After a prolonged absence...

I had a phone call from my daughter after she got back from New Zealand and after seeing her father come through his brain operation.

Five hours the operation took and they were able to resect all the tumour. He was in Neuro Intensive Care for about four days. He was still groggy and confused when they first saw him but the next day he was alert and talking well...although talking about 20 years ago! Apparently it was quite hilarious. He was raving on about things that happened years ago as if they'd just happened yesterday. My daughter was laughing but did go and check up with the nurse who informed her that it was because of brain swelling and that as it subsided, he would remember more and more current things. She said to just guide him gently back to things that happened in the present. John's wife, Sue, kept saying, "He's daft...he's talking crap!"

When they asked how he was feeling, he was as chirpy as anything. He has to have an oxygen mask on all the time and he was going on about how he had no pain, he wasn't on any drugs and was doing really well. Apparently the drugs were administered via the oxygen...he breathed them in. He'd have the odd lucid moment and in one of them he said, "My God, I've lost it, haven't I?" Poor thing, but at least he was happy. He's now back in an ordinary ward and will be home on Monday, fingers crossed.

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My youngest daughter has just landed her dream job, literally offered to her on a plate. She is very involved in netball and the council have just built this huge netball centre and have offered the netball association she belongs to the job of administering it and running all the fixtures. Of course, they needed someone who could actually do that for them and thought of her. She's absolutely stoked about it, because she's doing her diploma in sports management and plans to go to uni next year to do her degree. So it couldn't come at a better time. It's part time, so she be able to work it around her classes and she'll have access to professional trainers who can give her tips and hints for some of her assignments.

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The weather is finally getting warmer here. I know those of you from colder climes will wonder what I'm going on about but in a subtropical climate we only get about two months of really cold weather and July was exceptionally cold. We even had a couple of light frosts and it's the first time I've seen that in four and a half years. We're up higher than most of our neighbours and the trees usually protect us from frosts. The wind chill factor was also bad...if one was out of the wind, the sun was lovely and warm, even hot. But once out in the wind, it was a different story. However, the last couple of days, although cold at night and first thing in the morning, have been 27 and 28 Celsius...just lovely. I've unpacked all my tee shirts and summer tops...haven't got around to the shorts yet, although I've ditched the warm trousers for jeans. Roll on summer! Apparently, next month, September, is going to be up in the early 30s, yesssssss!

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I went to my writers' group on Thursday and we had really good session discussing various genres. There are four published authors who attend (I'm not one) and they were giving us a brief outline on the books they are currently working on. Can't wait to read them. One member has to have her manuscript to her agent by the middle of next month so she's working flat out and feeling socially deprived at the moment. If she's not pounding a keyboard, she's cooking dinner, bathing the dogs or doing the washing and other mundane things like that. She's hanging out for some friendly company when she's finished...her reward, she says.

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Well, that's it for now. Life's been pretty quiet around this neck of the woods, although there are a couple of parties coming up. A 70th next month and a 40th in October. Should be fun, both are going to have a live band and dancing...goody! Have a good weekend...