Oh My My Oma

Oma is – or was – a cyclone. It was – is – still a German name for Grandmother and Grandfather – see the Quora post about this. But I’m looking at the cyclone, and I’m a bit upset with it! 

This morning I looked up the BOM, hoping that the rain they had predicted would come today. But I found out that Oma had turned on itself, and was heading back out to sea, moving north-northwest. Very frustrating! Yes, but would I call this cyclone onto mainland? Well, no, but the very edge of it was supposed to cause 70-80% rain in Brissie. Now it’s not.

 

Many areas up north in Queensland had floods, and more than half a million animals died. ABC reported about the group of men who had chosen this job, helping the farmers. SBS reported that Defence personnel arrived around Townville to help evacuate people and clean up. I truly hope that Townsvillers – at least – gets back inside their homes quickly rather than waiting for insurance. I still have memories of the similar floods in SEQ 8 years ago.

Yet this year Brisbane had highest temperatures on record and only 20% of the average rain in January. February was dry, according to Accu Weather, and only had 5 days throughout the whole month which met the previous history temperatures. Two thirds of the month was hotter.

Courier Mail titled their 2014 article with “Southern Queensland and northern NSW’s worst drought in 113 years”. 

97.3 said in October 2018 that Australia “could enter mega drought lasting 20-years”. 

The Conversation, also October 2018, said that “recent Australian droughts may be the worst in 800 years”.

In 2015 BOM had a map of the Millennium Drought which showed deciles between 2001 and 2009: much less rain than any of that time. It compared La Nina with El Nino. La Nina is a rainfall system and El Nino leads to drought. Whilst La Nina rained excessively throughout Aus in 2010 and 2011, El Nino seems to have taken over again. At the end of their article they wrote “In the longer term, large year to year rainfall variability is expected against a background state which is expected to further change through time.” Climate change? They seemed to know this back in 2015 – maybe all the population should read about it now!

So why am I frustrated with Oma? I watched the ABC weather reports, and the people didn’t seem to know any more about what was happening with this cyclone. They are very good weather people, and this is the first time I can remember that any of them have said this: that this cyclone might come over the shore or might turn back on itself. Oma, what have you done? Are you working with La Nina or El Nino? Will we still be under a drought and will it get worse? When can we expect some rain?

Can you please tell me? 

(Song Oh My My by nomad, giving me the title of this post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWXIsmftqIc) 

 

What's still happening?

I wrote this post back in December 2016, and it was also published on my LinkedIn, but it seems no-one really cared about what was happening back then. Except, it's still happening. There is an election this year. The Australian public needs to vote the best government to manage us and our affairs, not doing things they just want. The latest independents are re-steering the government, and yes, they are thinking of the future!

I recommend you read this again, and think about it a lot. This world is changing dreadfully. WE can fix it!

https://whacksworks.blogspot.com/2016/12/what-happens-next.html

Keep talking

This was my last post to my blog, aneurysm aphorisms. I’m pretty sure there’s a reason for that... I had written in it that “Sometimes I stutter, sometimes I forget my words, sometimes I just shut up.” That was written on 16 March 2016, nearly three years ago, and two years after my stroke. 

I don’t know of any aphasia group around Redbank or Springfield. I had joined a STEPs group in Mango Hill when I lived up that way, as well as the aphasia group. Two and a half years ago, when I moved into Bethania and Eagleby I went to a Logan aphasia group which met at the Logan library. It was not what I wanted to be ‘involved’ in – people with aphasia given ‘classes’ by speech pathologists. I needed something more for a person, preferable just me. I also joined a STEPs group which had lunch in Fitzy’s at Waterford, but I couldn’t afford to go so I quietly walked away. I joined a STEPs group in Gold Coast but I only went there twice – too far.

Am I so damned negative now???

AAA provided a link to a video which was provided by Dr Paul Zimmermann, in USA, who had a stroke with aphasia 6 years ago. I watched that this morning and felt so... uncomfortable with my language. It’s a heck of a lot better than Dr Z’s, but it’s not where I used to be before my stroke and aphasia. 

AAA also gave a link to a Perth tv program about the VERSE aphasia recovery program, only set up recently. The gentleman interviewed talked so much better than me!! I would love to do that... is it available in Brisbane?? 

What am I doing for myself? I belong to a support group (not a stroke group, but very good for disabled people and those with mental health) called Upbeat Arts. The header on their website includes the theatrical group which I’m not in. I’m in the choir, Absolutely Everybody. I used to go to Streetbeat, the percussion group which met on Wednesdays, but last year I gave that up when my dog died in March, my daughter-in-law died in April and I was made redundant from my 10 hours a week recovery work at the end of June. 2018 was an annus horribilis year for me. Streetbeat has stopped now. This year I have joined the Creative Writing group, and later this month I’m joining the latest group (all part of Upbeat Arts) for songwriters... I have even tried songwriting before today – I would love to make a success of it!

Fairly recently (towards the end of last year) I went to a university talk up at The Edge at the State Library of Queensland (SLQ), called A Stroke of Foundation, presented by Dr Lavinia Codd. At age 31 she had a stroke (doesn’t mention aphasia), but she has completed her Bachelor of Science for her cognitive recovery, went on to complete her PhD at UQ's Queensland Brain Institute and she now has an Advancement role at QBI. One thing got into my mind and kept me trying to stop being negative was that she had a stroke and has fully recovered!! Good on her. 

I’m halfway behind her. I’m into my second year of BA (not sure if I am majoring in Literature or in Journalism, I’ll wait and see what I enjoy) and sometimes feel positive and other times feel negative. Writing certainly helps me.

I’ll ask again... am I so negative now? I don’t want to be. I have a history of bad memories before my stroke which, too often, kept me down: I need to fight them. Living alone, being alone is not good for a person who needs to recovery fully, but I don’t know if I ever will. Perhaps, yes, I am still so negative, but I need to become much, much more positive.

Help me, if you can!