Holy Hail Storm Batman!

Only small stones but they shredded the mango tree as you can see...

Bee Gees & Housework

The Bee Gees, Their Greatest Hits, Disc 2:  Cleaning the house with this music this morning I was a sight to see.

Striding down my newly vacuumed hall in my 80s ski jacket and unruly mop of hair to STAYIN’ ALIVE…no beard though.

Purple tracksuit clad bum swaying to the song MORE THAN A WOMAN as I sing loudly into the toilet bowl.

Reaching up to the shower rose with a pained expression on my face as I belt out the chorus of HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE.

Sweeping the detritus from my laundry floor and bopping around the sweeper to YOU WIN AGAIN.

And finally collapsing into my camping recliner in the sun of the back veranda and singing with weakening energy to GUILTY with Barbara Streisand and Bazza.  I sat through EMOTION and HEARTBREAKER before I decided enough was enough.

All the while my 19 year old son, who has been warned of the housework concert, is clamped under his doona, hoodie stretched over his head and most probably grimacing to my dulcet tones.

If you gotta’ do the housework, and eventually you do, it is not a bad way to do it.

Just love their stuff, talented little Vegemites that they be.

Brain Injury Anniversary - Whoa 7 years?

That anniversary snuck up on me a tad, wow it has been 7 years since I did the head plant from the back of my horse.  7 years of highs and lows, but mostly highs. 

I think I can safely assume that I will not make a full recovery any time soon.  I still have minor short term memory loss, concentration issues and just a LOT OF FATIGUE!  Not that it bothers me to have to sleep for an hour an a half every day, go to bed at 9.30 each night or suffer the consequences and heaven forbid if I spend too much time concentrating on anything because my brain goes onto Confusion Mode.  Aaah but it is all good really.  I have learnt patience, sometimes inner peace and acceptance.  I am not complaining, just making fun of it.

Funny story:  I met someone the other night who I recognised and they me but neither of us spoke for a few minutes until the penny dropped.  She is another brain injured soul and we laughed when we realised our mutual quandary.  This Fellow Headcase is only 2.5 years into the recovery - huh amateur!  And, me thinks is still fighting the affects of the difficulties associated with her injury, unfortunately.  I first talked with her when I was asked to meet her approximately 12 months after her injury by my ex-brain injury counsellor and I do remember thinking that she is not taking this lying down (so to speak).  I also fought my injury but in the end you have to accept what is and I feel she is not quite there yet.  We women are stubborn creatures.  I also feel that she looks at me and my "limitations" and dreads the thought of being me in years to come. 

But me and my limitations are doing alright.  I am very lucky to be employed by a large company that will take any hours I can offer (maximum 7 hours/week).  I have a loving family and the best of friends.  I am surrounding by beautiful countryside and have gorgeous pets.  I am not dead basically.  If you are not dead, you have to live and I believe I am not to be pitied as I saw in this Fellow Headcase's eyes. Good Gravy, give me hell, tease me senseless - I can take it, but do not pity me and look down on me, that I will not accept.

Our Garden

 

Dress Sense?

 

 

My teenagers and their friends on a typical night out.

A Conversation with My Teenage Son

Can I have the car today mum? 
What time do you need it till?  I am going to Photography tonight and it finishes at 9.
Well I am hanging with friends today and then we are going to the movies.  It doesn't finish till 9.15.
Good, you can pick me up.
I was kinda' hoping to hang out with my mates for a while afterwards.
Well then I need the car.  You will have to make other arrangements.
(Some thought and contemplation ensues).
Why don't you think about it for a while.
(10 minutes later).
OK I will take the car and pick you up.
Right then, thanks. 
I am leaving at about 9 this morning.
Great.  Can you take the recyclables in please?
But it is raining!
Yeah.
Have you put them in the car?
(Jaw drops).  No. I am in my slippers.  You put them in the car.
But I am taking them in.
Yeah, in my car.
But I pay $20 petrol money every week.
(Look at him)
OK, I will.  (Look of defeat and disappointment).
(I walk away, smiling at the amusement of this whole conversation).  "Have you put them in the car?"  HUH!

Damaged Greyhound



 This poor greyhound has had a bad week.  Our dogs are inside at night while we watch TV and every now and then they go out for a bark and a wee.  One night recently Layla came back in looking a wee bit subdued (which for a greyhound is nothing new) but she was even more so.  Then I noticed the blood dripping on the floor.  Ooh 'eck I says, or something like that anyway.  I think she had had a run in with a possum or something.  Under her left eye was about a 1cm cut but under her right eye, and I mean just underneath her right eye, there was a cut for the full length of her eye!  She had some skin off her muzzle as well but compared to the other injuries they did not matter.

I was a veterinary nurse in the 80s for about four years so out comes the First Aid Kit, cotton balls, home made saline and drag my teen son out of bed (he was the only other person home) and we convened in the laundry (aka ER).  I had to clean out the wounds, apply pressure to stop bleeding and then bandage to hold her face together.  She could barely see because of my work and she tried to remove said bandage too.  I made up a bucket for her head and she went to bed that night looking mighty funky.

The next day I took her to the vet for stitches and the bucket had to stay on for 10 days until I removed these stitches and she is now free.  Her modelling days are over though.

Layla no longer chooses to go out at night for a bark and a wee.  She stays in and minds the fort.  The middle picture is her waiting patiently for the cat to finish drinking before she has a turn.  Such a polite Bucket Head.