What’s happening?

Today seemed to be the first time when I stayed in my unit without going out as far as the roadside. It wasn’t, but it seemed like that to me. I got up very early this morning because Sam, my cat, woke me up. I sat and read, had a sleep in my chair before I got up for my breakfast, and went back to my chair to read. I had gotten bored with reading by 10am, so I hopped onto Griffith Uni discussion boards for the three courses I’m doing this term. One of them I have an assessment to finish by next week, on another I have to make comments about the posts from others on that course, and the third I read the tutor notes saying that some part of that course was cancelled due to coronavirus. Still, I think the tutors will each keep their courses open – I *hope* so! After these 3, I only have 4 more to finish my degree. Check out Griffith Uni, and enrol if you want to!

After my lunch I popped outside to re-pot two of the free plants I got from Ipswich Council over a week ago. I had intended to re-pot them all last weekend, but I didn’t… at least I did water them every second evening. My pot plants have spread a lot in the last two years – I have two of the plants I got from Ipswich which can grow into actual trees, so maybe some time in the next week I can re-pot them again. I’m sure there are many other councils which provide the same free plants programs – have a look at your own council website.

This avo I watched a program on SBS about racism – it was called “The Truth About Racism”, and Yasser Abdul-Magied introduced it in 2016. She was the presenter, and she  
was very happy with how it worked over the 10 days of the training. Nick, the white Australian man, didn’t acknowledge racism at the beginning, but he had turned around so much by the time it finished and I hope he is still acknowledging racism and is no longer using it. This can be watched online, if you missed it.

I found out today that all Brisbane libraries will close on Monday 23 March, and will stay closed until notified they will re-open. SLQ seems to be left open, and so do Ipswich and Logan libraries. I am hoping to pop into Springfield library (one of the Ipswich libraries) at Orion tomorrow, to get a few more books for the next few weeks. At the moment I only have 3, but I still have at least half a dozen of my own which I haven’t finished reading. Still, perhaps I can get novels, biographies, history of whatever I choose, and maybe even some picture or graphic children’s books which I will read because I need to write children’s or adolescent’s stories in one of the BA courses I’m doing this term.

The three of my quote pics which I have used on this post relate to my opinion of illness, whether or not it is coronavirus. I hope you feel just as good as I am right now!

Oops I did it again!

I know that at the start of the year I said I’d write a post every day, but yes, I know I haven’t done it for over a week. I blame myself. Well, actually, I blame the COVID-19, which has spread so much in weeks. I haven’t had it, but I know there are 5 died in Australia from it since yesterday. We’re moving into it quickly. Read about it on this ABC article or this ABC one.

It seems good that ‘famous’ people have caught the virus – think of Tom Hanks and his wife, now isolated in Gold Coast; think of Richard Wilkins, now isolated in his own home; think of Peter Dutton, now isolated in his own home… oops, I did it again – he’s certainly not ‘famous’, he’s infamous!

Still, I want to stay away from COVID-19. I am planning on staying away from shops – unless I need to buy anything – and only go for my personal own drive if I get too home-stuck. My BA is online and I’m up-to-date with it, and one thing I will still do is go for a daily walk with a neighbour – who also doesn’t have COVID-19. When ScuMo recently said he would shake anyone’s hands and changed that to do not shake hands, I had already felt that way. I won’t shake hands, no matter who said this!

New Zealand took it’s absolute power and banned travel or isolating travellers into NZ from pretty much any country except for some small Pacific islands. I had planned on using the Australian payment made to many beneficiaries and lots of small businesses at the end of March to go to NZ and visit my grandkids, but that won’t be happening too soon. Oh well, I had already planned on going over around christmas this year – maybe that will still happen. So why is this government planning on giving people money? The article, linked above, said that it is “part of the government’s … stimulus package aimed at keeping Australia out of a recession caused by the impact of the coronavirus…” Really? How come they didn’t do this for the bushfires? There were more people adversely affected by bushfires – and bushfire smoke – long before the coronavirus turned up.

We now know that COVID-19 is pandemic. I truly hope that all this information gets to you and you become aware of it. Please read the links on here, and please stay healthy!

Welcome, Luca!

Seven days ago, 1 March 2020, my granddaughter Luca Lee Lynch was born. I didn't get to see her until Wednesday this week, 4 March, and I won't see her again until her parents, Esther and Karina, take her home. She's a gorgeous baby, and I remember when her mother was born. That was in Taupo, New Zealand, and that hospital did not have epidural which I needed, so I screamed... and screamed... and screamed from pain. Of course, when my son had been born earlier in Waikato hospital, they had epidural and I had no pain. It wasn't simply a choice - it was for my lower spine injury.

In 2017, 1 in 3 had caesarian section (AIHW report). Back in 1980s-1990s it was only 1 in 6 (another AIHW report). Perhaps this will increase as our dateline moves forward (and I'm not saying that is okay - I hate scars, perhaps that's personal). Es had previously planned a caesarian, but that didn't happen - my granddaughter was born naturally, with her mother on epidural for pain.

Epidural is explained in the government health page - have a look if you don't know about it. Unfortunately, a British newspaper, the Guardian, wrote very recently of epidural which had been refused to women. I was shocked with the reasons they gave - and I am so pleased that for my pain when my son was born 35 years ago I had epidural almost immediately. In the 1960s New Zealand was ahead of the rest of the world with how they looked after labour pain. Epidural was used, then, only for forceps and caesarian deliveries (p.8). Thankfully it has changed. Some who choose it now may have a different need for it, or perhaps they don't need it. Perhaps all women are afraid of the pain that birth can cause. Or perhaps the (male) doctors have never entertained the pain that we women have had in birth. Except I know there are some women there also who think that the pain is necessary. Get that right, women - don't make all of us feel that pain! 

My granddaughter isn't my first grandchild - 5 of them live in New Zealand - but she's the first girl I will have contact often with. I am so looking forward to this! Thank you, Esther and Karina, and ....

Welcome

Luca