A new addition to the family!

Can you see what is in the picture above?

Not Nacho, not the potting mix,

the little black hairy thing!

Its my new puppy, he is only 13 weeks old.

have a look at him.

Isn't he enormous!

His name is Midnight, for obvious reasons

and he is a large Standard Poodle.

I was expecting to take him for his first visit to the vet,

riding on my tray, but I think he will be walking.

This is a picture of him when he first arrived, Jess bought him the green toy, it is now his absolute favourite,

I hear it squeaking in the middle of the night.

This is us on our first solo outing, 

he is so intelligent that it is easy to forget he is only a baby.

He is learning to walk by my side without me touching his lead. I am finding this very difficult because I am scared of running over his paws.

Everyone keeps telling me that he will learn very quickly, but that does not make it any easier for me.

He wears a red body harness instead of a collar, this makes it easier for him to walk next to the wheel chair, and will not damage his neck.

Look at that face and those eyes!

Now look at the next picture,

 another set of beautiful eyes.

Now I am going to have to train him, 

it will be a interesting experience for both of us.

I have no idea how to do it in a chair.

Fortunately big poodles are very placid dogs,

I have already noticed how calm  and gentle he is.

I am very relieved that he and Nacho get along, she is definitely the boss [because she is a girl],

but he is happy and so is she!

I guess it is early days yet, so we shall see.

At present, they are both lying on the floor near my chair, chewing on a puppy bone, 

now if they would always be like that,

life would be soooo easy.

Until next time --- Happy Days!

A NEW PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG!

I love my sharing my photos, so I have started a second Blog.

It is called ----

A novice photographer

I hope you will enjoy sharing my photos! 

I could not resist a flower photo!!

Remember the address is --

http://novicephotographer-anne.blogspot.com/

To reach  my other site click on post name.

Until next time --- Stay Happy!

ART ??

After the miseries of my last two posts I decided it is time for something pleasant.

A long time ago I mentioned that I was attending

an Art Group.

 The first eight weeks we concentrated on painting,

 I think this was my favourite piece of work.

Now we have started using clay,

I find it the most satisfying medium.

That sounds so pompous, what I mean is, I love it, 

when I have a lump of clay in my hands, 

they take control.

I can have an idea in my head,

but how it turns out depends on my mood.

Sometimes I turn on my music, shut my eyes 

and let my mind wander,

my hands usually wander with it.

This is me making a reed boat, filled with 

the"luggage" of my life.

If you look carefully, you will see a white "thing" tucked into my straps, she is my trauma doll. 

They are often given to you in hospital,

to help you through the bad times.

She has certainly done her job well, when things are bad everyone needs something to hold on to.

Now she spends most of her time lost in my bed or tucked under a strap.

I find she has become a major part of my art.

This is my favourite piece if work.

" A mothers love"

Now I am starting new pieces,

I wonder what my hands will produce!

Until next time -- Happy Days!

NO GO!

Well it is all over!

I will not be running the half marathon this year.

The excuse given -- too dangerous, tight turns, 

difficult roads and any other excuse they can think up.

If I can run the Childrens Hospital Fun Run,

with 29,999 other people over rough roads, 

 very tight turns and even a U-turn on half a road,

without causing an accident,

why cant I do the same thing in the half marathon?

All I am being offered, is the untimed 4k.

I am not even allowed to run the timed 5.7k.

which I could do with my eyes closed!

At present I am feeling very hurt.

I have been amazed at all the wonderful support I have received during the past few months, 

and I would like to thank you all

for having faith in me.

This is not the end of my fight for equality!!

I am going to do the long run for the RCH in April next year.

I will run through the tunnel and over the Bolte Bridge, almost 15 k. and probably harder for me

than the marathon.

I hope everyone will continue to suport me in my fight for disability

and for the kids hospital.

Until next time -- Keep Happy!

An awful experience!!

I have had a sore arm and shoulder for a while, 

after procrastinating for as long as I could, 

I eventually went to the doctor, he said I needed xrays and an ultra sound.

I rang the hospital to make an apointment and was told I could not use my own chair.

I would have to transfere into their hospital chair.

BUT

they have no hoist!!!!!!!!

So Monique, Jess and I, went to the hospital,

armed with my slide board, belt and a lot of fear.

It was an awful experience for all of us.

I can use my slide board at home, because I have the rails and my bed moves up and down as needed.

Here, I was trying to move, from my big chair,

down into a little old manual chair,

"manual handling" at its worst.

I am so lucky to have a daughter and carer who are so compitent.

Putting me back in my chair after the Xrays and US. was even worse, because apart from being in pain , I was incredibly tired and could not help much.

I will never do that again, it is too difficult.

I cannot understand how a hospital in Melbourne, is allowed to opperate without having a manual hoist, 

surely I am not the first disabled person they have had to deal with, 

what would have happened if I had fallen?

Until next time --- Happy Days!

Winter veg .....

I planted some broccoli for Jessika, because it is her favourite vegetable.

When it is in season, she will happily eat it every night. 

It used to be my favourite too, but now it seems to be tough and bitter -- grown for storage, not flavour.

If you look really hard, you can just see the tiny head starting to form.

Now the head is easy to spot, just like a tiny tree.

Well, it definitely grew tall, more like Briccolini, very open.

Note all the leaf stalks, the piggies love broccoli leaves and every time they squealed, someone would feed them a leaf or two!!

At last it was big enough to cut, that is me pretending!!

I had to add this picture,

I think I look like a bridesmaid with an interesting bouquet -- ridiculous!!!!!

Actually, we steamed the broccoli and it was beautiful and sweet.

I think I will grow it again next year.

Until next time -- Happy Days!

I've got a new worker!

      I've got a new Yooralla worker!

I guess the answer to that could be -"so what"!

Well for me it is a really big thing,

my YW. comes once a fortnight and spends six hours 

helping me do what ever I like.

Still sounds easy? 

Its not,

because I guess I am not easy! 

I don't want to go bowling, 

shopping at Chadstone, 

to the movies,

eat at Hungry Jacks, 

or even go to the football!

I love MSO concerts, 

art galleries, 

ballet, 

gardens,

photography, 

riding the bike trails,

and even running marathons.

You might think

anyone can take you to those activities,

but that is not true.

I need someone who enjoys what I enjoy,

who is interested, has an opinion and will state it.

If someone takes me out because it is their "job" I feel like a dog on a lead.

I sometimes see this happening when I am out, 

no interaction between client and carer --

just "walking the dog"!

It makes me very sad, we are still people, 

no matter what our disability.

BUT

I have a new  Yooralla Recreation Worker,

she loves classical music, gardens, photography,

and running marathons!

.Maybe I'm not so difficult after all !!

Hi Rec Team!!!!!

I heard on the grape vine that some of you, look at my blog!!!!!

Now I am watching YOU!

This has made me think a lot about my association with Yooralla, and particularly the "Rec Department"

We have travelled a very long way together,

and apart from the very beginning, I have loved every moment of it.

It all started when my OT - Leah, thought Jess could do with a break fom looking after me, and I was shipped off to Phillip Island for 3 nights!!

Dont know who was more scared - the staff,

or Jess and me. 

On paper I looked a real challenge,

I had an "acquired disability",

Post traumatic Stress Disorder, agraphobia, 

terrified of people,

and a chair that was difficult for me to manage.

In a talk that I gave for Yooralla, I say 

"the holiday was a turning point in my life."

I have evolved from a mouse,

who was too scared to get out of bed,

to a woman who wants to run a marathon,

how much better can it get?

Now I am going to add some photos,

no particular order,

but all to do with the Rec Department and me.

 If you want the pictures larger just click on them.

 If you want to know more about the photos,

LEAVE ME A MESSAGE!

 See, I do many different things with my Rec worker.
 

 

And lastly, this is the one place you will ever see us visiting!!!!!!!!

These pictures show just a little of what I do with the "Rec".

Another time I will tell you more.

Until next time -- Keep Happy!! 

The colours of Spring..........

It is wonderful,

Spring seems to have come over night.

Some of the trees are in such a hurry 

that they are making fat new buds

before the old leaves have even fallen off!

Others have bright green leaves.

But it is the flowers that make Spring such a happy time.

Everywhere I look,

the world is a riot of colour,

each photo I take seems more beautiful

than the one before.

My next flower does not have the colours of the other spring flowers,

but I love it for its fragility and delicate colour.

These are the blossoms of my Blueberry,

 they are so beautiful,

perhaps they might also give me some fruit this year.

Who knows!!

Enjoy this season of new life

and

Until next time --- Happy Days!