Yes it’s been a week of doing very little except wait for the year proper to begin.
Seeing more traffic on the roads as workers return from their summer break, seeing grabs on the news about littlies starting their educational journey and hearing the high school bus go by at 8am signalling the return of those on a later part of their journey.
Watching a bit of tennis, and cricket on tv in the evenings. With, of course with my knitting close to hand Wondering how Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are feeling after their ‘shock departures’. And wondering how Nick Kyrious managed to keep his temper in check for so long. The Australian Open – The Big Bash League
Wearing cool cotton clothing. Melbourne finally had pleasant summery days…..culminating in one not too pleasant one yesterday with a top temperature of 44c/111f . I often wonder how we coped before air conditioning – with the humidity so high the whole of house ducted evaporated system we have is no good (pumps cool moist air) so we resorted to our very old, very expensive to run, hole in the lounge room wall, electric refrigerated system.
Realising it’s little things that make us happy – seeing the smiles on elderly residents when offered an icy pole on a very hot day and watching them enjoy the treat.
And wondering how my children (who I love dearly) became so old😊
This little one 
– my first born son had a birthday at the beginning of the week. 58yrs old! He’ll be getting a seniors card soon! I realised time was passing quickly when he finished serving in the RAAF after 20yrs. How am I going to feel when that happens!
Today is February 1st 2020 – our Big Girl’s birthday. Born (at home) during one of the worst winters England had experienced. Known as The Big Freeze of 1963 all I can say is central heating was still a luxury – we had poky little coal fires in the big old house we lived in and it was cold!
Shh..don’t tell her but she is now 57!
And when our Little Girl has her next birthday in September she will be will be….well I know how old she’ll be but I don’t know how she’ll feel…..let’s just say that at times I wish I was 56 again 😊
Yes….3 under 3! All good fun! Helped in a way by living in Singapore where life was more free and easy…..and I had a live in amah.
After a hot and humid night the rain has finally arrived and cooled the air – a quiet day is forecast for my house – lack of sleep doesn’t agree with me so my warning to The Golfer was – be very wary of what you say or do near this tired Grumpy Old Woman!
Still Waters 
Rain? Jealous thoughts.
We have heat, smoke, fires and wind.
Happy birthday to your babies (and I am sure that on some levels they still ARE your babies).
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Rain rain and more rain EC. All gone now, hopefully heading your way. Those fires in the ACT still aren’t behaving are they. Hopefully they’ll be on their way soon as well
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10 mm of rain in the city but I expect you received more.
I get a little angry at my mother and at R for getting so old. My time will come but I don’t think anyone will care enough to be angry about me becoming old.
I just asked R about the Big Freeze of ’63 and he replied that it was every year in his memory. Most years Newcastle’s Tyne River froze. It never does now. It was an interesting link to read of such bad weather, and sent me off to a yet to be explored music link.
It must have been nice to have an amah to do the nappy changing and feeding.
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Yes all living out married servicemen were offered an amah (all expenses paid) to ease the ‘burden’ on the wife. Happy wife – Happy life. Servicemen needed to have their minds on the job and not any troubles at home.
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Further, R just said his mother used to fill the kettle at night in case the pipes were frozen in the morning.
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44C is far too hot. Yes, it’s amazing how fast our children grew up; it’s their turn now.
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It was a hottie all right Cro – I normally enjoy the heat but as you said, that’s a little bit too hot.
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Wonderful memories, Cathy…beautiful photos. Boy! How time does fly!
The humidity here has been horrendous…Without apology, I’ve been very lazy…locked into bingeing on the ATP Comp, followed by the Aus Open.. It was fantastic to see Dylan Alcott win his sixth straight Open championship today…his 10th Grand Slam title. He is such a great character…and sportsman.
Stay cool. 🙂
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The 2020 Australian Open will be just a memory after the men’s final this evening Lee. Wonder what we’ll do for entertainment then??
Stay cool- all that rain cooled it down so much my shorts have been discarded in favour of longs 😎
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I can relate to your lack of sleep. Has been a problem with me for years.
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Sorry to hear you aren’t sleeping well Germaine. It was the hot night and high humidity that was keeping me awake- alls well now. The rain cooled things down
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Don’t they just grow up fast. And they don’t like being told so. Mine get better as they grow older, maturing lol.
Must see if I can find the Australian open. I haven’t heard much at all.
Thank goodness for Aircon. I’m glad I don’t live in those olden days when life was quieter, and better some say. No way. Give me mod cons!!
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Mod cons come with a price unfortunately Linda – a price to buy and a price to use. Unfortunately the pricier ones aren’t (as advertising would have us believe) the cheapest to run.
I do like my overhead fans – ‘cept for the humid days when it’s like a sauna and all you want to be is cool 😎
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44 degrees, 111 degrees, oh my f’n god! I experienced over-40 degrees in Kelowna (BC) one summer and it was hell.
So much enjoyed the photos of your younger self with the kiddies.
-Kate
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Hello Kate, lovely to see you again.
Yes those really really hot days can be upsetting- unless you have a way of keeping the house cool. If the temperature has dropped everything (doors and windows) are opened overnight then it’s outside blinds down and everything closed along with curtains during the day.
Mind you I prefer that to the minus temps you get in your part of the world 😎 How has your winter been?
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No matter how old children are they remain ‘children’ and mum knows best. Mind you, they don’t believe it themselves.
Your comment arrived, thank you Cathy.
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Those photos of you and your kids are priceless. Thanks for sharing, Cathy.
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Hello Gigi. Glad you liked my ‘happy snaps’. It seems just like yesterday when they were taken, I remember each of the days quite clearly…..pity I can’t remember what I had for dinner several days ago 😎
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agree priceless photos of your “babies” and of course looking at “you” the young mother…
I think we had a few drops of rain one night last week, but it didn’t really make any difference…but it’s been hot-as (not in the 40s)…the humidity has often appeared 10pm when you’ve trying to sleep. I don’t have any “assisted air gadget” but that’s okay.
As you know from my blog, it’s “been a week, last week, for me as well” – realisations are funny associations that make you do something unexpected….
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Oh yes Cathy, the young inexperienced mother. Really inexperienced with my firstborn- I’d never been near a newborn baby before he was born.
Here’s hoping your weeks are less stressful and more pain free as the year goes by.
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My daughter said to me, when I turned fifty, “Do you know how old that makes me!”
Fifty was a long time ago.
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Yes, quite a long time ago Joanne- I remember it well. As I said to Gigi, pity I can’t remember what I had for dinner the other day!
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That heat would turn me into a tired grumpy old woman as well :))
Sometimes I wonder where all the years went, they seem to have gone by so fast – and now I am the matriarch!! However did that happen?
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Oh that strange feeling Margaret of realising you are the oldest. The oldest person (except for The Golfer) in mine and my extended family, The Matriarch as you put it.
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I heard about the dramatic drop in temperatures you had in Melbourne. It must have been a welcome relief. Most homes in the UK still do not have air-con. As our summers become more and more hot and humid, it makes living by the sea a significant relief for me. Those cool, refreshing sea breezes are as a big a welcome as a large tub of vanilla ice-cream.
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It’s all change again with the weather Hugh. i was scrabbling around for a extra cover for the bed last night when it dropped to 9c!
After an extended period of hot days we are all looking out for the cool change – Trouble is sometimes it can be too cool 😎
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I know – even in the summer – and too warm in the winter. Recently, we’ve had some incredible mild nights in the UK. Far too mild for winer duvets, Cathy.
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