Morning everyone. Bf's mom was supposed to come over today to spend part of the day with us, but that was called off a short bit ago.. She had covid a couple weeks ago. Not going into the drama about all that because I may have already ranted to you about it.. but now bf is paranoid about various and sundry symptoms he has and decided not to risk it since it hasn't been too long since her recovery. He's going to get a test through his sister today (she has some tests). I might too.

Anyway, now I'm back to visiting my mom this afternoon. It's been an automatic for me to visit her early afternoon each Saturday. Now that the schedule changed and then it changed back - I have to gear myself up for it because, frankly, it's not easy to see her in her current stage of dementia. Last week, she just wanted to sleep (very common) and became agitated and wanted me to leave. That was hard. Hopefully she's feeling better today.

I started my Yogalaties class two weeks ago.. I like the instructor a lot. She says we're doing a challenge and I believe it'll be a 5 minute plank, alternating every 30 seconds between the traditional plank and a knee version. I guess we'll be working towards it during each class. I'm going to also try to work on this at home so I don't fail miserably.

Nothing much else to report.

Annie - I'll keep your son, his gf & their baby in my thoughts, and i hope the rest of the pregnancy goes well. == I'm happy you're happy with your boss and your work. I'd like to be able to say that. It's strange, but I was relieved that my office postponed our return, but in a way I'd been looking forward to some sort of normal - back to some of the old routine. I guess I'll just try to focus on the positive - no commuting in this cold weather.

Hope the rest of you ladies are doing well and staying healthy.

I'm going to get this posted and take care of some stuff around the house before I visit mom. TTFN!

Morning all,
Been trying to get back here for some days, but like everything else I plan, life has a way of doing something else, somewhere else. If you get the drift.
We've been having a bit of cooler weather. You lot must be blowing it in from the north and also a lot of rain on our side of the continent. The other side is on fire. Always something to test us with.
Omicron has become rampant over here. From having no infections, we are now up to 10-16000 per day with a lot of deaths here in Queensland. Yesterday there was 10, the day before 16. That may not seem a lot to a country whose infection rates are 800000 per day and hundreds of deaths, but putting it in perspective, you have 230,000,000 odd people and we have 23,000,000 odd (extra odd in many cases) and about 7,000,000 here in Queensland then 10 a day is a lot to us. Most of those dying have had at least 2 shots of vaccination, some have had 3 and some none. They are still dying anyway. Mind you we are now getting some deaths of younger people but on the whole its grabbing 60's, 70's and upwards. Given that us oldies have the most spending power, this is not good for the economy.
Enough of Covid. Tired of it all.
Just took a look back to see who has posted since I last posted and I find that I haven't posted since I started the thread - naughty Shad. Life hasn't been that busy.
It wasn't a new year resolution - I suck at those - but I started back to eating well and drinking more. Water and tea and coffee not alcohol. It seems to be paying off. I've lost about 4 kilos - that's around 9lbs in the 2 1/2 weeks since I started. I'm also doing weights and walking again so that no doubt helps. Mind you it isn't hard to drink lots in this heat and humidity. I seem to be in a constant sweat. But it won't be too long before we are into February and it starts to cool down at the end of that month.

Laura - glad to hear that the company has seen sense and allowed you to work at home for the next period of variants. Probably a good idea on the whole given it is winter over there.
Your hair will look good, I think you are wise to take it slowly. I didn't get a choice, my hair fell out after chemo and when it grew back it was au natural.
That's a bit scary about the brake light coming on, but I can understand that ice will distort the view and the sensor. The rear cameras in my car get a bit foggy from time to time and seem to think there is something to back into - but it is only the humidity fogging it up after one of our rain storms we have been having.
I've been thinking about an air-fryer for a while. But I haven't done anything about it. Too much else to spend my money on at the moment.
It's so hard to see your parents with dementia. You can do so little to help them and they get stroppy for no reason. Probably all the moving she has been doing over the past year or so is not helping her to process the changes.

Happy - Interesting you thought about the threesome of the Queen, Betty White, and your mom. A great trio to look up to. Our Queen will hang about for a bit longer although not if her grandson keeps hitting the family with his bombshells - not doubt encouraged by his eccentric wife, but he is undoubtedly hurting the Queen.
I was sad to hear about your cousin and his emotional pain, not to mention the physical pain. He has borne a lot of responsibilities in his life. May he find some peace and healing for himself now.
I'm also glad to hear that you and your sister have smoked the peace pipe. There isn't a lot of family left, and you don't have a long lifetime left either. No point in holding grudges. Think it, say it, be done with it.
Well done on the exercise class and sticking out the circuit three times. There are days when I just can't be bothered and then I do the exercise weights anyway. I'm procrastinating about the yoga cd tho'.
We've been seeing some of the snow and ice up your way on our TV news. Not a good time for driving.

Ceejay - Bad luck on the COPD - I have a 2 friends with that. It's not nice. Good to hear that the nephew is sober. He is doing well.
Good luck with the at home tests. Some of them work better than others. Not that I've tried any. Can't get them here for love nor money.

Annie - I hope you have the bank statements and receipts for that tax paid. Ridiculous what governments are doing to collect money these days.
My sister had the 24/7 9 months of morning sickness with her babies. It wasn't pretty. I hope your son and daughter get through this okay. She doesn't have much longer to go. Hopefully it will all go well at the delivery. Glad the baby shower went well and that the baby is okay. Early will probably be good for both of them.
Glad to know that you are happy with the floors and doors in your house. Nice to have renovations working well and looking good.
It seems to me, that we all have the problem of when not strictly watching our food and water intake, we are gaining weight. It's such a pain.
And you love your job. That is great!! :wink:

Susie - Glad to hear you had a good time on holiday and it sounds like it was a nice dinner for DH's birthday. Happy birthday to him - late and all.
Springfield sounds like a good night out. The oldies are the real goodies aren't they. To think they are still touring and singing at 70 and 80. It will be hard when they are all gone.
Hope DH is better now with the bronchitis. Not something you want to keep hanging about.

Well that is about it I think. Lovely day out there, and it will be cooler today - around 29C I think they said last night (88F more or less) so I might be able to do a bit in the yard. Lawn needs mowing again darn it. So I'll buzz off and get some breakfast and then organise the day before it gets away from me and I end up doing nothing (except hunt for my glasses or keys or whatever) Stay safe, stay well, stay home.

FROM MY PHONE
I've had a stomach virus which is what my niece had when she tested positive for covid. Thankfully I don't have it. Had to go to urgent care to be tested because i couldnt find any test kits snd all ythe testing places were booked. Just dont have any energy
Was supposed to keep A and the kiddos tonight but his sister is doing that for me while I gain my strength back

Annie
Hope you have all the receipts where you paid the IRS. And hope the the baby and mother are doing better

Hellos to the rest.

Hello! I can't believe how fast time has gone already this month. Going back in the office is NOT my favorite thing at all. I can tell you that I leave on time every day.


The work is ok. My boss is really hard to understand. He has a very thick French accent. Those who have worked with him for 5 years say they still have a hard time understanding most of what he is saying.

I just tell myself, it is what it is and it will all work out.


My DH is all clear from the Covid and didn't really feel too badly. I believe it went so well as he is vaccinated and boosted and also that his doctor gave him the antibodies right away. I am so glad that I didn't get it.

I really am just over it all.


About a year ago, my dentist retired I have a new dentist team. I call them a team because it is a husband and wife who bought the practice.


I haven't been too impressed with them. I was seeing the husband and kept having issues with a tooth the he filled.


Finally we got it settled down. So, I decided to see if I like his wife. I saw her last week for a cleaning. She was pretty rough and my gums are very irritated. She also found 4 small cavities that I need fillings for.


I asked was it normal that even though I come and get my teeth cleaned & checked twice do I all of a sudden have 4 small cavities. She said she didn't really know but maybe it is because we are all wearing masks so often and for long periods of the day that our mouth dries out and that could be contributing to it. I'm not sure what I think about that.


I am looking forward to warmer weather as soon as it will come. My friend Genny and I already have concert tickets for July when the band Night Ranger will be at "Rock the Block" in my home town of Wilmington. It was a new event last year and and they are bringing it back this year. A lot of bands coming. You know I love my music.


I was surprised to hear from Dee last week. She private messaged me. Her husband has had some health issues and they are preparing to sell their current home and land and move closer his kids. She asked about each of you.


Annie: I continue to pray for the situation with the IRS and for Morgan and the baby. I'm glad to hear that everything with your job is going well.


Ceejay: Sorry to hear that you are dealing with a stomach virus but glad to hear it was Covid.


Shad: It is good to hear that you have started back to eating well and drinking more and you are seeing results! Last year, my total weight loss was 13 lbs. Of course I wanted to loose twice that, but then I thought, at least I didn't gain 13 (or more) like I did the previous year. So, I decided to be happy with that and continue to keep working on it this year.


Happy: I love your goal! (My goal is to ATTEND and complete the program.) I believe it is enough and that you will be achieve it and get a lot out of it because you can focus, which I believe will bring good results.


Laura: I really feel for you with all that you are dealing with your mom's current stage of dementia. It really is heart breaking. Big hugs to you.


The Yogalaties class sounds like a big challenge but a good one. Planks are hard!


I need to get off here and get a shower and get my day going. We are not going to church this morning. We will watch it on the live stream and plan to go this evening. Less people there at the evening service.

Afternoon all and Happy February 1st! Didn't January go by fast?!

It’s wet out – mild and rainy, and then sometime tonight it'll turn to snow and it’s forecast to continue throughout the day tomorrow. Of course the weather folks are making a big deal about it because some of the areas to the south of us may get 10-12 inches. My area may get 4-5 inches. But nothing as bad as Boston, NY and that area of the East coast got last week.


Last week was my first 5-day workweek in quite a while, and this week is another. Thank goodness the next two weeks will be shorter!


Last Friday bf and I went to a friend’s house and had a nice time with her and her husband and her sister and her bf. I haven’t socialized much at all lately and I miss it!


My visit with my mom this past Sunday was good – she was awake and responsive for most of my visit. Fingers crossed I can get another good visit in this coming weekend.


Bf had some a couple friends over to watch playoff football on Sunday. He’s really been enjoying the playoffs this season. Otherwise he’s been really cranky lately and it’s been hard to take.

Actually, last Wednesday he went out to the library shortly before I left for my exercise class. He was still gone when I got home and I saw he'd texted me while I was in the shower that he’d had a blood pressure spike that freaked him out and so he went to the hospital. Thank goodness it wasn’t a heart attack, but I’m not surprised something like this came up because he stopped going to the gym a while ago due to the Omicron spike, he’s been very stressed about his mother’s move to his sister’s place, and lastly - he has refused to take the BP rx he was prescribed at his last physical exam. He intended to try to do what he could to avoid the med by exercising and losing weight, but it hasn’t happened. He’s finally started taking the med, and he has his doctor appointment next week. In the meantime, he’s made comments a few times in response to something that gets him annoyed/angry “no wonder my BP is high”. One of the comments was directed at me and I shut that down right away and he apologized. I just don’t know if I can deal with the grumpy old man he’s turned into these past few years, especially with this latest situation with his health. Not the situation itself, but how he’s not doing what he should to take care of himself!

Enough ranting and on to personals:

Shad – I hope Omicron is starting to ease up in your area like it has in the US. I’ve really gotten away from the news these days. (Even stopped my Sunday newspaper subscription!) I’m really only hearing the occasional blurb on the radio and haven’t heard much in the way of the latest virus stats. My nurse friend says the pandemic will turn to endemic – which I take to mean the case rates will stabilize, but it will not go away completely but that most people will have some sort of immunity from the vaccinations and/or having had it. I’ve enjoyed my bonus weeks of working remotely. I would have liked to finished out the winter working remotely, but I have a feeling that the rapid drop in covid cases will have us back to the office before too long. == Good job on eating well, drinking more water, etc. and the resultant WL. I’m slacking on my water because it’s been so cold lately. I guess I need to drink my water at room temp. == We’re still enjoying our little air fryer, especially bf, who loves using it for chicken wings. Just yesterday he talked about getting a full-sized one so it could hold larger batches. I agree that would be more practical, but at least our little one keeps us at reasonable portion sizes, LOL. We have quite the collection of small kitchen appliances, including a few I’m ashamed to report I’ve never used, LOL. This year I will commit to using each of them! Famous last words.

Ceejay – I hope your stomach virus is gone now and you’re back to feeling well again.


Susie – I’m glad you don’t linger in the office! Sorry you seem disappointed in your new position/boss. I can empathize with the difficulty of deciphering your boss’s accent – I have that trouble with some of my mother’s caregivers. I hope it’s something you adjust to after hearing it a while. Face masks must make it even worse, right? == I’m glad your DH is done with covid and didn’t get any severe symptoms. == Sorry you're not happy with your new dentist. I do think it’s odd to suddenly have 4 cavities pop up if you’ve had regular exams…I don’t think I agree with her mask theory contributing to them. == It’s great you’re already planning your warm weather outings. I need to do that! == I periodically exchange brief PM’s with Dee on the fitbit app. My ancient fitbit conked out years ago, and I’ve only kept the app because I still have the occasional contact with her. I don’t know why she doesn’t just post on our thread here….

Hellos to Happy and Annie!!


I’ll get this posted and then get some food prep done – steam some eggs (I don’t boil them anymore!), make some ditalini pasta to eat with the chili bf made over the weekend, and make a batch of granola bars. TTFN!

Hello Chickee Friends,

We survived the ice/snow storm that started Wednesday in Friday. I worked from home on Thursday and Friday and will work from home this Monday as we have the Board meeting in our space at work. I am happy to be able to work at home these last few of days and Monday too.

Other than going out yesterday with DH to clean off the cars and then the driveway and shovel he front porch so we could open our front door. I haven't been out of the house. We will go to Church tomorrow. The city has only plowed our street once yesterday.

Laura, I'm glad to hear that your BF has a doctor's appointment. I'm sure he is grumpy because he doesn't feel "right" and is scared. Men are awful when it comes to their health....

I am glad your visit with your mom was a good one.

Not much going on with me...really tired of winter already. Come on April! In Ohio, March can be really wintery and messy.

Looking forward to the Super Bowel a week from tomorrow. So excited for my Bengals. I have always been a Bengal fan. For 30 years, they did summer training in Wilmington, OH at our College and I went to many practices.

Hello to everyone...hope to see you posting soon.

Time to check in again - it's been a busy week and next week isn't looking much better. I am getting this done before I shower and go to the shops to get some bits and pieces. Life always seems to think otherwise when I make plans to do things.
This site is doing some strange things to me. First it doesn't give me any notifications that anyone of you has posted. Then when I start my post and get though the first sentence, it deletes the post. Very annoying but life can be very annoying often these days too.

Ceejay - hope you are all over the stomach virus by now. Sounds like you need magnesium tablets to get the get up and go going again. I take them daily along with curcumin which is for sore joints and general bones health. Seems to work okay for me

Susie - some of the problem with different nationalities speaking English is that they don't speak it enough. They talk in their own language at home and with friends and a lot of nationalities for one reason or another don't mix with other nationalities and people - which would improve the accent no end. My neighbour has been here 45 years from Czechoslavakia and I still can't understand her particularly on the phone. She has to repeat things time and again. She also can't read English well so I have to sort out some of her mail. It's all because she will not speak English within the family or friends.
I hear you on the dentist. My lovely dentist can no longer work at the local practice because he is not vaccinated. So sad when wonderful, educated people can't work. Bloody covid - and the politicians who thought that mandate up are no better. We are losing teachers, doctors, shopkeepers, hospital workers and particularly aged care workers because of this stupid mandate. Whatever happened to freedom of choice?
My weight loss journey is up and down. I know deep down that these sudden gains are due to fluid retention but that doesn't make it easy to get on the scales and see that I have put on 1.5lbs over night.
Hope yours goes better than mine.
Over here we are tired of summer - the humidity, the bugs, the heat, the wind, the rain etc. Still, the nights are cooling down somewhat and unless we get another bout of an extreme heatwave then we have passed the worst. The days are becoming a little bit shorter and it is quite cool when I get up in the morning.

Laura - good to read in your last post that your mum was somewhat more with it last time you posted. I hope it lasts for her and for you.
Men are strange creatures at times. Hope your B/F now has his blood pressure under control and you are getting on better together. I remember my Dad when his blood pressure wasn't good. Not nice to know. His love of chicken wings from the air fryer - while better than the deep fryer - still contains a lot of fat and cholesterol. But if you tell him that you will probably get yelled at.
Omicron and covid is easing here, and they aren't frightening us with a new variant at this point. The vaccinations and booster will not stop anyone from getting the lurgy but will 'apparently' give the patient milder results. Which is why I ask the question about why our old folk are dying off in droves from the disease even if they have been fully vaccinated.

Okay, well I have weeded, fertilised and mulched the garden beds and pots out the back and soon it will be time to start planting the garden out. There are pumpkins growing everywhere and I will take some to Probus on Tuesday and sell them off for a couple of dollars each and then I can pull out the dying vines - including the one growing through my shed. The day of the Triffids has arrived in there.
I'm off to have a shower and go do some of the shopping so I can eat next week. I have the meal plan all ready and now just have to shop for the stuff I don't have in the fridge, pantry or freezer. Pumpkin will probably feature quite highly on the menu.

I'll be back

Shad
I'm over the stomach and I agree I think taking some supplements would help.
__
Have 2 appointments today, one with insurance and the other one with tax consultant.
Fell last night coming in the back door. My toe caught the threshold just right and down I went
Nothing hurt but my pride. Nephew was here so he helped me get up.
Super bowl was good. I was for the Rams.
Everyone have a great week. Going to start my own thing here in 3 fc but any one would be wcomed to jointoive been doing IzmFz and it seems to help.

Hello. Once again it’s been a while since I posted and we’re already more than halfway through February!

Hi Ceejay, nice to see you posting! I’m glad you didn’t hurt yourself when you fell. Let us know if you start another thread on 3fc. I think you said you’ve been doing IF - intermittent fasting? How many days per week do you do that?

Shad – Saw the photo of the plant growing through your shed, too funny. Is your climate considered tropical? So different that summer is our only growing season in the area I live in, but the summer’s are too hot in your area for (veg) gardening. I’ve yet to re-start any herbs indoors. My “gardening” efforts are basically limited to keeping my few houseplants alive. I also planted an amaryllis bulb that I’d forgotten buying during the holidays. I thought I might gift it to my mom, but I forgot all about it until I came across it a couple weeks ago. . I also managed to get a poinsettia from the previous Christmas to turn red again this past Christmas, so maybe I’ll try for a third Christmas with it. Down in the basement in my mini greenhouse, I have a couple big pots I brought in last fall before a frost hit – they are begonias interplanted with some bright green contrasting foliage . I’m trying to see if I can get them to survive over the winter so I can bring them out again in the spring.

Susie – I think you must have gotten hit by the same winter storm we did. Nice to be working from home and not have to battle the elements. We’re totally on the same page as far as being tired of winter. I’m not happy that it’s been snowing all afternoon today, just after most of the old snow had finally melted! I’m happy to be working from home, but now that the covid cases have been easing up, I expect a date to be set for our RTO pretty soon. I was kind of hoping to get through March before that happened…we’ll see. How are your workouts going?

Hellos to Annie & Happy.

Not a whole lot going on with me. I still have to do my taxes. I’ve been spending my free time reading and watching TV. A bit of sewing and baking now and then. I have a few items for sale on FB/Craigslist, but there is no activity with them. The yogalaties class is going alright. Did I mention the instructor set a challenge for the last class? It’s a five minute plank. Total of five minutes, but the time is spent alternating every thirty seconds between a traditional plank and a modified (knee) plank. It’s been several weeks since I’ve been to the gym. I’ll get there this weekend.

BF had a couple people over for the Super Bowl last Sunday. He bought a larger size air fryer (and made some chicken wings, of course). I guess it’ll be more practical than the mini one. We’ll have to find or adapt some recipes to the fryer. I hope it doesn’t become one more appliance we don’t use. Speaking of unused appliances…I’ve decided I’ll use our deep fryer to make some apple fritters. Many years ago now, a little donut shop near the house – which had excellent apple fritters – closed down. None of the bakeries in our area have decent fritters. It finally occurred to me to try making some myself. I’ll try that this weekend. The batter isn’t hard to make, it’s just the frying that’s a PITA. And that's probably a good thing. Sure don't need to eat more fried foods.

I finally got my prescription coverage to approve my inhaler rx for another year after trying and failing with FOUR other inhalers, a process I’ve been going through since last fall. I must admit to getting impatient with both the insurance company and my doctor’s office as far as the prior authorization process. I saw my doctor last Friday for an appointment and he made a point of saying how much time and effort his staff put into getting my rx approved. He was definitely not happy with me, so I’m sure his staff had told them I was being a pest and not being nice. He also said that if the insurance doesn’t approve it after this year, I might just have to either pay for my preferred rx on my own or use a different inhaler. On the one hand, I’m ashamed and sorry that I got impatient with the doctor’s office staff, but on the other, I don’t think it’s right that he essentially said they won’t go to bat for me again next time. I’m also convinced that they didn’t actually follow through with the insurance company’s prior authorization procedure (one ins co person I spoke to admitted the process had a lot of back and forth to it) and maybe if they followed it, they wouldn’t have had to spend 45 minutes on the phone with them to finally get it done! I guess I’ll see what happens the next time and if it’s an issue, I will make it known that I do not appreciate them giving up on me. I might not have the most severe asthma problem they’ve seen, but I deserve to use an inhaler that works for me.

Today’s my Friday. Our office closes at 1 pm tomorrow in advance of the Presidents Day holiday on Monday. I’m taking vacation tomorrow morning so I can have the whole day off, and then I’ll have a 4-day weekend. No big plans. As usual, I’ll visit my mom. I’m supposed to meet my friend D. for breakfast on Sunday, but I’m not exactly sure it’ll happen now. We had a phone conversation last week and towards the end when we were talking about where we’d meet for breakfast, D asked if our usual place was asking for vaccine cards (proof of vaccine). She is fully vaccinated, has her card and everything but just feels it isn’t right for them to do this. If I thought this was her own opinion, I might feel differently, but I’m almost 100% sure this is her sh*thead bf filling her brain with his opinions. He’s not vaccinated and has all sorts of opinions about how the government has handled the pandemic, yada, yada, yada. This is the same AH who wouldn’t take a flight out to a family funeral, and so he drove all the way to AZ and therefore couldn’t be with D for her breast cancer surgery. Furthermore, D had to phone the police once because his behavior got out of hand when he came home drunk one night. Anyway…we ended the call with me telling D to choose a place – assuming she’ll choose one that doesn’t ask for proof of vaccine. I haven’t heard from her yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she made an excuse to postpone until after the mask and proof of vax mandates have ended.

Sorry this post has been on the rant-y side. On the positive side, bf is now taking his BP med after his doctor told him it was better than having a heart attack or stroke. At work, our annual incentive payout has been approved and it was better than expected. Our annual salary increase was also announced and it was better than last year, (but unfortunately it’s not as high as inflation is right now).

Okay, I’m going to get this posted. Everyone have a wonderful evening/weekend!

Laura
I started a thread called intermittent fastingnin the weight loss support area. It's just me but wld love some extra support.

Hello Friends,
I have been dealing with sickness for over a week now.
Started a week ago Monday and by Thursday. .i was dealing with coughing, drainage with sinus. Took.a rapid test, it.was negative. Went to see my doctor, she wondered if it was Covid but since it had been 4 days since I started cold like symptoms and I had a negative test she would give me a antibiotic and some other things to help.

i got a little better until Tuesday. I work up feeling horrible. I did another rapid test and it was positive.

i had to alert my work and they asked me to.come to our Health Center and get a PCR test on Wednesday. I did and Thursday test came back as positive for Covid. So I have been home and no.where else 10 days now. I have worked from home the whole time

We are closed for Presidents day on Monday. My work protocol has me doing a at home rapid test on Monday ( they provided the tests when I went in to do the PCR test). I have to do that test where I log on to a site.and they watch me do.the test.and they verify the result. If it is negative and I feel ok, I go back to the office on Tuesday. If not I stay home and test again on Thursday.

So very tired of Covid.
I need to get some house work done so I will come back again later today and do personals.

Feel better Susie!

Susie
Wow, sorry thar you have covid. Hope you feel better soon

Time to get back here again
Susie - so sorry to hear that you have the dreaded Covid. I hope you feel better soon. Seems you have had quite a nasty dose of it.
Laura - we are in the Sub Tropics. South of the Tropic of Capricorn but not in the Temperate Zone. Similar to the tropics, we get hot, humid summers with periods of rain, tornadoes and cyclones, and warm, gentle breezes in the winter. Rather than the four seasons, the Aboriginal people believe we have six seasons - I forget the names but spring and autumn aren't two of them.
Sounds like your potting is going along okay. Well done on two red Christmas' with the Poinsettias.
I've been toying with the idea of an air fryer - my old oven is on its last legs. But I don't know whether it will be a help or a hindrance since most of my meals these days are salad based and I only eat meat, chicken or fish three or four days a week now.
We have the same sort of problems with people not willing to hand over the correct forms to enter a pub, club or restaurant, however the mask mandate finishes next week (YEEHAA) and hopefully they (being those in power) will get rid of the vaccination mandate soon and stop discriminating against people who for one reason or another do not wish to be vaccinated.

Ceejay - hope you are okay after the fall. I go for a walk 3 times a week and with all this rain the wooden bridges are actually quite slippery and down I went a couple of times. Hurt pride, sore butt and landed heavily on an arm and a shoulder. Feeling okay now though.

Hello to Happy and Annie,

We are in the grip of yet another rainbelt. I can't believe how much rain we have had this summer. The early warning alerts are advertising we are in for heavy, torrential rain, storms, wind and then when that moves on, another cyclone (hurricane up there) is forming in the Coral Sea. Parts of the inland are underwater and parts are on fire. Can't win some years.

The Probus Club are off to the Outback Spectacular show next Sunday. We are going to the lunchtime session. Here's the website Outback Spectacular . Should be fun and it will be good to get out again for a meal and a show.

The pumpkins are still growing strong and yesterday I dashed out in the rain and heaved them back from the neighbours place - one of the vines didn't want to come back so when I climbed up the fence to see what was going on, I found a big pumpkin growing between his shed and my fence. I've cut off the one growing in the shed before it actually strangled me. Talk about the Day of the Tryffids!

And that's about it for the time being. I can't think of anything more. A parcel arrived this morning from an online purchase and I may have to brave the rain to go out and get some tools to put it together. But first there is a few things on the list left to do. I should like to be like the cat sometimes and just curl up to sleep somewhere and wake up when someone tells me lunch or tea is ready. Who am I kidding - there is only me and he here and he owns the place or so he thinks.
Catch up soon. Be good and stay well.

Joy

After a week of heavy, heavy rain and flooding which has devastated a large part of south-east Queensland and now moved down to New South Wales, we had 2 days of sunshine to help dry us out, but today we are back in the grip of heavy, torrential rain, thunder, lightning and wind. No doubt more misery will be heaped on those who have lost their homes and have had to evacuate and those who have been trying to clean up and mop up and get rid of the ruined furniture and appliances. We're also threatened with large hailstones which won't do much to help morale and judging by that last clap of thunder we may also lose power shortly. So I guess I better stop here until we get over this lot as well.

Keep well, keep safe and look after yourselves.