Marguerite
Active Member
G'day, family.
What a glorious day we had today! It was the Christmas party for husband's train club, generally a relaxing day outdoors playing on miniature live steam engines, driving them around the track and giving lots of free rides to everybody, children and adults. It was hot today, a mild sea breeze (we're located over the road from North Wollongong Beach) to take the edge of the sting of the sun. They've recently had to chop down some dead and dying trees, so the shade we're used to form our usual parking spot/picnic table, just wasn't there today.
Normally I'm helping out in the ticket box, but today was a no tickets day, plus most other jobs not happening, so it was wonderfully relaxing.
I got a little bit of tan yesterday, enough to leave my arms with a tan line, so I wore a singlet top today. I did have a cover-up shirt, but I took a chance and left it off for a while, so I could get my medically-prescribed dose of Vitamin D. I've just about reached that stage of summer skin where I just go darker now. I did have a hat but it was getting just too hot to wear it. I think I got my forehead sunburnt as a result of leaving my hat off for a bit too long. It's looking odd with my increasingly grey hair - the dark skin seems weird, to me. But I'm not sore anywhere.
I'm still recovering from the hip cortisone injections - I was able to clamber onto the train carriages easily (you sit astride them). husband & I got mother in law onto a carriage too, behind the little locomotive he was driving. She hasn't been for a ride for months, she really enjoyed it. She's getting much more frail and weak these days.
We'd planned a relaxing picnic lunch, not too much hard work. We bought a large French breadstick (still warm from the baker this morning) and when someone lit the barbecue, I sprayed some bread slices with olive oil and made bruschetta by toasting the oiled slices on the barbecue plate. We topped it with smoked salmon and tiger prawns, with some lettuce, tomato and spanish onion. We'd bought the seafood at the nearby fish market, and eating all this outdoors in the heat of the summer day (with seagulls trying to steal from us) made for an enjoyable lunch. We'd found a picnic table in deep shade. The lorikeets in the trees were competing with cicadas, the sound of an Aussie Christmas!
Driving home was a slow trip, traffic was a problem. I was late back for my choir rehearsal but we managed OK, we've got our special item carol sounding good now. We hadn't sung it before today, most of us. The rest of the practice, I had missed (not good - I found out this evening, I'm expected to be the conductor at the event next week!) but the quartet came together well.
And now I am so tired - I noticed while we were singing, my legs feel like jelly. I've had a physically relaxing day so I can't blame over-activity. I was too tired to sit, too shaky to stand. I'm wondering if it's the cortisone.
It's just after sunset now, the sky is beginning to darken. Not too unpleasantly hot here (thanks to being near the sea - the west of Sydney is 10 C hotter and unpleasant). I thought I felt a drop or two of moisture outside, it could be either humidity condensing out as the air cools at dusk, or (we can hope!) a drop or two of rain. The news is, I think about 80% of our state is in drought at the moment. farmers want rain for Christmas.
Tomorrow - it's technically a school day, but I think we'll begin our holidays a bit early. difficult child 3 has some computer drives to play with, I doubt I'll get anything productive out of him school-wise tomorrow. I could get him to watch a DVD with me, perhaps. Especially if I make popcorn!
But for now - I think an early night is called for. I want to get as much sleep as I can, while the pain relief in my hips makes it possible.
Enjoy your Sunday, everyone.
Marg
What a glorious day we had today! It was the Christmas party for husband's train club, generally a relaxing day outdoors playing on miniature live steam engines, driving them around the track and giving lots of free rides to everybody, children and adults. It was hot today, a mild sea breeze (we're located over the road from North Wollongong Beach) to take the edge of the sting of the sun. They've recently had to chop down some dead and dying trees, so the shade we're used to form our usual parking spot/picnic table, just wasn't there today.
Normally I'm helping out in the ticket box, but today was a no tickets day, plus most other jobs not happening, so it was wonderfully relaxing.
I got a little bit of tan yesterday, enough to leave my arms with a tan line, so I wore a singlet top today. I did have a cover-up shirt, but I took a chance and left it off for a while, so I could get my medically-prescribed dose of Vitamin D. I've just about reached that stage of summer skin where I just go darker now. I did have a hat but it was getting just too hot to wear it. I think I got my forehead sunburnt as a result of leaving my hat off for a bit too long. It's looking odd with my increasingly grey hair - the dark skin seems weird, to me. But I'm not sore anywhere.
I'm still recovering from the hip cortisone injections - I was able to clamber onto the train carriages easily (you sit astride them). husband & I got mother in law onto a carriage too, behind the little locomotive he was driving. She hasn't been for a ride for months, she really enjoyed it. She's getting much more frail and weak these days.
We'd planned a relaxing picnic lunch, not too much hard work. We bought a large French breadstick (still warm from the baker this morning) and when someone lit the barbecue, I sprayed some bread slices with olive oil and made bruschetta by toasting the oiled slices on the barbecue plate. We topped it with smoked salmon and tiger prawns, with some lettuce, tomato and spanish onion. We'd bought the seafood at the nearby fish market, and eating all this outdoors in the heat of the summer day (with seagulls trying to steal from us) made for an enjoyable lunch. We'd found a picnic table in deep shade. The lorikeets in the trees were competing with cicadas, the sound of an Aussie Christmas!
Driving home was a slow trip, traffic was a problem. I was late back for my choir rehearsal but we managed OK, we've got our special item carol sounding good now. We hadn't sung it before today, most of us. The rest of the practice, I had missed (not good - I found out this evening, I'm expected to be the conductor at the event next week!) but the quartet came together well.
And now I am so tired - I noticed while we were singing, my legs feel like jelly. I've had a physically relaxing day so I can't blame over-activity. I was too tired to sit, too shaky to stand. I'm wondering if it's the cortisone.
It's just after sunset now, the sky is beginning to darken. Not too unpleasantly hot here (thanks to being near the sea - the west of Sydney is 10 C hotter and unpleasant). I thought I felt a drop or two of moisture outside, it could be either humidity condensing out as the air cools at dusk, or (we can hope!) a drop or two of rain. The news is, I think about 80% of our state is in drought at the moment. farmers want rain for Christmas.
Tomorrow - it's technically a school day, but I think we'll begin our holidays a bit early. difficult child 3 has some computer drives to play with, I doubt I'll get anything productive out of him school-wise tomorrow. I could get him to watch a DVD with me, perhaps. Especially if I make popcorn!
But for now - I think an early night is called for. I want to get as much sleep as I can, while the pain relief in my hips makes it possible.
Enjoy your Sunday, everyone.
Marg