HAPPY NEW YEAR

1st to 7th January 2011

Happy New Year, my wish for everyone is to have many rainbow moments to treasure throughout this year and to enjoy the little things that life has to offer.

It is so hard to believe that one week of the new year has already gone by, this week has brought extremes in temperature here in Canberra, today we have had sunshine, winds and overcast skies, it looks as if it could rain later this evening, then rain is forecast from Sunday until Wednesday.  We are fortunate though that we have not had to experience anything like the poor people of Queensland have with flooding that has caused so much damage and seen many people lose their homes and belongings.

Sadly my Nana and Pop had to head home on Tuesday, back to Queensland, I will miss having them being able to visit us and spend time with us but we can still talk on the telephone and email each other.  They made it back safely although they had to travel through heavy rains and wet roads to get home. 

We had air coolers running with the hotter weather and the constant loud humming noise that they made really irritated my ears and affected my hearing, I found it more difficult to hear so really relied on my hearing aid to allow me to hear conversations and television.

My MRI is scheduled in Canberra for 19th January which is Nalani's 17th Birthday so I am hoping that because it is on such a special day that I will have to receive a positive result. 

I was walking on my rollator and my right ankle went from under me it twisted a little, was painful for a while but has improved now and I am back scooting around again, nothing can stop me.

Nalani and I have both had physiotherapy appointments this week, Nalani's knee brace is now set at thirty degrees which allows her to bend when she is walking, she still looks really awkward when she walks, her scars are healing really well which is terrific.  She has physiotherapy again next week and will have her brace adjusted again to allow her knee to bend even more.  At physiotherapy Rhiannon worked on my hamstrings, knee and ankle as well as my shoulder and right wrist which were stiff and sore. I also practised doing some stepping using phone books and holding onto a bench, it feels so strange to step and a little wobbly, my left leg is much stronger than the right so it is easier to lead with it but I have to practise with my right leading, it just feels like I might topple but by holding onto something that helps.  I have my next physiotherapy appointment in two weeks.

We have been to running training and to watch Jarrett run at an Interclub meeting, Jarrett is running really well at the moment and is hoping to reach his peak by March, he has been selected to represent the ACT in the 3000m at the Australian Youth Championships.  

I decided to give Tinkerbelle a makeover and spent some time filing her nails, brushing her, powdering her with baby powder which you can do with persian cats to make their fur look beautiful, I cleaned her eyes and her ears and tied an adorable bow around her neck, she looked purrfect just like a show quality cat and really enjoyed her special treatment.

We had a bit of an adventure with a little lizard this week, we heard Mum scream from the laundry, you know the type of scream many women do when they see a spider or a mouse, well Jarrett and I went to investigate and Mum told us that a little lizard had come in the door when she opened it to go outside, it had run under the washing machine.  Mum and Jarrett attempted to get it out but it was so stubborn, they tried brooms, tapping on the washing machine and even using a blow dryer to try to encourage it to come out.  Then Mum moved the washing machine it ran out and back under again, so we ended up giving up, closing the laundry door off so that the cats could not get in and try to get it or even worse eat it and wait for Dad to come home.  Can you believe it, Dad got it out first go with a feather duster!

Apart from that we have watched some tennis and cricket and played Guitar Hero, Sing Star and Buzz Quiz games on the Play Station.  Poor Nalani is not able to do too much so we are restricted also but just being together having fun is what really counts. 

This year is going to be a splendiferous year that will bring many wondrous moments as well as I am sure of challenges because they are what make us stronger people, I am hoping to achieve some new goals that I set myself and continue in my endeavour to help others.