Pummelled

Well – not quite…
Just felt like it!

The other day I went to my physio appointment.
Usually the soft tissue mobilisations (I think that’s what they’re called?) are some form of painful, but I can still function OK the next day.
This time was easily the worst pain I’ve had, although I can see it was necessary – I must have moved wrong, or picked up something without proper technique at some point, because everything was just…not right 😦
I didn’t sleep well after, and didn’t bounce back the next day as usual.
Mostly, I just felt like someone had been whacking me with a blunt object 😆

Planning on getting stuff done tomorrow, though.
Yay! 🙂

Here are some little bright spots I captured over the week (and a bit)

Originally placed on slice of cheesecake 🙂

This was just after my physio appointment – the shopping centre had a mural competition for their car park.
I’ll have to have a closer look next time.

Lots of curls!
I picked up the feather somewhere, but it had been hanging around in the car for a while.
Now it’s living in my random still life 😀

And because the days are suddenly colder…

Published in: on August 13, 2026 at 11:36 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Cyborg, Sleeping

At least, that was the plan.

Here is my morning coffee.

Lovely.
And much appreciated.

I was recommended for a sleep study recently, just to check some things.
I’d never had one before and as far as I knew they were done in a clinic where you stayed overnight, wired up and monitored.
These are the days of outsourcing – in other words – home testing! Yay!
I picked up a kit with leads, sticky dot things, and devices to read and store the data. Also – a manual to explain how to work everything.

I was on a Zoom call last night.
The whole rigmarole had to be set up and running for at least eight hours, and I thought I would have tons of time after the call to put it all together.
The call ran way past time…

I turned my camera off, pulled the headphones out so I could still hear the call, and attached wires to my face. No mirror to help the process, so I just had to “feel” where to attach it all.

Not impressed.

There are leads you can’t see. And I somehow managed to stick down more hair than I’d planned, which made the de-sticking this morning a bit more painful than I’d anticipated.

I slept surprisingly well.
Not at any length.
And of undetermined quality.
But I was more comfortable than I expected to be, and didn’t notice it too much.
Still – it’s done, and everything’s returned. I will get the results in a few weeks, apparently.

Until then, I will feel renewed appreciation for my disconnection from the Borg collective, and enjoy unencumbered sleep.

Published in: on June 10, 2026 at 10:58 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Over It

Not the rainbow!

There’s always a place for those. 😀

I haven’t been doing too great the last few days.
Enjoying the cold and the rain, though!

I had my Covid/flu shots on Tuesday, and expected that to be that, with perhaps a bit of an ache here and there…
What I got was a painful arm (only the Covid side) that hurt when I even thought of moving it, nausea and vomiting, and high temperatures (although not quite ambulance/brain-melting levels. That’s a plus.).
Wednesday was a bit of a blur. And I couldn’t even manage to hold a book, let alone read!!
Still not quite there, arm still painful, and temperature fluctuating, but much better overall 🙂

So, perhaps that’s a reason to not get the vaccinations, I hear you say?
I wouldn’t say so…
I haven’t kept up with my Covid vaccinations, and have never had the flu one, but it seemed like the right time to get them. I didn’t react at all before, so all this has been unexpected.

And having had time to stop and think, I remember sitting on the plane on my way to England in 1994. I’d had the recommended basic travel vaccinations (can’t remember which ones), and my arm from shoulder to elbow was hot, swollen and red.
Seems like my immune system just likes to throw a tantrum now and then.
(Somewhere in the back of my brain I see it sneaking up behind me, waggling eyebrows, twirling a moustache, and saying, “A ha!”)

It’s possible that my temperature hasn’t quite gone down far enough…

Well, I still have books to read.
Possibly even sleep to have.
And here is a little heat pack I saw the other day (I didn’t buy it), just to leave on a cheerful note.

🙂

Published in: on May 15, 2026 at 10:50 pm  Leave a Comment  

Dressing For A Purpose

It’s been a resting kind of day.
Yesterday, I had an appointment in Brisbane.
With trains, transfers, and walking, it was a nearly four hour round trip. All for a ten minute meeting that could have been done on the phone.
Enjoyed the travelling, though.

Today was OK first thing in the morning, but the tiredness caught up with me.
Rested. Read. Drank coffee (and tea).

This was part of my reading the other day –

“Your strength, God, is the king’s strength.
Helped, he’s hollering Hosannas.
You gave him exactly what he wanted;
you didn’t hold back.
You filled his arms with gifts;
you gave him a right royal welcome.
He wanted a good life; you gave it to him,
and then made it a long life as a bonus.
You lifted him high and bright as a cumulus cloud,
then dressed him in rainbow colours.
You pile blessings on him;
you make him glad when you smile.
Is it any wonder the king loves God?
that he’s sticking with the Best?”
– Psalm 21:1-7 (MSG)

There are the clothes that we put on every day.

And there are the clothes we are given when we need them.

Long journeys? Strength needed?
Seems I’m dressed for whatever the day brings!
❤

Published in: on March 24, 2026 at 11:42 pm  Leave a Comment  

Taking In The Terpenes

…in other words – the vast array of compounds found in plants and flowers, some of which are the primary constituents of essential oils.

I have been reading about the effect of nature on our health, mood and longevity.
That also relates to the colour and form of plants, as well as natural landscapes.
We all live in some sort of environment. Maybe if we take a “sense walk” we might be able to work out how to add some nature to our urbanisation 🙂

I don’t have much of a garden.
Just stepping outside seems to be a start, though.

Here’s a tiny little spider who might agree.

I don’t think it’s there for the aromatherapy.

I planted out the sage – it’s taken ages to put out one root, so I’ll see how it likes a potted existence.

It’s surrounded by three of the rosemary sprigs I planted around Christmas. Those ones have grown to about three times the size they were. There was another one that suddenly dried up and died. I have no idea why – it got the same water as the others, and there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with the roots when I pulled them up to check.
Oh well.
Three out of four ain’t bad!

I also picked up a leaf the other day.
Pretty sure it wouldn’t be part of the nature/turpene etc. study, as it was dead.
Still beautiful.

I don’t know why some things call to me, and others don’t.
There were other leaves on the ground, but this was the right one for me.

Here’s the other side.

You can also see most of the ingredients of our washing powder…

I’ve started looking at perfume oils, and have found some I like.
Roses are good!
And my peppermint tea shows promise.
Time to get back to (more) nature!
❤

Published in: on February 24, 2026 at 10:52 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Colour Matching And Global Musing

Sometimes I find that I have matched my food to my clothing.

Although, looking at it again – it’s not an exact match.
More like picking out the “brights” in my oatmeal…

I have had a bit of a cough lately.
This is partly annoying me because I am making an effort to eat better (hence the oats and berries 🙂 )
Coincidentally, I have also been reading this book.

😆

It’s an interesting and confronting read.
Far from being a long-ago illness of fainting poets and drooping Victorian ladies, tuberculosis is still taking many lives – over 1.2 million last year alone.
John Green discusses the “beautiful disease” trope, as well as the historic and geopolitical effects on tuberculosis incidence globally. He weaves the story of a young man he met through the book, illustrating the personal challenges and tragedies of contracting tuberculosis. That man (Henry Reider) was able to access treatment, and now uses his YouTube channel to help his community with health and other issues.
We spent a (very) short amount of time, 30 years ago, in a community that was (and is) rife with tuberculosis.
It’s not pretty.
I appreciated being reminded that the world is bigger than my four walls, and that I am called to look at it and see what my role is there…
Have a read. I found this copy at my local library – always worth a visit 🙂

…and here is a song for the weekend ❤

Published in: on February 21, 2026 at 11:43 pm  Leave a Comment  
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A Visitor, A Little Hat, And Some Sweet Sour Tea

The days are settling into a bit more heat now, and I am catching wafts of Christmas breeze.
This may be partially because we’ve started tiptoeing into “end-of-year” things, but I have also just suddenly tipped into vague excitement. Not sure why. We haven’t even got the tree up yet!
I’m feeling tired, after a few of the afore-mentioned “e-o-y” get-togethers.
Missing the cool rain, these last couple of days!
…as had my unexpected visitor.

Must have crept in during the last rain.
I was checking my pots, and got a bit of a fright.
Had a look today though – no frog. That pot would have been a bit too hot today, I suppose.

I got myself a new mug.
Chunky, floral, and still good to perch a unicorn on!

Happily providing my dandelion coffee 🙂

It also looks sweet with its little “hat”.

I realised a while ago that I don’t tend to drink enough, and that the advent of summer would be a good time for drinking more.
This was a portion of my liquid intake today (I prepare the herbal teas and let them draw for a while)

Coffee, of course.
The herbal teas are mint, and hibiscus.
The collagen powder was a freebie from Market Organics (someone ordered too much, in the wrong size). It’s not something I would usually buy, but I thought I’d give it a try. Supposed to be berry flavoured, I think. It tastes a bit like slightly weak, liquid jelly. Not sure what it’s doing for my health yet.
The mint tea is nice – refreshing, with that little chill in the aftertaste.
The hibiscus tea… I like it. It certainly seems to have health benefits I need. It does have a slight hint of sweetness, but overall is fairly sour (tart?). I don’t mind that – it’s quite refreshing as well. Sort of a fruity taste?
It’s definitely pretty!

The tea it makes is a deep, dark pink.
Almost Christmassy!
🙂

I will do my best to keep hydrated this summer.
And stay excited for Christmas.
Only 11 more days until I put the tree up!
😀

Published in: on November 20, 2025 at 9:29 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Cats, Cappuccinos, And Two Happy Feet!

It’s been a busy week – out on the town a few times, and feeling energetic as well! I even went out last night, for the first time in weeks 🙂
Today came crashing down a bit. Pain, so couldn’t sleep (finished off a book, though…). Lethargic and slow moving today.

Overall, I am doing well.
Getting hit with the pain, after a good day or two, can sometimes feel harder – the contrast feels greater. But I just have to look at the wider picture, and see how much more I’ve done this week 😀

Yesterday, we went out for a cuppa – another thing that’s been infrequent for quite a while.
I enjoyed the cappuccino break I had the other day so much, I decided to reprise it…

Different place – back to our regular cafe!
We sat on the sofa, with a cute little plant pot beside us –

and surrounded by leather and leaves.

We talked of many things…
❤

Of course, because I haven’t been out much these last few weeks, I had so much to check out at the charity shops around town. I found some things that I have needed for a bit, which is always helpful.
I also found things that I hadn’t realised I needed… 😆

I’ve had the blue-flower cat for a long time, and it has held some of my rings. I can only put so many on its tail before it starts to tip over. The new cat will help out, when I find where I packed the rest of my rings 🙂
There was also another cat, who will hold my favourite rings.

Today has been a bit hard, and the level of discomfort hard to take. Ideally, of course, every day would be full of energy and ability. But if this season has to include the pain, for some reason, then I am glad for the Very Good days!
One thing that I caught up with this week was replacing some worn out or missing items – the things you don’t need right away, so they just keep getting put on the back burner. My unicorn slippers have steadily been getting shredded, to the point where the holes in the sides are so big, I have to grab the slippers with my toes when I walk. Otherwise my feet stick out in all the wrong places…
So, I got myself some new slippers. Yay!
I know it’s getting hotter, but these floors can be hard, especially first thing in the morning. I need a bit of padding sometimes.
Behold – my happy feet!

And now…
let us dance.
❤

Published in: on October 16, 2025 at 10:02 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Taking My Old Body To Sing

The beginning of last week was great!
I did stuff.
I even did more stuff!
And then my body said, “No.”

Somewhere towards the end of the week fatigue whacked me over the head, and I’ve been trying to sleep/rest enough to replenish.
I’m glad I did all the stuff last week 😀
Just might have been a bit more than my recuperating self was expecting! 😆

So, the boys are in varying stages of recovery from the “virus-that-has-no-name”. And my Babe started coughing Friday morning, and stayed in bed for a couple of days. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to have caught what we had. Or he just heals really quick…

Today was a new day. Yay!
I still needed to sit and rest.
But I also managed the washing, and my share of the cleaning/dishes. Double yay!

In my sit-down-before-I-fall-down time I read some Mary Oliver.
Then I put my headphones on, closed my eyes, and listened to a CD I picked up a few weeks ago ($1 at a charity shop!)

Here are two poems that sang to me.
And two songs that spoke to my (weary) heart.

I Worried
Mary Oliver

I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers
flow in the right direction, will the earth turn
as it was taught, and if not how shall
I correct it?
Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven,
can I do better?
Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows
can do it and I am, well,
hopeless.
Is my eyesight fading or am I just imagining it,
am I going to get rheumatism,
lockjaw, dementia?
Finally, I saw that worrying had come to nothing.
And gave it up. And took my old body
and went out into the morning,
and sang.

How Would You Live Then?
Mary Oliver

What if a hundred rose-breasted grosbeaks
     flew in circles around your head? What if
the mockingbird came into the house with you and
     became your advisor? What if
the bees filled your walls with honey and all
     you needed to do was ask them and they would fill
the bowl? What if the brook slid downhill just
     past your bedroom window so you could listen
to its slow prayers as you fell asleep? What if
     the stars began to shout their names, or to run
this way and that way above the clouds? What if
     you painted a picture of a tree, and the leaves
began to rustle, and a bird cheerfully sang
     from its painted branches? What if you suddenly saw
that the silver of water was brighter than the silver 
     of money? What if you finally saw
that the sunflowers, turning toward the sun all day
     and every day – who knows how, but they do it – were
more precious, more meaningful than gold?

Published in: on June 2, 2025 at 10:08 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Exiting The Mould

I had started to wonder what happened to autumn.
The last couple of days have been pleasingly chilly, though, so we’ll see how winter comes in 😀

I had a full weekend, and enjoyed it immensely. Made it to church, after two weeks of being unable to go, and it was well worth it. I even got to pick up the Mothers’ Day gift that was given out the first weekend I was sick 🙂

A tiny little succulent ❤ , guarded by Nightmare Kitty 🙂

It felt like I had turned a corner, and life would rev up into (my version of) reality. Unfortunately, I’ve tipped back into coughing tiredness. Not sure whether it’s the weather. I’ve had a roaming sore throat (first one side, then the other…then none…and back to one side or both). At this stage it’s mostly annoying rather than anything else, but still wearing.
Poor Sweet Bean is still not good 😦

Today we had some areas of mould in the house cleaned professionally, which meant we had to be out of the house for most of the afternoon.
Biggest Boy stayed, and spent the afternoon sitting in the fresh air in the garden. It seems to have done him good. The rest of us went to the library for the duration, except for Sweet Bean, who stayed in his pyjamas and slept in the car with his duvet and pillow.

It was a long afternoon.
But worth it.
We hadn’t realised the ceiling in the sunroom was actually white!

There was a strong smell of chlorine (or bleach?) in the house when we got back, so we had the windows open and fans on until we got too cold.
At least tomorrow is looking like a quieter day…

We were out yesterday morning (part of my getting-back-to-normal-routine), so that added to the fatigue.
But I got a hot chocolate out of it.

With marshmallows!
😀

Published in: on May 29, 2025 at 9:20 pm  Leave a Comment  
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