Hello everyone, the day started warm and ended up bloody hot again, this morning I had Leo for a bit after I took him home I went to get mum and take her to physio well we get to Belmont hospital and I go get a wheelchair so she doesn’t have to walk that far. When she was getting into the wheelchair a couple of ladies from the ambo transfer people came and said they would help and one of them pushed mum to the area. I go and check in and find out we are a day early, yeah what the hell we now have to go back tomorrow.

I have Blain tonight as his mum is busy with work from early tomorrow, so I will have him most of tomorrow. However I am taking mum to the cemetery tomorrow morning and then again back to the hospital for physio so going to be a busy day again.

Blain is at his friends place and I don’t expect him to be home till around 6.30pm which is ok with me but tomorrow since I will be out for most of the morning he can go to his friends place if he is allowed but if he isn’t he will have to go to Jessica’s place as he can’t stay home alone while I am out since I will be gone for hours.

While I was walking to the physio department my left knee gave out on me and oh the pain, at least I didn’t fall over. When I got home I wasn’t good, I was shaking and felt sick and had sweat dripping out of me but I turned on the air cons and changed my clothes and made myself a toasted sandwich after which I felt better.

Blain has checked in with me which is good and Kathy and the girls popped in for a visit but Summer was asleep for the whole time they were here.

Now I am writing this dribble and then I am going to have a bath before I chill for the rest of the day, I of course will be in bed early again but that is just how I am now days I go to bed early but I also get up early and I don’t usually have the time to have a nap during the day and when I do have the time I usually find that when I lay down my brain will not shut down and I keep thinking of things I want to do, which is so annoying.

On Sunday mum fell over while at home getting cereal for breakfast, she was unable to get up and laid there and cried, dad isn’t much help now days and Dawson couldn’t manage to help her on his own so mum said she wanted Sandy, at first dad said they didn’t need Sandy but then changed his mind and rang her all he had to say was “mum’s had a fall” and she replied “I’m on my way” she ran down the hall woke her step-son told him to watch the girls and raced up to mum & dad’s and with Dawson’s help she managed to get mum up and into a chair.

Since she fell she has had very sore knees and yesterday she went and had an X-Ray and ultrasound of her right hip and they also gave her a cortisone injection into her thigh but said that she may need another one done into the hip as well as she has a lot of arthritis in her hip.

She is still in a lot of pain but has been walking a bit better yesterday afternoon and this morning so fingers crossed the injection does help.

Australian children grow up enjoying traditional Christmas stories such as Clement Clarke Moore’s Twas the Night Before Christmas and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, but children’s authors and illustrators are beginning to create truly Australian children’s Christmas literature. One favourite is Wombat Divine by Mem Fox, while a more recent addition is Aussie Night Before Christmas by Yvonne Morrison. Also very popular are the Santa is coming to……….books by Steve Smallman

The Christmas break is an opportunity for sports fans to enjoy two major sporting events. The 26 December is the opening day of the ‘Boxing Day Test’ between the Australian Cricket Team and an international touring side at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This has been well attended since the first match in 1950, and watched by many others on television. In Sydney one of the world’s most prestigious ocean races, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, starts on Boxing Day from Sydney Harbour.

Of course we can’t talk about Christmas in Australia without mentioning the Indigenous people of this great country.

Indigenous Dreamtime stories obviously do not include Christmas. However, this date in the calendar coincides with other seasonal changes. In Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Yolngu Aboriginal people will observe the last season of their six-season cycle. Gudjewg, the wet season, begins in late December.

Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities include Christian groups within them which celebrate Christmas. The Ntaria Choir at Hermannsburg, via Alice Springs, Northern Territory, has a unique musical language from mixing the traditional vocals of the Ntaria women with Lutheran chorales – the hymn tunes that were the basis of much of J.S. Bach’s music.

Baba Waiyar, a popular traditional Torres Strait Islander hymn, is featured on Lexine Solomon’s debut album This is Woman (2003) – showing the influence of gospel music mixed with traditionally strong Torres Strait Islander vocals and country music. Significantly, Torres Strait Islanders celebrate the ‘Coming of the Light’ on 1 July, the day the London Missionary Society landed at Erub Island in 1871.

Modern Indigenous Christmas celebrations are beginning to take on elements of traditional Indigenous culture.

Well Christmas is in a weeks time, yeah I know some of you are thinking what already, others are thinking it will be glad when its over, some are thinking both things. I am thinking I wish it would last a bit longer then it does, but also will be glad when the day is done with as you all saw on yesterdays posts my dinning room table is covered in presents so no room to sit and eat there which is ok only eat there on the weekend when the girls are here.

The next time will be Christmas Eve when all the girls and Michael will be here for tea, it is a new family tradition that I will have tea here Christmas Eve for the girls and grandchildren as they all have their own families and things they want to do Christmas Day. Kathy-Lee has Michael’s family to see on Christmas Day not sure what the other two are doing, they can come to my parents place if they want to but I am not expecting it.

We had Leo here last night and Jess said not to take him home too early she wants a sleep in, I said now school holidays are here she should get a few more sleep ins, she nope, Leo gets up way too early so I said maybe during the holidays I might be able to have him an extra night here and there so she can have a sleep in.

Although no one took my children so I could have a sleep in, ok that is not 100% true there were the odd time when Tim would get up with the girls and let me sleep in a bit but didn’t happen very often and there were times he would watch them while I went and had a nap in the afternoon again not often but it did happen.

I don’t know why but this morning I have been thinking about how as parents and friends we will at times listen to someone bitch, moan and groan about their partner, spouse, boy/girlfriend this happens from time to time with my girls, siblings or mum. I don’t mind listening when they need to vent but what I do that some people do not do is accept that just because someone is venting to me doesn’t mean the person they are going on about is a bad person. I will not think badly of the person, it will not change how I feel about them, I do not necessary side with one over the other that is not why I am being bitched to, I will say things like “I understand” or “ I get that” and I usually do get it but just because I understand why you are bitching and venting about what your other half did doesn’t mean I will decided the other person is a bad person. That is just me.

Well now Tim is up and in his office and Leo is still asleep on the lounge the house is still quiet as I have not turned the telly on yet, have no need for it on and it will only disturb Leo and I don’t want that yet. He will wake up in time.

One of the main reasons we have the custom of giving and receiving presents at Christmas, is to remind us of the presents given to Jesus by the Wise Men: Frankincense, Gold and Myrrh.

• Frankincense was a perfume used in Jewish worship and, as a gift, it showed that people would worship Jesus.

• Gold was associated with Kings and Christians believe that Jesus is the King of Kings.

• Myrrh was a perfume that was put on dead bodies to make them smell nice and, as a gift, it showed that Jesus would suffer and die.

Christmas itself is really about a big present that God gave the world about 2000 years ago – Jesus! One of the most famous Bible verses, John 3:16, says:‘God loved the world so much, that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him may not be lost but have eternal life.

All over the world, families and friends give presents to each other. Most children around the world believe in a Christmas gift bringer. It’s often St Nick, Santa or Father Christmas, but different countries have different gift bringers.

These presents are also left in different places! In most of Europe, the presents are left in shoes or boots put out by the children. In Italy, the UK and USA presents are left in stockings, often left hanging by a fire place. In many countries, presents for friends and family may be left under the Christmas Tree. In the UK, they are often opened on Christmas day morning with all the family together. My family leave a Christmas bag out for Santa to fill. The custom of hanging stockings comes from the story of St. Nicholas.

Presents are opened on different days over the world as well. The earliest presents are opened is on St. Nicholas’ Eve on December 5th when children in Holland of ten receive their presents. On St. Nicholas’ Day (6th December) children in Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic and some other European countries open some of their presents.

Children in the UK, USA and many other countries, such as Japan, open their presents on Christmas Day, December 25th. The latest presents are opened on January 6th (a month after the earliest). This is known as Epiphany which I expalin in another post.

One popular way of giving presents in groups such as clubs, school classes and workplaces is to have a ‘Secret Santa’. This is where you pull the name of someone else in the group out of a hat (or other container!). You then buy a present for that person. When the presents are given out (often at a Christmas party) each person is given their present but they have no idea which person in the group bought it for them!

Blood hell its hot, another day with temps in the high 30’s or low 40’s, last night was a stinking hot night as well but thankfully we have an air conditioner in the bedroom and it went all night. Leo has gone swimming to day for the schools end of year reward for his year at school, so has Blain but to different pools.

Now even though it is stinking bloody hot Leo insisted on wearing long pants he doesn’t like shorts this year, at least I make sure the pants are light weight so he doesn’t get too hot in them, although he says he doesn’t get hot. I packed board shorts for him to wear in the pool and I hope he has a good day.

Blain is suppose to be walking from his school to the pool, it is a bloody long walk and so bloody hot I hope he is ok as he does suffer from heat stroke.

I have been up since just after 5.30am again and got all Natasha’s washing done and dried and folded except for her work rags they are still on the line all this was done before I took Leo to school.

When I got into the car to take him to school it was 28°c outside on the way home it was 31°c not sure what it is now but I am pretty sure it is hotter still.

Saw the doctor yesterday about my back pain she wants me to have another CT scan done of my lower back and prescribed Panadine Forte for the pain, what the hell I need something stronger than Panadine Forte for those who don’t know what Panadine Forte is it’s paracetamol and codeine strong pain relief just not strong enough in my opinion.

I cannot stand for more then a few minutes without pain, hanging washing on the line to dry is agony as is standing or even sitting to wrap presents and how the hell I am going to cope on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day cooking is beyond me but I will because that is how I roll. I cannot walk unaided more then a few feet which is why when I go shopping the first thing I do after I park the car is find a shopping trolley for support.

Well I have rambled on about the heat and my back pain for long enough I will now post this and then finish writing my Christmas cards and this afternoon I want to finish wrapping gifts. So much work for one day but you know what I love it.

So I was wondering what I would write about this morning and while on Facebook I see a post from my sister about mum, so that is what I am going to write about this morning my mum or more to the point her pain and suffering.

For the last few months mum has been in a great deal of pain, first with her knees and then from what she thought was problems with the sciatica.

Well it turns out the problem is something called Trochanteric bursitis which is an inflammation of the bursa (fluid-filled sac near a joint) at the outside (lateral) point of the hip known as the greater trochanter., understand that, yeah me too. Well when this bursa becomes irritated or inflamed, it causes pain in the hip. This is a common cause of hip pain

Trochanteric bursitis typically causes the following symptoms:

• Pain on the outside of the hip and thigh or in the buttock.

• Pain when lying on the affected side.

• Pain when you press in on the outside of the hip.

• Pain that gets worse during activities such as getting up from a deep chair or getting out of a car.

• Pain with walking up stairs.

All of which mum suffers from.

What causes trochanteric bursitis?

Well it seems it is caused by things like an injury to the point of the hit such as falling onto the hip bumping the hip or even lying on ones side for too long. It can also be caused by running up stairs, climbing or standing for long periods of time trust me mum doesn’t do any of those things. Bad posture can also be a cause as well as stress on the soft tissues as a result of an abnormal or poorly positioned joint or bone which can be caused by arthritis of the lower spine and other spine problems, mum has arthritis running the length of her spine. It can be caused by other deceases or conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout and thyroid disease none of which mum has. Another cause is hip bone spurs or calcium deposits which would not surprise me if mum has. Bursitis is more common in women then men and in the middle-aged or elderly, all that said there are times when the cause of a persons trochanteric bursitis may be unknown.

How is trochanteric bursitis treated?

Treatment usually includes reducing pain and inflammation, while preserving mobility, and preventing disability and recurrence. Treatment recommendations may include a combination of rest, splints, heat, and cold application. More advanced treatment options include use of anti-inflammatory drugs and cortisone injections which mum may have when she has the ultrasound on Monday. She is also having physio on the area. If all else fails there is surgery.

Most cases of bursitis improve without any treatment but that isn’t the case with mum.

Here in Australia, Christmas comes in the towards the beginning of the summer holidays! Children have their summer holidays from mid December to either late January or early February, so some people might even be camping at Christmas.

Because it’s so hot at Christmas time in Australia, there are quite often massive bush fires across the country. Many volunteer bush fire fighters are involved in saving people and property and travel from all over Australia to help in other states.

Australians hang wreaths on their front doors and although some sites you may check out about Christmas in Australia will tell you that sometimes we go out Christmas carol singing on Christmas eve, I have never heard of people doing this.

People also decorate their houses and gardens with different Christmas decorations the blow up ones are very popular around my area, my brother has many in his front yard and of course Christmas lights are popular.

Some Australians also decorate their houses with bunches of ‘Christmas Bush’, a native Australian tree with small green leaves and cream coloured flowers. In summer the flowers turn a deep shiny red over a period of weeks (generally by the week of Christmas in Sydney).

In each State capital city there is a large Carols by Candlelight service. Famous Australian singers like The Wiggles, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow, Colin Gery, Niki Webster and many more help to sing the carols. These carol services, held in different cities, are broadcast on TV across Australia. There are also huge Christmas pageants in each state capital city, that are also broadcast across the country. Most towns and cities have festivals and parades. In some places, there is a fireworks display at the local park.

Many towns, cities and schools also hold their own Carols by Candlelight services, with local bands and choirs sometimes helping to perform the Christmas Carols and songs. As it is the middle of Summer in Australia at Christmas time, the words to the Carols about snow and the cold winter are sometimes changed to special Australian words! There are also some original Australian Carols.

When he gets to Australia, Santa gives the reindeer a rest and uses kangaroos or ‘six white boomers’ (a popular Australian Christmas song!). He also changes his clothes for less ‘hot’ ones!

On Boxing Day most people go and visit their friends and many hit the beaches it is also the start of the famous Yacht race from Sydney to Hobart in Tasmania.

The Flying Doctor Service has to work all though Christmas. On Christmas Day the people who live in the outback send Christmas greetings to each other over the radio network.

Most families try to be home together for Christmas and the main meal is normally eaten at lunch time. Most people now have a cold Christmas lunch or some have a barbecue with seafood such as prawns and lobsters along with the ‘traditional english’ food.

On Christmas Eve, fish-markets are often full of people queuing to buy their fresh seafood for Christmas day.

Many Australians often have Christmas Crackers at Christmas meal times.

Ok saw this on Facebook, don’t believe it happened but it did give me a giggle so thought I would share here in case others would like a giggle.

While conducting some business at the Court House, someone overheard a lady, who had been arrested for assaulting a Mammogram Technician, say, “Your Honour, I’m guilty, but…..there were extenuating circumstances.”

The female Judge said, sarcastically, “I’d certainly like to hear those extenuating circumstances.”this is her story.

“Your Honour, I had a mammogram appointment, which I actually kept. I was met by this perky little clipboard carrier smiling from ear to ear and she tilted her head to one side and crooned, “Hi! I’m Belinda! All I need you to do is step into this room right here, strip to the waist, then slip on this gown. Everything clear?”

I’m thinking, “Belinda, try decaf. This ain’t rocket science.” Belinda then skipped away to prepare the chamber of horrors.

With the right side finished, Belinda flipped me (literally) to the left and said, “Hmmmm. Can you stand on your tippy toes and lean in a tad so we can get everything?” Fine, I answered.

I was freezing, bruised, and out of air, so why not use the remaining circulation in my legs and neck to finish me off? My body was in a holding pattern that defied gravity (with my other breast wedged between those two 4-inch pieces of square glass) when I heard and felt a zap!

Complete darkness, the power was off!

Belinda said, “Uh-oh, maintenance is working, bet they hit a snag.” Then she headed for the door.

“Excuse me! You’re not leaving me in this vise alone are you?” I shouted.

Belinda kept going and said, “Oh, you fussy puppy…the door’s wide open so you’ll have the emergency hall lights. I’ll be right back.”

Before I could shout NOOOO! she disappeared.

And that’s exactly how Bubba and Earl, “maintenance men Extraordinaire” found me…half-naked with part of me dangling from the Jaws of Life and the other part smashed between glass!

After exchanging a polite, ‘Hi, how’s it going’ type greeting, Bubba (or possibly Earl) asked, to my utter disbelief, if I knew the power was off.

Trying to disguise my hysteria, I replied with as much calmness as possible, “Uh, yes, I did but thanks anyway.”

“OK, you take care now,” Bubba replied and waved good-bye as though I’d been standing in the line at the grocery store.

Two hours later, Belinda breezes in wearing a sheepish grin.

Making no attempt to suppress her amusement, she said, “Oh, I am sooo sorry! The power came back on and I totally forgot about you! And silly me, I went to lunch. Are we upset?”

And that, Your Honour, is exactly how her head ended up between the clamps….”

The judge could hardly contain her laughter as she said, “Case Dismissed!”

Ok it’s Christmas season so that means time for a few Christmas posts about Christmas. I will do more then one post about the history of Christmas so let us kick of Christmas posts with this one.

Christmas is celebrated in many parts of the world on 25 December. Protestant and Roman Catholic churches hold Christmas Day services on 25 December. The Eastern churches – the Ethiopian Orthodox church, Russian Orthodox church and the Armenian church – celebrate Christmas on 6 or 7 January. There have been rituals, parties and celebrations at this time of year for thousands of years

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that Jesus is ‘the son of God’, the Messiah sent from Heaven to save the world.

The ‘Christmas story’ tells of the birth of Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem, the angels announcing the birth to the shepherds in the fields, and the Magi (wise men from the East) visiting the stable and offering gifts to the newborn child.

A Roman almanac confirms that 25 December was used to celebrate Christmas in 336 AD, although it was nearly 600 years later that the churches created a liturgy – a service for public worship – for the occasion.

The choice of date is believed to have been influenced by the northern hemisphere winter solstice, as well as ancient pagan rituals that coincided with the solstice. These rituals included the Halcyon Days in Greece, a period of calm and goodwill when it was believed the sea was calm for birds to lay their eggs; and the Roman celebration of Saturnalia, a celebration of the god Saturn, which involved wild parties, the exchange of gifts and the temporary suspension of social divisions between slaves and masters.

Christmas trees are part of a long tradition of greenery being taken into the home at Christmas to brighten the dreary winter. Mistletoe was popular with Druid priests because it remained green throughout winter. Holly placed over the doorway was believed to drive away evil. Placing branches from trees in the home was first recorded in 1494, and by the beginning of the 1600s there are records of fir trees being decorated with apples.

The story of Santa Claus has its origins in the legends surrounding the humble generosity of Saint Nicholas, whose feast day is celebrated on 6th December. Saint Nicholas was a 4th century Christian Bishop from Myra (in modern-day Turkey) who became the Patron Saint of Children. In Germany and Poland, boys dressed up as bishops begging alms for the poor. Later, the Christ child ‘Christkindlein’ was said to have accompanied Nicholas-like figures on their travels. The 1822 poem ‘Twas the Night before Christmas forged the link and Saint Nicholas (Father Christmas, Pere Noel, Christ Kind, Kriss Kringle or Sinter Klass) became known as Santa Claus.

Monday afternoon around 4pm, my middle finger on my left hand started to hurt, this is due to have arthritis in the fingers but most of the time it is ok but not Monday afternoon by 6 pm it was still very sore and causing me pain, in fact it was closer to 7pm before the pain stopped.

Tuesday evening I started to feel very tired and generally unwell so I was in bed earlier then normal, woke up drenched in sweat during the night and turned the air con on to help me cool down while I changed my nightie to a cooler one. Tim snapped that he was cold and to turn the air con off I only had it on for a couple of minutes and told him so.

Wednesday morning woke up to a cool and wet day, so decided to let Tim take the car to work if he wants to do so as I will not need it to get Leo from school this afternoon.

Mum and I had planned to go to the cemetery but I am just not feeling up to it so will give it a miss this morning.

Natasha dropped Blain off for me to take to school and her washing which I do not know if I will do today or tomorrow depends on how I feel when I get home. Also if tomorrow is going to be a better day weather wise I might leave it till then. I asked her what time she will pick him up this afternoon she said arn’t you driving him home, no your dad is taking the car so then she asked what her sister was doing I have no idea what Jess is doing this afternoon you may just have to come and get him yourself Natasha.

Speaking of Jess she rings me last night I was already in bed because I wasn’t feeling well, anyway she was rolling out some pastry and found some flour in the cupboard and used it on the bench so the pastry wouldn’t stick only to discover the flour was three years our of date. So she rings me to make sure she wouldn’t get sick but as she only used it so the pastry wouldn’t stick and because flour is fine for a bloody long time.

I am around a 3^rd through my Christmas cards, the problem is that my hand starts to shake a lot and ache after I have done a few so I have to stop for a bit, also my back aches so I need to sit back and rest a bit.

All over the news is how Victoria is going to try and introduce voluntary euthanasia laws, it will not be easy lots of strict rules will be involved. I personally feel about bloody time, we don’t let animals suffer for years so why do we let humans suffer for years when there is no cure for the cause of the suffering.

In other news KFC here have brought out a candle that smells like KFC chicken, what the hell……………no, at the start of the year they brought out sunscreen lotion that smelt like KFC chicken and that was gross as well.

I like KFC but don’t want the smell of it all over my body or all over the house, sorry but, no.

Well that is all for this post I have rambled on enough.