Greece

Good morning, everyone who read this, hope you are doing well this week we are off to Greece.

People have lived in Greece for more than 5,000 years and it has been considered a civilised country for 2,500 years.

Greece is a country in southeastern Europe with thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas. Influential in ancient times, it's often called the cradle of Western civilization.

The capital is Athens, which retains landmarks including the 5th-century B.C. Acropolis citadel with the Parthenon temple. Greece is also known for its beaches, from the black sands of Santorini to the party resorts of Mykonos.

The country has a population of around 11 million, the official currency is the euro. The euro replaced the Greek modern drachma as Greece's official currency in 2002, following the country's introduction into the Eurozone in 2001.

The national flag of Greece, popularly referred to as the Blue-and-White or the Cyan-and-White, is officially recognised by Greece as one of its national symbols and has 5 equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white. Blue and white are the national colours of Greece, as blue symbolizes the sky and seas and white denotes the purity of the Greek independence struggle. The cross represents the Christian religion.

Due to its deep connection to the sea, it has adopted the dolphin as its national animal. Revered in ancient mythology and folklore, the dolphin symbolizes intelligence, harmony, and the maritime heritage of Greece.

The little owl is the national bird of Greece, is also known as the owl of Athena and is believed to provide knowledge and wisdom worthy of the goddess.

While looking for the national flower of Greece I found some sites saying it is the Bear's Breech which is also as the Sea Dock, Oyster Plant, and by its biological name, Acanthus Mollis. Others said it was the lily. Specifically, the white lily is often associated with purity and has historical significance in Greek culture. Additionally, the oleander is also commonly linked to Greece, particularly in its natural landscapes.

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, there were 12 gods called Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, and either Hestia or Dionysus.

Now days religion in Greece is dominated by Christianity, particular the Greek Orthodox Church, which is within the larger communion of the Eastern Orthodox Church. It represented 90% of the total population in 2015 and is constitutionally recognized as the "prevailing religion" of Greece.

Many people will think of the Trojan Horse when thinking about Greece it was in case you do not know a wooden horse said to have been used by the Greeks during the Trojan War to enter the city of Troy and win the war.

Also, many people when they think of Greece will comment that it is home to the first Olympic games, way back when the ancient Games were staged in Olympia, Greece, from 776 BC through 393 AD, it took 1503 years for the Olympics to return. 

The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. The man responsible for its rebirth was a Frenchman named Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who presented the idea in 1894.

That will do for Greece.

 

 

 

Week 42 of 2024

 

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This was supposed to be posted yesterday but it didn't post

I had a pretty good night, slept pretty much all night, although I had to use the powerfit before going to bed due to how restless I felt.

I felt cold and had to turn the heater on for a little bit.

The temp this morning is 13 degrees and my BGL was 4.9

The day has warmed up, Tim did more work in the back yard.

Steps: 5,196

SANDY’S BIRTHDAY SHE IS 47 TODAY

I had a really good night slept straight through only waking when the alarm went off.

It is a cold morning with a temp of 12 degrees, my BGL is 5.0

It has turned out being a warm day with a temp of 22 degrees.

I was waiting for Sam this afternoon and she didn’t turn up; I rang Jess who rang Sam, and it turned out someone told the driver she had already gone home. Thankfully a friend’s mother drove her home.

Steps:5,765

I had a really good night slept straight through only waking when the alarm went off.

It is a pleasant 15 degrees and my BGL is 6.8, a bit high for some reason.

It was starting to rain when I was going up the front with Sam and had to come back and swap from my scooter to the walker. The temp is still only 16 degrees.

Tim home at 9.30am to have something to eat before going to have his scans done. Then he will be going back to work.

Steps: 6,157

DAD’S BIRTHDAY HE WOULD BE 82

I had another good night slept straight through waking at 4.20am to pee then straight back to sleep till the alarm went off.

It is a cold 13 degrees my BGL was 5.0

I am having a lot of trouble walking this morning my right knee doesn’t feel stable and I am worried about falling.

Tim arrived home at 11am he has phone appointment at 2pm.

The day warmed up a bit.

The clothes I ordered from Millers arrived and both lot of pants fit well but the skirt is a bit too big. I have emailed to see if it can be exchanged for a smaller size, but I don’t it can be as I think it was off the clearance rack.

Steps:8,204

Went to bed at 9pm last night as per usual around 11.15pm I woke feeling restless, so I got up and used the powerfit no issue there, however, when I bent over to unplug it, I lost my balance and fell banging my head hard against the lounge and yes it hurt I sat for about 20 minutes before going back to bed. For the next few hours, I dozed on and off before settling down at around 2pm. I got up at 5am a usual.

It is only 7 degrees my BGL was 3.6

It has warmed up to 21 degrees.

Both Sandy and Sue said I shouldn’t use the powerfit during the night.

I rang the Eastern Tiger and booked a table for 4 on the 26 then Jeannie said she would come, then Dawson said he would come so I rang back and changed the booking to 6. I then realised I hadn’t asked Dave, so I have texted him about coming and hope to hear back sometime tomorrow.

Steps:5,410

Went to bed at 9pm last night as per usual around 11.15pm I woke feeling restless, so I got up and used the powerfit went back to bed and straight off to sleep.

It is 15 degrees and my BGL is 3.4

Took Sam up the front and managed to just get home before it started raining heavy.

I have had another productive morning vacuuming and changing the sheets, washing the sheets and tossing them in the dryer to dry.

Steps: 10,445

Had a good night although when the alarm went off, I didn’t want to get up, but I did and after a shower I felt ok. It is 19 degrees and my BGL is 5.2, we are supposed to be in for a nice day.

I have felt fidgety as mum would put it this morning.

Tim and I went over to Lake Fair so he could cash in bottles while I went to see if I could exchange my skirt, but they didn’t have anything in my size.

Tasha bought me another matching top and pants set.

Steps: 9,41

Wellness Test Results

I recently did a wellness questionnaire which can be found here: https://ezpzwellness.org/

These are the results.             

Personalized Recommendations

Physical Health: 48.0/100

Recommendations:

• Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily

• Improve your sleep hygiene by maintaining a consistent sleep schedule

• Focus on a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables

Mental Health: 72.0/100

Recommendations:

• Increase your mindfulness practice to 15-20 minutes daily

• Try journaling to process your thoughts and emotions

• Learn a new skill or hobby to keep your mind engaged

Emotional Health: 80.0/100

Recommendations:

• Continue nurturing your emotional well-being

• Share your emotional management strategies with others

• Explore ways to give back to your community

Social Health: 40.0/100

Recommendations:

• Make an effort to connect with friends or family at least once a week

• Join a club or group related to your interests

• Practice active listening in your conversations

Nutrition: 44.0/100

Recommendations:

• Increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables

• Reduce consumption of processed and fast foods

• Stay hydrated by drinking at least 8 glasses of water daily

Sleep: 52.0/100

Recommendations:

• Optimize your sleep environment (e.g., comfortable mattress, dark room)

• Try relaxation techniques like deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation

• Avoid caffeine and heavy meals close to bedtime

Stress Management: 72.0/100

Recommendations:

• Learn and practice time management techniques

• Try stress-reducing activities like yoga or tai chi

• Set realistic goals and break large tasks into smaller, manageable steps

 

Epileptic Seizures

Hello everyone, today I am going to tell you about the four main types of epilepsy seizures.

Starting with the type of seizure most people thing of when they think of an epileptic seizure.

This seizure is now called a Generalised tonic-clonic seizure, it was once known as a grand mal seizure and are the most recognised.

The seizure starts with a sudden loss of consciousness. The person’s body then becomes stiff, followed by jerking of the muscles. They also may turn red or blue, bite their tongue and lose control of their bladder.

When they regain consciousness the suffered may be confused, drowsy or agitated, it is not uncommon for them to not remember what happened and have a headache.

Next, we have absence seizures, these are the type of seizure my nephew Dawson suffers from. They used to be known as petit mal seizures they usually start in childhood but can happen in adults as well. They are brief and involve staring, loss of expression, unresponsiveness and stopping activity. Sometimes eye blinking or upward eye movements are seen. The person usually recovers straight away and continues their previous activity, without remembering the seizure.

There is also something called focal seizures, previously known as 'partial seizures', these start in one area of the brain and affect the parts of the body controlled by that area of the brain. The seizure may involve unusual movements, feelings, sensations, or behaviours. People can have different levels of consciousness during focal seizures.

Lastly there are febrile convulsions are seizures are associated with an illness causing a fever, such as a viral infection. They are generally harmless and do not require special or long-term treatment. Febrile convulsions are common, happening in about 3 in 100 healthy children up to 6 years old.

If they don’t have any additional risk factors for epilepsy, children who have febrile convulsions have a similar risk of developing epilepsy to the rest of the population.

Sometimes people with epilepsy may have changes in their behaviour. They also may have symptoms of psychosis.

Most people with epilepsy tend to have the same type of seizure each time. Symptoms are usually similar from episode to episode.

Some people with focal seizures have warning signs in the moments before a seizure begins. These warning signs are known as aura.

Warning signs might include a feeling in the stomach. Or they might include emotions such as fear. Some people might feel deja vu. Auras also might be a taste or a smell. They might even be visual, such as a steady or flashing light, a colour, or a shape. Some people may experience dizziness and loss of balance. And some people may see things that aren't there, known as hallucinations.

YOU CAN ALSO FIND A NEW POST HERE:https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2024/10/nuts-hodgepodge.html

 

Crossing the harbour

 

This week we are looking at crossing Newcastle harbour this was a challenge for travellers and those commuting to and from work.

It was also a great opportunity for ferries and punts, a great variety of ferries have come and gone from Newcastle over the years with some used chiefly as industrial transport while others would be used to transport people.

Punts also played an important role and up till the time the Stockton Bridge was built they really had their work cut out for them.

Among the famous and long serving punts was the Mildred which was the first vessel launched at Newcastle’s Walsh Island Dockyard in 1914 and was named after the dockyard superintendent. The Mildred also spent some time working as a Hawkesbury River punt during World War 11, she was retired in 1945 and sold to a private party. This punt could carry 15 vehicles and 70 passengers.

Another punt was the Kookaburra also built a Walsh Island and was the last car ferry built in NSW.

Now days the Stockton Ferry still runs it is a direct ferry departing from Queens Wharf and arriving at Stockton Wharf. Services depart every 15 minutes and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 5 min, I think it costs around $8.

Introduction to wild dogs

Well, I have run of big cats to write about, so I am moving onto other four-legged dangerous animals that being wild dogs. A wild dog is a member of the canine family such as the hunting dog of Africa, the dhole of India and the dingo of Australia.

A 'wild dog' can be any free-ranging dog without an owner. This includes domestic dogs that are homeless, dingoes, and hybrids of the two.

Domestic dogs may also behave like wild dogs when they are unsupervised or unrestrained. These are usually referred to as feral dogs often they have escaped to the wild, either through accident or neglect, and have reverted in the natural state to some of the characteristics inherent in all dogs.

There are 35 species of wild dogs are currently recognized. They belong to the dog family, Canidae, which also includes all extinct dog species. Members of the family Canidae are known as canids and may also be referred to as 'canines'. The world's wild dogs include animals known as wolves, foxes and jackals.

Like wolves and dogs, African wild dogs do belong to the Canidae family. However, grey wolves, coyotes, dogs and jackals are all in the Canis genus, whereas African wild dogs are the only living species of the Lycaeon genus.

Then we have the bush dog is a canine found in Central and South America. In spite of its extensive range, it is very rare in most areas except in Suriname, Guyana and Peru; it was first described by Peter Wilhelm Lund from fossils in Brazilian caves and was believed to be extinct.

Next week I will pick a dog and write about it.

                                  

 

Romania

 

Good morning, all, it is time for another country this week it is Romania.

Romania can be found on the Black Sea coast of southeastern European it is divided into three major regions, Wallachia in the south, Moldavia in the northeast and Transylvania in the centre.

The country is known for the forested region of Transylvania, ringed by the Carpathian Mountains. Its preserved medieval towns include Sighişoara, and there are many fortified churches and castles, notably clifftop Bran Castle, long associated with the Dracula legend. Bucharest, the country’s capital, is the site of the gigantic, Communist-era Palatul Parlamentului government building. 

The country’s official language is Romanian, there is also some minority languages, including Hungarian and Romani.

It has a population of around 20 million but there's also a large Romanian diaspora, meaning that a lot of Romanian people live abroad.

The Romanian leu is the currency of Romania. It is subdivided into 100 bani, a word that also means "money" in the Romanian language. The central bank is the National Bank of Romania.

The national flag of Romania is a tricolour featuring three equal vertical bands coloured blue, yellow and red. The flag used in the mid-19th century was a horizontal tricolor design of blue, yellow and red. This was later changed in 1862 to reverse the positioning of the red and blue bands. It was in 1866 when the vertical tricolor flag was introduced. This flag was used through 1948 until the communist era. The flag used in 1948 featured the same vertical tricolour bands as the previous flag with the addition of the country’s emblem. A total of four flags were used during the communist era, each with slight modifications to the emblem. Following the communist era, the flag first used in 1948 was adopted again in 1989 and has flown in the country ever since.

The Eurasian lynx is the national animal of Romania.

The Peony is the national flower.

The Great White Pelican is the national bird.

The coat of arms is a golden aquila that is holding a cross in its beak, at also shows a mace and a sword in its claws. It contains the three colours of the flag.

Undoubtedly one of the most famous people from Romania is Vlad Dracula (aka Vlad the Impaler or Vlad III), a 15th-century ruler of Wallachia. Vlad Dracula was a courageous and tenacious leader. During his rule he fought off Ottoman Turks who invaded parts of Wallachia (Southern Romania). He is often considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian history and a national hero of Romania. 

Vlad the Impaler tortured thousands while he ate and drunk among the corpses. impaled 20,000 men, women and children and often ordered people to be skinned, boiled, decapitated, blinded, strangled, hanged, burned, roasted, hacked, nailed, buried alive or stabbed, I think he was evil.

 

Week 41 of 2024

 

I slept well again, straight through the night till the alarm went off. A nice morning with a temp of 14 degrees, my BGL was 4.8.

Another warm day with a temp of 26 degrees.

Tim bought another whipper snipper.

Sue brought over some Kiwi fruit she bought and didn’t like.

Daylight savings will start tonight.

Steps:4,110

I slept well again, straight through the night till the alarm went off. I was a little confused as the clock in the bathroom said 6am but my phone said 5am and I thought I had set it to the right time before going to bed. I was wrong I put it two hours forward not one silly me.

It is a nice 11 degrees this morning I am in shorts and my BGL is 4.7.

Tim and I went to Lake Fair so I could go to Big W and the Reject Shop as well as Woolies. By the time I got home I was exhausted. I bought a pair of bike shorts, and a pyjama set both size 16 and both fit. I have asked Tasha if she could go and get me another set in a different colour.

I turned the air con on around 1pm as it was that hot and I was able to turn it off around 6pm.

Steps: 5,422 

I had another night where I slept through, I like those nights today is going to much cooler then yesterday with a temp of 18 degrees, my BGL was 4.9 this morning.

Summer walked down and posted my letters for me.

Micheal picked up Summer just before 3pm

I sorted out my Christmas jewellery and gave Sandy a bag of things I was only going to bin to see if her girls want any of them.

Stedps:4,496

I had another good night woke only once to go to the loo and straight back to sleep.

It is a coldish, wet morning with the temp being 13 degrees my BGL is 4.3

I am not doing good; my upper body will not stop moving and using the computer is difficult.

Tim home by 12.15pm, he had me order pizza and he picked it up on his way home. He also ate most of it.

It has rained on and off all day.

Steps: 5,102

I had another good night sleeping straight through, this morning Tim got up when I got up, he has a busy day ahead of him starting with work followed by two or three afternoon medical appointments.

Tim didn’t get home till 5.30pm. the diabetic specialist has changed his medication. He also has to have a blood test and a bunch of scans done oh is arm, thumb and abdomen.

I am having a restless night along with having a pain in the gut, so I got up to use the powerfit.

Steps:7,757

I had a rough start to the night took me a while to settle but once I did, I was ok and slept till the alarm went off. It is a pleasant 14 degrees, and my BL was 5.0

It turned out a pretty warm day, I changed into shorts after returning from the shops.

Tim and I went to the shops, he went and had his blood test and booked into to have his scans done. He has to go to Belmont as Warners Bay are fully booked for when he wanted.

Tim is working tonight and tomorrow night.

Steps: 6,472

I had a pretty good night, slept pretty much all night, I did wake when Tim got home and spoke to him for a few minutes before going back to sleep.

It is a cold and wet morning with a temp of 15 degrees.

Tim left for work around 11am he will not be home till after midnight. When it stopped raining, I walked up and checked the letter box.

Steps: 7, 598

 

New Post at Random Things

A new post is over at Random Things

 https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-name-sandra-my-babygirl.html

Epilepsy

This week I am going to share a little about the condition Epilepsy, my nephew Dawson has this condition.

Epilepsy happens as a result of abnormal electrical brain activity, also known as a seizure, kind of like an electrical storm inside the head. And because the brain controls so much, a lot of different things can go wrong. Suffers may have periods of unusual behaviours, feelings and sometimes loss of awareness.

Epilepsy may occur as a result of a genetic disorder or an acquired brain injury, such as a trauma or stroke. Other brain related causes are things like meningitis, encephalitis or a brain abscess. Then there are brain diseases such as Alzheimer's. It is also believed that alcohol or drug use as well as high or low blood sugar levels.

In fact, in around half of all cases the cause is unknown. It may take years after an injury for seizures to develop.

During a seizure, a person experiences abnormal behaviour, symptoms and sensations, sometimes including loss of consciousness caused by fainting. It isn’t uncommon to see the suffers having rhythmic muscle contractions or muscle spasms. Some people say they experience an aura or the sensation of pins and needles.

Also common: seizures, amnesia, anxiety, depression, headache, sleepiness, staring spells, or temporary paralysis after a seizure.

After a seizure the person may feel really tired.

Most people have none or only a few symptoms between seizures.

Epilepsy is usually treated by medication and in some cases by surgery, devices or dietary changes.

You should see a doctor this is your first seizure, or you have repeated seizures, you have seizures more often than is normal for you, you are not sure if you’ve had a seizure or if you have a diagnosis of epilepsy but feel like your medicine is not helping.

You should seek medical attention after a seizure if you are injured, if you are pregnant or have diabetes.

Next week I will post about the different types of seizures.

 

 

 

 

 

Random Things Post

 A new post can be found here:https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2024/10/a-walk-in-park-what-hodgpodge.html

Transport in Newcastle Way Back When

 

                                                           Early Buses

This week will be looking at early public transport in Newcastle.

In 1940 transport in Newcastle was at a crossroads, many people relied on public transport in the form or trams, trains and buses due to the depression in the 1930’s private cars were rare.

Horse drawn vehicles were still pretty common and with the fuel shortages and rubber for tyres being in short supply during the second world war. Many businesses went back to using horse drawn vehicles, however, it became harder to get feed for the horses as the war dragged on.

A horse drawn ambulance

Prior to the construction of various road projects connecting the outer western suburbs of Newie crossing the Hunter River including the Stockton Bridge numerous ferry services, both privately run and publicly operated.

Early Stockton Ferry Warf 

Shuttling people and cars across the Hunter River to link the area of Stockton with the rest of Newcastle during the 19th and 20th centuries, the ferry runs from Market Street Wharf to Stockton.

                    People waiting for the ferry

Newcastle first had trams from 1887 until 1950, when the final line, the Waratah line, was replaced by buses. At its peak, the system ran to Speers Point and West Wallsend.

                        An early tram

The first railway in Australia was built by the Australian Agricultural Company in 1831. The railway was an inclined plane railway from the Company's A pit in Church Street Newcastle to Newcastle Harbour.

                        Newcastle Station 

The first government operated bus route commenced on 22 September 1935 to Mayfield. On 10 June 1950, the final tram routes were withdrawn. On 2 February 1983, the Stockton ferry service was taken over from a private operator.

                        The first buses

                            Early Buses

Cars have been super important in Australia's history. They first came to Australia in the early 1900s and back then not many people could afford them. In the 1950s, Australia started making its own cars, and that made a lot of jobs and made cars easier to get.

                A Model T on display at the Newcastle Museum 

I have not been able to find when the first cars arrived in Newcastle.