It is so quiet here this morning. Bliss! D returned to work today, after having two sick days.I hope he copes ok today at work because it is going to be hot again. Prue is still asleep and I am not going to wake her because she has been having so many sleepless nights lately due to her health so it’s just me, the cats and the background sounds of talk back radio LOL
I received a call from a friend last night, inviting me to lunch at a fabulous restaurant on the Bay which was lovely but really as fantastic as that would be,I feel I cannot be so indulgent about spending money like that. Maybe once I get the new job, I will feel less guilty about it but right now I am feeling as if I am always putting her off and making excuses not to go out with her (exhibitions, theatre, etc).She is single, working and owns her own home and her only responsibility is herself but I would like to catch up with her before the Christmas Holidays. I have quite a few people I want to catch up with because over recent months I have been pre-occupied with other things. Being friends I know they understand and have had no expectations of me. The last 12 months have been a bit of a roller coaster and I do feel I am in need of some me time, to enjoy a few simple things like long walks and Pilates which Prue and I are going to do together, once she has recovered from her surgery.
I have just returned from dropping Prue off at the hospital for her pre-admission check up. I did not stay because they told her it could take up to three hours, so she will call me when it is over to pick her up. I can see Prue is starting to get anxious about the surgery but that is to be expected after all it is major surgery but I think what concerns her is the anesthetic, due to her reaction to it in the past. I am sure she will discuss this with her anesthetist today and he will put her mind at rest.
It is hot here again today and we turned the air conditioning on a low setting early to keep the house cool. This is unusual weather for November and I think most people are feeling it because it began so quickly. It was cool, then almost within a week it was hot! As have mentioned before, I don’t mind the heat at all.
Last night’s lecture was good and there are only four more classes until the class concludes. I have been trying to decide what I want to study next year and it is proving to be a difficult decision.I would like to undertake a hypnotherapy course at some stage, maybe next year? I want to do so many things but as always, finances will dictate what I do. If there was one good thing that came out of the Whitlam Government back in the day, it was free university education.
It was a warm day yesterday, so much so that mid afternoon we turned on the air conditioning. Normally, I would not have bothered as the ceiling fans are usually all that is need to get some air circulating but Prue was feeling faint and quite unwell, so the a/c was a better option. There is something wonderful about the warmer weather, spring and the brilliant blue sky. Everyone seems happier, healthier and people get outdoors and make the most of day light saving, in the evenings.
I received an email last night from one of my closest friends Richard, which was delightful. He is a beautiful person, who loves his family and life and makes the most of each and every day. I am fortunate to have made so many wonderful friends here, through this blog!
Today, it is going to be hot again so I will concentrate on doing a few jobs indoors and catch up on some reading for tonight’s class.
D and I went out this morning to look for a mirror for the bathroom( he was not impressed by the mirror I had selected and intended to pick up this week-end). Our first stop was a fabulous gallery that Prue and I discovered during the week. It is only five minutes away and I have been passed it many times but it was not until the other day , that I actually ventured in to check it out. What a find! If I had the money, I could go mad there. So many beautiful and unusual items. I was in heaven but back to reality. We spoke to the owner and she said that they also framed mirrors so she showed us an extensive selection of frames.Visiting the gallery gave me plenty of inspiration in regard to frames because D is intent on having a frame( preferably chrome….yuk) to match the rest of the bathroom and did not like the bevelled edge mirror I had picked last week. I think the bathroom is beautiful but it needs texture, something organic, etc.
Well, I took D to the gallery this morning and he did see a couple of frames he liked but then began to argue with the owner about the coating on the frames. She said it was wooden, he said it was not but some acrylic material! Just another day out shopping as a couple…. embarrassing. lol. Finally the husband of the owner confirmed that there was a material baked onto the frame but it was not what D had thought. I thanked the owner and her husband and shuffled D out as quickly as I could. On to destination 2… the place where I has seen the mirror I liked. I think D is coming around to it ( mainly due to price LOL) and I am certain it will enhance the rest of the bathroom. Besides, I just want a mirror. so I can see what I am doing!
Later D went out to check out a few garage sales in the neighourhood and Prue opened a Flickr account for me in the hope that I will post some photos. I enjoy taking photos but I dislike having my photo taken. Prue’s love of self portraits does not come from me , that’s for sure. LOL I have started to post a few older photos and in time I will scan and post many more. The bathroom pics will be posted very soon
It’s Friday and I am so looking forward to the week-end. Warm weather is predicted and it will be perfect for getting out into the garden to weed and prepare the beds for some planting I have planned.I can also happily(overwhelmingly) that I had my first shower in the new bathroom, last Sunday night! It may seem a minor thing but for me it is one of the highlights of this year. It was wonderful. Other than decide upon a mirror( which is a bone of contention between D and I right now), the bathroom is complete. D has done a fabulous job and it was worth the wait. Pics will be posted soon.
Prue will be having he surgery one week from today and it can’t come fast enough. She had a bad day yesterday and to make it worse, she thinks she may have gone overboard with the painkillers which made her feel nauseated and fuzzy in the head.She really dislikes the side effects of the medication and tries to use them only when her pain becomes unbearable.I think overall though, she is in better condition since she returned home.
I just realised this morning that it will be our 30th wedding anniversary on the 24th! Could it really be that long? The years are flying by, that’s for sure.
It seems that every time a news bulletin is aired, several minutes are spent reporting acts of unprovoked violence in the form of random assaults, home invasions, road rage incidents and violence that occurs as a result of intoxication. What is going on with society? Excessive drinking, senseless acts of gangs bashing innocent victims, sexual assaults etc, etc.
I have to wonder what has gone wrong and why are these incidents more prolific than at any other time in recent history? Lack of family guidance and discipline? Parental apathy? Or a general change in community values? I find it sad and a blight on our community.
Today, I have intentions of having a quiet and lazy day because recently it has been full on and I need the rest. LOL
Yesterday, as I mentioned in my last entry, Mum and Bill called in and they stayed for dinner last night. It was good to see them and they said they had enjoyed their short trip away. Bill was keen to sample some of my vegetarian cooking and requested it when he spoke to Damien on the phone , prior to their arrival. I was pleased because there is nothing worse that not being prepared for unexpected dinner guests.They stayed until about 22:00, then shortly after their departure , Prue’s friend arrived and we all sat around chatting and sharing funny stories before shifting in to the living room to watch property development shows on cable TV.I have no idea what time Prue’s friend left or when D and Prue went to bed because I nodded off in my chair while watching TV!
It is a Public Holiday here in Melbourne today, due to the running of the Melbourne Cup(horse race). Go figure…. a day off because of a horse race but it is a much-loved tradition and it is also the last holiday before the Christmas holidays.
Everyone is still asleep here and I am contemplating trying to get another hour or two of sleep myself but I don’t like my chances. Once I am awake that’s it , so I will enjoy the peace and quiet,read the paper and enjoy some good coffee.
Yesterday, I was up early to get organised for the arrival of Meghan, Prue’s friend from New York and ex housemate, who was coming to have her hair done( yes,I was a hairdresser in a previous life lol) for the Derby Day races.We had a trial run during the week and yesterday was the big day. The Derby is a major event of the Spring Racing Carnival,a high fashion event. Meghan had assembled a beautiful and sophisticated outfit and she looked fabulous. We are anxiously waiting to hear how the day went.
Later in the day, we all worked on the bathroom and it is very close to completion. I have selected the mirror I want but due to the long week-end here, I will not be able to pick it up until Tuesday. We have been taking photos regularly and I will post all of them soon. For many, this may seem like an on going saga( which it has been) but I am so excited that finally we will have a bathroom, that is aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly.
Prue received a letter on Friday, confirming her surgery for Nov. 13th, which she is over the moon about.So am I because she really had endured so much over recent years and she is too young to be burdened by ill-health. She has been home a week and it has been lovely. Of course there have been a few minor differences of opinion between D and her, but over all , it is going very well(big sigh of relief).
I have a meeting tomorrow and then later , Mum and Bill will be calling here on their way back to the country. I am looking forward to seeing them, catching up with all their news over a late lunch, which I will prepare when I return from the meeting.
Yesterday I spent most of the day out in the back yard,mowing the lawn, weeding and putting away all the things that have been accumulating on the back patio since work on the bathroom began. It was fabulous that Prue pitched in and gave me a hand or else I would have been working until dark.The back yard is beginning to look presentable again and ready for plenty of use over the coming summer months.
It was mum’s partner Bill’s birthday yesterday, so we called before dinner last night to wish him happy birthday. He said he had a good day and that he and Mum were going away for a few days , leaving this morning, to attend a relative’s 70th birthday and look up some of Bill’s relatives in the western area of the State. They are going to call here on their way home on Monday, which will be lovely. They are expecting to see a finished bathroom, so we will put the finishing touches to it over the week end, in readiness for their inspection. LOL
I am tired and emotionally worn out today for some reason.Tomorrow can only be a better day.
It’s a perfect spring morning here in Melbourne; the type of morning that makes you want to spring out of bed and make the most of each and every moment of it. Prue had a friend(who is absolutely charming) over last night and we had a lovely evening chatting and laughing about our quirky families!After she left, Prue wanted to check a new installation on our PC’s that she was concerned about and I went to bed.D had a night off from the reno. work and caught up on a few programs he had recorded. I encouraged him to have the night off and rest because he has been starting work very early this week. That and he is also stiff and sore after the mishap on the building site earlier in the week. Tonight, we will both get stuck into the bathroom and by Saturday, it should be up and running. Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On reflection, I wish I had kept a video diary of the project. It would have been hilarious.
Today, I am going to catch up on some work outdoors and cut back the Philodendron which have gone berserk. The cats enjoy hiding under there but it has got to the pint where they are completely obscuring access to the back yard from the laundry door and as lovely as they are, they are in desperate need of a good haircut.
Today is the first day I have been able to find time to actually sit down, catch up on reading my favourite blogs and update myself.
Prue has settled back in to home and other that a few readjustment problems for her father,it is going well. It is good to have her home. Even her cat Bea Arthur has made herself at home. She has taken a particular liking to sleeping on the leather sofa and she and Chevy(my cat) are getting used to each other, albeit slowly.
We have all been exhausted after the shift and there has been a big push to get the bathroom finished going on. I can’t wait to post all the photos( and actually luxuriate in my first shower in the new bathroom).D and Prue worked on the bathroom last night while I was at lectures and they completed most of the wall tile grouting. I was surprised so much was done as D fell through a floor on a building site yesterday and injured his hip, ribs and elbow and was in considerable pain when he arrived home from work. As he left for work at 05:30 today he said his hip, which is still sporting a large bump was very tender but true to form, he dismissed my suggestion that he go to the DR to have it checked out.
Class was great last night and our lecturer( Dr Jan Hall) was a renowned psychologist/ sex therapist, who was both interesting and entertaining. I am going to purchase one of her books and maybe even a couple of CD’s and keep them as a reference.
The lawns are waiting to be mowed , so I will finish now.
I thought I would take a few minutes for short update while I am waiting for Prue and her housemate to arrive with her belongings.Today is shifting day and unfortunately for Prue, she is feeling very poorly but she is carrying on regardless, wanting to get the move finished. It was arranged that I would pick Prue and one of her housemates up this morning and drive them to a car rental place about 45 minutes away to collect a ute ( truck) for shifting . Prue was not well enough to come, so the house mate and I made the trip. Prue asked if I would put up the bond for the ute( refundable when it is returned tomorrow) which I agreed to but when we got there and it was time to pay, my ATM card was missing. This sick feeling went through me. I have never misplaced it before and I was having visions of someone using it to clean out the account. Fortunately, I thought of the last place I used it, which was earlier this morning when I went to the local pharmacy to pick up some medication for Prue.In the meantime, I paid the bond by using an unused credit card, which I have for absolute emergencies. Can me or my family ever do anything without an element of drama? LOL.En route back here I went to the pharmacy, picked up the card , then stopped at Prue’s place to pick up another load. I have brought 2 full car loads of boxes and assorted bags etc back here and I am staring at them stacked neatly in the corner of the computer room . We will find a more permanent spot for them later because the priority right now is to just get everything shifted.
I am going to make a coffee and enjoy the last of my brief respite
After feeling lack-lustre yesterday, I have gone completely mad today cleaning out the spare room(as much as I can given that there are a couple more large boxes of walls tiles, I cannot lift), throwing out junk I have been hanging on to and making space for Prue.As we have not yet pulled up the carpet in that room, I wanted to give it a thorough vacuum but the head of the vac. has disappeared. I have turned the house inside out and it is nowhere to be found. D was the last person to use it when he cleaned out his car recently, so it would not surprise me if it is actually in his car, or somewhere in the garage… and venturing in there means being prepared for a long journey into no (wo) man’ s land, complete with torch, survival rations and a change of clothes LOL. As much as I wanted to get the room done, I can wait until he comes home and probably save myself several hours of searching!
I was looking at some of the things I have been hanging on to and really, what’s the point? Cushion covers that will never be in vogue again, ugly ornaments that have never made it out the boxes( gifts from well meaning relatives and friends) and so many other things. I detest clutter and my hoarding consists mainly of texts and reference material but D, he really does have a problem. His stuff has made its way into every room in the house.Even when you think it isn’t, just look harder and it will be found, hidden with something completely unrelated! I have decided we are going to hire a large skip, rather than make several trips to the tip to dispose of all the renovation junk and it would be madness not to take full advantage of it and have a good throw out . Any unwanted useful items can be given away perhaps we will have a garage sale? Hmm, I don’t know what D will think of that but I would not touch anything belonging to him, maybe just drop a few subtle hints that he really could do with some space in the garage!
I spoke with the manager of the organisation I recently applied to for a position. The good news is that they want me to work with them. The bad news is that it could be a few weeks yet. Knowing that has put my mind at rest( quietened it a bit anyway lol).
It is quite a warm and windy morning here in Melbourne. The warmth of the sun is greatly appreciated after such a cold winter( I thought it was cold).I have not had much energy today for some unknown reason but I am certain as the day wears on I will perk up!
Class last night was good , although I did hear other students say they found the subject matter (death and major life crisis) disturbing.I found it totally absorbing and have several new texts I want to read about the subject.When I arrived home , D had not had dinner, choosing instead to continue doing the wall tiles in the bathroom. He achieved a lot in a few short hours and tonight will probably see the tiling done and ready for grouting tomorrow night.
I would like to thank those of you who have emailed and messaged me over the past week or so. I hope to reply to everyone later today. My apologies for being so tardy.
This week is the final week of the bathroom project…. it has to be because Prue is coming home at the end of the week. D has assured me it will be finished and all the tools, materials etc will be moved from Prue’s old room, which is serving as a junk room for anything to do with the renovation.I want to get in there and move a bookcase and a shelf of files so Prue has room for her own things, so the end of the week is going to be a bit manic here.
Prue has been packing up her house and fortunately, her landlady has allowed her to use the garage to store her larger items until Saturday, when D will be able to shift them for her( that is if he is not working , which his boss has already mentioned could happen. Now that WILL create a problem but for now I am not even thinking about it).
I have been trying to study, in between helping out with the bathroom, normal daily tasks and thinking about the potential job. The course has another 7 weeks to go and I have enjoyed every minute of it, so much so that I think I will continue studying again next year, perhaps an area where I have a special interest? I have been thinking a lot about the areas I feel the most passion and a decision is not going to be easy. That’s a while away yet and before that I need to complete the finals and an assessment!
I have just finished cleaning some of the tile adhesive off the polished floor boards. How it got there is beyond me but fortunately I removed it without damaging the floor. The dust has gone( for now) and I am going to spend the rest of the afternoon preparing for the class tonight
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