Cate's Diary

[Cate]

Oh, your afternoon sounds so nice, and I bet all the plants will love being planted and getting rained on! I hope you find a really nice salt water pool. I can't go in pools with much chlorine either. It's funny you were trying to find a pool at the fire department in your dream - the fire and water symbols are funny. It's wonderful to hear that icing your knee works so great!!

It was a really good day, M. I'm so glad we got everything planted out. We have had a wild storm since. Our mechanic neighbour dropped G's car back in the late afternoon & sat with us under the verandah & had a couple of beers. We chatted about lots of things, but somewhere in there, I slipped in that he may be able to help out with a problem. G would never ask, but I know he is really good with welding & loves a challenge. He thinks he can make us a doggy door,to go in the middle of our sliding doors. He seemed quite keen. He took measurements & photos. I have decided to get little things fixed when I can to make living here even better.

Lovely to read about the gardening Not missing it yet in my Autumn but it's nice to know that somewhere gardening is going on.
Really glad you found some relief from the pain too.

I really loved getting some gardening done & it really did take my mind off my knee. I had to sit down fairly often, but had a sense of achievement instead of frustration. No tears yesterday.

If only people would stop peeing in the pool... The harsh chlorine smell doesn't come from the original chlorine but from the reaction between it and the pee present in the water.

eugh.

Indeed

I was going to go on an outing today, but it is really stormy so think we'll stay at home. Maybe tomorrow. We were going to have our sheep shorn tomorrow but that can't happen now. G wants to do some cooking today. If it settles down I'll get outside & tidy up what the storm rearranged.

 

[Marsia]

Sounds like a nice day in watching the storm. So glad you got out yesterday. And nice you got a welder to fix your doggie door. The realtor says that everyone regrets fixing their house up to sell instead of fixing it up for themselves. So I think you are on to something making your house just the way you like it while you are still there!

 

[Trusylver]

Thanks, Tru. I see my local GP, but the ortho is in the public health system. If I don't get any answers I may have to go private & pay, but if I need surgery, which I think I will, it would cost a small fortune.

When my husband had to have surgery, he paid for the initial consults privately but the surgery and follow ups each year are done as a public patient

 

[liza]

He thinks he can make us a doggy door,to go in the middle of our sliding doors. He seemed quite keen.

That's great!

I really loved getting some gardening done & it really did take my mind off my knee. I had to sit down fairly often, but had a sense of achievement instead of frustration. No tears yesterday.

Yes that seems like a really lovely distraction when you have garden helpers too so you don't overdo it. Good to be out there enjoying the smell of soil and nature and being with the plants.

 

[Cate]

Sounds like a nice day in watching the storm. So glad you got out yesterday. And nice you got a welder to fix your doggie door. The realtor says that everyone regrets fixing their house up to sell instead of fixing it up for themselves. So I think you are on to something making your house just the way you like it while you are still there!

Thanks, M. I have taken your experience onboard & am going to slowly get things done that will make the house even better. A ramp for one set of steps to our sunken loungeroom is next.

When my husband had to have surgery, he paid for the initial consults privately but the surgery and follow ups each year are done as a public patient

I have done that with my cardio, but have stuffed up with osteo. If I don't get any satisfaction next Friday I'll try that tack.

Yes that seems like a really lovely distraction when you have garden helpers too so you don't overdo it. Good to be out there enjoying the smell of soil and nature and being with the plants.

It was a good day & it was lovely to see them all watered in yesterday.

G & I are going out to lunch today. We are going to have a seafood platter for 2 & a bottle of French Champagne. It's our actual WA today (46 years).

 

[Llama]

Congratulations to you and G! Enjoy the seafood (very jealous).

 

[Cate]

Thanks, LaMa. G said "we don't usually eat that much" & I had to talk him into it. I am really looking forward to a selection of seafood. Yum.

 

[Cate]

We had a really nice lunch. It was generous & delicious & not much fried stuff. We ate one chip each I think & savoured our French champagne. We like to have a bottle of champagne on our wedding anniversary & then it's a treat. The waitress cleared everything away & I said that we didn't have room for dessert even though my favourite dessert, creme brulee was on their menu. She smiled & appeared with a creme brulee on a plate, decorated with Happy Anniversary piped in chocolate on the plate. It was a lovely gesture. We found room.

 

[Llama]

A complimentary creme brulée shared with your husband on your anniversary can't possibly have calories. Sounds lovely!

 

[Cate]

A complimentary creme brulée shared with your husband on your anniversary can't possibly have calories. Sounds lovely!

Haha. I'll go with that

 

[Marsia]

Your anniversary lunch sounds scrumptious, and love the creme brûlée surprise at the end! I'm so glad you have an alternative to waiting for the doctors if they don't address things soon. Anyway, Happy Anniversary!!!

 

[Cate]

Thanks, M. I hope I get some answers soon! Our anniversary lunch was lovely

 

[Floater]

Congratulations, and I'm glad you had a lovely time

 

[Cate]

Congratulations, and I'm glad you had a lovely time

Thank you

 

[Cate]

Well, it's November already. Where did October go? I have spent a month in pain. This really must change. Only 4 more days until I see the ortho. I hope I get some answers & even more importantly get fixed. I can hardly walk this morning.

I am going to try to focus on my "diet" again as I need to reduce my calories. I eat really healthily, but it is obviously too much. G does all our cooking & plates up our meals. Mostly we eat off small plates. It's probably the wine that makes the difference. I know this. Why, oh why do I find this so hard? It is such an entrenched habit & one I really enjoy.

I got out in the garden yesterday & weeded. I needed to sit often as it hurt like crazy, but I did get a lot done. I'll have another go today, wearing my knee brace. G is going to cart some more woodchips for me when I finish. I'm trying to get the veggie/dog yard as neat & tidy as I can before snake season.

 

[Marsia]

Hi Cate! I forgot to say your sunken lounge room sounds really fun, and it sounds like good planning getting a ramp to replace one set of stairs. Your house sounds very homey and fun! I can't imagine having bad knee pain for a month. I really hope things go well at the ortho. I have the same problem as you as far as eating healthy, just too much. I would have trouble not having my black tea - it's a really relaxing ritual for me, too. Does the non-alcoholic wine and things like that work as a substitute, or is it just too different or maybe not that much of a calorie difference? I am envious of your gardening, and happy you'll have a safe garden this year and not have to worry about snakes and Archie so much!

 

[Llama]

Great job staying active despite everything, Cate. I really hope the doctor can help

 

[liza]

I could see wine as very challenging to give up--it tastes lovely and also has a nice soothing effect on the brain. I know when my anxiety goes up, I tend to want some wine or whiskey to take it down a notch.
Really sorry to hear the pain continues. I hope it gets resolved soon!
And happy (belated) anniversary. Lovely to spend that long with another person in true love and friendship!

 

[Cate]

Hi, Marsia. I think you would love our house. The non-alcoholic wine just isn't that nice really. It's more like drinking a soft drink. I'm taking an AF sparkling rose with me today to lunch in town at a friend's place. It's not bad. I love red wine, but AF red wine is awful. Our garden won't be snake proof. I don't think there's any such thing really unless you spend a small fortune, but at least snakes will be more visible
Hi, LaMa. I'm trying to be active, but I end up in a world of pain at the end of the day. I will never take such a simple thing as being able to walk without pain for granted again.

"Lovely to spend that long with another person in true love and friendship!"
Thanks, Liza. I think we both feel very fortunate.
I think you hit the nail on the head with how wine makes me feel at the end of the day.

Yesterday I potted up a heap of plants for R. I have sage, pineapple sage, rosemary, chives, lemon balm, mint & Vietnamese mint. He can also have some of the strawberry plants that we were given. I need to get some more herbs in. You can't have too many herbs.

We're leaving Arch at home today as the place we're going to does not have a yard & I don't think the guy is that keen on dogs. Usually, I walk him a lot when we visit. It will be great when we do get a doggy door. It may take a while though. We can't leave a door open now as the flies come in. I get really anxious at the thought of leaving him home.

 

[liza]

Yesterday I potted up a heap of plants for R. I have sage, pineapple sage, rosemary, chives, lemon balm, mint & Vietnamese mint. He can also have some of the strawberry plants that we were given. I need to get some more herbs in. You can't have too many herbs.

Totally agree. I used to really like making nice herbal tea mixes from around the garden--in my present garden I don't have a very good herbal tea selection at all. Maybe I will make that a goal for next year. I have lots of good cooking herbs, though.

I get really anxious at the thought of leaving him home.

You're such a lovely caring dog person--so nice I hope Archie did/will do ok on his own.