WHAT A WEEK

 The week started off fine with our usual Parkinson Walk on Monday followed by caffeine fix at a nearby cafe.  Tuesday was a busy day as our Toyota Spade had to go in for a service and Warrant early.  This meant two trips to  other side of town, just over 6 kms away. In the afternoon it was back to town for our podiatry appointments.

Luckily, the rest of the week was free of appointments.

Everything changed on Wednesday morning.  We had finished breakfast and were sitting reading the papers and starting the crossword just before 9 a.m. when I looked up and Doug had "switched off".  I asked if he was o.k. and got no response then asked if he could talk.  Next step was dial 111 for an ambulance as I assumed he was having a stroke.  It seemed like forever but must have been just 20 minutes before the ambulance arrived. In the meantime he tried to write so we knew he could neither speak nor write.

I went with him in the ambulance and the lovely ladies radioed ahead to the Stroke team who were waiting for us.  Doug was whisked off for a scan,  given some drugs and then taken for an x-ray.  Luckily, someone was about to be discharged from the Stroke ward so we had a short wait before he was taken up.

He was actually in the ward before midday so a mere 3 hours and the team commented on that at we went up in the lift.

His eldest daughter and grand-daughter had arrived while he was still in A. & E. and then his youngest daughter and grand-daughter.  As there were now 5 of us around his bed I left with his eldest daughter who lives close to us and went home.  His grand-daughter who works in A. & E. but was off duty phoned later to update me. It appears that a mixture of his irregular heartbeat and being put on stronger medication for high blood pressure is the likely cause.

In the afternoon he was given speech therapy as he was still unable to talk and had visits from his two grandsons.  When his eldest daughter and I went in next morning in time for morning rounds we were surprised when he spoke to us and his speech has just improved since then.  He was allowed to come home with extra and altered meds.  His speedy recovery is down to quick treatment and the fact that he is so fit, something the Stroke team commented on.  

He is unable to drive for a month but, yesterday, came with me to do a couple of errands.  

A very stressful couple of days.

TOTARA PARKLANDS

Once again, we had a wet weekend but on Monday morning the sun was out first thing.  Unfortunately, at 9.30 a.m. when our Parkinson walk was due to start the clouds re-appeared and rain started.  The decision was made to have our caffeine fix first and keep an eye on the weather.

Luckily, the clouds parted and we had a very pleasant walk alongside a small stream behind a subdivision.

It looks like we are going to have rain again at the weekend.  Fingers crossed for a dry Monday morning.

AUGUST (WINTER) GARDEN

I arrived in the country at the beginning of August (1965) and it rained and rained.  I wondered what I had come to.  This August we have had a lot of rain as well, in fact this is our second wet weekend in a row.  I particularly notice wet weekends now that we have free power (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at weekends and I endeavour to do my washing and bulk bake, roast and/or make a casserole.  

With a wet weekend forecast I did a couple of loads of washing yesterday and was pleased to get it dry quite quickly.  This morning was going to be baking bread, slow roasting another corned silverside and making some lemon curd.  We had a visit from Doug's eldest daughter so sat and chatted and I have just got some of the jobs done so the rest are for tomorrow.

Actually, the rain was not as heavy as expected, more like showers, it is perfect for the broccoli Romanesco seedlings that I planted out yesterday.  A bit late but I only recently came across a website with the seeds.

While finding space for the seedlings I noticed this little fellow on one of my cabbages, not sure what type of spider he is but he seems very happy in my cabbage.

A few days ago I decided to search the garden for some winter flowers for my vase. This is what I found.  A couple of orchid sprays, some small alstroemeria, colourful yarrow and I don't know the name of the greenery with the small pink flower but I was pleased with the result.

VARIABLE WEATHER

 On Thursday afternoon a severe weather watch was issued for Friday, Saturday and Sunday so we decided to forgo the Saturday market and did a supermarket shop on Friday.  This meant that we were able to just hunker down for the wet weekend and actually watched some of the Olympic Games.  The forecast was a bit better today (Monday) for our walk so we hoped it would go ahead.  As it turned out it was a lovely day.  Clouds around but the sun was quite warm and the walk around the Loop at the Town Basin was great.  We had 11 walkers and were met by another 4 for coffee at about the 3/4 mark of our walk.  

The Bascule Bridge

The Wave and Waka sculpture

Ornamental kale in front of the sundial

Doug and I had lunch at the Town Basin afterwards so a very enjoyable morning.

CORNED BEEF

After deciding to go with the butcher's recommendation for slow roasting the corned beef I googled recipes to check on timing for my joint and found a recipe on Australia's Best Recipes website which used wholegrain mustard, marmalade, lemon juice and garlic.  I nearly used that but decided to try the butcher's recipe first.

This morning when talking to my stepdaughter in New South Wales she mentioned that the marmalade recipe is the one she uses and wouldn't go back so I may try that next time.

In the meantime, I portioned the beef casserole that I made yesterday and sliced my gluten free loaf  freezing them both. The containers that Medjool dates come in are just enough for the two of us as we are not big meat eaters.

I roasted the corned beef for 4 hours which was perfect, plenty left over for the rest of the week.

 

The meal doesn't look very exciting with the pale green but the beef with potato, kumara and pumpkin mash, glazed cabbage and leeks in white sauce was delicious.

PRODUCTIVE DAY

As usual, our Saturday started with the Growers' Market.  We didn't get much, just persimmons and eggs.  The eggs were the main reason for going as the eggs being sold there now are delicious with lovely dark yolks.  (This reminds me of taking some of our own eggs down to our daughter-in-law about 30 or 40 years ago.  She went to use them and asked me if they were o.k. to eat as they had such dark yolks and she was used to supermarket eggs.  I must say the supermarket ones have improved since then.

After the market and supermarket we came home for breakfast and, as the forecast was not suitable for washing to dry, I got baking.  First up was a gluten free white loaf then an almond and pear cake followed by some chocolate chip biscuits.

Doug is the washer upper so I then had a short break while he washed the dishes then I got a beef casserole ready to go in the oven.  I then cooked our lunch (a bit late as usual) sausages and mash with creamed leeks.

After lunch I got a white loaf into the bread maker for Doug. That is enough for today.  Tomorrow I am going to slow roast a corned silverside in the oven as recommended by the butcher, a first for me.

UPDATE

 We had some lovely fine days last week and both of us worked in the garden getting some weeding done and moving some plants around.  

We had a heavy rain and strong wind watch for today and although neither are too extreme it is definitely wet and windy and I cancelled today's walk.  

Our newspapers were wet this morning and we opened them up to dry.  Blue who was running around like a mad thing then decided to have a go at the paper and we have just noticed that he has eaten Donald Trump - could be a message there.