Monday, February 29, 2016
Sunday, February 28, 2016
SOMETHING RATHER DIFFERENT No 2
I wonder how many of you remember this poem? I didn't realise when I read it as a child how deep the meaning was. Hope you don't find it too serious.
TO DAFFODILS by Robert Herrick
Fair Daffodils, we weep to see you haste away soon;
As yet the early rising sun has not attained his noon.
Stay, stay, until the hasting day has run but to the evensong;
And, having prayed together, we will go with you along.
We have short time to stay, as you, we have as short a spring;
As quick a growth to meet decay, as you, or anything.
We die, as your hours do, and dry away, like to the summer's rain;
Or as the pearls of morning's dew, ne'er to be found again.
TO DAFFODILS by Robert Herrick
Fair Daffodils, we weep to see you haste away soon;
As yet the early rising sun has not attained his noon.
Stay, stay, until the hasting day has run but to the evensong;
And, having prayed together, we will go with you along.
We have short time to stay, as you, we have as short a spring;
As quick a growth to meet decay, as you, or anything.
We die, as your hours do, and dry away, like to the summer's rain;
Or as the pearls of morning's dew, ne'er to be found again.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
THINKING ALLOWED
38ºC (another century this summer) in Perth today....not funny but we 've been enjoying cooler weather this week instead of many of our eastern states cousins who've been having mini heatwaves. 29ºC here tomorrow so a respite worth looking forward to, and then a couple of cool days before returning to the 30s again. Will this summer never end?
Checked bank account early yesterday and deposit (payment) from insurance company had arrived so quick work on their part which was appreciated. Also they did repay the $100 excess. Another couple of weeks and the we should have working aircon again. Fingers crossed.
#2 granddaughter and her daughter (our #1 great-granddaughter) came for lunch yesterday. I always enjoy their visit as we have some lively discussions about lots of topics. I need to be able to converse more face to face with people when possible. Does get the old brain working in top gear. Fortunately our discussions are always affable.
Only 3 more days and I can once again enjoy coffee and chocolate and take my anti-depressants. It has definitely proved these tabs do help decrease overall pain to some extent. On Tuesday morning will have fasting blood test and then wait for results before seeing GP. Had a letter from him on Thursday reminding me to go in for my B12 shot but may as well wait till test results arrive. Must also ask when 'flu injections will be available this year.
We decided a cooked chicken with salad good for weekend meals (Phil's suggestion which surprised me as he's not a fan of chicken) which is always good when it's hot. He's out this morning doing a bit of top up shopping and filling the car with petrol. $1.03 a litre which is quite cheap although there are some petrol stations selling below a dollar a litre. Wonder how long that will last?
My mum used to make up barley water which she said was good for her kidneys. I've been looking up how to make it and may try it for myself and many websites still say it is very good for us. Diabetics are prone to kidney problems so worth thinking about.
TV is beginning to look up a little although still relying on DVDs quite a lot but then we are very fussy about what we watch. Neither of us enjoy reality shows and tend to prefer UK shows although we do watch 2 NCIS shows. We often wish another series similar to "West Wing" would be made. That was truly brilliant. "Death in Paradise" is on tonight which we both really enjoy and a new UK cop show "Cuffs" which is reasonably good.
I have two more frangipani coming into flower which is quite late in the season and my Callistemon citrinus (bottlebrush) (above) is flowering again. I am sure the strange weather we have these days causes confusion in the plant world as this bottlebrush flowered in November.
I've popped in some small garden pics to brighten up a dull page It's amazing how many pinks and mauves there are.
Checked bank account early yesterday and deposit (payment) from insurance company had arrived so quick work on their part which was appreciated. Also they did repay the $100 excess. Another couple of weeks and the we should have working aircon again. Fingers crossed.
#2 granddaughter and her daughter (our #1 great-granddaughter) came for lunch yesterday. I always enjoy their visit as we have some lively discussions about lots of topics. I need to be able to converse more face to face with people when possible. Does get the old brain working in top gear. Fortunately our discussions are always affable.
Only 3 more days and I can once again enjoy coffee and chocolate and take my anti-depressants. It has definitely proved these tabs do help decrease overall pain to some extent. On Tuesday morning will have fasting blood test and then wait for results before seeing GP. Had a letter from him on Thursday reminding me to go in for my B12 shot but may as well wait till test results arrive. Must also ask when 'flu injections will be available this year.
We decided a cooked chicken with salad good for weekend meals (Phil's suggestion which surprised me as he's not a fan of chicken) which is always good when it's hot. He's out this morning doing a bit of top up shopping and filling the car with petrol. $1.03 a litre which is quite cheap although there are some petrol stations selling below a dollar a litre. Wonder how long that will last?
My mum used to make up barley water which she said was good for her kidneys. I've been looking up how to make it and may try it for myself and many websites still say it is very good for us. Diabetics are prone to kidney problems so worth thinking about.
TV is beginning to look up a little although still relying on DVDs quite a lot but then we are very fussy about what we watch. Neither of us enjoy reality shows and tend to prefer UK shows although we do watch 2 NCIS shows. We often wish another series similar to "West Wing" would be made. That was truly brilliant. "Death in Paradise" is on tonight which we both really enjoy and a new UK cop show "Cuffs" which is reasonably good.
I have two more frangipani coming into flower which is quite late in the season and my Callistemon citrinus (bottlebrush) (above) is flowering again. I am sure the strange weather we have these days causes confusion in the plant world as this bottlebrush flowered in November.
I've popped in some small garden pics to brighten up a dull page It's amazing how many pinks and mauves there are.
Friday, February 26, 2016
FRIDAY FAVOURITES
I have always enjoyed to the Skye Boat Song and while searching for it on YouTube I found a version I'd not heard before sung by the Corries. I believe there are other versions included here as well. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Just an added note re family: My great-great-grandparents must have at one time lived on the Isle of Skye as their son (my great-grandfather Stephen Anderson and his sister Isabella were both baptised on the island). James and Jessie Anderson (he was a shepherd) arrived in Australia on the "Salsette" on 2 January, 1841 with their family. They finally settled on a property "Lollipop Ponds" near Werribee, Victoria. I have researched the family thoroughly and have been delighted to find out so much about them. (Incidentally, this is my birth family that I learned about in the 1990s. I had waited until mum and dad were gone before I attempted to find my roots).
Just an added note re family: My great-great-grandparents must have at one time lived on the Isle of Skye as their son (my great-grandfather Stephen Anderson and his sister Isabella were both baptised on the island). James and Jessie Anderson (he was a shepherd) arrived in Australia on the "Salsette" on 2 January, 1841 with their family. They finally settled on a property "Lollipop Ponds" near Werribee, Victoria. I have researched the family thoroughly and have been delighted to find out so much about them. (Incidentally, this is my birth family that I learned about in the 1990s. I had waited until mum and dad were gone before I attempted to find my roots).
Thursday, February 25, 2016
AIRCONDITIONING UPDATE
I have a new Thursday offering in the pipeline but decided while I get it sorted I'd update everyone on our airconditioning claim saga. I have been dealing with three different places:
1. The GIO office in Queensland where I first lodged the claim. They are very busy with all the claims from fires and floods etc and the first time I was on hold for 30 minutes and the second time for 45 minutes. I do wish they would change their 'music' as there is some very loud whistling which does rather get on the wick. Perhaps they hope it will annoy people enough that they will hang up.
2. We have had calls from a gentleman in India who said he was our claim manager. Very polite and asked the same questions I'd been asked the previous day by the people in Queensland. We then heard from him again on Tuesday when we had to go through the same list of questions but the outcome was good.
3. On Monday I had a call from a place in Sydney telling me they were handling the claim and would be contacting our repairman here in Perth. It was also possible they would ask for a second quote and hopefully we would reach a conclusion within 10 workdays.
Each time you speak to someone they need verification of who you are. I know there are lots of scoundrels out there but if they are ringing our home landline you would think they would know it was us they were talking to.
On Tuesday the gentleman from India rang again. Phil answered the phone as the same time that I picked up the phone here in my workroom. I let Phil do the talking but when I realised he was not understanding what was being said I chipped in and said I'd take the call.
The outcome of this call was to tell us that out claim had been accepted but not as straight out fusion but as though the damage was caused by storm/lightning and they would repay the $100 excess I'd paid a couple of weeks back. I didn't even try to find out why this was but apparently by doing it this way we also receive a little more than the original quote.
This aircon we have has caused nothing but trouble since it was installed in 2006 and the repair that is needed would necessitate using a gas which is soon to be phased out. On his invoice our repairman wrote he felt the repair was not a good idea but he could install a new unit with a 5-year warranty. We accepted the payment which is to be paid direct into my bank account (Phil had to give his approval for this to happen) and we felt if we decided on the unit being repaired it was quite likely within 6 months another part would break down and we could be up for another heavy repair bill.
Derek has been good to us over the years and kept the Airwell unit running for us so we contacted his firm and ordered a new Mitsubishi unit which hopefully will be installed on 14 March. We will receive nearly $3,000 and by paying exactly the same amount again we will have a new reliable unit with this 5-year guarantee. Seemed the only and sensible way to go. If *Derek had thought it worthwhile repairing the old unit he would have told us so as he is as honest as the day s long.Guess we'll have to try and stay here for 5 years now to take advantage of this decision.
Incidentally I asked the Indian gentleman who I'd been talking to the previous day to his call and he said that was the technical department. Strangely enough they'd not contacted our repairman etc so am still trying work out what that is all about.
To add some beauty to the story I added some of my frangipani.
1. A close up of the common white which blooms every year and is in flower now.
2. George Brown which flowered prolifically last year and actually has some buds again this year. It is a frangipani that all growers really love partly because of its change of colour as it ages.
3. Bowen yellow which flowered for the first time this eyar but is not nearly finished.
4. Cotton Candy which flowered last year and has some new buds so should have some blooms soon.
5. Pink Cheeks which has been flowering for weeks now and is such a dainty colour.
*Derek has, as I said, been good to us. Years ago Phil tiled our front verandah but eventually the rain had loosened the cement and the front rows of tile began to come off. We decided to remove all the tiles and perhaps redo it. Unfortunately the cement had set too hard (it had been a very hot day when Phil did the tiling) and it resisted all attempts to remove the remaining tiles. Derek had noticed this and on his next visit when he knew it would take some time to fix the aircon (gas I think) he brought a grinder with him and removed the remaining tiles and as much of the cement as he could. When I thanked him for his kindness (no charge) he said I reminded him of his mum and it was a pleasure to do it for us. Trouble is we've no idea what to do with the cement verandah now so it still sits there with the remaining cement looking grotty. If we can afford it perhaps one day we'll get an expert to do something about it. Perhaps.....one day.
1. The GIO office in Queensland where I first lodged the claim. They are very busy with all the claims from fires and floods etc and the first time I was on hold for 30 minutes and the second time for 45 minutes. I do wish they would change their 'music' as there is some very loud whistling which does rather get on the wick. Perhaps they hope it will annoy people enough that they will hang up.
2. We have had calls from a gentleman in India who said he was our claim manager. Very polite and asked the same questions I'd been asked the previous day by the people in Queensland. We then heard from him again on Tuesday when we had to go through the same list of questions but the outcome was good.
3. On Monday I had a call from a place in Sydney telling me they were handling the claim and would be contacting our repairman here in Perth. It was also possible they would ask for a second quote and hopefully we would reach a conclusion within 10 workdays.
Each time you speak to someone they need verification of who you are. I know there are lots of scoundrels out there but if they are ringing our home landline you would think they would know it was us they were talking to.
On Tuesday the gentleman from India rang again. Phil answered the phone as the same time that I picked up the phone here in my workroom. I let Phil do the talking but when I realised he was not understanding what was being said I chipped in and said I'd take the call.
The outcome of this call was to tell us that out claim had been accepted but not as straight out fusion but as though the damage was caused by storm/lightning and they would repay the $100 excess I'd paid a couple of weeks back. I didn't even try to find out why this was but apparently by doing it this way we also receive a little more than the original quote.
This aircon we have has caused nothing but trouble since it was installed in 2006 and the repair that is needed would necessitate using a gas which is soon to be phased out. On his invoice our repairman wrote he felt the repair was not a good idea but he could install a new unit with a 5-year warranty. We accepted the payment which is to be paid direct into my bank account (Phil had to give his approval for this to happen) and we felt if we decided on the unit being repaired it was quite likely within 6 months another part would break down and we could be up for another heavy repair bill.
Derek has been good to us over the years and kept the Airwell unit running for us so we contacted his firm and ordered a new Mitsubishi unit which hopefully will be installed on 14 March. We will receive nearly $3,000 and by paying exactly the same amount again we will have a new reliable unit with this 5-year guarantee. Seemed the only and sensible way to go. If *Derek had thought it worthwhile repairing the old unit he would have told us so as he is as honest as the day s long.Guess we'll have to try and stay here for 5 years now to take advantage of this decision.
Incidentally I asked the Indian gentleman who I'd been talking to the previous day to his call and he said that was the technical department. Strangely enough they'd not contacted our repairman etc so am still trying work out what that is all about.
To add some beauty to the story I added some of my frangipani.
1. A close up of the common white which blooms every year and is in flower now.
2. George Brown which flowered prolifically last year and actually has some buds again this year. It is a frangipani that all growers really love partly because of its change of colour as it ages.
3. Bowen yellow which flowered for the first time this eyar but is not nearly finished.
4. Cotton Candy which flowered last year and has some new buds so should have some blooms soon.
5. Pink Cheeks which has been flowering for weeks now and is such a dainty colour.
*Derek has, as I said, been good to us. Years ago Phil tiled our front verandah but eventually the rain had loosened the cement and the front rows of tile began to come off. We decided to remove all the tiles and perhaps redo it. Unfortunately the cement had set too hard (it had been a very hot day when Phil did the tiling) and it resisted all attempts to remove the remaining tiles. Derek had noticed this and on his next visit when he knew it would take some time to fix the aircon (gas I think) he brought a grinder with him and removed the remaining tiles and as much of the cement as he could. When I thanked him for his kindness (no charge) he said I reminded him of his mum and it was a pleasure to do it for us. Trouble is we've no idea what to do with the cement verandah now so it still sits there with the remaining cement looking grotty. If we can afford it perhaps one day we'll get an expert to do something about it. Perhaps.....one day.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
TUESDAY CHAT
Not a lot to report this week. We have more or less recovered from lots of hot weather and thoroughly enjoyed a couple of cool days. It won't last though as I see Saturday is forecast to be 38C (another century). We are still waiting on a decision about our airconditioner. Have had calls from three different sets of people and are now waiting for them to contact our repairer about repair or replacement. We may even have to wait for a second quote which will drag it on and on. I shouldn't complain as this is only an airconditioner and not a home that has been destroyed by fire or those damaged in floods. I feel so for all those people who have lost so much as well as the dreadful loss of life as well. Doubtless we will soon learn the final verdict and hopefully it is not going to cost us too much if a replacement is needed.
I am being very good and not drinking coffee or eating any type of chocolate and have also been off my anti-depressants for a week. I am drinking tea which apparently doesn't contain a lot of caffeine and may even stick to lemon barley cordial for a few days. Next Tuesday I will present myself for a blood test after fasting overnight. It seems quite a palaver but I guess it has to be done this way to get an accurate reading. I would like a final decision to find out if there is really a problem or not.
The AFL season has begun with the pre-season competition called the NAB Cup. Fremantle won their first game which was very pleasing but our big ruckman may perhaps not play in the first week of the home and away season because of 'rough play' where he knocked another player to the ground. It is not regarded as deliberate but bad enough to lose a week which is a shame right at the beginning of the season.
With the cooler weather I have been getting outside a little more and able to check on my frangipani and was delighted that two plants that flowered last year but seemed to be sleeping this year now have tiny buds so something to look forward to in the coming days. It is amazing how easily one can become hooked although so far I only have 8 plants; some people have dozens. Phil surprised me the other day, arriving home with a new one and one which I don't have. I think he is becoming as keen on these plants as me.
Hope you will forgive me for showing off a couple of my frangipani that flowered this year.
I am being very good and not drinking coffee or eating any type of chocolate and have also been off my anti-depressants for a week. I am drinking tea which apparently doesn't contain a lot of caffeine and may even stick to lemon barley cordial for a few days. Next Tuesday I will present myself for a blood test after fasting overnight. It seems quite a palaver but I guess it has to be done this way to get an accurate reading. I would like a final decision to find out if there is really a problem or not.
The AFL season has begun with the pre-season competition called the NAB Cup. Fremantle won their first game which was very pleasing but our big ruckman may perhaps not play in the first week of the home and away season because of 'rough play' where he knocked another player to the ground. It is not regarded as deliberate but bad enough to lose a week which is a shame right at the beginning of the season.
With the cooler weather I have been getting outside a little more and able to check on my frangipani and was delighted that two plants that flowered last year but seemed to be sleeping this year now have tiny buds so something to look forward to in the coming days. It is amazing how easily one can become hooked although so far I only have 8 plants; some people have dozens. Phil surprised me the other day, arriving home with a new one and one which I don't have. I think he is becoming as keen on these plants as me.
Hope you will forgive me for showing off a couple of my frangipani that flowered this year.
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