April 1, Tuesday

I've had a day of contrasts today. It's been both good and bad. I have spent quite a few hours sitting at the computer doing some typing which my husband begged me to do. He is doing a course at work and had work to do for it. When he had it almost typed in last night, something happened to his copy of Word/Excel and the whole thing disappeared. When he tried to reopen it, it was corrupted. I reluctantly agreed to retype it today. It was formatted as a table and I hate Excel type tables. His original copy was in red ink, very hard to read. Add to this, his atrocious writing and spelling and I had a real job on my hands. I got quite tense across the shoulders as I did it. There were sixty plus pages to do. Not complete pages of typing, but stuff in boxes all over every page.

I also went out with my friend to Macquarie Uni again. If I hadn't done this, I would have had to go for a long walk to unwind before finishing the typing. We went to hear a visiting professor from England. We both have several of his books and were really wanting to hear what he had to say. We arrived with plenty of time. A parking spot? Impossible. (On telling my husband later, he did suggest another couple of spots, but I think they would have all been full too.) We drove around all the areas for 25 minutes and found nothing. Eventually we went to Macquarie Shopping Centre and still had problems. If we'd waited till people came out of their noon lecture, we would still have been late, but not had as far to walk. We walked at almost a running pace from the shops to the lecture theatre. That took us almost 15 minutes. afterwards we returned at a more sedate pace. So I figure I had my exercise for the day.

It was embarrassing to be late. The lecture theatre door squeaked as we opened it and we had to ease our way past Professor Edwin Judge who was not impressed. He's a world authority on first century AD Greece and Rome. Red faces for us both. He knows my friend and has met me and seen me around at various meetings.

We walked quietly back to the shops and had some lunch in Border's coffee shop. Not a great selection, although my focaccia had a lot of salad with it. Nice cup of coffee, which is a change for Borders who serve Starbucks which I don't usualy like. Then we had a good poke around among the books, CDs and DVDs. Didn't buy anything, but wished for an unlimited supply of money.

Wednesday, 2nd April

Just a quick entry tonight. I slept really badly last night and intend to go to bed quite early as I have to leave just after 7:00am. It's supposed to be cool tomorrow and windy. If it's fine, I might take Mya to the park and give us both some fresh air. I have three cats and at least one can usually be found sitting on something I want to use or asleep on my newspaper.

I'm going to use the spa mat for the bath and hopefully relax a bit. I still feel stiff after the hours at the computer yesterday. I did some gardening. Not as much as I wanted to, but I was too tired to try anything much. I was also too tired to be very inspired about our meal tonight. I ended up with a tin of salmon in a good white sauce with some vegetables. I grated some homemade bread and cheese and put that on top, then put it in the oven. Cooked some rice in the microwave and that was dinner. It actually was quite nice but not very imaginative.

Saturday, April 5

Autumn is very definitely here this morning. It was thirteen degrees here this morning at 8:00am. Now, to my northern hemisphere blogging friends, that may seem like the height of summer, as they battle more spring snowstorms, it was by far the coolest morning we've had for many months. However, the night was cool too and made a good night for sleeping. I even had to put on another cover on top of the cotton blanket. Woke this morning after the best sleep I've had for a long time. Was cosy and comfortable and didn't feel like gettting up.

I have lots to do today. We had very heavy rain last night and it would be good to do some more gardening while the ground is soft. I also need to make some more bread, make something for afternoon tea tomorrow at a meeting, make tomorrow's lunch. If I don't do that because I'm going out, husband will make lunch for himself and mother. There will be a huge mess and he will have cooked enough vegetables, particularly onion, for eight people. I have chicken left over from last night and will make some curry with that.

I managed to pick up a fresh chicken in Woolworths yesterday very cheaply. I put it in the crockpot when I returned home and covered it with some seasoning. Cooked all afternoon. It was very tender, but even with the seasoning I found it bland. Sometimes happens with crockpot dishes. Served vegetables. There was some liquid from its cooking, so I'll use that to make some soup for this evening. I'll serve it with fresh bread and it will be an easy meal. Then lunch tomorrow from the leftover chicken. Not bad going for $4.

I'd better get going or husband will be home needing help with various things.

Tuesday, April 8

We've had some beautiful weather lately but it's a pity I haven't felt very motivated to do much at all. I seem to be a bit run down as I have a second lot of mouth ulcers in a week. It's not something I'm usually prone to and I certainly don't want them again. I've upped my Vitamin B intake and it seems to be helping. They are quite painful. I had marinated steak BBQd for dinner last night and could manage only a tiny mouthful of it, because the ulcers hurt. I read somewhere that cucumber helps. Then I remembered that I have been having a lot of cucumber for lunch in my salad. Perhaps my body was telling me to eat the right things to help.

Apparently the chicken curry was well received on Sunday. My husband brought someone home for lunch as well as his mother. However, we were home only about two minutes before my friend arrived to pick me up to take me to our conference team meeting. My lunch consisted of a small slice of cheese eaten as I tried to show husband what to do for lunch. I emphasised that he would need to stir the curry or it would stick. He said he did, but obviously not enough as he burnt the bottom of the pan. Fortunately most of it lifted off after a long soak, but I wasn't impressed.

I made a chelsea bun for afternoon tea on Sunday. Very nice. Also made some friands, but didn't taste them. The bun had icing made with a teaspoon of rosewater in it. It was quite different. If I do it again, I think I will put only about half a teaspoon. It wasn't too strong, bit I think a hint would be more intriguing and be nicer. I made more bread with spelt flour today. It's related to wheat and is a very old grain which people with coeliac disease can often eat, where they can't have wheat.

Two more lots of babysitting this week, including an overnighter on Saturday. Son and DIL are going to a wedding in the morning and then coming home. There is a private reception and then they are going to a big reception at 7:00pm at Oxford Falls, well on the other side of the city, so I don't expect them home early. I hope the baby sleeps well. She has been awake a lot at night lately, much to their annoyance and then sleeping in the day.

I have my own opinions on the war in Iraq but won't go into them here. However, watching the uncontrolled rioting for foreign food aid the other day brought me to tears, as did the photo of the shoes of a dead Iraqi soldier - cheap, possibly vinyl shoes with desert stones stuck in the soles. Totally unsuitable for what he was called to do. Someones's father?son? husband? I know we need to continue our lives, but sometimes our concerns seem so petty.

Tuesday, 15th April

Gosh, a week since I was last in here. Things have been busy and I have been out quite a bit.

Yesterday was my mother's birthday. She turned 83. She is in good health and mentally there is nothing wrong with her. She repeats things sometimes, but I do that too. We had planned a picnic in the park near her place so Mya could run around. Wouldn't you know it. The only day for ages that it has been wet. Heavy rain overnight and more through the morning ruled out a picnic. Bec and I called at the shops on the way there and bought some good ham and salami, lots of fresh yummy rolls etc. I sent Tim to the bottle shop and we bought some bubbly and a bottle of good red. Seven adults and Mya all enjoyed a yummy lunch and I didn't once think about what I was eating. Didn't really have much but had champagne and some red and a very thin slice of a lovely baked cheesecake. Then after lunch, of course, the sun came out. Just the way.

Saturday and Sunday I was minding the other grandchildren. They were fairly well behaved and ate well. I was brought home by car just before lunch on Sunday. On their way home, both of them threw up in the car! I missed out. What a shame! Got to be lucky sometimes, I suppose. I was fine, so I don't know what was wrong with them. Andrew and I ate the same things. Even the baby had a few pieces of our pasta bake on Saturday evening.

I've spent today doing housework and washing. I even put fresh sheets on the bed, the minute I took the old ones off. I often wait till the evening and get my husband to help me, as it hurts my shoulder to do it. However, all done now. It's been a beautiful day and everything dried well. I've cleaned the bathroom and made bread too. Dinner tonight is some leftover baked, marinaded pork which has been in the freezer a few weeks. I'll do lots of veges and make a sauce with some onions and stock.

I had my eyes tested last week. Long overdue and there was a huge change in my script. I've had the old pair about five years. I picked up the new glasses on Sunday afternoon and what a difference they make. I can read easily now, instead of having to concentrate hard on the focus. Even the distance part of the script was changed. Pretty expensive. The frames were $176 less $25 special. With the multi focus lenses, and transition photosensitive coating, the whole thing came to $536. The woman tried to talk me into spending another $60 on a coating to cut down reflection and make the lenses appear invisible. (And what about the frames. Do they disappear too?) I've worn glasses since my teens and have never been bothered by reflections, so I didn't add that to the bill.

Good Friday, April 18

Good Friday today and I have just made a white sauce with some peas and celery and have added a small pouch of tuna. I meant to buy salmon steaks for lunch, but forgot I was minding Mya yesterday. It was far too wet to walk to local shops and the bus to Hornsby is very erratic and does not seem to follow timetable.

The family has had an exciting end to the week. My mother was rung by the lotteries office to tell her that she had won a substantial prize. She really wanted the jackpot, she has plans for all that money with the family, but is totally thrilled with her late birthday present. It's not one of the really huge first prizes, but very nice all the same. She'll go back to the ocean road around the Victorian coast and do some things around the place like painting. I don't buy tickets myself, but am very happy for her.

I had a long day babysitting yesterday. DIL had to open the hairdressing salon so had to leave very early for that. I was at their place before 8:00am (very early start from here) and no one arrived home till 8:00pm. The weather was strange. It was either pouring or brilliant sunshine. The rain would arrive with very little warning so we couldn't really go to the park as it's quite a walk away.

I was starting to get the dinner ready and do vegetables when Mya wanted to help. Now both Tim and I feel children should be allowed to help with cooking from an early age, so I agreed. She pushed a chair to the bench and we peeled potatoes together with my hand over hers on the peeler handle. She was very proud of herself. I was then told to watch TV and I thought she couldn't get at anything. Then I heard noises from the kitchen and investigated. I had left the plates out to warm on top of the stove and her plastic plate was on the bench. She had picked up a large knob of garlic, separated the cloves and put them on the plastic plate. Somehow she had managed to fluke working the microwave and she proudly showed me a plate of warm garlic! I'll have to reactivate those eyes in the back of my head that all teachers have!

I made hot cross buns today which are very nice. I haven't had a failure with this large book of yeast baking recipes. I just have to remember that it is English and the flour there must be a bit moister than here. Recipes always need a bit more liquid. I've made a lot of things from it and they all work. Tomorrow I'm going to try Turkish bread and see how that goes.

Off for lunch now.

Monday,April 21

Time disappears quickly around here. It doesn't seem several days since Good Friday. Most of Saturday I spent in the kitchen. I made a slice I always used to take away when we had a counry place. It was a matter of winging it as I couldn't remember or find the recipe. I have eaten a couple of pieces but have been careful. It's definitely not weight loss food. Lots of ginger and chopped dates. Cook with some butter till soft. Mix in 3 cups rice bubbles, (the only thing I could remember,) and squash into a flat pan. Ice with melted dark chocolate. We went to my son's for lunch yesterday and all the boys were very happy to see such a long time favourite. I left a large amount of it up there for them to eat. MIL ate several pieces, I hate to think what that did to her blood sugar levels.

I also made both pork and chicken buns such as you get at yum cha. Pork was cooked with hoisin sauce and the chicken had ginger, garlic, soy and honey. These were very nice. I made lttle pretzel type knots with sea salt sprinkled on and also made some Turkish bread which I took to church for communion on Easter Sunday. So I was fairly busy most of the day. It wasn't a day for outside as the rain was fairly constant, if not heavy. I wish it would rain further inland as not much is falling on water catchment areas.

Yesterday we went to church in the morning and then to son's for lunch. BBQ and salad. I couldn't eat the meat as it was spicy and I have had quite a few mouth ulcers recently. MIL ate everything that she could manage to get her hands on. We didn't really start lunch till after 2:00 and at 4:00 my husband said it was time to get her home for her dinner at 5:00! I refused to go. I said she was still eating her lunch and could not possibly eat any dinner then, right on top of lunch. If we had gone, she would have eaten it, I know. She was quite odd yesterday. Asked where was the lady who owned the house. She's been there many times and knows it belongs to her grandson. The "lady" is a friend who has lived with them for several years. She also told us (and Norm's aunt too on Saturday) about going to school at Cronulla. I don't know where she got that from. She grew up in Dulwich Hill and spent a lot of her life there. Certainly, NO school in Cronulla. Husband heard it himself and wasn't told by some family member with "an axe to grind" (in his opinion.)

I had computer problems this morning. I don't know what happened. Husband insists he did absolutely nothing on the network which would interfere with this computer although he was testing something out upstairs. It crashed badly and said several files were corrupted or missing. I've had to spend several hours rebooting and reloading XP Pro and rebuilding the corrupted files. He runs Windows 2000 and is jealous of my XP Pro which he bought. Everything seems OK now, so I'm keeping fingers crossed. We have a surge protector on this circuit and have never had problems, even in storms, so I don't think it was that. I was on phone at the time, not even working on it.

I had an easy lunch today. I cooked some rice in the microwave and we had that with leftover chicken and pork from the steamed buns on Saturday. I think I will make some soup for dinner to get the vegetable quota for the day. I have some nice homemade rye bread to have with it. Husband wanted a BBQ, but we had that yesterday. I told him I'd already had meat for the day and didn't want any more. What is it about men and meat?

later

Decided to make soup for holiday evening dinner. Made potato soup woth lots of onions and a tiny can of lite evaporated milk. Lots of different fresh herbs. I worked it out to be 1.5 points/serve. I also cubed some leftover Turkish bread I had made, sprayed it lightly with oil and sprinkled with cocoa pepper. Then I toasted the pieces in the oven till they were crunchy. The peppery croutons went well with the soup. Allup about 3 points for dinner and I was full.

Thursday,April 24

A very early, quick entry now. I have to leave by 6:30 to mind Miss Two. Ususally I get a lift to West Ryde and get the train from there, but my husband has the day off. Problem is that there are not too many trains early in the morning from my station to Strathfield where I need to change. So I have been awake half the night or just dozing and checking the time every five minutes or so. I'd be just as bad with an alarm, so I don't use one. Then I check to see if it's time for it to go off. Really stupid, but I just can't change it.

So here I am, well before 6:00. What I do need to change is my attitude. At the moment, I am having trouble doing any proper exercise or even scheduling it into my day. Food has good and bad days. Not necessarily the type of food, but just too much overall. I feel sluggish and "can't be bothered." A few good walks would fix that, I know. Now how to do it?

Hopefully, I'll write more tomorrow, I think I will come home tonight, because public transport will be all over the place tomorrow as it's a public holiday.

Anzac Day, April 25

Next time I complain about feeling sluggish and not walking, will someone please hit me over the head. I caught a much earlier train than I had anticipated yesterday, so I would have had quite a wait till Bec picked me up and there was nowhere open to have coffee. I decided to walk.

Now Pennant Hills road runs along the top of the ridge and the land falls away sharply on either side. Of course the train runs down low.It was quite pleasant walking at that time of the day, apart from the noise and exhaust fumes from the cars. I chose the least steep road up to the main road and set out. The walk took me just on 30 minutes, although I had to wait a long time for the lights to change on Pennant Hills Road. I got there, just as Bec was getting in the car to get me. I had worked up quite a sweat and was glad to make some coffee and sit down.

Later in the morning, I decided to Take Miss Two to the park. There are swings just across the road, but I knew there was a park around a couple of corners. I was wrong. It was probably twice as far as I remembered and took us 25 minutes to get there. Of course, that was not at the same pace as I had been at before. Two year old legs are short. She played there for over an hour and I pushed her twice for very long time on the swings. Then we walked home for lunch. She complained a lot of the way and wanted her father because he carries her on his shoulders.

Tim was home just after 5:00, very early for him. They had decided to drive to Bec's mum in Maitland that night after she got home from work. That meant I couldn't stay the night but also couldn't get a lift to the station. I walked to Thornleigh, rather than Normanhurst. Back up their very steep hill and along the main noisy road again. I checked the distance when I got to the station. It was about 25% longer than the morning walk. I rang my husband who picked me up from Strathfield and we went to the local Vietnamese cheapie for dinner. Then decided to do the overdue big grocery shop. By the time I got home just before 10:00, I could hardly move. I was exhausted and my shoulders and arms had stiffened from all the swing pushing. The shoulder has been quite good lately and I hadn't thought about it when I pushed her. And I still had all the groceries to put away before I could escape to bed.

Monday, April 28

Sometimes I feel just like this snail. Over the weekend, I have felt as if I was going even more slowly than this one. My head is just beginning to emerge from the fuzziness of a head cold, and the rainy weather hasn't exactly inspired me to be up and active either. Last night was particularly wet and we had a thunderstorm as well. I wish the rain was more than coastal.

At least, I've been sleeping a bit better than I have done for months. When my husband had this cold which he has so graciously given me, he moved into the spare bed because he coughed half the night. Now I am coughing, so he is still there. Once I get to sleep, I seem to stay asleep, because I can't hear his snoring from the next room. It's been amazing to sleep through, something I haven't done for a very long time.

I'm just debating what to have for dinner as I am by myself again. There are some dishes cooked, but I think I might have some fish and salad. Light but good for me. Now all I need is some wine, but I can't be bothered walking to the bottle shop to buy some.

Yesterday was one of the very few days in the last year that MIL hasn't been here for lunch. Because we didn't have any time contraints, I cooked chicken and noodles. I marinaded the chicken for a while in some soy sauce, honey, ginger and garlic, then stir fried it quickly before adding some Asian vegetables and the hokkien noodles. She wouldn't willingly eat such a dish. I don't cook specifically for her and occasionally I'll make something I'm fairly sure she eats only because there is nothing else. However, I usually play it safe and Sunday lunch is quick and to me boring. I like adventurous recipes. Or rather, recipes she's never seen ingredients for.

Mum picks up her lottery cheque today. She's buying a new car. Well, second hand, new to them. The old one needed quite a bit of repair and was due for registration in a couple of weeks, so the win has come at a very opportune time.

Wednesday, April 30

Here we are at the end of another month. I'll have to find something for a new page on Friday as I'm babysitting tomorrow. I hope it's fine so we can go for a walk to get out of the house. Otherwise she makes such a mess. Typical for a two year old I suppose. She does help to clean up, which is something. The last couple of days have been fine here. it was great to get washing dry on the line yesterday. We've had enough rain here, but there are lots of places that could use some more. Even Sydney dam storage needs a lot more, but the rain is coastal.

I'm tired tonight. I went to Burwood today because Grace Brothers had 20% off most things in the store. I was specifically looking for shoes and a skirt. Skirts were woeful, just a few black business type things. Everytime I can't find what I want, I seem to buy a black skirt and was determined I wouldn't do that today. I found some comfortable shoes which came in three colours. Did they have my size? Not in any of the colours. My husband pursuaded me to go to the city. No more skirts and they didn't even have the style of shoe I was after. I haven't been shopping in the city for a couple of years and it was a real let down.

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