Concerts

I had bought tickets for a couple of friends and us to go to Elton John's concert some months ago.  I was surprised that my husband even wanted to go with us.  He prefers classical music.  I like it, but after 8 years of piano playing at school and having nuns teach me, I would rather leave the piano and the classical music aside.

The music I like is more the 'ballady' sort of tunes. By the likes of Lionel Richie, Nora Jones, Kate Melua, Johnny Cash and so on. And some Jazz like Nina Samone ....My husband doesn't particularly like listening to these although he tolerates it, because that is what gets put on the stereo when I clean the house without which the house would not get cleaned !

 In a previous post I believe I talked about my husband getting skin cancers on his head. Well, yesterday was the appointment with the Skin Specialist.  We didn't have a choice with appointments, it was take what we were given or wait for six months.  So, it happened to be that the appointment for the specialist and the day of the concert fell on the same day.

I was worried because I didn't know what the doctor would say, whether Victor would need to go into hospital for surgery, whether they were going to harvest skin off somewhere else, how would he deal with the whole process.  So, with great trepidation I woke up yesterday.  We had a big day ahead. The appointment for the doctor was at 4pm and the concert started at 8pm.

The doctor apparently was born in Kenya, which was interesting because Victor was born in Botswana. They had much to discuss and a very interesting and lovely person he was too.  He was on time with his patient list. He was friendly and not at all condescending as some doctors are prone to be.  He explained the skin condition and how Basal Cell Carcinomas can change and what I can do to try and stop them in their tracks. He was also able to use nitrogen gas (?) to burn the spot on Victor's head instead of having to have surgery - Thank God.

He did give him some local anesthetic because he was going to give it a good blast.  It is quite painful to get an injection on your scalp because there is no fat whatsoever but Victor being his normal self was a trouper, stiff upper lip and all of that !

After the doctors, we decided to get dinner although it was only 5.30pm and we went to the Country Club.  I was able to play on the poker machines (my annual spend on them) after dinner and got to the concert in plenty of time.

What can I say ? Elton John still has it. He was just brilliant, sang all of his songs. Brought tears to my eyes when he sang 'Candle in the Wind' and a very dear friend of mine Bernie who is no longer in this world loved 'Our Song' and of course when Elton sang that it brought tears to my eyes.   Bernie was one of those living saints, he adored his wife and children and later his grandchildren. I always wanted to meet a man like Bernie who would love me the way Bernie adored his wife. I think they made him and broke the mould. Although, I must say Victor would come a close second !

Elton sang for a good 3 hours non stop. Brilliant concert. Very very tired today, because it is a good 45 minutes drive from the concert hall to come home, but there was also a good one hour of traffic jam just in the car park to get out of the place. So we didn't get home till well past midnight.

Thank you Elton John for a brilliant ending to a pretty good day.

The Wedding

My daughter got married earlier this month.  I couldn't believe that all this time had passed and it was time for her to get married.

Which brought my thoughts to her birth.  I was married at 21, and for as long as I can remember I had wanted to be a mother. I had taken care of my siblings since I was 7 years old. My brother born when I was 5, another brother at 7 and my sister when I was 10.  Although we had servants for each child it was deemed that I was to oversee the children and their nannies.  One would think with that experience that I would refrain from having children but I longed for my own. So, needless to say I was quite sure that within 9 months of getting married I would be holding a baby in my arms.

The Universe had other ideas. It took me 9 long years before I got pregnant. With much heartache and longing, disappointments and tears during this time.  9 years is a long time to wait for anything but I knew in my heart I was supposed to be a mother. And then all of a sudden I was pregnant, and with all the dramas of one who has yearned for a baby I had them all. But then my most gorgeous gift from the Universe was born.

I relished the time I was pregnant, in awe of what was going on within my body. And I had cravings for chocolate ! And most of all cravings for Chocolate frosted donuts from Dunkin Donuts ! I used to devour a dozen at a time ! I put on so much weight but it was akin to being addicted.  I would shake until I ate it !

Kryssy was born by C Section.  Luckily it was so.  I was not so much into 'must have a natural birth'  and by the time the doctor suggested surgery, I really didn't care how they got her out.  She was 11 lbs 4 oz !!! Luckily, I had surgery.   She was a gorgeous baby and so easy to take care of.

She grew upto be a caring and loving human being. She learnt a lot of things the hard way through me, with me being a single mother and then having relationships that broke down etc. But she has come out of that understanding that everything doesn't go right all of the time in life and how to pick yourself up and push through the hard times to come out the other end.  She is a beautiful human being and I am in awe when I look at her, listen to her speak and everything about her.  That I could have given birth to this special lady.

So, now, she is married and they are on their honeymoon in Bali.  She arranged the wedding all by herself with little input by me and it was even harder because I live in another state from her. She is so organised that there was nothing at all in the day that I could have said 'we should have done this differently'.  Everything ran like clockwork and so smoothly.

Need I say that she looked breathtaking ? That Michael is a very lucky young man to have such a loving, loyal and gorgeous lady by his side for the rest of his life.

I still can't get back to the swing of things since coming home from the wedding.  I had a glorious one week with her before she got married. And loved being part of the last minute preparations. But such an anti-climax coming home. To the quiet, the no family, the no hustle bustle, the no friends... Don't get me wrong, it is peaceful, it is breathtaking here and this is the place that my husband is the most comfortable, but I still miss everything that I have left behind. It seems more so on my return this time. I can't seem to shake the depression, the sadness....

But, my girl is married and will live happily ever after.  I await the news of her being pregnant in silent thought, the joy of being a grandmother.. Could it be more joyful than being a mother I wonder...

All things medical

As requested I called the skin specialist's office today.  Well, I couldn't believe my luck when the lady said the doctor will see Victor on the 20th of November ! Not even a 'can you' 'do you mind' 'is that ok with you' !

Well, I guess I can't complain. This was the result that I wanted.  We can now go in peace to my daughter's wedding next week and knowing that when we come back we will see an end to these BCC.

Here's hoping....

Medical Facilities

My husband has got really light skin.  Therefore, he has to be careful all the time when he goes out in the sun. In Brisbane it was not unusual to take care, but in Tasmania when the sun hardly comes out it is easy to forget.  But he is a stickler and he always covers up.  But it seems it hasn't helped.

Every 6 months Victor gets a mole scan done.  The last one was done in August last year whilst we were on a visit to Brisbane. And since then he kept getting skin lesions. And abnormal looking skin.

I might have mentioned before this that he is a very stoic man who thinks that making a fuss is not on.  Therefore, when I saw these skin lesions and wanted him to see a doctor the first answer was a resounding 'no'.

I am dark skinned therefore, I do not have the experience of anyone having these skin lesions, having to go and get mole scans done etc. So, at first I listened to him, but it looked like it was changing and therefore to get him to see a doctor I had to throw a bit of a tantrum.  We went to the doctors. The first one was on his arm which was duly excised and sent away to the laboratory for testing. The results came back saying it was a  Basal-cell_carcinoma but that it was all removed.  Sigh of relief.

Then I noticed there was a skin change on the top of his head.  He always wears a hat. How can he get something on the top of his head ? Well, it was taken out and I was a nervous wreck. Mainly, because it was on his head. Yes, I know, they won't go into his brain but after his accident, I am paranoid. The doctor is very good. He cut 4mm across and 1mm deep and again sent away to the laboratory.  It came back saying that it too was a Basal-cell-carcinoma and that they hadn't got it all.  In the meantime another lesion was growing on his head.  Whats with white people and the sun I ask you ??  So the new one was cut out, waiting for two weeks for it to heal and then went back to the old one again.   The second one was a BCC as well.  So, on to try and clear the first one again, this time going 11mm across. Sent away again to the laboratory.  Unfortunately, they still haven't got it all.

So, now we have to go to a skin specialist.  The medical and hospital system in Tasmania is really not very good.  There are hardly any doctors and no beds in hospitals. My sister in law was in Emergency for 4 days and was sent home because they couldn't find a bed for her. And she had a heart condition.

I called the skin specialist on Monday, the receptionist said, well the doctor has the referral call tomorrow.  I called on Tuesday. I was told 'the doctor has the referrals on his desk, there are quite a few there you will have to call on Friday'.  I tried to explain to her that I didn't want to wait till Friday. I wanted an appointment as soon as possible.  Yes, I am paranoid, yes, I think my problem is greater than anyone elses but I think we all do this ?   She then very calmly informs me that his next available appointment is June next year ! What the hell ?  But apparently, that is why the doctor looks at the referrals and then decides if it is important or not.

I wonder how he works it out ? I read the referral. All it says is the basic information. How can he decide whether this BCC is going to turn for the worse without even seeing the patient.

Sometimes, I really wish we were back in Brisbane.  Tomorrow is Friday. I will call and see whether we can get an appointment with him earlier than June next year. If not I am going to look for another skin specialist even if we have to go interstate !

It was all because of a cat !

It all started with me wanting a cat !  We have moved to Tasmania because my husband always wanted to be here. He had a freak accident where he fell off his bike onto a star picket which went through his eye into his brain. He was supposed to die that day in 2009 but he is a very strong willed and stoic man and not only lived through that, he is walking, talking and ‘looks’ quite well to the unknown.

A miracle, yes ! the doctors said at best he would be a vegetable needing full nursing care.  But we (read I) have problems with his brain injury. HE doesn’t think there is anything wrong with him, which is great, BUT because of this, he doesn't know, can’t remember how much I really do for him.

After his accident I was a bit dubious about moving so far away from family and friends, but this had been his dream, I still hesitated, afraid and then he started to have seizures. I had never seen a seizure before and I found him after he had one.

I promised myself that if he came out of this(I thought it was a stroke and so did the ambulance guys) I would move to Tasmania with him so at least he can be happy. Life is too short !

Well with all the stuff that I have to deal with, and me missing my friends and kids over here, (he is quite happy to stay home and plod along and feels safe in this environment) I thought it would be nice to have a cat.  So I researched and found a breed that I would like, discussed it with my husband and found a breeder.

I wanted an older cat. I didn't want to deal with a kitten. I found two lovely breeders who had two cats that had finished breeding only two years old that they were willing to give me at a really good price. As soon as I mentioned this to him, he went off, he told me I wasn't being responsible because I ‘flit’ off to Brisbane.

The funny thing is I DO NOT ‘flit’ off, as a matter of fact I have not left his side except once in this whole time. When we go to Brisbane it is for doctor's visits for him, and I did ‘flit’ off once a few weeks ago to go wedding dress shopping with my daughter! But I think he felt insecure because I wasn't here. The thing is the words ‘not being responsible’ hit a cord.

It goes back to when I was 5 and I was responsible for one sibling and then as the years went along 3 siblings, I was a single mother of two beautiful children, I was responsible for them not getting help from their father, I was responsible for my mother when my father died, I feel responsible for my brother who doesn't have a job and has 3 children and now I am responsible for my husband.

It was quite like someone flicked a switch. I went into the shower after this conversation and it was almost exploding my brain, I started to cry, and sobbed and sobbed for a good 20 minutes.   I HAD been responsible all my life for one thing or another and never acknowledged for it ! I was sobbing so much I thought I was going to be sick. I came out of the shower and HAD to get out of the house.

The weather here is horrid, it was raining sideways and the wind was blowing, but get out I did. I think I surprised my husband that I wanted to go out, but I said in no uncertain terms that I needed to get out. I walked and walked and cried and cried. But came back home, calmer and also wondering about something Jon Gabriel had mentioned on the webinare that sometimes it is a ‘cord’ that needs to be struck for you to have a good cry about something deep inside you which turns off a fat trigger!!! Can’t tell you for sure whether that is what it is, but I have been walking 5km a day and feel like I have ‘shifted’. I am still struggling with the responsibility issues.

I discussed with my husband what he said to me, and how I felt, he apologised and I know he felt bad. The upside is I have since got a cat, I think it will be good for him as much as it will be good for me.

Travels

More hospital visits tomorrow at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital .  We fly out at 6am, which means that we have to leave home at least by 5am to get to the airport in time. The first appointment is 1/2hr after we land.  Here is hoping that flight does not get delayed !  We are only taking hand luggage with us because it is such a short stay. So, seriously, it shouldn't take us long to get out of the airport and into the car.  Our friends will whizz us straight to the hospital.

I read today that we are only allowed 7kg on Virgin Blue airline we are flying with them to get over there, however Jetstar allows us 10kg. I wonder why the difference in weight ?

These hospital visits have cost us a fortune, with the flying back and forth. Luckily we don't have to pay for accommodation. We have good friends and of course the kids are there as well. Victor seems to like to stay at our friend's house more.  We have the whole downstairs to ourselves and it is quiet.  After the accident Victor gets really stressed and agitated with too much noise and hustle bustle, a part of the brain injury.   I can't remember him being like this before. When we stay at the kid's houses you get the loud music and young adults doing what young adults do. Not the quiet you eventually want and need and appreciate as older adults !  Funny how your needs quietly change without you even knowing it.

I think that is why we just love coming back home.  It is so quiet here and we don't hear any traffic either. The loudest thing we hear are the birds, the wind chime or if the kids next door get into trouble ! But even the kids next door we hardly hear because their house is on the side of the house where our toilets and laundry are.

We have to water and tend the garden for the few days that we are away.  If it doesn't rain we might come home to a 'dead' garden and then I won't be happy.

The garden at the end of winter. Barely see the plants with no leaves.

We come home to a full house  again, and the family for lunch the following day. It will be lovely. Can't wait to come home.

Flower Show

We went today to a the Westbury Flower Show held by the Westbury Garden Club.  I have heard of these shows but never really gone to them although I have always loved flowers.

Early this week when I went to the Longford Garden Club meeting with my sister in law Leonie, they did have a table where the members can bring a bloom or two and get judged.  And there were some beautiful blooms there too.  Todays show was amazing.  The people who received prizes definitely earned them, the flowers were just amazing.

I was so inspired that I joined the Westbury Garden Club.  Westbury is approximately 16km from Deloraine and the meetings are every third Monday night.  It shouldn't be too bad in the summer, but not so sure how it would be in the dead of Winter !  By 7.30pm it is normally pretty cold.  Oh well... I even put Victor's name down as a member.  It will be good for him to come with me and get involved.

Since Victor's accident, one of the issues with the Brain Injury in the frontal lobe is no motivation.  I have a constant battle with that, but once he "gets it" he is fine until it takes over again and I have to prod again. I am hoping that the garden club will motivate him into helping me design our garden and take some interest in the garden more than he does now.

Another twist to the tale is as soon as I walked in there was this lady who was selling raffles tickets at the entrance.  I looked at her and thought I know you from somewhere.  But really ! How could I know anyone here in Tasmania?  I have barely socialised. But then when I got closer to her I told her that I thought I knew her, and she said that she thought she recognized me too and then I read her name tag I could not believe my eyes.  She was my daughter Krystina's kindergarten teacher in Melbourne ! That was 1989 !!! She lives in Westbury now and is in the garden club. How lovely I will know someone when I go along !

Bi Colour Hybrid Tea

Gladioli

Dhalia (?)

Won the best Begonia in a pot.

Dhalia

It was bigger than a dinner plate, I haven't done it justice

3 flowers of one variety - Clematis

Bold flower arrangement

Chinese Lanterns in the bold flower arrangement

Rose with 5 petals.  Just perfection.

Image via WikipediaToday is one of those days that you just want to curl up and read a book. It is cold outside (yes it is still summer here!) the weather man says it is low of 8 degrees Celsius and a high of 15.  I don't believe it got to the high. 

Victor's daughter and family left for their seaside holiday and we see them again next week when they will stay with us for a few days at the end of their trip to Tasmania.  They are planning on going to Bicheno, Binnalong Bay and also Cradle Mountain.  All of these places are just beautiful.



I had forgotten how full on two little kids can be. And how charming they can be.  The 4 year old little girl is a treat and she is such a girl and so charming, well behaved and well spoken. The 2 year old little boy is much the same and loves to be kissed and cuddled.  What joy.  I just love children and they were such a joy.

So, after they left, I just sat around, did some knitting, I read a bit, I am looking into making sour dough bread and also looked at some jam and chutney recipes. What can I say, I am a Gemini and have my finger in many pots....

Tomorrow I have much to do, loads of washing and will wait for the next lot of visitors on Sunday.  I just love company.

Food n Stuff

Victor's daughter, husband and two beautiful children have come to stay with us for a few days. We had the rest of the family over for lunch.

Yesterday we went to Sheffield and then had to go to a garden club meeting so I didn't get to do the marinade for the lamb until about 11pm last night.  By the time Victor and I got it all done it was past midnight.  There was so much to do today before everyone arrived at noon.  Although I set the alarm for 6am I really couldn't make myself get out of bed. 

Once I got myself out of bed at 7am, I went at a 100 miles an hour !. I had the salads all ready, I was making a few of things I hadn't made before.  The BBQ butterflied lamb with Cumin, Rosemary, lemon zest and lemon juice,  BBQ beans with Marjoram, Mint and Thyme, which  then had a dressing of lime and brown sugar.  I think it came out quite well.  The other thing I made was the dessert.  It was called Chocolate and Berry Pavlova Cake.

I was somewhat happy with the outcome, although I would like it to have been a bit more perfect.  I can always try it again I guess.  Here are some pictures of each step of the dessert.

Pavlova

Chocolate Ganache layer

 Lattice work

  It was 78cm long !

  Whipped cream over the whole Pavlova

The chocolate trellis work

 Done !

Sheffield

Today we went to Sheffield.  I have been searching for a Women's Health doctor close to home, and at last found one 35km away.  I like the way they look at how to look after you rather than what the normal GP does.  Don't get me wrong. I like my GP and go to him when I need to. But for general well being, for my hormone replacement etc I have found these doctors look outside the square.

I have been attending a Women's Health doctor in Brisbane and she was great. I have never felt better and feel about 30 years younger than I really am. Sometimes, though my body does protest !

Sheffield is in the Mt Roland area and is promoted as the 'Town of Murals'.  The first mural was painted I believe in 1986.  Since then there are murals that are scattered throughout the town, on walls, on buildings etc of various sceneries and history.They actually have a competition each year around April I believe, which is a big event where people from all over come and draw murals.

 Mt Roland in the background

A few years ago before Victor's accident we looked at some houses in this area but although it is a lovely area I think I love Deloraine better.  

Winds

The winds picked up here yesterday and got to about 30km and above by nightfall.  The rain quickly followed during the day, firstly a steady stream and then the heavens opened.

It was good for the garden and for us, so that we didn't need to put in the two hours of watering that is required.. But, I watched helplessly as the wind blew the rose bushes hither and dither.

Today, the weather itself is a bit better, no rain, but plenty of clouds around. But the wind seems to have gathered momentum and keeps on blowing.

I walked around the garden this morning just to check whether there was any damage. There doesn't seem to be, but again, I am worried about the roses.  I practically got blown back into the house when I came in to get a pair of scissors so that I can cut some roses and bring them in rather than lose them to the wind.

Some roses have already been damaged but I thought by bringing them in, the perfume will fill the air and at least we can enjoy it a little longer.

Here are some of the roses I have picked.

I need to tie down the rambling roses soon, but I think I might leave it for another day.....

Back home again

We are back home after 3 hectic days. 

Victor had a doctors visit in Brisbane at the hospital. We left here on Thursday afternoon and arrived at 6pm.  My son and his girlfriend picked us up.  It is always lovely to see them.  We had nothing to do that night except for buying a few groceries, because the kids wanted me to cook dinner so we could have a family dinner at my daughter's house where we were staying.

My son wanted me to cook chicken giblets.  A Sri Lankan dish.  My sister in law had made it for him on one of his visits to Sri Lanka and I had promised to make it for him and never had the chance prior to our moving to Tasmania. He had already purchased the giblets for me from a shop that sells just chicken and all it's parts. It was quite cheap actually around $3.99 per kg.

We had to stop at his house to pick some mail etc and he was going to take us to do the grocery shop and then drop us off at my daughter's house.  She had gone to play netball and her fiancee had gone to play football. So there was no rush to get there.

We had done our grocery shop - I had made up a menu on the plane so I knew what I needed, and were half way to my daughter's house when we realised we had left the giblets back at my son's house. So, Jason very kindly offered to pick us up from the hospital next day.

Victor only had one scheduled appointment on Friday, however, we had also been asked to get CT scan of his eye socket and I had a request form for that. I had called the Xray dept at the hospital prior to us leaving Tasmania a few days earlier and they had mentioned that we didn't need to make an appointment but just to turn up. So, we decided his Eye surgeon's appointment was at 2.30pm and that we be at the Xray department before 12.  We arrived about 11.30am to be told, that we had been given the wrong information and that we MUST have an appointment.  We didn't have time to waste we were leaving Brisbane on Saturday. I explained this to the lady and she was very kind and managed to get the scan done.  We had finished by 12.45pm.  We went down to the cafeteria because we had ample time before the Dr's appointment which a pre-op appt and had lunch. 

By 1.45.pm we were at the Eye clinic.  In amongst the paperwork they had given us there was a cardiology appt.  But nothing was ticked as to what tests needed to be done, so I assumed it was going to be done later.  No the lady said, go down to level 3 now and get an ECG done. Right !

Off we went to get the ECG.  The receptionist assured us that we would be done by 2.30pm.  Victor was taken in promptly, and I sat outside waiting for him. It seemed ages since he went in, and many people who were taken after him, had already come back out.  Now it was 3pm and he was still not out ! I asked the man who was walking around where Victor was and he said, 'oh, he went out over 1/2hr ago' !!!!  I was horrified.  One of the side effects - if that's what you can call it to his brain injury is short term memory loss. I had visions of trying to find him in that big hospital. Where could he have gone, he would have had to walk right past me. Surely, he would have seen me ? Surely, I would have seen him.

The man came back and walked around and came back to tell me that Victor was sitting at reception.  He had forgotten where I was seated, but sat in the front waiting room thinking that, that was where he had left me, and thought I had gone 'walk about' !

We rushed to the Eye clinic, only to find, that we didn't have a doctor's appointment it was just a pre-op appointment. UGH !  We went through the whole detail of the operation, the pros the cons, the dos and the don'ts with the nurse. Then we had to see one of the registrars.  By this time it was after 4pm. Feeling really tired, exhausted and starting to get a bit weary of the day, we were told we also had to see the Anaesthetist, and also get some blood tests done. 

The nurse was lovely and managed to get us an appointment with the anaesthetist on our next hospital visit later this month.  But they still couldn't give us a 'date' for the operation.  I am worried because Victor's daughter gets married on the 2nd of March, I need him well so he can walk her down the aisle.  They mentioned the 28th of February and then mentioned the 8th of March for dates for the operation. Nothing definite. I am to call the hospital on Monday to check.

It was 5.30pm by the time we saw the registrar and left the eye clinic. Jason picked us up, armed with the giblets and we rushed off to my daughters so I could start cooking. Victor's daughter had come to Brisbane for a wedding dress fitting so she was able to come to the family dinner and so was my friend Joan who used to come every week to our family dinners when we lived in Brisbane.

Here is a picture of the chicken giblet salad that I made.  It tasted quite good for a first time effort.

Heartache

 Charles De Gaulle

I love my roses.  I pour over books every opportunity I get to see how I can grow more, what sort to buy, what colours, what plants to plant alongside them. Which is the best way to display a particular type of rose.

Since moving to Tasmania, my love for roses have grown. I also have the beautiful weather here to help with the roses.  Back in Brisbane the humidity and the hot weather is not really conducive to growing roses.  It can be done, but there is a lot of effort required and they are susceptible to disease because of the humidity and heat.

Since being here, I have planted a few roses and look forward to growing more... except.... today!

It has been very hot here the last week or so.  Not according to the temperature. Maximum of 26 degrees Celsius is really not that hot. But today, it was lovely, a little breeze and showers.  A welcome respite I thought.  I will clean up my closet.  I was successful. The closet looks neat and tidy.  I also got rid of a whole bag of clothes.

BUT, I came out of the closet at noon, the rain was pouring down and the winds were howling at about 30km an hour.  No great shakes I thought, until I looked out of the study window to find my most favourite rose 'Charles De Gaulle' had broken a branch and was lying on the grass!

I was devastated to say the least.  I had been watching dear Charles for the last few days and it had burst forth with several buds and now this!

I waited till the rain eased and went out with my secateurs and sadly cut off the branch that had been ripped off the tree and brought it in.  I counted the buds 16 !!! all on this branch that fell.  What an absolute shame.  It has saddened me.

The fallen branch

So many buds

Onions

I grew some onions in the vegetable patch.  I bought a punnet of seedlings and there seemed to be like 100s of seedlings in the punnet.  I actually got tired of planting them and with such little wispy plants couldn't see the need to plant it as far as I was instructed. However, I kinda followed the instructions - note I said 'kinda' and planted as many as my poor aching back allowed me to.

I was exited to see them grown really well though, even though the frost had a go at it as well they still soldiered on. I harvested the onions about 10 days ago.  I put them to dry and today I braided the strands so I can hang it up in my larder.

I thought it was going to be easy. Victor said to me, 'do you think you will be alright'? I scoffed.  Of course I will be alright ! I have always had long hair, always braided my hair, how hard can it be ? Wrong !

I did braid it, but I know I should have at least googled it, you tubed it, something at least because I am sure there must be another way.  The garlic and onion you see in the markets are all so neat.  Victor very politely said I will get better as I go along. Such a nice man !

Here is my effort for you to comment !

Weather

Originally coming from Sri Lanka and having lived in Brisbane for the last 16 years one would think I am used to hot weather.  Incorrect !

Currently, the weather here in Tasmania is roughly an average of about 26 degrees Celsius.  But it is a very dry heat.  And this heat actually 'burns' you. 

I find it drains me, and it really and truly is like a burn.  Apparently, it is because the weather is much cleaner here and therefore, the heat is 'different' to what you get in Brisbane.  26 degrees in Brisbane is pleasant. But it does get humid there and uncomfortably so.


One the reasons Victor said he wanted to move to Tasmania was for the weather. When it was cold I was so cold I yearned for Brisbane's mild Winters.  And looked forward in anticipation for the summer.  The summer is here alright with a vengeance.  But I am not sure whether I prefer it to the Winter now !

There is never pleasing some people is there ?

My mentor and my inspiration

Today is my dad's birthday.  He has been gone now for over 26 years.  But I remember every single lesson he taught me and still draw on his teachings and his thirst to do well, his social demeanour and his ability to make friends with anyone in any walk of life.  His generosity to others less well off than him and his music style.

He was a vibrant man that never said he can't do something.  He was an entrepreneur and a definitely a man ahead of his time. He came from a background that was not at all well to do by Sri Lankan standards.  The family had a lot of properties but they were not considered wealthy.  I think he might have passed his grade 10 exams but didn't go further.

However, he was 'accepted' by my maternal grandfather to marry my mother because he came from a 'good sinhalese background  and he was a Buddhist'.  My maternal grandparents were a well off family and didn't have to do without.

After my parents got married they lived with my maternal grandparents, my dad was working in an advertising firm, and before I was two, decided that he needed to pursue further studies and set off to England.  My mother and I followed him by ship.  My very first recollection as a child is arriving in London and not knowing my father when he came on board the ship to pick us up. I refused to talk to him.

I don't think I was much older when he taught me the first lesson that I remember.  We were renting a flat  in a house, the landlady who was Italian who was also my babysitter had instructed me that IF my parents ever asked me to do any chores I was to come down to her and she will come and do it for me.  So, my dad asked me to do something, and I ran down the stairs and called on my ali.  Duly she came up and asked what she can do for my dad.  My dad was a man of few words when he was angry.  He thanked her and once she left he walked without a word to the broom closet.  In there was an 'Ekle broom' that my mother had brought from Sri Lanka. Not really sure why, but we had one. Looked similar to the picture below.

They are made out of the ekel that comes from in between the leaves of the coconut tree.

The palm or branch has many leaves on either side of it as you see.  In between there is a fine hard stem.  In many Asian countries they use this stick or Ekel to make brooms, similar to the one above and also another to use outdoors on the sand. We had one that looked similar to the picture above.

He very quietly took 2 Ekels from the broom and very very slowly wrapped a thread around it to keep it together.  All this without one word to either my mother or I.  I really thought I had got away with the episode, until he called me.

He told me, that I must NEVER EVER tell anyone our business and I MUST NEVER EVER tell anyone else's business to another. He asked me to put my hand out. It was my right hand that I put out, and he smacked it twice.  It wasn't hard, but I was really upset because he had gotten angry with me. I went to bed crying. But the impact on the couple of minutes was life long.  I never ever discuss our family business outside, and I never ever discuss anyone else's business.

I have taught my children this lesson.  Not quite in the same way as my dad did.  But I believe they too have learnt that lesson.

Success

Well I had a go at the Apricot Jam today.  I was successful and also learnt a few things.

Yesterday, I cut up all the fruit and layered it with sugar and put it aside overnight.  This morning after our walk I decided to make the jam.  Following instructions given to me, I added water and orange juice to the Apricots and added more sugar.  I had to put the Apricots in a big baking dish so that it would fit. Funnily I didn't have a pot that would accommodate all the Apricots !

It had to come to the boil and then cook at that temperature for 20 minutes. First lesson, never leave the pot when you are making jam.  It boiled and overflowed all this sugary syrup all over my stove, over the stove and onto the floor.  Everything was sticky! 

I reduced the heat and then stood over the stove until it was time to put the jamsetta.  The jam didn't seem to be setting. On reading the instructions they advise you not to cook more than 1.5kg of jam at  a time. That was my second lesson. I was cooking 5kg. Not having made Apricot jam before, I really should have listened to the experts.  I added another packet of jamsetta, and cooked some more. It 'seemed' to be setting, after 3 different 'setting' tests. So,  I gave it another 10 minutes off the heat and bottled them. 

Victor said it taste 'good'. I think it tastes too sweet but nice, especially since there are chunky bits of Apricots in there as well.

The bottles are various shapes and sizes.  We have a store called 'Chickenfeed' over here, which is much like Crazy Clarkes in Queensland and the Dollar Stores in the States.  They were selling gorgeous bottles for Jam and they were $7 for 14 bottles.  But of course I didn't buy them.  I went to buy some yesterday and they were all out ! There is another lesson.Always buy stuff like that when you see it and not have after thoughts about it a week later.  Too late.

All bottled and store for the winter ! :-)  Success indeed !

Temptations

A few days ago I was talking about feeling remorse for not having bought Apricots at the market.  We have a lovely organic green grocer in the town centre and he had some lovely Apricots to make jam. I spotted them on our walk this morning and asked him to hold it for me.  I couldn't see myself or Victor lugging 5kg of Apricots on our 5km walk!

I picked them up later in the day and found the green grocer's wife at the back of the counter this time.  And mentioned to her that I was making Apricot jam for the first time.  She was instantly alert and helpful.  She gave me her grandmother's recipe and all the hints that go with it. What a lovely surprise.

Armed with my new found knowledge I ventured to the supermarket to buy 'Jam setting sugar'.  Forgot! This is a little country town and they don't 'need' jam setting sugar. The ladies here use 'normal' sugar and pectin ! Baha !  BUT, the helpful lady in the supermarket suggested 'jam setter'.  Never heard of it, but I bought some anyway.

My friendly neighbour dropped by today armed with heaps of plants and cuttings for me from her garden.  Such a lovely generous soul. She ran back to her house and returned with 3 recipes to make Apricot jam and instructed me to use the whole packet of 'jam setter'. 

I have prepared my Apricots. Tomorrow you will know better.....

Diets can only be started on Mondays !

Well, thats what I am saying and I am sticking to it.  I am so tired to have to constantly and I mean constantly watch every morsel that I put in my mouth !

In the course of the last 18 months I have lost a total of 30kg. Nice. BUT, as I said I have to watch every single morsel, if I don't, it shows instantly and I mean instantly on the scales !  Just before Christmas I was down to where I wanted to be but knew without a doubt with visitors and Christmas there was no hope.  So, from the 23rd December to 3 January I put on 4kg. How do you do that ??? So, I started my diet yet again trying to lose these 4kgs that I put on without too much effort - well you know what I mean...... it took me till the 16th January to lose 3kg.  Then Victor went camping. So the 'normal' person would have persisted but no that was too easy for me, I had to go on an eating spree because I could. It is not that Victor even tells me I am fat, or bothers with what I eat.

I had pizza one day, had a toasted sandwich and an iced coffee when I went shopping one day, had some cereal for breakfast one day and bagels another and some BBQ chicken on a roll with coleslaw another day. That was all of 2 days. I put on 2 kg !  How do you do that ????  Simple - Bloody Carbs !

So I weighed myself this morning, and looked at the scales in utter disgust ! I was going back on the diet today. I usually have an Atkins bar for breakfast which I did.  I walk 5kms most days plus of course all the gardening & housework. So, Victor and I went for a walk and to pick up the Sunday papers and decided to have a coffee in the coffee shop.  Usually, I don't have anything to eat, just a long black and Victor usually has something to eat and I watch and it doesn't concern me. But today, I thought, forget the diet I am going to have my most favourite snack. And had this with my long black.

French Vanilla slice. 

The most salacious, morsel you could ever put in your mouth. I will start my diet tomorrow.

Market to market

Westbury which is approximately 15km or so from our house has a market every 1st & 3rd Saturday.  We had never been to it so we set off this morning.

It is a little market with mostly home grown vegetables, potted plants, crafts and jams and preserves.  Although it was just a few stalls they were interesting and the stall holders quite willing to talk to you about their produce.  I love talking to them, because they have a wealth of information that you really can't glean from books.

We purchased some spring bulbs from a lady, she had over 30 mixed bulbs in bags for $4.  Amazing, I bought two bags and will plant them under the Silver Birch trees.

We then drove through Westbury. It is a quiet sleepy town with wide streets and lots of old trees.  I spotted a sign with Hay for sale.  I have been wanting to get some Hay to put under the Tomato plant that grows along the ground.  It has so many fruits on it at the moment and I am worried that the soil will damage the fruit.

What an interesting exercise that was.  The man selling Hay had a fantastic vege patch.  He was quite happy to answer all my amateur questions and whilst walking around the garden bed I spotted the biggest, the largest Zucchini I have EVER seen in my life !

I have of course created another job for myself because now the car boot is full of residue from the Hay bale. Best go wash and vacuum the car I guesss.

Crab Apples and Roses

Today is a beautiful day. It has been overcast for most of the morning but yet lovely and a warm 23 degrees high today and no wind.  Wind is a big thing in these  parts.

So left to my own devices on my last day (Victor comes home from camping today) I decided to venture into the garden and look at what I can do with the Crab Apples.

Firstly, a bit of background why we have Crab Apples in the garden because  we put 15 plants in. And it is only for their ornamental value.  I couldn't see myself picking these tiny little fruit and ending up with maybe 1/2 cup of Crab Apple Jelly !  But, there was a method to my madness.  They have a beautiful show at the beginning of Spring and they bring all the Bumble Bees into the garden.  Such a beautiful sight.  But that was not my ulterior motive either. I had a horrid fence that I was trying to cover. The driveway alone is over 40 meters long and this fence runs the length of it.  I needed to do something.

My brother in law suggested Crab Apples. The nursery man suggested these trees because I was only thinking of fast growing, ornamental. I was not interested in the fruit. So, Victor with the help of his brother dug the holes and planted the 15 trees.

I was going to espalier  them.  We bought them bare rooted (much cheaper) and as you can see I used, pegs, a cloth string that you can buy from nurseries much like stocking strips, and with nails into the fence.  This was tedious and not a very good way of doing it because I could only nail on the cross bars.  The picture above is when they first started to bloom this spring.

Since then we visited the Hobart Botanical gardens and saw how they had Espaliered some apple trees and they had used stones to bend the branches over. So I used that method when I came home to manipulate the branches. I had to be careful not to break the branches and not to kill the new growth by too much fiddling around with them etc.

Victor and his son put up some fencing wire along the fence.  This made it so much easier to manipulate the brances as well. And I use wooden pegs, and plant wire to tie them to the wire.  I always wonder whether I am doing it right. I have never done this before. But the plants are alive and they are travelling the way I want them to as much as possible, so I am being appeased.  They always have the upper hand !

Note the bending that I have manipulated on the top branch. It was reaching for the sky !

Another tree with the branches moved to the left.

Having originally saying I didn't care about Crab apples themselves. I am sorry now that I cannot make that 1/2 a cup of Crab Apple jelly !

On the left of the driveway we planted climbing roses.  The Crab Apples flowers in Spring. The roses pick up from there and hopefully go all the way through to Winter. We have grown alternate White Iceberg and Dublin Bay Red. We also had poles put up and wire strung so that this climbers could be manipulated across the wires to hide the other fence and also to make a wall of roses. We bought them bare rooted in June last year and they had a good show this year already.