July 1st

I'm killing time here waiting for the stove repairman to arrive sometime between 11:00 and 1:30. Even done a new page for a new month and an entry two days in a row. I'm hoping the stove won't cost too much to repair. I think it's an adjustment. $66 for a service call and $16.50/15 minutes for labour.

Another consultant to the one I normally deal with rang me yesterday and offered me a permanent part time job for three days a week. However it doesn't finish till after 5:00 and I'm not really looking for permanent work, even permanent part time. I quite like two days here, three mornings there. Suits me fine and I'm free to refuse and will still be offered more another time. I have two full days, next Thursday and Friday already lined up. The state guild of spinners and weavers is having an open day on the Saturday and it's within walking distance of my place, so I'll probably go. Some handspun would be nice and I have some money put aside for it.

Last night's soup was very nice and also quite healthy. Lots of vegetables in some veal stock which I had made before to skim if needed. I made two loaves of bread to go with it. One had tahini and sesame seeds in it. I tried a small piece of that, but not too much. Tahini is yummy, but full of oil, even if it is good oil. The other had mashed cooked carrot and coriander and mint along with some cumin seeds in it. It was golden and tasted great. It was a smoother texture than the other bread. The others all used butter, but I had it plain and it went well with the soup. Real soup weather too, cold and an absolute deluge of rain all day. Much needed but it is also nice to see the sun today. It's very mild after the last few days of cold. I have the front door open to let in some fresh air and I haven't turned the heater on yet.

I'm home all day by myself but might go out for a coffee if the repairman isn't too late. Then perhaps a walk although my hip is a bit sore. I have no real weekend plans. Depends on the weather. I dug a container out of the fridge freezer and let it defrost to see what it was. I hadn't labelled it and I had no idea. It turned out to be some great vegetable curry that I made a while ago. That's now available for a weekend meal. One less thing to think about!

Busy, busy week last week with a surprise, a couple of days work, some babysitting. I did try to get in here, but something was wrong and I couldn't get into Angelfire to update. More babysitting tomorrow as son and DIL are attending the funeral of the daughter of neighbours. She had been on strong painkillers for something and they don't know if it was an overdose, deliberate or not, or just a mix up and reaction in what she was taking.

Husband arrived home on Thursday evening with the news that because of an injury, he has been sent home from work on full pay till they find something he can do at the grade in the Public Service that suits his current reasonably high grade. He hadn't had any time off because of this injury and is quite capable of a lot of his work. Rest could be done with an assistant who would only need to be part time. His boss doesn't want this. Apparently his work mates are mystified by the decision. So am I and am wondering how I'll get on with him home all the time. I'm not looking forward to the prospect. Work admits it could be 3-6 months before they have something for him.

"Isn't it time for morning tea?" What's that? I don't have it. I don't have afternoon tea either, although I may have a cup of hot lemon and ginger tea about 3:00 pm if it's cold. I often have a snack late afternoon, but that's usually because he is home late from work and I need something before a late dinner. Lunch has to be a meal too. Sometimes I just have a bit of salad and some bread/rice thins/saladas etc. Fortunately today I had leftover celery soup. Tomorrow I'll be babysitting for this funeral, so he'll have to find himself something.

On Saturday he went to a men's breakfast at the church he now attends. He was belching, and worse, all the rest of the day. I finally prised out of him what he had for breakfast. Orange juice and a hot drink. Two pieces of toast. Three poached eggs. Onions. Mushrooms. Baked beans. Grilled tomato with cheese on top. Bacon. Scrambled egg. Sausages. He assured me it wasn't all on the one plate. That might have been better. Servings would have been small to fit it all on the plate.

Food while I was working was supplied. Tiny quiches and salad. Wraps, Sandwich selection and mini croissants. This was NOT all at the one meal. Each meal was one of those things. I don't drink enough when I work because of the inevitable results which are hard to attend to when I am supervising exams. Otherwise, not too bad.

I must admit, it was an oddly uncomfortable feeling to be catching the train through the underground stations the morning after the London bombings, condemned by all right-thinking people everywhere. I wasn't afraid, but it didn't feel right all the same. I went right around the City Circle in Sydney, five stations, to Museum station and walked down from there. How could anyone go to bed and sleep, knowing that next morning they were going to kill innocent people, strangers to them? So hard to understand. One of the dangers of fanaticism of any sort.

yesterday we had lunch with #1 son and his wife at a small, very popular Vietnamese place in Marrickville. They serve the best salt and pepper quid i SYdney and I had some, even though it was fried. A couple of vegetable dishes, some Vietnamese sweet and sour pork which was very nice. Boiled rice which only my husband ate. Stuffed chicken wings as an entrée. San choi bau but made with emu which I had never tasted before. Son chose the emu from, pork, chicken, beef, venison, crocodile, eel, emu, kangaroo. I've tried venison, eel, crocodile and of course the other meats. It was really nice. Some beer and a small glass of red.

Tonight we're having BBQ pork and noodles with some tamari splashed over the top. Lots of veges stir fried with the noodles in some stock.

I think I must have lost a few kilos as some trousers which were tight are now comfortable. I haven't been keeping track, although I notice a couple of bras were also a bit looser than I thought.

Just a quick updatetoday. It hasn't been the best of weeks so far. Situation with husband's job needs clarification. I really don't think the rehab manager is on top of her job.

I was to babysit while son and DIL were at a funeral yesterday. However, Monday night I came down with some sort of a tummy wog and although I was a good deal better yesterday, I asked Sam if it was at all possible to find someone else. Surprisingly she was just getting over a similar bug and knew how I felt. Even more surprisingly, she was able to find someone who could step in at short notice instead of me. And it turns out my mother had a similar thing too. Very bad stomach cramps and all the rest of the associated unpleasantness. I could have done it at a pinch, but waas glad not to go.

Then early this morning I woke with all the yukky symptoms of a cold. It never rains but it pours! I couldn't sleep, so got up early and made a cottage pie for dinner tonight with the leftovers of the turkey thigh roast from last night. Only more vegetables needed now and my husband should be able to manage that. I even cleaned up everything I used instead of leaving them for him.

I also served out several serves of the homemade baked beans I made in the crockpot yesterday. These will do for lunches. The rest I have put in the freezer. Otherwise I know someone who will think a BBQ sounds nice for lunch and then be annoyed when he doesn't get a full-on meal at night too. The beans were made with dried red kidney beans which I soaked first. Some bacon and onion, tomato paste, tomato sauce and a couple of tins of tomatoes. I also added some brown sugar and about a tablespoon of liquid malt. This is the first time I've added these and the beans are delicious. I make something like this about twice a year, and yesterday was freezing, a good day for them. Healthy too.

After being up and busy early I really felt horrible, so lay on the lounge and pulled a sleeping bag over me. To my surprise, even after some cold and flu tablets and two cups of good coffee, I went straight to sleep for quite a long time. It was after 11:00 am before I could summon the energy to have a shower. Most unlike me. I absolutely hate slopping around in a dressing gown. MIL used to be like that till well into the afternoon sometimes, even knowing we were coming to visit. I think my feeling is a reaction to that. I'll probably lie down again after lunch. No more tablets either. They give me the shakes if I have each of the recommended doses for even just one day, but I needed something this morning.

Saturday July 16th

I'm still here,although only just. I don't think it was the flu I had,but it was certainly more than an ordinary cold. I can't remember feeling so terrible for about twelve years. Then last night I was feeling ready for sleep. Got into bed and started to cough. I hate cough medicine and it does nasty things to my blood pressure and head but I got out again to get some. It wasn't where it was supposed to be so I came back to bed and coughed till 4:30am. Today I feel worse than yesterday because of the lack of sleep. However, this time I have located the medicine and won't hesitate to have a dose, only 5 ml, if needed. I figure that if my head is affected, I'm in bed anyhow,and I want somesleep.

It's a gorgeous looking winter day here. Just the sort of day I like being up the mountains. Clear and crisp with quite a breeze. However, I'm not even poking my nose outside. I haven't eaten much while I've been sick. I've even had to force myself to drink. As my mother says however, it's not often that weight is lost like that or it goes straight back on again. Stay well. I haven't felt this sick for such a long time and certainly wouldn't want others to feel like this. I think stress has perhaps had a part to play in all this too.