Our hottest autumn ever

Whether it's caused by man or not, our weather is a worry.  We have a wattle tree in full bloom just round the corner, and it shouldn't be out till September!  All the flowers are confused, not to mention most of the people.  For days on end we've had temps in the mid 20s - just wonderful to experience, but let's hope it doesn't augur badly for the future. 

Retailers are struggling to shift winter clothing and other seasonal items, such as ski gear. Many Sydney residents were expected to bypass the usual winter shopping spree altogether. Councils across eastern Australia have also decided to keep swimming pools open into early winter.

Winifred, enjoy your break.  It's great to think the kids are grown up and off with their own friends and other family.  The best thing we can do for them is give them independence.

Hugo actually only eats noodles with his chopsticks.  I had a spoon and fork at the ready, but he knocked them back.

I'm off to bed now to listen to The Archers.

Worth more money

Can you imagine what it's like feeding Hugo with (training) chopsticks????????????  I made so much mess helping him just now, he ended up wiping me down!  I've never mastered chopsticks myself and seriously question any culture that uses them when there are such things as knives and forks! 

This morning while I was supervising Emma's piano practice, Hugo got the box of handmade Christmas decorations and hung them all over the living room. Time's going so fast I thought we might as well leave them there.

The other grandparents are away, so I'm now in charge of both children, which is quite a challenge.  Fortunately my hip is much better and I'm now in new orthotics.  A physiotherapist is calling this afternoon, in spite of my saying last week I didn't need him.

A night in hospital

I woke up round 3am on Wednesday with excruciating pain in my right side and struggled into the kitchen to get a pain killer out of the fridge, then slid to the floor in agony, wondering how I could get to the tap for some water.  I realised there was a bottle of water within reach, so swallowed the tablet with water from the bottle, all the while coming out in a terrible sweat.

I struggled to my feet, went back to the bedroom and fluffed up the pillows but couldn't bend or raise my right leg to get myself in.  I didn't want to wake Philip, but after about an hour or so of suffering I had to, so went upstairs in agony and he drove me to the hospital (only 10 minutes away).

The service was wonderful!  They did an ECG, blood tests, temperature, BP and x-rays, and came to the conclusion since nothing was broken that it was possibly a pinched nerve in my right side.  I wouldn't have believed that pain could be so bad - I gave it a 10/10 level when I tried to move, but nothing when I was still.  A physiotherapist came to me round 8am and said I could go home, and that they would send a physio to treat me at home for a couple of days.

I've never seen so many medical people + ambulance officers + police.  I counted heads at the morning round - 10 doctors and 20 nurses - and ambulance men bringing in a patient. Just imagine the salaries bill for every hospital in the country if they're all like this.

When I was told I could go home, I didn't want to wait in the general area as I was in my pyjamas and brunch coat, so they put me aside in the police room.  It wasn't long before four police officers arrived with a grey/green looking yobbo and I guessed he'd been had up for drink driving and was about to undergo blood and alcohol tests.  When he suddenly asked for a vomit bag I though it was time I made my exit, pyjamas or no.  Poor devil apologised to me as I left!

This morning I went to my local GP who wrote a script for strong pain killers.  Nobody can predict how long I'll suffer - the problem could right itself at any moment, or take months. I'm still OK when upright, but find it very difficult to bend, sit or lie.

I, too, was amazed when I listed so many UK TV programs we have here.  Our ABC does very little, it seems, yet costs us a huge amount.  Mind you, it's hard to reach the high standard of your stuff, Winifred, even though we have plenty of local talent.  We've all been brought up on British programs and have come to love them.

British TV

Winifred, I saw one episode of Coast Australia (and of course all of the UK ones).  A quick glance at our TV programs would make anybody think we actually live in UK:  Just yesterday there was Restoration Home, Inspector George Gently, Sacred Wonders of Britain, Derren Brown, The Magic of Mushrooms; and through the week we get a daily dose of QI, Great Houses, Secrets of the Manor House, Escape to the Country, Walking through History, One Born Every Minute, Call the Midwife, The Men who made us Fat, Jonathan Phang's Gourmet Express, Absolutely Fabulous, New Tricks, Medieval Lives, Grand Designs, Midsomer Murders...

And, given that I still listen to BBC Radio 4 or 4 Extra all through every night, I know more about your country than you do!!!!  I absolutely love the plays, with top actors like Patricia Routledge, Bill Nighy and Lee Ingleby.  We have no plays on Australian radio. Well, none that I'm aware of.

When I come back to Australian radio I really notice the difference in accents!

Mother's Day

I've been very slack lately, largely because I'm not motivated to write anything on my blog without a photo of my own.  I still don't have a camera, but found this beautiful online pic of autumn in Mt Wilson, in the Blue Mountains.  I remember driving there on my own one Mother's Day when it was blowing a gale and freezing cold.  Today it's quite pleasant here in Sydney and I was even optimistic enough to put my swimmers on and step into the pool. That, unfortunately is as far as I went.  I stepped out rather briskly, had a warm shower and forgot about that silly idea.

We don't usually fuss about Mother's Day, but Philip came down earlier with a box of handmade chocolates for me.  I've been rather pleased with my healthy diet over past weeks - lots of fruit and vegetables - so will limit myself to one chocolate per day.  I've resumed my exercise classes twice a week and have told myself to ignore arthritic aches and pains, even going so far as to pretend I don't have arthritis!  Still standing at the computer and hopping up every 20 minutes or so if I'm watching TV, and doing some kind of exercise.