It's Did You Know Monday..................and it is a coldish Monday.

Good morning Monday, it is a somewhat cold dry morning but have to say it feels like it may rain but we will see. Yesterday was the hottest July day in recorded history, it was 27°c well it was in Sydney but here in Newie it was warm but not that hot in my opinion.

My weekend was pretty good had Kathy-Lee and Summer as well as Jessica and Leo here on Saturday for lunch, I did a chicken and bacon pasta bake with garlic bread and Kathy hung my washing on the line for me and also picked up my groceries for me I do what's called click and collect where you do the shopping online but instead of having it delivered you go and pick it up from the store so no delivery fee. This is a huge help for me sine walking for any length of time is difficult for me.

Sunday saw Kathy-Lee come back and help me with some housework, she hung the sheets on the line and helped my re-make the bed with clean sheets and she also helped me clean of my dressing table and the top of my chest of drawers and dust everything. So it is looking much better and nice and clean.

Well being Monday means it is Did You Know Monday....................so........did you know...........

221B Baker Street is one of London's most famous addresses, as it was the home of Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr Watson. Every year hundreds of tourists to London still try and find it but it doesn't exist.

Hello Friday, or should that read good evening Friday since it is nearly 5pm

Hello Friday, been a pretty good Friday all in all, I was up at 4.30am again and did 70 minutes of exercise on the Wii Fit and 15 minutes of healing yoga with a program recorded off the telly. I then went to get ready to go shopping, I was in the bathroom applying my make up and I thought I heard Leo arrive and called out to him but no answer, I then had to go into the kitchen to get something and again thought I heard him but didn't see him, I go back to the bathroom and seconds later Leo jumps up from behind me and yells and I scream and he laughs. My daughters and grandchildren love to scare the hell out of me and hear me scream.

Jessica again pushed me around in a wheelchair which was great, it takes a lot out of her because the centre isn't all level so she has to go up and inclines, I really appreciate her doing this I was thinking next week I would see how I go walking but have to say this afternoon my right calf area is very painful and walking is difficult, so I don't know.

While out shopping Jessica bought me a couple of carnations my favourite flower and she bought her nan and her Aunty Sandy a flower each as well, for no reason other then she loves us and wanted to do so.

Last night Tim and I went to bed at the same time around 7.45pm, he had to get up at 3.30am to go to work, anyway at 9pm I thought Tim came around and gave me a kiss (which he does before he goes to work) but when I looked at the clock and saw it was only 9pm thought I dreamt it. Then I heard the motor-bike start and so I got up and walk out to the lounge-room to find Tim dressed for work putting his helmet on, I asked him what he was doing he said “going to work” I told him it was only 9pm, he looks at the clock says “it's 3am” I said it wasn't he then realised it wasn't and went out turned the bike off and came back to bed. If I hadn't heard the bike he would have gone to work 7hrs early and would have felt a right dill. Yes he remembered it all this morning but was clueless as to why he thought it was 3am when it was only just over an hour since he went to bed.

This afternoon while I was waiting for Leo, he (Leo) suddenly appeared and got in the car saying I have had enough and want to go home, I said did his teacher know where he was, he said no but I see Mr Mack and I expect he is looking for me. I said he can't just leave and he had to go and speak to Mr Mack so off he goes and then he comes back and says ok let's go, I said what did Mr Mack say Leo said I don't know but he is walking this way so leave now before he gets here. I didn't and Mr Mack came and spoke to me and Leo and explained to Leo that you cannot just leave because you are fed up and had enough and want to go home, and that the teachers need to know where he is. I don't think Leo got it,

Photo Wednesday

Hi all this is another photo that was taken on the cruise outside of the dining area must have been day one or two as I have my cane and after the second day I wasn't using the cane at all

Irish Sisters of Charity

In 1838 the first religious women came to Australia they were the Irish Sisters of Charity they volunteered to go to Sydney to work with convict women teaching them to read and the Sisters of Charity began in Ireland by Mary Aikenhead. In 1838 at the request of Bishop Polding, Mary came to Australia with 5 volunteers they left Ireland in August 1838 and after a four month journey they arrived in Sydney on the last day of 1838.

Starting in January 1839 the sisters lived at Parramatta and visited the Female Factory where

many women convicts lived and worked for the government. The Sisters' main concern was religious instruction and care of the sick and poor, the Sisters' walked everywhere going to government hospitals, orphanages, schools and gaols.

The religious profession of Sister Xavier Williams, on the 9^th April 1839 at Parramatta was a “first” and made a great sensation among Catholics and others with other young women asking to join the Sisters.

The Sisters distinctive dress made them conspicuous and they drew on them at times of hostility or bigotry, the good they did brought them a lot of support but of course life in those days was hard.

In 1847 the Sisters were asked to go to Tasmania, three of the Sisters went to Tasmania while the others stayed in Parramatta where they had the new responsibility of assisting women who wanted to live better lives.

Over time good friends helped raise money to buy a convent where the Sisters could establish a hospital and school, as well as a permanent home for themselves. General Catholic problems hampered further growth but the Sisters' hospital and school flourished, while they continued visiting the sick, poor and prisoners.

After some years, there were Sisters of Charity who had been born in Australia. When the government stopped paying teachers in our schools, the bishops encouraged vocations and brought new religious institutes to Australia to teach. Cardinal Moran encouraged our Sisters to begin more schools. New hospitals were opened.

The Sisters’ business dealings in the early days were often conducted by Father Angelo Ambrosoli, who helped choose places for their convents and designs for their chapels.

Two Sisters of Charity who helped them to flourish were M. Francis McGuigan and M. Gertrude Davis, both born in Australia. They went to Ireland to renew links with the Irish Sisters of Charity and joined the Sisters in Tasmania with those in Sydney.

Since World War II Australia has become more multicultural, with new needs arising as different ethnic groups arrive. Sisters of Charity have led the way in many fields, establishing ministries that others can now continue.

Once works are established, the Sisters have looked to respond to new needs. There are always people needing help, consolation, encouragement, and inspiration.

Australia has changed since our first Sisters arrived in 1838. The kind of poverty that our Sisters met when they arrived has changed. Australia is now a developed nation.

The Sisters of Charity response has been flexible enough to deal with new forms of poverty. Physical poverty will always endure but we must also deal with the poverty caused by narrow-mindedness, prejudice, mental illness, drug addiction and drunkenness, as well as the more familiar kinds of sickness and lack of money.

Did you know Monday

Hello everyone, here I am on this lovely, not too cold Monday morning had a somewhat late start, when my alarm went off at 4.30am I just didn't feel like getting up so it was 6am by the time I got up still managed to do 53 minutes of exercise. I packed it in when Leo got here as I had to pack his lunch and running him a shower now I am starting this before I have to leave to take him to school.

Friday saw me using a wheelchair while I went shopping and Jessica pushing me around and it was a big help I was in hardly any pain by the time I was finished and it only took 2hrs to get everything done instead of 4hrs it has taken me the previous weeks. So I will be doing that for the next couple of weeks and hopefully the ankle will really start to heal with no set backs.

Saturday saw me unwell and spending most of the day in bed sleeping, just had an upset tummy no vomiting or anything just felt upset in the tummy and not feeling great, yesterday though I was ok and today I am ok as well.

So since this is Monday that means it is did you know Monday, so today's did you know is this........

King Francis 1 paid Leonardo Da Vinci the equivalent of $50,000 US for his painting of the Mona Lisa and had it displayed in the Louvre. It has been there ever since except for two years that it was stolen (1911-1913). During the time it was missing, six different Americans paid $300,000 each for fakes they thought were the stolen painting.

Where is my Mojo

Jo-Anne has no mojo, she needs her mojo back, she thinks it is sleeping, tomorrow morning at 4.30am she will be waking it up and kicking it out of bed and putting it to work, just saying.........

This afternoon while watching telling and in between writing letters I received a text for Jessica wanting to know if I would go to Coles (supermarket) before I got Leo from school and being me I said yeah I would. After all tomorrow she is coming shopping with me and going to push me around in a wheelchair so I don't have to walk.

Leo was glad to be home with his mum tonight he is going through a stage when he wants to be around his mum all the time, not that he is naughty or anything while here he just wants to be with his mum.

Yesterday Kathy-Lee came over and helped me sort through my clothes and toss out clothes that had holes or that I just didn't wear any more.

Anyway the afternoon news is over and the Chase Australia is about to start so that is all from me for now.

Photo Wednesday

A photo of mum and Tim taken on our cruise, mum and Tim have a really close relationship no one can say anything bad about Tim around mum she will tear strips off you if  you do, just like she did with his father and brother when they said something about him she didn't like.

A bit about wheelchairs and me

Good morning all, there was no post from me yesterday because I forgot, I got up at 4.30am and worked out then I went back to the bed for a bit after getting up an hour or so later I had breakfast then went out to do so things for mum.

I had to pay mum's laybys and go to the chemist and then to Woolies and the building society to bank some money then back to the car, by the time I got back to the car I felt like crying from the pain.

The same thing happened on Friday when I went shopping by the time I got home I was in tears and it took so long for me to get the shopping done and I didn't do much but going from one store to another took a bloody long time. So I have booked a wheelchair for this Friday and Jessica is coming with me to push me around, I couldn't get a scooter so the wheelchair will do and me not having to walk everywhere will help my ankle. The more I stay off the ankle the quicker it will heal and I will be able to get around ok again.

Today is the first day of another school term and after I took Leo to school I went out to the day care Kathy-Lee is working at to pick up Summer as I have her today while her mum is at work then we had to go back and drop of Leo's medication at his school and now we are home and Summer is eating a sandwich and watching Paw Patrol.

Did you know that the first record of a wheelchair was around the 5-6^th Century BC or BCE if you like in China but generally the first wheelchair came about back in 1595 when one was built for King Phillip 11. Although it was an elaborate chair having both armrests and leg rests, the design still had shortcomings since it did not feature an efficient propulsion mechanism and thus, requires assistance to propel it. This makes the design more of a modern day highchair or portable throne for the wealthy rather than a modern day wheelchair for the disabled.

In 1655 a fellow by the name of Stephan Farffler a 22 year old paraplegic watchmaker, built the world's first self-propelling chair on a three wheel chassis using a system of cranks and cogwheels.. However, the device had an appearance of a hand bike more than a wheelchair since the design included hand cranks mounted at the front wheel.

The invalid carriage or Bath Chair brought the technology into more common use from around 1760.

In 1887, wheelchairs ("rolling chairs") were introduced to Atlantic City so invalid tourists could rent them to enjoy the boardwalk. Soon, many healthy tourists also rented the decorated "rolling chairs" and servants to push them as a show of decadence and treatment they could never experience at home.

In 1933 Harry Jennings and his disabled friend Herbert Everest, both mechanical engineers, invented the first lightweight, steel, collapsible wheelchair. Everest had previously broken his back in a mining accident, they saw the business potential of the invention and went on to become the first mass-market manufacturers of wheelchairs. Their "x-brace" design is still in common use, albeit with updated materials and other improvements.

So now you know.

Me and walking and no weight loss

Good morning, no Friday post this week as I just had no time in the morning and when I got home I was in so much pain from being on my feet all morning I just wanted to cry so I sat and did nothing but rested my leg.

While I was shopping I had a light bulb moment about my weight, more to the point why I am not losing weight as I thought I would. While on the cruise I said I wanted to loss up to 30 kilos by the end of the year but have not lost anything as yet although I have not gained any either. Anyway yesterday while I was struggling to put one foot in front of the other and often sliding my right foot as it was too painful to lift it, I thought this is the reason I can't lose weight, I cannot walk.

So I told Tim last night that was my thinking and he said nothing just looked at me with a look that said “so” and I said more and he said nothing but then this morning he said to me that he thinks the exercises I am doing each morning are doing nothing and that I should start walking up and down the driveway and I said I cannot walk and I wondered what part of not walking does he not understand. I don't want to walk up and down the driveway that would involve walking past the neighbours who would want me to stop and talk and I do not want that.

If I could walk I would go for a walk but I can't, I cannot walk from the lounge room to the toilet without a great deal of pain and sometimes not without my cane. I am doing the best I can but nothing I do is good enough........

How I am feeling

Yesterday while at the doctors the nurse asked me how my mood was lately, I said so so, as in up and down but truth be told it is more down then up, mum will be able to relate to this. I can't help thinking it was only a couple of years ago I could go for walks and do more strenuous exercises, now I cannot do either.

Also the pain in my left arm is terrible and the same can be so for the pain in my right thigh, the right thigh is all the time and at times makes driving difficult, then there is the tremor which is in both arms and my right leg. The shaking of my arms make doing many things difficult, like sending texts often I hit send in the middle of a word or hit the wrong letter and trying to fix the error is a task and a half.

Also this year I had bursitis in my right hip making moving and walking extremely painful and now I have it in my right ankle making moving, walking and standing extremely painful. I am so over all the pain and not being able to move.

Yes I still get up and exercise each morning but truth be told sometimes I wonder why I try, all in all life is so hard and painful at the moment.

I don't know what I would do without Kathy-Lee who is such a big help, often I just want to go to bed and cry.

What did I do to deserve all this pain and hassle.  

Off to the doctors I did hobble and this is what I was told

How is everyone this cold and wet Wednesday afternoon, I have had a productive day somewhat this morning I went to the podiatrist and had my toenails cut, while I went I left Blain home alone as he didn't want to go and I was tired of arguing the point with him, I was only gone an hour.

I was planning on going with Tim to pick Dave and grew from the ship but as I had to watch Blain while his mum had other things on I couldn't go.

Then this afternoon I had to go to the doctors for what is called a care plan review, this is where they check your blood pressure, talk about what medication you are taking as how my diabetes is going and my sleep apnoea and your get a referral for blood tests.

While I was there I asked about the results of the ultrasound it showed that I have tendonitis, which for those who do not know is an inflammation of a tendon, the tendon in question is my achillies tendon, tendons are bands of strong connective tissue that attach muscle to bone

It is usually a type of overuse injury; the tendon is repeatedly strained until tiny tears form. The symptoms of tendonitis can include, pain,swelling, stiffness and restricted mobility of the affected joint, muscle weakness and the skin over the area can feel warm to touch

Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa. A bursa is a small fluid-filled sac that acts as a cushion between bone and soft tissue (muscles, tendons and skin). A bursa (plural bursae) reduces friction and assists joint movement.

When you overuse or injure a joint, a nearby bursa can become irritated or inflamed. The bursa fills with excess fluid, causing significant pain and restricting movement.

The symptoms of bursitis may include, localised pain, swelling, increased pain at night, pain that becomes worse on movement, stiffness.

It is caused by injury, repeated pressure and overuse are common causes of bursitis. Some conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout and diabetes, can also contribute to its development.

An infection can also cause bursitis. This may occur if a joint is injured and bacteria get into the bursa.

Treatment aims to relieve the symptoms as much as possible while the healing process takes place.

Treatment options may include pain-relieving medications, cold packs, gentle mobilising exercises and rest. Anti-inflammatory medications or injections of corticosteroids may be used in cases of severe pain, although my doctor isn't keen on giving me an injection.

If the bursitis was triggered by a particular form of overuse, it‘s important to avoid that activity, or modify how you perform that activity.

So I have been told to rest the ankle as much as possible and that it will most likely take between 8-12 weeks to heal.

Did you know Monday

Hello Monday, this morning at around 2am my mobile phone rang, it was Jessica she wanted to speak to her dad, turns out she hit a roo and had some damage to her front bumper bar, he told her to go home and not worry about it and said he would go over this morning to check it out. Now when he got up and I mentioned that he said he would go over he said no he didn't say he would go over he said she could come over here and he would look a the car.

Anyway he has now gone to work and hasn't checked out her car because I expect they are sill asleep as it would have been around 3am before she got home and into bed. I think she was just rattled a bit by the accident and needed reassurance.

The new dishwasher has arrived but it isn't installed yet Tim will install it tomorrow morning, well that is what he said.

Anyway being that it is Monday, it is did you know Monday, so did you know.

That the dishwasher dates back to the 19^th century with the first patent being in the USA in 1850 by Joel Houghton, then in 1865 another patent was granted to L A Alexander which was similar but neither device was practical or widely accepted.

In 1887 the first reliable hand-powered dishwasher was invented by Josephine Cochrane with the help of George Butters in Josephine's tool shed and was unveiled at the 1893 World's Fair.

Boiling potatoes will not coo any faster by turning up the heat, the water can only boil at 100°c, turning up the heat will only make the water evaporate as the water turns to steam at this temperature.

Out with the old and in with the new, well on Monday it will be in with the new

Hello all, it is a nice somewhat cold Sunday morning here in Newie, I had a sleep in this morning I didn't get up till 8ish but still did my morning exercises, Tim is at work, he took the car so too bad if I wanted to go out at all today not that I have any plans to go out.

On Thursday evening Tim removed the old dishwasher and took it up the top of the driveway we have out second annually kerbside collection of bulk waste. Well when he was struggling to get it out he said in a tone that pissed me off, “ I wish you could help and not just sit on you ass” I told him if I was able to help him I would.

The new dishwasher will be delivered on Monday sometime, he was pleased that the new dishwasher cost $200 less then the old one, we bought the new one from the same place we got the old one from as well.

Although on Friday while I was out shopping Kathy-Lee came over and vacuumed out and did the washing up for me, however, when she pulled the plug out of the sink water flooded under the sink because when he disconnected the old dishwasher he forgot to plug the hole from the pipe that lead to the dishwasher that now had no hose connected to it. So Kathy had to mop up the water and plugged the hold with a rag, Tim has now plugged the hole with blu tack. I told Kathy-Lee not to worry about it if it wasn't her who flooded under the sink it would have been me when I washed up and she was more able to clean up the water then I would have been able to do.

My Week

Hello everyone out in blog land, yes it is me little ole Jo-Anne, I am not dead nor have I been sick, however, I have been somewhat busy this last week and yes one day saw me in a great deal of pain.

So let us have a look at my last few days, Saturday saw Tim off work and both of us going to the shops and over to my parents place for a bit and Saturday afternoon me go over to Jessica's to take her cough syrup and a few things from Coles as she was sick. When I arrived Kelli was there she came down to get Leo and take him back to hers so Jessica could have a night to try and recover, well when it came time for them to head back to hers he didn't want to go so he ended up being here Saturday night.

Sunday saw Tim off again and going for a motorbike ride with Michael who on Friday night bought himself a motorbike and Kathy drove Leo back to his mums place.

Monday saw Tim and I drive my brother and his family along with some of their friends to Sydney they have gone on a cruise around the South Pacific Islands, at the moment I am not dog sitting my sister Sandra is there but if she decides to go home I am willing to go over and stay with the dogs.

Tuesday saw me going to Charlestown Square to help mum with her Christmas toy layby, now I had pain in my right ankle/ achilles tendon and had trouble walking but while helping her I felt/ heard a pop from my ankle followed by extreme pain so much pain I cried out in pain and my sister Sandy heard my cry out and came running to see what was wrong. Now some people might thing I would pack in the shopping and come home and rest or go straight to see a doctor but no not me I continued to help mum, sliding my right foot across the ground as I could not put and weight on the ankle/foot. When I did get home I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting with me feet up and doing nothing.

So Wednesday saw me off to the doctors to see what he had to say, I was able to walk a bit better yesterday and the pain level was back to the normal everyday level of pain I have in the right ankle and the doctor didn't even look at the ankle he just said I need an ultrasound to see what is happening and to go back and see him when I have had it. So I came home and rang around and the earliest I could get in to have it done was Tuesday morning. I didn't exercise yesterday, I slept in and rested the ankle.

That brings us to today, yes I got up at 4.30am and did an hour of exercise although I had to pack it in after an hour as my ankle was hurting.

The weather here has been bloody cold of a morning and afternoon but not too bad during the day, although on Monday when Tim and I were coming back from Sydney, Tim had the drivers side window down and I was bloody cold I had the heater on and Tim was complaining he was hot which he said was why he had the window down, I told him to shut off his vents so the hot air wasn't blowing on him but no he still kept the bloody window down.