MORE COLD WEATHER AND A SAD LOSS

18th to 24th June 2011

This has been a week of many storms, dark clouds have not only filled our skies here bringing rain, blizzard like winds, sleet and flakes of soft white snow but our lives have also been touched by clouds bringing much sadness. 

Jarrett could not compete in the ACT Cross Country Championships because of his croup, my goal had been to compete at them also but was unable to due to my stress fracture and Nalani's rehabilitation was not quite at the level to be able to race either.  Instead Jarrett and I were spectators and Nalani assisted as a recorder at the event.  Next year we are all hoping to be able to compete together and show everyone just what we are all capable of.

Sunday Mum, Nalani and I were all been treated to a special pamper day which Camp Quality had invited us to.  We had an early start at the Diamant Hotel where we were told we were going on a little mystery trip to do something special.  We piled into the Camp Quality Van with other excited Mums and daughters, our mystery surprise was that we were having a jewellery making session at The Bead Barn at Federation Square.  We made a necklace and earrings, we got to choose which beads we wanted to use, I chose red and black and used gold string and clasps, the lady running the class said my choice was very regal.  We had a splendiferous time although I held everyone up as I was a little slow with my fine motor skills but no one seemed to mind.  After we finished our jewellery making we were taken back to The Diamant Hotel for lunch, it was a Spanish Tappers meal, where you get several dishes to sample, when the food arrived it looked liked something out of Master Chef, some of the dishes I found a little too spicy for me however I especially loved the dessert which was a stick made of doughnut and coated liberally with cinnamon sugar and you could dip it in chocolate, it was absolutely scrumptious.  After a creamy hot chocolate we were then taken away for our special pamper, Nalani and I had our makeup done, I don't wear makeup but it was fun having it done, I felt like a model and so did Nalani and she looked really gorgeous.  Then Nalani got to have her hair done, she had some loose curls done and they looked really pretty.  Unfortunately, I could not have my hair done because I have virtually no hair.  I am so lucky to have all my beautiful wigs so that I can have whatever hairstyle, colour or length I wish to have.  Mum was treated to a facial and she glowed after having it, she told us that she had not had one done in over twenty years.  The Diamant Hotel is a heritage listed building and it is unbelievably majestic.  The whole day felt like a fairytale and we felt so fortunate to be given the opportunity to be part of it. 

We had nearly not gone though because just before we were about to leave to go we received the unexpected and shocking news that my Grandad, who is my Dad's father had passed away.  It was so sad, and left us all quite numb.  He passed away on 19th June, the next day would have been his Birthday.  One comfort for us all was that he did not suffer, he just went to bed on the Saturday night and did not wake up on Sunday morning.


This is a special verse I found that I think is so lovely and I dedicate it to my Grandad.


'We little knew that morning that God was going to call your name.
In life we loved you dearly, in death we do the same.
It broke our hearts to lose you, you did not go alone;
for part of us went with you the day God called you home.
You left us peaceful memories, your love is still our guide,
and though we cannot see you, you are always by our side.
Our family chain is broken and nothing seems the same,
but as God calls us one by one, the chain will link again.'


Dad has spent the week in Brisbane, we were not able to go but our hearts will always hold Grandad close.


At school we are winding down, as next week is our last week of Term 2, in Science we were looking at pulley's and how the more pulley's you add then the less effort you have to use so even someone like my teacher would be able to remove a car engine if there were heaps of pulleys with little effort.  In English we are now doing work on Macbeth and we looked at the Banquet Scene when Macbeth saw the ghost of Banquo.  In Maths we are just doing revision work with numbers, fractions and ratio's.


Nalani had the rest of her Year 12 exams this week and after doing an AST practise today she has now finished school for this Term, lucky her, she has four weeks holidays.  Jarrett is actually also doing Macbeth so we have been able to share ideas and thoughts about it. 


The cold weather has brought many illnesses to Canberra and on returning to school, I have now picked up another infection, I have a terrible middle ear infection, it is extremely painful and whenever I swallow my ears pop and throb.  I am again on antibiotics to try to clear it up, I think the holidays will give my body the chance to try to recuperate and hopefully I won't be as ill next Term. The weather is supposed to improve over the weekend, with frost overnight but beautiful crystal clear days with pleasant temperatures. 


I had physiotherapy today and every time I see Rhiannon I am so grateful to have such a talented and wise physiotherapist looking after my welfare.  My heel is slowly mending but I am still unable to put full weight on it with stabbing pain, it is only five weeks on Sunday since I injured it though so I must remain patient and it will mend.  Today I had a tight achilles and calf which felt so wonderful when they were released then I did some upper body work with weights to help continue strengthening my upper body, when I do any exercises I notice that my right side is weaker than my left, this will remain with me always but I can make it as strong as it can possibly be by doing the exercises that Rhiannon gives me, I do them everyday.  So many people are often given tasks to do like physiotherapy exercises but have a million and one excuses not to do them, yet the only way to help yourself is to make yourself do them because it will pay off in the long run.


I had a dreadful week in footy tipping, I only got two right, Nana got five and she is now only four points behind me, I must admit I am a little concerned now, Nana said her good fortune came because her Birthday was on 21st June, then Pop requested extra points because his Birthday is not during football season but both Nana and I firmly told him NO!  I  do hope that I do a little better this week, I am very disappointed that Benji has a knee injury and I am hoping that the Tigers can find inner strength to beat the Bulldogs.


Earlier in the Blog I mentioned our fairytale day at The Diamant Hotel, late yesterday afternoon there was a destructive raging fire there, no one was injured in the blaze which was so lucky, there were five fire pumpers, a Bronto Skylift hydraulic platform and a specialist breathing apparatus unit brought in to fight the massive fire.  Smoke billowed over the city as one of the two buildings which make up the complex burned and many key roads were blocked.  Today they are saying that 85% of the Hotel was damaged, they are hoping to rebuild it in the future and they are investigating how it happened.


So as you can see this week has been quite a devastating one, filled with storms, however in the back of my mind I always keep remembering that after a storm there is always a rainbow, so hopefully next week will see a huge rainbow to take away the pain.