Simple Life Farmer Blog

Mid June ’23

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Monday

– Yesterday I thought I was getting a bit of a scratchy throat, but overnight each time I woke up, there was a definite tickle going on in there.
When I got up this morning, my voice sounded like a 1900 call-girl – all deep, husky and gravely, and my throat felt thick.

Once my Love had gone to work I got the dishes done, but by the time I was finished I had the chills and shakes, my head ached, and my muscles were starting to ache too, so I took some paracetamol and headed off to bed for about 90 minutes.

Felt marginally better when I next got up, so I had a 400ml protein shake to at least try and get some hydration and nutrition into me.
Spent most of the afternoon on the couch wrapped in a blanket, and taking Panadol 4 hourly.
Its been another wet day.

Tuesday

– two birthdays in our ‘living’ family today.
Our middle son is 33, and our granddaughter is 4.

I had planned to have a cuppa with my friend Patti today, but she had to do a last minute trip to the city to organise a site for her taco truck to dispense from at one of the local festivals.

As I had already planned to go over to the town that she lives near, I still went to her place to drop off some tamarillo, as I didn’t want the fruit that I had specially picked for her, to spoil. I just hung them on the door handle for her to eventually find.

I then drove back to our closest town and did some grocery shopping, then back home to cook some dog food, after putting away the groceries.

Later in the afternoon I listed a pile of gardening books for sale on Marketplace.
Raining again today.

Wednesday

– Laundry day and changing of the sheets.
A few of the books I listed yesterday have already sold, so I had people going to collect them.

Our friend Nellie came over for dinner tonight, and we got takeaway Chinese food to eat at home.

She and I are both under the weather with a cold and sniffles, and her with coughing, so we figured we’d rather not be out in public sharing our germiness!

Thursday

– David the NBN tech came nice and early this morning and spent a few hours trying to sort out our signal issues.

He’s actually the same guy who came to fix an issue a few years ago, and the partner of the lady who used to help us out on the Farm a few years back.
Its definitely a small community in some ways!

He replaced the outdoor unit, which then wouldn’t register for the longest time with the nbn company, which was increasingly frustrating for him, but eventually it did whatever it is that it should have – and he headed off on his merry way.

Hopefully the issue is now fixed, but time will tell!

I dropped off four of the books I had sold to a lady in town, and collected a click-and-collect grocery order of a few top-up items whilst I was there.

Friday

– today marks the ‘anniversary’ of the day that my father died 22 years ago…

Around 9am, Heath the civil engineer guy came and started in on the drainage works along the eastern fence-line.

He’s doing an absolute cracker of a job, and the swale is so beautifully contoured and has excellent fall down toward the back drain.

He couldn’t quite get the entire drain finished today, so will be back in the morning to do the final touches.

I can’t wait for the next big monsoon to see if it makes as big of a difference as I think it will!

I spent the afternoon doing a big declutter in the kitchen.

I dug through a lot of the things that were hidden in the back of shelves and never used, and they are being rehomed to a friend of ours who is keen to have the extra good-condition kitchenwares.

Saturday

– Heath came back early this morning and completed the drainage works.
I’m so happy we that we decided to give this ‘new kid on the block‘ a go!
We’ll definitely be highly recommending him.

There are some huuuuge piles of dirt left over, so we’re going to need to do some extra landscaping works in the coming weeks / months to incorporate them into the landscape in a better way.

This evening I got word from one of my sisters that my step-dad has had a cardiac event.

Tomorrow is the ‘anniversary’ of my mothers death 5 years ago, and he misses her desperately.

We all think he’s probably finally had ‘enough’ – and all I can hope for is that he gets to pass quickly and gently so that he can be back where he belongs – by my mothers side.

Sunday

– We went for a lovely long spur-of-the-moment drive in our bus (Noah) today and it was just lovely!

We went and got lunch and went up to the look-out to eat it, and on the way back down heading for home decided that we’d take the ‘long way’ – but instead of taking the long way, when we got to the road where we turn off to head toward home, we instead kept going straight head; and for the next hour or so just kept on driving all over the beautiful backroads of the Tablelands.

It was a really nice way to spend a drizzly afternoon, and we even managed to catch a few moments of sunshine here and there.

Today is the 5^th ‘anniversary’ of my mothers death – aged 92.

Monday

– After much discussion, my Wife is going to be getting a new car.
A Mahindra dual cab ute.
She currently has a Colorado – which I have never been a fan of – but its her car so that’s irrelevant! lol

This morning we were booked in to take one for a test-drive, which she wanted me to go with her to, so I met her at the dealership mid-morning.

We both liked the car, so will move forward with the plans to purchase, using the Colorado as a trade-in.

After the test-drive I went to the post office to collect a parcel, then headed back home to do some cleaning.

Tuesday

– Our Garden Guy (the Mighty MG) came over this morning for a coffee and catch up, and so that we could do a bit of a planning session with regards to what we’re going to do next around the Farm, and how we should proceed with our plans for the dirt piles left behind from the drainage works.

Did the laundry, folding and putting away; and vacuumed.

The 12 volt fan in our composting loo has gone on the blink, so I’ll have to try and work out a fix or replacement for that tomorrow.
It was too dark by the time we realised that it wasn’t working, to be able to see well enough to attend to it.

Wednesday

– The 2nd ‘anniversary’ of my step-mums death.

My brother went to sit with our step-dad today.
Since his cardiac event last week, he has been slowly deteriorating, and is very confused and tires quickly.
My sister will be going down to stay for a bit and to assess how he truely is, (she too is a nurse) but she won’t arrive until tomorrow.

I drove to the next big town over this morning to collect a new fan for the loo.
They only had large ones in stock which fit just fine, but it’s quite noisy.

I have installed it to get us through until the smaller less noisy one that I have ordered online, arrives in the mail.

‘June’ is starting to take its toll on me, but I will write more of that in another post…

Thursday

– My sister arrived to be with my step-dad today.
She knows I will go down to be with her at a moments notice, but for now she is doing okay.

She has said that while he is quite exhausted, he is happy that he is no longer having to take his heart medications.
He is also having regular morphine for any pain, and has had a few bouts of lucidity during her visits where he recognises her.

I went back to the next big town over again today, as there were a few things I had forgotten to do while I as there yesterday – and to be honest, I desperately needed the sunshine that can almost always be found there!

Last night the father of one of our very close friends died.

In the last few years we had become quite close to he and his wife as we had helped with their deciding to move from Melbourne to our town, and then assisted with getting them both admitted into the local aged care home, where I used to work.

Whilst we knew that his death was imminent – its still sad…

Friday

– I was supposed to go to lunch with the ex-colleagues crew today, but just as I was about to go in and get ready, our Garden Guy turned up with his wife and two of his kids to collect some stuff – so I ended up spending an hour with them instead.

It was a nice sunny day for a change, so I was glad of the excuse and to instead be able to enjoy more of the sunshine.

I finally got brave enough to tackle the carpeting of the first panel of the ceiling inside the back of the bus.

Whilst it was a little tricky – and I don’t think I could manage doing it with really big pieces of carpet – it was quite empowering to look at the (almost) finished job and notice that I hadn’t done a thoroughly hideous job for my first effort, and didn’t feel like I needed to pull it all down and start again!!

Saturday

– I spent the majority of the morning writing.

Its back to being overcast again today, and I’ve really had a gut-full of this shitty weather!

I am someone who needs regular doses of good solid sunshine, and when that doesn’t happen, my mood goes down the tubes disturbingly quickly.
Not fun…

This afternoon – after my Love had finished work – we went into town to buy food for the cat and dogs, which I cooked up once we got back home.

After the cooking, we sat for a while and caught up on some of our backlog of YouTube videos on channels that we are subscribed to.

Sunday

– a quiet day for the most part.
Did a nice bit of gardening in the morning, and then watched some travel and garden shows in the afternoon.

Made a really yummy coral trout in a laksa sauce for dinner, served on a bed of rice.

So that’s it for this week!

One of my happy places, relaxing in our bus by the lake.

This week I got my delivery of tasteless protein which I add to drinks and food.

Making Lemon Cheesecake Protein Balls. Delicious AND good for you!

Another one of my happy places – my vegetable garden.

Glorious golden gorgeousness from the garden. Yellow squash.

Wk 21 of ’23

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An update of the week that was.
Week 21 of 2023

Monday

– I did some canning while on a FaceTime call with our Daughter-In-Law as she has a new pressure canner and has no experience using it, so we did a live ‘walk-through’ and canned together.
She did some home-grown apples from their little Farmlet, that she had puréed for their little boy, and I canned some beef mince.

Once we were done with that call, I cooked some dog food as well, then did the usual Monday things like laundry and tidying up the house following the weekend.

Still have diarrhoea.

Tuesday

– Our garden guy (the Mighty MG) came today and he finished off building the hoop-house that we’ve been ‘going to get around to‘ for about a year.
It looks bloody great!

I did some weeding and garden tidying, but am feeling quite weak and foggy and despite trying I haven’t managed to do very well with hydrating today.
Less than a litre.

Still have diarrhoea.

Wednesday

– Heath ( a civil engineer) came over to preview the job we’re hoping he will do to fix some of the drainage issues along the eastern fenceline, and he will send us through a quote later in the week.
Seems like a nice young guy.

Its been cold and rainy today – definitely an inside kind of day!
Wearing long sleeves and long pants and closed in shoes.

Blogged.

Day 8 of diarrhoea.

Thursday

– somehow corked my shoulder in my sleep last night.
I think it was because I was so exhausted and run-down from the diarrhoea that I slept for five hours straight without moving.
Unheard of for me – I am usually a rotisserie.

Raining and cold again.

Our eldest Daughter arrived on a spur of the moment visit for two nights, today.

Friday

– laundry day again!
Got most of the stuff packed that we will want for our trip away this weekend.
We’re leaving Saturday morning and coming back Monday afternoon.

The pain I’m having in my arm has made sleeping very difficult overnight, and I can’t use my arm, or raise it at all.

I’m in lot of pain.
Getting more than a little concerned tbh…

Saturday

– I ended up at the hospital Emergency Room overnight with the uncontrolled pain the I just couldn’t get on top of, and was at the point where I couldn’t sleep and also couldn’t move around in bed or even get up easily, without assistance.

After some observations and history etc I ended up having some more Panadol and some Oxycodone and was released to see how I fared.
The diagnosis was a probable pinched nerve.

I was discharged with some extra meds and a script for more in case I needed them.

Woke up in a lot less pain – thankfully!!
It makes a big difference when you can finally break the pain loop…

My Love was not terribly keen to still go away, but after much discussion she agreed that we could still go, as it was obvious I was a lot better than I had been overnight – plus I had the extra medication in case things got ‘exciting’ again – so off we headed – away to palm cove in the bus for two nights!

Yippee!!

Sunday

– We spent the day relaxing and reading and hanging out in the gazebo beside our bus, then wandered up to Esplanade to have lunch at the surf club.

We decided to have dinner at our favourite pizza place – Il Forna – so wandered up there just on dusk, and were spoilt as always, by the wonderful staff.

It was a really lovely day, and neither of us is wildly keen to go home tomorrow.

I always sleep so well in our bus!
For some reason I feel really safe and cocooned when I’m snuggled up in there in my bed at night.
Truely one of my absolute happy places…

So that’s it for this week!

The revamped Hoop-House that our Mighty MG Garden-Guy whipped back into shape in a matter of hours.

Its a little messy in this pic, but its my happy place. Snug, safe and warm in our bus.

Wk 20 of ’23

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An update of the week that was.
Week 20 of 2023

Monday

– grocery shopped, cooked dog food, did laundry, watered big veg garden, cleaned.
Mowed the houseyard and some of the paddock.
Mondays are usually a pretty standard day of catch-up around the house, from the weekend.

Tuesday

– started out with an interview with Hannah from ‘Good Times’ about their products and wanting my ideas and feedback.
Did some weeding and garden tidying and finished up a blog for another site.

Our garden guy worked today and did some poisoning, and we planned out next weeks job of rebuilding the hoop-house.

Went and got some fuel for the mower and took back some glue I got last week that didn’t work, and bought another brand.

Our New Zealand SIM cards need to be topped up every six month to stay active, so I also did that today.
We like to keep them active rather than getting a new number every time, and it’s easier to just swap over to a working sim when we hit the ground, than faffing about setting up a new number each and every time.

Wednesday

– I awoke to early morning loose bowels, so am wondering if it is the seed bar I had as my snack last night that have ‘set things in motion’.
Its days like today that I am very glad that I built a secondary composting toilet out in the shipping container / laundry!

The day started overcast again, but the rain mostly held off.

I planted a couple of trees and mulched them – out the front near the roundabout garden – in the hope that they will suck up some of the rainy-season run-off next year.
They look good!

As I was in need of some extra protein, so I had a small tin of tuna for lunch – but ended up vomiting it back up.
The feeling of tuna chunks stuck in my neck where the hernia is, was freakin’ horrendous!!

Thursday

– early trip to the grocery store before all the other folks arrive after school drop-off and such.
Picked up my Formulite parcel from the post office with 4 tubs in it.

My Wife spoilt me and got a pizza which we had up on the hill for dinner, in the bus.
The one slice I had was just blisssssss!

Friday

– Our poor surrogate daughter just keeps drowning under more and more shit.
Her uncle died this morning… 😔

I had a zoom call with our Daughter-in-Law this morning, as she has a new pressure canner and is wanting to do her first ever round of canning on Monday, so we chatted for a while so that she could have everything ready and in order, and we plan to link up again on Monday for another video chat so that I can help to walk her through the steps she needs to do.
Hopefully it will help her feel more confident for next time.

Lunch with the ex-work colleagues crew was also in the calendar for today, and was held at one of the Cafes at the top on the Range and near the Lake, about a 40 minute drive from our Farm.

There was no soup on the menu, and no small meals, so I got a hot chocolate made on skim and a protein ball.

Only ate ⅛ of the ball and about half of the small hot chocolate, which was barely Luke-warm. Ugh!
Didn’t stay too long – just long enough to not be too rude.

On the way home I stopped off at the second hand store, and found some things that I think my Love will be interested in putting into the garden, so took photos so that I could send to her and she can go to the shop and have a look if she’s interested.
I also bought an old broken fountain that I think will make a nice piece of garden art.

Ended up with diarrhoea again when I got home.
Felt icky at dinner time, so just had yoghurt.

Saturday

– couldn’t stomach breakfast so the dog got to have it.
Still feeling pretty rough…

Sunny again today – makes me feel better.

I have been sorting my goodies box for a trip away that we are planning for next weekend.
Protein, fibre, vitamins, soup, shaker and shakes, cordial, insulted shaker cup etc etc
I swear I take more with me now that when I had babies!

Sunday

– we went to an out of town market this morning, then to one of the nurseries we haven’t been to in years, then to bunnings to get my Wife an extra garden bed.

The afternoon consisted of mostly watch a weightlifting competition on television that our son was competing in, in Adelaide.

I’ve mostly had diarrhoea for 5 days now, and feeling pretty nauseous when I do try to consume anything.

Other than that I feel mostly ok until about 5mins before the next bout arrives.

Makes it very difficult to eat anything of any substance, which just compounds the issue…

As the old saying goes: liquid in, liquid out!

Fingers crossed it doesn’t keep going for much longer as whilst I prefer it to vomiting – because at least my body has a chance a small chance to get some nutrients in on its way through – I’d rather just be able to eat small amounts as usual!

So that’s it for this week!

pizza up on lookout hill was one of the highlights of my week, and definitely something that I needed to help me relax and get out of my own way for a bit!

I didn’t *ever* believed that I would **willingly** watch a weight-lifting competition!

the old broken fountain I ended up buying at the second-hand store. I will use in the garden as decor.

my view when I do my dishes each morning – helps me to start my day in a very grateful mood!

Wk 19 of ’23

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An update of the week that was.
Week 19 of 2023

Monday

– grocery shopped, cooked dog food, did laundry, watered big veg garden, cleaned.

Tuesday

– I want to redo the fence-line between the house and the house-yard double gates and put in a wooden paling picket fence – only abut a metre high – so I need to move the nursery as it is currently along that fenceline, so today I spent most of the day going through the first half of the plants, weeding them, sorting them etc and getting them packed into the gorilla cart so that I can tow them down to the new location next to the hoop-house.

My Love kindly came home early and took the trailer to the raw materials yard and got me another trailer load of soil.

I am hoping to get the other half of the nursery sorted through tomorrow and then I’ll be able to get down to the business of tidying up the ground in that area ready for the fencing works.

Wednesday

– We woke up to a very cold morning and day.
The coldest night and day this year so far.

I’ve moved the first load of plants down to new nursery.
The way the weather looks like its going to be wet for the rest of the week, so I don’t think I’ll get to the other half of the nursery done for a while yet…
My Love had takeaway Chinese for dinner. I had soup.

Thursday

– I took the Mazda back to Charlie the mechanic as the knock-sensor had arrived and he’s going to fit it before he has a week off on holidays.
He’s been such a joy to work with since we found him!

When I was heading out to the road to meet my Love when she was coming to pick me back up to collect my car, I got to meet our new eastern-side neighbours.
They seem like a sweet pair, and are probably in their 70s.

Had a fairly quiet blah rest-of-the day for the most part…

Friday

– it rained overnight and most of today.
Had planned to mow and the garden guy was going to come around, but that’s all being postponed.

I went into town and ran into my friend MB at Bunnings.
We stood around and chatted for ages, and I really loved our little mini catchup.
I wish that I got to spend time with her more often…

In the afternoon, my coffee-buddy friend LC visited on her way home from having her bloods done.
Always a catchup I enjoy.

Saturday

– this morning we were taken out to breakfast by our surrogate daughter and friend, for an early mothers day pressie.

It was the first time we had been to the new cafe, and we were both quite underwhelmed; but it was nice to be out, and very kind and loving of C to think of us and treat us.

My Love had to go work after we were done, and I spent the morning cleaning up, doing dishes and reading.

Once my Love was home for the day, we did a bit of pot-gardening, and rearranging until the cold and rain came back in.

Sunday

– Mothers Day.
we had breakfast at home then my Love had an early appointment out near the lake, so we decided that we would take the bus and both go, then afterwards we headed off to one of the next towns over and went to the hardware stores there, and to the nursery.

After that we went to Coles and bought some fixings for lunch, which we ate in the park at the Heritage Centre.

On the way back home we stopped off at Woolworths to pick up a few groceries including some meat for the dogs, which I cooked when we got home.

In the afternoon, I mowed around ⅔ of the paddock while my Love planted the last of the flowers in the #2 monument bed.

Hopefully I’ll get the rest of the paddock and the house yard mowed tomorrow if the rain holds off, and I manage to get my other chores out of the way enough to make the time!

So that’s it for this week!

CaraCara orange – we’ve been waiting for this baby for what feels like eons!

We’ve been so delighted to have ‘our’ kookaburras living back on Farm.

Wk 18 of ’23

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An update of the week that was.
Week 18 of 2023

Monday

– A public holiday (Labour Day) so my Love was home for most of the day but worked for a while in the morning so that we had been able to have all day Sunday together for a change.

I did the majority of the paddock mowing, (even managing to get bogged once!) and my Love finished up the planting out of the #1 monument bed that she rebuilt last week, as I had topped up the soil in the bed before I mowed.

It’s looking really pretty, and I’m looking forward to the second one being filled up later in the week, so it can be planted out too.
It’s going to be a lovely visual welcome as you come down the driveway, and will give us a smile on the daily.

Tuesday

– we had to go down to the City as I had follow-up appointments with my Dietician and Surgeon.

I am tracking well with my weightloss as far as the Dietician is concerned, and I won’t be having another appointment with her – unless I feel the need – for another six months, as I feel that I am going well for the time being and the money that I am spending with her I feel could be better used elsewhere.
I’ll go back if I feel like I need it – but for the time being – I’m doing well.

Had the followup with my Surgeon and we went through the results of the ultrasound and CT that I had a couple of weeks ago.
It turns out I have a gallbladder full of stones, and a ‘well-developed’ hiatus hernia.

He will do the removal and repair of both at the same time, through the public system, so that it won’t cost me a fortune and also because he understands that I don’t want to go back to the same private hospital that I had my last surgery at, as I really was very uncomfortable with the total lack of care that I felt was practiced in that facility.

While we were down the hill, our Garden Guy came and filled our #2 monument bed, ready for us to plant into on the weekend, and did some other cleanup work around the Farm.

Wednesday

– I went into town to the local Showgrounds where the mobile Mammogram Clinic is currently in residence until the end of the month, for my annual mammogram.

I spent the rest of the day reorganising where our linen chest is going to go, as we have realised that when we moved it away from the end of the bed last week during a big cleanup under the bed, we liked the extra visual space that was there when the linen chest wasn’t!

The area that I am moving it to is also the place in our home where the internet cables come in and go out through the wall, and the broadband box and router ‘hang’, so I also had to move and reroute the boxes and associated wires, to get them out of the way of the linen chest.

We needed to get some extra pavers to put the linen chest on, as that corner of our home has been known to flood in serious rain deluges, and whilst that hasn’t happened in the last three plus years; we still like to keep things off the ground on that side of the house, just to be in the ‘better safe than sorry’ category!

Thursday

– I grocery shopped early as my Friend L was coming around lunchtime for a cuppa and catchup.
She is SO excited about the upcoming Coronation of King Charles that she is almost beside herself!

My Love dropped off and picked up our two older dogs, as they went to the salon for their last haircut until winter is done with, and to have their toenails clipped.

The rest of the day I spent finishing off the furniture moving and cleaning up from the previous day.

Friday

– I spent the morning working in the vegie garden – weeded, watered and planted.

In the afternoon I was a ‘hair model’ for an apprentice, which wasn’t something I had ever done before, and to be honest – I would not recommend!

Being the guinea-pig for a third year hair-dressing apprentice, and I feel like my hair got yanked a lot!

She had to wash, massage, and blow-dry my hair; and she was also required to put big curls in my hair.
The wash and massage was ok, but when she tried to brush my wet hair once that bit was done, that was when I first voiced my concern.

I have very long hair – as in ‘past-my-bum long’, and a brush on long wet hair is anything but ideal!
I requested she use a wide-toothed comb, and it threw her for a bit of a loop – which was a bit of a concern.

We made it through though, and an hour or so later it was eventually blow-dried, curled and sprayed to within an inch of its life, and I was free to go.

Unfortunately though, by the time I made it home – which was less than nine minutes from the time I got up from the salon chair to walking in the door of our home – the curls had entirely fallen out, so there is no photographic proof of the afternoons events.

I never did get asked for feedback!
Weird…

Saturday

– My Love and I made an early trip down the hill to the City before she had to go to work, as we’d been notified by the mechanic that our bus Noah was ‘fixed’ and would be taken around to their affiliate car-yard so we could pick it up from there, as the workshop isn’t open on Saturdays.

I took a 400ml protein shake and a bottle of prepped cordial with me, and I managed to drink all of the shake by the time we got to the car yard, and had a few slugs from the cordial bottle on the way home.

The bus drove like a dream on the way home, which made for me being a very happy girl.

Sunday

– We did some chores around the Farm during the morning which included my Love setting out some plants in the new monument garden (still in their pots) to see how they all looked.
Having perused the handiwork, we decided that we wanted to get a few extra pops of colour, so we went to the nursery on our way to the Lake, but they have increased their prices ridiculously exponentially, so we purchased nothing.

After the disappointing nursery visit, we then headed to the lake with our pre-packed lunch, which we enjoyed lake-side whilst sitting sheltered from the wind by the bus.
After lunch, we read for a bit whilst lying in the bus bed, and my Love ended up having a nap.

It was so lovely to just enjoy actually being able to be in it and going somewhere, and to enjoy being beside the lake as well.
The breeze was cool enough that both needed to get a blankie!

We dropped into Bunnings on the way home, and in a stroke of good luck they had a couple of cheap pots of colour, so we grabbed them and took them home.
they’ll be planted in the #2 monument bed later in the week.

Weight-loss to date: 19.9kg
So that’s it for this week!

Wk 17 of ’23

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An update of the week that was.
Week 17 of 2023

Monday – I blogged and spent most of the morning doing up a timeline for our busted bus Noah.
Planted some broccoli and red cabbage, and netted the entire garden that I put them in.

Noah (the bus) was collected by the tow truck late afternoon, and I then had a shower and washed my hair once that was done.

Prepaid $35 on the electricity account.
This is something that I do every fortnight, and it has resulted in some lovely surprises of occasionally not having anything to pay when the bill arrives, or only needing to pay a minimal amount.

I started doing this after I got a horrendous bill-shock when we first had the air-conditioner installed.
I knew it as going to be extra, but I was soooo excited to not be sweating bullets 24hours a day that I used it far more than was actually necessary.
Lesson learnt!

Tuesday – Anzac Day and my Love was home from work as it’s one of the days that she can’t legally work.
Did a trip to the grocery store to get some bread as she was hankering for cheese on toast for lunch.
I had rice crackers with tomato and cheese.
Fertilised the vegie gardens, and sold 3 books on Marketplace.

Wednesday – I delivered my car to the mechanic and my Love dropped me back home whilst it was being looked at.
I spent the morning pruning some trees, and doing weeding in the vegetable garden
After lunch I started cleaning up inside, as I wanted to do a deep-clean on the bedroom and lounge room area of our little home.
Mid-afternoon my car was ready to be collected, but hadn’t been fixed as it needs a new part which the mechanic has to order.
He has assured us though that it is fine to drive until the part turns up, and he’ll call us as soon as it does. 😬
Pleaseeee don’t let him be wrong!

Thursday – I did more of the bedroom and lounge room deep-clean.
I also did a click & collect grocery order and went and picked it up.

Our garden guy came and snipped the eastern fence line, and ended up doing the whole Farm, before it again started to rain quite heavily, so he headed off home with his son who had had the day off school, pleading illness.

I got the house yard and about ¼ of the paddock mowed in the afternoon.
We went out for Dinner at the International Club with our friend CW and had some nice fish.

Friday – early run to replace the mop-head as we bought the wrong one last night.
Another full day of laundry, housework and podcasts.
Also changed the sheets and put on some snuggly lovely new flannel ones, as the nights are starting to cool down.
They’re so soft!!

Saturday – My love came home for lunch and bought fish and chips with her.
I had four chips, and a small bit off the end of her piece of fish, which I peeled all the batter off as it makes me feel icky these days.

In the afternoon after my Love came home from her after-lunch appointments, we filled the last of the new monument garden bed alongside the driveway, and put a pile of mixed flowers into it, and a tibouchina in an old rusty bottomless fire pit that we sat upon the end of the bed.

Sunday – the day went quite quickly with my Love and I spending a big part of it in the garden.
Apart from a couple of hours in the very warm middle of the day after we had lunch, we watched a bit of tele and precooked a satay for dinner.
After we had done more yard work, I had a shower and washed my hair.

I’ve started back on eating a kiwi-fruit a day again, as I had become quite constipated when I slacked off and stopped eating them.
The results within 24 hours were gratifyingly ‘easy’ – for those who’d like to know. lol

Tomorrow is a public holiday and then the next day I have to go to cairns for follow-up appointments with the Dietician and Surgeon.
Its going to be a busy week!

little weeny grasshopper. its hard to be cranky at them when they’re this cute!

mower with trolley attached, to cart soil and plants

a little lunch of ‘fish pie’. a bit like cottage pie but with fish!

Wk 16 of ’23

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An update of the week that was.
Week 16 of 2023

Monday – we had breakfast at Petes again before packing up and getting the car sorted for the drive home.
I had a bit of a vomit after we got back to the room from breakfast, after eating a small portion of bacon and egg.
I’m now pretty sure it’s the heavy bread that’s doing it!
Had to retake my multivitamin, and I’m sure the vomit would have screwed with my fluid intake for the day!

We went to Bunnings to get some flower and veg seedlings as a treat, before heading back up the hill to home from our two nights away.
On the way home we collected the dogs from the kennels, who were very happy to see us.
It was a nice break, albeit far too short to really relax much at all.

Tuesday – I went into town to have an ultrasound scan in the morning for my liver lesions.
After a couple of questions from me, the sonographer admitted that I also had a lot of gallstones.
I’m still annoyed that my gallbladder wasn’t removed during my surgery – but more annoyed at myself that I didn’t ask for it to be done!
The rest of the day was a Housework catchup day.

Our garden guy came for 2 hours before the rain started, and he managed to get the new ‘monument’ bed cardboarded and half-filled with organic waste before using the last of the trailer soil to top it off.
Its not quite full though, so we will need to get another load of soil from the landscape place up the road.

Wednesday – I spent most of the the morning working in the garden, pruning and pulling up the rampant comfrey and getting the hoop-covered bed ready for planting some brassicas in the coming weeks.

I had a small tin of tuna with some crackers for lunch as a good quick protein hit, and then did a run to the dump in Noah (bus) to the dump to empty the recycles.
I got the ‘foamies’ after dinner – but managed to stave off the vomit.

Thursday – I had to drive down to the city for my CT scan which is to investigate the pain im having in my upper left quadrant.
I felt pretty icky when the contrast was first injected, but was ok again once I sat back up.
It ended up being a fairly ‘quick’ 4½ round trip, and whilst I called into BCF and Anaconda, it was mostly just to waste time until it was time for my scan.

On the way back home, I stopped at the top of the hill to get a mini sausage roll.
It ended up making me sick and I had to pull over twice on the way home to be able to throw up.
Maybe it was too oily, I don’t know – because I sure chewed each of the bites (all two of them!) til they were mush.
But then again – this baby belly doesn’t seem to like mush too much…

 Friday – I had to go into town early to collect groceries and garden stuff, so that I would be back in time for the electrician to come and fix our oven which has been out of action since November.

I mowed for most of the afternoon, however took an hour or so break to go back into town as I had a Physio appointment for my knee.
I feel like its slowly getting better.
I actually managed to get the whole of the house yard and paddock mown, except for the short bit along the eastern fence line where its still too boggy to be able to get the mower to.

On the way home from grocery pickup, the engine light came on in the Mazda.
Seriously – cars will just not give us a break at the moment!

I took the bus to go to the Physio, as we can’t get it into the mechanic to get looked at until Wednesday of next week, so I’ll be driving the bus to go any place I need to go for the next however long.

Saturday – started with me taking the bus into town to get some medications from the pharmacy, whilst my Love took the trailer and went and got a fresh load of soil from the landscapers.

I had been going to get some work done in the garden, but it ended up being a quiet day of reading, writing, YouTubing as it was very windy along with squalls of rain.

Sunday – went into town early to get some paint to coat the timbers that need replacing in the vegie garden, and also some black paint to revamp our Farm signage as it’s starting to get a bit ratty looking and needs a touch up.
Couldn’t do the touch up though as it ended up raining.

Went to go out in the bus for a drive to the lake after packing up a picnic, only to get dpf error come up on the instrument panel, so we need to work out how to clear that as it looks rather convoluted in the manual, and we’re assuming that once again it will need to go back to the mechanic down the hill.
Distressing and exhausting…
I now have no car to drive!

Breakfast Time

Brain Blips

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I vacillate between feeling confident that our Home and Farm are well stocked and that we are as prepared as we can be for whatever may next come our way – whether it be an unscheduled lockdown, to a cyclone, to not having a working car – and then next minute something tweaks my mildly prepperish brain, and I go into a bit of a panic that maybe I should be more prepared than I already am.

I think the thing that most tweaks this in my brain, is whenever I actually go in to a supermarket – especially in our local area where we have two – and I see that so many of the shelves have huge gaps from low or missing stock, or shelves that are just totally empty.
And it concerns me!

Is it because the Managers aren’t ordering in enough stock?
Is it because there isn’t enough actual stock to go around?

Maybe the doomsayers are right and I’m an oblivious naive twit!!??!!

No, i REALLY don’t think they are – but sheesh – some days that bit of panic sets in, and makes you question your own convictions…

#MorningMusings
#BeKind

Wk 15 of ’23

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Monday was another public holiday – Easter Monday, so it was a quiet day spent together with my Wife.

Tuesday – uneventful. Did exciting things like laundry and housework, and I collected our online order for groceries.
My knee is really hurting today.

Andrew the irrigation guy came and worked today and has installed the irrigation for the big veggie garden.
It’s going to make getting the watering done down there a lot easier.

Wednesday I emailed the Surgeons receptionist again, as I have now been waiting about two weeks to get some forms from the Surgeon, to investigate some pain I’ve been having since surgery.
I have at least got the ultrasound forms now, to check out the liver lesions that were discovered when I had my recent laparoscopic surgery.

I’ve booked my liver scan for 18/4 in our local town, which is the earliest I could get in.
My knee is agony today and I’ve only slept a couple of hours overnight due to pain from both my belly and my knee, plus restless legs.
In not in a particularly good mood to be honest…

Thursday – we went out to dinner last night and as usual I had a little bit off my Wifes plate.
Four chips and a small slice of chicken.
I ended up having a small vomit in the pub loo as the chicken didn’t sit too happily in my belly.

My knee was probably the worst it’s been when I woke this morning.
Physio visit was thankfully already booked for today.
I just don’t feel a lot of confidence in this new physio though…

However – I did get the second referral emailed to me from my surgeons receptionist finally!!
Yaaay.
I’ve booked an appointment for 20/04

Friday – had to go into town twice, because I took the bus for a drive and my scripts which I had gone in to get filled, were in the other car
Got ½ price chobani.
Mowed the house-yard.
Fell over and landed on both knees.

Saturday – we headed down to Palm Cove for a couple of days break.
We’ve been looking forward to it.
Lunch at the top pub and for dinner we shared some fish and chips.

Sunday we had breakfast at Petes – the local cafe on the corner.
We shared a big breakfast, and it was pretty yummy.
Tomorrow we head back home, and we’ll collect the dogs from the kennels on the way.

The rain has come back in, but I haven’t checked how long its expected to last this time, yet.
At least the plants got watered while we were away 🙂

Wk 14 of ’23

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The week that was – also known as ‘What Happened in My World Last Week“!
Week 14 of 2023.

Might do a weekly update – or more often – post.
Might also fail miserably at it!

I guess we’ll all stroll along having a slow wander – and see what happens.

This week we’ve had 17mm of rain.

===

Monday
My Sister left on her journey to the BVI to be with her Son whilst he is having surgery, and to help out with looking after their Children.

I had a Telehealth appointment with my Dietician to see how I am tracking with my eating and weightless.
She is happy with how I am going and has suggested that we catch up again in a month, as I seem to be on the right path for my body, and am doing well.

I emailed my Surgeons Receptionist to get the forms I need to have the tests required to investigate my ongoing pain issues under my left ribs.
Initially she only sent through the ultrasound scan to have a look a the liver lesions that the Surgeon saw during my recent surgery, so I replied and asked for the extra forms required to investigate the actual pain (?spleen pain?).
Dinner: fish stir-fry

Tuesday
We had to go down the hill to the City to do a few errands, as well as having lunch with a friend who was in the City for work from down south.
We also had to pick up my new glasses that I ordered a couple of weeks ago, plus the two tubs of Formulite from the Dieticians office.
In a big bit of excitement – we also got a call that our Bus was ready to be picked up from the mechanic!
Sadly, once again we got part of the way home and the battery light came on, and the Bus will again need to go back for more repairs.

This has been such on ongoing ordeal for the last two years that in all honestly we are almost at breaking point with knowing what to do…
We have again contacted the Company – and await what their next plan of action will be.
Luckily – we managed to at least make it back home.
Dinner: leftovers of fish stir-fry

Wednesday
I had to go in and do a collection at the bank after making a cash deposit last week that apparently didn’t go through to the account I had wanted it to be deposited into.
When I got back to the car after collecting it, I opened the envelope to put the cash in my purse, only to find they had issued a cheque!
This just recreated the depositing issue, so I had to go back into the bank and request that they accept the cheque back, and reissue cash, which they thankfully finally did.

I combined the town trip it with dropping off a book I had sold, getting some more soluble fibre and some kiwifruit (apparently this is the best solution to my clunky bowels according to the Dietician) and also went to the post office and collected the mail and a parcel.
The parcel was my biennial purchase of moisturiser, which I buy in huge bulk tubs.

Still nothing back from the Surgeon, so I have emailed the Receptionist – again!
Dinner: mash and gravy

Thursday
I did a small pre-long-weekend grocery shop, and I had to get a gas fitting as one of our old ones seems to have disappeared.

We’ve got a glut of eggs at the moment as I’m not eating or using as many as I used to, so I  cooked up a dozen eggs for the animals dinners over the coming few days and I also cooked a weeks worth of chook food.

My friend L came for a visit and we chatted and had coffee for a lovely hour.
Dinner: butter chicken

Friday
a public holiday – Good Friday.
My Love was home from work for the day and helped out in the garden making a new garden bed out of some old ones.

Our garden guy MG came (his wife came too for some reason!) and did some weeding, cardboarding and mulching of our driveway garden.
Its looking so fresh and lovely now!

Not long after lunch a huge storm came through with lots of thunder, lightening and a short sharp bursting downpour.
We watched the latest Downton Abbey movie whilst it went over, and it was lovely.
Dinner: beef nachos

Saturday
my Love worked in the morning, and I spent time reading, writing and making animal food.
Side is still sore and I rang to make an appointment at the Clinic this moring thinking it would be open for emergencies – it wasn’t.
Not sure whether to go to ER or not as yet..
Feeling a bit like a ‘fraud’ because I’m not in screaming agony, but I would rather not reach that point, and I’m scared that that might happen…

When my Love went back out for another appointment in the afternoon, I mowed the house-yard and some of the paddock.
It’s still very boggy down the paddock though, so there is a limit to where I can mow.

Sunday
We went out for breakfast to a cafe at the top of the range.
It was nice, and we shared a ‘big breakfast’.
The rest of our day was spent quietly together.

Next weekend we’re going away for two nights, so we’re both really looking forward to that…