Nice to see you!

Three major events occurred for me last year (2010), all in the space of about 2 weeks. I turned 50. The following day I got married. Two weeks later, my oldest daughter became pregnant with her first child and my first grandchild.

Most middle-aged people will tell you that in their minds, they still feel 20 something. It's the same for me.

Wasn't it only yesterday that I was planning a night out with guys from the surf club? That gorgeous new perm. Flaired, cuffed denims and the red t-shirt with the off-the-shoulder frill. Corked platform wedgies. **sigh**

Suddenly I'm looking in the mirror and wondering how 30 years can flash by so damned quickly!

So here I am in cyberspace, sharing my genuine shock and horror with anyone who'll listen and maybe I'll even meet some other over 50s who find themselves in the same predicament!

Welcome to my dilemna!!

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Uphill Climb

Worst night's sleep ever - stoopid psychotic dogs had us up 3 or 4 times - I've threatened them with losing their prize position in our bedroom if they keep it up.

Our car got us to the train station on time and Adoring Husband made it home safely. Whew.

There weren't many on the train today, so it was a peaceful trip and the 2.5 hours seemed to fly by.

When I arrived at Nambour Train Station, I checked google maps and it told me that the hospital was only 1.2kms from the station, so I stopped at McCafe for a coffee and instead of calling a cab, I decided to walk the short distance to the hospital.

BIG mistake!

I planned on visiting Mum H before making my way to my motel near the airport.

It was hot today. It's always hot in Nambour. I was dragging my full suitcase, my laptop, my handbag, my half litre water bottle full of water and a small bag of food. Combined, it probably weighed 20kgs.

I walked 1/3 of the distance on reasonably flat ground and some even went downhill, but then I reached the little bridge and looked ahead of me.

By this time, perspiration was dripping from my face and body. I stopped in the shade and looked up the hill. I could see the hospital and I knew that if I called a taxi or Uber, the fare would cost about $4 and I doubted whether any of them would even accept the fare.

It seemed that my only option was to attempt the hike, so I tossed my coffee away after only 3 mouthfuls, took a deep breath and moved forward.

I figured that if I had a heart attack half way up the hill, or even once I reached the summit, I was in the right place to get help!

That is an effing steep hill. So steep that I couldn't pull my suitcase behind me. I had to push it ever so slowly, in front of me, stopping about 5 times in the shade to catch my breath and cool down a little.

Half way up the hill, a bunch of teenage boys passed me going in the opposite direction. One of them came back to me and asked if I had a spare $2 so that he could catch the bus. If I'd had my wits about me, I'd have offered him $10 or $20 to walk my suitcase to the top of the hill! But by then, I was in the survival zone, so I was grateful to stop in the shade and actually found $5 to give to him. He was very grateful and thanked me profusely.

By the time I reached the hospital, I was huffing and puffing and was drenched with sweat. I walked inside and found a bathroom. I was literally glowing - almost fluorescent red! The last time I looked like that, was after a 2 hour squash grand final that went to five sets!

I decided that I needed to sit down in the air conditioning, catch my breath and bring my body temperature back to normal, so I found a comfortable seat in a quiet corner and sat down for ten minutes.

Eventually, I walked what seemed like another kilometre inside the hospital until I reached Mum H's room and there she was sitting on the bed talking on the phone. All things considered, she looked very well! She showed me the bruising from where the paramedics had resuscitated her. This is day 9 and she is still black and blue and lots of other colours.

She was giving the medical staff and other patients lots of cheek, so this tells me that she is doing ok. We chatted for about 90 minutes before I said my goodbyes and called an Uber driver to come pick me up.

A very friendly young Indian gentleman picked me up in his Mazda 2 and drove me the 18 kms to my motel for the very reasonable price of $27. The last time I caught a taxi from Tewantin to Cooroy (15kms), it cost me $45. Uber ROCKS!

My motel room is very nice. The owner, Michael, had just had a run in with one of his customers because the customer was a smoker and this motel is a non-smoking establishment - NO SMOKING ANYWHERE ON THE GROUNDS.

The customer complained long enough and loud enough, that Michael offered him an ash tray and a patch of ground as far away from the rooms as possible. When I arrived, Michael was still a bit ruffled by the altercation so we shared our dislike of nasty people and he debriefed.

He showed me to my room and carried my suitcase, lifting it onto the luggage rack for me. He gave me directions to the Ramada Hotel, where I could get an alcoholic beverage and a nice meal and then returned later with a little jug of milk for my tea/coffee.

I walked the 100m to the Ramada where I was immediately accosted by a tutu wearing, glittery faced gentleman holding a cork board with a list of 'dares' on it. It was his buck's night and he had 20 dares that he had to complete by the end of the evening.

His dares included riding a male like a bucking bull, smashing a shot glass after drinking the contents, chatting up 6 different men and getting their phone numbers, singing 'It's Raining Men' at karaoke and getting 20 women to sign their names somewhere on his body. I can't remember the other dares.

I signed my name on his arm under the tattooed name of his son. He told me that his 10 yr old son was going to be part of the wedding party and he was very excited about it.

Later I heard him singing 'It's Raining Men' in the karaoke bar.

I feel that he is going to be pretty much under the weather tomorrow morning!

Now I am sitting in my motel room, about to climb under the covers and make up for last night's lost sleep!


The weather in Melbourne is looking ominous for tomorrow, so I'm not looking forward to the flight. Fingers crossed, that it clears by the time my flight arrives!

Nite all.


Friday, March 10, 2017

Fabulous Friday

So much to do, so little time.

Our original plan was for Adoring Husband to drive me to the Sunshine Coast on Sunday morning so that I could catch my plane to Melbourne at 11am.

This week, our car had a hiccup and requires a new part that will not be available for about a month. In the meantime, we are not allowed to drive long distances and have been advised to use the car sparingly.

At first I figured that it didn't matter much because I could catch the early train on Sunday morning and still be on the Sunny Coast with plenty of time to get to the airport for my flight.

Then I discovered that there is no early train on Sunday morning.

New plan.

I now have to miss my art class on Saturday morning *sobbing tears of devastation* and catch the 10.40am train to the Sunny Coast, stay overnight in a motel, and then catch my flight on Sunday morning.

Sheesh. These things are sent to test us.

So I have made all the bookings, and as it happens, Mum H, after suffering a serious heart attack a week ago, is in hospital on the Sunny Coast, so I will get to visit her before I fly to Melbourne.

My original 'to do' list had to be modified and prioritised.

Adoring Husband has no meals prepared. One psychotic dog did not get groomed and will have to walk around blind for another 2 weeks.

I'm sure they will survive.

This is what it looked like at the Seat of Knowledge this morning...



Adoring Husband attached my rod to the wall in my workspace. I can now hang my vision board and other bits and pieces as I see fit.


The Bowls Club opened the new renovated area this week and this is what it looks like ...


I got to play poker machines for the first time in four months and had a very successful night haha!

My bags are partially packed and now I should get a good night's sleep in readiness for a big day tomorrow.

Nite all.

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Back Breaker

I'm annoyed that I forgot to take a 'before' shot of my workspace before I started the decluttering and clearing today.

I moved my mess into the next room, vacuumed the floor and then Adoring Husband helped move some chests of drawers into the room. One small chest is inside the wardrobe, and now holds the wallets and purses, the games, and the top of it is now home to my Photography magazines and an assortment of books.

We started at about 9.30am.

AH used his time to clean out the double garage while I worked on my room. We stopped for an hour at lunch, then AH cleaned the kitchen while I continued in my room.

I got myself into a really good rhythm and made some great headway before The Motivator arrived at 2pm. She was surprised at how much I had been able to get done, but there was still a lot to do. She was head down and bum up almost immediately, and between us, we worked for a further 3+ hours.

It's STILL not completely finished, but it shouldn't take long to find a home for what's left on the floor in the other room.

My back and my feet are suffering considerably with all that lifting and bending and walking through the house with bare feet on the tiled floor.

The family room is now full of empty boxes, a broken clothes basket and two bags of rubbish, all ready to be tossed tomorrow. The recycle bin is 'chockers' full of old magazines, recipe books, out of date paperwork and printouts of no longer required recipes.

I think I deserve an early night after all of that.

So ...

Nite all

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

If The Cap Fits

I put my 'business' cap on today!

I managed emails and made phone calls and paid invoices.

I checked some invoices against some of the stock I've receive, which was pretty exciting.

I love all of the journals, notebooks and books that I ordered at the gift fair and today I discovered for the first time that I received a free package with one of my orders, which I know I can use in a positive way.




I haven't even touched my website since I returned from my trip away, because there is so much OTHER stuff to do!  I will save the best for last.

I have accepted The Motivator's offer of help to get my workspace organised. She is the storage master and with all the extra stock and paperwork in my life now, I need all the help that I can get!

I hope that by the end of tomorrow, I'll be feeling less cluttered and more organised, which will give me the motivation to move forward at a more rapid pace than I have in the last week!

I have successfully begun very paragraph in this post with 'I'.

I now need to go to bed.

Nite all
 

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Another Fun-filled Day

It all started with the bloody vacuum cleaner not working when I needed it the most!

GRRRRRR

I had a well scripted, well co-ordinated plan to get some 'stuff' done before I went for coffee this morning, but the first hurdle caused the whole plan to go out the window.

My frustration was overwhelming.  My rage was excessive.  My demands on Adoring Husband were unreasonable.

I was a bitch on wheels. Bitter, twisted and ugly.

I'm certain that Adoring Husband was feeling monumental relief as I left the house to meet the girls for coffee.

All of the girls, except the lovely snorting Tweedle Dee, were unavailable for coffee, but we had a great time and we both felt quite disappointed when I had to leave for an 11am appointment.

I really must stop making arrangements for Tuesday mornings, so that I can spent time lavishly enjoying good coffee, good conversation and good snorting laughter!

At 11am, the Narellan Pool guy arrived at our doorstep to take a look at the back yard and give us a quote for a ... yes you guessed it ... POOL!! The quote was as expected and now the discussions and negotiations begin (between AH and myself).

Watch this space.

AH and I enjoyed a quick lunch of leftovers before The Motivator came for a visit.

We had much to discuss and plans to make for the resurrection and reconditioning of my workspace. It's a big job ahead of me and a big job ahead of her to supervise me in this huge task! I must take a 'before' photo tomorrow ... I feel that the changes will be like Adoring Husband's relief ... monumental!

I'm off to bed.

Nite all.


Monday, March 6, 2017

Gave Myself a Kick (You-know-where)

After a great trike ride this morning, I checked the mail, made a withdrawal from my bank, got some groceries and then visited The Motivator for two hours!

It didn't seem like it at the time, but it turned out to be a motivational visit, because I returned home in full productivity mode!

Do you remember the 'to do' cards that I made last year (one year ago to the day!) and pinned on the cork board? Adoring Husband and I selected a card every day or two and completed one chore each time. Within a month, we had finished all the major chores and the house was happy, decluttered and cleansed.


Well, today I made some more 'to do' cards for myself. There are 28 cards at this point, although I have completed some of them this afternoon, so that number has already reduced.

After I made the cards, I emptied my coloured drawers of jewellery making paraphernalia, gave the drawers a good wash and then filled them with gift boxes and the new jewellery that I bought at the gift fair last week.


The dining table was cleared of all my crap, but is now covered with the tackle boxes full of jewellery making gear, which I am going to bag and sell ... somehow.

I filed my catalogues and price lists, although not alphabetically or in any order. I threw them into a mini concertina file to get them out of the way, so that chore is only partially complete.

At least I feel a small sense of achievement at the end of today, and that puts me in a much better place than the last few days!

I'm looking forward to coffee with the girls tomorrow, although I'm not sure how many of them will even be available. There is a lot happening in all of our lives right now! Whoever turns up, I'll be happy!

Early to bed tonight.

Nite all.

Sunday, March 5, 2017

Sunday Bloody Sunday

I started out with big plans for today.

Those plans did not come to fruition! I can tell that you're not surprised!

My 'to do' list is somewhat overwhelming and I am intimidated by the enormity of it. I don't know where to start and most tasks will take time ... hours in fact.

I sat down on the couch to drink my coffee this morning and Adoring Husband asked me what my plans were for the day. I recited what I wanted to get done today ... and then proceeded to sit on the couch watching more of the recorded TV shows from while I was away.

There I stayed until it was time to get ready for a Le Reve party that I had to attend at 2pm.

So, another day wasted where none of my tasks were completed.

I've had an offer of help, which I have accepted, so hopefully, by Wednesday night I will be feeling a lot more positive about my progress.

The Motivator and I spent a pleasant afternoon at Sirenia Beach attending a Le Reve party. We sat outside where there was a beautiful cool sea breeze blowing and our hostess provided healthful snacks and refreshing drinks. We laughed a lot and got to know some new people and spent a little money.

I've booked another Le Reve party for the end of March, so expect an invitation.

You know who you are :)

I'm going to bed now, The storm last night kept me awake until about 2am .. mostly because the psychotic dog's PTSD kicked in and there was much barking and panicking going on.

I need to catch up on missed sleep.

Nite all.

Art for Art's Sake

Wahoo!!

The art class finally happened!

Saturday morning is going to be my new favourite time of the week. 

There are no words to describe how it makes me feel when I'm being arty farty, and when I'm using my hands to create something. I completely lose myself, and today, I lost myself for three hours.

There are usually four others in the class, but there were only two today because one is in hospital recovering from surgery gone wrong and another had other had private matters to distract her.

I've never used clay to create art. None of us have.

It's amazing and fabulous and wonderful and consuming and cathartic.

So we were all clay virgins today and this is the beginning of my bust sculpture...


Obviously, there is a lot more to be done yet. Lots of contouring and defining and moulding and finding the personality within. I'm leaning towards Jasper right now, but that could change when I see his face again next week. He could even possibly become a she after next week. There is potential for change there.

The sad thing about my new found love, is that I have to cut my nails off! For the first time in years, I have grown my nails quite long, but they are not conducive to easy sculpting and need to be cut right back. Bugger!

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The other girls are great fun and the teacher is patient and caring and helpful and talented.

I can't wait until next Saturday!

The other exciting thing that happened to me today, was talking to Chicklet on the phone. I can't wait to see her in less than two weeks now! She's the cheekiest, funniest, smartest little Chicklet in the universe and we have big plans for our time together!

Vegan Chickie always creates and provides a multitude of tasks full of education, fun and frivolity for the two of us to fill the days that she is absent. We are going to have a ball together.

There is a fire burning tonight on the outskirts of our town ... 


I think the volunteer fire brigade have it pretty much under control, but it looked awfully close this afternoon. It just started raining, so hopefully, it will be enough to assist in putting it out.

Look at this, well after midnight again!

Nite all.