Week 4 of 2025

~ joannerambling ~ Leave a comment

After a rough start I managed to get some decent sleep, it is 20 degrees at 6am and my BGL was 4.8

Tim is working, he had left before I got up.

I managed to do a number of things on the computer, like research and write up this week’s blog post, no I didn’t do them all in one day but over two days.

A fine day, Tim home by 3pm

Steps: 8,352

I had a good night but when I got up to pee at 4.50am I was struggling to keep my eyes open, so I took my tablets and went back to bed for 20 minutes. After that I was feeling ok and had a hot shower when I got up.

It is only 15 degrees and my BGL was 4.9

Kathy dropped the girls off around 9am she wasn’t feeling well are rang me at midday to say she was heading home and will come get the girls. She did a four in one test and she has Covid, explains why she feels like death warmed up.

Tim bought a wall heater/fan for the bathroom it is mounted and working. The heater part works better than the fan but that’s ok it is mostly the heater we will use in the colder months.

Steps: 4,469

I had a good night, didn’t wake at all, I am feeling good this morning. It is only 16 degrees and my BGL was 4.9.

It has become a hot day, and I needed the air con on.

I vacuumed, washed the laundry, bathroom and kitchen floors. After that I washed the towels and hung them out, after that I was exhausted.

Steps: 7,952

SYDNEY-MAY’S BIRTHDAY SHE IS 15

I had a good night, didn’t wake at all, I am feeling good this morning. It is 18 degrees and my BGL was 5.0.

Sue drove me to my doctor’s appointment to get the results of my Xray and Scan, all is ok, yes, I have arthritis but it’s not too bad.

Had a women Sue knows contact me about the toaster oven that Jess doesn’t want, she came over and picked it up.

I am having a restless night

Steps:8,093

A new day has arrived and after a rough start I ended up sleeping well for five hours.

It 20 degrees and by BGL was 4.9.

Sue took me to have my ears cleaned, as it turned out my right ear was clear, but the left was 70% blocked.

We then went to Coles before coming home. It has been a warm day but no need for the air con just the fan.

Steps:3,479

Another day is here and it’s Friday, Tim has no work today, so I suggested we go out for lunch as it is his birthday on Sunday (Australia Day). I asked Sue if she would like to join us also asked Tasha and Jess, but they said nope, Jess said she will be sleeping as she is working tonight. Tasha has no money.

It is 20 degrees and my BFL was 5.0.

Lunch was good, Sue and I laughed a lot.

It has been a nice warm day needing only the fan at times to cool down.

Steps:5,484

Another good night and another cool start to the day, nothing on today I don’t need to leave the house and that feels good.

It is only 16 degrees, and we are looking at a top temp of only 25 degrees.

When Tim got up, he said we needed to change the sheets, so I stripped the bed and remade it.

It is a warm day, but I haven’t turned the air con on.

I have felt exhausted a few times today but that’s ok it was after doing stuff like changing the sheets, shaving my legs then cleaning the bathroom sink. Vacuuming and sorting through some stuff.

I am having a rough night.

Steps: 8, 101

Eritrea Nation Anthem

~ joannerambling ~ 5 Comments

First up there is a new hodgepodge post here: https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2025/01/a-cold-hodgepodge-in-summer.html

This week we are looking at the national anthem of Eritrea, but I wasn’t able to find much information about it.

The national anthem is called, “Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea”, it was written by poet Solomon Tsehaye Beraki and composed by organist Isaac Abraham Meharezghi.  This was back in 1986 and was updated in 1993 after Eritrea gained independence.

The anthem represents the common national consciousness that developed among the people of Eritrea during their nearly three-decade war of independence. 

These are the lyrics.

The English translation is this.

Ertra, Ertra, Ertra,
The barbarian enemy humiliatingly defeated
And martyrdom has paid for freedom

Decades of devotion for purpose
Your name became challenger, miraculous
Ertra, comfort for the oppressed
Proved that truth can win after all

Ertra, Ertra
A sovereign state on earth after all

Dedication that led to liberation
Will build up and make her green
We shall honour her with progress
We have a word to her to embellish

Ertra, Ertra
A sovereign state on earth after all

Process Delay Disorder

~ joannerambling ~ 6 Comments

Hi everyone, this week we are looking at a condition that my eldest daughter told me about, it is called Process Delay Disorder. Has anyone heard of this?

What is it, well it’s a condition that makes it difficult for people to process information from their senses. This can include visual, auditory, or sensory information. 

It is a time-relating characteristic that determines an amount of time during which a scheduled process or activity is stopped or idle. It is an unplanned extension in the process’s duration caused by some circumstances that impedes the process’s commencement or continuation.

The symptoms include. 

  • Difficulty remembering new information
  • Difficulty following multi-step instructions
  • Difficulty understanding speech, especially in noisy places
  • Difficulty completing math operations
  • Difficulty interacting with others

There are many things that could cause it, including. 

  • Physical illness or injury
  • Lack of sleep
  • Reaction to medications
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Learning disorders
  • Emotional factors
  • Fewer neurotransmitters in the brain
  • Epilepsy

There’s no cure for auditory processing disorder, however, there is treatment.

When it comes to treatment, it seems something called auditory training, this means to undertake activities that will improve someone’s concentration and listening.

Reading regularly, is thought to help as reading exercises your brain muscles like any other muscle, and the more you read, the faster you might be able to process information.

Playing brain games, also help as there are many brain-training games and puzzles that can help improve your processing speed.

Processing disorders can affect a person’s ability to learn, work, and socialize. They can also lead to low self-esteem and anxiety. 

Newcastle’s Trams Way Back When

~ joannerambling ~ 6 Comments

Hello Wednesday, hello world, hello readers today we are looking at the rise and fall of the electric tramway.

Newcastle’s first tram service started in 1887, it ran between the city and the suburbs Wallsend/Plattsburg, it was a steam service. The tram actual went down Robert St in Wallsend straight pass the house my brother now owns and lives in. I know this because I remember my Great-Aunt Joyce, who owned the house before my brother told me more then once. 

Steam trams were speedy and reliable, but they also caused environmental issues.

The electrification of the network began at the end of 1923 with the Mayfield service and over time extended. The tram first came into service in November 1924.

For a while there was a hybrid network between electric and steam trams, with steam trams running between Wallsend and Speers Point as well as West Wallsend.

The system was exclusively electric by 1930, the tram network was gradually converted to bus and trolleybus operations from the 1930s

In the 1930s poor patronage and competition from bus services led to the realisation that trams were not paying their way. During the Great Depression, there was not the political will to remove a service that provided jobs and cheap transport, however by the late 1930s this had changed, and the Port Waratah and Carrington lines were closed in 1938.

Many believe that it was World War 11 that delayed any further closures. Because of fuel rationing buses were not allowed to run services where trams operated. The end of the war saw the Mayfield line close in 1948, the Wallsend line in 1949 with the remainder in 1950.

As tram services in Newcastle declined, the Hamilton Depot was converted to a bus depot, which it continues as today operated by Newcastle Transport.

Buses gradually took over from trams as time went by with the last tram run ending on the 12 June 1950, it was tram number 147 and ran to Waratah before terminating at 12.10am an account was given by a transport enthusiast named Ken Magor, he wrote the following.


The tram leaving on its last run was covered in streamers and as it passed through the streets of its route there were surprising numbers that awaited its final run. Of course, Hunter Street with its late revellers gave it a resounding cheer as it passed by. A large and happy crowd filled the tram and rode to the terminus where many photos were taken, and a Mr Taylor let off a rather large rocket and comments were made that if trams ever returned to Newcastle they would be “jet propelled”.

Twelve members of the Australian Electric Traction Association, whose members worked hard for the retention of the tramway system but with no luck. This was due to non-co-operation of local bodies, made the trip from Sydney for the last tram ride.

Grey Fox

~ joannerambling ~ 5 Comments

The gray fox, or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America.

They live in a wide variety of places. They prefer to live in places they can blend in, like canyons and ridges. Though they will also live in wooded areas, open desert and grasslands. They can be found from Quebec to Northern Columbia and Venezuela.

They are common, but very elusive and rare to spot in the wild. They are primarily nocturnal but may forage during the day.

They are smaller than red foxes. They weigh between 7 and 13 pounds and average 3 to 4 feet in length including the tail. They are stockier and have shorter legs than the red fox. Their color is grizzled gray with a distinctive black streak along the top to the black tip of the tail.

They have a white throat and belly. Their chest and lower sides of the body, undersurface of the tail, backs of the ears, parts of the legs, feet and neck are reddish or yellowish brown. The claws are sharp, and on the forefeet recurved.

Due to their more aggressive behavior, they prefer to hunt thicker cover than the more timid red fox. The gray fox’s preference for thicker cover, aggressive behavior, and the ability to climb trees minimizes the effect that eastern coyotes have on their population.

It often lines the den with shredded bark or leaves and will return to the same one year after year. The gray fox is nocturnal and crepuscular, which means it is most active at dusk and dawn. During the day, it remains in the den.

The gray fox is a solitary hunter and eats a wide variety of foods. A large part of its diet is made up of small mammals like mice, voles and eastern cottontail rabbits. It also eats birds; insects; and plants like corn, apples, nuts, berries and grass.

The gray fox has few natural predators. Bobcats, coyotes, great horned owls, and golden eagles may occasionally prey upon young gray foxes.

Eritrea

~ joannerambling ~ 3 Comments

This week we are still in Africa, and this is a country I only recently heard of while watching something on YouTube about modern day slavery.  

So, we are looking at the country of Eritrea.

Eritrea is a northeast African country on the Red Sea coast. It shares borders with Ethiopia, Sudan and Djibouti. The capital city, Asmara, is known for its Italian colonial buildings, like St. Joseph’s Cathedral, as well as art deco structures. Italian, Egyptian and Turkish architecture in Massawa reflect the port city’s colourful history. Notable buildings here include St. Mariam Cathedral and the Imperial Palace.

It has a population of 3.7 million and has no official language, as it is a multilingual country, and as the Constitution establishes the “equality of all Eritrean languages”. Tigrinya, Arabic, and English serve as de facto working languages, with English used in university education and many technical fields.

The flag of Eritrea is made up of a red triangle, a green triangle, and a blue triangle, with a yellow olive branch and wreath in the centre. The first Eritrean flag was adopted in 1952, but was replaced by Ethiopia in 1958, The Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) adopted a flag in 1977, the current flag was adopted on December 5, 1995.

The country’s official religions are Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Christianity, Sunni Islam, Roman Catholicism, and Evangelical Protestantism. However, the government restricts the activities of these religions and persecutes members of unregistered religious groups. 

What does this mean? Well, the government’s constitution and laws prohibit discrimination based on religion. However, the government restricts the activities of the officially recognized religions. The government intimidates and prosecutes people who practice unregistered religions, it also prevents unregistered religions from building houses of worship or practicing their religion. Also, the government detains people for their religious beliefs, including minors.

The currency is the nakfa and was introduced on 15 November 1997 to replace the Ethiopian birr at par. It takes it name from then place of Nakfa were the first victory in their war of independence took place.

Like many other African countries, it is not a safe place to visit.

The country’s education system includes basic, secondary, and tertiary education. The government has been working to improve the quality of education and increase access to schools. Due to the country’s geography which include remote areas education is difficult.

Other problems are the amount of poverty, and many children living in nomadic areas also children with disabilities have difficulty accessing education.

In fact, many children are unable to read and understand what they are reading, and it is not unusual for as much as 48% of primary school-aged children to not attend school.

Eritrea has been involved in several wars and conflicts, including the Eritrean–Ethiopian War, the Djiboutian–Eritrean conflict, and the Tigray War. 

Eritrean–Ethiopian War lasted from 1998 to 2000 and was between Eritrea and Ethiopia. The war resulted in the Algiers Agreement, tens of thousands lost their lives on both sides. The war resulted in minor changes to the border between the two countries. 

Eritrean–Ethiopian border conflict this was a violent standoff and proxy conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia that lasted from 1998 to 2018. In 2018, Ethiopia agreed to cede Badme to Eritrea.

Eritrean War of Independence as armed conflict that lasted from 1961 to 1991 this war ended in 1991 with the fall of the Derg regime.

Djiboutian–Eritrean conflict occurred in 2008 between Eritrea and Djibouti it lasted only three days of indecisive fighting.

Lastly there was the Tigray War a conflict that occurred from 2020 to 2022 between Ethiopia and Eritrea it ended with the Ethiopia–Tigray peace agreement.

Week 3 of 2025

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Another good night and nice morning it’s 20 degrees, my BGL is 5.3

Tim and I went over to Lake Fair, he wanted to cash in empty bottles, and I wanted to go to the dollar store to see what cheap Christmas things they had.

I only found a couple of things but that’s ok.

By the time we got home it was stinking hot.

Steps:6,499

I had a decent enough sleep, up at 5, showered and dressed, I have to see the neurologist is Sydney at 12.40pm so we will leave here around 9.30am

It is currently 18 degrees, but it is expected to reach 30 degrees today. My BGL was 5.1

When I saw the neurologist, she was pleased with how I am doing and isn’t making any change to my medication. The only thing that annoyed me was that she was running 70 minutes late.

We arrived home around 5pm, to a stinking hot house, we should have asked one of the girls to come and turn the air con around 4.30, that was the first thing I did after walking into the house.

LIARNA’S BIRTHDAY SHE IS 15 TODAY

I had a good night didn’t wake at all, it is 21 degrees this morning and my BGL was 5.1, we are headed for a top temp of 29 degrees.

Kathy will be dropping Summer off for the day, Summer would rather stay home alone like she did yesterday, but her mum said no.

Ok in the last how the temp has dropped to 19 degrees.

Thankfully I remember this morning that the water will be cut off from 8am to 3pm and made sure the kettle was filled as well as a jug of water.

As it turned out we didn’t have the water cut off.

There was an incident out the front, Tim was walking over to Jess’s place and the woman in unit 14 was driving out and Tim said she made like she was going to run him over. I watched the video caught on the door-bell camera, but I didn’t notice anything. I am not saying she didn’t do something just that I couldn’t see it. Anyway, he rang the cops to report it, and they came out to talk to him at 10.30pm.

Another mostly good night.

The temp is 25 degrees and my GL is 5.1. We are in for another hot day it reached a top of 33 degrees.

So, I went and had my care plan reviewed and then I went and had an Xray of my elbow done as well as the CT scan done of my left knee. Sue drove me.

I was glad that Tim turned the air con on before he went to work, as that meant I came home to a cool house.

Tim is working today; he should be home around 3pm. 

I managed to walk up and check the mail without my cane or my walker, I felt exhausted by the time I got back inside the house.

I am having a very restless night; I just can’t settle.

Steps:8,346

After a restless start to the night, I ended up sleeping good enough, I got up at 5am, showered and dressed for the day.

It is a nice 20 degrees, only looking at a top of 22 degrees today.

Around 11am it started raining and has been raining on and off all day. It has also been very windy and cold.

Steps:6,502

Another good night woke twice to pee.

It is a coldish 18 degrees and have long pants on, so I can have the sliding doors open. My BGL was 5.1

Damn it is a cold day feels more like winter then summer today. In fact, after Tim left for work, I turned the heater on for about an hour to warm the room up.

This afternoon I started to feel off, headache and aching chest and back area and just not feeling right.

Steps:4,510

Another good night woke only once to pee, it is another cool and wet morning raining as I write this. I still don’t feel great but I’m ok. It is only 19 degrees and my BGL was 4.8

It stopped raining around 12.45pm and warmed up some, but around 5pm it started raining.

I went to bed at 8.30pm but woke at 10.22, tossing and turning so I got up for an hour and half.

Tim is working he left before I got up, I think he left around 4.15am.

Steps:10, 509

National Anthem of the Republic of Congo

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This week’s national anthem is “La Congolaise” which is the national anthem of the Republic of the Congo.

It was adopted in 1959 after the country’s independence from France, it was replaced in 1969 by “Les Trois Glorieuses” only to be reinstated in 1991. The lyrics were written by Jacques Tondra and Georges Kibanghi, and the music was composed by Jean Royer and Joseph Spadilière.

I
En ce jour le soleil se lève
Et notre Congo resplendit.
Une longue nuit s’achève,
Un grand bonheur a surgi.
Chantons tous avec ivresse
Le chant de la liberté.

Refrain :
Congolais, debout fièrement partout,
Proclamons l’union de notre nation,
Oublions ce qui nous divise,
Soyons plus unis que jamais,
Vivons pour notre devise:
Unité, travail, progrès,
Vivons pour notre devise:
Unité, travail, progrès!

II
Des forêts jusqu’à la savanne,
Des savannes jusqu’à la mer,
Un seul peuple, une seule âme,
Un seul cœur, ardent et fier,
Luttons tous, tant que nous sommes,
Pour notre vieux pays noir.

Refrain

III
Et s’il nous faut mourir, en somme
Qu’importe puisque nos enfants,
Partout, pourront dire comme
On triomphe en combattant,
Et dans le moindre village
Chantent sous nos trois couleurs.

Refrain		I
On this day the sun rises
And our Congo stands resplendent.
A long night is ended,
A great happiness has come.
Let us all, with wild joyfulness, sing
The song of freedom.

Chorus:
Arise, Congolese, proud every man,
Proclaim the unity of our nation.
Let us forget what divides us
And become more united than ever.
Let us live our motto:
Unity, work, progress.
Let us live our motto:
Unity, work, progress!

II
From the forest to the savannah,
From the savannah to the sea,
One people, one soul,
One heart, ardent and proud.
Let us all fight, every one of us,
For our black  country.

Chorus

III
And if we have to die,
What does it really matter? Our children
Everywhere will be able to say how
Triumph comes through battle,
And in the smallest village
Sing beneath our three colours
Chorus