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message 24751:
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Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen
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Dec 25, 2015 12:20AM
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We had a fairly quiet Christmas Day, but tomorrow we will be having lunch with Ron's family. The youngest member has just turned two. :)Merry Christmas!
Christmas was a hot one here..Not used to such warm weather...AND it's still warm..Blegh.Tomorrow is our Boxing Day tradition with another family...So it's pretty much round 2! Haha
I got no books...But I was given money and I'm thinking it may go towards some books I've been eyeing off for a while. I hope everyone had an enjoyable one whatever you got up too :)
Laura wrote: "Christmas was a hot one here..Not used to such warm weather...AND it's still warm..Blegh.Tomorrow is our Boxing Day tradition with another family...So it's pretty much round 2! Haha
I got no boo..."
We have the same tradition. At least the weather's fairly mild here in Sydney at the moment.
Oh nice Margaret :) It's good getting to catch up with good friends over this period of time.Lucky for the mild weather..Hopefully it'll carry on for tomorrow too! :) Here it's meant to be cold and yucky.
I feel like I could go sleep outside and I wouldn't know if I was inside or outside at the moment..ahaha
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Merry Christmas!"
Have a fantastic day today Margaret:) Merry Christmas to you, Ron and Chicki! x
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Tomorrow is our Boxing Day tradition with another family...So it's pretty much round 2! Haha
I got no boo..."
Nice Laura:) Buying yourself what you'd like is good!
Christmas was good here. We spent a shocking amount of time tracking my brother's flight to Singapore. Travel armchair style :P
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Brenda wrote: "LOL! Fun though;) Glad you had a good day Melissa:)"
It has now been established my family and i need a new hobby :p lol
It has now been established my family and i need a new hobby :p lol
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Brenda wrote: "Haha!!! You have one - reading!!:)"
Very very true :D
Very very true :D
How is everyone's boxing days?
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Melissa wrote: "How is everyone's boxing days?"Fun. Playing board games with family.
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Phrynne wrote: "Washing here too. Plus some gardening until it rained. Currently drinking champagne and reading:)"
Watcha reading, Phrynne and Brenda?
Watcha reading, Phrynne and Brenda?
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Phrynne wrote: "Washing here too. Plus some gardening until it rained. Currently drinking champagne and reading:)"Almost snap - we're drinking sparkling Shiraz :)
I am reading
Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples - set in Pakistan
Melissa wrote: "How is everyone's boxing days?" Fabulous day spent partly at a Southbank restaurant that has the most wonderful food with my Mum-in-law, sister-in-law & partner and my dearest. Looking over the Brisbane river with a glass of wine and great company. Very relaxing.
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Thanks Brenda. It was after the hectic lengthy Xmas day with all the extended family, prob 25, then all the children - one in the womb, and then from about 4mths to 14yrs with most around 2 to 5yrs and extremely active. I couldn't count the children. I absolutely loved the first 2hrs and then faded fast. Starting to feel my age I guess. The younger gen are such stayers! But I was at their age too! HaHa.
Lovely. My baby grandson had a wonderful time at the beach. I roasted a leg of lamb and it was delicious. My husband and daughter chased me from the kitchen at clean-up time, insisting I had done my share of work. I found time to read and even to do some writing - to work a little on my memoir. I spoke to my ''baby'' daughter, who lives far away in Las Vegas, on the phone for a whole 50 minutes, and confirmed that she had a happy day and was content. And I think this is the first day since my mother passed away three weeks ago that I haven't cried. The pain is still raw, but it's easing. I know she is in a better place, and I should be grateful that her suffering has ended. My daughter's wisdom settled my distress over my mother's last words. Isn't it amazing that you give birth to a child and nurture and teach her, and then she grows up to be so much smarter than you that she can give you advice and speak comforting words when your own common sense deserts you?
Oh Lorraine, that is both a happy and sad message. Isn't it great though, that life goes on and Xmas makes us truly feel grateful and helps us appreciate the cycles of life & death. From the moment we are born, we can expect to die which is the order of things and each passing opens the way to new life. We look on the little ones with new awe!My mum is currently in a Nursing Home and I haven't been able to visit her for the last 10 days. I couldn't drive because I hurt my leg badly. My husband and I will see her tomorrow. Alzheimer's/dementia is one of the sadest diseases to develop in our latter years. My mum can't remember when I last saw her so I haven't felt too bad. It is the change from the vibrant person we knew to a shell of that person that is truly alarming. I feel so sorry for her because I know she is suffering terribly but there is nothing anyone can do.
It's so sad to painful to see them deteriorate like that, Lauren. In the end, I prayed for my mother to die. I felt guilty doing that, but I couldn't bear watching her suffer so. After she died, I found a speech she had written lobbying to legalize euthanasia. I cried a river reading her words. She said, in part, '... And if they are left with time ravished shells housing feeble minds, we refuse to give them the right of easy death. I dread to think someday I might be old and infirm, an oxygen thief taking up someone else's world space.... Please, if I have lost the appetite for living, give me the right to easy death, requested euthanasia, and a loved one to hold my hand and help me die in peace, with dignity.''She wasn't given that right. She suffered. She lost her dignity completely. And she died alone and afraid. Her last words to me were ''You let me down''. I couldn't give her what she wanted - an easy, peaceful death. She had asked me to kill her. Like you, I was helpless. I just had to watch her slowly and painfully slide down the slippery slope.
Thank goodness for my little grandson. Yes, death is part of life, and life goes on. But I now understand why my mother lobbied aggressively to legalize compassionately assisted suicide.
I hope your mother finds peace soon.
Lorraine wrote: "It's so sad to painful to see them deteriorate like that, Lauren. In the end, I prayed for my mother to die. I felt guilty doing that, but I couldn't bear watching her suffer so. After she died, I ..."Oh, I concur with you totally Lorraine. I have always understood the argument against euthanasia but when I saw my mum who had always said she didn't want yo die from Alzheimer's develop this illness, I was so anxious for her as I watched her lose her independence and her memory.
She is at the stage now where she has almost forgotten how to eat and she can't get words out but mumbles and the frustration is so evident. I feel so helpless.
Like you, I know that she didn't want this loss of dignity and wanted to die if she ever got this illness. However, unlike a pain illness like Cancer, where palliative care is available, it is a much slower process for dementia. I have heard of some people living 8 years in Nursing Homes with this disease and suffering horrible loss of dignity. They do know that they are totally dependent and it must be excruciatingly frightening.
Euthanasia is the kindest solution for any suffering the latter stages of dementia or cancer when there is simply no hope of recovery and no quality of life.
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We usually have a quiet night, as we have to look after our little dog. She is terrified when there are fireworks (and thunder) so New Year's Eve is a particularly bad time...I prepare myself for a very long night!
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But glad you got what you wanted:)
And wow! 30 days off...woohoo! Not long now until your holiday:)
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Do you know when you might go to Melbourne yet for the meet and greet with the Vic girls?
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Checked my countdown application today and this time in 90 days I'll be in Singapore for a 24 hour stopover befor moving on to Europe!!You know what the sad thing is though - I already have my clothes picked, purchased where necessary (needed a new warm jacket so brought it in the winter sales) and hanging up in the back bedroom cupboard. It is all weighed so I know how heavy my case will be!
All I have to do is pack and go when the time comes.
The couple who we are going with are really scared at my uber organisation. I just don't like last minute surprises :)
I even have my reading material picked - lol!
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No Easter eggs for me - as will be in Amsterdam on Easter Day. Though I guess I could google chocolate shops and see if any are near our hotel and open on a a public holiday
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Woohoo, boxing day. We are staying home and celebrating in the most Canadian way possible ... with some good old fashion Canada vs USA hockey.
Anyone got their new years resolutions sorted yet?
Stef wrote: "Anyone got their new years resolutions sorted yet?"
I would like to overcome my anxiety/Agoraphobia in the new year
I would like to overcome my anxiety/Agoraphobia in the new year
Sally906 wrote: "Checked my countdown application today and this time in 90 days I'll be in Singapore for a 24 hour stopover befor moving on to Europe!!You know what the sad thing is though - I already have my cl..."
Sally, that time will go really fast and you'll be on the plane in no time at all. How exciting! I think it's great that you're already organised - you wouldn't be able to buy a coat now before March. I'm sure you'll find lots of lovely real chocolate Easter eggs in Europe, perhaps at your previous stop before Amsterdam.
I hope you do, Stef. I've never had Agoraphobia, thankfully, but I suffered severe anxiety and insomnia, and I chewed my fingernails down to the quick and until they bled. For 60 years, I tried almost every remedy known to man. Then early last year I developed tummy troubles that my doctor wasn't fixing, so I went to a naturopath. She gave me bitter herbs and recommended a diet for the tummy troubles, but then commented that I was obviously very anxious and neither anxiety nor fingernail biting was helping my tummy. Long story short, she gave me Ignatia to take at night. Can't believe the transformation. Anxiety disappeared. I started sleeping 8 hours a night, and more. Three weeks later I looked at my hands and exclaimed, ''OMG! I've got fingernails!" I've been treating myself to professional manicures and I love the look of my hands.
Ignatia is totally natural and has no side effects. Apparently regularly prescribed for people struggling with grief. I don't know if it works for everyone, but it was sure a miracle cure for my anxiety. It changed my life.
My New Year's resolution is to write more, travel more, and worry a lot less - especially to stop worrying over a selfish and narcissistic son who won't let me see his children and just adopt some grandchildren who don't have a grandma to love them.
Stef wrote: "Anyone got their new years resolutions sorted yet?"Yes - my resolution is. It to have resolutions - I did that last year and it has been my most successful resolution ever - lol!
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Carolyn wrote: "...."I'm sure you'll find lots of lovely real chocolate Easter eggs in Europe, perhaps at your previous stop before Amsterdam...We have a two hour stop at Frankfurt airport - and go through customs there before boarding to fly on to Amsterdam - I reckon it might be a tight squeeze time wise - but may get a few moments to duck into a airport shop - Swiss chocolate, Belgium chocolate- will be like the United Nations of chocolate!
Our last trip, quite a few years ago, we stopped at a middle eastern airport and I bought camel milk chocolate - was very eatable - but very rich.
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