Wednesday 19 February 2020

It's all about those spoons!


I am so happy to report that I have some spoons! For the first time in ages I have woken refreshed! It is such a novelty.  But the novelty is fraught with danger in that I can overdo it today and return to a flare of my fibromyalgia tomorrow.

Chris and I have been longing to get to the shops and buy some new clothes. He has told me to forgo the household chores I had planned for this morning, and just get ready to go shopping.

So I will just be preparing some bolognaise sauce in the slow cooker for dinner tonight and leaving.

Hopefully, I can get through without another flare tomorrow. It's all about those spoons! 


Tuesday 18 February 2020

A land awash in floods


Australia is a land of bushfire terrors followed by torrential rains bringing floods. Today has been such a day with a bushfire near us and then a massive storm bringing rains that have flooded our roads and the little stream at the end of our property.

We are grateful for the rains of course, but the changing weather is playing havoc with this fibromyalgia flare. I think it's ending, but new weather changes make it return with a vengeance. Such has been today.

I haven't followed any list and have had to go back to bed this afternoon. I expect to be in bed early tonight too. It simply is too hard to keep awake. I no longer fight it but go with the flow. It is what it is. False guilt is now a thing of the past...

Today I have only really managed to cook devilled sausages with vegetables for dinner. 

As I look out the back door and see the stream overflowing and the birdfeeder full of water, I realise that that is exactly how I feel with weariness... overflowing with it. A woman awash in fatigue, and a land awash in flooding rains..


Sunday 16 February 2020

Our first guests


As you know, we had guests yesterday and today. They were the first to use our guest room and they confirmed that the new bed and mattress were very comfortable.

We ended up going out for dinner at the town pub, and we had a very nice time with lovely food as well. After the meal, we came home and had a game of UNO and retired around ten o'clock. Which was late enough for me, as I suffer from chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. 

When I woke up this morning, I found that the cat had vomited on our bed, and I had to wash our doona and get it dry in time for bedtime tonight.

My pain was at a high level today so I didn't feel well enough for church. Besides, it gave me more time to be with our guests who were loving our new home.

Today I didn't follow any lists. I did the washing and meals and I plan to have an early night. But tired as I am, I still am glad that I was able to practise hospitality. I sure enjoyed having our first guests! 


Saturday 15 February 2020

We must make memories



There's widespread flooding everywhere today.  One of the roads is impassable still. Fortunately, we are staying home today as we have guests coming this afternoon.

With all the thunder and weather changes, it is playing havoc with my fibromyalgia flare. I am in considerable pain today and I long for a nana nap already: it's only 1pm!

So far I have done a load of washing and am using the dryer. We have had breakfast. Xena has been fed. I will soon be making a ham and cheese toasted sandwich for our lunch. We will be having a big meal for tea tonight.

I am following Saturdays' List as I plan to go to church tomorrow. 

Still on my to do list is:

  1. Lunch
  2. Change over the washed clothes and put in dryer
  3. Cook the defrosting chicken for our roast dinner
I am really looking forward to having my guests come, but I am forcing myself not to go back to bed.
The struggle is real. But I feel if I don't practice hospitality and have people come see us, that my life will be the poorer for it. 

So today, I am taking some paracetamol tablets with my toasted sandwich, and pretending I am having a good day. It's all part of making memories...






Friday 14 February 2020

Cats and dogs


We have had very crazy weather this afternoon. Torrential rains, which are a blessing with all the fires we have had recently, caused flash flooding, almost blocking the one main road into our little town. This is a picture taken just after the deluge near our place. 

Having been warned of severe thunder and possible hailstones, I brought my washing in, and Chris moved our small white car under the carport. Unfortunately, the Sierra ute and Play Mor fifth wheeler were in the firing range. However, there was little hail and the rains washed the van for us. It is soon going up for sale.

We watched the storm through the back glass sliding door and were horrified to see a fireball come down, almost hitting the shed in the paddock behind us. It was a ball of glowing light with a tunnel in the centre, with swirling energy like the sun in the middle. It was so very bright and was accompanied by the loudest crack of thunder overhead. Chris said it's the worst storm he's seen, and he has worked outside most of his adult life.

Our area is well known for chaotic and harsh weather. It has snowed in previous years and gets very, very cold. I can see a lot of thick socks, minkie blankets and warmed up wheat packs to take to bed in my future.

To be honest, I think I prefer the colder weather. You can always rug up to stay warm, whereas cooling off is more difficult. I even love rain, especially when you don't have to go out in it. The sound of the rain falling on our tin roof was lovely. I love it when it rains cats and dogs! 


We are it!


Tomorrow night we are having guests for dinner. I am pacing myself so as to not use all my spoons today and be unwell tomorrow.

The last couple of days I have had severe fibromyalgia and have had to push myself to get to doctors and chemists. I have let the dishes go a bit and there's about 4 loads of washing to do today. In spite of my resolve to use the dryer, the weather's been so nice today(28C) that I have hung a load of clothes out on my clothesline. 

Today is the second day of my new diabetes medication: (Forxiga). Yesterday I felt a bit nauseous on it, but today is a bit better. My sugars this morning were still high: 9.2. But I guess it will have to be at least a fortnight before I see any change.

The doctor said my magnesium levels were low but he just kept on talking about the other results... I am wondering if I should buy some magnesium tablets. Apparently cramps and muscle/joint pain can come from lack of it...

Tomorrow I plan to serve roasted chicken, potatoes and vegetables in chicken gravy. Followed by creme caramel for desert. I can prepare that tomorrow..

For today I am following the Fridays' List and my to do list looks like this:

  1. Do a load of washing
  2. Wash dishes, let dry and put them away
  3. Cook pork chops in the slow cooker for dinner. I will serve them with Spanish rice and veg
I have run out of spoons already, so I will try to have a nana nap in order to be able to finish the days' few chores. I really don't feel like doing anything, but we Sacrificial Home Keepers can't always act the way we feel: exhausted. So, we push on because we know the Fairy God Mother isn't coming: we are it! 



Wednesday 12 February 2020

The life is in the blood!


Today we went to see our new doctor for our blood test results. Basically we are doing OK except for our diabetes. Our sugars are quite high. But I have low magnesium and vitamin D. I will have to get some supplements for those.

So we are both on new diabetes medications with strict instructions to cut out sugar and to visit the chronic illness management nurse next month for a care plan.

I have grocery shopped today with weight loss and lowering of sugars in mind. It has been a busy day and I am almost ready for bed.

Today was a wipe out as far as housework is concerned. I didn't follow any list, in fact I had enough energy to blink my eyes and breathe. Good job it is involuntary.

Hopefully tomorrow will  be easier. Tomorrow being the first day of my new resolve to lower the sugars. 

We like this new doctor and we know he would be genuinely pleased if we did as he suggested. There's no hiding from him if we don't become proactive in regaining our health: the next blood tests will tell the tale- the life is in the blood! 


Tuesday 11 February 2020

Flat out in bed


So today is going to be busy for me. First thing this morning a technician from Telstra  is coming to install the NBN for us. Hopefully our connection will be faster.

When that's done, I have to go to the Post Office and request another invoice to renew our post office box. They have overcharged us on the invoice. As the post man doesn't home deliver here due to us living in a tiny country township, we must all have a PO Box. They charged us as having a mail delivery but wanting a PO Box. A lot more expensive! 

I have also to change our bed and refill the weekly pill container for our medications. I will be taking note what medications we need a prescription or a refill for at the chemist,  for the doctors' visit tomorrow.

So todays' list of to do's looks like this:

  1. Change our bed
  2. Finish cleaning the kitchen
  3. Refill the medications
  4. Do some washing but using the dryer: it is going to rain for the next 3 days
  5. Sweep the vinyl floors
  6. Bake a cake for afternoon tea
  7. Dinner for tonight is quiche with vegies.
This is a pretty full on day for me. I will have to pace myself so as not to prolong my fibromyalgia flare, or instead of being busy flat out like a lizard drinking, I will just be flat out- in bed.


Monday 10 February 2020

Like a beetle on its' back




Today I have woken up tired. Fibromyalgia and angina are vying with back pain to see which is going to be the one to send me back to bed.

So far I have taken my medications, made some toast and tea for our breakfast and thrown some fruit bread out to our delightful birds.

I was planning on following Mondays' List but instead I will be following Thursdays which is a day of rest. God willing, I will be able to do Monday's List tomorrow..

I have a pre cooked slow cooker meal in the freezer for dinner tonight. So no need to cook. I don't like using frozen dinners, but I learned years ago to accept what is and not be a perfectionist...

We are experiencing thunder and rain and I am wondering if that is what is causing my renewed fibro flare, or if it was making the effort to go to church yesterday. Whatever it is, one thing is for sure: today I am as weak as a kitten and as helpless as a beetle on its' back! 


Sunday 9 February 2020

Blessed day today!


When we started our new chapter of life by stopping living in our fifth wheeler and renting again, we had to start off  again just like newlyweds.  We had either sold or given away our furniture and most of our extraneous possessions. We had nothing to move into the house.

Eventually we managed to get new furniture and Chris gave me carte blanche to pick out the furniture and decor. It was fun and we have mostly got all we want.  However, the house still needs some pictures etc and is a work in progress.

One of my favourite areas is our diningroom/passageway display of family photos. We have Arkiane's Prince of Peace front and centre with our wedding photos and our children's wedding photos. Directly under Him is my 7 branch menorrah, a gift to me from Chris to acknowledge my Jewish heritage and because Christianity is based on Judaism, and of course, Jesus was a Jew. I see it and it reminds me to pray for Israel.

Today is Sunday and I am talking to you and preparing to go to Church. We have a little church within walking distance. It is alongside the little Catholic church. This church I go to is a Co-operative church which caters for 3 different denominations. This morning we will be taking Communion with an Anglican minister presiding. Last time it was with a Church of Christ pastor. 

I truly am comfortable in any church that proclaims Jesus Is LORD! I feel that's how it should be

So today, I am following Sunday's List.  I will be making chicken chow mein for dinner. No extra chores are needed. It's a day of rest. I hope you are well enough to go to church today: if not, I pray you will still  have a blessed day today!