Poem Thursday No 5

Here I am on Thursday afternoon writing a post, didn't do a post yesterday as with one thing or another I didn't get around to doing so. Being Thursday it is poem day so here is this weeks poem.

In all our lives, in many simple, familiar,

homely ways.. God infuses this element of joy

from the surprises of life, which unexpectedly

brighten our days, and fill our eyes with light.

Gross Facts No 5/ Pollution

Good morning all it isn't hot here yet...............

Well here we are at another gross Tuesday, today's gross facts are about pollution.

Linfen, China is one of the most polluted cities on the planet due to the coal dust produced by the city's coal mines.

In fact 16 of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in China

In Ranipet, India the water in local rivers is so toxic it feels like an insect bite when it touches the skin.

Over 1 billion people in the world do not have access to clean drinking water and 5000 people die each day due to dirty drinking water.

Some oceans have dead zones as in nothing can live there because pollution has caused an oxygen shortage.

London was once so thickly polluted with coal smoke that it created a thick fog known as a “pea souper”

Swimming and fishing are banned in Onondago Lake in New York State, USA because it has so much sewage and industrial waste.

If you see cotton buds on a beach don't swim there, as they are generally a sign that untreated poo has flowed into the water

The acropolis is a collection of ruined buildings in Athens Greece, acid rain has caused these old buildings to crumble more in the past 40 years than they did in the previous 2500 years.

Did you know No 4

Here we are at another Monday, it's a public holiday here, as Saturday was Australia Day. It is a much cooler day thankfully, so t he air conditioner can have a break today. Tim is working, good money working on a public holiday.

Here are this weeks did you know facts.

The world's first speed limit regulation was in England in 1903, it was 20mph.

According to a British law passed in 1845 attempting to commit suicide was an offence which was punishable by death........yeah that makes sence

Copies of the Bible and the Koran small enough to f it into a walnut shell have been written hand..........what the hell

A mantelpiece is so called because at one time people hang their coats also known as mantles over the fireplace to dry them.

For a short time in 1967 the American Typers Association made a new punctuation make that was a combination of the question mark and exclamation mark called a “interrobang” it was rarely used and haven't been seen since.

The week that was No 4

Sunday was an overcast muggy day, I had to have a late nap as the day got away from me, I spent t he day answering letters from pen pals, wrote a total of 6 letters. Spilt my drink.

Monday I went to my aqua class. Blain spent most of the day here updating his Xbox and at 1pm Leo came over for the night. Tim had a 5hr split shift so he was home from 11.15 to 4pm.

Tuesday morning it was nice when I got up at 7am but by 10am I had to turn the air con on as I had sweat dripping out of me. Spilt my d rink

Wednesday when I went to aqua my knees were so sore and stinging I ended up cutting it short when Tasha arrived at 9.35.

Thursday I had to see my GP he has prescribed Valium for me to take before I have the MRI done next week. Spilt my drink

Friday is shopping day Natasha dropped me off and Jessica picked me up before bringing me home I went to Coles to get a roast beef for tomorrow's lunch, Leo came with me as he was worried about me being on my own. He also picked something he wants to give Papa for his birthday tomorrow.

I was sitting on a ledge waiting and of course when it came time to get up I couldn't and Leo was worried he called his mum to come and help.

Saturday was Australia Day but more importantly it was Tim's birthday he has now turned 58 and because it was his birthday all the girls and grandchildren except for Sydney-May came for lunch. Sydney-May is with her father till tomorrow. Tim said he had a good day loved seeing all the family. Leo spent the night because he wanted to. It was a stinking hot day temps outside of my house got up as high as 42°c. When I went to bed it was still 30°c.

Poem Thursday No 4

In all ranks of life the human heart yearns
for the beautiful; and the beautiful things
that God makes are his gift to all alike

BY: Harriet Beecher Stowe

Creature Wednesday / Armadillo Lizard

Well here I am finally getting around to writing a post, this morning I went to aqua and talk about painful both my knees were stinging in pain.

I just got up from a nap I found it hard to stay awake so went and had a nap.

Anyway it is Wednesday and that means it is creature day and the creature is the Armadillo Lizard, this is a small African lizard its head, back and legs are covered with big, thick, spiky scales that make a painful mouthful for a predator.

The scales are separate from each other so that the lizard can wriggle and run, in fact if danger comes calling it can roll itself up into a tight ball, holding its tail in its mouth so that the hungry hunter sees nothing but spikes.

Also if something does grab its tail the lizard can shed it as make it drop off and grow a new one, thankfully this doesn't happen when it bites its own tail.

Despite these tricks some birds of prey can use their beaks and claws to attack the lizard and sometimes even manage to eat one.

Gross Facts No 4

It looks like it is going to be another hot and sweaty day here in Newie, it was nice at 7am when I got out of bed but I now have the air con going. Anyway it is Tuesday so that means it is gross day, today's topic is rubbish.

Mumbai, India gets rid if the horrid smell of its rubbish by pouring thousands of litres of deodorant on it.

The Citarum River in Indonesia is filled with the rubbish of 9 million people plus the liquid waste of 500 factories. Boatmen still fo on t he river but not to fish they look for things to sell.

The Pacific is home too the Great Pacific Rubbish Patch a vast soup of debris and chemical sludge that covers about 5000 square kilometres.

When rubbish decomposes in a landfill, it produces methane gas

In a landfill cigarette butts take 12 years to biodegrade

Disposable nappies take 800 years to biodegrade

About 6.3 billion kg of rubbish is dumped into the oceans every year most of it plastic

Until the early 20^th century thrown out food was mixed with animal remains to make a greasy gunk used in soaps and candles

Did you know No 3

Hello Monday and what a lovely Monday it is nice and cool again after a string of stinking hot days it is lovely. Anyway here are this weeks did you know facts.'

Duffel bags are named after the town of Duffel in Belgium where they were first made.

During the time of Peter the Great any Russian man who had a beard was required to pay a special tax.

According to scientists,gold exists on Mars, Mercury and Venus

Dr James Barry qualified as a doctor, joined the army and rose to the rank of Inspector-General it was only at the time of his death in 1865 that it was discovered that he was actually a woman..

When Marie Antoinette became pregnant many of the fashionable women of Paris took to wearing padding over their stomachs. As the queens pregnancy advanced they wore thicker and thicker pads when the Dauphin was born the women's fashioned all returned to their normal dimensions.

The week that was No 3

Here I am at 7.10pm on Sunday evening starting another week that was post, it has been a nice day spent at home answering 3 letters from pen pals. It has been a cool day with a nice breeze with both the front and back sliding doors open.

Tim is back at work this week but he has 3 days of split shifts which annoys him. The heat has returned and just going to get hotter as the week goes by.

On Tuesday Natasha drove me to the RTA to hand in the renewal for my disability parking permit it will come in the mail.

Wednesday is another stinking hot day, for Tim it was an early start but also going to be an early finish

Thursday was still stinking bloody hot, I woke up at 6.30am but by 10am I was back in bed as I felt sick, I slept for another 3hrs when I woke up I was feeling better, not great but better.

Friday I went shopping as per usual but I didn't get to have my daily nap as time just got away from me, I did do my online food shopping though. Friday was another stinking hot day, Natasha drove me to Charlie but wasn't able to stay as Jessica needed someone to watch Leo while she went to get her dentures. Tasha came back and got me when I was done.

Saturday morning when Kathy-Lee came over she had both her girls with her and because Tuesday is Sydney-May's 9^th birthday we took the opportunity to give Sydney-May her birthday presents and of course I had a small gift for Summer so she wouldn't feel left out. It is still stinking hot.

Poem Thursday No 3

Joys come from simple and natural things:

mists over meadows, sunlight on leaves,

the path of the moon over water.

BY: Sigurd F Olson

Creature Wednesday/Icefish

Here we are at another Wednesday and that means it is creature Wednesday and this weeks creature is the Antarctic Icefish, heard of it, nope, me neither...................

When scientists exploring the Antarctic first pulled an icefish out of the water in 1927, they named it the “white-blooded crocodile fish” because even though most fish have red blood like us the icefish blood is cloudy white like milk.

Red blood like ours is full of red blood cells that carry oxygen but in freezing temperatures it gets thick and gloopy. An icefish has no red on blood cells making its blood white and very runny, so it can flow easily, helping the fish to cope with the cold. However, this blood can't carry much oxygen so icefish don't have much energy and they move slowly.

Icefish aren't just cool the are actually super-cooled, meaning below freezing point. The water they swim in is often below zero degrees but it doesn't freeze because it's salty. The icefish are just as cold but chemicals in their blood lower their freezing point, so they don't turn into blocks of ice.

The icefish has transparent skin and its white blood give it a spooky ghostly appearance.

Gross Facts No 3/ surgery

Well here we are at another hot Tuesday, Jessica & Leo arrived just after I got home, she borrowed my car to go to an appointment while I watch Leo.

Today's gross facts are about surgery.

Ancient Romans practised plastic surgery to repair noses, eyes, lips and teeth

One procedure in ancient Rome was the removal of scar tissue from the back because it implied that a man had turned his back in battle and was a coward.

Most surgeries in Renaissance times (between 14-17^th centuries) were performed in barber shops

Many of the patients seen by 16^th century Italian surgeon Gaspare Tagliacozzi were treated for wounds by duels or street fights.

Tagliacozzi created new noses using arm tissue, however, the new nose could fall off if blown too hard, damn that would be embarrassing

Australian artist Stelios Arcadious had an ear grown from cells in a laboratory implanted in his arm to make himself a living art exhibit. Not art just stupid.................

In the middle ages surgeons used herbs and alcohol as simple anaesthetics

About 17 million plastic surgery operations are carried out worldwide each year

More take place in Switzerland than any other country with about 216 procedures per 100,000 people each year.

The earliest form of surgery was trepanning which involved cutting a small hole in the head, but why...........................

Some fashion conscious women have been known to have a toe removed so they can wear a slim fitting shoe, not me, that's for sure.

Did you know No 2

Hello Monday what a nice Monday although I woke up feeling not so good it is a warm day but at the moment no need for the air con at this stage. Anyway let's move on to this weeks did you know facts.

The estimated weight of the Great Pyramid of Egypt is 6,648,000 tons, how the hell do they work that out.

There are 31,557,600 seconds in a year

During WW11 Hitler commissioned Ferdinand Porsche designer of the VW Beetle and many other cars to design the biggest, heaviest tank possible. The tank was completely watertight and it could cross a river not by floating but by driving across the floor of the river under the water. The problem with the design was that it was so heavy it literally demolished the streets and foundations of nearby buildings as it passed, due to its weight and vibration.

The female cod can lay up to ten million eggs in one birth, bloody hell

During Abraham Lincoln's campaign for the U S presidency, a democrat named Valentine Tapley from Pike County Missouri, swore that he would never shave again in Lincoln were to be elected. He kept his word and didn't shave after the November 1860 election when he died in 1910 his beard was 12ft 6” long.

The week that was No 2

Well here I am at the end of another stinking bloody hot day, had temps as high as 40°c today but finally this evening a cool southerly has arrived dropping the temp down to around 35°c so still bloody hot, hopefully tomorrow will be cooler.

I really need to have a nap during the day because when I don't I end up feeling unwell around 6pm and when I do go to bed it is difficult to settle down.

Yes Sunday turned out to be much cooler, I was up at 6am and found Leo asleep on my arm chair so I didn't turn on the TV or any lights, he slept till 9.30am.

Sunday night saw me in a right state, I was not just shaking but somewhat confused, I couldn't make up my mind what to do. Natasha walked in to see me sitting on the lounge crying, she gave me something sugary to eat and made me other food after eating I was fine.

.

Monday morning is cool and wet but of course it didn't stay that cool nor did it get hot, so all in all a good day. Took Leo to see his paediatrician that went well he was mostly well behaved, no change to his medication.

Tuesday was Leo's birthday and watching him open his presents is such a joy he shows such excitement. Also on Tuesday Papa & Leo left for a two night camping holiday, this of course excited Leo.

Wednesday morning I started back at my aqua class, also that morning Natasha said she was concerned about our neighbour in unit 8 she hadn't seen or heard her since Sunday so she contacted the woman's son who also hadn't heard from her. So Natasha rang the cops who took over an hour & a half to turn up, when they did they had to break into the unit as no one had a key. The neighbour was found deceased in her bed it looks like she has died in her sleep.

Tim and Leo returned from their camping trip Thursday morning, Leo had a wonderful time he did get a little sunburnt on the back of his neck and the back of his legs, Tim said he did apply sunscreen but still sunburnt happened. I gave Jessica Aloe Vera to rub into his sunburn.

Friday Tim took a heap of stuff up for our curbside rubbish collection, we have two such collections a year.

Now we are at Saturday again and it is still hot but Australia is hot

Poem Thursday No 2

Sometimes it is a slender thread,

Sometimes a strong, stout rope;

She clings to one end,

I the other;

She calls it friendship; I call it hope

BY” Lois Wyse

Creature Wednesday/ whale Shark

Hello Wednesday, well my aqua class started back this week , but I was unable to attend on Monday as Leo had his appointment with his paediatrician but I went this morning.

Anyway it is creature day and today's creature is the whale shark, this mighty monster is the biggest fish in the world. It grows up to 12 metres about 40 feet in length, they also have the thickest, toughest skin in the world. It can be 14cm or 5.5in thick in places and like other sharks its skin is covered in tiny, hard, sharp denticles which means little teeth.

However, these huge creatures do not chase or bite humans they just cruise around using their wide mouths to filter tiny animals out of the seawater. Due to their size no other creature can scare them, the only real threat to them are humans in fishing boats.

Thankfully many countries have laws banning whale shark hunting, whale sharks are so gentle and friendly that they have been known to allow divers to stroke them.

Gross Facts No 2/ Inventions

Hello everyone here we are at another Tuesday and it is pretty bloody warm bordering on hot may have to turn the air con later,at the moment it is only 27°c.

Today it is also Leo's birthday he is 11 today, he is the type of person it is a pleasure too give gifts to he shows joy and excitement at every gift, he uses words like awesome & amazing to describe gifts he also likes to say “mine now” after opening a gift.

Anyway let's move onto some gross facts about inventions.

In 1867 William Bullock developed gangrene and died after crushing his foot with his own invention the rotary printing press.

The toilet snorkel was invented in 1982 to provide clean air via the toilet bowl,in case of fire

In 1995 the babyvac was invented to clean snot out of babies noses so that the could breathe more easily

In 2006 scientists in Singapore created a battery powered by urine, why, just why

In 1908 George Hogan designed an alarm clock that tipped water on a sleeping person to wake them up, what the hell who would like that.

The Aspire Assist Aspiration Therapy System was invented in 2013, what is it you wonder well it is a weight loss device that pumps food out of your body before your body can digest it.

Scientists in Japan invented a fart recorder that analyses a fart's smell and then recreates it using a mixture of chemicals, again why..........

Did you know No 1

It is a lovely Monday I woke up at 6.10am to rain and it is nice and cool, last night saw me in a right state, I was not just shaking but somewhat confused, I couldn't make up my mind what to do. Natasha walked in to see me sitting on the lounge crying, she gave me something sugary to eat and made me other food after eating I was fine.

Anyway here are this weeks did you know facts.

Frank Tower was a shipworker who was on the Titanic when is sank, he was also on the Empress of Ireland when it sunk and then he was also on the Lusitania when it went down and survived all sinkings. Damn

Beards are the fastest growing hairs on the human body, if the average man never trimmed his beard it would grow to around 30 feet in his lifetime.

By the age of 60 most people have lost half their taste buds.

England's Stonehenge is 1,500 years older than Rome's Colosseum.

The Eiffel Tower gets a new coat of paint which is about 300 tons of paint every seven years.

The week that was

I am going too start this year a weekly post for Saturdays called “The week That Was” this post I will write during the week.

This last week has been hot, stinking bloody hot with temps in the mid to high 30's, so hot that many days I have turned the air con on as early as 8.30am. Even though it wasn't in the window Natasha has been using her new air con which has helped but it goes into the window on Wednesday morning.

Here we are at Wednesday aka hump day and when I got up at 7am it was a nice 20°c the lowest morning temp so far this week. Of course it didn't stay low for long, heated up to around 35°c. Tim & Michael installed Natasha's air con, it didn't take long and she is happy.

I also had a doctors appointment for fasting blood test and to get some scripts.

Thursday was another stinking hot day, I turned the air con just after getting up at 8am, at 11.30am I went back to bed for a bit and stayed there till Tim left for work at 1.50pm.

My sister Sandy sent me a message Thursday afternoon asking if Natasha could pick my parents and Dawson up and drive them to Charlestown Square as Sue had to work and Sandy said she didn't have room in her car. So of course we picked them up but while we were having breakfast Sue rang and said when she got into work she was told they didn't need her so she would be at the square in about 5 minutes to help Sandy.

While I was doing my online food shop Natasha turns up to see if her dad would be able to drive a truck for a friend whoo needs to move. He said he would because he was too kind to say no bugga off.

So I said I would not go to Margaret's funeral as Tim wouldn't be able to go and pick me up after the service.

Poem Thursday No:1/New Year

Hello everyone I a kicking off poem Thursdays with a poem about the New Year.

Happy New Year
Author:Catherine Pulsifer
Happiness depends upon your outlook on life. - Find the good in all situations
Attitude is just as important as ability.- Keep your attitude positive
Passion find yours this year! - Do what you love and you will never work
Positive thoughts make everything easier.-Stay focused and stay positive
You are unique, with special gifts, use them. - Never forget you have talent
New beginnings with a new year.
Enthusiasm a true secret of success.
Wishes may they turn into goals.
Years go by to quickly, enjoy them.- Wisdom from your elders, listen
Energy may you have lots of it. - Take care of yourself
Appreciation of life, don't take it for granted. - Live each day
Relax take the time to relax in this coming year.- Keep a balance in your life

Creature Wednesday/Pufferfish

Good afternoon everyone on this Wednesday, this year Wednesday's will be creature Wednesday this Wednesday I will kick it off with the Pufferfish.

The Pufferfish is a smallish chubby fish that looks quite cute as they bumble along, flapping their tiny fins. However, get too close and pop it suddenly inflates into a football covered in sharp, venomous spines.

It can also swallow huge amounts of water very quickly to blow up its body to several times its normal size. It can also do the same thing with air, making its spines which normally lie flat, stick out in all directions.

In Japan the pufferfish is known as Fugu and are eaten as a delicacy the chefs have been known to leave a bit of poison in the fish to make the eater feel dizzy and tingly but if they get it wrong the diner ends up being rushed to hospital.

Gross Facts No:1 Poison & Venom

Hello 2019 and a happy New Year to everyone.............

Let's kick of the year with something gross, because it is Tuesday and Tuesday is gross facts day, our first gross facts of 2019 will be about poison and venom.

The land snake with the most lethal venom is the Australian Inland Taipan

The most potent snake venom of all comes from a Pacific sea snake, but it is peaceful and won't attack unless very scared.

In India 46,000 people die from snake bites a year, that's more than anywhere else in the world

Some snake venoms work by shutting down the victim's body so that it is still alive but cannot move

The deadly puffer fish is a delicacy in Japan and chefs have to take great care to remove the poison, however, each year about 12 people die from eating it.

The golden poison frog has enough poison to kill between 10-20 people

There are millions of poisonous cane toads in Australia, and dogs sometimes die from licking the toxic skin

Stonefish have 13 venom filled spines

The male platypus has venomous spurs on its heels, it uses these to fight other males during the mating season.