Family Friends Pets KidsCategory Archives

Vignettes 18/1

Heyho.

Serval – epic huge meeting – with much work for rest of week. Assigned myself development time, which i really haven’t done for a while (in set times). Now, i am saying thursday & friday is MINE. Coding is as much about headspace as anything – you need that headspace to be focus time, not diverted to business activities. So, tomorrow, many business tasks. Things are really ramping up, and i am having to go back into project mode. Which will make our project manager happy (she doesn’t read this, so i am safe i suspect!)

Quilting – nada. Thought about it. That is something, no?

Kids – play date day for ms 9, she & friend & mr 7 had a blast inside and outside all day. Cubby house, sandpit, inside fort, trampoline, swings, xbox360, wii, and tv. Not a lot of the tv based stuff, but enough for the down moments:) Ms 18 off for a break at her dad’s for the rest of the week – some non noisy family, second part of family (my eldest, ms 24, and their magic dad,aka one of my most valued friends:) ) Ms 16 in a10 days gone into caretaker mode (must nurture family mode). She is a darling one, but they all are:) Naturally, had to watch The Goodies with wee ones before bed was contemplated.

Dad – looking tired, worrying me a lot. The verdict on his radiation treatment for prostate cancer will be in next month. As the interim result wasn’t the best,his ongoing tiredness worries me. I am hoping it means radiation still working, but, well…

Activities – besides all else, some shopping. A surprisingly mammoth task, shopping for a few days when it is just me and wheelchair against the world. Meeting took up a great amount of time and energy, so between the two, plus kidlets – well, bye day. Oh, air yet another colour. Yes, i have low attention span. Aimed for blue black, have black with red purple blue streaks. Really dig it:) Think darkness is mine now, (darkling, i listen….?). Gave Tux the Linux penguin, who had many adventures with me, to Dr Paul’s eldest daughter, a sweet little magic princess. I have been reliably informed that he is being utterly adored – which is good for him, and me to know:)

Status – odd day, was some stuff to deal with at meeting i was dreading. Ended up doing usual coping mechanism, which is not the wisest, but my body deals with stress by getting nauseous. Wish it wouldn’t! At least pain is settled down a lot. Rest days so needed, but the medication is definitely settling into place better. Which makes management better – one restricted day where two or three utter helpless in agony days once were. Hoping i can maintain this trend! Tattoo healing nicely, too.

Mindset – relieved meeting went off okay eventually Feeling really excited about the project. Also feeling cautiously optimistic as more data to confirm feeling pain is getting better managed. The higher dosage + lesser interval seems key, side effects still a bitch, but that management, while tricky, seems to be working too. Restrictive, but hey, not as much as pain is!

Score – today we have a 7. Was climbing post meeting, of course, but rest is settling it. Tired after sleep issues, but they were based on me worrying about meeting.

For anyone interested, pain is rated on a scale of 1-10. 1 is pretty well 0, for these purposes, 10 is utterly crippling, and have only been there a few times. Ended up being carted away in an ambulance the last occasion, when back had epic sudden deterioration, and i went from limping and occasional walking stick,t o needing a wheelchair overnight. So, 9 is pretty well it, 9.5 means i am crying and waiting for uber drugs to kick in, but the .5 at this end of pain scale is quantum scale, as opposed to the .5 between a 1 and 1.5, say….every tiny increment over 7 is really noticed. I haven’t been below a five in the last year, (since that last incident), and rarely am below 6, as that would require a few days of immobility and massive medication, so ain’t gonna happen, peeps (unless i have no choice, i have learnt any other attitude is bravado…).

Is anyone reading these, btw? I had complaints not enough personal info, is this too much? Am i just using my blog as a chance to life sample? And who gives a pair of fetid dingoes kidneys for anyone’s opinion on my blog, anyway?:)

Listened to: We Play the Game from the album “A Valid Path” by Alan Parsons

(One of my highest rotation songs atm, LOVE this. Seriously, about 10th time today. Will do that with a song.)

timelady

January 18, 2011

Blogging, Disability, Family Friends Pets Kids, General, Linux/Open Source, Meanderings, Music, Penguins, Quilting

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Serval

Vignettes 17/1

Heyho.

Serval – chat tonight, then weekly meet tomorrow.

Quilting – welcome to the evening, where my guilt at just lying here overcomes the pain (so that means pain is improving yeah?). So hand sewing and watching podcasts. Must put up my current list at some point again:) Yesterday, otoh, we (nej, nejmum, susan, bev) wrapped up the quiltfest for Queensland floods (now we have Victoria, NSW, and some of my own SA!) with 11 quilts all ready to – well, quilt:) baby, singles, couple of big sized ones up to a queen. Photos to come. One of the best bits has been working with friends, continuing long running friendships, adding to existing, and enhancing old ones into something new and richer. Very glad. And all this while helping people!

Kids – having a glorious lazy day, that involves playing dress ups, hiding, shrieking, and giggling (noise now abated by icecream fix post dinner). Ms 18 helped pa fix toilet and cubby house, Ms 16 helped make jam, much drawing:)

Activities – Despite crappy day pain wise, managed to push myself to take Ms 18 to her Centerlink appointment, then to shops, where she grabbed stuff™ for feeding the horde, cleaning the horde, etc etc..:) Also made the apricot jam (glorious, 14 large jars!).

Status – Pain. A lot. Slept badly, so got up late. Medication night. Todays score got to a 9, but managed to bring things down to an 8 atm. Dropping also, if i don’t move…so, overall well being of 8.5, not ideal:(

Mindset – flat and low after battling pain, but feeling mentally better than i have in a while. Being busy for others helps. i think. Trying to keep black dog from lurking at fringes of mind. Eating in spite of pain, which is a nice thing for me to manage. Makes kids happy…

timelady

January 17, 2011

Creativity, Disability, Family Friends Pets Kids, General, Meanderings

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Serval

vignettes 15/1

Heyho.

Serval thinking in morning pre meeting, much happening.

Quilting – had group of wonderful women arrive to makequilts for flood victims. Photos up in next week or so Chat, food, more chat, sew, share, support, collaborate, design, laugh, music, amazing intelligent creative giving women. Kudos, the lot of you. Proud to have friends like these:) Sincere thanks to bev, susan, vicky, and jodie. And various offspring, (combined we had 8 of the potential 16 that could have been there…)who provided magic background (and some foreground) noise.

Also to the five youngest, thanks for the sandcastle session, with bonus ‘c’mon mum/rom, watch me on trampoline/push me please’ on swings, culminating in asking me to get the egg from the chook run (oh, the excitement that egg caused…)

Round two tomorrow – so look forward to it. My four are going to hand with daddy lyn & eldest sister tomorrow, tractors and bikes and scooters and fun:) Will miss them, but will throw self into creation mode:)

Also, tomorrow sees me making apricot jam with batch of apricots from our tree – so that will be nice counterpoint.

Imagine will be wreck by middle of week. Serval meeting Tuesday, teen errands Monday, but will rest where i can.

*sigh* I know, shouldn’t push myself, but i try so hard in school holidays…

Slept ok, but not looking forward to tonight, despite needing it desperately. Really (inevitably due to pushing self) feel quite bad tonight. Medication night too. Todays score is an 8.5 by dinnertime, not diminished yet.

So, overall well being of 8.5:(

timelady

January 15, 2011

Creativity, Events, Family Friends Pets Kids, Meanderings, Music, Quilting

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Serval

Vignettes 14/1

After a fun night spent pursuing the elusive sandman, set up digital tv for my father, then caused confusion by trying to explain menus. Dad is 78, and engineer, but does not like these things. Mistrusts them. Odd, given my geekiness – but handy for him to have live in tech support:) My kids think of me that way too. And most of my friends. My brother. People i know. Friends of friends/. You get the idea;) don’t mind, look up the concept of noblesse oblige (or as i like to call it- ‘if you have the talent, use it to help, because you can’), for why not.

Then off to city for lunch with Ms 18 – her wish from her birthday was to spend day in town,, catch up with Corey (hi Corey!), and the tattoos. Yep, added to the ones with all the kids on them. Want to see mine? Sure you do, you are reading my blog, and i am curious enough, (not prurient, just curious), to grok that:) So here is the new one (odd

part one.<br />
rh side of body is ankh for life/love.<br />
next tattoo (very very soon) is an equal sized, same colour tardis. time/space, on lh side.

It is an ankh on my rh shoulder – representing life, death & love. Next will be equal size one on lh shoulder – a tardis, for time & space. And yes, it is a bit sore atm, to be expected:)

Serval business in afternoon, with Ms 16 in a few weeks helping me out. Lovely time spent with two of my big ones, need some smaller kidlets time in amongst the quilting bee tomorrow.

Now, bed, hoping for sleep (oh, what an optimist!) Hand sewing another hex based quilt for giving away:)

Oh, some ore Serval stuff in interim. Of course;)

Todays score is a 6.5, despite a very busy day with a really bad sleep – still staying firm at overall well being of 6.5:)

Listened to: Gorecki from the album “Best Kept Secrets” by Lamb

timelady

January 14, 2011

Family Friends Pets Kids, Meanderings

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Finally got around to chucking some quilts online…

Picture gallery on Facebook. Not all work mine, labelled as such. There is a core of three of us who do it, it is jolly good fun:)

All luna..umm interested types welcome:)

timelady

November 26, 2010

Family Friends Pets Kids, Quilting

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To sleep, to dream – as if!!

It is 443am. As predicted, sleep elusive. Semaphore trip to be in afternoon I suspect, so I get some sleep. But, no regrets. They grow so fast. Soon, the treat of sleeping in mummy’s big bed lacks appeal, as happened with the older three. So, experience has taught me the inconveniences are temporary, the memories, the bonds, they have infinite value.

timelady

October 8, 2010

Family Friends Pets Kids

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So, there are worse ways to spend a day:)

Tomorrow: Semaphore foreshore, mini steam train, merry go round, playground, mini ferris wheel. All the delights for teens & kidlets, including hot chips by beach & icecream on jetty. Bonus, wheelchair (me) vs kids (running)!

timelady

October 7, 2010

Events, Family Friends Pets Kids

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greader, interest, links, Ping.fm

What have i done this weekend?

Image via Wikipedia

Recovered from taking the kidlets to the show. First time since wheelchair. An – interesting experience! Points go to Ms nearly 16 for accompanying and being amazing:) The 2 little ones were great. They had a swag of showbags, loved the baby animals and the bouncy castle a lot. Rides were just too hard to get on, so a say at Victor Harbor, where such things still persist, is looming. (Also means the utterly loved joy of the horse drawn tram, but with wheelchair? Nervous…but will give it a shot!)

Yesterday the little ones and i got down and floury – blood orange scones. Over 2 dozen, slowly disappearing as we speak. They had their own rolling pin and cutting board, and we made many odd and fun shapes.

Scrapheap Challenge on iView – the kidlets and i curl up in the evening on my big bed, draw the curtains (yay four poster), and watch it on my 24″ Mac screen. Bliss curled up giggling with them. Confessions of naughty showbag goodies being polished off during;)

Taught Ms almost 16 how to make a fruity apple and plum casserole, with leftover roast pork and veges. Love cooking with the horde.

I put a light polish of makeup on Ms 9 this morning – you know, the first time i have put makeup on one of my kids! Weird. Calisthenic photos (her team won their competitions, i am so damn proud!!!). Home via groceries acquisition (a perennial non fave;) ) Must remember custom bag i made for Kermit the wonder chair. I am my own shopping trolley!

Ms 18 next month (gasp shock horror really!) was away yesterday post a sleepover with a dear friend. Came home with a resurgence of her not so dear cold. She suffers not in silence;)

Ms 24 has had a full on week. Love that amazing young woman. She is handling things with foresight and determination to try to do the right thing. Love her courage.

Dad is doing well, he likes the weekends and the break from his daily cancer treatment. Loves having the noise and chaos of the horde around him:)

The dogs are delighting in the weekend too – kids! Crumbs! Running around the backyard with them!

More snuggly scrapheap fun later. The kidlets are turning into almost as much of a Robert Llewellyn fan as their mum:)

School tomorrow, much paperwork for Serval for me. The week ran away, and I don’t wheel that fast;)

Perhaps mundane to anyone else, but my quiet joys are deep and true. I also dreamt and wrote and yearned and pined and was outraged. That is a whole other story:)

timelady

September 12, 2010

Disability, Events, Family Friends Pets Kids, Films/TV, Meanderings

3 comments

My house is at rest

So busy, my house, my home. Full of life and movement, it is rarely so tranquil, so quiet. Even at night, the restless turning of a child in the next room, the sounds of a teenager, body wired for the nocturnal life, attempting unnaturally timed sleep, for grumpy awakening in the morning. The pattering of paws on carpet and vinyl, as the Labrador continues her vigil, checking on us all in turn, as the Greyhound lazily stretches his length, languidly rolls over to resume his pre sleep nap.

The children, the teens are away for the weekend, as they do twice a month. Somehow, it never feels right, even after all these years. Today, my youngest daughter turns 9, and for the first time with her, I will have only her voice, shy at first on the strangeness of the phone, to echo in my day, until the counted down morrow.

The dogs are uncertain, for they, too, have never quite adjusted. The Labrador in particular shall be my shadow until, her tail wagging her body in joy, her world is also put to rights tomorrow lunchtime. As a reward for our oddly empty domain, the rest of my family, my brother and his partner, my dear once first utter companion and lover and now wonderful friend will be here with his lovely new partner, and best of everything, all of my children home, including my first born not child but adult daughter, still my hearts child, here with her own partner too. We gather as usual in the informal ritual of celebrating the year passing, heeding the beat of time that indicates that another member has marked an age achieved. So fast, so fast they grow.

Another gains adulthood this year, another still my child, ever my child in my bones, my soul, my heart.

Today I took my also beloved father to the doctor who will, we hope, kill the cancer that months of treatment has now barely got under control. Seven weeks, five times a week, radiation will be tightly focused on the errant cells. For anyone, quite an impact. As his hand, once so sure, now starting to struggle with trembling, disobeying his command to write with certainty, frustrated him today, I sat and realised the passing of the years is finally impacting the man I was sure was immortal. He will be 78 end of next month, and his signs of aging, and this cancer, have pointedly bought home to him his time here has limits. A brush with septicemia post operatively, where he actually, thankfully briefly, died, but was saved by virtue of being en route to hospital in am ambulance, has even more sharply reminded him of his mortality.

He is scared. Oddly, it has made us closer, his age, his cancer, my pain. Once he wouldn’t have dreamt of me going in with him to the doctors. He has not asked, but never refused my company on each visit. Today, I was deeply moved when he said briefly how grateful he was for my presence there. A poignant twist of my heart.

So, I sleep little, another restless patch night, without focus unless I force it, and let the thoughts run like sand through my fingers.