Thank goodness that's done

The dreaded squish is finished and done with, and I decided I am not doing it again, I have taken my name off the list; I would only be eligible for one more free test anyway because of my age.  It wasn't great, was somewhat painful, and of course embarrassing and humiliating as always.  But what I really find confronting is the fact that the change room has disappeared.  When I first started having them back in the 90s one was shown into a waiting room, then ushered into a change room by one's self where one undressed from the waist up, replaced one's top, then went back into the waiting room until called.  Said waiting room also had magazines, a TV, and tea and coffee.  Gradually the amenities disappeared, and on my last Sydney mammogram four years ago the change room had also disappeared; one had to undress and dress in front of the technician.  Somewhat undignified I thought, but had to go along with it.  Two years ago for my first local test here there was still a change room.....but alas, last week it was back to undressing and dressing in the room with the machine and the technician.  Talk about stripping the last shred of dignity from a woman who already hates her aging body........

Never again.  I sent a comment on the breast screen website to the effect that I found the lack of a change room only added to the unpleasantness of the experience but, apart from the automated "we have received your comment" haven't yet heard from them and indeed will be surprised if I do.  As a friend said the other day, our generation is fairly modest.  Despite reports to the contrary we weren't all raging exhibitionists in our younger days, even though it was the 60s.

My cyclamen is flowering!  When we lived in Sydney I could never get them to grow, but last year I succumbed to a pretty cerise one thinking it would be showy for a short while then it would die.  It flowered, then died down as they do but didn't die completely, and recently I noticed it is flowering again. 

Isn't it pretty?  When this pic was taken it was sitting in its small pot inside the larger pot, but it has been repotted and now it lives in the striped pot.  It lives in our beer garden not far from the cerise zygocactus, and they are very cheery flowers during winter.

Yesterday I splurged and bought myself a new electronic gadget with which I can listen to music, and read books, and surf the web, and all other manner of wondrous pastimes.  It is a Samsung Galaxy and will be a very useful addition to our electronic gadgets.  Not that there are many, you know.......we still don't have smartphones, we are a couple of old dags.  Our phones are quite low tech.  

Not much to report from the sewing room, the engagement project is proceeding slowly (life has been very busy lately, what with shopping for the new electronic gadget and also for a new oven which should arrive in a few weeks) but is coming along nicely.  Uke practice is powering along and I can play the chords to "Hotel California" quite well.....all together now, 1 2 3 4, B minor strum strum strum, F sharp strum strum strum, A strum strum strum, E minor strum strum strum etc.......on a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair.......in ten days' time we will play it in public.

Last Friday a group of us from the Monday night choir sang for a local women's group and I was also asked to play uke and sing a couple of songs on my own, which were very well received.  It went well if I do say so meself, she says modestly.  We have been asked to sing for them again next month so perhaps I should learn some new songs; probably shouldn't inflict "Hotel California" on them.

Although this winter has been fairly mild the nights and mornings are cool, and while we have several frosty mornings the temperatures haven't dipped unbearably low.  Despite the sunny days it's quite cool in the shade, so the winter clothing choice of some locals makes me wonder......sweet young things wearing shorts and summery tops, with high woollen boots and thick scarves wrapped round their necks......little bare thighs blue from the cool breeze wending its way round corners.  

"Coughing, sneezing, etc.

Coughing, sneezing, clearing the throat, etc., if done at all, must be done as quietly as possible   Snuffing, hawking and expectorating must never be done in society. A sneeze can be checked by pressing the thumb or finger firmly across the bridge of the nose.  If not checked, the face should be buried in the handkerchief, during the act of sneezing, for obvious reasons."

As children, we were told "coughs and sneezes spread diseases".

Enjoy your days!