A LONG DAY AHEAD

 Morning!

We have three frisky, fresh as a daisy kiddos to amuse today.

Would it be WRONG to make them stay in the pool all day? 

Sadly, I think they would get a bit cold after a while, so we better think of something else.

Talking of the pool, I do have a few photos from yesterday:

ABOVE:  They clearly do LOVE the pool!  

ABOVE:  Stew was in there with them. 😄😅😋

COVID 19-  it is still slowly spreading in South Auckland.  Not in large numbers, but worryingly it could continue to spread.

Griffin and his girlfriend Kayla left Auckland a week ago to literally get away from the risk.

They have been tested and are negative.

They are staying with family in Paeroa.

Auckland has gone back to Level 3 today, and the rest of New Zealand is now at Level 2.

It is certainly unsettling knowing how easily this damn virus spreads, and how vulnerable we all are.

It makes me want to just stay home and be safe!

So, I think we will probably just stay home today with the kids.  Maybe a walk to the park just up the road will be nice.

Catch ya later.

ABOVE:  Morning fun with Lacy.  She's been a godsend in keeping the littles happy and entertained.

ABOVE:  Emily was dripping water on Lacy's face!  Such fun.

ABOVE: The girls moved on to making playdoh hair ... note the 'side eye' from Liam?   He's not happy, they wouldn't let him do it too.

ABOVE:  Lacy to the rescue.  

It's a bit difficult having three kids ... there is always one left out.  That would be Liam this time.

We are expecting Brylee soon for lunch.  I wonder if S 'n' B will call in too?

ABOVE:  Before you ask... that's how you make playdoh hair.

I've got scones in the oven.  God I'm a proper wife today!

ABOVE:  I fed them.  Job done.

ABOVE:  My never fail Cheese Scones, with Jam and Cream.  Note the little girl in the background, begging with her eyes.  

Brylee arrived in time for scones for lunch.

Steve, Bex and boys have arrived.

Amanda is due in an hour or so.

Full house!

And I don't have to cook dinner.  YESSSsssss!

ABOVE:  fun in the pool this afternoon.

7.50 pm:  and everyone has gone home.  We had pizza for dinner, courtesy of Amanda.  It was very nice, thanks Toad.

Stew and I are doing our end of night things, watering gardens and so on.  

Winding down, totally knackered after a full on weekend of kids and family.

Catch ya tomorrow.

DIET COKE

I've remembered a few things Leo, our old, but new doctor said yesterday.

We talked about weight.

He's lost 20+ kilos in the last year.

I asked him how he did it.

He said he did NOT eat breakfast or lunch, and only had a small dinner!

I said "Oh, so you starve then?"   And he said YES!

Interesting.  

Then he said he only drank tea and coffee during the day.  I told him I only drank Diet Coke, fully expecting him to tell me off.

BUT, instead he said that was perfect!    PERFECT!

He said Diet Coke was good because it has NO sugar in it, and it won't hurt me.  He said it is even better for diabetics, but I can't remember why.

OMG... I was gobsmacked.

Here's a DOCTOR of 40+ years telling me it's perfectly OK to be drinking Diet Coke.

He told me, (YES TOLD ME), I had OCD!   I asked him how he figured that out?  And he said he could just tell by listening to me, and how I was overwhelmed by all the different situations/issues in our life right now.  He's right I suppose.  

I do like everything to be just so, running smoothly and so on.  

I do find myself in a flap when things are not going right, or I can't find something, bla bla bla.

So, there ya go.  I officially have OCD. edit:  To a MINOR extent, not full blown OCD.

What else?  Oh yeah, he said I'm the sort of person who takes on far too much, gives of myself far too much and probably always will.

I don't see that so much.  I've been trying to do more for me and Stew, certainly in the past few months.  But I feel I'm selfish more than giving.

I do what I want, when I want mostly.  I feel like a fraud when people say nice things about me.

HMMMmmm... this post suddenly got a bit deep.

Better change the subject. 😟😒

AND NO you damn haters out there, I'm NOT fishing for compliments.  I'm just stating how it is/feels for me. 

This weekend we have Lacy and Keera to stay.  It's Lacy's access weekend ... so we shall be doing kid stuff ... I even thought we could go to the movies?

I will check online and see what's showing.

Tonight we are babysitting Liam and Emily,  it will be lovely for the little kids to have a sleep over together.  I even thought of a pop up tent in the lounge for fun.

We have one somewhere...  in fact I think I saw it in the Tin Shed when Lacy and I were tidying up in there the other day.

I think we shall have a splendid time with the kids tonight.

12.30 pm:  And we went out to the Te Kowhai market this morning.

Bex was out there selling her soft toys.

It was PACKED!  So, so busy. 

And HOT.

Not only was a market on, there was also a car display, all sorts of vintage/hot rod/classic/muscle etc etc.

AND because it was being held at the Te Kowhai Aerodrome, there were helicopter rides, small plane rides (for a fee) and so on.

Just heaps to see and do.

ABOVE:  Bex and Keera.  

ABOVE: There was a line up of little planes and helicopters to look at.

ABOVE:  This was a pretty cool car.

ABOVE:  this was a really good market, and it's one I will be doing next year for sure.

I saw NO ONE selling anything like what I make.

ABOVE:  We sat and cooled down inside Bex's stall... and her cute toys were selling quite well!

I hope she does really well, she deserves to as she works hard to make all the toys.

ABOVE:  I saw something I thought would look cute in our garden, so we went back to buy ONE.

I say ONE, but stew had other ideas and he wanted to get THREE.

So... we ended up with three.

ABOVE:  We now have our very own flock of chickens.

Stew wants to name them:

ELEVEN,

HERBS..... and

SPICES

YEAH.  I wanted to call them Daisy, Doris and Daphne. 

So... Lacy has said, let's have a VOTE.

Who wants Stew's names?

Who want's Mine?

ABOVE: Griffin and Kayla called in for a visit this afternoon.

It was lovely for him and Keera to see each other... big brother/little sister.  Just a bit cute.

They have now left, and we await the next lot.

Well... it's 7.46 pm.  The 'next lot' arrived and promptly got in the pool for some fun.

Then we fed them all fish 'n' chips, and now they are happily playing together before bedtime.

My head is pounding, no doubt from the oppressive heat we have had today.  I feel like I'm constantly taking Panadol at the moment. 😒

I really, really can't wait until winter!

And on that score, I'm signing off for the day.  It's gunna be another long, hot and noisy day tomorrow.

WHOOPS!

 I've done a boo boo... today's post has gone 'elsewhere '.

I will sort that out once I get home.

HOME AT 12.20 AM!   Here's what I posted earlier, but didn't publish here:

 Stew and I joined a new medical practise 5 days ago.

And today I am going to see one of their doctors.

He's a doctor I used to see 20 years ago, before we left Hamilton for Palmerston North.  I really liked him.  I was surprised to see he was still practising!

So, he has a 'drop in' clinic in town, which is part of the medical group we now belong to.

So, I'm going there first thing this morning.  I wonder if he will even recognise me after all this time?  Probably not.

But I'm sure to remind him. 😂😅😆

After my Doctor's appointment I will be coming home and starting another runner. 

Another Gnome one... not sure what colour hats yet, but I'm thinking of multi-colours?

Not sure yet.

Later on today I am meeting up with Stew for some business in town. So, I am expecting it to be a full on day of stuff to do.  Places to go.

8.45 am: Right now I'm standing in a queue outside the doctors... waiting for it to open. 

There's 5 ladies ahead of me so I expect to be here for a couple of hours. 

ABOVE: Well that was quicker than I expected.  I'm now sitting waiting for my prescription.  

Then home to fix the blog. 

OMG... this is turning into the morning from hell. 

I'm STILL trying to get my prescription filled.

More when I finally get home.

12.20 pm:

FOUR HOURS, that's how long it has taken to see the Doctor and get my prescription filled.

Let's start at the beginning.

9.15 - I see the Doctor, Leo is wonderful.  We always have got on like a house on fire.

He gives me some new drugs... so off I go to our usual chemist, Chemist Warehouse out at The Base.

And I wait.  And wait.  And finally after about 30 minutes they call me up to the counter and tell me that one of the medications cannot be found anywhere in the country, and I will need to go back to my Doctor for an alternative.

So, I get in me car, and drive back to the Doctors.

10.30 am.  I get back to the Doctor's office.  I tell the receptionist why I'm back, and she gets Leo ... who marches out of his room and tells me The Chemist Warehouse are idiots, and they should have given me the GENERIC ALTERNATIVE instead, which is clearly stated on the prescription form.  

So I drive BACK to The Chemist Warehouse, bearing in mind it's a 15 minute drive depending on traffic.

I get back to the chemist, and point out the words 'Generic Substitution can be used' or words of that affect on the prescription, to the Chemist.

AND the chemist said "Sorry, there is none of that in the country either ...  go back to your Doctor"!

By now I'm starting to feel really, really pissed off and on the verge of crying.

I get back in my car and drive BACK to the Doctors office.

Go up to the counter, the receptionist looks at me like YOU ARE BACK!  I tell her what the Chemist said.

She goes out the back, I sit down to wait.

And next thing, Leo is STORMING into the waiting room, saying "Where is she?"... meaning me.

He says "FOLLOW ME"... and marches me next door to the chemist beside his office.

Up to the counter we go, and he says to the Chemist there "DO YOU HAVE THIS MEDICATION?"?  

And she replies "YES WE DO".

Leo pats me on the back and tells me to stop going to The Chemist Warehouse, they only stock 'common, easy to source medications', and he goes back to work a happy man.

I get me medication, and come home.  A full 4 hours after I left home.

But.  I got me medications.

What a rigmarole that was.

Stew rang me and told me our appointment this afternoon is postponed until next week.  The person we were seeing has a sick child in hospital.

I'm now quite frazzled.  Think I will just sit here for a while, might watch something on the telly or You Tube to wind down.

Our daughter Amanda visited me this afternoon... and we yakked for hours.  Then I invited her to stay for dinner too.

ABOVE:  LOL, I caught her with a mouthful.  

It was lovely to spend some one on one time with her.  

Now it's back to just Stew and Me.  And he's watching friggin RUGBY.  I am gunna put me ear phones on and watch something on me computer.

Righty ho, it's been a long day and I'm ready for bed.  Fingers crossed my new meds kick in over the next few days and I start to get some decent sleep and my mood lifts eh?

PAPERWORK

 Who hates paperwork?

Yeah, me too.  But , sometimes ya just have to pull ya finger out and get it done.

So ... I've got some work to do this morning.

Then I can relax for a while.

I SHOULD have gone over to Cambridge for an FBG Social walk this morning, but it would have meant getting up and out of the house by 6.30 am.  And well... I'm simply NOT an early riser.

I loathe getting up early, mainly because I simply feel SICK AS A DOG if I get up too early!

Does anyone else feel sick in the morning if they get up really early?

Or am I abnormal?

I mean, I literally feel like throwing up ! Anything before 7 am is pretty much EARLY for me!

Yes, I can be awake much earlier, but NOT UP OUTTA BED.

I don't know how the hell I managed with 6 babies in 10 years, and all the early mornings I had to endure!!!  Oh and ... let's not forget the next two babies in my 40's too!

Today is a 'shop day'.  I had no one in on Tuesday.  So fingers crossed I get a visitor or two today.

I am going to start on another Gnome Runner today.  Not sure what colour hats I am going to do today. 

I've now done Blues, Red/Green and Pinks.

SHIT!  Did I post a photo of the Pinks?

Dang, I forgot didn't I?

I will take one later on and show you ... but remember, it's already SOLD.  

Sandra, I hope you like it. 

I am hoping to have a much happier day today. 

 And that's all for now peeps... I am gunna roll over and catch a couple more Zzzz's.

Then get up and start me day.

WOW!  Like wow.

I rolled over and went back to sleep.

And woke up at 9.51 am!

Man I must have been tired.

I've now had brunch, baked beans on toast, and am feeling half human.

Time to get some shit done.

ABOVE:  Sandra, there is your Pink Gnome Runner.  I this it's so cute.

2.15 pm:  Well it's very quiet here.

I've sat in the garage working on my puzzle (the green pieces 😆), while listening to Cold Cases on Netflix.

Nothing is moving.  It's super calm outside, just the odd car passing and a bird chirping now and then.

I am not sewing today.  I'm just not in the mood to.

I'm perfectly content just sitting here being a lazy tart.

I have decided we are having some sort of takeaway for dinner.  So Stewie, don't expect any lovely dinner smells when ya get home!

It's good to just sit sometimes.  I thought of more stuff I needed to add to me paperwork. So have done that.

Now I might just do a ring around the kids and check on all of them.

Bex said Dante was off to the Doctor today as he's sick.  They are certainly having a run of it.

7.15 pm:  And Stew and I ended up going to The Foundation at The Base for dinner.

I had the Seafood Chowder and Stew had a Chicken Burger.  It was very nice as per usual.

I forgot to take a photo!  

But I did get this:

ABOVE:  You don't see many 'colour change' vehicles now days.  This one was particularly beautiful, and a Mercedes no less.  Just a little bit drool worthy. 😂

This evening is gunna be spent just relaxing, feet up.  I doubt there is much on TV, so I'll probably watch something on You Tube. That's what Stew does too, if there's no sport on that is.

GO AWAY

 I'm sleeping in.

Go away ... come back later.

I have not slept well AT ALL... so trying to catch up.

ABOVE:  It's just too damn hot, and I have far too much on my mind to sleep well.

Add to that, cramps in my legs.  NOT FUN.

10.41 am:  Sorry about that... I think I might have been a bit rude?

But seriously, I just didn't want to get outta bed this morning.  And I was in the foulest mood ever.

So, I've taken some panadol for the ever present headache, and am trying to make a start on my day.

There is NO MOTIVATION to do a bloody thing though.  

I could be sorting out the back Tin Shed, as it's a cloudy day, perfect for working out there.

But no.  I'm sitting here feeling crabby as fuck.

ABOVE:  I HAVE put all the current puzzle pieces in containers so they simply cannot be lost (if that is what happened to the last puzzle's missing pieces?).

I just spoke with Lacy, and she has agreed to come over and help me with the shed.  So, looks like that's what I shall be doing for the next hour or so.   I  have left overs for her too... added incentive for her to get over here!  😆😅😂

RHONDA AND DEE:  the headaches and lack of sleep are most likely down to the on going issues that we are having to deal with.

The only resolution to them will be through the courts, and that is a process that could take a while to resolve.

I am sure my blood pressure is too high, and will be getting it checked as soon as I'm able to visit my  new doctor.  I am on blood pressure medication already, but it probably has to be adjusted.

ABOVE:  The Tin Shed is done!  With Lacy's help it only took about 30 minutes!  THIRTY MINUTES.  Thanks tart, hope you enjoyed the left over chicken.

Now what shall I do?

Jigsaw?  Sewing?  Watch a movie?  

...Or get meat out for dinner, put a load of washing on, tidy up the sunroom, wipe down the benches, get the bin in (oh I just saw Lacy do that!).  Yeah, housework better come first.

I think a mental adjustment might be in order too.  Start counting my blessings, and be thankful for all that I do have.  A fantastic, loving husband, 6/8th of loving kids, gorgeous grandchildren (those that we can actually see), a lovely home to live in,  and so on!

It's not all doom and gloom, and in a year's time all the current shit will be behind us (all going well), and we can move on, with no headaches I hope!

3.30 pm:  And I have A WIN for the day!  I had ONE edge piece 'missing' from my new puzzle.  I knew it had to be in one of the sorted boxes... so I've been quietly going through every box, looking at all of the pieces.  Hoping to find that edge piece. 

And I FINALLY FOUND IT!  That has made my day, it really has.

And I have just talked with Steve, and while he is having a flare up of his Pancolitis right now, it's still not too bad.  He is seeing the specialist at the hospital on Tuesday next week.  I think he is quietly anxious about it, but I feel confident in the Waikato Gastroenterology team.  

They have done so much more than the Auckland team in getting it under control for Steve.    THIS is another stressor, but I'm doing my best to not let it get me too worried.

10.06 pm:  I'd be lying if I said my mood improved much today.  Let's just say it was a 'FLAT' day.  

Dinner was OK, lamb chops and veges.  I didn't have any.  I had ice cream instead.  

Yeah.  It was that sorta day.

Hoping for a better mood tomorrow.

*SNORT*

That's the worst one I could find.

REALLY NOT IMPRESSED

 The puzzle I've been working on got 'finished' last night.

I say finished, but it's not really.

There's EIGHT pieces missing!   That's just damn annoying and disappointing.

There is no way I have 'lost' 8 pieces.  They are just missing.  

So, I'm not sure if I shall even bother doing another one now.

This one is going in the bin, no point keeping it.  I've turned the house upside down looking for those missing pieces.  I've come to the conclusion they were never in the box.

ABOVE:  This is the latest Gnome Table Runner I'm working on.

It's for a lady down Palmerston North-ish way.

I will start stitching the gnomes today, while my shop is open.  With any luck I will get it finished by this evening, though I don't think there's a rush on it.

I think the grey and pinks look lovely!

I can't get a doctor's appointment until the end of the week.  It takes 3-4 working days for them to process our enrollment, and get our medical records transferred over to them.

So... I wait.  I am now overdue for a diabetes blood test, and I want to talk to a Doctor about another issue too. 

I am sure my Hba1c will go up, I've been stress eating for a while now.  Damn emotional eating is a curse.  I wish there wasn't quite so much shit going on in our lives right now, we sure could do with a break from it all.

But sadly, it's not gunna ease up for a while, so we have to learn to cope.  

Right, enough of that, time to get my happy on, and get outta bed and start the day.

VICKI:  You are 100% correct.  I 'allude' to things on here, but cannot say what is really going on, because sadly there are some 'haters' out there who read my blog with the express purpose of finding fault. Or looking for something to take exception to.  Or trying to find something 'incriminating' !  Yep, the first thing they do most mornings is read my blog... because they simply cannot help themselves.

Haters are gunna hate, there is nothing I can do about it except live my life and be happy.  They can only 'look in' via the blog, and really have nothing to do with me and my family AT ALL.  Sad, sad people, who really should get on with living their own lives, and stop focusing on MINE.

ABOVE:  "GOT HIM"

ABOVE:  The tree now has a Kiwi, think I'll name it 'BEX'.  😄😉😊

It took Stew two hours to get to Rotorua this morning!  Lots of traffic and road works.

I was holding my phone, about to text him to see why he'd not let me know he got there safely (as he always does), and damned if the phone didn't ring.  And of course, it was him.

FREAKY.  That has happened so many times before!  We have a connection that is over and above the 'norm' I reckon.  I love him so much.

Well now, it's 10.53 pm and I just realised I've not updated for hours and hours.

Well... sorry.

I was busy.

I got the Pink Gnome runner finished.

I made dinner.

Fed Stew and I.

Watched some TV.

Actually started another puzzle after saying I probably wouldn't.  Derrr.

Now?

Going to bed.

It's been a semi boring day.