A little biker enjoying the day

Post Dawn Service Bright

The last of the russet leaves


Unimaginable colours

The Easter Bunny

Our long Easter break was spent up north this year at our home away from home in Porepunkah. As you can see by the photos, the weather was simply glorious and most conducive to outdoor activities. We didn't travel far from our 'home' for a change, choosing this time to stay relatively low-keyed and with a purpose to enjoy local scenery and just kick back.

The day we met our puppy for the very first time was a day not unlike all others...warm sunny blue skies requiring sunscreen and hats. Local and tourist kids were abounding and local shops were jumping with their registers on the go the whole time. Queues reached out the doors from shops...especially eateries and cafes. I don't think even the most astute shop owner realised what a godsend this long weekend would be prior to the break.
The thing I love about this place is how the whole colour scheme changes with the weather. The leaves took on an abundant rich red colour and would be camera fanatics, much like myself, were out in droves trying to catch ""THAT"" picture for their albums.

There were many gliders and planes, parachuters, free-fallers, and even gyrocopters up in the sky. Given there were no apparent accidents they must have had a rule of conduct up there also.

We met our Stuart for the very first time in a local park by the river. He was introduced to us by his first family and was accompanied by his brother and sister. Stuart as I mentioned in my earlier blog was the last born of the litter, but by and large the biggest of them all which fills me with confidence. He is the fellow you can see on the left dipping into a pot of water for it was a long hot thirsty ride from the farm..
(To be continued)

A question or two...

Once upon a time when I was a little girl, my favourite story was about another little girl who travelled to Cornwall for her summer holidays. I used to want to be that little girl, for she would always return home brown as a berry, not burnt to a crisp like I always seemed to do.
She would meet with family and friends and they would go on picnics and adventures...I was too young then for The Famous Five and The Secret Seven. Her picnics and adventures were of a simplistic nature and she would return home with her family on a train. I still think back to those days where I read of her over and over again. I was one of those kids that had this belief that if the story was good, you read it and re-read it just to enjoy the imagination once more.
It was a bit of the same with The Magic Faraway Tree, where I climbed up those branches numerous times and went to different worlds and ate exploding toffee in my mind all too often. My mother's complaint was that I always seemed to have my head in a book and wouldn't go out to play or get out from under her feet. I loved to read and still do fortunately.
Over the years I have lost count of the number of books I have read. One of my plans as a child was to keep a record of every book I read, not to mention document all the rivers and creeks I crossed in the family car, but, like all good things, they were forgotten when my short attention span cottoned onto something else!
Funny how those plans and memories come back as one becomes older.

What of you dear reader? Firstly, what were your favourite books as a child? What were the bizarre lists you kept for whatever reason?

This long Easter weekend away, we met finally, the little puppy we are about to call our own. His name is Stuart and he is a regular fluffball right now. We met him on a gorgeous balmy autumnal day with a hot sun beating down on us and we sat and chatted to his birth owners for a short time whilst we watched him play with his siblings. Stuart has a brother and sister, who came for the ride from Tallangatta (over an hour away) also. Ironically, Stuart was the last-born of the trilogy, but is the biggest and fluffiest of the three. It was interesting watching those three take big brave steps away from our little party of five humans but they never ventured too far and were happy to be swooped up by one of us and returned to the fold whenever necessary.
We pick the boy up in less than two weeks now and I know he will miss his siblings especially, quite dreadfully I am sure for there was a lot of rough and tumble between them that won't be there when he is on his own.
I only hope we can add to our canine minority further on in the year so as to provide him with company and a lifelong companion he can communicate with in doggy talk.

Madness and Mayhem

Rushing this morning as this may be the last post (no pun intended given Anzac Day is just around the corner!) before we go away for Easter.

Work last night was frantic as usual. Had a young girl come in just as I was to go off, distraught as she hadn't felt her baby move for sometime. Convinced this baby was no longer as she has a pretty sad history of something similar.

You can imagine the joy when I was able to pick up her baby's heartbeat at only 23 weeks gestation. That's what makes my job worthwhile! I shed a few tears with this young family stressed beyond belief.... tears of joy as it turned out!

We are off to paradise tomorrow after I complete yet another frantic Thursday evening shift (I know, we all know what Thursdays are like in my baby factory) and tomorrow will be no different. So, the three and a half hour drive from here to P will be a blessed release indeed.

I only have to find time between now and then to pack, supermarket shop and tidy the house...Oh, did I mention two full on working shifts in there as well? Bugger sleep...that'll have to come over Easter!

Enjoy folks...may the Big Bunny visit!

xxxx

Hither thither...rush and tumble...a rabbit with a time piece does a rumble

Just a quickie today as I really should be getting ready for work. Its a quarter to 12 and I start work at 1 so I will not ponder too long unless the words carry me away as they sometimes do! I took Mum into Footscray today to the Vision Clinic where she receives treatment for her Macular Degeneration. Today was a good day as its always a great feeling to listen as Mary tells Mum she doesn't need another eye injection THIS month. I am sure in the not too distant future that will change and she will need another bout of needles, but, today is a reprieve day so for that we are thankful. I am oh so very tired this morning. Not sure how I'll function at work this afternoon but I'm sure I'[ll get into it and get carried up with the ward happenings. Looking forward to getting away this long weekend...Easter again already for the year. Only seems like it was Christmas not so long ago... We get to meet our little puppy on Sunday and we pick him up two weeks later. Shall be fun bringing him home in the car all the way from Tallangatta!...a three to four hour drive in the car which will need plenty of towels and puppy food and puppy water! Just hope there's no vomit to clean up!!! Anyway, must away. I am very pleased with myself for getting back into the blogging. I attack the words with great gusto sporadically, but when I do it just flows and I can debrief a bit which is why I started this in the first place. Lovely warm day outside today...'tis a shame that work is the priority, but I suppose I cannot have it my way all the time. Adieu!

Crazy times indeed.

Well, I've just survived another night shift, one which leaves a lot to be desired.

Staff off sick and not replaced yet again. Multiple admissions of women in various degrees of labour. Unwell women requiring higher acuity care than we can provide.

It's a sad case indeed when you leave work for home in the bright morning sunshine feeling guilty because you know women have been left feeling unsupported, when you know that what you do with said women is not enough. Yes, we have excuses..(ie. not enough staff to go round etc.), but it still doesn't detract from the fundamental issue that our staffing is left to the Gods sometimes.

Our staffing at the commencement of each shift should include the what-ifs, not left to the "well, you only have so many women here...you won't get busy".

How many times have we heard that...how many times have we worked without a break because of that statement, how many times have staff been reduced to tears because of those excessive workloads and demands. It is very difficult to not become emotional in retrospect.

At the time, I just put my head down and work, work, work. I cringe at night when the phone ring indicates an incoming call from outside, cos you can bet your bottom dollar that at 2am. in the morning, the phone call will always be someone in labour, or with ruptured membranes, or more serious issues that need to be addressed immediately.

The shining lights in this miasma are the people I work with. I am fortunate that the vast majority of my colleagues are very supportive during such times and are very flexible with their ever changing work roles as the pace moves quicker and quicker. Regardless of age, experience and years of being a midwife, they intrinsically understand and appreciate the pressure to perform and are always obliging.

Is there an answer? Is there a solution to the problem? There are ways of addressing the issues before the shift commences which I have already stated.

Perhaps our management need to listen to those at the coal face more and respect our need for support, so that these times do not happen.

I know my job is an unpredictable one, and we will always have blow-outs as well as times when we are left to ponder our navels!

.All I am asking for is enough staff to prepare for and deal with those crazy times when they happen, so that those feelings of incompleteness and regret don't get the opportunity to emerge as we leave.

April 17th.

Well folks, it was eight years ago today that my life inexorably changed.

I should add here, that it was not only my life, but also that of my husband and daughter, not to mention friends and family.

Eight years ago today my beautiful lively, exuberant son died from a congenital disorder, known as Progeria (Accelerated Aging Syndrome). Some of you may have read about it in recent times as research in USA has been able to isolate the affecting gene that causes this premature death, since Chris died and they are finding inroads in how to treat the disorder and prolong the lives of a number of children affected.

My son was a typical child, loving and grateful, independant and not wanting to 'be a burden'. He was free spirited and loved many people. They in turn loved him back unconditionally. He never once complained about having this disorder. He would have anguished over the barrage of tests and investigations and treatment for different manifestations of the disease, but I do believe I never once heard him ask "Why me?".

Life goes on as we all know. At the time the pain is immeasurable and I felt like I had no direction after he was gone. We all felt lost at times but day by day, you pull yourself out of the sadness and despair and realise that indeed Life Is Beautiful for the short tangible time we experience it.

I remember my son on this day, as I do all days and I remember everything that happened that day.

To our family and friends that supported us...again I say thank you for your love for the lad.

Miss you CB xxxx

Just another Saturday

Went to a boxing gym this morning with Muzza...as opposed to Mezza. Murray has being going to Boxing Fit for some time now, as well as running distances every week and he has finally coerced me into gyming with him to try and lose this extra poundage I seem to have gained with my age. It was actually a fun time...hard work and plenty of sweat (thank heavens for deodorant) but fun all the same. I've found though I develop a left sided weakness by the end of the session...too many years of not enough use perhaps. Hopefully this work with weights and pretending to be Lionel Rose for a bit will exclude that, as well as the tyre around the middle. Life is enjoyable, even when doing rounds at a gym. I am one of the fortunate ones who can still do this at my age of 57. There are a number of friends, colleagues and family who are beset with illness these days and cannot contemplate strenuous exercise so I count my blessings! I just need to develop motivation and STOP EATING!!!

Stuart

With the guidance of a dear colleague at work (yes, you Sue :)) and through the help of http://www.dogzonline.com.au/we recently interacted with a family in north Victoria to prospectively purchase the gorgeous little fellow you see up the top here. His name is Stuart (Mez's input) and we pick him up in a couple of weeks time.

Those of you that have listened to and supported me through my trials and tribulations in times gone by will know we had a little puppy last year who we lost to a horrible bowel infection.

You will understand my apprehension countered by delight in finding this fellow and we trust that what happened last year will not be revisited.

I plan for this chappy, a long and happy life with us. I don't care about the poos and wees on the carpet and anywhere else. (I do really, but its nothing a bit of detergent and puppy odour spray won't fix). I don't care about having to get up in the middle of the night to take him for a walk outside. I don't care about scratches on the timber or bites in the carpet. What I care about is that unconditional love, that wet tongue that loves to lick and that wagging tail. I will love that curiosity and those little nips he will provide if I don't pay him enough attention.

I cannot wait to have a baby by my bed at night time again...for a short while at least until he gets used to the place and I cannot wait to cuddle up to him when he misses his two siblings and mother.

Let the days roll on and may the 8th. of May see us bring home a loving boy who will happy to live here.