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.

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.

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

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

TIME FOR A BREAK

JUST THE TWO OF US

I have been having a break from blogland for the last few weeks.
Family life has become so busy of late – adults and babies being unwell – job changes etc. etc. – it was all so busy.

Now it is time for Max and I to take a break from the rest of the world.

Just for a week – off on the ferry to Tasmania – time to just be together.

Just to relax and enjoy some ‘us time’.

Tomorrow night we will be sailing off on the Spirit of Tasmania

Here is the Spirit of Tasmania website

Here are some places we may see

Coles Beach overlooking Bass Strait - Devonport

Cradle Mountain reflected in Dove Lake

We are looking forward to a week of exploring this lovely state of Australia
Check out their tourism site here.

No doubt we will miss the family but it will be great to have a break.

I can't think of a more relaxing way to spend my birthday on Thursday then just

'Relaxing with Max'

AQUA Shades of Inspiration

SHADES OF INSPIRATION

Aqua is this weeks colour for Shades of Inspiration.

How lucky that I have toys for Riley, because without them I have hardly any aqua!!

There is a cute little lamb on this aqua block and inside the little train is an aqua giraffe. The train also has a little aqua leaf shape.


Here is Rileys Lion Walker. It has aqua wheels and a little aqua butterfly. He walks around with this all the time. Sometimes he likes to hold the handle with one hand and have me hold his other hand. He is a little cutie – but as his Grandma I may be a little biased!!LOL

This little sequinned handbag is really meant to be a christmas decoration but I love it hanging on this little cupboard doorknob

Of course I had to show you my beautiful aqua cup/saucer/plate.

Now how cute is the aqua crepe paper ruffle on this lovely Tussie Mussie that I got from Jo of oldflowers4me

Don't forget to check out the other Aqua photos here on Flikr

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend

YET MORE RUST

SHADES OF INSPIRATION

More rust for this weeks colour for Shades of Inspiration.

Looks like I have a few rusty garden things at my home

This well loved and much used garden rake shows some fabulous signs of rust

Love this close up shot of the rake end

Imagine the damage Edward Scissorhands could have done with these rusted treasures

Door hinge into garage

MORE RUST & MAD MAX TO RIDE AGAIN

RUSTY SHADES OF INSPIRATION

More rust for this weeks colour for Shades of Inspiration

Such a well used wheel barrow.

I hate to think how many metres/yards of concrete it has carted and it has been fabulous for soil and mulch.

Love the spots where huge chunks of paint have fallen off the bottom of the wheelbarrow to reveal the rust

Love the way the rusty paint is flaking on this chair. I have been tempted to scrape it off and repaint it but I just love the look of the rust

Love the mottled, layered look on this chair

Matching set - well weathered chair and market umbrella stand.

This rusted arch holds my beautiful Pierre de Ronsard climbing rose. So battered and rusted, now broken during some strong winter winds. Might need to do a bit of repair work on it before Spring starts on 1st September

Fabulous looking rusted screw from my arch

Remember to go check out more Rust photos here

UPDATE ON MAD MAX

When Max went to the physio on Saturday they thought that because of the lack of mobility in his shoulder and being unable to lift the arm that the tendon was torn from the bone. So after a visit to the Doctor Monday for a referral for an ultra sound that was done Tuesday, he went back to the physio last night and it was found to be nothing more than a large pocket of fluid.

He is one lucky man.
So out of the fall he gets a new training bike, helmet, bike clothes (at the hospital they cut his other ones off him- mind you he has 3 other sets) a bucket load of sympathy and thankfully just some exercises to do. He was so happy to hear that all it was, was fluid.