Creatures from Hugo's party

Hugo had pneumonia on his actual birthday, so we had the postponed party last Sunday.

The weather was perfect and we had the park almost to ourselves.

Mana excelled as usual, with the watermelon feast, dragon pinata and dragon birthday cake.  Philip was wonderful too, running all the games - egg and spoon race, pin the eye on the parrot, pass the parcel and hit the pinata.  It's not easy with 4-yr-olds, as they all want to win every prize!

Last night's storm

Strong winds, rain, thunder and lightning hit Sydney last night, and towns in the Blue Monuntains, a couple of hours' drive to the west, were snowed under where last year dozens of houses were ablaze.

And here was I thinking about swimming in our pool any day now.  It's only 17 degrees in my living room and I'm wearing winter clothes today.

Good to hear from you, Michael, with your impeccable English that would put many Australians to shame.

Lazy Sunday

This is the same view as the other day, but with the camera raised a bit to show the gum trees that were hidden before.

I like that expression, Winifred, 'brain engaged'.  That's it exactly!  It definitely takes longer and longer these days for my brain to engage when I attempt to do anything. Whenever I leave this blog too long between entries I have great difficulty remembering how to do it.  Getting the photos here is always tricky.

Don't think I've mentioned it's been like a hospital upstairs over recent weeks.  First Hugo had pneumonia, then his mum got sick, then Emma got pneumonia, followed by her dad getting sick.  And downstairs Muffy has been losing weight and barely eating.  I felt it was because the special diet food she's been on for about five years for a urinary problem was just too awful, and I was afraid to give her anything else in case it killed her.  So I took her to the vet and, a few hundred dollars later, have learnt she's got mild kidney disease and probably cystitis, which required antibiotics that made her vomit.  I picked up a different type of antibiotics this morning - no refund on the first packet that cost me $45, even though she'd only taken two out of 40.  The vet has also given her - sold me - tablets to stimulate her appetite, after telling me I could buy her a barbecued chicken and some tins of tuna in spring water till she works out whether to put her on a special kidney diet. Naturally Muffy wolfed down the chicken and tuna - she's not stupid - before even having the appetite stimulus.

It seems she's just sick and tired of her boring dried food and is yearning for a decent diet.  But since the vet sells the special food, am I going to be told the truth?

In spite of all my activity at the pool I still get exhausted and am going to my GP on Tuesday to get results of my latest blood test to see if that shows why.  Was too tired to have a coffee with Lina this afternoon, which really annoys me.  I spend most of my life sleeping, like a cat.

Ever so pleased with myself...

When I was upstairs the other day I noticed a couple of threadbare silk cushion covers, so volunteered to make some new ones.  Under my bed is a huge plastic bag full of materials, and I knew there was some Thai silk there that Philip had brought back from Thailand for me years ago.

I dragged the big bag out and spread the small bags all over my bedroom floor till I found the one I wanted, and set about cutting out and sewing.  Oh dear, I get annoyed with my own incompetence! I could barely remember how to use the machine, and sat for ages puzzling over the most basic things.  Then, of course, the thread kept breaking and I was nearly in tears because my eyesight is deteriorating and I could barely see to thread the needle again.  However, I did manage to finish one cover and decided to leave the second one till this morning when the light would be better.

After swimming my 10 laps at the council pool and having breakfast here beside our own pool, I set to, and in between hanging out a couple of loads of washing and Skyping a friend, am now thrilled to have two brand new cushion covers for upstairs!!

Next job is to clean up dozens of threads all over the floor, put away the ironing board, sewing things and machine.  By then, the washing will be dry as it's a beautiful day, so I'll put the sweet-smelling sheets back on the bed.

Garden haircut

At my instigation, Philip got three men in today to prune by half the trees round the deck. When we bought the place, the bushes were so thick you couldn't see through them, but recently I'd noticed that at night you could see the lights of the house at the back.  So we got advice and decided to prune back hard.  Thankfully, all that has been exposed is more trees further down the hillside. Soon new twigs and leaves will appear and thicken the screen.

I laughed at your encounter with the young man on the bus, Winifred.  I must say, in our local area, bus behaviour is exceptionally good.  Without exception, school kids offer adults a seat and every single person thanks the driver when they get off.  No feet on seats problems, as the seats are too close together!

Grumpy old woman

Yesterday I set out to revisit Woollahra, a suburb where I lived when Philip was 3.  I took this pic at the bus stop, a few doors down.

I travelled by train on the north shore.  Two seats in front a couple of teenage girls were sitting facing each other.  A couple, aged like me in their 70s, got on and went to sit in front of me.  As she sat down, the woman tapped one of the girls on the shoulder and said loudly, 'We have to sit on that,' presumably because she had her feet on the seat.  I tapped the woman on the shoulder, smiled at her, and said, 'Good on you!'.

At the next stop, another teenage girl got on, sat opposite me and put both her feet on the seat.  Emboldened, I said to her, 'Excuse me, we have to sit on that.'  To her credit, this girl said, 'Sorry,' and immediately took her feet off.  The woman in

front turned round with a big smile and a thumbs up.

Public transport would be all right if it wasn't for the public!

After a delightful visit to the Woollahra village, where I had lunch, I hopped on the bus and continued to Bondi Beach.

That was a mistake.  Bondi is an appalling area, with dreadfully ugly buildings.  It was an unusually hot day of 32 degrees, so the beach was crowded - well, the sand was crowded, not so many people actually in the water - and people packed onto the bus like sardines, with strollers and surfboards as well.  Couldn't get back to the oasis of Hornsby Heights quickly enough.

Time do do a little catching up

One year ago I sent this plant through InterFlora to Jacky and Maxime in Brittany (France) for their 50th wedding anniversary.  Yesterday I got this pic, showing how it has flourished!  It certainly was a good choice.  And Jacky must have green fingers.

It's school holidays and I'm breathing a big sigh of relief - no English, Japanese or piano lessons. However I'll keep up my fitness program and have already swum my 10 lengths this morning.  Today's task is to sort through the accumulated brochures and letters that I usually put to one side when they arrive.  They build up to a pile that almost reaches the ceiling before I force myself to attend to them.

Keeping fit is wearing me out!

Winifred,I don't think I'll be able to keep it up for a year like you.  It's not just the physical activities, but the changing of clothes and having showers all the time that I'm finding hard.  (Not to mention hanging onto our heads so the Muslims won't chop them off, as they're threatening to do to random Sydneysiders.  But since Hornsby Heights is as far as is possible away from the city centre, we might be lucky up here.)

I took these pics at the centre earlier this afternoon, at my second Zumba session.  As you can see, it is beautiful.  There has never been more than one other person in my slow lane in the outside pool, whatever time I've been.  (They really need to have a Painfully Slow lane for me.) The view from the west side is absolutely glorious - tree tops in the valley seen through a glass wall.

The last two pictures could be side-by-side.  They show the interior, with the pool at the bottom closed due to 'contamination'.  'Baby poo' in other words.  Oh, yuk!!!

It's quite possible for you to hear the music in UK - thank goodness it still is United - as we prance around.  Would somebody please explain to me why the noise level must be at maximum?  Seems it's the same for you, too, Winifred.  Don't know how long before it will drive me away.  I'm told the neighbours within a hundred-mile radius are complaining.

Fitness fanatic now!

Last Wednesday, tired of my slothful self after weeks of not being allowed to go to exercise class, I went to our new pool and joined, unlimited, for 6 months.  This entitles me to everything - Zumba, pilates and aqua classes as well as lap swimming.

So far I've breast-stroked 10 laps on three days, been to one Zumba class, and had a rest day on Sunday (as Philip assures me all elite athletes do).  And the plan is to do something six days per week every week.

Good to hear from you Olga - what a fantastic life you are having.  Hope you're OK Michael.

My very own recipe

DIANE’S MEATLOAF

1 pkt Aldi organic beef

5 slices bread, crumbed

3 tblspns tomato paste

dash Worcestershire sauce

1 egg

salt and pepper

flour to sprinkle

spray oil for tin

milk to brush on top

¼ onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

handful pine nuts

1 tspn garlic

Fry onion, carrot, pine nuts and garlic in a pan till soft.

Meanwhile, put all other ingredient (except flour, milk and spray) into a bowl.  Add fried ingredients.  Mix together by hand till firm.  Roll in flour.

Place in lightly sprayed rectangular baking tin, pat down, and brush top with a little milk.

Bake in 200 oven for 45 minutes.

Delicious as a sandwich filling.

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I do apologize for my long silence.  Busy, busy and sick, sick.  But completely fine now, and hope you all are, too.