Wise words from a Judge

I noticed this in our local Northern Advocate newspaper this morning:............

I shake my head in disbelief at some of the things judges say ... but this hit the mark:

"Northland College (NZ) principal John Tapene has offered the following words from a judge who regularly deals with youth.

"Always we hear the cry from teenagers 'What can we do, where can we go?'
... My answer is, "Go home, mow the lawn, wash the windows, learn to cook, build a raft, get a job, visit the sick, study your lessons, and after you've finished, read a book."

"Your town does not owe you recreational facilities and your parents do not owe you fun. The world does not owe you a living, you owe the world something. You owe it your time, energy and talent so that no one will be at war, in poverty or sick and lonely again."

"In other words, grow up, stop being a cry baby, get out of your dream world and develop a backbone, not a wishbone. Start behaving like a responsible person. You are important and you are needed. It's too late to sit around and wait for somebody to do something someday. Someday is now and that somebody is you...""

Black Tunnelweb Spider

This morning when I opened the front door there was a very large spider on the mat.  It doesn't look as big in this photo as it had its legs retracted.



I went to the Te Papa Museum website and this is what I found.  I am assuming this is the same spider although it doesn't appear to have the stripes across its back.  link to information - quite risky lives

Anyway, I carried the spider down and put it in the rock wall.  I now realise that we have several at the top of the Garage wall - that bit of housework is on the list for when the shoulder is better.  Things were so much easier when there were two of us to do all these jobs.

Austin convertible

Cro just posted a photo of an Austin 7 and commented that our mother drove one.  This sent me looking at the photo album and there it is in the garage.  From memory I thought it was a slightly different shape to the one he posted being wider at the rear.

I wonder who could have put the pin holes in my head?????????????  Surely not my baby brother.

Happy Birthday Dad- 5th August

Although it is 27 years since he died I still miss him.  I have so many happy memories from my childhood - helping him in the shop, walking with him,  wanting him to come straight up to my room when he came home when I was sick.

This rather blurred picture  is blown up from a small photo taken as I was leaving home to come to New Zealand.  I visited several times and my parents came over once.  Even though there were years between seeing him the loss is still as though it was yesterday.

On the home front our forecast is for heavy rain for the next few days with rain forecast to continue for a couple of months.  Just what we need - no!!!!!!!!!

The female line

My brother, Cro of Magnon's Meanderings, has just posted the male line of our family so I thought I would post the female line
.

The lady above is my father's mother Lillian.



The older lady in this photo is Lillian's mother, Louise.  She was an amazing lady and in 1920 when she was in her 60's and widowed she unofficially adopted a 3 year old girl, Toni. This photo is of an obviously very proud Louise with Toni on her wedding day.  It is through Toni, who was a war bride and now  lives in Toronto, that we have a lot of our family history.

Toni tells me that she made her wedding dress and the little dog later went to Toronto with her new husband.

Hospital Level Rest Home

Finally, late Friday afternoon, my hubby was discharged from the public hospital and transferred by ambulance to the new hospital level rest home.  Even this was not without incident as the lady ambulance officer was down in Whangarei from Kaitaia to pick up a patient who was coming up from Auckland.  As this patient hadn't arrived and there was a back log in Whangarei she was sent to do the transfer.

I was in the ward and left when they started to transfer M. from his bed to the "trolley".  I arrived at the Rest Home and waited over an hour and, finally, the office called the hospital to see what was happening.  It turned out that the patient had arrived from Auckland and so the ambulance officer was taken off my husbands case and headed back to Kaitaia leaving him (presumably) in the ward waiting for another ambulance.  I just hope I don't have to pay for both ambulances.

As it was quite late the main admittance forms were left for Monday.  Yesterday,  I went on the Parkinson's walk and, in spite of heavy rain in the night, we had a fine walk followed by coffee at the airport cafe .  Just as we were leaving the rain started again.  I then went to the Rest Home and after visiting completed the admittance form.  When I had first visited I asked about extra charges and was told there were none apart from supplying shampoo, toothpaste etc.  I noticed on the form an extra $5.00 a day for an en suite toilet and handbasin, when I mentioned this it was waived.  If  not  I would be paying an extra $150 a month.

Today is COLD - not sure what the temp is but I have two fires going and am still shivering.  Hoping to walk down to the home shortly if the weather holds - it is just 1.6 kms so quite a pleasant walk.

Tuesday 24th July

This is the teddy bear that Joanne commented on in my last post.  I just like the way he sits on the edge of a shelf.

Well today was going to be the day my hubby was assessed to see if he now needs Hospital Level Care. Unfortunately, he has had a red swollen knee and swollen leg for several days and, in spite of antibiotics, it has been getting worse - cellulitis.  I had asked several times whether he should be ambulanced in to the Hospital.  Finally, last night I got a call from the home at about 8.30 p.m. and they ambulanced him in.  I drove in and we waited for three hours and finally a lovely doctor came and looked at him.  They kept him in the Emergency Dept overnight and I got home at 2 a.m.

He is now on a ward and they are keeping him in at least one more night and, hopefully, he will then be able to have his assessment - it would be good if he could go straight to the new Hospital Level Rest Home straight from the hospital - I am going to see the social worker on the ward when I go in after some lunch.  I think the adrenaline is pumping around my body at a great rate at present.

Heavy mist all day and now it has got quite dark and has started to rain.  Hopefully it will pass while I have some soup and ease off for me to drive to the Hospital.