Cate's Diary

OK- I'll admit to being exhausted & fairly stressed out. Just got back from lunch with my Mum & my LH, my SIL & her son & his fiance, my BIL & his wife, & then my MIL who arrived as we were finishing as she found out we were going to be there without her. My mum competes for attention with my GS, my MIL competes for attention with everyone & ignores me almost totally when others are around, my Mum being bossy, my LH getting crabby with her for being bossy......need I say more? I'm now officially over it all & can't wait to get my life back to normal & spend some time with myself, me & my own solitary company. I think you will all get the message. I'm no Saint & there is a limit to what I can do without falling in a heap. The time has come. 2 more days left until I can have a day completely to myself. Monday my Mum leaves here at 5.15am, my LH goes to work at 7am & doesn't get home until about 8pm after a golf comp. that he organised himself.
Ahhhh Monday....all to myself. If anyone rings asking me to do anything the answer will be no.
Tues I have to take my MIL to Launceston for her cystoscopy. If she wants to go for lunch I will leave her with my 2 S'sIL & I will go for a walk. I'm over eating out & I'm over extended family. I'm sure I'll heal but need a little time.
Next week I need to re-charge my batteries.
My foot is almost healed & I am getting back into my walking/weights/minimum 30 mins exercise every day. I'll start Wednesday.
Love to all & some for me too, xoxo Cate
 
I don't know where to start. I'm emotionally drained. Mum's visit was depressing and quite sad. Harder times ahead I feel. I'll ring my brother tonight & discuss things with him. I just hope that my SIL doesn't answer the phone & rabbit on. I need to talk to my brother & haven't the energy for silly bugger stuff. Apparently I make her nervous(according to my sister.) God only knows why.
I hardly slept last night. I had so many things going around in my head. I think I need to cry to get it all out of my system. I live a long way away from Mum so it's harder to sort things out. I have the feeling that she will start to give things away to whoever. That doesn't worry me so much but it sure worries my sister. Apparently Mum doesn't even have her name down to go into a nursing home. She will need to go into one very soon. At least she said that as soon as she gets home she will ask my brother to put her name down. She says she's not ready yet but I suggested putting her name down & then when a place becomes available she can then decide. She's worried that she will be put away against her will. She is so anxious. I'm worried that she will get home ok.
Facebook-
Last night I reduced my FB friends to 13. I culled sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, good friends....That added to my restless night as I then imagined what people would think.(If they did indeed notice) I have been getting more cheesed off with Facebook as it gets sneakier & sneakier. I wanted to deactivate it but my sister really wants me to stay so we can share photos, videos, books etc. I'm tempted to keep culling I must admit. Where do you draw the line? I have some friends overseas or interstate who I communicate with only via FB so have left them on. How do others feel about their privacy? How do you feel? Does anyone care much? I know I do.
Weight & weight-loss-
I need to get myself feeling good again quick smart. I have had no routine for the last 10 days. I haven't been able to walk for about 4 weeks & today I must start nurturing my body & mind back to good health. I have started my day with a bowl of yoghurt. I have a feeling that until I talk to my brother(his phone is still out of order! I just tried it. His wife had rung briefly on her mobile the other day to tell me their home phone is out of order) & probably have a good cry about my lost mum I'm not going to start feeling better. I didn't talk to my LH much about her while she was here. He wasn't very tolerant of her & kept correcting her & also getting annoyed. He says that he didn't but I know he did. I had to keep giving him looks & changing the subject. I am totally & utterly exhausted. If & when the time comes that I go senile he had better put me in a nursing home. Hopefully that time is a long way away!

I'm going to make myself a coffee & go sit in my chair & read a book. I have books to pick up from the library. I'll go for a walk straight after lunch I think & then probably come home & go to sleep. I reckon I have only had about 2 hours sleep.
Bye for now, xo Cate
 
My mum just rang to say she arrived home safely. That brings me such relief! I have had a good day so far & have gone to the pantry a few times & turned away. I had a lovely salad for my lunch & sat & ate it slowly. I have eaten a piece of fruit. I will go make myself a pot of herbal tea & finish another book I started mid-morning. I finished one off & started another almost straight away. I just went out & got some eggs for one of my sisters in law & sent the 2 of them a message saying what time I will be at the hospital with their mother tomorrow & that I need to visit a friend who is in the same hospital, while my MIL is having her procedure done. This friend has had a perforated bowel & has been feeling unwell for quite some time & the doctors have not been able to work out what the problem is. Heaven help me without private health cover. It's even more important to be as healthy as you possibly can, when you are not rich.
I'll ring my sister soon & have the chat that I couldn't have while Mum was here. I did not want our mum hearing anything about her. I feel wracked with guilt because I found it so hard while she was here. She wouldn't know & probably no-one else would either, except me (& now you :)) & just because of that I can't help but feel guilty. It was hard.
Lots of love to all of you & to myself as well. Love yourself this Valentines Day & if you have someone special to love & who loves you, cherish that every day of the year, xoxo Cate
 
Hi Cate, I can so empathize with you about your frustrations with your mum. I permanently look after my dad who is going senile. I don't usually say anything about it but there are so many small things that become annoying when they shouldn't really as they aren't important. Just silly things like not being able to give him 2 instructions at once like clean your teeth and comb your hair. He just stands confused looking at the toothbrush and comb so I have to tell him first to do one thing and then go back and tell him to do the other. It's not his fault bless him and it sounds too trivial to get worked up about but there are so many things like that over the course of the day where I feel like screaming sometimes and telling him to look at what is in front of him and work out what to do with it. Of course I don't and he would never realize that anything is annoying me but sometimes it just seems that he is doing it on purpose which of course he isn't. It's the constant repetetiveness that frustrates me. Well that helped to get that off my chest :)
I've just had a lovely week with a couple of unexpected visitors so haven't been keeping up with diaries but will pop in more often again now xx
PS about the facebook thing. Have you thought about having more than one facebook account. You can have a private one under another name that you only share with a few people and set the privacy settings so that only the select few can see it and then have a more public one for everybody else. You may find that some of your family will get annoyed about being deleted and take it very personally.
 
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Hi Val, "Too late she cried, as she waved her wooden leg" I'm sure I've offended people left right & centre! I'm so tired & frustrated & I suppose cranky today to care much, although typing that I know it isn't true. I think maybe it's a good idea to have a separate one just for my sister. Now, that is probably a good thought. I might just play with that one! I told 2 people today what I had done & they both looked at me horrified! One was a sister-in-law, the other a friend who I visited in hospital. Maybe you're right. How embarrassing. I had 79 "friends" & reduced them to 7. Whoops!
Re your dad & my mum. I really needed to let off steam & I think you are a saint! Honestly! I felt really protective of my mum but I really could not live with her. I feel guilty about that & I know that I am patient & am caring but I just couldn't do it. I am going to see if it's possible to get her into a nursing home in my local town. I had the idea yesterday & mentioned it to my sister & then rang my brother last night. Mum lives close to him in the country in Victoria (about 10km.) I needed to tell him about how she is as I'm sure he has no real idea. I also want him to tread very carefully but had to let him know that she mentioned that she is almost ready to go into the local nursing home(up there.) He was very keen on the idea of her going into a home here when I suggested it. I'm not sure if I could get her in & I have no idea if she would want to move down here. At this stage we are both just checking out availability & getting ready for when she says she wants to move. She is petrified that she will be put away against her will when that is not an option. My brother has the legal right but I would not let him do it even if he decided to. I have told him to let me know about anything that happens & that I can be on a plane over in no time. If her house has to be packed up or she needs to be moved I will be there to help her do it. When she says she's ready. I don't think it will be long. She told me she has no interest in the garden or the house any more & that this feeling is only recent. She loves to go for a drive & she loves the scenery here in Tasmania. If she did move into a local nursing home I would visit her 2-3 times a week minimum, take her for drives, bring her out to visit our home, our son & the great-grand-kids could visit her & she would be well looked after. It's a big step though to move away from where she has lived for 65 years. There is no point mentioning it unless I have done my homework to see if it's possible. I know that my brother would not do the things that I would do. He's not bad by any means. It's just a fact. I can't imagine her friends visiting often either. Maybe once. That is just a fact of life too.
Lots to think about at the moment. I have just got home from taking my MIL into the city for a Cystoscopy. She didn't want to hear anything about my mother, was rude & demanding & I have come home feeling exhausted. I won't visit her tomorrow. I actually need a mother-free day or so. She carried on today how lost she would be without her neighbours & how well they looked after her & how no-one rang or visited her on Sunday. She was an only child & it's all about her. I thought of saying that her daughter-in-law looks after her fairly well too (with some swear words thrown in) but, of course I didn't. She is not at all senile. She hasn't lost any of her mental faculties. She has to be the centre of attention. She pushed me to the end of my tether today & I was so close to snapping. I'm glad I survived the day without losing the plot. I really don't like losing the plot. My husband has had an ear-full though. I took her in while he played golf. I dropped him off & then she insisted on going out with me to pick him up so she could flirt. Gave me no choice. She can be the mother-in-law from hell & today she was.
OK- rant & rave over. I'm leaving it here. I'm far from perfect. It's time to find some me time I think as I'm close to exploding. Tai Chi tomorrow & I am not visiting my MIL. I'm not going to 8-ball either. Home/Tai Chi/Lunch with my friends/home. No detours. My LH says he will come in with me as he has some things to do. He can drop me off & pick me up after I have had lunch with them or he can join us for lunch if he likes. He can visit his mum if he likes. I wish he worked every Wed. I don't care about the other days. I'm happy to have him home but Wed is my day, just like Tues is his. Sounds fair to me.
I'm going to go open a bottle of Rose now, sit in my chair & put my feet up. Cohen's will be next Monday as we're going out to dinner on Friday night with some lovely friends.
Sorry folks. Phew! I've tired myself out now!
xoxo to you all, Cate
 
Mum-My brother rang to say he visited mum & she said she thought she wanted to go into the local nursing home soon. He chatted to her for quite a while apparently & asked her if she would want to go into one over here(I had asked him not to mention that because I don't even know if she can) She didn't think so & mentioned that she wouldn't want to live near my MIL. It has probably given her food for thought but his timing was not good. Methinks he's a little too keen to move her over here.
Sister-
Rang to update her on everything. She is ill with her allergies (MCS) & has not been able to eat properly for a couple of months. her mouth is very badly ulcerated. She sounded quite depressed & I had to really try to give her hope. She is sad that no-one from our family will be living in the town any more when mum moves. She visits the cemetery etc & is really interested in family history etc.
I think she would be able to live in Tasmania as the air is fresher, less pollution, more similarly minded people etc but getting her over here even for a visit will not be easy. She's not up to anything much at all at the moment. She could find a place here where she could potter about, grow vegies etc & live a healthier life. Perhaps when mum dies she will consider moving away.

Me-
I'm relatively sane today! Had a good night's sleep last night & slept in. I'll just have to try really hard to relax & not stress. Bringing mum over here would add to my stress & possibly to hers but I will obtain the information I need & suggest it to her as an alternative if she wants it & then wait & see. I think she would prefer to stay in the district where she has lived for such a long time but we will see.
Today-
Tai Chi. I told my LH that I really needed to have my usual routine of Tai Chi, followed by lunch with 'the girls" & after my day with his mother yesterday he could hardly argue with that. I would have taken separate cars if he had tried. I think he knows I was close to breaking point yesterday.
Feeling quite a bit better today but still fragile.
Lots of love to you all, xoxo Cate
 
Tai Chi-
I was a bit teary at TC. One of my favourites also said that it was her last day as she can't fit it in with starting Uni next week. She was teary....we were all a bit teary. Went up for lunch after & that was nice. My LH picked me up afterward & we came home.
Mum-
Rang me last night to tell me she had gone to the nursing home & asked about going there but they are fairly well "full up" at the moment. She said that my brother had the idea of her moving over here & going into a nursing home nearby. Of course I had to let that go as his brilliant idea. Good one big brother! I told him not to say anything at all about it. I also wasn't going to mention it for a while. I still have no idea if it's possible. I also don't think she is quite ready to go into a high care place. I'm cooling the whole idea for the minute until we all come to terms with it. I will go visit the local nursing home & make enquiries. My brother has had a big rush of blood I think & has got excited about the prospect of her moving away. I will try very hard to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Food yesterday-
I was BAD! I ate & ate dried fruit, dark chocolate, dark chocolate biscuits, licorice, had a late-night dessert wine(2) & did what I haven't done for such a long time. I ate for 'comfort.' Guess what? Surprise, surprise, it didn't work. It didn't numb me. I felt fat & disgusting & exactly the same as when I started. No worse!
Today-
Is a new day. A fresh start. I need to look after myself. I am so edgy.
Weight-
No idea. I'll weigh next Monday but in the meantime I will eat healthily.
I do wish that this part of the forum was more active & it would be nice to think that it's not because everyone is doing so well that they don't need it. In a perfect world! Don't be afraid that I will bite you if you feel like offering any advice or support. I won't.
Because I abandoned most of my Facebook friends in an over-reaction to a privacy breach by FB I don't even have the pleasure of reading what my friends are up to. I think it's called "cutting off your nose to spite your face". Ouch...I want my nose back!
Enough madness for the day. My SIL is arriving soon with her LH to pick up some rocks. Her husband is going to do a little job for me but my LH is not to know that we have planned it already. He gets so cranky when I ask anyone for help for anything so we are being a little sneaky.
We do favours for them whenever they ask but, apparently that is different! They just called & are almost here!

Love to all, xo Cate
 
I forgot to say- My poor old mum said "I thought you had enough to worry about over there, without me as well!" Meaning my MIL. I had to reassure her that she is not a problem to me & that she is my mum & I only have one mum. Sad. It all feels so sad.
 
Sorry that you are going through so much stress at the moment Cate. I have spent half of my life worrying about everybody else. I have one sister that I have backed off from as I have always sorted out all of her problems(most of her own making) and her kids problems but lately with looking after my dad I have realized how selfish they all are. Not once have any of them ever said to me to take a day off and they will watch dad. They all live no more than 5 minutes drive away and they come and visit about once ever 2 months but are straight on the phone when they need money, favours, lifts to places etc. When they do come they turn up just before meal time, sit and talk in Spanish when my dad even has problems with english these days and leave a couple of hours later without even barely acknowledging dad. I have decided now that unless it is a really big emergency I am not going to run around after them any longer.
I think for your own sanity you need to cut back on how much help you give people and give it to the people who really need it and deserve it. While you do so much it will always be expected of you and people will take advantage.
My other sister is wonderful and pops in almost daily to see us and is always on the phone making sure everything is ok and also comes and looks after dad so that I can have weekends away. I don't know what I would do without her. She is in the Usa on holiday at the moment and I really miss her.
Sending hugs your way and I hope that you feel less stressed very soon xxx
 
Thank you Val. I have sent you a private message but wanted to say to everyone how much I appreciate your support & understanding. I don't feel much of that coming from anyone else at the moment, anywhere & I am very grateful. So many people are so self-centred & self-indulgent! Thank you my friend, xo Cate
 
Hey Cate, sorry you're goin through such a rough time...I didn't read it all yet but just what I saw sounds very stressful. Also sorry I've been MIA offering support in your journal....I've been dealin with some stuff lately so was difficult to concentrate or find words to say to people. All I can do is offer a big hug and hope it gets better :grouphug:
 
Thanks Lisa. My comment was not directed at anyone in the forum & I receive lovely support here. It seems like we are all trying to cope with stress in our lives & sometimes you do & sometimes you don't. I have spent most of today making calls & sorting things out. We're going out to dinner tonight with good friends & they will probably come back to our place for a drink afterward. I'm looking forward to the night & will now be able to relax & enjoy it. Last night I wept silently in my bed, got up & cried for ages in my chair, went back to bed & to sleep & woke up today, ready for action. As I said I have been on the phone for hours & there is nothing else I can do for now. I have set everything in train that can be done now. I have spoken to someone in the local nursing home who I know (her son was friends with our youngest at Primary school), she have me the info I need (most of which I knew but she confirmed it & gave me some excellent advice); the interstate government people who organise assessments(next step); my mum; my brother's wife & then my sister. I am glad I didn't speak to my brother as his wife will be able to explain how I felt last night when he rang & what he needs to do, better than I could, without upsetting him. He's not so good at feelings! I actually feel empowered with what I have achieved today. Life is much better.
I'm not sure if the new input to the "motivational sayings" thread is "taking the piss" out of me or not, but I really don't care either way. I'm not cynical & I don't see anything wrong with trying to cheer others, or myself up. I'm not going to change who I am for anyone.
Sending my love out to you all, xoxo Cate.
 
I wouldn't know where to start if I tried telling you about my day. Let's just say life had better improve. GIVE ME BORING for just a little while!
xo Cate
 
Sorry things are still bad for you at the moment Cate. Sending hugs your way and wish that I could do something to help xxx
 
Thank you Val, You have done that already. I can now laugh over Sunday. I had a really nice day yesterday. Visited a friend in hospital who is receiving palliative care. He had asked after me & my husband & said he would like to see us both. I visited during the day & then my LH visited after golf. It was a nice visit. He's refusing food, medication & a drip for fluid, but just having a sip for his dry mouth. He has come to terms with it & so has his adult daughter who I am also friends with. I will stay away now & leave them precious time together. She asked after my mum & I got her up to speed very briefly. She thought my mum would be much better off near me.
I can cope with death & dying. I'm not sure why. I can still even be a little bit cheeky & have them smiling. I'm glad that I can do that. He hardly opened his eyes while I was there but said good bye & thanks. It was a nice visit.
Mum-
I think things will settle down for a little while at least. I'm not ringing my brother for a while. I don't need to now. It's a matter of waiting until Mum has an aged care assessment to see what is suitable for her & then we'll take it from there.
MIL-
Is now being very sweet to me after I snapped her head off 3 times last week. She must know she pushed me over the edge last week. Possibly one of my S's-I-L had words with her. I would prefer to take her anywhere just on our own as then she is not rude to me. I'll play it by ear tomorrow what I do, depending on who else turns up. If it's both S's-I-L I won't have lunch or it's usually unpleasant as she shows off.
Today-
We are doing some gardening this morning & then this afternoon visiting a friend our age who has gone into hospice. We went to the big farewell party he threw Nov '09 when they gave him 3 months to live with Pancreatic cancer. He is a fantastic fighter & has gone into hospital many times but this time looks grim. We have visited him quite a few times but it's important to us to see him one more time. He has been a good friend, especially to my husband. We share many good friends with him as well.
After our visit my husband has a short golf tournament(which he organises) & said I could walk around with him, which I have decided to do. He's playing with some nice guys & the fresh air & exercise will do me lots of good. I'll then help him do the bar afterward. We may not get home until 8.30-9pm.
I appreciate your support Val & thank you very much for your message. We are real friends and have lots in common- I think we share similar beliefs & personality traits. It's nice to know that you can open up your life & connect with people and also not be judged badly when you speak your mind. xoxo Cate
 
Yesterday-
The friend we visited, expecting the worst, was sitting in a wheelchair & had gone out for a drive with his wife. He looked very weak but was planning ahead & very positive. He has a huge fighting spirit & we can take strength from him.
I walked around the golf course with my LH & his friends & had a really good evening.
Today-
I took my MIL into town again & we had a good day together. I didn't let her boos me about. I didn't do anything I didn't want to & we got on very well & indeed had lots of laughs. I felt much better about our relationship today & was happy I didn't get angry with her. She was very insensitive about my mother last week & I am not including her in my plans to possibly move my mother over here to live near me.
I took her to a dress shop to try on some slacks that she had ordered for Winter & while she was trying them on I also tried on a black light-weight long cardigan. It looked great, she spotted me in it & said how good it looked & that she would buy it for me. Later on she added that she wouldn't pass on the travelling allowance that she receives for going into treatment, but I was also able to accept that. It ended up costing me about half but that's ok. I think I will get lots of wear out of it. She also bought my lunch. I was so pleased to have not lost my cool today. I don't like it at all when I do.

Old friend-
died today. His daughter rang to tell me. She had rung today to ask my LH a favour. Her & her father have been planning his wake & he wanted an Aussie barbie- no fuss etc & they wanted my LH to be the cook. I said I wouldn't say yes on his behalf because I have been lecturing him about not volunteering me for anything without asking me first. I also asked her if she minded me just messaging her when I had a chance to ask him, which I then did this afternoon. She rang me back to tell me the news. She said it's for the best. I'm glad he didn't last for too long as she would have been sitting there with him watching him deteriorate. I'm so glad I went to see him on Sunday & was able to give him a kiss & make him smile. It's good not to have regrets if possible.
I think his wake will be Friday.
A lot is happening at once & I had better be careful not to get stressed out. I did this morning rushing around & broke something. I was fine after a while but I am not good when stressed.

Tai Chi tomorrow!
I have told my MIL that I won't be visiting and my LH will stay at home so I am going to Tai Chi & then lunch with my TC friends & possibly a little op shop shopping if I feel like it. Need to return some library books too & pick a couple up. I have to have unread books handy. My next home day is Saturday. I miss being home all day. I need to re-charge my batteries. I also need to ring my mum tomorrow, just to say hi. Hope she's ok & not feeling too bad about being back home on her own. I'll be chirpy & not tell her any bad news or mention my MIL at all.

Sending out lots of love to you all, xoxo Cate
 
I'm glad to see that you are feeling less stressed now. I'm sorry about your friend but as you say you got to make him smile and the wife doesn't have to watch him suffer any longer. Sounds like a much better day with your MIL. You just need to be firmer with her and not let her bully you as you don't deserve it with all you do for her.
Try not to get stressed again, relax and take deep breaths if you feel yourself getting stressed as life is so much more fun when you aren't stressing :D
 
Hi Ecky & thanks for your support, once again :) I let everything get on top of me last week but am being much more careful again. I'm trying to do one thing at a time & am taking deep breaths & doing extra Tai Chi xo Cate
Hi AnnaGail. Thank you for your thoughts & hugs & for visiting my diary. It's nice when people stretch out the hand of friendship & I value my forum friendships. Sometimes I think they can be more real than the "in the flesh" friendships as I know I speak my mind more & open up more online than I do normally. I'll pop over soon & look for your diary. Cheers, Cate.

Yesterday-
Went to Tai Chi but wasn't relaxed enough to get the full benefit. From now on I'm not talking until after class. We went for a coffee only afterward(everyone had other things to do) & I headed home for lunch. I rang my husband & he had a visitor so I went straight home to catch up with him. I have mentioned him before but his 16 yr old daughter died last September of Leukaemia. He is ok but apparently his ex-wife is really struggling. Poor thing. I don't even want to imagine how that would feel. It was nice to have the visit. The 2 men had actually discussed feelings. It was nice catching up with him again. I had got a message from him recently as the Facebook page I set up for him for his business he needed to add someone as an admin. He is not even faintly technically savvy. I'm a bit of a dinosaur, but not in comparison to most people I know. :D. I added him as it would not let me add the person he wanted(unless I added her as a friend, which I didn't want to do) & then he can add her. I think he let her use his FB profile to add all the info he needs. I asked him if he wants me to remove myself now but he said I could if I wanted to but he could probably use all the help he can get. I'm happy to as it is another way of being in touch.

Today-
I'm in my home gear(gardening) and we might get some wood. I would really like to do something physical today. I really, really need to get back into an exercise routine. I'm starting to feel sloth-like, although the weight doesn't reflect that, thank goodness. No wonder I have let things get me down. When mum was here I couldn't go away & leave her & she wouldn't walk anywhere. Before that it was my toe. It still hasn't healed but is ok enough for me to get my runners or work boots on now. Getting wood today would be a good start.
Taekwondo this evening so will have to shower & change this afternoon. Have to see my MIL & put her bins out. Will do some deep breathing Val before I walk in the door :D
Lots of love to you all, xoxo Cate
 
Thursday- Ran around & got everything done. Had a nice evening with our GS. Went to bed early'ish at 11 & my LH didn't get home until 1am so I didn't really wake. Had a good night's sleep.
Yesterday-
Was at our friend's home at 9 to get directions for the wake. We then went back to her place at 10.30 & got everything together for when they all got back to her place after the service. One hour flew & we had much to do, with very little time to do it in. Her family were going to be there early to do a a lot of it but were all late so we just shooed them off & did the best we could. My LH cooked all the meat while I did things in the kitchen, set up tables, did dishes etc. For most of the day I tidied up or got things from the kitchen & shooed my friend out of her kitchen when she fussed around. She has been a caterer & this was her dad's funeral so I wanted her to not worry about the food & the dishes etc.
All day I heard people asking her who we were & sometimes they asked me. It was funny. "I'm a friend. I just live up the road." Then I would hear them asking more questions as I walked away. After 18 years of running a business where everyone thought they knew everything about you to people not knowing who you were or what the connection was, was refreshing. It was really good to be able to be so useful.
By the end of the day when all the work was well & truly done we both drank wine & met some great people who were calling us their new friends. I have been hearing about them for ages & they have been hearing about us. Apparently lots of people bemoan the fact that we don't own the local pub any more. Still! Funny. It has been 7 yrs & 4 mths since we got out of it. They were a fun pair & very outspoken. The 4 of us ended up yacking for about 2 hours. I thought we had better go & leave the family in peace but I don't know how long they stayed.
My stomach is suffering badly this morning from eating what I did. Most people eat that way all the time. I had sausages & salad, no bread or crackers, but sausages of course are mainly fat & breadcrumbs. *shudder* I weighed myself this morning & am still the same, although I came home & only ate fruit for dinner & drank copious quantities of herbal tea so that would have helped.
Today-
I was going around to help clean up but just got a call to say it's all done. YES!
A HOME DAY. I'm in my home gear- hiking pants (lots of pockets-khaki) black polo shirt & sneakers. I am going for a big walk through our bush today! :D
Getting as fit as I possibly can-
OK. So many people are dying around me and so many people I know are hastening ill health by eating badly & not exercising so I am determined that I am going to get as fit & healthy as I possibly can. Starting NOW!
Reading- for inspiration-
Lance Armstrong, "It's not about the bike."
This book is so inspiring I am absolutely lost for words to describe it. I started it when we got home & were sitting in our chairs with the 1st pot of herbal tea & I read 158 pages last night before bed.
So much of it was familiar to me re his fighting cancer & refusing to give up. I have taken strength from my sister & BIL with their fight against cancer & now Lance Armstrong has inspired me to get healthier & to get as strong as I can.

I loved being able to help out yesterday. My LH & I are good at looking after people & being hospitable & it's great to be able to help out, without any reward, financial or otherwise. Life is not about money & it's great to be able to do the things you want to do, rather than the things you have to do. I love friendship & I love life.
Sending you all lots of love, xoxo Cate
 
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