Friday, June 18, 2010

Raise your glasses

















Today I posted off to the printer the very final draft of my manuscript along with photos etc. I aim for the book launch in late September this year. I could do this earlier but I have chosen this time for a personal reason.

Now I am going to do what I should have done when my husband was alive, (he is in the green T shirt, second from the right)I am going to raise my glass, and hope some of you will as well, to men (and women) like the above group, gathered for an after work drink - covered in the dirt of their days work. To those who do heavy dangerous work and take the risk of injury and death, to support themselves and their family. To those who go out in the boiling sun and the freezing wind and rain to farm, fish, build, dig, mine, protect and create and who allow the world we are lucky to live in. To those whom the chattering classes call rednecks and uneducated who take the risk almost every day they go to work for generally modest wages.

By now you might be a bit drunk if you toasted with an alcoholic beverage. Too early in the day for that for me - its just tank water people.

For amongst these people there is a relatively high level of injury and death, such as the injury that occurred to Don which left him wheelchair bound from a young age. And although he knew I loved him, I can not recall actually saying a thank you to him on those days when he came home from work shivering and wet, from working in the canals. I did not say thank you to him when he came home from work sunblasted, and dehydrated and suffered cramps from lack of salt.

Although we had little we never felt poor - and he never begrudged one cent that went towards the family's upkeep as toowho have much more, many do.

To this group of "Old Bastards" which was the group they were in which raised money for local charity, quietly and without fuss, I raise my glass. At times I would have liked to have burnt the old Royal hotel down, because sometimes they stayed a bit too long...but in hindsight I am grateful for whatever fun and mischief went on, considering the later events. And now when I go to where that place used to be and see it replaced by a touristy eatery, I feel sad that there are so few places for workers like this to go and have a beer in, still covered in the dirt from work. Nowadays to see this people would look down on a group of them sitting in the place that was once theirs. So much has changed and not always for the best. (Australasian Order of the Old bastards http://www.aoob.com.au )

So now I raise my glass again. My thank you is no doubt being heard.

But my real thank you will be the publication of my manuscript which may even change things for other people severely disabled or killed because they took the risks which make all our lives possible, such as building the roads and dams, providing food and raw materials for clothing, mining the minerals which go into the goods with which the modern world would not be able to survive without.

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Sunday, June 13, 2010

Video - Dr. Tania Ash on Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue


This is a video on the above issues and it may or may not be relevant to any of you - but it was for us and will always be. Our youngest was lucky to come across two exceptional doctors, her first one Dr Ashley Berry (Oately - Sydney) who took one look at her back in 2002 and said "You are not depressed, you are very sick) a breath of fresh air - as ordinary GP's are in the Dark Ages on this issue - sort of "if we can't fix it or know what it is it must be in your head.

Then when she moved she was lucky enough to meet with Dr Tania Ash who moved mountains and really worked hard to find out WHY? Where others just treat symptoms - she investigated and looked for the causes which were multiple - Although now not 100% our daughter now has a chance at life and is able now to work a few hours a day but still has days when she is tired...and not just tired - but exhausted.



Its not just being a little bit tired - so if you know anyone who is sick with one of these or both please listen and if you can in any way help them out like offering help such as shopping for them, asking them what they need and being compassionate. People said to Ali at times or out of her hearing "She could go out (or do things such as meet people etc) if she wanted to or if she pushed herself" The few people who visited her mostly did not understand she just could not sit up and talk with them but after a very short time had to go back to bed - they thought she was being rude...and never acquainted themselves with what was really happening to her.

Like if its not a broken leg or known and visible illness you must be putting it on. My heart broke over and over for her and there was little understanding even amongst extended family of the extreme illness she suffered. an illness which in the end would have killed her, as her liver was already showing signs of damage as if she was an alcoholic and this is a girl who is lucky to have three glasses of wine a year. It was an awful time, and we were really torn because I could only visit her occasionally as I had to be with Don who was also ill. I felt terribly torn...she tried to come home here for a few months but the doctors here were useless - suggesting prozac etc (maybe so she could die laughing!!) She' not out of the woods yet having to have injections every three days of Vot B12 which her body does not absorb, along with its not absorbing much Iron, Vit D and others essential to life.

If you know anyone with these illnesses, there are doctors in Australia who have done extra training with the Australian College of Nutritional and Environmental medicine (ACNEM) and this is their web page
http://www.acnem.org/modules/mastop_publish/?tac=1
If you look in the heading "Find a doctor" there are lists of these doctors right accross Australia and new Zealand - it could turn someone's life around or at leasthelp find them a doctor who understands the issues

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Here is a real treat for you all
This is a real Northern Territory version of Waltzing Matilda sung in a local dialect by Ali mills...the "Baa' was the first thing I heard this morning when I turned on the Grant Goldman talkback early this morning - haven't stopped smiling since - all Aussies will know the words - and why this is funny - but you "foreign type" folk might have to have it translated...its a real hoot


Saturday, June 05, 2010

Taken when I was eight
..on the left in the front...It was my sister Veronica's Confitmation day and she was about 11/12
But look at the "lovely" hats we used to have to wear to Mass...we thought we were so beautiful. Veronica and I used to fight like cats and dogs as kids but now we are close and nothing left to fight about really - got it all out.

Friday, June 04, 2010

Stratospheric Aerosol Geo engineering



Over my place they have been spraying since 2005 - I see them often - all going in different directions - lasting for hours spreading out over the sky...when I get a sore throat as I have today - almost without exception I can go outside and if there is no real cloud cover I will see these trails... sometimes walking down the street there are many above our heads and almost without exception no one looks up...I just can't understand how they have forgotten what a normal deep blue sky looks like.

When you see a normal contrail coming from a jet it sits for only a short while and then disappears - it does not spread out all over the sky, joining up with the others and slowly making what was a clear blue sky, appear gloomy and shadowy.

The US Government now admit what these trails are and claim they are to control global warming...so its no theory any more. nobody asked me if I wanted to breathe, drink and eat this shit that someone else has decided is for "the greater good for all" forgive me if I want to vomit the next time I hear that statement...that was what Lenin, Mao, Hitler were always on about - "the greater good for all". The thought of drinking in my tank water Aluminium and barium which they admit they are introducing makes me angry...we are warned about using aluminium cookware...and barium just can not be good for you.

I hope I don't lose too many bloggers here, but when you do notice the white stripes which go from horizon to horizon..(some bloody contrails they are)...and if you notice there are multiples - just look up from time to time over the next hour and watch what happens to them...and after that i swear you will never miss seeing them again. What they are, or why they are there is up to you - but even the authorities admit they are there now.

Wednesday, June 02, 2010


And then there are the CATS....
Cuss Cuss ( rhymes with Puss) a glowerin'


















Tiger all comfy womfy as usual
















Tiger on the lovely quilt Ali gave me for Christmas - my sister took this Ali okPosted by Picasa

Some scenes from our walk along the coast near Port Macquarie NSW

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Some "Activities"
On the first day we went back to where my old house was...a bit sad, but okay because my sister remembered as well so didn't have to pretend. Here she is with some plants I planted years ago which have multiplied...
not quite stealing...I planted them remember!
Behind her is where the old white house used to stand and the bush has taken over so its almost impenetrable...I pointed out to her all the spots...like the concrete slab where the garages stood...the big tree near the front door... the old fence where the cubby house stood...we lived there from 1985 till March 2004. The girls grew up here - Don was well here reasonably - we had hordes for Christmases...our house rang with young voices...and here is the lesson...nothing is permanent but the love of people for each other. The house is now on the side of a hill about 200kms away, with a family of six in it...as it should be - it needed kids that house...the land was never developed and so in the warm climate we have nature did what it does best - took over...its a wildlife paradise where once we ate breakfast - sorta sad..but sorta right as well...lessons learned for me.
And in my home now here I am getting down the sweet Mandarins off the tree...They are so sweet and amazing when just eaten straight from the tree. We have a Lemon, Lime, Plum and other trees - Bananas and other such as grapefruits which i can't stand... need the first frost before all the citrus stuff is at is best...








Had to give the finger to my sister - she hopped out beyond a Rock and my hair was a real mess...that deserves a finger I reckon














and there she goes like a bandicoot...up the first of about 10 similliar staircases...as if she was siling ....my legs are still sooooo sore...but will do some of this again soon as I enjoyed the walk...but NOT SO MUCH VERONICA

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Surprise visit from my eldest sister.

A really good surprise from my eldest sister Veronica, who had a few rostered days off work and took a ten hour bus ride each way just to see me...she is one of the goodies on this planet. We made the best of it -
Oysters and Prawns at the Big Oyster only a mile from my house...they have a pontoon attached to the over water fish and prawn shop and you can have prawns and oysters, coffee/tea etc down there on the water - just for the cost of the food...much cheaper than restaurants and we do this every time she comes - its a tradition. She was here three days and we walked and walked the beaches and streets, and then rewarded ourselves...as you do...but cheaply











this shot was taken outside the renovated old Royal Hotel at Port Macquarie - the Hastings river runs behind this behind us...so a glass of wine each night was had here watching the sunsets...
when we first came to PM in 1976, this was the workers hotel as opposed to the touristy ones and I can still clearly recall all the rooms and bars there as it was an institution. All working men such as tradies, labourers people who work building etc came to this place and it was known as "The Employment Agency"...if you got the nod here you were in work - if the old timers liked you a good word was put in and you got a start. Don got his start here after we moved...it was a bloodbath really at times in the old style - but had its charm so much so that i never drank here -I only know it by looking for Don sometimes...and it was a really hard thing to do to walk into the two main bars...the whole room would go quiet for the moment and then you had a lot of attention...too much
they even had a women's lounge called "The Maidens' Lounge" but somehow don't think too many maidens entered here - if they did I rather doubt they were maidens for very long -
This said...they were good times because there was a sort of honesty in all that...now everyone is so neat and apears well heeled even if they aren't...must be getting old to recall this with so much fondness.
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