Drifting through life

 As you read this, I will be in a deep anaesthetic sleep (Thursday morning) as I undergo a procedure known as a Belpharoplasty. On both eyes.  This is where excess/overgrown skin is cut away from above the eyelids. I have had this for years and it is getting heavier, reducing the vision by quite a bit as I cannot fully open my eyes.  I haven't seen my eyelids or my eyelashes in several years, so it is time I had it taken care of. There will be stitches, some swelling and maybe a bruise or two and also blood in the tears for a few days.  After the healing, which takes a few weeks, I will be able to have the cataracts removed, but one eye at a time for that as I still need to be able to see. At the moment I still manage to read reasonably easily, on blogs and kindle where I can enlarge the font.  Newspapers are a different story, they use a much smaller font than in previous times, to be able to squeeze all the news on fewer pages because paper is so expensive I g...

  Long ago, Kim of Frog Ponds Rock, (who no longer blogs), dreamed up a meme called Sunday Selections.  A place where those who were willing could put up photos they wanted to share, new, old, good, bad or indifferent, any photos you please.  Nothing rude or vulgar though. And we don't mind at all if other bloggers care to join us. The meme is now continued by Elephant's Child and I join in as do a few others. Andrew is one.  Messymimi is another. Drop in to their blogs and have a look. Wisewebwoman has also been joining us more often. Beginning with a few more pictures from our road trip: We blew through Dublin in a blink of an eye, slowing just enough to get this photo on the side of a restaurant/grocery/hardware place (I think), it's such a tiny town, but apparently "home of the garfish roll" and other seafood sandwiches and meals. one of several ruins we passed along the way, most were too far back in the fields to get good shots and another ruin, complete...

  The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles. Sadly, Delores has now closed her blog forever due to other problems. The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind. If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along to read it and add a few encouraging words. This month the words/prompts are supplied by Elephant's Child and can be found here This week's words/prompts are:  1. kiss 2. hope 3. grinned 4. dark 5. shock  and/or:  1. high 2. places 3. fiends 4. Friday 5. way also including Charlotte's colour of the month: new start yellow Here is my story: His goodbye had been just a warm hug and a kiss , yet she dared to hope that things could be the way she thought. High on cloud nine, she grinned and walked back into the restaurant where her friends waited. “He wants me to stay, I...

 Long ago, Kim of Frog Ponds Rock, (who no longer blogs), dreamed up a meme called Sunday Selections.  A place where those who were willing could put up photos they wanted to share, new, old, good, bad or indifferent, any photos you please.  Nothing rude or vulgar though. And we don't mind at all if other bloggers care to join us. The meme is now continued by Elephant's Child and I join in as do a few others. Andrew is one.  Messymimi is another. Drop in to their blogs and have a look. Wisewebwoman has also been joining us more often. Two more photos from Two Wells before we continued our journey north: this Leopard Tank, used by Australians from 1977 to 2007 was manufactured in Germany in 1976 the following photos are from Adelaide's Botanic Gardens, the Chihuly display of blown glass art: I took photos of the plaques saying what each art piece is, but if I include those I'll be up all night   a beached boat filled with blown glass balls, with more balls fl...

  The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles. Sadly, Delores has now closed her blog forever due to other problems. The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind. If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along to read it and add a few encouraging words. This month the words/prompts are supplied by  Elephant's Child and can be found here This week's words/prompts are:  1. ancient 2. life 3. water 4. melody 5. lied  and/or:  1. medal 2. speaker 3. cords 4. paper 5. false Here is my story: The speaker , Gruffin, pulled the cords that held back the reed curtains to reveal the carved rock on which sat a small medallion . It had been found centuries ago at the bottom of a babbling brook, the chain attached to it had snagged on a tree root. He spoke then of the Elf Skeldor who ha...

 I opened my emails to find I am being billed by Housing for quite large amounts for the plumbing visits for a blockage that wasn't my fault. It's true that I am the one who requested the plumbers and eventually because they could not resolve the problem a video camera was deployed. This resulted in the quite large blockage of cooking grease, paper towels, baby wipes and tree roots being removed from a CRACKED sewer pipe.  None of the blockage was caused by me, and I'm the one who had to put up with a bathroom floor covered in stinking sewage without access to my shower, my toilet and my washing machine for several days.  I shouldn't have to pay for that. I have contacted my local MP and also emailed Housing that I shouldn't have to and won't be paying those bills. 

  to photograph the Chihuly Blown Glass art exhibits. Walked for miles all around the gardens, and into the Conservatory too, They call it the Conservatorium, but I'm not that fancy. They had more exhibits inside there, but it wasn't free, so I paid my $12 concession fee and went in. I love it in there, but it is warm and humid.I must have sweated off five pounds at least.  After photographing all the pieces, I enjoyed a hot chocolate at the kiosk by the duck pond, then walked some more back to the entrance gates, to the city, then through the city to Victoria Square where "my" bus was expected in three minutes. Patted down my pockets, bus pass, yes, house keys....uh oh, checked ALL my pockets and they weren't there. I'd lost them somewhere in the gardens.  Back I went as fast as my aching feet could carry me, all the while thinking where would be the most logical place. I decided the Conservatory, because that was where I'd taken off my jacket and tied it...

  and after many photos were taken and stinging drops in the eyes to expand the pupils, followed by much flashing of bright lights for the doctor to see the back of the eyes, a discussion was had and decisions were made.  I have overgrown skin above the eyelids, which sags and droops heavily onto the eyelids, making it difficult to "open wide now", so it is impacting my vision.  The operation to fix this is called a Blepharoplasty, which happens under general anaesthetic and both eyes are done at once. Since I don't have anyone available to take me home, it will be done in a hospital so I can stay overnight and then go home alone. It is not allowed to go home alone the same day as general anaesthetic.  Lola will have to manage without me, I'll put out extra kibble and extra water. She'll be fine.  I've been told there will be bruising and swelling and I might look like I've gone ten rounds in a boxing ring, or perhaps just suffered a viscious mugging. But ...

 on the journey towards cataract surgery. The clinic is reasonably close to home, so yesterday I walked there to find out how long it would take and exactly where the clinic was in the building.  Thirty minutes at an easy pace and when I walked in through the huge glass doors the clinic was right there on my left.  The appointment is at 2pm, and I am told it will last an hour and a half, so I will leave home at 1pm, giving plenty of time to get there, cool off and fill out paperwork.  After, I'll just wander on home again.😎

 Long ago, Kim of Frog Ponds Rock, (who no longer blogs), dreamed up a meme called Sunday Selections.  A place where those who were willing could put up photos they wanted to share, new, old, good, bad or indifferent, any photos you please.  Nothing rude or vulgar though. And we don't mind at all if other bloggers care to join us. The meme is now continued by Elephant's Child and I join in as do a few others. Andrew is one.  Messymimi is another. Drop in to their blogs and have a look. Wisewebwoman has also been joining us more often. Charlotte's colour of the month is new start yellow: one of my favourite colours, so I picked up my camera and wandered through my home looking for all things yellow. Imagine my surprise to find not much at all in this colour. Here is what I found: the back cover of one of my cookbooks a book I forgot I had my tupperware measuring cups, can you believe these are almost 50 years old?  and a tupperware bowl, younger than the mea...