New car

Philip got this car today - I'd 
never heard of a Skoda, let alone how to pronounce it, but
here it is: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMs1eXBn4VQ. Apparently it comes from the Czech Republic and is pronounced the same as in German.

Don't ask me why this piece has formatted itself this silly way - it was perfectly normal just two seconds ago, then it hopped like this while I was just looking at it!

Have been getting more and more fed up with the world, and have come to the realisation that it's best to ignore most things.  Instead of watching the stupid breakfast programs in the mornings I'll listen to classical music on the radio and only watch the news at night occasionally. I can't do anything about more people shooting each other, so there's no reason for me to know.  Better just to mind my own business.

And instead of watching other rubbish on TV I've been enjoying my uni course from Jerusalem on 'A Brief History of Humankind' and have started another one from Michigan on ' The History of the Internet'.  I get 9 or 10/10 for all the quizzes I've done on the first and not surprisingly the only quiz I've attempted so far on the second netted me a mere 5/10.  I say 'not surprisingly' because I know absolutely nothing about the internet and it is a real challenge for me.

Fire danger over for the moment

I was so worried about animals during the fires but reassured to know lots of people were helping them.  Animal suffering affects me more than people suffering.

Lina, thanks for these absolutely heart-warming shots of a Japanese grandmother and her cat. They are the most gorgeous pictures you will ever see:
http://www.demilked.com/grandma-and-odd-eyed-cat-miyoko-ihara/

Today expected to be the worst so far

It's hot outside today.  I just skimmed the leaves from the pool and could hardly last the few minutes required for this job.  It's hard to imagine what it's like for the hundreds of firemen and women and police close to the flames.  The wind is whipping up, which is a real cause for concern.  Dozens of schools are closed and retirement villages are being evacuated.  Extra firefighters have come in from other states and NZ.

The message before the arrival of the wind is 'Get out while you can!'

Organising all these people is a phenomenal task.  And they all have to have somewhere to sleep and be fed.  

Another day...

I was just lying in bed listening to the BBC news when I was surprised to hear the ABC news theme.  It was an item about the bushfires, from Sydney.  Still only the one death, which is amazing.

Bushfires worsen

Hundreds of houses have been lost, but so far only one death - a man died from a heart attack defending his house.  A state of emergency has been declared.

Jacarandas in bloom four weeks early...

...not a good sign.  Our poor planet.  What's it going to be like in 50 years?

Yes, the bushfire situation is dire.  Our firefighters certainly do deserve our respect and thanks. Are we going to make it through the summer???  I'm ready to grab the kids and Muffy and evacuate at the first sign of fire near here.

A day to forget

Sydney is surrounded by fires and we are affected by smoke, though there are no fires close to us.  It's extremely frightening.  Hundreds of houses have been lost.  

A lot can happen in 12 hours or so - last night I was enjoying Andre Rieu and now look. Glad to hear Georgina loves him as much as I do, Winifred.  Emma loves him, too, and dances round whenever I play one of his DVDs.

Too close for comfort

Some of you know my friend Lyndall, at Fingal Bay.  (Winifred, it was through her friend in Cirencester that I met you and Roy.)  This bushfire came so close to her home on Sunday she packed her vital papers and was ready to evacuate, though in the end did not need to.  When I spoke to her the following day she was still trembling.

We are also at risk, living in the bush as we do, and this season is high risk for bushfires. All householders are warned to have a fire plan.  I'm constantly aware there could be an outbreak at any moment. 

And 80 cars were burnt out in the middle of Sydney, right next door to where I'm going to see Andre Rieu tomorrow night!

The weather is quite mad.  One day it's 37 degrees, the next 20.  We are forever putting on/taking off clothes and bedclothes.

Long weekend

Philip took the family camping here on Sunday to a property near Bathurst owned by friends. Look how dry it is.  It's very hot during the day and very cold at night.  

I was invited to see the Fleet Review and fireworks by my friend who lives right here, but didn't go as I hate crowds and my arthritic feet and knees would have made it difficult to walk from the station.  No chance of driving there, with hundreds of thousands of people about.  I got a better view on the telly from the comfort of my sofa!

Yes Winifred, I think swimming is addictive, isn't it?  Once the weather warms up, I want to hop in the minute I see water. 

Daylight saving starts today

Truly, nothing makes me feel so good as having a swim - it washes away depression and makes me feel good to be alive.  This morning after my dip I lay on the deck and read the Sunday paper now that it is being delivered.  Muffy was right there beside me.  

All those years between 1961 when I started teaching and 1999 when I retired, I didn't know how to relax, as there was always preparation to do for school.  It's taken me years to learn how. (Strictly speaking, I didn't teach all the time - I did other things like full-time uni, live in France where I was a gynaecologist's receptionist, and journalism.)  But nothing was as all-consuming as teaching.  There's an article in today's paper about what a stressful job it is and how many teachers burn out after just a few years.