Hello everyone here we are at another bloody cold morning, I am feeling a tad better then yesterday enough I hope to write some facts about Aussie land.

Since I have covered our 6 states and 2 main territories I will move on to federation.

The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia agreed to unite and form the Commonwealth of Australia, establishing a system of federalism in Australia

Australia became a nation on 1 January 1901, when the British Parliament passed legislation enabling the six Australian colonies to collectively govern in their own right as the Commonwealth of Australia. It was a remarkable political accomplishment that had taken many years and several referendums to achieve.

When the Commonwealth of Australia was declared on 1 January 1901, a ceremony was held in Centennial Park in Sydney. The first Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun, was sworn in and the first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton, and federal ministers took the oath of office. Many Australians celebrated their nationhood, participating in parades, processions, sporting events and school pageants.

The first federal elections for the new Parliament were held on 29 and 30 March 1901. The first Parliament was held in Melbourne on 9 May 1901. It was officially opened by the Duke of Cornwall and York (later King George V). The opening ceremony was large and elaborate and further celebrations were held.

In 1901 the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory (NT) did not exist. The Constitution provided for the establishment of a national capital, to be located in New South Wales but at least 100 miles from Sydney. In 1911 the Australian Government created the ACT for this purpose. In the same year, the NT was also created. This area had previously been part of South Australia.

Although part of the Commonwealth, the territories do not have the same legal status as states.

Woke at 4.30 and decided to take my morning meds while up so I could sleep in but of course I found myself awake at 5am so I got up and damn it is cold. Sam stayed home.

A cold day but an ok day anyway, having a hot shower this afternoon I wanted one yesterday arvo but Tim had one on Saturday and the floor towels were wringing wet so I didn’t bother.

My feet are so cold this morning they are stinging, I have a blanket over them trying to ease the pain.

Sam put my socks on when they came down which helped a lot.

Left over pizza for breakie, as it turned out that was all I had available for breakfast.

I am shaking a lot on and off and it is so annoying.

My feet are again so cold they are stinging, I do have the heater on but it doesn’t stop the pain in my feet.

Sam put my socks on before leaving for school.

Tim had a rehab appointment, I asked how it went and he said fine. He also said that next week he will start more exercise for his hand.

I am considering trying to sleep with socks on even though it isn’t something I like to do as I find it annoying.

I didn’t wear socks to bed as Tasha said she would be down at 5am to use the dryer but no she hasn’t shown up and it is now around 6am and my feet are bloody cold.

Sam not going to school this morning he has a headspace appointment which Papa will take him.

Tasha decided it was too cold to come down this morning.

I have a 4pm telehealth appointment this arvo with my neurologist.

At 5.50pm if I had been forgotten and at 6.10 she rang and we had the appointment. She wants me to restart taking Sifrol as she said the Madopar & Sifrol work better together for some people.

I was feel done in by the time I went to bed.

I slept well and was up at 5am as usual and yes it is bloody cold, I wore socks to bed but at midnight when I went to the loo one was falling off. Anyway as I was going back to bed I fell over and Tim came to help, I had him remove the socks and blamed them for falling over. This morning my upper arms are sore.

At 7.15am it started to rain so I sent Tasha a text asking if she could go up with Sam due to the weather. She said she would but didn’t really want to.

Tim received a letter from his surgeon saying he would be fit for work from the end of July can’t remember the date. He was expecting to go back on light duties but the letter doesn’t say that, it says he will be fit to drive a bus. This has made him happy.

Saturday here and even though I thought about staying in bed till around 6am at 5am I needed to pee so I stayed up.

Kathy and Summer came over so Kathy could dye Tasha’s hair. She didn’t do anything here, Summer put socks on my feet for me.

Another day spent doing bugga all, I need to start trying to more during the day. I did answer 3 letters which was something, I guess.

Hello everyone here I am on another cold Saturday and as I sit here listen to a book by Tim Bowden I thought I would share a little about this author.

Timothy Gibson Bowden AM, is an Australian author, radio and television broadcaster and producer, and oral historian. He was born in Hobart, Tasmania, and studied at the University of Tasmania, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He was born in Hobart on the 2 August 1937.

I only discovered his books last year I think, he has written many books about Australians during the second world war which I really enjoy. Like my father I love books about Australian history.

You can find more about him here: https://www.timbowden.com.au/

The end of the school week and it is raining and cold of course it is cold, anyway it is the day of Jo-Anne’s thoughts and my thoughts this cold wet morning are about how conflicting advice from doctors can be so annoying.

Yesterday arvo I had a telehealth appointment as in a video appointment with my neurologist and I was telling her that the last week or so I feel like things are sliding backwards. When I told her that my GP had taken me off Sifrol as he did didn’t think I needed to take both Sifrol and Madopar, well she disagrees and wants me to start retaking the Sifrol as she said the two work well together in some people and she thinks I am one of them. She also said she will send me a script for a longer acting version of Sifrol.

I know my GP was just doing what he thought was best as he said that both medications do the same thing, the neurologist said that they don’t. So I may have to go and see my GP about a script, I don’t know how long before the new longer acting script arrives, she didn’t say whether she was snail mailing it or emailing or doing an escript.

I am sure I am not the only person who feels like doctors give conflicting advice each believing they are right. Which is so frustrating to the patient and in the end we often have no bloody idea who is right and who isn’t. So we carry on through life hoping our doctors know what the hell they are talking about.

It is another bloody cold day, very cold indeed, well it is word of the week day and this weeks word is: Cold

A low or relatively low temperature especially when compared with the human body

Lacking affection or warmth of feeling

Unemotional

A common infection in which the mucous membrane of the nose and throat becomes inflamed, typically causing running of the nose, sneezing and a sore throat.

Completely or entirely as in we stopped cold due to circumstances

Yes I know everyone should know the meaning of cold but since I am bloody cold that’s the word I am going with today.

Let me share some more Aussie slang all today are words/terms still used today.

Drongo……A dope or stupid person

Doodle……Penis

Dinkum or Fair Dinkum…..Something or someone who is real and genuine

Dinky Di……Also a real genuine thing

Dunny….An outside toilet

What a bloody cold morning here this Tuesday and it’s creature day today it is something called the European River Lamprey. It is of course a fish.

This jawless eel-like thing attaches itself to larger fish and drinks its blood.

It’s round sucker like mouth contains two rows of circular teeth that help it cling to the host as it swims. It has one nostril and seven breathing holes along each side of its body behind the eyes, and grows to 30cm in length.

Similar to salmon, European river lamprey migrates from coastal waters to inland breeding grounds to spawn. They swim up stream in autumn and winter, lay eggs in the spring and die. Their young take 2-3 years to mature, feeding on bacteria in the stream before heading out to sea.

Well here we are at another Monday, so it is facts day, this weeks facts are about my home state of New South Wales.

The current state flag of New South Wales was officially adopted in 1876. The flag is based on the defaced British Blue Ensign with the state badge located in the fly.

The lion in the centre is the English Lion derived from the British Arms. The first and fourth quarters are the Golden Fleece, a reference to our great achievement in the wool industry. The second and third quarters are the Wheat Sheaf, representing our second and great primary industry.

Animal Emblem: Platypus

The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), is the animal emblem of NSW. The platypus is a furry creature, about 30cm to 38cm long, it has webbed feet and a large duck-like bill which it uses to gather its food from the bottom of rivers.

State Flower: Waratah

The New South Wales waratah has been the floral emblem of New South Wales since 1962. Brilliantly coloured waratah blooms can be seen for miles. No wonder the New South Wales waratah was given the Greek botanical name of telopos, meaning seen from afar

Bird Emblem: The Kookaburra (Dacelo gigas) is the bird emblem of NSW

Gemstone Emblem: Black Opal

Fish Emblem: Blue Grope

Fossil Emblem: Mandageria fairfaxil

This morning when I got up to pee at 4.40am I took my medications and went back to be for an hour when I got up. It is bloody cold.

Last night when I got up to pee I noticed that Tim had locked the door to his office, when I asked why he was angry saying Sam had done some and pissed me off and he would tell me in the morning. Saying no one gives a damn about what I do not know.

Tim is a very negative person.

I asked Tim what Sam did he rambled off a number of things nothing bad, the most annoying was that he coloured in part of the remote control for his fan no biggie it still works. Tim was going off that no one disciplines Sam but just because he doesn’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. I know Jess is often going off at Sam and doing her best to discipline him.

Cold enough today to wear my long sleeve singlet.

Another cold morning, no school today it is the King’s birthday public holiday.

Tasha came down and put socks on my feet and said my socks are too small, I reminded her that she bought them.

Kathy and the girls came over Kathy changed the sheets on our bed, Sydney vacuumed out while Summer emptied the bins.

Tim bought KFC for lunch but I didn’t really feel like it.

Up at 5am as per and usual not overly cold. Jess popped her head in before leaving for work to let me know that Sam didn’t sleep well and might be tired this morning.

Kathy rang at 7am to have a whinge about how her fridge died overnight and of course it is full of food.

Natasha got a phone call at around 11am telling her that her surgery has been cancelled for tomorrow, she is rightly pissed.

Damn it is cold today. I feel really pissed off about many things today.

A cold morning, don’t know if the cleaners are coming but I do have an appointment to have my boobs squashed aka a mammogram.

The cleaners came at 9am and left at 9.40 just before Tim and I left.

The mammogram went fine no issues, Tim was surprised how quick I was in and out.

Kathy’s new fridge arrives today and of course they figured out why the old one stopped working it was tripping the circuit breaker and Micheal did something, I think he turned something off and when that was turned back on it started working but as Kathy said if it keeps tripping the circuit it isn’t any good. Anyway she said they move it to the garage and see how it goes.

A cold morning as is usual now had the heater on for an hour this morning.

Sandy came over to drop of postage stamps and then she took the letters to post for me.

Got a text letting me know my Aunty Pat passed away this morning she was dad’s older sister. Kristine said there will be no funeral but a celebration of her life in the next week or so.

Tasha rang at 3pm asking if she can help me get ready for bed tomorrow as she was committed to helping someone else. I said that would be fine, of course Tim had issue with it but that’s Tim.

Slept in till 5.25am as after I got up to pee at midnight I was unable to settle back down till after 2am.

It another bloody cold morning.

Kathy reminded me that Summer is preforming in Starstruck tonight and tomorrow night. I hope she has a great time.

Sam refused to take his meds this morning but I didn’t argue with him, the school rang at 9.20am asking if he had his meds I explained he hadn’t and gave permission for them to medicate him now.

I have had a good day with little pain and discomfort.

A later start this morning woke at 4.40am looked at the time decided I would lay there till 5am the next thing I knew it was 5.36am, so that’s when I got up and it is bloody cold.

I am so cold my head hurts and my chest hurts.

I have felt like shit all bloody day.

Hello world, it is Friday and of course that means it is my thoughts day and today I am thinking about death, not a pleasant topic but it is something that comes to us all and touches as all.

Last night well early hours of this morning like after midnight I found myself laying in bed shaking while trying to settle and go back to sleep. Laying there I started thinking about my Aunty Pat who passed yesterday morning, she was dad’s older sister so in her 80’s.

My mind went to the first time someone I knew and was related to that being my cousin Bradley way back in the mid 80’s. The next death that upset me was that of my Uncle John, Aunty Pat’s husband and Bradley’s father he was also my favourite uncle.

Both my paternal grandparents have passed but I wasn’t close to either of them, I knew my Poppy Jenkins better but we were not close.

The next death to affect me was that of Poppy James, Mum’s father he passed on the 4^th November 2010, I had a good relationship with him. It wasn’t till 19^th November 2016 when my Nanna passed away I was very close to her and it hit me pretty hare. Although in no way as much as the death of my dad on 21^st April 2019 that rocked me and I was just starting to get over it when on the 12 April 2021 mum died. I am now at last starting to feel like Jo-Anne again and not a body going through the motions.

I truly feel for those who have lost children, I really don’t know how I would cope with such a loss.

I thought again last night how lucky I am to have lived over half a century without being seriously affected by the death of a loved one. Also I believe there is an afterlife and we will be reunited again. Some people don’t have such a belief.