Elections, hospitals and bush removal

Well, the parliamentary elections are over and now we just have to wait until the specials and overseas votes are counted. We won't have a final result until later in the month so it's a waiting game. I'm very surprised at a couple who have lost their seats and not so surprised at one or two others. It's been a really closely run race and nothing is set in concrete yet. Apparently numbers are down on voting this year, which is a shame. I think women especially should get out and vote if only to honour the women who fought and, in some cases died, so that women could have the privilege. 

On another note, Jacqui's partner came over at the weekend and removed a bush from along the fenceline. Hopefully he's coming back sometime to cut them all down, they've become too much for Bob to manage now. But I'm not sure when as he lives a hundred k's or more from here.

 

It looks like it might be one bush per visit as this one pretty much filled the deck of the ute. He carts it all back to his property in the country and disposes of it there. 

Even just removing the one has made quite a gap. I knew the bushes were getting big but didn't realise how much room they were taking up.

Now I should probably go and put the lawn furniture back where it came from :) I was in at the hospital for a pre op for the second cataract op I'm having yesterday and haven't got round to it yet. Was catching up on housework today. That's my excuse anyway :)

And this is a picture of the new hospital build taken from the waiting room of the new outpatients where I had my appointment. It's so good to be getting a new hospital even if it is scaled back from the original plan. One of my grandsons was a gibstopper on the outpatients build and one  grand daughter's husband is helping with this build.

 And I think I'll leave it there.

Blessings,

Diana

Scribbling

Things are slowly getting back to normal here and Bob is talking about some of his home aids being taken away again - e.g. his raised toilet seat :) We both dislike it so I'm hoping the powers that be will agree. 

Just lately we have taken the car about half a mile up the road to a public car park and then walked to the shops, that saves us getting into the busier traffic on the main road. Jacqui comes and takes us to appointments or to do supermarket shopping.

But before we could drive we had to get a Warrant of Fitness (WOF) for the car and I think it needs a new registration in the next month or so. That's ours on the bottom in the picture, waiting for me to go in and pick her up. She passed.

I've managed to get back to church once, a young couple kindly came and picked me up. We meet in a school hall and that particular Sunday was the annual fundraising day and so there was a large number of stalls scattered around the grounds. It was a really hot day and so after a brief look around after the service I went and sat in the car and people watched while they browsed. I enjoyed being back.

I've been out for some shorter than normal walks when the weather has been good, it's turned back to winter this week with -2degs where my daughter was working today. And hail. Oh well, I suppose that's typical spring weather. But we'll be putting another blanket back on the bed tonight.

A couple of months back I put a pair of dress boots on layby ready for next winter. I had them almost paid for when Bob had the stroke and promptly forgot all about them! It was Bob who reminded me about them one day when we were out doing shopping with Jacqui so I went in and finished the payments. It wasn't until I got them home I realised they had the blue on them and it's rather nice. Or if I knew, I'd forgotten. It's just a bit different.

Today we had a couple of bills to get paid and some snail mail to get away and when we'd finished we visited the op shop just a couple of doors down. They had a lot of their Christmas decorations out on sale and it looks so pretty. I love this build up to Christmas but alas I think it's going to be a bit different for Bob and me this year. I don't know whether we'll get out to do shopping the same and I can't see me baking half a dozen Christmas cakes, sadly, But Christmas will still happen and we'll still join family on the day :)

I'm not really an op shopper but my girls and Bob are, so I go in and poke around with him. Today he got himself a brand new telescopic lens that fits on a cell phone. He'll have fun trying to get that worked out. And it wasn't until I got home that I thought I should have bought the baby doll I had picked up, it was only $9, and we could have used it as baby Jesus in the crib at the shop at Christmas. Hopefully it's still there next time I go in. So sometimes I see bargains and don't act on them :)

I will try to get around to reading posts this week. I haven't really felt up to it recently, I get tired quickly at the moment but am looking forward to catching up on everyone's news.

And that's it from me for this week.

Keep well, blessings,

Diana

A stroll on the floodbank

It's a lovely blue sky day today after some very cool and wet 'back to winter' days, and quite warm, so I decided to go for a walk along the Silverstream. 

The trees and bushes were in full bloom, so I thought I'd share some photos of some of them.

New Zealand native - cabbage tree (Cordyline australis). This has a white flower but I think I've missed them. It looks like they've died off already.  A friend planted this, she was given it as a gift but it didn't fit with her garden so she planted it over the fence on the flood bank. I'm quite partial to the cabbage tree although some people find them ugly.

Another native - kowhai. Beautiful yellow flowers. The birds love these flowers for their nectar.

Rhododendron over the hedge in someone's back garden.

Ornamental cherry.

And coming home the wind came up as you can see. Another ornamental fruit tree.

The householders are pretty good at keeping the patch in front of their homes tidy. Can you see the fellow mowing the grass?

And if you look carefully you might spot a cyclist heading away into the distance.

Things are getting back to normal here. I have started back at the shop and hopefully will get to church tomorrow; someone is picking me up. Bob's short term carers have finished and he is pleased to be able to shower without supervision :) A physio is still coming in two or three times a week though. He's also doing one or two light chores and baked some buns yesterday. It's just his speech he needs to work on - we're still waiting to see a speech therapist.

And that is it from me.

keep well until next time,

Diana

A 50th birthday

It is a beautiful warm, blue sky day today. I went for a walk earlier before it got too hot but it was already 24 F by the time I got home. After lunch I thought I'd sit outside in a nice shady spot but unfortunately the wind spoilt things so I'm back inside.

A week or so after we came out of hospital we celebrated our youngest daughter's fiftieth birthday. 

Her birthday had actually happened while we were in hospital so she decided to celebrate after we arrived home. Aaron and Sofi had also decided to come down from Auckland to visit us and so she put her party off until they arrived. She didn't want anything fancy, just dinner at home with her hubby and her brother and sister and their partners. She didn't think the kids would be interested but the boys had other ideas and turned up anyway, bearing gifts.

We went out shopping in the morning and bought her a nice present and some flowers. Jacqui and I had already wrapped a lot of silly and fun little presents for her and we bought a 50th helium balloon. One of the boys' girlfriends, baked a cake - decadent chocolate, yum. Very rich.

Vanessa had cooked a lovely roast meal and set it up as a buffet. Roast lamb and chicken with roast veges, peas and salads for those who preferred it. And new potatoes. We had fruit salad and jelly with cream and ice cream for dessert as well as the chocolate cake. At the end of the day there was enough left for us to bring some home for another meal.

And seeing as we were all together it was a good opportunity for a family photo, even if only two of the grands were there and one great grand.

It was a lovely day with the family, and we didn't have to do a thing. It does make me feel old though, knowing my baby is fifty :)

*****

As for our health, we are getting there slowly. Bob is doing remarkably well and has started doing some of the light chores around the place again. We are still waiting for a speech therapist to see him but at the moment he has a physio coming in to do exercises with him three times a week. I am starting back volunteering at the shop this week and I'm hoping I'll be cleared to drive again soon.

And that's it from me for today.

keep well,

Diana

Update

Good evening, all. I thought I would quickly nip in and tell you where we are at since my last post.

Bob is doing extremely well after the stroke. Within an hour of it happening he was being airlifted from our hospital in Dunedin to Christchurch hospital by helicopter. Their stroke unit is apparently better equipped than the local one and they removed three blood clots from his brain. His right side is affected but he is walking well unaided but having a bit of difficulty with his speech. Our girls drove up the next day so that he had some family support while there.

I spent three days in hospital in Dunedin while they ascertained what was wrong with me but we're both home now with a good support team in place. Bob has carers coming in three times a week to supervise his showers and from next week will have physio and speech therapy. There's also someone coming in once a week to do the heavy housework, but that's probably only temporary - until I recover more. In theory the support is all for Bob as the social worker decided I was well enough to do things for myself without bothering to come and see me. I wasn't impressed.

We both get tired easily and I don't have a lot of energy. A funny story - when Bob's carer left today I decided to go back to bed for an hour as we'd had a busy day yesterday with appointments and I was still tired even after an early night. I had a lovely hour sleeping, got up and dressed and who should arrive but the needs assessor who wanted to see how he managed getting on and off the bed - which I hadn't yet made! Ah well, these things happen and I don't suppose it is the first unmade bed she has seen. 

Thank you so much for the prayers, God has been good in answering them and I am deeply grateful to Him and you all for lifting us up in prayer.

I don't know when my next post will be, things are still a little unsettled.

Take care,

blessings,

Diana

Taking a blog break.

 Good morning. Just checking in to say I'm taking some time off. 

Bob has had a stroke and still in hospital. My body reacted by having a Takotsubo Syndrome event so I've been in hospital as well. Just home yesterday.

I'd appreciate prayers if anyone feels so inclined. I'll be back when things settle down a bit. 

Look after yourselves, 

blessings,

Diana

Spring's coming.

 I haven't been blogging much lately. I've had a cataract op so my eye is still on the mend but the fortnight prior to the op I also had a cluster of migraines. Not fun believe me. I have checked in a couple of times but haven't been up to commenting, so I apologise for that. I really need to wait until I'm discharged and I'm able to see properly to type much. I still have a little double vision and some blurring but otherwise I seem to be healing well.

Anyway, I thought I'd post a few spring blossom and flower pics I've taken while out and about when the weather is nice. Not many though. Camellias seem to be blooming well just now. And the garden is my daughter Jacqui's.