Tag: Monday Musings

Posted on

What’ll it be….

April in Melbourne is what I call I call a half and half month.

While March often still has lingering warm sunny days and May usually heralds early winter with cool rainy days – the thought for April (the middle month of Autumn) is ‘will it bring sunshine or will it bring rain’?.

Thinking about all those little changes that seem to happen at this time of the year we’re halfway through the month and what has happened?
The clocks changed – it’s become cooler – we’ve had some much needed rain – daylight is just under 50/50 (11hrs) but it’s dark now at 6pm so I want my dinner earlier.

Lots of words there to think about

Focusing on health (healthy body – healthy (happy) mind as I ‘told myself’ at the beginning of the year) has continued although Easter and the school holidays cut into the end/beginning of last and this month meaning I avoided the pool but that just meant our bundle of resistance bands here at home were used more regularly than had been happening.

The ‘happy mind’ was evident when Christmas present time turned up again. Tickets to Riverdance from our girls – don’t you love people who received the memo about giving experiences rather than gifts. And managed to get matinee seats so us oldies didn’t have to be out and about after dark😊.
As is normal these days no photography allowed during performances- the screens of anyone trying would have very obvious in the darkened Margaret Court Arena so this was just to show the girls the view we had. Three rows back, raised up from floor level – no worries of anyone’s big head spoiling the view. I did take a couple of the arena as it filled but won’t publish (faces looking my way)

7 April 2024

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverdance

Oh and don’t you love it when Melbourne transport whisks all those ‘happy’ theatre goers into town by train and then down to the tennis centre (Melbourne Park) by tram. No hassles at all – smiling faces all round

No choir during school holidays but my happy mind will be raring to go on Wednesday. We’ll be gearing up for concerts at aged care homes……age requirements mean residents must be over 65…..which is certainly not ‘old’ – in fact it be any one of us in the choir……so the ‘music/songs’ performed is slowly changing.
And even though (latest figures I found say that) ‘58% of people living in permanent residential aged care were aged over 85’ we think they would appreciate modern standards – musicals – even Elvis and The Beatles.

I’ve been told these two are on the running sheet for the first rehearsal:-

Dream a Little Dream of Me – 1931.
(Mamas and Papas 1968)


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_a_Little_Dream_of_Me.
********

Blue Skies – 1926.
(Frank Sinatra 1946)


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Skies_(Irving_Berlin_song)

******

So far so good
Temperature tonight 8c/45f so the warm and cosy sheets will go on soon
I know it will get dark earlier and light later
let’s just hope it doesn’t get too cold and too wet
To accept this seasonal change I need be able to enjoy the falling leaves

Monday Musings – a time to think and ponder

What are you thinking about this Monday morning?

Posted on

It was good for some things….

Those pandemic years we spent away from everyone else, trying to entertain ourselves meant in some homes many of the ‘old’ board games came out of the cupboards where they’d languished, forgotten since the children grew up
Jigsaws reappeared, rekindled interest meant they were so highly sought after, that during those early times when we were able to shop large stores sold all their stock.
I know some friends and their families pooled theirs and had borrowing rights to them all. A bit like shopping the unworn for a few years clothes in your wardrobe those puzzles that hadn’t worked on for a few years became like new, never seen before ones

Find the Word / WordSearch and Crossword puzzle books also sold out quickly, Anything that occupied your mind went off the shelves quickly….so did TP which we laugh about now but wasn’t a laughing matter at the time

I hadn’t had any of those puzzle books for quite a while plus I’d given all our jigsaws away – so Spotlight made money from me on the amount of yarn I bought. Early days when they’d give warnings of lockdowns I’d go scurrying off down the road (along with what seemed like every other crafter) coming home with far more than I intended and was very glad of it when l/downs became longer.

The library had various systems going for borrowing pick ups/returns and for other mental stimulation the big WWW came to the rescue.

Notice no cooking or exercise/yoga classes for me – someone (another blogger) suggested something much more pleasurable…..online jigsaws plus online crosswords….

I think I downloaded every available app for them plus any other type of puzzle or game going and for weeks on end these were a godsend my standbys for entertainment or keeping the grey cells working.

I still enjoy my daily workout – jigsaws now on this one app only

and crosswords on these sites

HERE- https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/puzzles

HERE – https://lovattspuzzles.com/online-puzzles-competitions/

HERE – https://www.seniorsonline.vic.gov.au/services-information/crossword

HERE – https://www.mindfood.com/thinkandwin/puzzles/crossword/

Yes, they all have similar layouts but not the same daily puzzle
And yes, they’re all fairly easy – I want fun not hard work😊

*******

Are there any Covid ‘get by’ routines you’ve carried on with
or has everything for you returned to the way it was before ?

Monday Musings – a time to ponder and think

Posted on

Oh, please, not again…

Many – well if the truth be told, an awful lot – of the people I associate with these days are in the older age group.
So when the person I’d spent most of Thursday morning with – sitting side by side on her small couch, talking laughing discussing (heads close together) – rings Friday morning and says “now I know why I was feeling a bit off” followed by “I’ve just tested positive” I knew I’d have to make some decisions.

Having had Covid once I’d rather not experience it again and even though vaccinations are all up to date…..’had she passed it on or not’…..was the question uppermost in my mind
If she had how soon would I know?

It was over 12 months since that infection (Dec 2022) and the virus has mutated several times since then. I read that with the latest variant it could be just a couple of days or maybe up to 5 days or even more
So even though the guidelines these days for ‘close contacts’ say, carry on as usual but wear a mask I thought it best, just in case I was shedding, to err on the side of caution and cancel a few bits and pieces.

The lovely Celtic Festival was on yesterday – Sunday.
Standing side by side with other retirees, singing away, breathing out and possibly spreading the dreaded virus to all and sundry didn’t seem the right thing to do. So I gave my apologies and stayed home

Today (Monday) is my aged care ‘volunteer’ day.
Testing negative on the day is fine but if it’s during that pre positive time when you’re infectious and could shed it’s definitely a no no – no go!

Tuesday morning is pool time – we’re not packed in tooth and jowl (and silly as I might look walking laps wearing a mask in the water I could do it ) but in fairness to the others I’ll give it a miss.
Same as the knitters group planned for the afternoon – mask or no mask kitchen table gatherings are close contact gatherings and I think best avoided. There’s always next month.

I’ve decided Wednesday’s choir rehearsal is out as well as Thursday evening’s craft. I might be (as one friend put it) overreacting and nothing come of it but I’d be disappointed with myself if it did and I caused harm to someone else.

Yes it’s one of my busy weeks ‘out of the house’ but I have plenty to occupy me at home
Lots to do….apart from housework that is – all was well this morning- no symptoms, negative RAT test result – but it’s early days yet

Is Covid still doing the rounds where you live? .
Are people taking it seriously or are they like my friend and think I’m overreacting?
Live and accept she said.

Monday Musings – a time to ponder and think

Posted on

On my mind….

After what seemed like months and months of rain when we thought La Niña and her rain clouds would never go away it’s been nice not to have to cart a brolly around all the time

But it’s becoming obvious that we really do need it – the rain that is

Most of my plants can cope without it – now they’re starting to miss it. Everything is becoming dry and brittle.
Agapanthus (possibly one of the hardiest plants ever) are even starting to die off round the edges

And as for the grass….
Yes I know it’s not a necessity- some would say it’s definitely not necessary in today’s suburban house blocks
This patch in our back ‘garden’ has never received special treatment over the past 50yrs.
It gets watered when it rains – cut when it grows- never fed.
Normally it looks green and ‘healthy’

November 2022

Doesn’t look like that at the moment 🙁

We’re nowhere near the pray for rain situation, Melbournes water storage levels are fine but last time I checked the one closest to us – Maroondah Dam at Healesville (30kms/30mins away) – it was only 64% full.

So a little bit of wet would be good.

https://www.melbournewater.com.au/water-and-environment/water-management/water-storage-levels#

Monday Musings – a time to ponder and think

Posted on

True or false. ..

On the whole I’d agree with this
unless they’re someone else’s little horrors
or even your own little horrors on a bad day😊

I had a good day recently when you could say my soul was healed
A day when all the troubles and woes in my life disappeared (for a while)
I was able to be with a child I hadn’t seen for over 12 months
and was able to ‘hug’ a grandchild
a fully grown one who had repelled all touching and cuddling as a little one

’Our big girl’ who now lives 3,500 kms away over in the west (Western Australia) had come over to see her big girl (and partner) so we Three Generations had lunch together. The Golfer was there as well but didn’t get much of word in. Just sat there revelling in our company ❤️😊

(And yes a ‘smooth the lines’ filter was applied to this photo – for the 61yr old’s (perceived) benefit, to make the 81yr old smile at the thought of looking 20yrs younger ‘just like that’ but was certainly not needed for the 25yr old😊).
*******

As an aside how do you feel about filters that ‘change appearances’ – this wasn’t taken with my phone so I can’t show the original but my skin certainly doesn’t look like that. It has lines, lots of them yet it seems to have removed years from my face.

Monday Musings – a time to ponder and think

Posted on

Happenings….

Happening – something that happens
an event or series of events designed to evoke a spontaneous reaction

Last Monday I slipped into my Assistant Tour Director role going with some very sprightly (when they ‘drive’ their ‘chariots’) ladies along with their gentleman ‘escort’ to lunch at a home right on the water, down the bay in Aspendale.

Lots of jokes about why they hadn’t worn their bathers – not one of them under 85 but they reckoned they still ‘had it’ and if it’d been a bit warmer they might have – how it had been a perfect day – bit cloudy in the morning but they’d seen yachts and sea gulls, walked along the board walk (but weren’t too happy about looking like ‘those old people you see who go to the beach and spend their time sitting on a bench staring out to sea’) – they agreed they’d had the best beach lunch of fish and chips and ‘fizzy lemonade’ and to top it all off the sun finally made an appearance just before they left to come home

*


Tuesday was pool day!
After being on the go most of Monday I needed the quiet warm water cure – slow movement to rejuvenate my weary bones.

So it seemed did many others.
It reminded me of the saying – ‘the gang’s all here’…several (some I’d never seen before) turned up the same time as me all intent on doing the same thing, so there was a bit of (what I thought was) light hearted banter ‘move on down the bus’ as we jostled spread out trying to get a spot on the side.

The slope means I (and other shorties) can only move so far down or the water’ll be over my head – which could be a problem- so the taller ones (most of were the ‘new people’) decided there was nothing for them to do but reluctantly ‘move on down’. There was a bit of ‘muttering’ (that I wasn’t the only person to hear) about how there should be seperate times for all these ‘clapped out oldies’ so that those ‘exercising’ could have room to do so – which isn’t what this pool is designed for.
And I could swear (like teenagers) some of the clapped out oldies altered the distance between each other so there appeared to be less room for the ‘new ones’😊

Each time I use the warm pool I’m reminded of a comment once made by a physio about how – “You don’t have to be a ‘marathon man’ to be devoted to fitness’ – slow and sure (like the tortoise) will achieve my needs. So I make sure I’m doing all he suggested (plus more from other sources)

Yes it’s in French but seemingly it was one of the best instruction charts he had because it actually showed the muscles you were working


Sometimes life doesn’t play nice and ‘we’ have to accept the limitations that are almost thrust upon us if pre-existing ‘ailments’ decide through no fault of our own to worsen.

*
And this is last week’s overheard gem from a regular:-

“I’m trying a new way of eating. I’m eating foods that are ingredients- not foods that have ingredients”.
“What about bread?” her walking partner asked. “It’s got lots of ingredients”
“Oh that’s different, you have to have bread to put salad on and make a sandwich”

Monday Musings – a time to think and ponder

What are you thinking about this Monday morning

*****

Wednesday Words and Whimsy can be found HERE.

Deb and Sue will be hosting until Min is able to return

Posted on

Round and Round we go

Here in Australia (as well as other parts of the world) we call the place where roads meet and cross an intersection.  Some are simple like T junctions or Y junctions/Forks or busy like some Crossroads.  Lots of busy intersections are controlled by traffic lights but there are others that require a Roundabout which is sort of like a circular intersection where all the traffic moves in one direction round a central island.

As you can see in this moving diagram (below) we drive on the left here in Australia so following the road rules means we give way to all traffic on the roundabout coming from our right.

This (below) is a diagram of a busy intersection close to where I live – it’s a series of roundabouts – in fact it’s three roundabouts – put there supposedly to allow traffic on five roads to merge without any problems or hassles for the drivers!  At one time not too long ago I would pass through/go round this intersection about twice a week – in both directions.

So giving way to traffic on my right means that some of the times I use this ***** intersection it is so **** busy it’s often nigh on impossible 🙁

On my way out I’m usually driving down Cambridge Road (bottom right) needing to go round the big circle in front of me, then skirt the smaller one across the way to make my way down Manchester Road.  That means I would look to my right to see what’s coming down Hull Road and also what’s approaching the smaller ‘circle’ at Manchester Road.

That traffic could be turning left into Hull Road or left into Cambridge Road (where I’m waiting) or even carrying on past me.

Until I see their indicators I have no idea about where they intend to go or even if they know where they are going.

That’s if they have their indicators on at all lol

When it’s busy I sit and wait and also look across the roundabout to see if anything is making it’s way round it – any traffic at the roads on my right will have to give way and wait until it’s passed, in which case I have time to get onto the roundabout and make my way to my exit.

But wait – even tho’ I’m off and running and on my way round to Manchester Road I still have to keep an eye on traffic coming down Hull Road in the right hand lane because it could be turning right to go round the same ‘little’ circle that I’m aiming for and into Manchester Road as well.
In which case I’ll have to stop at the road markings and give way to them.

However on those days when it all seems to be too much I’ve turned left and driven ‘back’ to the first roundabout (the one on my left) taken the right hand lane at the bottom of the Croydon end of Hull Road, driven past Lincoln Road which is on my left then sailed on past my usual ‘big one’ and taken the left exit into Manchester Road.

Only thing is that this method can have it drawbacks as I can get held up giving way to traffic coming round from Cambridge Road (the place I’ve just given up on because I couldn’t find a break in the traffic) and also got caught up in Hull Road traffic turning right.

I almost give a sigh of relief if I can see no other cars as I make my way down Cambridge Road – with several schools in Hull Road I try very hard to avoid the kiss and ride parent times before 9am and after 3pm!

The thing is you can’t win with this intersection – and there’s no point in chucking a wobbly and chancing your luck as right there on the corner of Hull and Cambridge Road (the building with the light coloured roof in the picture below) is the
Mooroolbark Police Station! 😊

No source available – I’ve had this aerial view in my files for a long time

I don’t use it quite so much these days – unless I’m going to Chirnside Park at the other end of Manchester Road – but I must say tackling it is one way to keep your brain active

Monday Musings – a time to think and ponder

Five Ways

One of Melbourne’s unusual roundabouts – located between Hull Road, Lincoln Road, Manchester Road and Cambridge Road.  It consists of three consecutive roundabouts which if used according to road rules works well but can be quite daunting to those who do not know the area.  It was designed to eliminate accidents caused by drivers failing to give way to those coming from adjoining streets.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooroolbark,_Victoria

Posted on

I like mine on top. .

Bright and sunny on Saturday morning and we were off down to the ‘ Big Green Barn’ aka Bunnings but before that I needed something from another place in the same ‘complex’.

These large (read enormous) stores all seem to be conveniently placed close by each other, like an old style shopping centre, outdoor strip mall style with the shops set out around the carpark, where you walk from shop to shop in the sun or rain, which is great until you have to return to your car with your first purchases battling the circling cars to get to yours.
On a Saturday morning when lots of people are there you often find a trail of cars following you hoping to get your spot when you leave – you’ll get one who stops, blinker on, waiting, holding everyone up only to get a bit uppity when you don’t get in but open door, close door and then walk away. 

One of the local sports clubs was having a fundraiser sausage sizzle out the front of Bunnings. The smell of fried onions came wafting across the car park and I thought b…….. it.
Theres nothing like a sausage cooked on a BBQ.
Fried Onions and tomato sauce to go with it are a treat these days as I’m finding the sausages have too much fat in them.

All finished and coming out of the store my hand went into my bag for a gold coin donation so fast even I was more surprised than The Golfer who was with me.

Oh it tasted fabulous – one sausage and onions in a piece of folded bread (white at that something I never eat) and with dead horse as the grandkids call it all over it.  With of course the obligatory square of kitchen roll to act as a napkin.

Those little spur of the moment ‘treats’ do you good- don’t they😊

*****

And the bit about ‘on top’ relates to the controversial decision a few years ago by the hardware store of telling community groups to place the onions beneath the sausage.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/the-humble-bunnings-snag-in-bread-is-facing-a-change-for-safety-reasons-people-are-not-happy/news-story/f7352271caf24245bd5c5b8be51abbbe

https://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/city-file/article/bunnings-sausage-controversy

Monday Musings – a time to think and ponder

ps – I just remembered something our then Premier Dan Andrews came out with during one of those late 2020 covid times press releases

Just to reiterate:

Inside Bunnings = mask
Bunnings carpark if you can keep 1.5m apart = no mask
In the Bunnings sausage sizzle line = mask
Onions = on top of the sausage

I can’t be clearer than that.

Posted on

It’s all going swimmingly….

After not being able to use the pool for the whole of December (the aquatic side of the centre closed for that month ‘essential repairs and maintenance’ was the reason members were given) I was pleased to see January 2nd arrive
I’d missed my aqua rehab jokingly called ‘the warm water cure’ in our house
So it seemed by the turn up at 8am that morning, did every other regular user in the eastern suburbs
Plus hoards of youngsters – young teenagers
Oh yes, hot day predicted, old enough not to need a minder so they’ve decided to have some (really) early morning fun in the big pool

That was a couple of weeks ago – the youngsters have discovered the little open air pool up the road a bit, and that is the preferred meeting place – much to the relief of many of the older swimmers.
And the water walkers are settling back into their usual routine again.

The two older Asian ladies have returned. Slim and trim with caps on to keep their hair dry. They have a set exercise routine. Walking seamlessly in time with each other, talking the whole time – forwards, backwards, sideways – stopping at each end to do some squats. They arrive together and leave together- still talking.

The Italians have returned – three ladies and one fella. The women walk to and fro very slowly across the therapy pool, watching the man warm up (think Mediterranean men ‘showing off’ beachside) before he begins to swim laps in the big pool. Sometimes they stop in the middle, deep in conversation, ignoring new arrivals who have to try and pass them to find a spot on the side. Sometimes they just ‘hang around the edge’ and talk – loudly. Then when the man returns he gets in the spa and they move over to talk to him – loudly.

There are lots of individuals who recognise each other but get on with their program quietly, maybe nodding, smiling or passing remarks as they pass each other going one way or another across the pool and possibly having a small conversation at the edge then ‘better get on with things – gotta do the work to sort things out – the back/legs/hips aren’t going to cure themselves’

I’m sure these aren’t the only ones who meet regularly- same day same time- they’re just some I’ve noticed and recognise from last year. This year I’ve decided to give the gym a miss and concentrate on the warm water experience which means more than one session a week.

And that means more time to listen in to occasionally overhear snatches of conversation.

Last week’s gem:

…..”I told him if we go to his brother’s on Christmas Day and that woman is there I’m just turning around and leaving. He was quite welcome to stay there and enjoy that piece of trash’s company”…..

(I never ‘heard’ whether they went or not 🙁)

Monday Musings – a time to think and ponder

*******

p.s. What Is not going swimmingly is the ‘blogging world’ or rather relations between blogging platforms. I’m once again having trouble commenting on blogs. . even my own. . .comments coming into Still Waters are going into spam. . blog updates are not arriving in my readers (yes, readers, for various reasons I use more than one) so I’m missing out on new posts from some other blogs. . .in short I’m a bit fed up/cheesed off.

So (as I’ve said previously) If you don’t hear from me it’s not because I’m ignoring you – it’s because of all that!

Posted on

Surprise find….

More birthday treats – we had lunch in Healesville last week at a ‘new to us’ place imaginatively called No.7 Healesville……their street number is 7 🙂

The beauty of using gift vouchers is they often take you out of your comfort zone…specialising in Mexican fare using a shared plate system this definitely wasn’t a run of the mill pub lunch affair. I enjoyed it so much I nearly forgot to catch some food photos 😊

My almost finished serving of Thyluda, avocado, pea, baked ricotta, herbs – on the plate
Silver trevally ceviche, pineapple vinaigrette, cucumber, purslane – in the bowl

Eaten outside under a big brolly on a sunny but not too hot day it was surprising how filling seven small courses plus wine and coffee was – my very ladylike comment when I got in the car was “Don’t drive off yet, I need to loosen my trousers, I’m stuffed”

Not my photo

Outside table tops made from what appeared to be rough slabs of concrete!


Just wondering if we enjoyed it enough to return as ‘paying customers’…will have to think about that. What new experiences have you had recently?

Posted on

Oh, hello. . .

Towards the end of last year a local op-shop (thrift/charity shop) closed for a little while for a good clear out refurbishment and reopened looking ‘all shiny and new’. No fear now of tripping over something😊
It’s a rather nice one, quite small in size by some of the other ‘chains’ standards: it isn’t part of a national chain but supports a local charity which means it receives plenty of good quality donations as well as other bits and pieces.  Unlike some of the other shops, garments and bric a brac must be in very good condition or it doesn’t go out for sale.

I’ve browsed (and bought) there for years – even more so since the re-opening – and during that time not one person I have known has come into the shop while I’ve been there – until a couple of weeks ago.

I was looking at some newly priced garments on one of the ladies’ racks and I heard this voice say, ‘Oh Hello.  How nice to see you.  It must be years since the last time’

‘Are you looking for something special?’ she continued .  ‘I’ve just come in to look for something for a friend, it’s not really the sort of place I frequent’

Anyway I recognised the voice instantly having worked with her many years previously but when I looked around it wasn’t me she was addressing.  So I put my head down and carried on browsing. When she turned way from the shopper she was talking to and almost bumped into me I saw her look , trying to place me in her mind.   Do I know this person or not?    

So I thought I’d put her out of her misery, said Hello, and told her I popped in now and again – you never know what you’ll find.  Well once she heard that she excused herself (Nice to see you, must go) and was out the door in a shot leaving me wondering what I’d said to upset her.

One of the volunteer staff I’ve come to know through ‘popping in regularly’ came over and asked me if I knew her, seems my ‘old friend’ usually came in on another day of the week and always seemed to find fault with the merchandise.  Frequently bought clothes but was never happy as they weren’t the sort of thing she was used to but as she put it – Needs must!

It’s a shame that pride and embarrassment make us ashamed of what we have become (if that’s what it was)  I certainly would not have been one to judge her.

Have you ever been in a situation like that? How would you have reacted?

Posted on

It’ll come good in the end…

For the first week or so after we got home I was in a right mess – mentally as well as physically. I was angry because apart from a little hiccup in Bowen I’d enjoyed many months of being symptom free, then something (who knows what) happened on the journey home and I was up shit creek in a whole lot of trouble. Driving was fine, it was getting to and from lunch stops and the last couple of motel rooms when those awful sciatica ‘electric shocks down the leg’ revealed a very different Catherine to the pleasant one known to most of you.

Arrived home on a Thursday evening- nothing available next day so first thing Saturday appt with my chiro ….who kept telling me ‘it’ll all come good in the end’. Reassuring words I’d heard her say before but very hard to believe when you’re in agony. Engrossed in my own misery and feeling very sorry for myself I ignored everyone and everything around me – I tried but The Golfer got very little ‘intelligent’ input from me where the new television was concerned.
‘Flare ups’ are the pits!!

Now here it is the 2nd of October and after two more chiro visits plus stretching and lots of warm water pool therapy I’m feeling much better, walking with ease ( upright as opposed to leaning forward ) and wondering – as often happens – what was that all about?

Anyone witnessing the pity party that went on in my house one afternoon of that first week home would have wondered if I’d turned into a 3year old.
I’ll admit sobbing took place – tears were shed by the bucketload – moaning and muttering words like “ Why me? It’s not fair! I didn’t sign up for this”
Strangely once it was all over I got up, made myself a cup of tea and settled down to knit….feeling much better.
I’m just glad The Golfer was out and didn’t witness it. Yes it would have given him a better idea of how I was feeling but I don’t think he’d have appreciated the ‘emotional side of it’. 😕

I had a chuckle when a friend I’d confided in (who suffers similar problems) sent me something she’d found online – laughing and saying “yes this helps sometimes….but I suggest having a tantrum on the bed ….because it’s a bugger trying to get up off the floor” 👇

THE 5-MINUTE PITY PARTY .
When things are going wrong and I feel overwhelmed, I set a five minute timer on my phone and allow myself to cry, scream, cuss, and release all of my emotions.
We tend to make one of two mistakes – one is not addressing our emotions and letting them haunt us, and the other is spending too much time focusing on the pain.
Give your raw emotions a full 5 minutes of your time, and then get back to swimming.
Unknown

I’m curious to know how others view pity parties – do you think they have a place in our lives – do they work- or should we just grin and bear it – not let ourselves get that upset?

* * * * *

Being the beginning of October means one month of Spring has gone by already- apart from a couple of cool days it’s been unseasonably warm…….mind you after today’s forecasted ‘warm one’ (27c/80f) nature is reminding us that she is in control and it looks like it’ll be chilly and damp for the rest of the week.

Sunday forecast

Hopefully the weather will change after that and it’ll come good again.

Monday Musings – a time to think and ponder

Posted on

Going to the dogs…

(A little lighthearted post for this Monday morning)

These have been sitting in a draft folder for quite a while now
It’s time to ask the big question

How many do you see?


I’m sure you’ll find an answer/explanation somewhere out there on the WWW

Monday Musings – a time to think and ponder

Posted on

Song of the Seashore

Had a little note from a choir ‘friend’ telling me this is what we (girls) will be rehearsing next term. Quite a haunting tune and we’ll be singing it in its original language (hopefully sounding a little like these singers).

Song of the Beach (seashore) – Japanese folk song.
Sung by KRAJA – a Swedish group


The Song of the Seashore (English translation)

If I wander about ashore this morning

It will bring me back to good ol’ times

The sound of the wind, the way clouds change.

Waves breaking in, the colour of the shells

If I roam about ashore this evening

My beloved will bring me back then

Waves breaking in and waning back

The colour of the moon, the light of the stars

source

~ ~ ~ ~

It’s Monday and we’re about to start our journey home, today we’ll begin making our way south down the east coast on the Bruce, 500+kms to Rockhampton.
Then there’s another 2,000 km after that 😊😎

I said to The Golfer I thought now was right time to go home, it really has become a bit on the warm side and humid as well…yes Melbourne can become hot and have its humid days but they’re not normally continuous one after the other. We’ll just have to see what summer brings won’t we😎


Anyway guess what I’ll be missing during the six hour drive??

I’ll be back sometime soon – will have a wee break after we get home

Bye for now.
Cathy xx

Posted on

Just me wondering….

Friday morning coffee at the Yacht Club

~~~~~

Two o/seas news items during the week – one an achievement’ the other a disappointment – had me churning thoughts around in my mind

  • Why do it
  • Why is it considered important- necessary even
  • Is it of benefit to any country who does it
  • Surely all the money spent could be better used elsewhere
  • Only four countries have achieved it
  • Lives have been lost trying to do it

I have many more questions
I’d be grateful if anyone is able to answer any of the ones above
and convince me it’s all been money well spent

Monday Musings – a time to think and ponder

Posted on

I wonder..

I wonder when she is 80
will she remember this beautiful peaceful Saturday morning
on the beach at Rose Bay

9.30am Saturday August 12 2023

Don’t mind me….I’m just feeling a little bit….well, I’m not sure what
(Following on from my last post).

My Mother would say – ‘put it down to your age’
Oh how right you are Mum 🤔

Click/ tap or finger slide to enlarge

Posted on

On my mind….

On my mind this past week is something that should have been ignored- but unfortunately will stay in my mind because I have to associate with the person concerned when we return home.

There was sadness in a close family recently and I’ve been baffled by the reaction of a distant family ‘friend/acquaintance’ who has been in touch with me.

The bereaved family had decided that instead of letting others do it (funeral directors) at the end of the service – because he had been there for them and helped them all their lives, they would like to ‘be there for him’…to escort their father from the church to the waiting hearse – so all children took a corner and with mum and others following, physically ‘walked’ (pushed) coffin outside where he was surrounded by family/friends who formed a ‘guard of honour’ down the driveway and out of the grounds to see him on his way.

Well that didn’t sit well with some, who not realising we watched the service online, seemed to delight in emailing to tell me ‘his wife didn’t look too upset, she had smiles on her face’ – no hymns just ‘pop songs’ and ‘never seen that before, how strange to see them pushing the coffin and then shoving him into the back of the hearse’.  

What it Is with some people who can never accept that not everybody thinks or feels the same way they do. That there are families who love and celebrate each other in life and death

Posted on

Ship Ahoy..

There were surprises when we discovered we had company on Saturday morning….a couple of ships, slightly larger than the usual yachts, tinnies and fishing boats seen in these waters.

Then the penny dropped – or rather – we remembered what we’d seen on the local news and why there were so many military vehicles on the Bruce Highway plus personnel in town.
The international exercise – Talisman Sabre – was about to start!

https://www.defence.gov.au/exercises/talisman-sabre.
https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/media-releases/2023-07-21/official-opening-exercise-talisman-sabre.
https://www.army.gov.au/our-work/army-operations/major-exercises/exercise-talisman-sabre

It would also explain the ship I’d seen earlier in the week when I walked Kings Beach (which backs onto Rose Bay).
For the next week or so it’s out of bounds because this is the one they ‘storm’ from the larger ship using their landing craft – hopefully someone warned them about ‘not getting their feet wet’😊

(Your Federal taxes at work!).

Don’t Forget – if you want to see it best……Click/ tap or finger slide to enlarge

Posted on

Not today Josephine!

Poor Josephine has been itching for an hour or two in my hands – she didn’t get the hoped for reading on the drive up and took a back seat while I’ve been knitting and nursing The Golfer over the past week.
Honestly you wouldn’t read about it…. since our run in with Covid last December we’ve tried to stay out of harms way but I’m beginning to think someone’s got it in for us.

Before we left home there was my setback that put us a week behind and then very late afternoon the day we arrived The Golfer had a sudden tickly throat cough episode…one that wouldn’t go away. Just before ‘lights out’ I jokingly asked if he’d anything else going on…..well I’m a bit hot!.

Oh bu****, we’ve been on the road four days, what’s he picked up?.
Incubation time?
I sat in the car as well as the table and didn’t mix with anyone while he dealt with ordering & paying for anything (fuel/food).
Please don’t let it be the dreaded ‘you know what’.

(As an aside, gone are those days of driving off with a toothbrush comb and a couple of changes of clothes and underwear….these days – we all know what happens these days…..along with this that and the other there’s also the ‘you never know/ might needs’ in the form of a small chemist shop that comes along in a box. Honestly It’s a real pain such a nuisance to have to go buy something you’ve got sitting in the cupboard at home.

Anyway this year for the first time I set it all out and talked it through with the man – bring or leave and buy if needed. So as well as a few other bits, no thermometer no cough mixture no Vicks made the cut (famous last words …..we’ve never been sick here- we’ll nip down the road if we need it)

At the last moment for some reason I did put in a couple of boxes of RAT tests…
…this ‘illness’ seemed very Covid like but didn’t pass the test (3 over several days) more than a cold but not as bad as flu – or how we imagine flu to be ( it could have been a mild case – yet enough to ‘knock him out enough to need bed rest’ as he’d had his booster a month previously).

All this to say here we are 7 days after arriving, the pharmaceutical dept has been enlarged, and we now appear ready to enjoy our stay. Last week’s rainy days passed, the (very lukewarm) sun made an appearance, the golf clubs had their first (very slow) airing this morning and (now I’m able to concentrate) I’ve been to the library sussing out new reading material.

Josephine -well, her nearly finished Insp. Grant novel – (along with me and my man) finally made it down the road to Rose Bay on Saturday morning – the first day it was warm enough to sit out without being bundled up.
Seems like I’m getting to be more like a local than a visiting tourist 😎

Well that’s been my week- how’s yours been?
I wonder what’s in store- known or unknown- for any of us this week coming?

Sharing with Denyse’s weekly link up Wednesday’s Words & Pics 
Why don’t you pop over – you never know who’s visiting her today

Posted on

Do you ever wonder

Do you ever wonder who has walked down a path before you
Yes I know that sounds ‘very deep’ .
but in this case that is what I actually mean

In the very early years of going up to
Bowen, Queensland

we would always take a daily walk on the nearby beach.
(not so much these days because you know…aches pains etc)

Each time we stepped onto the sands
I’d look up and down Queens Beach

2009
2009

And if I saw footprints in the sand
I often wondered who they belonged to

Were they enjoying life – having a good time
a very easy thing to do in the winter sunshine
of Far North Queensland.

Look at this great impression of a foot I saw in the sand

And this big shoe print – looks like a man’s to me
Walking on his own by the look of it
‘cose
I couldn’t find any dog paw prints close by

And these might be the group of women
who would run/jog along here each morning 
just after breakfast

Anyway, over the years we’ve spent quite a few months of walking up there
while it was cold and wintery in Melbourne
2400 kms away.
And I was wondering how many of the feet who made those footprints in the sand are still doing so? I wonder if their owners are still making as clear an impression as they did then?.

Won’t be long before I’ll be checking it out again.
And with a forecast like this for next week- it can’t come soon enough 😎

Monday Musings – a time to think and ponder

Sharing with Denyse’s weekly link up Wednesday’s Words & Pics 
Why don’t you pop over and see who’s visiting her today

Website Built with WordPress.com.