Mac and Jill

The weather certainly continues to be hot. Looks like being another 38C degrees today. I will be glad when the tennis and the Australian Open have finished and we can have some early nights to bed. In between watching the tennis and cricket and ones house duties there is not much time. Pat and Keith visited on Saturday morning for a cappuccino and brought us some eggs. Pat’s back at school with kids starting on Monday. Allison will also be back with her kinder kids this week; I guess she will be pretty tired.

I have been trying to organise the painter, cabinet maker and the rear ramp to be completed while Jill is in hospital having her knee replaced. I’m not quiet sure what is the most expensive, knee surgery, painting or having kitchen cabinets replaced.

Jill has had a couple of visits to doctors this week, On Tuesday the visit to the urologist and on Friday to the Anaesthetist regarding Jill’s knees and he is going to discuss the operation with the orthopaedic surgeon and neurologist as the chance of complications from the MSA worries them. We had been booked into the Wangaratta Private Hospital but he suggested that he may prefer the Wangaratta Base Hospital (Northeast Health) as they have better intensive care for after the operation. So I guess we have to wait on that discussion to find where Jill will have her operation. As a prelude to the operation she had an ECG and blood work done so we hope there is no anomalies that show up. She has to take her CPAP machine into hospital with her so that it can help with her breathing in recovery. I mentioned the new mask; it amazes me how the new mask works so well in comparison to the old one. On Wednesday morning Jill woke with two marks on her right knee (good one) and it appears to be bites, itchy and have now developed little blisters, although I could not see puncture marks. Lorna came over with her grand kids for a swim and she thought they were bites. We have been putting Stingoes on them to relieve the itch. Earlier in the week I had killed a fairly large spider amongst the bed linen while making the bed so I guessed it there was one there would be others, but I inspect the sheets each night to make sure we are all clear.

We received a fantastic DVD last week and watched it in amazement. It was the ultra sound of our first grand child. Jill’s certain it is a boy???. We have watched it on the large TV screen which has the ability to pause and magnify, it didn’t help at all – we are willing to wait to be surprised. Nicole is certain IT has the Gristede NOSE. It’s amazing how babies just look like babies to me and have their own look. That may change when IT arrives and I look for a Keenan or a Sutton or even other family tree members.

I am sitting in the kitchen, listening to Macca and the sound of Sam mowing his lawn and think it’s time to get Jill up and showered.

See you next on the net

Here we are back again – survived the Christmas and New Year. Jill and I have been away at Chris and Nicole’s for a week while the painter moved in and completed the toilet, shower and passage. We went while the weather got hotter and I had hoped that it would be a bit cooler in Doreen.

Nicole had organised that we go to Northland for lunch and to give Jill a chance to do some shopping. We used the wheel chair and even though Jill was not that happy being in the chair it gave us the chance to do something we had not done for about five years. We had lunch in the food court and then proceeded to spend money. I believe Jill actually enjoyed being out. On the way home we had a look at a Balinese Hut which Chris was thinking of putting in the back yard.

The next morning they had decided to precede with the hut but to do the garden first – a couple of hours digging and we went off in search of a rotary hoe. We drove to Whittlesea and hired a trailer and rotary hoe. A few hours later the area was ready for the next stage. They had decided on a dry creek bed and some tropical type plants. While Chris and Nicole went off to pick out the rocks and Plants I laid out the creek bed in preparation for the top soil, weed mat, rocks and plants.

We actually moved about 3 meters of top soil and then 1 met of small river stones and then .75 metre of larger stones and rocks. We sat back and admired our handy work and Chris suddenly remembered the power that we had discussed earlier. We had to move some of the creek bed and weed mat so we could dig a trench 600ml deep and about 5 meters long as well as going under a path. Temperature at 38C and we gave up and decided to get up early next morning. Well by lunch time the trench was completed, the orange electrical conduit with a draw wire inside was buried. Within a couple of hours we were back admiring our handy work.

Friday we decided to go shopping again, this time to Doncaster shopping centre. Another meal in a food court and a few hours of looking at clothes for Jill. She accepted the wheel chair and we were able to move through the centre with ease , into Susan-greys, Myer, up escalators and lifts . It was great to hear Jill tell Chris how much she enjoyed it.

We rested on Saturday and headed home to check our newly painted area. Jessie met us at the front door, probably expecting Lorna who had been looking after her. We have had a quiet week; I picked up Jake from the kennels on Monday. Jill had a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday with a follow up next week.

While surfing the net I found a new pillow  for people that use CPAP masks. The web site is www.contourliving.com  I purchased it through an Australian company called Badbacks. With out telling Jill I ordered it and within two days we had it . It is just called CPAP Pillow. It is supposed to improve PAP ease of use, sleep comfort, neck support and spine alignment and reduce mask leakage, pressure on mask and face as well as mask discomfort. Jill tried it on Friday night and to my suprise she accepted and thought it was great. I have also ordered new silicone mask and insert as the old ones have started to deteriorate. Saturday was the second night and it really helps.

Jill’s legs have continued to get worse. I have just heard a cry from the bed room and as she was getting into bed her leg gave way and she had collapsed onto the floor. In tears we were able to get back onto the bed and eventually into it. March the 4th seems a long way off, for Jill’s sake I wish it was tomorrow.

It’s almost midnight so I will finish this early tomorrow morning.

See you on the net in a couple of weeks.

2010 has arrived and I’m not sure how to say it “Twenty Ten “or “Two Thousand and ten”, I don’t suppose that it matters that much. Santa has been and we had the whole family to help us celebrate. We all went to Kym & James for Christmas dinner and it was great to have the family together.

Just before Christmas Jill had her appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon and she has an appointment to have her left knee replaced on the 4th March at Wangaratta Private Hospital and a stay of about 7 -10 days followed by lots of physio and fortunately we will be able to intensify that in our own gym. His main worry is wether there will be any reaction with the MSA. The pain from the knee has intensified over the past few weeks and Jill would have the operation tomorrow if it was possible.We are going to Chris and Nicole’s for a few days while the painter finishes the passage and toilet. This will depend on how Jill copes with the pain. Jake is of to the kennels (Pet Resort) for a few days and we are going to have Michael’s Gus here to keep Jake company when we come home. Michael is going to the Gold coast for a week.

We havebeen doing some family tree with the help of several close and distant family members. The size of the tree grows daily as we find more extended members. If there is any one that would like to have a look at the tree, send me an email and I will forward the invitation. Joan lent me a copy of a book she wrote about her family “A Portrait of Ordinary People – the Hackett family” by Joan McKaskill.The book was judged – commended in the Alexander Henderson Award 1997 by the Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies Inc. The judges wish to commend two entries.

These are:
Silken threads among the gold by Susan Patterson and A portrait of ordinary people: the Hackett family by Joan McKaskill.

The second work, A Portrait of ordinary people is a beautifully produced paper – bound entry. The book is very short but none the worse for that. It makes effective use of civil records extracts, letters, photographs and family reminiscences. It includes an extract from Mrs Prendergast’s personal journal, and this in particular is delightful in evoking the joys and difficulties of rural life in the early twentieth century.

Amongst some of the other information gathered was a poem by my Aunty Kath which was forwarded by my cousin Edwin. It was written in the 1920’s and mentions her father (James Michael Keenan- my grand father) and a new employee Bill – happens to be her brother and my father. I have included the poem. There is also a second poem by James Michael about those new mechanical devices that will take the place of horses.

I had better close off and we will see you in a couple of weeks on the net.

Another Christmas has arrived and so have our family to celebrate with us. I was reminded in an email recieved today that we will also miss some one who have passed away. Mum loved Christmas and was the first to want everyone to be with her over Christmas and this will be the first without her. She would want us to continue on with family Christmas Celebrations.

Merry Christmas to everyone from us

We will be back on the net for the New Year

Our house is a bit turned upside down we have had a painter in the bedroom for the last week and only a day or so and they will be finished. We decided on feature walls in each and the colour looks slightly different to the colour cards but Jill thinks they look terrific.

I have moved picture frames from room to room to get the correct blend.

The weather has been great to sleep and is slowly getting warmer during the day once again and we hear that it will be in the high 30’s or low 40’s by next Thursday.

Jill’s waiting in anticipation of her next appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon, next Friday. I hope that he has considered her quality of life in his determination of wether to do the operation. With the pain, she is accepting my using the wheelie walker as a semi wheel chair. It is often funny when we set off down the passage and the brakes are both on or she forgets to lift her feet. Jake and Jessie both follow us up and down the passage and sit outside the ensuite door waiting for Jill to emerge. You would wonder whose cat she was, considering Jill cannot bear to handle or even touch the cat.

Friday was an important family day as it was Allison’s birthday, Happy Birthday to our girl – have a great week end away. Talking about birthdays, there was one over the road and last night, Marg arrived at our front door with a large piece of mud cake. I should have said no we don’t like it but you should have seen Jill’s eyes light up when she saw it. Supper was a cappuccino and mud cake. Thanks Marg.

We have started decorating the lounge, Jill and I sat in the lounge with tinsel, coloured balls and lights all around. Finally with me doing the labour Jill instructed me on where to put things. The lights on houses are becoming more decorative, a couple of houses in Hogan Street are looking good. I have arranged with Aunty Jean to take her around and have a look at all the decorated houses.

Family tree is still taking my evenings away. It is amazing the information that is available on the net. There are war service certificates, which can be down loaded and access to the research that other families have also carried out. To be able to trace the movements of family members via electoral rolls etc. is remarkable.

We had Michael home last week end and Jill had her hair cut and coloured, which is like a tonic. Her hair was driving her up the wall.

Well I had better get Jill up and continue our Xmas decorations.

See you soon on the net.

This morning the rain is lightly falling and has been for several hours, 9 ml over night. We have finally settled down after our great news from a few weeks ago. We had another bit of excitement looking at the ultrasound photos and imagining what the different bits were. I was certain it was a boy until Jill said I was looking at the umbilical cord. We are told the next will be a video.

We had a couple of days away with Allison and Chris in Bendigo; I had packed the wheel chair and told Jill we were going to the caravan show. She said that she would stay at Allison’s while I went. When we arrived we came through the rear door of the garage onto their new deck which is almost finished and certainly looks fantastic. I guess by the time I am writing this it will be finished. On Sunday there was a torrential down pour and I thought that we would not be able to go. Finally it cleared and we headed off and with the aid of our disabled sticker on the car were able to park right next to an entrance. I unfolded the wheel chair and of we headed across the wet grass and almost tossed Jill on her front as the front wheels bogged into the very wet grass. I had to pull several times rather than push as we headed to a brick path. It was much easier travelling on solid terrain. There were lots of things to see; just as well Jill has a lock on my wallet. We checked out the wheel chair accessible van. This is designed in Melbourne but surprisingly manufactured in Wangaratta. We met up with another exhibitor from Wangaratta who has invented a coupling that mounts to the A frame of the van and accepts a movable dolly wheel to make moving the van by hand much easier. After a few more near accidents with the wheel chair getting bogged we headed back to Allison’s. After lunch we packed every thing back in the car and headed home. Jessie was at the door to greet us.

This week we had a contractor in to put a wardrobe in one of the bedrooms, it had lost that when we did the conversion for Jill’s ensuite. We also had the doors in our old bedroom replaced. I have painted inside each of the robes, shelves etc. If there is one job I hate it is painting and as usual I finished up with as much paint on me as in the robes. I have arranged for a professional painter to paint the rooms and Jill is picking out colours for the feature walls. He is supposed to start in a couple of weeks so that it will be finished before Christmas. I spent a couple of hours with Jill sorting clothes out of her wardrobe and have a couple of garbage bags full to take to Vinny’s. She finds it hard to part with them. We were watching Oprah a few weeks ago and that had a clutter expert saying how to decide what to throw out. Face the coat hangers one way and every time you use an item reverse the hanger and in 6 to12 months check the coat hangers and make the decision.

I have got all the ingredients mixed for our Christmas cake , well the fruit and sherry are soaking on the bench so I guess under supervision the cake will be mixed and put in the oven today.

Tomorrow we have Jill’s appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon. She is having much more trouble walking, seems to be getting worse each day. I am not sure which is causing the most problem – pain from the knees or the lack of balance from the MSA. She has been having mild pain medication which seems to wear off very quickly. I have been using the walker as a semi wheel chair and taking her to the gym, bedroom and bathroom to avoid her being in so much pain. We hope for some answers tomorrow.

The family tree is still getting some priority and we seem to have gathered some long, long lost relatives. I didn’t know that I could have a “maternal grand father of the husband of a first cousin once removed” but evidently John Park Deed (1833- 1908) is that.

Macca is about to finish so will see you soon on the net.