Like some other countries Australia has three levels of government, local, state, and federal, and we also have a Governor General. As I have wrote about all except local that is what todays post is about.

Local councils collect taxes in the form of rates from property owners, they also receive money from both state and federal governments. The money is spent on local matters such as: town planning, rubbish collection, water and sewage, dog registration and local roads.

In local council elections, voters elect representatives to councils across NSW. Each council is made up of between five and 15 councillors (one of whom is the mayor) they serve 4yrs.

By-elections are held periodically when a vacancy occurs in a civic office e.g. a councillor resigns or becomes a member of state or federal parliament.

A mayor’s salary varies from council to council, my local council is Lake Macquarie, and our mayor makes around $113,000, where as Newcastle’s mayor makes around $125.500. My daughter is under Cessnock council and their mayor makes about $61,280.

Well, hello everyone time for another freaky creature, this week we have the Potoo. It is found in South American forest, if you saw it sitting on a branch its body will match the colour of the branch with its beak pointed skyward, you may not notice it.

It has huge staring eyes and eerie call “po-Too” “poo-Too”.

It will swoop from its perch when it sees food such as flying insects which it swallows whole.

It has a wingspan of 1 metre its eerie call when heard in the jungle at night can be either unsettling or out right scary. According to Brazilian legend, it’s a song from the dead, giving good luck to friends and bad luck to enemies.

Good morning all here we are a6t another Monday, so it is fact day, this week we are looking at sea creatures.

The Earth’s oceans are home to an array of animals and plant life that live and feed at different levels of the water, these levels are called zones.

The sunlit zone to all ocean plants and many animals from corals and jellyfish to seals, sea turtles and sharks. Billions of microscopic plants called phytoplankton drift near the surface of the water, providing food for many creatures.

Only a little light makes it the twilight zone, so the animals at that level have adjusted to life in near darkness and very cold temperatures. These include crabs, squid, lobsters, and octopuses.

The sunless zone is extremely cold and the creatures that live there feed mainly on dead plankton which sinks to that level, which is extremely deep. It is difficult for humans to explore due to the water pressure being so high. It is home to lantern fish, cookiecutter sharks, and deep-sea jellyfish.

Then there is the abyssal zone, which is freezing cold and completely dark, the animals that live there can produce light from their bodies, to attract prey.

Daylight savings has finished for now, so it was 6am by the bedroom clock when I got up as Tim hadn’t changed it back, but he did do the loungeroom clocks. I am someone who likes to know the time and has 2 clocks in the loungeroom, 1 in the bedroom and the time showing on the microwave.

It was only 16 degrees when I got up. I also woke with pain in my jaw but after a couple of hours it settled down.

Tim is off to a mate’s memorial some fella from work.

By 10.30am it was 23 degrees and by midday it was 27 degrees. So, I turned the air con on.

Tim got home at 4.15pm, he said he had a good day.

Monday morning, the laptop tells me it is 25 degrees, but the phone says 17 degrees the phone is right, I can tell by the fact that I am on the cold side. I am glad I am not someone who has a problem adjusting to the start or end of daylight savings.

By 9am I had to change into shorts the temp was 21 degrees according to my phone.  Turned into another warm day with a temp of 25 degrees.

Sam was late again getting home from school, Tim thought he had missed him and since he had his physio at 2.30pm he came home but when his physio was finished at 3pm he went to check that Sam was home and no Sam wasn’t home, in fact Tim had been gone so long checking on Sam I was wondering what was going on and when I looked outside I saw both of them walking down the driveway.

Then Sam discovered he was locked out of the house, but thankfully Tasha arrived home shortly after and was able to let Sam in the house.

I was up at 4.50am needing to pee so naturally I stayed up; it is a cold 15 degrees this morning.

After Sam left Tasha turned up with a basket of her work clothes to toss in the dryer, she thought she was going to work tonight but there is a chance she may have a job in a couple of hours, and they won’t dry on the line in that amount of time.

The temp at 8.30am was 19 degrees.

Sue came over to do her washing, she also drove to Millers Bakery.

By 2.30pm it is 22 degrees, and I am starting to feel tired.

I slept through the night, Tim slept in his armchair and didn’t go to bed till I got up at 5am.

A cold and windy start to the day with the temp of 14 degrees.

Our new Foxtel box (pay tv) arrived yesterday afternoon, Tim and I will set it up sometime today.

Spoke to Kathy not much to say but I do like hearing from her even if it is only a 10-minute chat.

Tim & I set the new Foxtel box up, not hard to do when all you must do is disconnect the leads from one box and reconnect them to the other box.

The cleaners arrived again, and Tim spoke to them and showed them the video clip, the woman said there was a spider, but it didn’t wash with us. They were told their services were no longer needed.

Had a good night after a bad incident, I had got up for a small drink heard Sam in the bathroom we spoke for moment, and I went back to bed. Tim wasn’t here, he had gone out for a bit. Anyway, I had barely laid back down when I was overcome with fear, I had no idea what I was afraid of, but I started yelling and thrashing about. Sam heard me and came and helped me settle, he sat with me holding my hand till I started to drift off. I hope whatever that was it was a once of.

It was a lovely 12 degrees when I got up. By 11am it was a warm 22 degrees

Had a message from Jess saying Sam is sick so no school.

Had a visit from Sandy, she gave me a big hug, a little bit later Dawson came over to check on me.

Tim went to Centrelink in Wallsend and got the paperwork for me to apply for a disability Support Pension and for him to apply for a carer’s payment.

BEEN 3 YEARS SINCE MUM PASSED

Up at 4.50am to pee and of course I stayed up, a somewhat cold morning with a temp of 11 degrees, 6am it was 14 degrees.

Went to the doctors for scripts, then Tim and I went to a few other shops. I managed to buy a nice pair of long grey pants, just need Tim to cut them off.

Had a good chat with Sue and she had good cry, by the time got off the phone I was teary and had a cry.

Had a good night once I settled down, I mentioned to the doctor about the fear I felt the other night, which he called an anxiety attack, which I have not had a few years. Tim mentioned that some nights I’m up and down for a bit after going to bed, the doctor explained that is normal with Parkinson’s.

Sue came over to drop off a bottle of Vodka for Tim.

Dawson also came over for a visit, he had along talk with Tasha.

I stripped the bed and remade it on my own.

Friday has arrived, so it is time for another post about Parkinson’s disease and this week we are looking at memory.

Now every man and his dog have memory problems which with age can get worse and having Parkinson’s and memory problems is just one more issue to deal with. Now I am not talking about having Parkinson’s dementia or Alzheimer’s but just normal memory issues which can be significant for someone with Parkinson’s.

It is seldom bad enough to cause a handicap, but we need to do the usual things when one has a bad memory such as writing things down, having a notepad handy is a must. I have one on my desk and one in my bedroom, as I often thing of things I want to do the following day just after going to bed and will get up and jot things down.

A usual and annoying symptom is when we are talking to someone and suddenly can’t remember what we were saying and just stop talking. If you are talking to someone with Parkinson’s and they suddenly stop talking don’t snap at them, just give them a few moments and usually it will come back to them, and they will continue the conversation.

Even though this thought block is annoying and frustrating, it is not considered a serious symptom from a medical point of view. As, it does not indicate any progressive mental deterioration or psychological abnormality.

Unfortunately, there is bugga all treatment for this and we just have to learn to deal with it.

Ok this is part two about banners, in Australia banners became a feature of union processions from around the mid 1850’s. They would be made of silk or canvas and trimmed with gold fringe or braid, they varied from the simple to the far from simple, as in fancy. Either the original or a copy of the Melbourne Eight-Hour Banner is I believe on display at the National Museum of Australia but I maybe wrong.

The main source of traditional banner imagery were classical mythology, biblical stories, heraldic devices and freemasons ritual and symbolism. Most banners showed a masculine figure hard at work giving a man his dignity. Women were rarely shown but there was a plethora of lightly clad goddess like figures to show the ideals of truth and wisdom.

As well as showing the dignity of labour and skills of working people, they also showed the new technology and pride in the latest tools and such.

From around 1857 Australian symbols began to appear such things as the rising sun, the southern cross later other symbols including Australian places, wildflowers, and native animals.

Over the years problem of weathering by wind and rain resulting in repainting and retrimming of banners but thankfully many of these old banners can still be seen in collections around the country.

In the 1890’s despite unemployment troubles, the demise of some unions and the problems of some unions not even being able to afford a horse and cart to move the banners, the processions kept up.

Whereas the early marches can be seen as rites of social integration those of the late 1890’s often became a form of social protest. In 1891 the procession in Melbourne had 52 trades and as many banners, they marched to the sound of 20 brass bands.

More next week.

Ok we have looked at our Prime Minister, our Deputy PM and our Governor General, so let’s move onto our state Premiers.

We have 6 states, and each state has their own premier. We also have two main territories the Northern Territory and Australia Capital Territory. The territories do not have Premiers but instead have Chief Ministers.

The Premier is the senior representative and spokesperson for the Government, is usually its predominant Parliamentary performer, and tends to set the overall tone and direction of the Government.

The chief minister of the Northern Territory is the head of government of the Northern Territory. The office is the equivalent of a state premier. When the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly was created in 1974, the head of government was officially known as majority leader.

In a 1998 referendum, the voters of the Northern Territory rejected a statehood proposal that would have given the territory three senators, rather than the twelve held by the other states, although the name “Northern Territory” would have been retained.

Our Premiers and Chief Ministers responsibilities include schools, hospitals, conservation and environment, roads, railways and public transport, public works, agriculture and fishing, industrial relations, community services, sport and recreation, consumer affairs, police, prisons, and emergency services.

Guess what it is time for another freaky creature, this week it is the Texas Horned Lizard.

It has a crown of thorns is also known as the Horny Toad because of its rounded body. This body can be puffed up when threatened. It has another form of defence; it can shoot a stream of blood from the corner of its eyes and occasionally its mouth. This liquid can go as far as 1.5 metres or 15 times the length of its body, it is a cocktail of blood and chemical that’s foul tasting to predators such as wolves and coyotes.

Its horns are bony extensions of its skull and are part of its armoury, along with its spiked scales.

It is one of about 21 North American species of spikey-bodied reptiles called horned lizards. It is mostly found in the south-central regions of the USA and northeastern Mexico.

Because it is listed as a threatened species, it is illegal to pick up, touch or possess them in Texas.

They are considered harmless to humans and pets as they are known for their docile and unaggressive nature.

Here we are on Monday yet again, this week we are back to some facts about the Earth.

Seas and oceans are constantly moved by tides, which are caused by the Moon. As the Moon travels around the Earth the force of its gravity makes the water on either side of the Earth bulge. In a 24-hour period this will cause two high tides and two low tides when the sea level is at its highest or lowest.

Rivers are formed when streams join together, flowing across the land and eventually into the sea or lake. The alter the surface of the Earth over time by eroding the rocks they flow over and by depositing rocks, pebbles, sand and slit as they go.

The Pacific Ocean is the worlds largest ocean covering around 30 per cent of the Earth’s surface.

The longest river is of course the Nile at 6,853km or 4,258 miles in length.

The shortest river is the Roe River in Montana at only 61 metres or 201 feet in length, in 1989 it entered the Guinness Book of Records as the shortest river.  

I am up, washed and dressed ready for the day, the front and back sliding doors are open even though it is only 17 degrees, but I don’t like the thought of the house smelling stuffy or as my daughter would say smelling like old people and opening the doors and windows can stop that.

Apple, jelly, and custard for breakie.

It is 9am and I am drenched in sweat and my phone, and the laptop say it is only 20 degrees, so I checked the thermometer on the wall it says 21 degrees.

Ok by midday it was 26 degrees, and I was still sweating.

DAWSON’S BIRTHDAY HE IS 25 TODAY

Well, it is Monday and no school today being a public holiday, it is only 16 degrees this morning but still I opened the doors, the temp by 9am was 19 degrees. Got to a high of 27 degrees.

I finished writing letters this morning I have 8 without stamps and 5 with stamps ready to go.

Tim had me wake him at 9am as we are going shopping.

Tim and I went to Kmart, Kathy & Summer met us there, and Kathy was a help. I managed to get new undies, socks 1 top and 1 pair of pants that Tim will need to cut off for me. I have decided I will buy new shorts next Summer. I managed to walk around the shop pushing a trolley without issue, this made me happy.

Hard a hard time settling last night due to my feet moving so much but once I did get to sleep, I slept well.

It was 16 degrees when I got up, now 2hrs later it is 17 degrees. By midday it is a nice warmish 27 degrees.

By 7.30am I checked all my emails, visited a number of blogs, printed my diary entry for yesterday and now I have nothing to do, oh I also made a dental appointment inline for tomorrow at 12.15pm. I have no more pen pal letters to write, I even wrote a few yesterday to pals I haven’t heard from in a while.

Made a dentist appointment for tomorrow, then Tim tells me he will not be here and can’t take me at the same time Sue sent me a text asking how I was, and I told her, and she said she will take me.

Also sent Sandy a text asking if she wanted any of the stuff in the freezer I don’t want, and she said she does so she will come over at some point and get that.

Tim has driven Jess & Sam to Belmont hospital as Sam has an appointment with the paediatrician and Jess didn’t want to deal with the parking there.

Sam took the test to get his learners permit and passed now just to learn how to drive. Jess took Sam for a small drive and when they returned Sam walked in and said driving is terrifying.

Up, washed and dressed for the day it is somewhat cool here with a temp of only 14 degrees.

Opened the doors at least for a little bit, but it was too cold so shut them after half an hour.

By 9am it was 17 degrees, the temp got to 24 degrees.

Sue took to the dentist; she didn’t have as much trouble getting it as I thought she would.

As the numbness wears off the pain is increasing and even though I fell asleep pretty quick I was awake at 9pm with a sore mouth and got up and took more paracetamol.

Once I feel asleep after taking the paracetamol last night I settled again and slept through the night. It felt odd not brushing my teeth, but the dentist said it is better not to brush for 3 days.

It was 17 degrees when I got up at 5am.

By 7am I started to feel like shit, my mouth hurts, I have a headache and I feel nauseous and tired. I did go back to bed for a while.

Sue came over she was in a bit of state as she is having more problems with her Ex, also she got paid but after paying bills she had only $60 left for food shopping and had to cut down her shopping list. I gave her a $50 gift card for Big W and when I told Tim he was fine with me doing so.

Tim has gone into Adamstown for some appointment, the more the day goes on the worse I feel.

I slept well and woke to pain in my jaw and a headache, now I don’t feel great but not as bad as I did yesterday arvo. Another wet day with a temp of 19 degrees.

Kathy rang but we only chatted for a few minutes as I am feeling like shit still.

I walked Sam up the front using the walker in light rain and just managed to get home before it started coming down heavy, the heavy rain didn’t last long.

Tim’s physio Zoe came she is pleased with his progress, he also had a phone call from his Youi case manager. He is going to make sure the cleaners do not come back again, as well as chase up what is happening with the person who is supposed to be helping Tim with a resume and find a job.

I woke around 4am with a lot of pain in my jaw but managed to stick it out till 5am when I got up and took medication. It was 15 degrees at 5am but by 1pm it was 26 degrees.

It is a somewhat coldish morning well with the doors open it is I will have to close the front door because of the cold.

Tim has taken Sam for a driving lesson, in Jess’s car.

I am shaking a lot this afternoon and sweating of course.

Tim asked me this afternoon if my condition will get worse, answer, yes over time it will. He then asked me if I would end up in a nursing home, all I said was that is a long way off, if it at all. I don’t know what the future holds and all we can do is take life one day at a time.