Saturday, October 24, 2015

Birthday Discounts

I went out yesterday to Garden City and had a day to myself - something I haven't done in a long time. Usually I stay home and do some needlepoint or painting. But I wanted to get away from the house instead.

I had some Birthday Discounts I had to cash in at Garden City and when they come around, they usually only last a month; so thought I should jump on them while I had them. I also had to pick up some art gear too... mainly magnets for a new line of work I'm looking at.

Anyway, I packed my handbag, locked up the house and was on my way. I always have fun going out to these places as sometimes I never know what I'll be doing - like yesterday was a bit of a pantser day. I had a fair idea of what I needed to do, but no list of things. I did look at other stores of things I haven't seen before and wanted to just have a look at for a while before Christmas came along (yeah, I suss out stores for presents before I spend my money).

Well, I went to Riot Art and bought some large magnets for a project I'm working on, then was off to Priceline and bought something there as well. And then walked all the way up to the other end to Strand Bags where I had a membership with them and had a Birthday Voucher to use there as well; so I used that. I bought a new purse for myself. It's very cute, green and bigger than my other Roxy purse. It also hides a lot more things than the Roxy purse too; which is good. 

Then, I was off to Gloria Jeans for my free coffee - yep, it was my Birthday coffee. I had that with a piece of orange and almond slice; very lovely and not too sweet. While I was there, I changed over stuff from my old purse to the new one and texted Mum to drop in to see her for a few minutes. 

Well, by the time I got home it was just past 1pm or so.  I jumped on here and looked around the internet and then thought to get offline and start looking at something to eat - by then it was around 3pm. I had had fun yesterday being out and about - something I haven't done in over a month, and should do more often. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Simple Courtesy

I was at my volunteer work yesterday, and it was really busy! A collection of schools were getting together to play for the public as an art piece to show off 'Artwaves' 2015 in its last weeks here in the Logan Art Gallery. 

About 50 people showed up - and this included the performers and audience. Then, there were people who just showed up to look at the art around the gallery, and then there were teachers and organisers who help set up the drum kits, and other pieces of instruments from the Logan Entertainment Centre... yep, there was a lot of working going on from 10am until the starting time at 1pm.

However, as the music started, and people were entertained, we noticed one terrible thing was happening: once the musicians finished playing, their parents took them off home. They didn't stay to listen to the rest of the other musicians play. Jillian - the art gallery assistant, and my supervisor - thought this was very rude and inconsiderate of the parents to set such a bad example for their kids. 

When I was young, and playing for Yamaha Music, we did a concert over at Chandler. I was told not to leave, that we had to stay for the whole concert because we all had to be out on the stage to take a bow at the end of the two or three hours we were there; also it was considered bad form to leave in the middle of the concert as there may have been music agents in the audience (they didn't know if there were or not) who might like what we were playing, and to leave would close off an opportunity for us as musicians.

When I told Jillian this, she was surprised I had been a professional musician when I was young, but I wasn't good enough to take on the stresses to be in an orchestra or a band, so yes, I learned to play an instrument, played in front of an audience in a school band, in a symphony, on my own and then I stopped playing and left it alone for many years before I took up singing.

So, please teach your kids the courtesy to stick around at concerts they're involved with - even if they think it's boring and they are on stage right at the beginning - they will most probably be expected to get out there right at the end to take a bow, be in the credits and be part of the limelight of the show... and they'll end up loving the sound the audience makes when the auditorium fills with the sound of applause - of appreciation of their talents - and they will want to do it again long after the curtain has closed.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Results

I got my results back from the doctors late yesterday afternoon, as the nurse called me.

I don't have Hashimoto's Disease - better known as an under-active Thyroid. However, this disease runs in families and runs in mine. This is a good thing for me; so long I keep to a healthy diet and keep my weight down I'll be good.

However, the apple core sample on my arm is another story. The doctor wants to see me as soon as possible. It's a skin cancer - well, two different types - and it'll need treatment. It has nothing to do with the my primary one (my melanoma on my leg) which is a good thing, and what I expected. But I still have to get it seen to.

Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Worried Doctors

I haven't written for a while; but it's because of my doctors. They're worried about me. I went into the doctor to get two sun cancers looked at - I've had them for years - and he took a biopsy of one and said the other wasn't a skin cancer.

Then he checked my blood pressure and got me to stand on the scales and said that my weight wasn't what he wanted me to be. Yep, I was too heavy... he told me that I gained 8kg in 5 years. He thought it might be my Thyroid playing up and being underactive; so he said he wanted me to get some blood tests done - which I got done yesterday - and I have to wait for the results to come back tomorrow. I also have call up about the biopsy too.

I'm not worried about any of this as much as my doctor is as I don't have that many worries about my health. I'm constantly working on something - be it my garden, my work for the markets or packing the car for the markets - I'm never just sitting around watching television all day. 

My diet is better than is was last year as I buy my fruit and veggies at the Rochedale Fruit Market now and it's the best place for me to pick up just about anything I want there. Sure it costs around the same as Coles or Woolworths, but really that place has been there for well over 20 years and has been a staple for this area and Brisbane for so long, I don't know anywhere else that's better.

I cook everything at home, don't buy takeaway food and I don't know what to eat when I go out with friends, all because I just don't eat out anywhere. I don't cook with much salt and have cut back on my sugar intake as well as cut out all soft drinks in my life - I drink mineral water instead. 

I just wish I knew why my doctors were so worried about me... I don't see anything wrong.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

My Birthday

What a wonderful day it was yesterday! I woke to a lovely sunny day of clear, blue skies, and the promise of a typical hot Summer's day in Brisbane - and yet it's the middle of Spring!

I made myself some percolated coffee in my Corning Ware, ate breakfast and organised myself for the day to be at my brother's place at Brighton for lunch. But first, I had to pop over to Mum and Dad's place for morning tea; so I phoned them first - only to find they were just getting out of bed! Well, that's okay. I wasn't in any rush.

When I arrived at their house, they had a few presents for me of Miche Shells for my handbag... these are removable shells for a particular style of handbag which you can use. I have had one for a few years which I found at Life Line for around $12 and thought it was a weird bag - that was until I looked it up online and found out it was a huge thing I had stumbled upon. So this year, I decided to become more involved in it and give away over 15 handbags I just don't use anymore and work on using this one type of handbag instead... one bag, many shells, many uses - very cool!

Well, Mum and Dad bought me 4 shells and I got a holder for them all too! Then, Mum bought me new eye shadow and then we had coffee and were off before we knew it, to Brighton... yep, I left my Little Green Machine at their place and went with them in the big white 4X4 to Gabe and Kat's. 
Riley was there with her boyfriend (who I hadn't met yet) and Vivienne and Geoff Treagus came along with their lovely little daughter, Zoe; as well as Will Cornivus - who is a close mutual friend of ours too. Once they were all there, Gabe got into it and started cooking up the pizzas! 

It was a great day of food, drinks, friends and music... along with the chickens and Jay the dog too. After the cake was cut and we had some of that, it was soon time to take off. Gabe had made a huge pile of pizzas to have for later that week and we had all had a lovely day of sitting around and enjoying the shade of the marque outside. It was a lovely day for me as well as everyone else.

I found that one of the best presents I received - besides the Miche shells - was a card my niece made for me which was 'Supernatural' based. It has the Impala on the front and plenty of 'Supernatural' quotes too... such a wonderfully-crafted card by a brilliantly-talented person in my life, which I'll never get rid of. 

Well, that was my Birthday this year... lots of fun, pizza, friends and family around me - what more could anyone ask for on their birthday? Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here. 

Sunday, October 4, 2015

This Year for Tomorrow

It's a mere 24 hours until I bid farewell to one year and say hello to being another... and I feel as though so much as gone on during this year that I'm not sure where to begin.

Since Dad bought me my car last year, it seems as though all I've done is drive it and enjoy it. I've been to and from quite a few markets, gone shopping in it it, bought a collection of things at Bunnings and found out just how much that little car of mine can really carry!


And then, there's my other hobbies I've delved into as well... like my love for fixing up old furniture. Earlier this year, I found an old chair which somebody threw out - well, okay, one of my neighbours did - and after we unwrapped it from its packing/wrappings, we were stunned to find a lovely old chair sitting before us.  Seeing my neighbour found it, I gave her first shot, but she said no and let me have it. I had fun fixing up that lovely piece.


Before that, there was my standing work bench, which looks like it's always been at my back door now... not only been there since February. It's been an asset to my hobby business and has helped me work better as well. But my art works still leaks into my kitchen and living room - oh well, can't win them all! 


My garden has had a huge make-over during Winter and I'm so proud I've been able to use the car to get in and grab things that normally without it I wouldn't have been able to. I still have other plans for it... and I won't be able to work on those things until next year. I have time for that.


In the past year, I've done some big pieces of writing. I have started organising a book filled with Flash Fiction that I put onto my blog... I'll be looking at getting it published in the next few years into traditional print and ebook as well. Then, there's an Angelic Romance I wrote late last year, which I didn't think would work, but somehow it did. It had everything from love and sex to Knights of Hell and a few new things I made up to keep things interesting. I'm also looking into working on my Fry Nelson works again... it's been a few years since I looked at the books and now it's time to look into editing them properly and making them into something for the public to read. 


Yes, I'll be busy ... but being busy is great. Over the past couple of years, since I have had the use of a few cars, I've been the busiest in my life since I was doing full-time work - and I love it! It's wonderful to be almost back to how I was in my 20's. And it's all because of how I've been taking care of myself and working with my doctors too.  


As for my Birthday? Well, it's another year to be living on this blessed planet we call home. It's another year to enjoy here. Since I've survived Cancer and am living with a horrible medical condition which kills and destroys so many people's lives every year, I am blessed to have the life I have now. It took over a decade to be where I am - well over a decade - and it was all worth the pain and the horrors of it all. I'm just seeing life for what it is and how it is... and that's the glass half full - and what a beautiful glass it is indeed!