belated birthday celebration as well.
11th Wednesday is here and I am feeling pretty good. This week should see the arrival of two more babies in my family/friend network. Congratulations to Tracy who had a little girl last week. Well done!!! Movies and lunch tomorrow with my sister for her birthday should be a good start to reintegrating back into the big wide wonderful world. It's so good to be feeling almost normal again. The sinking feeling of "I am never going to get better" has subsided. I feel like there is a tomorrow now and the day after. There are so many people out there surviving Lupus. My heart, my thoughts, prayers and best wishes go out to you all. You are a gutsy breed. My Lupus and Travelling Oz story has been published on Facebook. Here is the link: www.lupusqld.org.au/inspiration/diane-hansen When you get time, read about others and their incredible life journeys. It's got some great Lupus info too. Justin is doing well as he mentally prepares himself for physio and a slow and cautious return to work. This could take some time and of course money is always the pushing issue. I am extremely proud of my son's ability to handle this difficult time in his life. His "pushing the boundaries" attitude has helped him immensley through the past 4 months. I am a proud mum. I don't like shopping but I am heading out to do it anyway. I would make a great hermit. Not much else to report for now. Over and out, 10 4 good buddy.
9th Sorry about my boring and very uninteresting life at the moment. I can't blame you if you don't want to read my goings on (or off). Not much happening here at all. I have been giving the old TV a nudge. Australian Diamonds won netball, Collingwood won the AFL, St. George won the NRL. All my teams are on top. Yeah!!!! Yep that's all I have to add today. I will run naked down the street, yell buck and scream to create some excitement in my life. Stay tuned. As I type this, sleep is still my no. 1 pastime equal with the TV watching. As you can see I am one very boring person. I am heading toward a very exciting September. I am in training for it. Being a slob is hard work for me when I would prefer to be out and about travelling Australia. There just may be some trips on the September horizon. 5th I have been avoiding sick people for the past few months only to have the biggest germ ridden loved one staying with me. Justin has the flu pretty bad. Poor Jussie. Poor everyone else if I get it. It will be back to the drawing board for me. When I get the flu (which is not too often), I get it pretty bad. Last time I cracked my rib from coughing and had to have a morphine injection to relieve the pain. It took months to get over it. Anyway fingers crossed that it won't happen. Get better soon Justin. This is the coldest winter I have ever felt. I won't it to be over. Please!!!!!! Leesa is doing well over in Ibiza Spain. She will be leaving there soon and doing some holidaying in the mainland of Spain before meeting up with her Contiki tour. Justin had a visit to the specialist regarding his neck breaks this week. The C2 has healed but C7 hasn't and according to the specialist it may never. Justin will never play contact sport again and can slowly reintegrate himself into mainstream activities now. He is still in some pain and now will make some decisions about his life's future direction. But first he will need to get rid of his flu. Have you watched the series United States of Tara. It is brilliant. I recommend you watch it. I am feeling sad that I didn't leave for Carnarvon Gorge yesterday. My next goal is making it to Cape York in September. I won't be driving so it's a strong possibility I can do it!!!!
1 to 3rd Today is special because it's my beautiful sister Jane's birthday. Happy Birthday Jane, sorry I can't be with you today or tonight. Enjoy your day. Just to let you know I am just too blessed to have such a beautiful, caring and thoughtful sister. I am feeling so much better the past few days. No more melts downs or chronic tiredness or headaches or blurred vision. I even drove yesterday arvo. Not too far but handled it quite I thought. That's my opinion and I am sticking to it. Ha! I am taking it easy though as I don't want to have any set backs. I am selective in the environments I choose to be a part of. The specialist visit yesterday reaffirmed that my serious illness, resulting in my hospitalisation, was probably caused my body's inability to deal with the serious infection I had been struggling with for a few weeks. My body has a full time job just dealing with my Lupus and Fibromyalgia and therefore just said to it's owner (me!) "I have had enough". So I collapsed. Anyway that was "yesterday" and today is today. It did give me a terrible scare though and I wasn't sure if I was going to get thru it. I was pretty down for a couple of weeks. I have climbed the ladder yet again and thinking of my next trip. JULY AND GETTING CLOSER TO WARMER WEATHER www.facebook.com/pages/Lupus-Association-Queensland/88949958464 31st Bye July!!!! 30th Friday night and it's pretty quite here. I am feeling a lot better today after yesterday's setback. I have been in contact with some of my high schools friends on the website www.friendsunited.com. Once ex school buddy is going to send a photo of me at her 16th. That should be interesting. Caulfield High School in Melbourne is having a school reunion in September. It would be pretty interesting to go if I am well enough. Because my school's common boundry was Caulfield Racecourse, the function will beheld in the conference centre. It's so funny recalling our school cross country races when we used to have to dodge jockeys and their horses exercising for their big races. Sometimes it was a huge risk but always a lot of fun. I used to always come 10th with the first 10 being selected for Region. I have posted two photos of my Caulfield High School class. Enjoy the laugh. I did!!! 28th Yippee I aye!!! Today I am feeling nearly back to normal. Finally. I can't wait to get on with life again. I think my sinus infection added to my Lupus really sent my body into a spin. It was tough going there for a while. The old body just shut down and didn't want to go on causing stroke like symptoms. Yesterday I was prescribed antibiotics which have helped. I am optimistic that things will keep on improving. I feel like I have just won lotto. It's been raining all day with temperatures only a polar bear would love. Be in touch soon. xxxx 25th How you doin? I have been doing things at a pace that only a snail could understand. Slow and steady. I tried to push the barriers and went to the shopping centre last week and slipped back a notch or two. Slept all day the next day. So the body is the boss and I am its slave. I am obeying orders. I am feeling a lot better today. I am pretending I am sitting outside my van under the awning beside a river reading my book. I think its working. Justin is still with me being the No 1 son ensuring my return to good health. Our arrangement is working well and I am enjoying his company. I don't know what's on the agenda for this coming week. I will shower in the morning and then decide how I feel. To John, Retta, Troy and Ben, thank you for the beautiful flowers and chocolates. Every time I am downstairs I am welcomed by the radiants colours of your gift of our friendship. To everyone who has sent emails, visited, phoned, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your well wishes. Your kindness is working.............I am getting better. I have put some photos up of my space.
18th It's been a long time between drinks as they would say in the classics. I have been busy doing nothing. I am becoming really good at that. Lots of resting, visitors and more resting has filled my days. I had a good day yesterday and a not so good night. All in all I am improving and hoping to get behind the wheel again real soon. I am unsure if and when I will get back on the road just yet. I will take it in my stride. Justin has moved back home to ensure my health and safety. He's been fantastic and that is an understatement. His love and support has been my rock and road to recovery. My family and friends have been my tonic to returning to good health as well. When I didn't think I was going to "make it", I told everyone that I loved them. I didn't want anyone to have any doubts on how I felt about them while my ship was sinking. It's so true that all you need at the "end of your day" is those closest to you. It's definitely not about money or the colour of your clothes or wall, what sort of car you have or what type of job you work in. A special thanks to my loved ones who were THERE!!!!!!: Jess the gem, Judy, Audrey, Nikki, Jane the gem and Russell. My sister Jane has been doing the shopping, cooking and assisting in the laundry. She's been here everyday with love care and compassion. She is my other rock. Sisterly love is the bomb. My daughter Leesa stayed in touch from Spain and would only come home if she needed too. Thank goodness she didn't need too. We were all very happy for her to stay where she was. She is loving Spain and looking forward to spending another 6 weeks where she is volunteering at www.casitaverde.com. Not much else to report at this stage. I hope all is hunky dory at your end.
12th Hi all. I have been away holidaying (NOT!!!!)in hospital over the past week. Things have improved immensley for me I am happy to report. I have only just arrived home and a little tired. I will update very soon. 5th It's hard being a parent of a young lady travelling solo around the world. I've had sleepless nights worrying about Leesa as I hadn't heard from her in 5 days. Thank goodness the drought has been broken. I just got an email from here saying she was Ok and on "Ibiza" time. Bloody kids. Don't you love em??!!### Reception where she is is scarce as well. Eclipse was watchable on Friday night at the movies. I had watched the previous two Twilight movies at home the day before so I could be up with the storyline. I don't know why everyone is raving about it. I just can't see it. But I will tell you those seats at the cinema were the best. Reclining with foot elevation was definitely the bomb! Thanks to my mate who kindly sprayed me and some poor unsuspecting people in the row in front with her "smuggled in" bourbon and coke. It provided some sticky moments. I've been gathering audio books from the local library so that those "no radio reception" places will be filled with story telling. I can't believe that my "undefeatable all year" NSW Swifts were defeated in the preliminary final yesterday cutting the season abruptly. The Swifts players weren't the only ones gutted. I am hoping to leave home now on the 4th August and head up to Longreach (west Qld) then to Emerald and Carnarvon Gorge, then to Bargara. From there I will board my friend's 4WD and do the Cape. Can't wait. Did the big train travel last Friday into Newtown to visit Justin. He's doing well and has a fantastic attitude toward his future at the moment. I really enjoyed spending the day with him, Jess and William. William wanted to come home with me, but alas I had organised to go to the movies. I am happy to report that my mate (and neighbour) is now in Camden Hospital for rehabilitation which will provide him with skills to live independantly in his home with the lovely Audrey. My sister and co are holidaying in Queensland and heading to Bargara today. Wish I was there where the weather is warmer. Hi Karen, Craig and Maxi.
2ND The Naturopath's tonic seems to be making me feel a little better these day. Let's hope improvements keep up. I could even be running a marathon on a few weeks. Just a very short one tonight. I am off to the movies and need to collect the crew.
GO AWAY WINTER 30th It's been minus 4 here at night. I got up to see a very white front lawn this morning. I just can't seem to get warm. It was 2 degrees at 4.45pm yesterday arvo and tonight it feels just the same. It's hard to get motivated to go out and do anything. Trivia has taken a back seat the past 2 Wednesday nights. I'd rather hang around the lounge. My travel plans have changed yet again. I am not leaving until the 4 August now due to a change in personal circumstances. I won't be doing the Centre or Darwin either at this stage. It's not my time to do it just yet. It will happen probably in 2011. I am thinking about going to do Queensland's Carnarvon Gorge and then meeting up with my mate to share the journey to Cape York. I am really happy with that decision. But but but it may just change again. I was supposed to leave today. Leesa is jumping on a plane today and heading to Spain where she will do volunteering on a Permaculture property in Ibiza for approx 6 weeks. Ibiza is warm. Ibiza has the bluest of waters. I am jealous. Leesa is leaving London on a high. She had a front row seat to see Adam Garcia's latest Tap Dogs show last night. And the icing on the cake is she was invited to have a drink with him and the cast after the show. 12 hours later she is still on a high. What a lucky lucky lucky lucky girl!!! I was asked by a medical practitioner today what my energy levels were like on a scale of 1 to 10. I had a chuckle about that question. There is no real way I can answer that question because willpower, determination and goal setting is how I get through all my days living with Lupus. If I followed my tiredness and energy levels, I would never, ever get out of bed. I feel on top of the world when I have achieved what I have set out to do. It's so exhilarating. Going around Australia took a huge toll on me and took 3 months of sitting around home to get over 28,000km journey. Oh but it was worth it!!!!! I would do it in a flash again. Especially in my new van where I can open the door and just lie on the bed.
25th part two I'll type in red tonight because the St. George Dragons are playing the West Tigers. So it's 1st (Dragons) playing the 3rd team. The electric brakes for the caravan are now installed in the car and working as they should. I have been towing the caravan around the streets just to get used to it. It tows a treat. I have also had the Anderson Plug wired up so that Deep Cycle Battery charges while I am driving. All is working!!!!!!! I have to get the oil leak in the car fixed and my mechanic is procrastinating a bit. He is coming at lunchtime tomorrow. I was supposed to be leaving on Tuesday. I can't see that happening. I am packed and raring to go. Updates on Justin and Leesa: Justin has had another CT Scan this week. It shows a 50% return to normal. It's been 2 months today since the accident so I guess it gives the indication that it could take another 2 months for the other 50% to heal. He will have to have extensive physio down the track. He is allowed to wear a soft neckbrace at night when he sleeps now. He is one lucky brave young man who has to be very careful while he heals. Leesa: Is enjoying her overseas sabbatical. She loves London and is out and about everyday. Lucky ducky. She is over the flu now and has boundless energy pounding the London pavement. Not much else to report now. Going in to the hospital tomorrow morning to visit my neighbour. The afternoon should see my mechanic getting down and dirty under my car.
Day 25 of Winter and 6 months to Christmas Click on the link below to hear an inspirational Gail Falconer talk about her Lupus journey. It's an honest, informative story about her survival living with Lupus. www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/06/22/2933781.htm
Click on the link below to read about the Lupus Association members. This Facebook site is dedicated to Lupus with others telling their own stories. There's loads of helpful medical information and links to Lupus support networks around Australia.
www.facebook.com/pages/Lupus-Association-Queensland/88949958464
Listening to Gail Falconer's story pulled all my heart strings both for her and me. She was fantastic answering indepth and personal questions about her Lupus. I found such a connectedness listening to her journey. What a WOMAN!!!! 20th I AM EXCITED because....................................... Just spoken to Leesa in London via Skype. She's still pretty crook with the flu coupled with infections in her chest and eyes. Although ill, she's been out and about enjoying her new surroundings. She's visited Camden, Westminster, been flying with friends, seen David Essex at Westend and met heaps of people. It was such a surreal feeling to speak to my girl on the other side of the world. It was midnight there when we spoke. She sounded unlike her usual self with her new husky voice with compliments from her virus. Leesa feels due to her busy and lack of sleep lifestyle back at home, her very long and high altitude flight, her immune system is down a little. She's sharing a flat with a friend at the moment and has the right space to "get better". She is going to stay in London until the 30th June when she flies out to Ibiza. She has plans next week to visit beyond London City. I will update when I hear more. 20th I have had a fun few days packing the caravan. I can't believe how much "stuff" I can fit into one little caravan. There's hidey holes everywhere. I still have heaps of spare space to fit "whatevers" in. I definitely will not take as much as I did on my trip last year. I am looking forward to opening the van door and laying down without the setting up. No complaints about doing it last year, but if you can do things easier, I say do it. I have had the electric brakes fitted to the car now along with an Anderson Plug to charge the 12 volt caravan battery. I will hitch it up today and make sure its all working. It will take me some time to sort out the electric brake settings as I am only new at this application. It should prove to be an interesting day. The days in Sydney are warmish, but the nights are freezing. I have taken up the lounge on the top floor to sit on at night. Downstairs is like an icebox (even with the airconditioning on). Now to my trip. Firstly not sure when I am leaving at this stage. Got some family health issues to sort 1st and an oil leak. Da de dah da da, I will now let the cat out of the bag to where I am going: Leave Sydney and head to Wagga Wagga, Mildura, Port August (SA) then up to Coober Pedy, then to Uluru, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and then to Darwin. From there, I will probably cut across to the east coast depending on time. I must do Darwin before it gets too steamy. I will let you know the date I leave when I KNOW!! 17th I felt like I was in the State of Origin scrums last night. Watching the game in 3D proved to be an emotional experience. I felt every spear tackle with angst, involvement in the biffs and a little tingle with the closeups of the footballers. Billy Slater has a cute 3D bum. Go the Maroons. They were fantastic weren't they? I will be wearing my maroon outfit again today with pride. There were times during the 3D telecast that I felt some of the game was heading for my face. I found I was ducking at times. Chloe and I laughed at the experience. My friend Charmaine and dog Boo have left now. I am home alone once again. I am having my car fitted with electric brakes today. Another big step in leaving for another trip around Oz. I now have my plans in place but am unsure when I am leaving exactly. Alright, I am on the road now. Have a good day!!!!
15th I have heard from Leesa everyday. She's having a bloody ball while we all sit at home crying. I just don't understand the younger generation these days. Ha! She has kissed Big Ben for me. It was one of my "not achieved" dreams. She has gone flying with our family friend Daniel. I thought she would've been sick of planes after her mammoth flight from Sydney. She has toured some of London with our aunty who is also visiting there at the moment and caught up with another work colleague of hers. She's doing alright! I am going to see State of Origin in 3D tomorrow night. Go the maroons. Thursday I will be visiting the auto electrician to get the electric brake controller fitted to my car. I am getting ready for the next big venture. I nearly have it all figured out. 14th Heard from Leesa a few times since leaving the aussie shores. The 1st time was from her stopover at Taiwan. She said she talked all the way there which was about 5 hours. Then I heard from her when she arrived in London. I have just heard from her today as well. Though she is suffering from jetlag, she is hitting the London streets. I am a proud mother. Having William stay with me since Leesa left, has helped to fill the "gap". Tonight I have the house to myself, now I feel the gap. How cold is it at night. I have had enough! My friend Charmaine and her dog Boo are staying in their caravan until mid week. It looks like a caravan park out the front. Gosh I love that look. Justin continues suffering some pain and his neck is still in a brace. He is improving every day thank goodness. He is a brave man. I have put some pics of Leesa's farewell up. 12th Blue today for my emotions. Mixed emotions all round for Leesa's departure. Proud as can be that my girl has the courage to travel the world solo and sadness that I won't see her for such a long time and the other emotion is a very parenting one, her safety. 11th Leesa said goodbye to her home today as she headed off into the City for her "friends" farewell. She will stay in the town tonight with some friends. It was sad as she had to say goodbye to her very sick pussy cat today. I am cooking for the farewell BBQ tomorrow. Now I can't promise there won't be any tears as I bid farewell to Leesa tomorrow night. Craig and Karen and Maxi: have a ball up the Daintree and Cape. Wish it was me.
10th Bags are packed, the Aus dollars have been changed to the Euro, goodbye phone calls are thick and often, visitors are coming and going, tears are flowing, all assignments are now completed and delivered to Uni, and tonight is the last night Leesa will sleep in her own bed for 6 months. Tomorrow night is party night with her circle of friends accompanied by limited sleep and Saturday will be spent at her Dad's home with her immediate family for the last supper and then we are off to airport. Stayed tuned for my tearful rendition of saying"bye Leesa". It's been a painful 30 years without you Mum. Thinking of you always. 8th 4 days to go before Leesa heads off for her 6 month overseas sabbatical . We had an intimate afternoon tea today, as the beginning of many farewells for Leesa over the next few days. Thank you to everyone who came over. You are all very special. Friendship is the best!!!!
6th My weekend began quite superbly having William for the day and into the evening. In the evening William ran around with his cousin's Isabella and Louis for hours. It was reported by his mum and dad that he slept in til 10am the next morning. Gosh we like a worn out happy boy! Up early and into the car for the drive to celebrate my friend's 50th birthday at a park in Nangarin Estate at Picton. The sun shone for most of the day for the event. To have a beautiful friend in your life is such a priceless gift. Happy Birthday Annette. I slept in until 11am this morning after a night watching Sam Stozur trying to knock off the little Italian rocket in the French Tennis Open. Alas, Sam lost to a fantastic energetic tennis player. I saw the funniest celebrity netball match today on TV. The laughs, cheating, and unorthodox playing really pushed the boundaries of the game. It was all in the name of fundraising for Charity topped with a huge amount of humour. There will be some very sore celebrities tomorrow namely Adam Spencer from the ABC. He was the funniest of all. This week is the last week Leesa will be in Australia. Boo Hoo. Justin is improving everyday. He will have a CT Scan soon to ascertain how his spine is healing. 3rd Check out the photo mwaaa all decked out in footy gear. I am pleased to say that the Dragons flogged the Bulldogs at this game. 2nd Before I head off to trivia tonight, I would like to wish my mate Annette a very happy birthday. Look forward to celebrating your very special birthday on Saturday xxxxxxxxx 1ST Happy 1st day of bloody winter!!! Welcome to May 31st The last day in May brings us early winter conditions. Huge sea swells, rain rain, cooler temps and wind squalls with difficulty getting out of bed. I had a pretty good weekend catching up with friends for dinner drinks and a good chin wag. I worked all day yesterday which was a nice change (I think). Happy Birthday to Branson!!!! I bought the travellers bible "Camps 5" which contains maps, free campsites, and caravan parks under $22.00 per night around the whole of Australia. Everyone who is travelling should have one of these books. I have been spring cleaning the kitchen today. I have a huge sense of achievement as this job has been on the agenda for some time now. Enjoy your last May day. The Dragons win again!!!
27th May Little William is now wearing glasses fulltime and has to have an eye patch periodically. He is even cuter now if that's at all possible. Hopefully his eyesight will improve as he gets older. Check out the picture. My plans to Cape York have now been cancelled. I am at the drawing board organising somewhere else to go at the moment. All will be reviewed soon. Leesa leaves in 16 days for the UK and Europe. Not long now. I enjoyed Prince of Persia at the movies today. Lots of action and beautiful scenery, especially with the lead actor. The chop-top icecream was pretty all right too. Met up with lots of people from the past at the pub last night. Some of the guys who played for the local footy club some years ago when I managed, were there watching the State of Origin. Had a nice meal, drink and a great outcome on the footy. What more could a girl want.
10.45pm 26th THE MIGHTY MAROONS WIN AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 26th It's maroon night. Go guys!! I am off to the pub for grub and game. The weather here is pretty lousy so it will be interesting to see the boys do their stuff in the mud. Justin's health update: The neck brace stays on. He will have another MRI in one month's time to ascertain how the fractures are healing. Because his injuries are considered "stable" and the nerve damage has improved, he will not need surgery at this stage. No building work, sport, limited driving with no head movements, no heavy lifting. He needs to do as he is told to avoid any further spinal damage. It will be some time before he will be back to what is considered his "normal" life. The fractures still need to heal and it is up to him now to look after himself.
24th How can St.George have 10 members of their 1st grade team missing because of their selection in the State of Origin teams for the game this Wednesday, be expected to play, and win a game of rugby league. I think the NRL powers that be need to automatically give a team a bye when they have most of their team selected for representative footy. Anyway St. George lost their game against Canberra on the weekend. They had to pull players from their 3rd grade team to make a 1st grade team. Not happy Jan! Best wishes to Judy and Don for a speedy recovering and wish them a quick journey from hospital to home. Little William has to eye glasses and a patch on his eye due to vision issues. He will look very cute I am sure. Tomorrow I am up early and heading over to the St. George area with Justin for his spinal appointment. Fingers crossed he will get a favourable report. I am sick of this cold weather and it isn't winter either!!!
20th I am going to share some "car" stories that happened to me over the past few weeks. I was driving along at 100kph, my friend Annette in the front seat and both of our grandchildren in the back. Isabel and William are all strapped in appropriately when all of a sudden the back door opens. Isabel decided to play with the door and surprise surprise it opened. Mild panic set in as I attempted to pull over to close it. Isabel and William are only a week apart in age and got on like a house on fire. Another incident happened when I was putting William's car seat in the back of my car. William was very intrigued as to what was going on and as it was hot in the car I thought it would be a good idea to do the job as quickly as possible so I got William to sit in the front passenger seat. Well didn't we get a shock when the car started going backwards down the driveway. I put myself in automatic pilot mode and jumped thru to the front to reach for the gear lever that William had put into neutral. The car crunched and squeeled as I put it back into gear and shoved the handbrake on. William had managed to put the car into neutral and I had forgot to put the hand brake on. Both William and I got a shock and I am pleased to report that I always put the handbrake on now and William doesn't touch the gear lever. The last one happened on the way to Trivia last night. There was this almight scream from the backseat from my 14 year old passenger. I was getting fuel at the time and nearly collided with the bowser when the shrilling shrieking and hysteria began. All of a sudden words became legible "Spider, spider, sh#t, spider". Because of the incident with Isabel and William with the opening of my back door, all the child safety locks were ON!!!! I quickly jumped out of the car to let the distressed passenger out. To cut a long story short, the spider on her happened to be redback. Luckily she didn't get bitten. The spider was killed and we continued to Trivia. I do enjoy going to brain aerobics on a Wednesday night. We came 3rd last night. Trivia next week is cancelled due to the State of Origin match. My beautiful sister and I attended the movies today. The movie, Robin Hood, was about how the legend began. Whilst I have seen many variations of Robin Hood, it was the 1st movie I had seen about how he became "Robin Hood". My favourite Robin Hood movie is still "Robin Hood Men in Tight Tights". Thanks for your well wishes for Justin. He is still slowing mending and frustrated would be the best word to describe him at the moment. He will see the specialist next week. The boys arrived in Perth on Tuesday. The worst incident was the grasshopper plague on the Hay Plains. They were picking the bugs out of every nook and cranny. One of the boys dropped his bike while filling up with fuel. No injuries to the bike or the rider. 15th Red and white have got to be my favourite colours at the moment. I was dressed to the 9's last evening when I left for the football at Homebush. Clothed in red and white Dragons jersey, scarf, blanket and socks just made me an obscure part of the Dragons crowd last night. It was a very exciting game with a bit of everything to keep the crowd enthused. The mighty Dragons continue their professionalism to hold the number 1 spot on the ladder. Go boys!! 13th My mother's dinner was a success with everyone enjoying themselves over a tipple or two. Justin Jess and William stayed the night and all of the next day. We ventured into the garden, the park and played games for most of the day. I love to have my family around me. Completeness is the best way to describe my emotion. I am happy to say there have been no other addition issues in the family which is a relief. Unfortunately Jus is still struggling with his neck injury. Leesa is receiving great marks for her uni tasks. My sister and I ventured to the movies today to see I Love You. Laughs a second as with most Aussie movies. There were almost tears moments too. Went out to dinner the other night with neighbours Leesa and my other special daughter Chloe. Tomorrow night I am off to see St.George vs Bulldogs. I am going to dress very warmly because it was 2 degrees here last night. I nearly froze coming out of trivia last night. I am pleased to say we came 3rd again. I have posted an up-to-date photo of William.
9th Happy Mother's Day!!!!!!!! My day started during the night with interrupted sleep. The phone startled me at 8am after getting back to sleep at 5am. My personal chef at Chateau Bursaria prepared a mother's day breakfast for two. The breakfast table was set up under the sun soaked pergola. Leesa brought out the champagne bottle for me to break open. I wanted to shake it like the boys at Bathurst do but didn't get permission from my chef. It popped with enthusiasm and we sipped champagne and ate an exquisite breakfast made up of Bagels with cream cheese, smoked salmon, finely chopped onion and sprinkled with capers. A squeeze of lemon jiuce just added the final touch for a breakfast to die for. Leesa and I enjoyed our mother daughter time. After breakfast it was time for Leesa to do her uni work and me to have a make up sleep for the one I missed during the night. I slept nearly 4 hours. I almost feel human again after a long hot shower and some sleep. I ventured down stairs to take my front row seat at the NSW Swifts Adelaide Thunderbirds netball game. What a fantastic sport to watch. My mighty team, NSW Swifts flogged their opposition. I won't talk about what happened to the mighty dragons last night. It's something I just want to forget. So please don't rub it in. Tonight the other half of my brood arrives for dinner with Jess and William. Homemade pumpkin soup, thai summer rolls, biscotti with fruit for dessert will whet our appetites. How was your Mother's Day? 8th This week has brought me a 3 day migraine, a grandson for 2 days and lots of hugs for Justin and Leesa. Justin continues to remain the same with some feeling in his left hand. It is a slow process and at this stage financial issues are creeping in on him. Leesa has 1 month before she flies over to Europe for 6 months. This trip has bought about life changes which are difficult for her but unavoidable at this stage. I jumped out of bed very early this morning and headed up the mountain to Oakdale. The scenery was breathtaking. I know I have done this trip a few thousand times but I still have goosebumps everytime I travel this road. This morning the blue skies were cloudless over the Camden Bridge. The autumn leaves were displaying masses of yellows, reds and burgundys. Three hot air balloons were hovering over the country landscape creating the morning beauty. The temp was down to 7 degree C which added to the crispness of the morning. I travelled with a smile on my face up to Oakdale thinking of my friends who were just about to leave on a 6 week motorbike adventure through NSW, SA and WA. All the boys were just about ready with the exception of their morning showers when I arrived to wave them off. In the end 4 males which consisted of three brothers (which I know) and one unknown male who is a mate of one of the brothers left at 9.30am on this beautiful morning. It was so exciting watching them pack, get ready and leave. I was extremely envious of them even though I know I had my turn last year. It's amazing how much you can fit on the bikes. One bike had a tent, sleeping bag, pillow, air mattress just in one pannier. I wish them all a safe journey. I will share their adventures when I hear from them soon. I will post a photo of the boys. After leaving Oakdale I headed home for a meeting with the State member for Camden for the Labor Party Geoff Corrigan to discuss issues of the odour coming from the local Recycling Centre at odds hours of the night and day. I am sure this is contributing to my constant sinus and chest infections. I have been making some food for Mother's Day tomorrow. I will let you know how my day pans out.
Firstly I would like to thank everyone who has sent on their best wishes to my son Justin and our family after his very unfortunate accident. He has a long road and I am pleased to say that he is regaining some feeling in his left hand again. His recovery will be slow and ardouous. His limited capabilities enable him to take things very easy. With two broken neck vertebras, he has to be careful not to exasperbate the fractures any further. No driving or working, needing support with changing his neck brace leaves him dependant on others. He, like many of us, is not always a good patient. Your life can change in an instant. Emotionally it would be difficult for him because of the pain he is in, the financial issues he will have for a while and losing his independence. I also consider myself a very lucky girl too at this stage. His accident could've been a lot worse on everyone, especially me being his caring mum. I saw the 1st of May in at Oakdale with my car being pulled apart. We think we have fixed the engine oil leak. It took 4 hours just to get the part out. Every part from the front grille back to engine had to be removed just for 1 $3.50 seal. Thanks Rob for all your help. It was great having a sebatical yesterday up there away from my very mad and busy house. Today I have a very quiet and clean house. I went from a full house last week to no-one at home today. The quietness was deafening. I sat and watched the Netball on Channel 10. Go the NSW Swifts. What a team!!! And.............the mighty Dragons!!!!!!!!!!!! Winners are grinners. Tomorrow my little man is going to spend the day with me. There goes my clean house and quiet house. I know I will enjoy his little antics. He's a gem. I must take some photos tomorrow.
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Comments
Sorry to hear that you have been so sick and in Hospital. On a more happy note my Michelle had a baby girl on the 17th and her name is Lillyana-Roze and her weight was 7:06 pounds.Hope that you get better soon. Love from Greg & Chris Comment By : Greg Gay on 19th Jul 2010 Glad to hear the Leesa is having a good time and that Justin is doing well. Love to you all Vicki XXX Comment By : Vicki Wallis on 20th Jun 2010 |
