Recovering

Thank you to those who have written with good wishes, it is very kind of you and much appreciated.

The trip to Sydney was uneventful, if you count a six hour drive much of which was in pouring rain uneventful.  However we arrived safely, and as instructed I presented myself to the hospital the following morning, was poked, prodded, tested and jabbed......all quite undignified, you know.....duly put to sleep and operated on.  The specialist told Kevin all went well, and I will be seeing him (the specialist, not Kevin......I see him much of the time) tomorrow to find out for myself.

The shoulder hasn't given much trouble since although it is making its presence felt today (thank goodness for industrial strength painkillers) but oh my, I woke up with such a sore throat which has persisted since, so much so that eating anything with lumps is so painful as to be impossible.  Liquids such as soup and yoghurt are about all I can manage.  Did you know that, while you are under anaesthetic, a breathing tube is passed down your throat but most people never know it once they wake up?  For some folks, however, it leaves a very sore throat which a nurse assured me would be better in 24 hours.  That was on Tuesday afternoon.......it is now Sunday afternoon......I am still waiting.......

The piece de resistance, however, is the tight white surgical compression stockings which are to be worn until I see the specialist tomorrow at midday.  They are apparently to prevent blood clots and are so unattractive that I cannot bring myself to go out in public wearing them, and except for a couple of medical appointments on Friday afternoon, have not done so.  Tomorrow's appointment will be kept wearing long pants to cover most of the stockings, and it won't bother me if it is steaming hot.  I have my standards, you know.  The black sling is bad enough:  picture, if you will, a sling with a wide waist strap, and a wide shoulder strap, and the cradle for the arm held away from the body with a wide pad which stands out from one's waist far enough that one cannot see one's feet - hence, walking is slightly difficult, so the morning walk is suspended until further notice.  One doesn't wish to take a tumble on the hill.  Poor Bianca The White Cat had a paw accidentally stepped on the other night because I just couldn't see her.

Physiotherapy started on Friday afternoon and the therapist was pleased with my shoulder, so here's hoping for a quick recovery.  I have even found out that washing long hair one-handed is possible too.

So, six weeks in the sling (with time off for good behaviour, and to stretch the rest of the arm and elbow daily) means, in that time, no sewing, knitting or crocheting, no ukulele playing, (sad), no housework (oh dear).  Fortunately I can read and do crosswords and watch TV and......well......that's about it, really.  All slightly boring.  I will post occasionally so you all know I haven't dropped off the earth, unexciting though those posts may be at times.

"Never, directly or indirectly, refer to the affairs of others, which it may give them pain in any degree to recall."

Indeed.  That includes subjects like operations on parts of one's person, because now it's done I would rather put the pain behind me.

Enjoy your days!

Thunder, lightning, heavy rain.......and even hail!

That's what we had yesterday afternoon.  Lots and lots of heavy rain, 23 mls (that's nearly an inch in old money) in half an hour, and of course when the hail melted it added to the moisture for the garden.  We had some shredded leaves knocked off the we-think-it's-an-apricot tree, as you can see.....but very little other garden damage, and no house damage.

 Lots of wet white stuff, but it isn't snow.  We don't get snow here.

 The wind was blowing cold, it blew the hail against the edge of the garden.

 Although you can't quite see, the grass on the other side of our fence was awash.

This is on the sheltered side of the house.

Despite the storms the rain was very welcome, and looking at the weather radar there is a chance we may get more storms this afternoon......so long as it brings more rain!

Tomorrow we are driving to the Big Smoke, and in two days I will be hopefully pumped full of happy juice because there is no way I am letting any medical people near me otherwise; I don't like having Things done to me.  In three days it will all be over, and on Thursday we are driving home.

There is no way on this earth that the skirt for the wedding will be finished before tomorrow either.  The centre back seam is sewn, and to finish off the edges of both the seam and the opening above it (the zipper is in the lining so an opening is left in the skirt) I am sewing a hand-rolled hem.  It is not difficult, just a little fiddly, and the first side went very well.  The second side.......ah, that's a different story.  The hem was rolled the wrong way so that it was on the outside rather than the inside, and it is having to be re-done.  I know what I did wrong and have learnt my lesson, but as I am leaving for the radio station in less than an hour there is every chance it may not be finished tonight, it will depend on how tired my eyes are after dinner.  I did want to have that much finished before the trip to hospital, because I don't know how long it will be before I can sew again.  A shoulder operation requires the wearing of a sling for several weeks afterward with limited use of the arm in that time - fortunately it's my left arm, and I'm right-handed.

Ah well.  We can only do what we can do, can't we.  So long as it is finished in time for the wedding, because the very thought of the groom's mother in a state of undress is not something we will consider even for a moment.

However if half of me is incapacitated then I won't be able to do much housework, will I?  Oh dear, what a shame......

"Breaking an appointment.
Do not break an appointment with a business man, if possible to avoid it, for if you do, the party with whom you made it may have reason to think that you are not a man of your word, and it may also cause him great annoyance, and loss of time.  If, however, it becomes absolutely necessary to do so, you should inform him beforehand, either by a note or by a special messenger, giving reasons for its non-fulfilment."

These days we would send a text message or an email.

Enjoy your days!

Back home again

We had a good holiday, a break from our normal routine, arrived home a couple of days ago.....and now it almost seems that we haven't been away!  Very few photos were taken, mostly because it's difficult to take a picture of a wide river or beach in strong sunlight, but here are some.

Who's a pretty boy then?  A male King Parrot, apparently the only Australian parrot which has an entirely red head.  Females are green with red underneath - a pair together is a gorgeous sight.

 He is rather pretty, there were three males sharing a cage with no girls to keep them company.  The pale patches on the wings glow in bright light.

 A pale pink Callistemon (bottle brush), so pale that the colour almost can't be seen - just the yellow stamens.

 The morning we left home this stunning moth or butterfly was sitting on our front lawn, so using a leaf as a 'finger' I very carefully picked it up and placed it on a rose bush, then took a couple of photos.  The spots on the wings look like drops of water, don't they?  I have no idea what it is, but it was quite large; you can see some of its tail to the right.

The gardenia did, of course, flower while we were away - but hasn't quite finished yet, so I am able to enjoy its prettiness and scent!

The music festival was good, getting together to sing and play music with friends was fun as always, and the uke group in one town where we stayed let me join with them for their monthly night at a local pub last week - so it was quite a musical holiday.

One sees some amazing sights in beach towns, you know.  Sometimes those sights are better off being forgotten, so I will spare your delicate sensibilities the gruesome details.  Just because one can wear a particular outfit doesn't mean that one should.  There is obviously something about the sub-tropical climate that makes people shed their inhibitions as well as their layers.

But not me, you will be pleased to know.  Modest as ever, that's me.  Even in the camp ground shorts.

Even the sub-tropical north hasn't been spared the dry weather of the past months; the usual lush green scenery is pale and dry.  It's raining lightly here at present with more forecast for the next couple of days, but we need several downpours to do much good.

Only nine days until I Go Under The Knife.  Erk.

"Your children will form habits of evil-speaking if they hear you deal lightly with the reputation of another - if they hear you slander or revile your neighbour.  If you wish your children to show charity toward the erring, you must set the example by the habitual exercise of that virtue yourself.  Without this your teaching will be of but little avail.  If you take pleasure in dwelling upon the faults of others, if you refuse to cover over their infirmities with the mantle of charity, your example will nullify your teaching, and your admonitions will be lost."

This is true.  However, we still reserve the right to criticise.  There is eccentricity which can be tolerated and enjoyed, and there is appalling bad taste......which makes us shudder.

Enjoy your days!