Musings

A week has passed since my last post and it's been a week of contrasts.

Right smack bang in the middle of week, Wednesday, was Australia Day, a public holiday.  As usual, the weather was fine and hot and so the day was spent with family and friends around my daughter's and son-in-law's pool.  Accompanying the water was yummy food and pink bubbles...no Australia Day is complete without pink bubbles...as well as fake tattoos of the Australian flag.  This is in the spirit of celebrating all things Australian, you understand.  It is mandatory that everyone sports a fake tattoo, placed anywhere on the body and some find the most interesting sites on which to place a tatt!  It might have been a different story if the tattoos were real...

The next day, my youngest daughter posted on Facebook that she had that vital glowing and healthy look (otherwise known as sunburn).  I had that look too.  I think it had to do with the pink bubbles myself.

Yesterday (Friday) I had an appointment with the ophthalmologist to see if my cataracts had advanced enough to be removed.  I figured it would be cheaper to do that than to keep having the lenses of my glass changed every few months.  But sadly, no.  I was given a script for new lenses instead.  Oh well, the upside is that I can now see the road a bit more clearly when I drive...

Next month I have an appointment with a rheumatologist.  Now that's a worry.  One can't help thinking that rheumatitis equates to getting older.  Oh wait...that's right, I am getting older...which was another event that happened during the last 10 days or so.  I have officially been a pensioner for the last three years now, I have a pension card and a health care card to prove it.  Anyway back to the rheumatology appointment...

A couple of months ago my left ankle became very sore and swollen overnight.  This phenomenon also happened about five years ago.   My first thought was gout, but an x-ray showed nothing.  This time the doctor decided to do some blood tests and the rheumatology markers were raised...so he referred me to the rheumatologist.  At least I get to have lunch with a friend, who works in the same medical centre...

I now go to yoga twice a week as a vacancy has come up in the Thursday morning class, much to my delight.  I love yoga...especially this particular group.  Our teacher is very good, the other ladies are a lot of fun (we're all of a "certain age") and the yoga stretches our minds as well as our bodies.

Jane's hand is completely healed and I passed your good wishes on to her, thank you very much.  She's a fast healer, that one.  We were worried she wouldn't be able to get in the pool on Wednesday, however she was able to swim and enjoy herself rather than sitting on the sidelines watching the rest of us.

We weren't able to go to the markets last week because of Jane's injured hand...she would have had trouble carrying things and she was too sore, anyway.  So, tomorrow we're off.  I need yoghurt, Jane needs the yummy organic sausages we buy and we are both hanging out for our weekly breakfast of Romanian pie.  It's like a huge savoury pancake with bacon, feta, dill, spring onion, etc., with lemon juice squeezed over the top.  We have half each and that, along with freshly brewed coffee, is our Sunday morning breakfast and it is soooo delicious!  Occasionally we also buy cinnamon covered almonds, not too often, but as a treat to nibble on during the week.

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As if Queensland hasn't suffered enough, the poor people up north in Townsville are being monstered by a cyclone which is due to cross the coast Sunday or Monday.  This cyclone, named Anthony, made it's appearance earlier in the week then drifted away from the coast as a low.  Now it's turned itself into a Category 1 cyclone and has decided to pay a visit.  Great...not!

Brisbane has got itself up and running again although the ferry services will be out of action for months, the River walk is going to take millions of dollars to repair and of course, some people's homes are ruined.  But you can't keep people down for long and the optimism is quite palpable.  How does the song go?  "We get knocked down, but we get up again.  You're never going to keep us down..."  That about sums it up.

Have a nice weekend.