It's a lovely day today, and whatever you'd like to do....I really should be doing it with you...

Good Morning All!!

This will just be a short post, so that I can get the last one off our screens.

It is a lovely crisp day up here in Muggleland. It will be so all day. I'm taking on one of my resi's out for coffee this morning, so a sit in the sunshine will be good for our souls..and our bones. We all need 10mins of sunlight each day to combat the nasty old osteoporosis. Some of us do it while walking, some of us do it on one arm ot the backs of our hands in the car while driving or during time spent in the garden. Some of us even manage to soak it up on a beach. Or others like me, manage to absorb all the sunlight that their body needs, and more, by hanging out the wet washing on the line, then taking it all in........

One thing's for sure, I didn't get any rays of sunlight while watching Vegeboy play football at Kerri Kurri on Monday night. It was a spiteful game, lacking in sportsmanship, mainly on behalf of the opposing team, Cessnock. Unfortunately, at times, our boys returned in kind. It's hard to expect players to play fair when their coach screams at them to "GET OUT THERE AND SMASH THEM!!!!!!!!" or "TRASH THAT NUMBER 13!!!!!!!" . At least that wasn't our coach....... The poor ref had a hard time maintaining control. We won the game, 12 - 8. I was relieved when that hooter sounded, let me tell you.

Anyhoo, that's all for now. I'd better get off to work!

Have a great day ;0)

So close to home.........

Good Morning Bloggers.

The weekend came and went in a hurry, as usual.


Saturday morning saw us at the football in Muswellbrook, playing a game against the nearest local team, Singleton. These boys were all over us in the first half, but we clawed our way back to a 20-all draw at the sound of the finishing hooter. Great effort boys!!!! Tonight we travel to Kurri Kurri to play against Cessnock, a game that was postponed due to representative committments for a lot of the boys a couple of weeks ago. It will be interesting to seehow they go; our boys have never played under lights before. And it will be cold, of that I'm sure....brrrr. Meat pies all round for tea, I suppose........


Saturday night, our across the road neighbours, Ron and Gail, came over for a barbecue. They bought their 14 yr old daughter, Rhianna, with them. Gail was wired as tight as a drum, as things have been very difficult with Rhianna lately... she just couldn't relax, and was sooo tired. She recently lost her father after his battle with asbestosis, and things are just becoming too hard for her at the moment. Added to this is the moving of her first-born son to Newcastle. She is missing him dreadfully. The poor darlin is struggling, and we were supposed to go out for a coffee on Sunday, but we didn't. We still had a good talk, which was all she really wanted anyway. I suggested that it was time for some professional intervention, which she agreed was needed, but actually walking the path to organise this seems so difficult at the moment. Rhianna is a lovely kid, by the way, but there are problems that need working through. And it is heart-rending to see Gail feeling the way she does. So, some loving support and nudging will be provided by the Blogmuggle.
In spite of this, we had an enjoyable evening. Gail is a wonderful cook, and provided an impossible pie for dessert........ mmmmmmmmm



A warning now;

Stop reading now if you're not prepared for some sadness on this Monday morning. The content may cause distress to some........



Beloved and Scorpaboy arose early to leave for Sydney to ride at a bike meeting as planned. I received a kiss goodbye, and a hooroo from the boy, then snuggled back down into my doona, with Moe the tabby cat for company. And extra warmth. It was about 6am, I guess. Beloved forgot to fuel the car up in Muswellbrook on Saturday, so they had to stop at the local service station on the way. As they were filling the car with petrol, Jeff, who lives in the caravan park across the road, drove past on his way to work.



As I've mentioned before, the roads leading to our hamlet travel through mostly vineyards and horsestuds. For those in the know, the famous racehorses, Octagonal and his son, Lohnro, reside at one of them. This country is lush and green, even in this time of severe draught. It is a delight to drive through. But not for Beloved and Scorpaboy on this particular Sunday. I heard footsteps some time later, and assumed it was Vegeboy. I called out to him, and Beloved walked through the door, ashen-faced. "It's not Rhys, it's me", he said. He didn't look at me. He just climbed into bed with me and lay on his back, trying to collect his thoughts. I took his hand, and this is what he told me.


As they drove past the horse studs and across the Hunter river again, they slowed as they noticed hazard lights flashing on a car on the side of the road ahead. And skidmarks in the lush green grass of the table drain. And Jeff flagging them down. As they pulled over, they saw why. On the other side of the road, was a small silver sedan that had taken on a tree, and lost. It was mangled and folded, but it's hazard lights were flashing. Poor Jeff was talking to the police on his mobile phone. He'd already been over to the car. Beloved walked back over the road with him. Jeff, shocked and confused, was trying to relay details to the voice on the other end of the phone, who was persistent in their requests. The driver's side of the car, which was not wedged against the tree, appeared empty........ because the young female driver was on the passenger side of the car. And she had died. The police wanted to know if there were others in the car with her. It was impossible to tell.... and there is no way that they would have survived. A security guard from the stud arrived, who knew the driver, the poor man. And he told Beloved and Jeff that she had a three-year old daughter.... so they had to try to see if she was with her mum. Which was nigh on impossible.



The security guy said that she hadn't been to work, but Beloved said that she was dressed against the cold; beanie, warm jacket and pants. And boots. She lived with her parents about 500m up the road from the accident site; it looked as if she was on her way home. The security guy went to see her family, and was dreading it. He returned with the news that the little girl was at home with her grandparents. And also that grandad wasn't home, so he hadn't been told. Finally, the police arrived, and after questioning, Beloved and Scorpaboy were allowed to leave. Poor Jeff was still talking to the police when they left. It was 7.30am. Jeff wasn't going to work, and my boys decided that it just wasn't a good idea to drive for three hours feeling the way that they did.



After telling me, we talked for a short while, and I asked where Jack was. Beloved said that he was in his room. As I arose to see him, Beloved took in my naked state, and commented that viewing me in my nature suit might shock Jack into thinking of something else other than the accident...... Thank goodness for humour... How else would we survive?



Jack was playing a soccer game on his X-box, looking pale and teary. But he refused to be drawn into talking; "What's the point?" was his reply. He did agree with me, however, that no movie or computer, or x-box game can ever prepare or compare to the real thing. So, he's filed his visions away his head........ hopefully, he can deal with them in his own time and space.



Beloved had moved onto his favourite lounge chair, and had just sent GG an sms-message asking "where are you?"..... As it was 8.30 on a Sunday morning, she was asleep in bed, of course. She must have picked up on something, as she phoned us a while later. Which is amazing really; she must have felt her father's agitation in those three simple texted words, even through her very sleepy state....
We decided that we would all meet at the movies at Maitland at 4 in the afternoon to see "Pirates of the Carribean 3". And then he curled up into a foetal position and slept.



Beloved had asked Gail and Ron to check up on Jeff later, and Gail came over and we cancelled coffee. Later, Beloved and I went for a walk. Scorpaboy went off riding his push-bike around town to burn off some energy and demons. There was a really weird feeling to the day, I'll tell you. An odd energy to be sure. Much to my surprise, we travelled to Maitland past the accident site. I think Beloved needed to see it again to really believe that he had been there, and had actually seen it. He was less sure of the location than Jack was. The skidmarks in the grass were still visible. There are police markings on the road as a reminder now. You can see where she had swerved off the road onto the grass then back onto the road to avoid running into a telegraph pole. And there a couple of scrapes on the tree.



None of us can be sure why the accident happened. It's all supposition. Beloved has been trying to work out the mechanics of it, to try and reconcile it in his head. We think she wasn't wearing a seat-belt. Her car was an older Asian model, with no airbags, but who knows if they would have made a difference. Probably not. She was travelling a stretch of road that she has probably driven on a couple of times a day, almost every day of her adult life. If she had gone through the fence instead of into the tree, then the outcome might have been different. 6 inches to the right, and she would have been on home soil. And as a farm-kid, she's probably been driving from the time that her feet could reach the pedals. She was so close to the right turn into her driveway. Why, why, why........?




I don't know her name, but I know that she is loved. There were a lot of cars parked around her family home as we drove past in the afternoon. They have lost a daughter, a sister, a partner, a friend... and a mummy.

I will know who she is by the end of the week, most likely. That's the way it is around here.




The other thing I know is that someone was looking after my family when Beloved forgot to fuel up his car in Muswellbrook on Saturday. We could have turned around and driven the 5 minutes back into town, but we didn't. The few minutes it took to fuel up here probably saved Beloved from actually being involved int he accident.. And at least he wasn't first on site...... He wasn't meant to buy that fuel. It isn't the first time that we've had a near miss like this, either.....


I drove home, as Beloved finally succumbed to the bone weariness that he was feeling. We didn't travel that road again last night; we never do after dusk or around dawn as there are too many animals around. I said to him that I would like to think that the last thing she saw was home. He can't get past the horror that her loved ones are living through. He can accept the finality of the young womans's life; his concerns are for those that have been left behind.

And Jack; well, we'll see how he copes. His favourite teacher was involved in a serious car accident this week as well. He and his wife are fighting for their lives in the John Hunter Hospital. They were less than a kilometer from their driveway as well, and were on their way to work.


It's always one day at a time anyway.



And Jeff? I've come to the conclusion that he's one of the good ones. You see, Jeff was one of the good samaritans who came to my aid when I had broken down in GG's car awhile back on the New England Highway. He was on his way to work that time as well. I didn't know him then. I met him a few weeks later at a gathering at Gail and Ron's caravan park, and put 2 and 2 together. I think I will try to visit him and give him a hug. If he wants one, that is... Nobody should have to go through things such as this alone.

And a few words from a song by Snow Patrol to finish........

Headlights.... before me

So beautiful, so clear

Reach out...... and take it, cos I'm tired of all the fear.........

So readers, love the ones you're with. Tell them. Show them. Be kind. Include yourself.

Thank you for letting me share.

I hope you are happy and well.

See you again later,

Love,

The Blogmuggle xoxoxo

Welcome strangers, to the show.......

GooooD Mooorrnning, Blogggererrrlanddd!!!!

Do you think that's how Adrian Cronauer/Robin Williams would write it it???

Friday morning in Blogmuggle land is cool, crisp and quiet. We had our first frost of the year yesterday. I hosed off the car so that Beloved and I could drive him to work, and by the time I had turned off the hose and walked back to the car, the windscreen had started to freeze up again. No wonder we go through so many windscreen wiper blades; in the summer time, they perish from the heat and continual washing off of dust, and in the winter time they are eroded from scraping off the icy stuff.........

And the fog was amazing too..............

I'm sitting here at 9.30am, dressed in a pair of old trackkies, holey old navy school socks, a pair of old suede clogs on my feet, topped off with my fuzzy old dressing gown with stars on it, and my favourite purple corduroy coat buttoned up over the top. Yep, I'm an absolute picture of style......

But I'm warm.........

Congratulations to all those out there who have participated or will participate in Australia's Biggest Morning Tea. We had a great morning at work yesterday, with our residents, families, members of the community, and the residents from the retirement village next door visit our place. There's was an amazing array of food supplied, and it was not to be consumed by those who are faint at heart where calories are concerned.... Country women can cook!!!!!!!! YUMMMMM!!!!! The final head count was around 65-70 attendees, and around $450 raised for the Cancer Council of NSW!!!!!

Morning tea was served on our front veranda on a beautiful sun-drenched autumn day, and the lovely Norma entertained us with a singalong. Norma is retiring later on in the year. Actually, she retired from her position as a school principal a few years ago, and has been working in the community ever since. She and her fab hubby, Bob, are moving to Lithgow......... She will be so very missed.......

A big THANK YOU to all those who helped cook, serve and clean up. And to my wonderful resi's who gladly parted with coins that they really couldn't afford.

What else has been happening???????????

Well, to answer Jen's query, Scorpaboy came in 4th place on Sunday. And he and Beloved will travel to Sydney to ride again this Sunday. I'm staying home with Vegeboy, who has football in Muswellbrook on Saturday, then another game at Kurri Kurri (so nice, they named it twice...)on Monday night.

And while I'm talking about Vegeboy, his visit to the specialist went well on Tuesday. Dr Avi Lemberg works out tof the Children's Hospital at Randwick, and if you ever need a paediatric gastroenterologist (and I hope you don't), then he's the one. He was kind, professional, related extraordinarily well to Vegeboy and us, making us feel comfortable with the situation, and positive with his treatment and potential outcomes. And our lovely Vegeboy has been surprisingly mature and matter-of-fact about all the poking and prodding. He has a sense of humour, that one. He has undergone more bloodtests, and has medication to take. We have another appointment for review in July.

And here's the really amazing thing.......

DR LEMBERG WAS ON TIME! .......

AND TOOK US IN FOR OUR CONSULTATION EVEN THOUGH WE WERE EARLY!!!!!!

I've still been driving Beloved to work as the No-Motor-Toyota still hasn't been fixed yet....... Hmm.... definitely a bargain purchase, that one. He drove it to work for 3 mornings.... I haven't even bothered changing over the registration papers or the insurance yet..... We could have fixed the car we already have sitting in the yard...... I think we're up to about $500......... And it's due for rego in the next 6 weeks or so.......

NO WORK FOR ME UNTIL TUESDAY!!!!!! (hehehehe)

This morning, I've booked Clover into the vets to be desexed. We've had her since the end of November last year, and she came into season in the first three days that we had her. She's been behaving in an unusual manner....... digging a hole in the carpet as she fussily turns around and around and around before sitting down, taking things that are ours and sitting on them, chewing things up... I couldn't book her in until June 6th.... if she can hold out that long.....

And finally, A big shout out to my Sister-in-law, Lisa, who secured herself a great new job!

!!!!!!! Way to go Lisa !!!!!!!!

Any woman who takes on my brother for life, and rewards him with the gift of 3 gorgeous children deserves a big pat on the back.... and maybe some prozac...... LOL, Love you Bro <3>

I'll have to post some piccies of these angels.......

Anyway, the washing, bill-paying, shopping and housework awaits. I know I said this all last time, but I really didn't do it

then..........

Now you're getting an image of the true nature of the Blogmuggle............

HMMMM....One day I might work out how the paragraphs text size and spacing work...This is my 4th edit..Last one.. I'm publishing regardless......

Have a good weekend, and stay safe!!

xoxox Bloggie ;0)

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The cat came back the very next day..The cat came back because she coudn't stay away.......

But the cat came back, thought she was a goner, but now she's home to stay...........

That *#@@* cat's back!

So how did she do that???????

Evidently, she likes to sleep in the next door neighbour's garage...........

Lucky for her, Laurie went to sweep his shed out while I was hanging out the washing.......

And she headed straight for her food bowl.........

But she's back home!

And the cat came back, the very next day

Well that's what I'm hoping, anyway.........

My lovely little tortoishell kitty, Lulu, wasn't here to greet us when we arrived home last night. She hasn't come in for breakfast either. I rang GG, who was coming to feed the dog and cats yesterday, and she said she didn't see her either. I've walked around the neighbourhood.

It's so unlike Lulu. She will come into the bathroom with you

at 3 in the morning if she hears you, just in-case you might feed her..............

Oh well. We'll just have to wait and see. For now anyway.

The weekend was very good, thank you very much. Saturday went off without a hitch, and the drive to Sydney on Saturday evening was uneventful. I have discovered though, that a compact street directory, combined with bumpy roads at night and poor lighting, is VERY difficult to read....It's got NOTHING to do with my eyesight, mind you......... We only had to do 1 u-turn, and that was because there was no right turn allowed into MrScorpa's street. He lives in a lovely double-brick semi-detatched cottage in Willoughby. And pizza, which was delivered (doesn't happen up here in Walnut Grove), was very good! He is a lovely man, even if does sell us too many expensive motorbike-related items......

We followed him to Canberra in the dark on Sunday morning. Those motorways in Sydney are fabulous, especially at 5am! The bike event was situated at a farm near Gundaroo (don't you love Australian place names?), about 45mins north-west of Canberra itself. Whilst cool, the weather was very agreeable. I walked miles uphill and down dale, as usual. Unluckily for me, the first gully Vegeboy and I skipped down, as I was skipping back up, I felt my hamstring on the right side of my buttock go.... "S-T-R-E-T-C-H-".... Ouch!!!! So today, I have a sore butt......

ScorpaBoy rode well, but the sections were very hard, set to Eurpoean standards. And the conditions provided something very unfamiliar to a majority of riders... Water! All the little gullies had water in them as a result of the Rain (Yay!!!) all over NSW on Thursday and Friday. So not only was there water, there was MUD!! Very slippery, slick mud that stuck to and filled gaps everywhere and in everything, including the knobbly tyres that are supposed to provide traction. Which then made all the shale rockfaces very hard to climb. And the gullies hard to get out of, particularly after the sections had been ridden a few times. So lots of muddy bikes, boots, clothes and riders.............

7 hours is a long drive home. Especially with a sore butt. Beloved drove to Hornsby, and I drove home from there. I can recommend the "Truck Stop" at Marulan for a good feed.

We arrived home just after midnight.....

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

So I'm sitting here blogging, when I should be unpacking the car. I have started the washing though. The first of about 6 loads.

I have to pay our e-toll for the use of those fabulous motorways today, too. That was the real I logged on this morning........ my hands found their way here of their own accord. The pull of the blog is strong...... Irrestistible......... must fight ...........

The washing machine has stopped, so I'd better start hanging things out so I can load the machine again...and unpack the car...and clean this cesspool in which we reside...... throw my self upon my boss's mercy so that I can have tomorrow off to take Vegeboy down to Sydney..... go and buy some groceries; GG says our fridge resembles that of a poor uni student.....etc, etc....ad finitum......

Plurgh.... The things we do!!!!!!!!!

And I hope my cat comes back...........

See you all later. Have a good day ;0)

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Doctor, doctor, gimme the news....

The weekend is here again; how did that happen?

Wednesday's footcare course in Tamworth was good, but there was no actual cutting of nails, as everybody had well-cared-for toenails. But I did get an absolutely killer foot massage by an AIN from Autumn Lodge in Armidale. Her name is Tammy. Way to go Tammy!!!!!!!!

I caught up with an old friend for coffee when it was finished, then went for a drive past our old home up there. The new owners (we sold it 12 years ago....) have recently added onto the back of the house, basically doubling it in size. It looks good, but hasn't been painted yet. I wonder what colours the owners will choose? We had painted it a lovely rich cream colour with a pale grey-green trim and burgundy accents just before we sold it. It was a picture; a lovely old weatherboard and iron-roofed cottage. Of course, the colours are a little dated now; it was painted in heritage colours which was very fashionable at the time. Now everything is sophisticated urban neutrals...... which look good too, but they'll date a home pretty quickly. I think the paint manufacturers love fashion trends.

<3,> ...I loved that house... <3,>

A Vegeboy update;

The local GP, Dr J, gave me a referral for a gastroenterologist, whom I rang for an appointment on Tuesday, but he told me that Vegeboy is too young, and he would prefer him to see a paediatrician. Fine, said I. Except for the fact that DrJ is now off work sick, then decided to drive home to Sydney so that his wife could look after him, resulting in him having a car accident at Wollombi......... He reckons that he will be back at work next week sometin=me, but that's to long and too indecisive for me where my son is concerned. I took VB to see a different doc in Muswellbrook, Dr K, on Thursday, who decided that VB needed to see a Paediatric Gastroenterologist...

Good, said I...WHO?

Dr K gave me the name of a specialist who works out of the John Hunter Hospital, but only holds clinics once a month.... and there are no appointments until OCTOBER!!!

HMMMM...... I asked where he was based in Sydney, and was told "The Childrens' Hospital at Westmead". No, he doesn't you know; I rang and asked them. They suggested that I try "The Childrens' Hospital" at Randwick.... BINGO!...Or so I thought..... Dr Lemberg certainly does hold clinics there, but there are no appointments until .........AUGUST-SEPTEMBER!

So I asked if he had private rooms; "Of Course. Here is his number..."

So I was able to secure an appointment to see this very in-demand doctor on Tuesday at 2.15pm. At the cost of $240, upfront. The Medicare rebate is approximately $113.

Now, I'm not grumbling about the money, or the fact that Beloved and I will both need time off work to take our boy to the doctors. We have private medical insurance that is very rarely utilised, so at least that will help us. And we can find the money to pay the account. But what if we couldn't? How many kids and families are waiting for treatment because they're not cashed-up? How many kids just get sicker and sicker, and miss out on treatment and medication that can arrest their illness or even cure it? We can hop in our car and make the 4-5hr drive in relative comfort... others can't. We don't even have to be worried about the other kids at home, or drag them along with us. I've heard of families of 5 or 6 members that travel in uncomfortable, unreliable old vehicles or on Public transport for 9 or 10 hours, then sleep in their car, or wherever they can whilst little ones are treated. Or the family divides and some remain with friends and miss the support and strength that can be crucial to recovery. And there's lots of people who experience this.

It's just not right.

We are indeed lucky. And I don't think that there really is too much wrong with my gorgeous Vegeboy. We just need to make sure.

The 'new" car is off the road for repairs... it has been now for two days. Oh well, at least I had 3 mornings of not taking Beloved to work......

Saturday is busy as usual, but at least there is no football this weekend. GG will be home soon as there is a band gig at the PCYC that a friend has organised. It's from 10am until 10pm. But the boys won't be ther for a lot of it as Scorpaboy will be at work, and then we have to attewnd a work function for Beloved's company, which has been sold. In the 11yrs that Beloved had worked there, this is the FIRST function that the children have been invited to. And then we drive to Sydney, to stay at the home of MrScorpa, the bike sponsor, in Sydney. The boys have a mototrials competition on Sunday near Canberra. That way, we don't have to drive all the way to Canberra Saturday night or Sunday. But we will drive all the way home on Sunday night after the boys finish the competition.

Luckily, we don't have to work on Monday.

But we will drive to Sydney on Tuesday.

So take care, and have a safe and happy weekend!

^_^

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Congratulations, and jubilations......

Hooray!!! Whooppeee!!!

This is my 91st post..... Not all that many really, is it? But it's 91 more than I had done in the previous 12 months......





Mother's Day was good. I was still in bed until 11am! Raisin toast for breakfast, followed (very quickly) by bacon and egg rolls for lunch. I did some washing, then as I suggested he would, Beloved and Scorpaboy went riding, pleading me NOT to paint the verandah posts because it would make him look like a bad, lazy husband....on Mother's Day of all days. But I did it anyway. So now I have blue poles...well 1 coat of paint anyway. I haven't had time to do a second. He even cooked a red thai chicken curry for tea....... Marvelous Man! And thank you Taylors sauces and Wokka noodles.....





Monday was going to be catch-up-on-housework day, but I was called into work at teh aged daycentre in Muswellbrook. Beloved and I finalised our new "savings"plan with the credit union and picked up the "new" old dual cab ute on the way home. And I called into the docs to get the results of Vegeboys tests. He doesn't have giardia, which means it's something else... more difficult really from here. But we'll find out what the problem is and go from there.






Today was fine, and tomorrow, I'm off to Tamworth for a course; "Basic Footcare for AIN's". Given the fact that it 11.45pm, and I have to leave at 6.30am, It's time I hit the hay!





G'night!

Oh what a beautiful morning.....

"Oh what a beautiful day!!"

Mornin'!!!

It's been another Saturday where I viewed the sunrise from the carpark at Macdonalds. But at least they were open this time. And the vanilla chai (skinny of course) was delicious, even if the hash brown was a little limp, and too greasy. I think it may be the last one that I eat for a while. It couldn't possibly be the milky tea that upsets my tummy, oh no....... it must be the greasy, limp, baaaad hash brown.

It was a foggy drive this morning, and I have been thinking that we really should invest in some foglights. Even if our vision doesn't improve, then at least we will be more visible to others. Beloved almost ran over a little bunny this morning; we think it ran right underneath us... only run into the path of a Police 4WD travelling in the opposite direction...... Poor wee thing. I can't bear the thought over running over things. It still makes me sick inside to see the number of dead roos, foxes and the like on the road. The one time a roo jumped onto my car (yes, that's right; it jumped onto the front passenger side of my car), it layed down on the road, and by the time I stopped, parked the car and went back to see how it was, it stood up, shook itself and hopped away. I was out the back of nowhere, but luckily, not too much was damaged; blinker, grill and panel damage. Amazingly, he missed the headlight. It's never been repaired, except for the replacement of the indicator lights. The car is too old, and parts are hard to find. It's always a bit of a lottery when the car versus a wild animal; a hurt and disorientated roo can be a dangerous thing to be around, all sharp claws and muscly legs and tail. I had a friend who was happily driving along, when a roo jumped off a rise on the side of the road, smashing through the passenger side window, landing on the seat beside her. Luckily, she was alone at the time. Thank goodness there wasn't a person on the passenger seat. Such is the peril of a country-based community nurse.

Enough of the morbid!!!!!!

It was a lovely, quiet drive home, sipping on the chai tea, listening to the radio. I enjoy driving around in the car; it's a source of quiet time, I guess. But I've always enjoyed travelling around the countryside, watching the seasons and the effects of the seasons around me. Today, as I rounded the bend approaching Walnut Grove, it wasn't there! Walnut Grove was Brigadoon; absolutely shrouded in fog it was. All I could see was the mountains in the distance. If only I could have heard the distant skirl of a lone piper........ Another thing to put a smile on my face.

It will be a quiet weekend for this muggle. All that I have planned is to take Vegeboy to the football this morning. He isn't playing, just watching. He hasn't been a well boy over the last week. He has had intermittent bowel problems over the last few months, and we are now on the trail to figure out what is going on with him. The best case scenario is that he has a simple infection such as giardia. Easily treatable, at least. It will be more of a problem if it's something such as Crohn's disease. How to you treat that with a kid who lives on vegetables and fibre? Anyway, things will be clearer when the test results come back on Monday. He is a little flat, and tires easily, but is his usual odd little self otherwise. He is delightfully affectionate, my baby....

It will be a very quiet weekend here. Sunday will be spent right here in muggletown. A girlfriend has invited me to morning tea for Mothers Day with another friend, but we'll see what pans out here. I am looking forward to a lovely lie in here. Then I expect the boys will go off riding, which will make for a very quiet day at home. I will miss GG, however, and my own Mum. I haved asked GG to enjoy Mothers' day with her Nan in lieu of me. I'm sure she'll make up for both of us. I have the urge to "no-more-gaps" between some lining boards, and slap some blue paint onto the front veranda posts. Or maybe not. You never know what will happen. One of my favourite quotes is;

"Always expect the unexpected".

It is MY day after all; I can spend it how I wish, no?

So as you can see, all is good in the world of the blogmuggle, nice and quiet. If I had to give it a colour, I would say it is pink. Not too bright and over the top, but a subtle shade of quiet pink.

So I wish you all the happiest of Mothers' Days. It is a day to remember the special qualities of a mum, and of those women who have touched our lives in so many ways. Enjoy those crumbs in between the sheets.......

"I've got a wonderful feeling;

Everything's going my way"

Love, the (pink) Blogmuggle ;0)

My Stardust Memory; the Memory of Love's Refrain

G'Day. Last night I watched an episode of the TV show, "House". No big deal, you may say. You might have even watched this episode yourself. It was the one where a young firefighter is admitted to hospital in a state of confusion and delusion following a collapse a building fire. It is dicovered that he has entered an early menopause as a result of burn grafts to about 54% of his body, including his testicles, which resulted in a hormone imbalance, hence the menopause. Weird enough in itself, but I guess it might happen. But then he it is discovered that he suffers a heart attack every time his lovely young female colleague is around. A broken heart, so to speak, as she is engaged to his firefighter brother, and has a 6 year old child. She was the reason that he ended up with the major burns as he went into a burning building to rescue her, and was caught in a backdraft.....

But this isn't the reason for my post. It was decided that the only way to keep him alive and well, and to treat his heart attacks, would be to prevent them by destroying the limbic centre of his brain with electro-convulsive therapy; shock treatment. The negative effect of this treatment would be the total loss of his memories. His love for the girl, his memories of the girl, his brother, the accident, his training as a firefighter, his parents, childhood, his life...all gone. He opted to go ahead with the treatment.







I guess, my question is, Would you do the same?






Would I?








Are we the sum of our memories? Is the life we live now a consequence of the inner workings of our minds?








We readily acknowledge how our past and the acceptance of of incidences that occurred in our past profoundly effect the lives we live now. The good, the bad and the ugly. The sad, the joyous things. We spend so much of our existence musing about the past, even as children. So many conversations begain with "Do you remember that time when....?" Our memories can give us comfort, can cause us pain. They can amuse us. We can share them.









It is often said ;
"That when all else is gone, at least we'll have our memories....".
Working with people with dementia, I am only too aware how absolutely gut-wrenching it is when this last aspect of what seems to be a link with humanity, slowly disappears. Families and dementia sufferers mourn this loss keenly. When faced with the question of what they would change in their lives, so many people answer "nothing, because I am this person because of the life I've lived, the people I've met, and the experiences I've had".







But for others, maybe the chance to start again with a clean slate may be preferable. No bad memories, nothing to live over and over and over again....... Would there be the levels of depression and mental illness that there are now, I wonder.............................






But to start again as an adult, and not have a childhood.....................................







It would be near to impossible for the loved ones to cope with this of course. There are a lot of people who do live through this; Anyone who is involved with someone with a brain injury of any kind may experience this change of personality and persona. But this is not a choice that has been made; it is imposed by circumstance. So many of our beliefs and social mores are based on the cumulative effects upon our lifes up to this point. How does one have beliefs and opinions with nothing upon which to base them?




Anyway, I'm rambling. It just made me think, that's all.






If it were my choice, I think I would keep my memories.






And for those who didn't see the episode, it was discovered that the firefighter has a tumour... which created false memories... his brother and the young lady were not engaged at all..... chances are that after the tumour was removed, that his memories would have returned to normal.



Maybe he would have even gotten the girl............................


See you all later, C x0x0x0