Random updates from our household:
weather:
It's still about 6°-10°C (10°-18°F) cooler here than it should be at this time of year so it certainly doesn't feel like Christmas is a week away.
Moree has been flooded again and the roads I took to get mum home two weeks ago are closed again.
The eastern side of Australia is under the influence of La Nina - rain and floods are more likely. When we are under the influence of an Il Nino weather system we have high temperatures and droughts!
Christmas
The presents are bought and wrapped.
Most of the food is bought and stored - I still have to buy lollies (candy) and chocolates. I will leave the salad vegetables until Christmas Eve.
Puddings made yesterday and boiling as I write this.Older Grandson loved throwing the threepenny pieces into the mixture - he was having so much fun no one thought to take any photos!
Cards to be written and posted today.
Christmas lights up on the outside of the house.
Curtains and windows in lounge (living) room and dining room need to be washed before decorations can go up - if only it would stop raining!
A "live" tree will be purchased next week and decorated on Christmas Eve. It will stay up until 6th January - the twelfth day of Christmas.
Family health
Younger Grandson has had lots of tests - they have all come back normal so no cause for his febrile convulsion has been found. He had an EEG on Monday - we don't have the results of that yet.
Son-in-law was off work last week for three days with a respiratory tract infection.
DD rang on Friday morning saying that she couldn't visit because she had caught it.
SIL dropped Older Grandson at our place then went to work. By lunch time OG had a runny nose and a cough and was feeling miserable.
DD and OG are now on antibiotics. YG is sniffling but not on antibiotics.
Yesterday, WM stayed home from work. He saw a doctor in the afternoon and has today off too. He has - you guessed it - a respiratory tract infection.
Stitching
I am working on "in-the-ditch" quilting my Hunters' Cabin quilt. I'm about halfway.
DD and I still need to piece backs for the two quilt tops I showed you earlier this week so that we can get them on the frame and quilt them.
I am about twelve rows from finishing Blanket for William - then I will need some warmer weather to get the 10ply (Aran) cotton blocked.
I have reached the cast off the first Merlot toe-up sock (Ravelry link); I need to check the instructions for Jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off. I won't hurry because then I'll have to cast on the second sock and, although I love the look, I find Judy's Magic Cast On very fiddly on dpns and my circular needles are otherwise occupied!
And we have no hot water! The element was replaced about two months ago so they think it might be the thermostat this time! Someone will be out to have a look this afternoon!
All I can say is... Crazy times!
ReplyDeleteNever rains but it pours! True for you in several ways. I remember mum's hot water went after being fixed. It was the safety valve which had stopped working so heating cut out as safety measure. Apparently safety valves should be greased with vaseline and released every three months or so. Who knows that sort of thing till disaster strikes?
ReplyDeleteI haven't wrapped presents yet but our family do is Sunday lunch. Have everything but have to cook a beef fillet for cold meat on Saturday. We've decided to play safe and eat at son's. Then, those that want to can go to beach if it isn't raining! If it's overcast and cool as it has been for weeks now, the breeze of the water will make things cold.
Hope all concerned make a quick recovery. I have found that one thing young grandchildren are very good at is sharing sniffles, infections and tummy upsets.
No fun with all the respiratory infections. I'll keep my fingers crossed that y'all have hot water soon. (Been there, so not fun.)
ReplyDeleteYou've gotten a ton done!
we had a live tree once, it drove mum nuts with all the pine needles everywhere! we are plastic all the way, we had some nice baubles that were glass and the dog would walk by swishing her tail merrily and smash them to bits! hope you get your hot water back soon, cold showers are no fun even in summer!
ReplyDeleteWow-you have had a busy few days!
ReplyDeleteMy grand daughter had a seizure once-never again so pray that is all this was!
Have fun with the quilting-going to look great and finished is so good!
Woke up with a cold-grrrr! I have such plans and a cold doesn't fit in with them!
Sometimes life just gets in the way off all the fun stuff. Hope everyone feels better soon, and that the crud doesn't infect you too.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that God is there through it all. may he leep you snug in his arms.
Well things certainly are not going well around your place. I am so sorry for all the bad stuff.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are feeling better and that Christmas will be a very bright spot in some bad days.
I hope 2012 is much better.
Blessings this Christmas.