Month: May 2015

I often wonder about the power of an animal’s mind and whether they have the ability to ‘make you do something’.  Of course the answer is ‘Yes’ – as you will see here.

Early morning, cool and grey outside, no fire turned on.  Someone seems to think otherwise.  I’m sure she was lying there on ‘her’ mat sending out mind messages, visualising me turning the switch.

A little later the room is warmer, everything looks and feels warmer.  Kiera is now turned to the heat ignoring everyone.

See I told you , as far as she’s concerned – Job done!  The power of persuasion lives one – the mind message now is ‘Life is good, when’s dinner?’ 🙂

It’s been an annoying week if you can describe a week as such.

We’ve been trying to organise flights and hotels for next years trip.  The weekend we cruise (early April) is the weekend after Easter – not the best time to try booking seats on an international flight, particularly when we will be returning to Australia a month later and those flights are not available yet.   Another few days, my little travel man says.  I’ll put you on my list.  Hotels are not co-operating either.  And don’t talk about the US$ – luckily I did purchase some a while ago so all is not lost.

I mentioned a little while ago about my back playing up.  Where, When or How I managed to ‘disturb’ it still remains a mystery.  Using the warm water pool helped for a while but now my lumbar stenosis (narrowing of the spine) has decided to make itself known as well.  Hello again, tingly numb achy painful legs have come back to haunt me, this time with a vengeance.  It is worse first thing in the morning so I sit a while and all is well, start to walk and ‘hello again’.  Bugger!!
I wrote about this describing my aches, pains and feelings in this post three years ago and believe it or not have been symptom free since then.  Now it recurs just when we are about to go off and there will be loads of walking to do.  I have seven weeks to try and calm it – GP says exercise gently as much as I can concentrating on the core, build up leg muscles as well.

Then I saw the podiatrist Tuesday afternoon and he asked what I’d done to one of my toes.  Did it itch? Mystified I looked at it and said I thought I’d grazed it in the pool that morning – no way he says’.  That’s the start of Tinea!  So it’s wash dry and cream twice a day, wear clean cotton socks each night to bed (contagious so no footsy with The Golfer) and stay away from the pool for a couple of weeks.

Bugger! Bugger! Bugger!
Definitely not a bundle of laughs am I lol
I wonder what else can go wrong this week

ps – and I didn’t even mention the current wordpress/blogger commenting fiasco!

So we had some rain recently – seriously heavy wet rain.
Oh dear, what was I to do?

Restless and with no interest in any current craft, book or TV programme
You’d never believe what I actually ended up doing.

No chocolate in the house meant I just had to
Munch on some chippies 🙂

Meat Pie and Sauce flavoured ones !

A snap purchase, certainly one not new on the supermarket shelves
but re released for the winter football season
Yes, sometimes I’m a sucker when i see something different lol

(Verdict -Tasty but a bit greasy)

Well, between the two of us we scoffed the lot – it was an interesting afternoon but not one we’ll be repeating soon with that flavour.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Do you know where, when and by whom the first chip (crisp) was produced?
I had no idea, so asked ‘Mr G’
Lots of good reading here for those who are curious about this fact.

This site – http://inventors.about.com/od/foodrelatedinventions/a/potato_chips.htm – told me that George Crum invented potato chips in 1853 plus other interesting things.

Native American George Crum was a chef at a Saratoga Springs, New York, resort, when customer Cornelius Vanderbilt complained that his french fries were too thick. George Crum fried up a serving of paper thin potatoes cooked to a crunchy crisp texture – the first potato chips. The dish dubbed “Saratoga Chips” became a favorite.

If you look at Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_chip – it gave me information on chips/crisps and as well as naming Mr Crum also came up with the names of other ‘inventors’

A potato chip (American English) or crisp (British English) is a thin slice of potato that has been deep fried baked until crunchy. Potato chips are commonly served as a snack, side dish, or appetizer. The basic chips are cooked and salted; additional varieties are manufactured using various flavorings and ingredients including herbs, spices, cheeses and artificial additives.

Lots of different information here including the fact there was no patent taken out:- http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/crum.htm

A very recent article here:-

The Truth About the Origin of the Potato Chip

And of course Snopes has a point of view as well:-
http://www.snopes.com/business/origins/chips.asp

Now I got that out of my system it’s back to fresh fruit as a snack 🙂

Thinking about my last post, https://cranethie.wordpress.com/2015/05/14/cant-seem-to-get-it-right/ has me reflecting on the fact that one thing in my life that has always been a constant is that I always seem to have cold feet.  No matter where I am or what I’m doing 90% of the time Catherine’s feet will feel cold.

Why, I used to ask when all my immediate family had ‘warm blooded’ feet were mine cold and what could I do to warm them up? I also used to blame it on my Dad’s side of the family because they all suffered from heart disease and associated circulatory problems but my GP seemed to think my circulation was fine so I then began to wonder what else could I blame.

A few years ago when my thyroid gland packed up I thought great, that can make you feel the cold. It had made me suffer all sorts of other symptoms so as well as the weight gain, the bloating, the grotty hair, the general aches and pains, the memory loss and miserable feelings maybe I could blame that on it as well – only thing is now I’m on medication and the levels are ok the feet are still cold lol

I’ve tried all sorts of things; I can assure you that seriously toasting feet in front of an open fire or a heating duct just results in a red face and scorched soles and those horrors called chilblains. Likewise soaking in a bowl of hot water does warm them but also leaves them wet and soggy and cold again within a short while. 😦

I read that there were creams that will make your feet warm, slippers you can put in the microwave, herbs that will assist with circulation but so far from all the suggestions I’ve been given wearing woollen socks seems to be the only one that gives relief – not a good look on a hot 30c/85f summer’s day or night though!

However there is one remedy I had recommended recently that I have yet to try.  It would appear that if you wear a hat your feet stay warm 🙂

Now wouldn’t that would be a lovely sight
Yes, many years back people did wear a hat to bed
(Wee Willie Winkie comes to mind)

In wintertime there is always a hot water bottle and extra blanket at the foot of the bed and occasionally bed socks ready to put on but I’m sure if I turned in one evening with a beanie on my head The Golfer would laugh his cotton socks off (that is if he still had them on!)

But there again maybe not ‘cose if it cured the bane of his life – me getting into bed with cold feet – I’m sure he would be pleased. He might even give it go himself ‘cose recently I’ve noticed him sitting with his feet tucked up in a blanket during the evening and then stretching them over to my side of the bed once I’ve got warm and comfortable.  Guess what – they were freezing – yes, looks like he’s starting to suffer from cold feet as well 🙂

As far as I’m aware cold feet are mine and nobody else’s in the family
How about you – what little thing sets you apart from your family?

May be a little on the long side but once again
I’m Linking to MicroBlog Monday

for details see HERE

My poor little Japanese Maple doesn’t seem to be timing things right this year.  Some years it seems to know exactly when to do what – on others it seems to be at a loss over what to do.  This year appears to be one of the latter. Poor little thing ( I call her that because she’s been in the ground for about 10 years now and seems to have stopped growing any taller) well the poor little thing has finally decided it is time for her leaves to turn yet nature has decided it’s time for her to drop them.  And to add insult to injury nature has been sending gale force winds to help them on their way! Today like yesterday the sun did not come out, the sky wasn’t blue and it rained.  Oh yes, it rained and rained and rained.  It was cold as well – cold enough to turn the heating on.  Single digit celcius overnight meant someones complaints about my cold feet had me rustling around in the sock drawer at 4am this morning. We are up to that time of the year when I’m going to have to remember that if I’m forwarned I have to remember to be forearmed and put them on before I go to sleep 🙂 Like my poor little Japanese Maple tree some years I just can’t get it right. 🙂

And a little bit of that 🙂

That was the answer I gave to one commenter who emailed in relation to my last post.  ‘What else do you do for the community?’ I was asked.
‘A little bit of this and a little bit of that’ I replied
which seems to cover a lot of things doesn’t it lol

Most community minded people are a bit reluctant to talk about their service
Whether they are involved in large projects or small they don’t boast about it – they just do it.  However I’m sure my friend in Rosebud will be pleased to see what else I have been doing recently.

Over the past few weeks I took the last little bits of (well I tried to use up what was left of) various balls of wool and knit squares.  Then, after I deliver them on Friday, someone else doing their little bit will join these along with lots of other people’s little square bits to make a blanket that will hopefully keep someone else warm during the coming winter.

And look – there’s a little bit of that left to make a few more to add to the piles!

Less in my ‘stash’ means more (in a different form) for someone else.
Agreed??

This is a little reminder of one of our trips to Hawaii in 2006.  A view along the beach in Waikiki looking back towards the historic hotel ‘The Royal Hawaiian’ also known as ‘The Pink Palace’.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Hawaiian_Hotel

The very first time we visited, which was a few years earlier than when this photo was taken, we stayed in a small apartment a block back from Waikiki Beach for a week and as a special treat moved over to The Royal Hawaiian for one night before flying home to Australia.  Such luxury – they had upgraded us to a room overlooking the beach.  Oh the memories 🙂

We’ve been back several times since then but I’ve never been able to find the little bench right on the beach front where I spent time enjoying the whole ambience of the place – the warm air, the sound of the sea and the feel of the sand made me feel as though I was a million miles from anywhere.

For the month of May Jude’s
Bench Series’ meme is  – At the Beach

Well, after my lunch on Sunday that involved the ‘tell all’ interlude in the ladies (and which thankfully the friend who was the centre of attention wasn’t at) l feel a bit of light relief is in order.
So here are a few of my Smiles from the past few days

After reading about the horror and misery caused by the earthquake in Nepal it was news of the old and the new that made me Smile.

There was the story of Funchu Tamang 101 years old being found alive with just a minor leg injury.  It would appear his daughter in law dug him out of his destroyed home and he took shelter outside in the garden.  ‘I work in the field and walk every day’ he said – maybe we should do likewise.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-04/101yo-man-found-in-garden-not-under-rubble-nepal-police-say/6444464

Then there were Smiles when the news arrived that a little 4 month old baby boy  (Sonit Awal) had been found alive and well.  Let’s hope that is the most trauma he has to suffer in his life.

http://wkrn.com/2015/04/29/4-month-old-baby-found-alive-in-nepal-rubble/

Watching a programme on SBS last night I Smiled when I saw a segment that concluded that time spent outdoors in the sunshine had the effect of lowering blood pressure.  Not brand new news as this series of ‘Trust me I’m a Doctor’ was first shown in the UK last year and highlighted studies that had been going on for a while.

http://www.livescience.com/42711-sunlight-lower-blood-pressure.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2542652/Why-holiday-really-IS-good-Sunshine-reduces-blood-pressure-cuts-risk-heart-attack-stroke.html
http://m.theaustralian.com.au/archive/news/sunbake-and-live-longer/story-fnkbzth6-1227093002439?nk=e355f39658aa42424ead10634f5413cf

And of course another baby featured in the news this week.

This new-born baby now has a name – Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge – Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.  Most of us Smile at newborns 🙂

http://news.yahoo.com/gun-salutes-fired-london-honor-britains-princess-133459333.html

Thank you for all your thoughtful comments on the overheard conversation – the two offenders are not ‘real friends’ but members of a group I belong to.  I’d Nod and say Hello to them but not really have much in common so consequently didn’t talk to them much.  Don’t think it’s worth the effort to disclose what I heard but will be sure ‘to watch my back’ where they are concerned!!

Smile and the world smiles with you – cry and you cry alone.  Unknown

Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love — Mother Teresa

Have you had much to smile about this week?

Oh dear – Oh dear
The things you hear that maybe you shouldn’t have heard

Particularly when it’s spoken between friends in a place like this

Particularly when a friend of the person being spoken about
is not visible 🙂

It was difficult (for me) when I returned to our table after they left 😦

Not sure I will be able to trust the other two again 😦

Have you ever experienced this and what did you do or not do about it?

Linked to Microblog Monday hosted by Mel

if you had been in my garden today you might have begun to wonder what on earth I was on about a couple of weeks ago when I had mourned the loss of summer.

Today we had a day of blue skies warm breezes and a high of 22c/71f – which is not exactly normal for May.  When I popped down to the library in Montrose I was rewarded with a view of the Dandenongs bathed in sunshine.

The little War Memorial was surrounded by flowers and wreaths laid in honour on Anzac Day, and apart from a few clouds on the horizon it was blue skies all the way.

It would appear the reason for my weariness wasn’t evident through pathology – ‘these results indicate you are quite healthy’ said the GP so we are trying another tack.  It was suggested that Catherine make an appointment at the sleep clinic!  I might be waking during the night and not knowing it!

The answer could be anywhere I was told – you just never can tell where 🙂