Thursday 30 October 2008

MY FIRST SWAP-BOT SWAP

SWAP-BOT SWAP
I participated in my first swap on
Swap-bot making ATC’s for a Vintage Children’s Book ATC’s Swap.
For some reason known only to the Blogger Gremlins
the first 2 photos kept going sideways
These first three photos are the ATC’s I sent to Jan Freeman in Minnesota USA, Barbara Hartling in Oregon USA and Anna Small from Brunswick Victoria Australia. I also put in some scrapbooking papers with the ATC’s



So far I have received ATC’s from Cher Salvatore - goodie2shoes – she also sent some fabulous papers, stamps and a pretty ballerina swap card with her ATC’s.

Shanda Gingerly – shandapanda.
Shanda included some little extras too – buttons, key and clip



UPDATE ON DAD

Well after nearly 2 weeks not much to report. They are doing tests every day and so far no results are in. Yesterday they were draining fluid from around his heart and lungs. There appears to be clots in his lungs and they have put a filter in his groin in case they move and with the filter it won’t get to his brain or heart.
Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts.


Friday 24 October 2008

QUICK UPDATE & THANK YOU

OPERATION
Thank you for all of your well wishes for my father.
Yesterday he had an operation to remove 2 tumours from his brain.
We were all happy to see that when he woke up from the operation that there appeared to be none of the side effects that we were warned about.
Now once more we are playing the waiting game for the tests to be done on the tumours.

Saturday 18 October 2008

KEEP US IN YOUR THOUGHTS

KEEP US IN YOUR THOUGHTS

9 pm Thursday night my father who was visiting from Queensland for my nephews wedding had a seizure. He is 85 years old. It was a two hour drive for Max and I to get to Latrobe Hospital Traralgon where he was taken. Things did not look very good. He was to be taken in a medically induced coma to Melbourne by helicopter but it was too foggy to fly so would be taken at daylight. We got home at 6.30 am Friday had half an hour sleep and went to Melbourne an hours drive. It took us until 11.00pm last night to get any answer as to why he took this seizure. It appears that he has a cancer in his brain that bled. When we left the hospital last night they were going to try and wake him - not sure what they will find when he does wake - not sure what his mental and physical condition will be. We will be back to the hospital again this morning to see how he has been through the night.
So keep us in your thoughts.
Photo of my father Charlie was taken last week at my nephews wedding

Tuesday 14 October 2008

HOME AGAIN

Max and I had a fabulous time in Tasmania. Beautiful scenery and wonderful places to visit. The weather was beautiful – beautiful sunrises, crisp clear days.

Tahune Air walk on the banks of the Huon River near Huonville was spectacular too! Again getting over my fear of heights this walk has you over the tree tops 20 metres from the ground. You could also walk onto the cantilever that is 48 metres above the river – boy did that ‘rock and roll’ as we walked onto that.


Cataract Gorge Such a great place to go for walks, ride the chair lift, walk on the suspension bridge. No mean feat for someone like me who is scared of heights!



A leisurely stroll along the boardwalk next to Kings Park and Royal Park was relaxing


We went to the Salamanca Market early one Saturday morning and also for a stroll in St Davids Park next to the market .
4 Park photos below






Table Cape Lighthouse and tulip farm


We also went on lots of walks and saw some beautiful Falls – Guide Falls and Nelson Falls.


Port Arthur was an amazing place with many ruins from when it was a Penal Settlement (1833 – 1877). Sadly it is also known for the 1996 massacre of 35 wonderful people and another 37 being injured by Martin Bryant.


So many places to see, Boat Harbour Beach, Tarraleah and its hydropower, Mt Wellington in Hobart, Salamanca Market, Richmond Bridge constructed in 1823, Derbys Tin Centre.

So many pretty coastal villages – Strahan, Swansea, Bicheno, St Helens.

The Bay of Fires at Binnalong Bay was pretty.

When we got off the Spirit of Tasmania we had breakfast at a café in Port Melbourne and drove to Berwick to pick Riley up from crèche. He had croup while we were away. Thankfully Lachlan and Chloe don’t get as sick as poor little Riley. We had a lovely family dinner on the Wednesday night when we got home. It was great to be away but there is no place like being home with your loved ones.


WEDDING

On Saturday Max and I went to the wedding of my nephew Nick and his gorgeous bride Jess. They have a sweet 14 month old little boy Harrison.


Max and Alison

Nick and Jess



MELBOURNE MARATHON SUNDAY


Here is a photo of Max and Michael getting ready before the start of the race.

MARATHON

Max Michael and Amy’s fiancé Ryan ran in the Melbourne Marathon on Sunday. It was Max’s 31st Marathon – crazy man, for Michael and Ryan it was their first. It was a very hot windy day, not the best condition for a seasoned marathoner let alone 2 newbies.. Max ran the 42km (27 miles) in 3 hrs 26 min, Michael was on track at the 35km (22 miles) mark to finish in 3 hrs 30 min but the heat got the better of him, he was dehydrated and had to stop at the St Johns Ambulance people several times. He was on the ground and they thought he was having a ‘fit’ but it was just his legs ‘twitching’, he pretty much walked the last 7kms and finished in 4 hrs 40 min. Ryan who had not done enough training finished in 5 hrs 4 mins. We were very proud of them .

We thought it was a great day until we got home to our place and I was changing Riley’s dirty nappy/diaper. He felt pretty warm so I left his shorts off and took him to the kitchen for a drink of water. He cried a little and then looked strange, un responsive. I rushed over to Amy (his Mum)put him on her knee and put the cup to his little mouth and he was just staring blankly (this brings tears to my eyes as I relive this). He was changing colour then he started twitching. His Uncle Daniel was on the couch next to Amy and quickly lay him on his side checking his airways. Our sweet little Riley was having a Febrile Convulsion and unresponsive but breathing. My God it was such a scary thing, I quickly dialled 000 for an ambulance and had to quickly answer their questions and get Daniel and Amy to do whatever they were telling me. Poor Riley was still unconscious and frothing from the mouth it seemed like forever before he started to become conscious he didn’t even want to get up. He had to be kept on the floor until the ambulance came. We had to wait 36 minutes for an ambulance which I think is disgusting – there is supposed to be a 10 minute response time. There are at least 3 ambulance stations within 5 to 15 minutes from my house. Our state Government should be ashamed of the service that is provided. Riley had a urine test that showed nothing, had no ear infections ( I think ear infections are his speciality as he has so many) so the usual result – a virus. I think that’s what they say when they have no idea what’s going on. We now need to keep a close watch on him when he has a temperature, which we do anyway but this time the medication he had been given didn’t help much. Here is a photo of Riley and Amy taken when we were at the marathon on Sunday