Hot, hot, hot nights!

It's summer in the Southern Hemisphere and, true to form, we're in the middle of what feels like the annual Christmas/New Year's heatwave here in Perth.  The trick is to bunker down early, turn on the air con and fans and set your self up with what ever is your fancy - books, tv, games on the iPad (spot the guilty pleasure). Once the heat of the day passes it's wonderful to open up the house and do some outside things that during the day would have been really unplesant (gardening and hanging out washing come to mind).

This weather does make for glorious nights though.  Tonight we're celebrating the new year with friends in their gorgeous back yard. They used to have a dog but since Paddy went to the long paddock they have rejuvenated their back yard and now it is a productive little oasis! My friend is a fantastic cook so we will be feasting well, sitting on the cool lawn, looking at the stars.

We were meant to go and spend this new year with other friends "down south" but I've hurt my back and long car trips (or sitting down for long periods) is pretty much out at the moment. My down south mate is making me feel guilty, posting on Facebook how great it would be if we could be together. It would be great, and we will spend other new years eves together, but her posts let me know how much she loves me (and my hubby, too, of course!).

Last new years eve was spent with friends in Brisbane on their back deck. We cooked a Spanish feast that was meant to go for 4 courses but at the end of course 3 we threw our hands up because we were all full! We've recently seen those friends and reminisced about what a lovely evening we had.

We are so fortunate to have such wonderful friendships. They are what sustain us when the going gets tough.

Summer - but not as we know it

Climate change has been on the agenda for a few years now. I can remember having to research rising sea levels when I worked as a librarian for an engineering company back in the early 1990's. For most people, however, it's the day to day weather that is most obvious demonstration of how our climate is changing.

Perth's usually dry sunny summer weather has been replaced, for the immediate future, with humidity, grey clouds and, late last night, a spectacular thunder storm. Plus rain. Torrential tropical buckets of it. Walking the dogs this morning I could see evidence of the run off around the streets.

I don't mind the rain. Living in a dry climate makes me relish every single drop that falls. But I am hoping that Christmas and New Year will be our usual hot dry weather. Followed up with a few more cracking thunderstorms!

Getting better!

I managed to catch a bug on the plane home from our trip to Canberra and Queensland. The flight home was cramped and stuffy - not good. So this week has been brought to you by panadiene (the coedine stops the sniffles), hot showers and general patheticness.  

It wasn't all bad. I did go and see the final installment of the Twilight saga (saga is the most apt description) with my book club gal pals. (I really don't see the attraction, but half of them are crazy for Twilight!) And we went and saw Skyfall last night in the Gold Class (thank you, generous client). It was pretty good. Not great, but that may have been my general malaise, plus the wait staff walking in front during moments of high drama.

However this morning I'm up, have walked the dogs, unpacked suit cases (stuff is all over the bed, but we're making progress), put on washing and am about to put up my Christmas tree.

Yay! I'm getting better.   However I feel guilty celebrating recovery. I read a blog of a woman who lives with what is probably an incurable syndrome, which, along with other nasty things, is slowly robbing her of her quality of life. I admire her fortitude, which she willingly admits deserts her from time to time, so my glee in getting better feels quite churlish. But it's so nice to see the end of feeling blah. However my hubby has just rung to say he's probably coming down with the bug. Oh well.

Wheely good news.

My husband & I went to see my Dad on Sunday afternoon. He recognised me immediately, which is always a good sign! The previous week he'd fallen backwards out of his wheelchair (which shook him up) and so the facility had decided he needed to go into a bigger wheelchair. Why they hadn't made this judgement call earlier is a bit mystifying. I think he had put his feet on the ground and straightened his legs and the wheel brakes weren't on so the wheels slipped and over he went.  One of his little fingers was damaged, but that was it. Fortunately I turned up to visit him and Mum had turned up just after it happened, so he had lots of loving support to help get over the shock.

My mum had described the wheel chair he was now in as one of those padded ones. So I was imagining they'd put him in one of the massive wheel chair/bed contraptions that the severely disabled residents are put. Thankfully that's not the case. He's in a larger, more robust chair and he can't put his feet easily on the floor (and give himself the leverage to tip over).

My husband & I were exclaiming over the wheelchair (you're in the Rolls Royce of wheelchairs, Dad!). When I mentioned he won't fall out of this one he was mystified because he's completely forgotten about his little accident!

We also got his TV working properly - not that he really watches it, but he has laughed when we've watched funny things so it does bring him some pleasure.

The Rhythm of Life

Now that I'm moving through menopause I don't notice the rhythms of my body in the same way that I used to. But they're still there.  The monthly ebb and flow of hormones still continues and will, I guess, until I have finished menopause.

My hubby says he knows when I'm in the throes of a hormonal rush - I get a bit more intense. And grumpy. The plus side is that as I move towards what would have been my period my tolerance to alcohol increases (this has always been the case) and I find myself putting away a few drinks with little or no reaction. The downside (also always the case) is that my tolerance to alcohol post (my now non-existent, so hard to determine when) period is pretty much zero.  Overnight I go from bar room hero (aka lush) to wowser.

I'm going to miss the ebbs and flows when they eventually disappear. But I won't miss the effects they have had on my body over the years - sore boobs, bloating, moodiness (did I mention the grumps!), feeling out of sorts. I'm enjoying this generally peaceful state of being - I hope it continues.

Recently read

"Rumour has it" by Jill Mansell
http://www.jillmansell.co.uk/index.html

I'll admit it, I love Jill Mansell's writing. It's just so accessible. And she makes me laugh. I haven't read her entire back catalogue. But I'm sure give me enough time I'll work my way through it.

"Rumour has it" didn't disappoint and had the requisite happy ending, although the reader was left hanging until pretty much the last page!

Lazy Sunday

After a week of frenetic activity - we've had my husband's mum visiting from interstate, along with one of his nephews, plus a long weekend trip to Rotto with the whole family, and working - we're having a lazy Sunday.  Well, as lazy as you get finishing the clean up from last night's good bye dinner, doing the washing that should have been done yesterday, tidying up the the bedroom, and other bits and pieces.  Hubby has assumed the position on the couch. (But he's entitled to - he fell over not once, but twice, yesterday and so is feeling a bit sore & sorry.)

It has been really nice spending time with my mother in law - she's one of those people who looks for the upside in everything. An inspiration for me. And we spent more time with my brother in law and his kids than we have for ages. His son & the nephew stayed at our place the other night and decided that letting our dogs sleep with them would be fun. Actually we could have told them it would lead to sleeplessness and bed hogging, but boys will be boys. Needless to say we had two very tired boys in the morning!