The return of the Bats

The dreaded Bats have returned once again, they are just down the road from us.

This year there are so many they are already running out of roosting space and have not had their young yet.

The poor trees will be broken and bare of leaves before summer is even started.

But in case you were wondering why cant we move them on, well they are an endangered species of course. Ha Ha Ha

What a greeting to the township of Maclean.

Belmoral 27/08/10 ...

Hello Family, how you all doin'? Apologies from me also, I have been busy doing the day to day mundane necessities. Was extremely ticked off with myself last week, I was sitting on a step at school waiting for Giancarlo when I put my phone on the step beside me as he ran across the quad to greet me. Then after the hugs and the "how was your day" I got up and walked away. I didn't realise until later that evening and of course when I rang it there was no answer. I had hoped someone might've picked it up and returned it to the office but that wasn't to be the case. I called the phone company and they put a stop on all calls being made from the phone but next time I tried to call it my sim had been removed. Then I was ticked off with humanity. If a child found it then I thought perhaps a parent would cop on and question it but an older child would be smarter and keep it stashed. Whatever the case, someone scrored a brand new phone. I was able to get another and keep my number so I'm pleased about that at least.

It's been great having Mum here, just having someone to have a yarn with and a glass of wine of an evening. I had hoped her visit would be a relaxing one for her but she managed to 'crik' her neck a few days (nights, she woke up sore one morning) before we came down here and it's been giving her grief since. I'll have to find one of those little travel cussions for her for the drive home tomorrow. She's not as sparky as she used to be but I seem to accept that better than she does, probably like she accepts the same of me better than I do. She still has her dry sense of humour though, God bless her.

Hokey had his Book Week parade this week and we dressed as Captain Hook this year but I wasn't able to get a good pic, very dissapointing because he did look great (in my opinion) and plenty of teachers told him so too. I load what I managed to get.

Gizmo is still crying after Bruce, he has never been alone before. I don't think Brucie gives a toss one way or the other. Poor old Giz'.

We're all good as can be expected I suppose, no news to report. Happy Birthdays to Rod Neal and Asha Egan for tomorrow.

I'm tired so I had best hit the sack. Take care all,

Love Sara xxxxx

Stupid bloody blog won't upload an image. Never mind, next time...

Meg and her latest conquest and I dont mean Humpty. She wishes. Marcus and his mate, before he fell off the wall. Just a couple of pics from our day out at the Hunter Valley Gardens. Alls good here too. But bloody rain I am sick of it. Cant do a thing and cant get the washing on the line as I hoped to. Air is too moist and clothes still need to go into the dryer. Flat out at work as usual. Now all we seem to do is study study study. As soon as you get one course done there is another mandatory one to do. Last week it was NIT assessment. There are only 3 hospitals in this area health service that have been piloted to do the training to do nurse initiated thrombolysis (NIT) Which means if people are having an infarct we can now give them the medication to dislove the clot. Greater chance of survival, instead of waiting that extra hour or more to get retrieved to John Hunter Hospital to have the therapy. Well I am proud to say that the grey matter is still functioning. The assessor informed me that I was the second person only to get a 100% out of the 3 hospitals and said that if she infarcts she wants me to treat her. My comment-Bring it on.

Since then have done the assessment for National standardisation medication charting. Next is the REAC's to be done. Then could be Concord Hospital for 2 days in the burns intensive care unit. It just does not stop. Have to go now running late as it is for tonights shift. Another new doctor on deck tonight. So orientation for him as well. All in a nights work YAHOO.

Love to all hope everyone is as happy and enjoying life to its fullest. Me I dont have a life outside of work and sleeping and study. I am hearing you Lyn.

Love Meg

Canberra popping in

Well I have to say sorry I have not posted for so long. But there is no news here. I seem to go to work come home eat sleep and back to work. Boring huh!

I had a great birthday and thank you for all the best wishes, 50 how did I make it? The girls made a fuss of me and did a small dinner party at home to celebrate which was nice. I am not much for parties anymore so suited me fine. Just nice to be with my girls.

We are all well just had normal winter colds etc but other than that all fine.

Hope everyone is well. Love Belinda

Sara in the Bay

Up at Mums and it's 4:30pm, I've already cooked some chippolata's (fancy name for itty bitty sausages) for dinner and will make the salad after dinner. I'm not hungry nor is Mum and Angelina is a grazer so probably won't be hungry but for the sake of keeping routine for her I will do dinner.

Yesterday before we went to get some groceries, actually we were just getting ready to leave and Butch' flew in and perched over on the fence. Mum commented "Oh Butch, there you are" (he was running very late) and she told him she'd get some tucker for him before we left then continued about whatever it was she was doing. Tieing Bruce up before she opened the gates I think, so's he wouldn't run out. Angelina and I were in the car waiting and Mum stepped up to lock the back door when I heard her exclaim, again "Oh Butch'"! She called to me and pointed inside and there was Butch', sitting atop the fridge making certain Mum did not leave without feeding him first. He flew down onto the mat inside the kitchen door and Mum fed him there, giving him (?her) a few mouthfulls before giving him a rissoll to take home. Birds have it bloody good around here!

This morning when I came out to have my breakfast I waited 'till my muffin was almost cooked before turning on the kettle. After I'd buttered the muffin the kettle still had not started. I fiddled about with the silly thing but it seemed to have carked it. So today we went out again, to buy a new kettle. We went to Raymond Terrace to Big W to check them out and we saw Toni there, actually she saw us. She looked great, as she always does and I said to Mum that I felt awful as I never go over to visit when I come up here and I'll have to see to it that I pull my finger out and make sure I do visit in future.

Jacob pops round each day for a visit and Angelina loves him soooo much. He is very good with them both, as is Marcus who also pops in as often as he can. They're great boys.

Well, it's late (6:10pm) so I'll sign off and ready for bed, nice n' early :o)

Love to all,
Sara xxxxx

Sara's bit ...

I just checked the blog only to see that my last post wasn't here so I checked the drafts etc and lo it was there. Now I will post it with latest news at the bottom:-



Hello Family, it has been a while between posts but that seems more and more to be the norm' for me these days. I thought 'time' was supposed to be more accessible as the young'ns got older but I am ever more run off my feet. I just managed to get Giancarlo to school on time to get in line to walk to class this morning then came home to organise Angelina. I'd already made her sandwich so just dressed her and loaded up her lunch bag but she wanted to watch 'Blues Clues' before going to pre-school. I think we got there at about 10:20am. I then went to Roselands to pick up a few necessities, had the gel on my nails buffed off and made a hair appointment and an appointment to have my eyes tested. I made it home at about 12:30. Fed birds, cats & dog, had a cuppa and a sandwich myself, put another load in the washer and put the previous load in the dryer (takes forever to dry in this wet and over-cast weather), stripped the kids bed and raked all the rubbish and filth from under their bed. Now here I am, I haven't made their bed yet, later...



Aunt Mona and Aunty Kell, how are you both and families? Lyn, Happy Birthday and also to Stewart on the 10th. Also another one of the Egan girls I think???



We did go to Mums last Friday and Tony put the sensor lights up for her. The back ones are working fine but Mum said the front ones are going on every couple of minutes and staying on for several minutes. I told her to turn them off and we'll be back up in a couple of weeks and Tony will check it out then. Tony also fixed up the front screen door so it can be locked from the inside too. It's tricky as when Greg had it repainted the people painted the lock and keyhole shut and it baked shut in the oven. Yes, we also left Brucie there with Mum. He is a great little dog and sharp as a tack but I hated leaving him. At least he will be well cared for and has plenty of room to run about. Marcus said he would walk him when he could and take Gregs dogs around for company. Mum said after we left he waited all afternoon at the gate crying for us. I told her to let him inside, it would help to calm him but later when she called she said he wouldn't come inside but stayed on the back step waiting. Gizmo hasn't stopped crying for him either. A couple of days and they'll both be fine. If Mum still feels too uneasy we will install an alarm system for her next visit.



Tony has gone to pick the fry up from their respective schools. It will be another big week too with 'education week' or something of the like happening so on Wednesday we will have to send a plate of wog food to school as they are having an 'international' school lunch as well. Parents go to school to see the students work etc then after the kids have had their lunch the parents are welcome to eat also. Before all of that I have to take Angelina to get her 4yr old injections. Thursday is Giancarlo's school athletics carnival. I'm boycotting going this year as he sooks too much when we're around and won't participate. I will be taking Angelina to her 'singing, acting, dance' class anyway. Last Thursday was her first class and she loved it. I think 12 or so turned up for the class and she is enrolled until the end of the year so we'll see how she goes with it.



It's 3 o-clock and I'll have to start dinner soon, bugger! I've made it final, they all eat what's on their plates or they can go to bed hungry. I'm beyond caring as I'm sure the old blokes who sleep on the park benches in town wouldn't be fussy if it were casserole, stir-fry or chops and salad so this mob can be greatful I even bother! There, I've had my whinge...



I have no news so will sign off and hope you're all well and happy where you are right now.



God bless,

Sara xxxxx

6/8/2010

Well Brucie's been at Mums for a week now and is loving it. I think Mum is enjoying his company too, he has slept inside a few nights, all snuggled up on a doona rug Mum put down for him. Yes, you heard it here first... Anyway, whoever it is that has been banging on Mums doors and windows in the middle of the night has now stopped going to the back (noisy barking dog there) and bangs only out the front now. Like Meg says though, by the time police arrive the offender is long gone.

Well, that's it for me. Not much I know but what's there to tell other than 0700 get brekky and organise for school. 0900 school drop-off. 0900 to 1500 do what housework, groceries or whatever needs be done. 1500 school pick-up then rush hours all afternoon 'till bed bed. Excitement plus!

Love to you all,
Sara xxxxx

Grafton checking in..

Hello Family near and far,
All well in our neck of the woods - finally have a little time to check in.
Just got off the phone to Mum and Dad, all well there. Mum is looking brilliant. She has lost 9 kg and still loosing weight, slow and healthy (lucky thing!). She is really putting in the hard yards. She has now started Tia Chi classes on a Saturday morning. She knows she is going to miss the next three weeks, so she bought a book and DVD and is doing classes that way at home. Dad did think in was a little violent but that was just the intro on the DVD telling of its history, before the lesson started! As mum says, ' you just have to laugh' (can you hear her laugh?).
We had school holidays two weeks back, and they just seem to fly. We did not go away, for the first time ever. Usually we go to Sydney in these holidays to see Ronny's dad, but as he is now here, we did not have to. It was nice just to stay home. We had visitors for 6 days in the first week ( Jenny and family from New Zealand), a little break and then the Grafton Race Carnival was on ( Horse races). Jane and Sebastian came down and we had a brilliant time. Betting wise we did not do so well, but we only bet small, so it was still fun, and the weather was perfect.
Last weekend I went to a Veterans Hockey Carnival (Over 35's) in Coffs Harbour and it was great. It was a half state carnival, North Sydney to Dubbo to the border went, so it was big. We played 6 games of hockey in all, in the end we were exhausted, but had lots of laughs and it was all fun.
Now we have year 12 HSC trial exams, which means lots of marking. Kids stressing out, reports etc, pressure really starts to mount at work, but that is term 3.
Ronny's dad is doing really well in the Nursing home. He is looking really healthy - not bad for someone that has smoked for 70 odd years (he is almost 87).
Oops, dinner is ready, Ronny just took it out of the oven, better fly.
Will write again soon. I love reading all posts, thanks to all,
love
Lisa, Ronny and Zappa!