A lot about a lot.

 

 

A friend's road in New York state

It's planning time.

 Planning a road trip to Melbourne that may be happening within the month and that means......warm clothes.      Now, where I live in Australia there is not a huge call for heavy duty warm clothes at all.
  I have some cardigans and a couple of jackets that are sufficient.   These damn clothes won't wear out!
I can't justify giving them away and buying new because I am the Queen of Frugal.  So, year after year I'm in the same ole same ole stuff.     Lucky I'm into the age on invisibility so it doesn't matter what I wear.  Well..... unless it is some gorgeous outlandish, beautifully bright gear.   I used to love my 'hippie' days.  * big sigh*

In the meantime life has been interesting.  Catching up with friends over coffee.   Some eating out has been done too.      Seeing long lost relatives.     Nursing a new baby.   Love a baby as long as it's not my responsibility and  thank god that can't happen any more.    Walking and exploring along our creek bank where there are interesting rock formations.  Two totally different types of rock are set as though in their molten time they were poured out of a few different containers and flowed in stripes.   I've never seen this any where else and I have been a rock hopper/ looker for years!  

Picking roses, picking fruit and not doing a lot  in the garden.  Buying a new battery for my car 3 days after we had to replace the battery in the old Toyota Landcruiser!    Not bad prices at $147 and $135.   We could not be bothered shopping around as we get all our tyre work done there and he doesn't even charge half the time for the ride on mower tyre patches or little jobs.  We appreciate that.

Visited my mother and discovered after her being there since December 2010 that they have a HAPPY HOUR once a fortnight!!!!!  Wine, beer and a cupcake paper with nibbles.  Who'd have thought?  I love it. 

  But, afterwards I had to quietly point out the dirt and spiders in her room that have been there over 6 weeks!   I got a phone call 5.30pm yesterday from the head health person to tell me how short staffed they are and that it is all sorted now.  I didn't carry on like a 2 bob watch as the old saying goes. Just mentioned it quietly as there's no need to embarrass anyone.   Now, I just have to keep taking out the magazines she hoards......

Another bitch...       (you can take that 2 ways )   my sister, the one that lives in Mum's home and only pays half the power and phone, no rent etc has brought in a framed photo of her and placed it in a prominent spot.     No other photos for Mum to see of her family.   Not the large collage that Mum did up of family random shots that she loves.  Nah.... .  I don't go around to check on the house because I don't want to be threatened again by the brother and if it was all good enough for them to be parasites for 5 years or so before Mum had to go into care, then  it's not worth my worrying.

  The sister did replace Mum's glasses that broke.  Well.... I think she did.
 Maybe it was some of the staff.

Sewing,Sibling Parasites and Weight loss.

All is good on this western front!

The garments  are being completed for my mother.    I'm making little day dresses for her that should withstand the commercial laundry in the aged care home.    The ladies  I've met from the laundry are so nice and helpful when I look for any missing clothes. The laundry is even a nice place!!!

  I brought home her favourite dress to copy from and when I had a good look at it there were darts and seams coming undone.  A nice little repair on them and it's as good as new.   You wouldn't notice these because of the colour and pattern.   Red with black markings.

I hate cutting out.  My back aches like a b#^**~d.    I like to cut out on a large table downstairs that is open to the wind so the day I plan to cut out is the day the wind is blowing a gale.    Should check it out at night and there may be less wind,  not that I'm really complaining about the wind.
I love it.

Today is pretty calm so I'll cut out a few dresses for her.

Mum is doing really well now and I also have come to terms with her being unable to live in her own home.     It's been over a year and has taken  some time for me to accept this.    The worst  was the guilt that I should have been be able to fix the problem.

The huge problem is her being "The Boss"!      I say, nicely,   "Mum,   you can't live at home now.  If you did you'd be dead within months.    You know R and K won't look after you.."

  "  I can look after myself. They can drive me to get groceries.  The nurses can come to give me the injections. I can cook for myself. etc etc "        Last visit she was saying how good it is too have all your meals done for you and no washing up!   Maybe, just maybe????? she is settling in.


'She has a lovely friend and the staff like to tell me how much they like her.  The aged diabetes is under control with 4 insulin injections per day!   I'd be freaking out if that were me.  Love my needle phobia.

When I visit,   I take  savoury snacks and of course,  flowers from my garden.  Mum loved her garden.
I have suggested that I bring in some pot plants for her but she keeps saying that they will get stolen [her room is on the main street side with people walking past on the footpath]  or that she will be going home soon.  It  breaks my heart as I would love to make her room pretty for her.  


    It's the family politics that really   shit me off.     The parasitic brother and sister of mine who still live there and only pay the rates and the insurance per year.     Plus,  their own power and phone and that is only after me screaming like hell and getting a death threat from the brother!

  So this year they paid around $AU 52 between the two of them per week to live in Mum's home!   What a pair of deadbeats!!!
My sister is one of the worst /laziest house keepers I know so doubt if the house will be kept clean as it was.  I have not visited for months. Just don't need the hassle.

Gee, I am prattling on..

On the GOOD NEWS side......

I've now lost 6ks.    That is 13.2lbs... since 22nd December.   Over Christmas I ate everything, just not gutsing out.   Tha'ts  7 weeks.    a lot more to go...  I now don't use milk  [except skim in my home made yoghurt]  very little sugar, cut back coffee, no butter, no bread.