Giving the benefit of the doubt...

Yesterday I wrote on my FaceBook page about an incident that happened in the carpark at the medical centre where my doctor 'practises'. I was returning to my car in the below shop level carpark when I was approached by a young woman who wanted $3 off me. She said that she was short by that much to get a prescription filled. I asked my FB friends to guess what I said and did in that situation. One said that I would have refused; one, a former pupil, said she thought that I probably would have given her the money but she wasn't absolutely sure. Everyone else said that I would have given the money over. I did give her the money. In a split second I had toyed with walking up the stairs and accompanying her to the chemist shop, but instead just gave her the money. My parting words to her were that she was to repay me by helping someone else when an opportunity came up.

Now the question is 'Was I a soft touch'? You think about it...hang around a medical centre with a bandage ( unravelling a bit) on a lower arm and a handful of coins. Go up to people and show them the handful of coins and explain that you are short by $3 (she actually asked for 2 first but amended it to 3!) for a prescription that you need filled. What a great scam; what a great way of making money?...perhaps.When I think like that, it  is the part of me influenced by my mother (trust no-one! lol) but the part of me that is influenced by my dad was the path I chose yesterday. Interestingly my mother went to church but my dad eschewed the institution as he felt it was hypocritical of the Vatican to have so much wealth while the parish priest in his little village in Sicily had nothing! (He wasn't that keen on royalty for similar reasons)

My FB friends wrote of other cases in our local suburban area where they have been approached by people wanting money. Quite sad really especially when the comments were made that 2 such people were older women. I don't give to everyone asking for money and I don't even have a set of innate criteria to help me choose whom to give to. It's a bit like the capital punishment debate argument...it's better to let some guilty people get off than execute even one innocent person. If you can help do so even if there is a risk you may be being conned.

When DH and I were in London in 2008, we stayed in a hotel in Holland Park. To get to the station we walked past a small supermarket. Outside this supermarket was a lady (40ish) who begged. One day I waited outside the shop while DH popped in to buy some chocolate. This lady pounced...she spoke with quite a posh English accent which did take me back a bit! Soon as I spoke she knew I was an Aussie. She spoke about visits to Australia and seemed to know a bit about us. We spoke for quite a while as there must have been quite a queue at the checkout! A little voice inside my head kept saying...'she's playing you; she's clever; she's been smoking everytime you've walked past so she spends good money on fags'....but guess what? I suddenly found myself opening my purse, grabbing coins (pound coins worth $2.50AUD in 2008) and stuffing them in her 'cup'. I must have given her 6 pounds!!!!! My sweet DH was amused but knew that I was 'soft'.

Closer to home, I collect/buy/ make blankets for the homeless here in Brisbane. The Ecumenical Coffee Brigade distributes blankets, backpacks, hot drinks and food to homeless people in the inner areas of our city. So I take or send the blankets to them. But there are so many charities doing similar work and depending more and more on help from the public as government funding gets slashed. Obviously a lot of parishes do all they can to help.

This throw that I knitted was raffled to raise funds for charity work by our parish

Today I'm going to cut out and start sewing some pillowcases to donate to appeal for flood victims in the Gatton area. A large number of pillows were donated to flood victims but no pillow slips. Requests for handcream and carry bags have also come from the same area. I'll be taking in my contributions next Wednesday to the group 'Sisters of Stitch'

Lucy's first birthday...

Lucy turned 1 today, St Valentine's Day. Lucy's mum is my niece Jenny. My little brother became a grandfather last year and I have to admit I'm still a little jealous!

Note the little 'pull along' dog beside Lucy. Both my girls loved their 'pull along' dogs so we bought one for Lucy.

It has been a lovely year enjoying watching as Lucy grows. We hadn't seen her for a little while so yesterday when we joined friends and family at Mudjimba Beach on the Sunshine Coast, I was amazed at how much she has grown. She has lots of little curls which remind me of her grandad's (and great-grandma's/my mother's) hair. She has a number of teeth since I last saw her and she is so close to walking. She reminds me of DD2 when she was just a bit younger...they both moved like baboons with the bottom held up high but the hands still on the ground. It's a bit like a 'walking crawl'.



Four generations of women here but not all in the same family line!



DD2 in the crocheted 'cover up'

Mummy is organising the cake while daddy is holding Lucy up so she can see!

Lucy's dad is Eric who comes from Bingen in Germany...a lovely man! He supervised the cooking of a number of different varieties of German sausages...yum! Most of the guests were friends of Jenny and Eric; in the main young parents like themselves. It was very obvious that all of them provide a wonderful support group for each other. Family was represented by myself (known as Aniria...a corruption of Aunty Maria), DH, Jenny's grandmother (her mum's mother), and my younger daughter and her boyfriend.
It's a 90 minute drive to and then from the coast and that's why we don't see a lot of the family. But then again, another little great niece, Alex, lives in the same city and we don't see her and her parents that often either. We have 2 other great nieces born in 2010 and another great niece and great nephew born in previous years!

DH spent so much time taking photos and a video of the celebrations that he deserves to have his photo posted on this blog entry as well!

This evening DH and I celebrated Valentine's day with a home-cooked meal rather than a restaurant one because we figure that while we are travelling next month we'll eat at restaurants more than enough. We'll probably pine for homecooked by the end of the 7 weeks!

On my mind...pupils through the years

On my mind today is the number of children who have been in my classes since 1971. Sometimes I get emails or Facebook messages from former students saying how I influenced their lives. Many share memories of books that I read to the class or they remember particular life skills that I emphasized. It’s a lot of power and influence but, like most teachers I didn’t teach because of that power. It was something innate and something I knew I wanted to do even as a little girl. It still gives me so much pleasure to meet up with ex pupils and hear how their lives are going. Some of them are already grandparents while my turn still has to come! The students in my first class are 51-52 y/o this year!!

Today I attended the leaders’ Induction ceremony at the school where I have been teaching the last 7 years. In Queensland year 7s are still in primary school and this year’s yr 7 class were my Year 6 class last year. I’ve known nearly all of them since they started in Yr 1 as I taught Yr 3 in the ‘Early Years Block (Yrs1-3)’ then. I also taught most of them when they were in Yr 4 in 2008. I had promised them last year that I would come back for this occasion. Bless them! They were so excited to see me as I parked my car near the school hall. I got lots of hugs and smiles!

The new school hall built with funds from the federal government. The school community has been saving to build a hall for many many years, without much success. So all are very grateful for the funding!

A group of students making their way past the tuckshop(canteen), uniform shop and cafe complex. All part of the hall project.

For the last 4 years at our school we have had a Leadership programme in Semester 2 for the Year 6 class. It’s great to see their growth as they work through the modules. Last year under my guidance the class ran the Remembrance Day Ceremony on November 11 as well as the Year 7 graduation as part of the leadership program. They did very well, just as they did this morning. After the ceremony this morning the class became the most attentive waiters for the assembled guests.

Nearly time for the ceremony to start

The question I got asked continually this morning was,’How are you enjoying retirement’?  I’m sure you can imagine my answer!

Pillowcases, coffee and petfood...

I woke up this morning and decided that the iron is starting to get to the parts of my body which needed it...definitely more energy than yesterday! Took advantage of that and got some loads of washing done and hung outside. I remembered that I had once bought some sheeting which had a line of holes in one spot...well I did buy it at a clearance house! Anyway I found it in the first cupboard I looked in so it got washed as well. I've decided to make some pillowcases out of this fabric. Pillowcases, handcream and carry bags were the 3 items that have been requested as being needed by people in Gatton (flood victims) so the group I went to yesterday will be sending these items as we bring them in.

Now years ago I made stacks of pillowcases for school fetes. Someone had donated a roll of soft stripey cotton out of which I cut and sewed p/cases. I even hand embroidered motifs on them! (wonder where I got the time?) Recently, via blogland, I discovered the  'tube pillowcase' and they certainly are nifty but there is just one niggly doubt...there is no flap . I feel the envelope style of p/case holds the pillow in better...it doesn't slip out all the time. Maybe I'll try the tube one any way just to see how it goes.

Now I did say I had more energy today didn't I. I'm also an aficionado of having coffee with friends. Today was coffee at Chermside library with my friend Val. Val and I went to school a number of years ago , but it doesn't seem like that long ago! Val had not been to this library before but she said she'll be going regularly now. I think there are only a few of Brisbane's libraries that have a coffee shop and Chermside has good coffee and yummy food. There was a little old lady there tucking into a hot meal and I imagined her as living on her own and a meal at the library would be a nice outing for her.

Later on in the day, DH and I went shopping because DH had seen in the sales' catalogues that Coles had a special on Whiskas ...$1 per tin. DH likes to have a stockpile of cat food at any time but especially now because early next month we're heading off on holidays for 7 weeks and our lovely neighbour Judy will look after our pets, Eduardo and Lina. Pet food has increased dramatically in price in recent years and even though Lina will eat home-cooked meat/vegetables mixtures, Eddie won't. So we end up giving them both tinned food. DH says I spoil Eddie...and I guess he's right!

Lina (Full name as given by my daughters, Paolina Melody)

Eduardo Felipe ( as named by DD2)

On the right, my wonderful neighbour Judy!

The days are filling up fast....

This morning I went to Desley, my Bowen Therapist, for my 'monthly overhaul'! My neck, shoulders, forearms, wrists and fingers have been sore recently which makes any crafts' work quite uncomfortable. Hopefully in the next few days I'll feel the benefit of the session.

This afternoon I went to my first session of 'Sisters of Stitch' at the Chermside library. (Why do other suburbs have better public libraries than my local area???) This is a group of ladies who enjoy a diverse range of crafts who meet twice a month to share ideas and to work on craft projects brought from home. There is a table which had magazines and fabrics for the taking, as well tea and coffee and a show and tell session. At my table people were hand quilting, embroidering, doing hardanger, knitting and working on large tapestries. I took some knitting today as it was already organised from when I was in the day hospital last Thursday. I'm still working on my 'quadrilateral' shapes' project which I mentioned here but in tandem with that I have been working on a project using up my scraps of mohair yarn. I'm making a throw which consists of squares but I knit a 'scarf' length of squares all joined together as I knit. Saves so much tiresome sewing at the completion of the project.


Some of my 'scarves'

I have knitted plain squares and in order to use up really little amounts of left-over yarn, I've interspersed the plain ones with patterned squares. It can be a bit of a challenge using just the left-overs and odd balls but I enjoy 'making something out of virtually nothing'.

I use favourite slipstitch patterns. they are so easy as only one colour is used in each row. When I work on a project like this, I always try to find and use some slipstitch patterns I haven't used before. The Harmony books of knitting stitches that I own are old but serve me well!

In this photo, I have tacked 4 rows together at the junction of each new square. The strip still on the needles is now completed and last night I started a 6th strip and that's the one I took this afternoon.

I was thrilled to meet someone I knew there this afternoon but made sure I also chatted with other ladies so that I can get to know them. This is a group who endeavours to help others. Some of the ladies make 'Blankets of love' for the stillborn babies at the hospitals, others are making and/or collecting items needed by those who were made homeless by the floods and cyclones.
Yes I think I can say that I'm really getting into this retirement thing. I enjoyed myself at the 'Sisters of Sew'.
Today I got a payslip which, because I'm taking pay at half rate for my LSL, reflects what I will draw from my super later this year. Even though it seems a big cut I know I can manage quite well. The 'old Maria' always worried that there would not be enough money in retirement but I know it will be fine and I will have enough for my needs and more besides so I can continue to help others.

Sugar levels...

Some good news this morning! On my follow-up visit to the GP I found out that my sugar levels are back to normal after that sudden 'spike' last November. However the GP recommended I have a glucose tolerance test just to see how things are going.
Last week I had an iron infusion to top up my depleted iron reserves. The specialist decided last Thursday that as he can't find any reason for this iron 'problem' he is not going to continue seeing me. Instead my GP will 'manage' the situation, sending me for an iron infusion when she feels (or when I tell her) I need it. personally I think she will do a better job! lol The staff at the day hospital are brilliant. Most patients are cancer patients who are there on a more regular basis than me and there is a real cameraderie there with staff and patients. I actually met up this time with a woman whom I worked with in the 90s! We had a lovely time catching up.



Five and a half hours of just reading, knitting or dozing!



This time my veins 'behaved' and the canula went in without too much drama!

Just in prep stage here

The view from the window of the day hospital

I asked the doctor this morning for a letter which I apparently need while travelling in the US as well as needing it to get 2 months of medication from the chemist before we head off. But I have to make a separate appointment to get this letter as well as the pap smear that is overdue. So guess where I'll be next Tuesday at 11am? It has to be a so called 'long appointment'.

I've been a bit slack lately...

It's a week since I updated the blog...how time flies!
Yesterday, Sunday, we had a long car trip to the town of Goondiwindi. Goondiwindi is near the border of Queensland and New South Wales and is the birthplace of DH's father. There were 4 of us, DH, myself, SIL Mary and BIL David and we set off just after 5.30 am with heavy hearts. Neville, an elderly cousin of DH has cancer and Parkinsons and his (Neville's) sister had warned us that he is failing fast. As we drove along through the various communities we saw the aftermath of the recent floods.
We had breakfast at McDonalds in Toowoomba, as the Coffee Club is still in ruins after that 'tsunami' through that main street.

We got to Goondiwindi at just on 10am and headed around to Margaret's place. Margaret is Neville's carer and also his younger sister. Her niece Susan,  gives her a hand with the heavier work involved with caring for someone so ill. They greeted us cheerfully and said he was having a 'good day and wasn't it lucky we chose that day'? They also warned us that he looked different from the last time we saw him...but even with that warning it was hard not to cry when he was wheeled out to see us. It was much harder for DH as he remembered the times when he stayed in Goondiwindi and Neville was such a livewire. This is what DH wrote on Facebook about the day and I think it just about says it all...


 'Travelled to Goondiwindi to visit my 84 year old cousin who is terminally ill. It is so sad to see someone lose all his dignity as he awaits the inevitable. We treat our pets more humanely than this man who used to double me on his bike more than 50 years ago. Such a vital and energetic man reduced to being treated like a baby - nappies and all. '


Early in our visit



A little later and he is getting tired


I said that it just about says it all...but this is what I 'absorbed' on our visit...the love of those 2 women for their brother and uncle. You could see it! You could feel it! The absolute devotion as they tended him. Neville was weak and had troubled breathing but he listened to all the conversations as the family recalled times long gone...some poignant memories, some painful memories and others that recalled mischief and mayhem from some family members. It was a difficult trip to make, and we all felt sad as we left knowing it would be the last time we would see him but as one, we all agreed we were glad that we went!

This used to be Grandma's House

This used to be Uncle Pat (Neville's brother) and Aunty May's House

This used to be Aunty Olive's (Neville and Margaret's mum) house

On visits to Goondiwindi, the family always visits the cemetry. This is the grave of DH's grandfather and his father Nelson

This is the grave of Margaret's husband