Oh for a good night's sleep!

Do any of you, or your husbands or family members, suffer from Sleep Apnea?

My husband is in Brisbane's Prince Charles hospital at the moment.  He is in the sleep study unit and they have confirmed that he has Sleep Apnea.  Well I am no specialist but I could have told him that and have done for quite a few years!

He is being discharged this morning and phoned this morning very elated that his night on the oxygen gave him such wonderful slumber.  Little snoring (but of course he never did admit to snoring!) no foot and leg twitching, waking feeling refreshed.  He certainly sounded chipper!! His only problem was with the mask but he should quickly adjust to using it.

A positive for us all is that he needs to loose a little weight (which we all could do with :-) and get back to regular exercise.  When I met my hubby he was an exercise junky. (Opposites attract....apparently!)  As I am trying to get more consistent with walking and other gentle exercise it should be a good family project and won't hurt my basketballers to join in.

The only hitch I see is that Rocky is just so hot and humid from October onwards.  It saps a lot of the energy out of you.  I wouldn't walk around town on my own at night but perhaps with hubby as escort we will do that.

Would love to hear from anyone with experience of Sleep Apnea and how it affected your life or how successful treatment has been.  Statistics and reports show that SA is a major cause of depression, irritability, stress, even to the point of marriage break down.

A Youthful Mother

Two of the best things God can send,

Are a loving mother and a faithful friend.

Anon.

Yesterday, 18th, was my mum's 82nd birthday!  You can go here and here to read a little about this dear woman from previous birthday posts.



Mum holding me as a baby
1963


Both Mum and Dad have become quite frail in the past year.  Mum suffers from memory loss and vagueness.  Dad has become blind and is really frustrated at his loss of independence.  They have decided that the time has come to move from their little independent unit in a Retirement Village to low care, hostel accommodation.

On Friday, Mum, my three sisters and I went to check out these facilities and compare what was available to them.  As they are in the Mercy Care system already at the Village, they should receive preference, though the waiting period can still be quite long.

Family Funny
So, on our third place of inspection, the guide, Angela, asked one of the residents, Peg, if we might look into her room to see the lay out and space etc.  Angela entered, followed by Mum and the four sisters (ages 59 to 48) After a pleasant chat and a few questions we thanked Peg and she responded, "Which one of you is looking to come here?" Hahahahahahahaha................... We girls couldn't get out of there fast enough, we were cackling like teenagers! It gave Mum a boost anyway even if it didn't do a lot for our egos!

Mum holding my twin grandchildren
Her 26th & 27th great grandchildren
 2011
(No. 28 is due this week!)

Thank you Lord for a loving mother and a faithful friend!

Spring Break!

Are you taking a break just now?

We are - and really looking forward

to soaking up the beautiful

Spring weather!

The school term has flown by very quickly it seems.

As mentioned in an earlier post, we have used some different materials

 this term in the form of DVDs to supplement for book work and lots of reading

in Science and SOSE.

This has been very successful for us and we will be able to continue this

into next term. The boys have continued on, often independently,

with their Maths and English. Next term, Lord willing, as my energy levels increase,

we will return to a more normal schedule

(for us) taking up the Speech Pathology activities and more art, science etc.

Home schooling through any crisis, be it moving house, illness,

new addition, is challenging.

I feel we have done quite well under the circumstances.

A lot of the boys' day has been devoted to "domestic science"!

We've read this interesting and engaging book this term, I Juan de Pareja.

It is an historical novel set in Spain in the 1600s and though fiction is based

on true characters and events.

The boys really got into this book.

We meet Juan as a slave boy in the service of his kind mistress.

Most of the story is about his life with his new master,

Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez and his family.

Velazquez becomes painter in the Royal Court of the King.

The friendship between Juan and his master is the focus of the story and

eventually Juan is granted his freedom which also allows him to paint.

Both Juan de Pareja and Diego Velequez became noted painters

with works hung around the world to his day.

The great painter Rubens and lesser known Murillo are also featured in the story.

Also of interest to us, aside from the lavish court descriptions and customs,

 as well as the darker side of gypsies and thugs, was the many references

to Roman Catholic rites and traditions.

Coming from this background, references to "Our Lady" and rosaries etc

were not unusual to my ears, but it gave a good opportunity to

explain these differences to the boys.

This book by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino is a Newbery medal winner

and was first published in 1965.

Read about it here.

To start the holidays, we are attending the local Pipe Band's Ceiledh on

Saturday night. A young friend of ours, a homeschoolded lad,

is part of the bagpipe players, so we are looking forward to

watching, hearing! him perform for the first time.

On the bagpipes, that is!

When I was Three

After showers on Friday, Saturday dawned cool and fresh and sunny.

The perfect day for a birthday celebration in the park. 

GS 1 tries to blow out his 3 candle (a sparkler!).

A cool scooter for a very happy boy

This three year old loves snakes! Sssssss....

Two little boys ♥

Cousin rather liked the birthday boy's helmet.

The dynamic duo are 12 weeks old!

♥♥

Go ahead - call me crusty!

"Call me crusty :-) I think some of the novelty has worn off after nineteen years

and I spend most of my day just trying to get the job done."

Lest I sounded jaded, frazzled, weary, let me elaborate on this answer from my homeschool meme, as to why I don't regularly read catalogues and specifically home schooling sites much any more. Sometimes it comes down to just getting the job done.

In my early years of teaching the children, homeschoolers were reading Mary Pride et al and here in Australia, Maureen Tully was publishing "Welcome Home Australia". (Anyone remember back that far?)

We read a lot about Conviction v Preference regarding home education. (And a lot of other stuff had to be sifted through!)

My husband and I were convicted to home school but for us it was not something which we thought everyone, even every christian family, had to do.  We supported our friends whose children went to school, both state and private.  So in that sense home schooling was also a preference.

I began the journey of motherhood with all the hopes and dreams and expectations that come with that wonderful, esteemed job.  I didn't want to be teacher, I wanted to be Mum all the time, because to me teaching the children was part of that job description.

But when the rubber hits the road, it is conviction which gets you through  for the long haul.

Conviction that what you are doing is the best thing for your family.  That despite failures, your motives and attitudes are right.

The one resource I could never have managed without is God and His Word.

Because you know what?  Schooling turned out to be a darn sight harder than one first idealisticly imagined.  What do you do when/ if your darlings do not produce the oft touted excellence in all things academic?  What if your graduated students are not serving the Lord, not professing faith even, in fact living worldly lives far from the example you have set?  What if your children do not read well? Are socially inept? What if you can't get out of bed each day let alone teach lessons?  What if a new baby year after year has kept you busy changing nappies and not ensuring that everyone was progressing up the levels? Not the outcomes you were dreaming of...

Some of these  situations have happened to me.

All of them have happened to families I know who have taken on this commitment to educate their children at home.

By the grace of God, conviction has given them/ us strength to continue come what may.

So, this is why I do not spend much time on catalogues and how-to home school books and sites any more.

It's not that I don't have anything to learn...I do!  But I am blessed with many years of experience and many Godly women along side me.  If you don't have either of these then I understand the need for the other.  But you know, you only have to watch my friend "Lily" to see how one highly intelligent, and educated woman who would have done well in her chosen field had she stayed there, uses her gifts to bless her husband and educate her own children.

I watch "Petunia"  and the patience she exhibits to her large, boisterous family.  She only reached year 10 herself but she doesn't need to read "how-to" books to know that children need to spend lots of time out in the fresh air and sunshine.  And boys must be boys!  How fondly I look back on those early days when we would pack all the littlies up for a picnic and just chat.  Or how when we both had little fractous babies we would send our two ten year olds with prams and little sisters to "walk it off"!

(Wouldn't do that for safety reasons now but it saved our sanity.)

What about "Daisy"?  She has educated her five children and run their home business for over ten years without the support of a husband.  She blesses and encourages the families in our group by being our unofficial "co-ordinator". 

"Jasmine" has a child with Aspergers Syndrome. 

"Dahlia's"  son has dyslexia.

All of us have had our children at home for at least fifteen to twenty years.  While I have only about five to go, some of them are looking at another 15! Like me most of them have had heartaches, failures and dramas.  What keeps one going when it would seem the easiest thing to do would be to pack the children off to a "regular" school? It is that conviction.....

Train them up in the way that they should go.

It is interesting that while all these friends love books and I'm sure love to check out new things, that we really are at a stage of life where sometimes you just have to put your head down, ask a prayer for stength and carry on.

My friends, I am crusty and doubtless unimaginative.  But I am not jaded or frazzled!  I joy to see so many new mums starting to homeschool.  To see their enthusiasm and share what little wisdom an old hand can.  I still need to pray daily for strength and commitment.

Teaching is a work of heart ♥

  

Homeschool Meme

Thank you to Jen at Jen's Busy Days for tagging me in this meme.  Unfortunately, I am still unable to comment at your place, Jen but I have popped over to read from time to time.  I have actually been reading these on other blogs over the last week so it will be interesting to take part.

1. One homeschooling book you have enjoyed

The Christian Homeschool by Gregg Harris.  Like most HSs I have read many books over the years.  Some I have accepted, some I have rejected but most I have taken something from.  This was actually the first book I read about teaching at home and was passed on to me by my then Pastor.  We had a four year old and a two year old at the time and had made the decision to home school pre marriage, if the Lord blessed us with children.  I don't remember a lot about it now but I do remember that his emphasis on delight directed learning fitted well with my own ideas.

2. One resource you wouldn’t be without

These days the computer :-)  In the early days Sam Blumenfeld's "Alphaphonics"

3. One resource you wish you had never bought

I have recently tossed out many workbooks and bits and pieces which I have accumulated over the years and never used.  I have never spent lots of money on something that I did not use/ want any more, for which I am thankful!

4. One resource you enjoyed last year

After many years doing my own thing I really enjoyed the workshops conducted by the Groves Christian College support teachers.  (This year, because of health limitations even more so.)

5. One resource you will be using next year

We have begun using and hope to continue using next year, the Drive Through History DVDs.  Again, this is a concession to my health but for my non-readers, it has been a wonderful stimulation.

6. One resource you would like to buy

A coffee making machine.  I am happy with instant but that would really make my day!

7. One resource you wish existed

A full time house keeper. (She could also make my coffee)

8. One homeschool catalogue you enjoy reading

Reformer's Bookshop

Surprise, surprise!  For many years I read all the catalogues I could get my hands on and had long wish lists which I rarely bought books from.  Since enrolling with a DE school we confer with them on curriculum, much of which they supply through their learning support unit.

9. One homeschooling website you use regularly

Regularly - none!  I infrequently check at Aussie Homeschoolers and I love to read the blogs of other homeschoolers.  Call me crusty :-) I think some of the novelty has worn off after nineteen years and I spend most of my day just trying to get the job done.

10.  Tag other Home schoolers.

Since many of you who homeschool have already been tagged, I will throw this open to any one who would love to participate and pass it along to your friends.

School? Too busy getting an education!

My older son was fortunate enough to be able to make the trip to Canberra with the Groves Distance Education Students and Teachers last week.  What a fun, action packed week that was!  with the long drive from Brisbane to Canberra and back on Sunday and Thursday nights and each day crammed with activities.  They did a lot of educational/ touristy high spots as well as a recreational day at Thredbo.  Not only is my S1 more widely travelled than the rest of us with Dad  the only exception, but he is the only member of our family to have seen and frolicked in snow!

S2 made pretty good mileage of being the only student at home.  While he still had to do basic school work he also had a nice treat going out to lunch with Mum at Hog's Breath on shopping day..

His sister, in her already very busy day, managed to make time to play board games and give him some extra attention. (He wasn't admitting it but he missed his mate.)

Lord willing, S2 will have the opportunity to make this trip in '13.

This week the dedicated Groves staff have conducted a workshop for the students in this district who are enrolled with them. These are always a great day and especially being a Science theme.

Here they are launching their `hot air balloons.

The lad second left is my older son. A pilgrim?  No, he is wearing his "thinking cap".

Quantum physics?

I'm not sure but some of the older children were able to keep up :-)

Some of the families travel from as far as Mackay to the north and places like Bauhinia and Rolleston to the west so these are really good days for making and renewing friendships as well.

Four generations!

The twins are 9 weeks in this pic but today they are eleven.

I mentioned last week that the children had all been unwell.  Thankfully they are all improving.  The older children also got a bad dose of it which laid the boys in bed for a day although my daughter soldiered on, as mothers do :-)

Alas, I have also come down with this 'flu which brings with it a dreadful cough.  I have very little resistance to anything at the moment so I have ended up with a chest infection.  Grrr... I do try to be patient, long suffering etc but I must admit I am rather over being unwell just now :-(

Tomorrow the boys begin rehearsals for the Homeschoolers concert in a couple of months.  This was begun last year by one of the musical families, although we've had many more amateur concerts in the past.  I must admit my fellows, growing older, cooler? are not so enthusiastic this time around, but I think it will be lots of fun.  Plus, for uncreative, non musical mums like me, it is the perfect way to cover a few of those bases!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Joshua 1:9

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

He gives us beauty for ashes.

"It is said that in some countries trees will grow,
but will bear no fruit because there is no winter there."

John Bunyan

"Humility is a strange flower; it grows best in winter weather,
and under storms of affliction."

Samuel Rutherford

"After winter comes the summer. After night comes the dawn.
After every storm, there comes clear, open skies." 

Samuel Rutherford


(Thank you to Stefanie at Stefanie's Pleasant Places for these quotes.)

Some quotes from respected men of God of the past.
When we experience these hard trials and periods of
 affliction, a winter in our soul, it is good for us to
remember that our fellow believers have and still do
endure the same,
if they are being sanctified by the Lord.

May you know the joy which comes in the morning,
in the Spring and let us praise and magnify the Lord.

"For whom the Lord  lovest He chasteneth"
Hebrews 12:6

For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life:

 weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Psalm 30:5

Wardrobe Malfunction!

If I were a supermodel, or a rich and famous celebrity I'm sure I would be on the 6 o'clock news this evening.

It's 8.30 in the morning and I have pulled on the most convenient clothing to go with my daughter to the doctor with the four little kidlets, three of whom have miserable, chesty coughs and runny noses.

The large surgery is packed already, folks must get their appointments early to get to work I guess.  There is a great little children's play area with brightly coloured activity boards and the two older grandchildren race in to play with them.

GS one calls me to come over and make a phone call (on the board) but I am chatting to mummy so he comes over and grabs my hand to follow him. As I stand up and our hands drop, he grasps my skirt... the very convenient, elastic topped one I have pulled on this morning! SHAME!

I tell you, that waiting room was crowded!

This same mortifying thing happened to my sister years ago.  They were isolated from town on their outback property during a flood and clean, dry clothes were in short supply.  By two-way radio they organised to meet neighbours for a food drop at the river and several families rendezvoused there.

When her toddler pulled the skirt down to her ankles she revealed a pair of
her husbands undies.

Oh Shame!

Some rather interesting pics came up when searching under
"wardrobe malfunction"!

Renal "Rehab"

and learning to live with chronic illness

One of the long term "side effects" of Type 1 diabetes is kidney impairment.

My own kidneys have been shonky for a long time which is fairly standard

for someone who has had Type 1 for close to forty years.

In my recent health crisis which was actually a bleed in the liver,

my kidney function plummeted.

On my return home I was invited to join the next session of the Renal Group.

Apart from the fact that most of the attendees were at least 20 years older than me,

which is daunting, it has been a very informative exercise for me.

Knowledge is good and it can be motivating.

Sometimes, the knowledge can be a bit overwhelming, making one feel hopeless,

but it is definitely the aim of the very devoted Chronic Kidney Disease

team to encourage us.All of us were folk with Chronic Kidney Disease

 at some level above the need for dialysis.

Scarily, my GFR (renal function) dropped into the level four category
which is just one step above dialysis, at the time of all the trauma.
It is s-l-o-w-l-y rising and I praise God for this reprieve.

What have I gotten out of this time spent in education?
All the usual things are stressed - diet, exercise, take you meds.
But it has been good for me to learn more of what our
"fearfully and wonderfully" made kidneys do in the body,
to refocus on keeping them for as long as
possible on the level they are - no matter how shonky.
It was interesting today to get a better picture of what each
medication does and why it is so important to take them.
I also found it helpful throughout the program to discuss not only
the effects of our actual illness but also of these medications
and their side effects _
some of which I have had, not realising they are related.

So, if I seem tired and flakey at time -
well I probably am :-)

I am planning to begin a Cardiac Rehab session soon but since it is a
much bigger time commitment and I have done parts of it before.
I am putting it off until the long holidays in the hope
of not eating up too much school time.

I have always tried to accept my chronic health problems and carry on
life regardless but I realise that I also need to learn
to accept my limitations.
Like most people in this situation I tend to have big ideas
and I overdo things when I am feeling well -
Only to crash there after!

This is not my usual type of post but I wanted to share with you
friends what it is that keeps from blogging etc these days.
Have a great week.

"My flesh and my heart faileth,
but God is the strength of my life and my portion forever."

Beach Day

For those readers who are experiencing a chilly winter, may I suggest a visit to Central Queensland!

The only way to describe our days lately is GLORIOUS!

So, having temporarily lost my camera I am posting some lovely pics of our family

outing to the coast last weekend.

I love the vivid colours at this time of year.

Just meters from the beach is this great littlies park, fully fenced, with a skate ramp

right next door for teens, which suits our multi age level family.

GS1  climbing and exploring

GS 2 grinning over lunch

The kids try out the musical instruments

The "almost 3 year olds" conquer their Everest!

Boating

Even the bubs caught a bit of sun

The great tradition
Ice creams before we head home.

GS 3 does not wish to be helped!

The results are in!

What are littlies made of?

Our weeks are flying by and the little twins are seven and half weeks old already!

Our days are very much consumed with "getting school work done",

(It doesn't have to be fun it just has to be done?)
feeding babies and chasing toddlers, feeding teenagers and toddlers!

Sometimes ideas for posts flit through my head but I'm afraid they float straight out the other side!

Some pics of the littlies will have to suffice :-)

Sugar 'n' Spice!

Snips 'n' Snails

And puppy dogs' tails!

Family, Fun and Frustration

For over ten years one of the small local Christian Schools has extended an invitation to the Capricornia Homeschoolers to their Athletics carnival.  It really adds a great dimension for the students who are educated mainly at home with their own families, and also gives good competition to the three small schools who attend.

We usually muster about 80 - 90 so we are a larger group than two of the schools!

About six years ago we decided on orange t-shirts for the children so they really look like a team.

On some excursions  we take the students also wear the shirts and it has helped build some

 team spirit and unity .

Our school days have been short and a little disorganized as I try to return to a little normality.  But hey, what is normal.  I am not sure here anymore :-(

Our area teacher with Groves has been very helpful.  I suggested using some curriculum on DVD to spare myself a little leg work as my boys still require me for pretty much all the reading/ writing stuff they do.  The teacher not only sourced out some material for me but also spend his own precious time in writing up worksheets for some of it.

I am very thankful as my energy tank is running very low.

This is my oldest grandson having a wonderful time with play dough.

(Mumma was aghast to find he had helped himself without the plastic cloth underneath :-)

Notice our very old, well used double school desks complete with ink wells and slate pencil troughs!

And here they are!

Our current household minus hubby and I.

Good times!  Good times!

"Tribulation works patience.

'

My frustrations are minor...and trivial.

I get quite frustrated at my seemingly very slow progress and inability to do everything I want to do.

I still feel very tired but not the bone weary fatigue I experienced the first couple of weeks at home.

For which I am very thankful.

Twins and Things

So here a few long awaited  pics!
Between our busy days, my lack of energy and the inavailability of the computer at moments when I might have got to it, I have not posted any before.
New look for Blogger too.  Do all you Blogger uses like it? I had a few issues with finding things eg old posts but now that I have that sorted I think I will be okay. It is very bright on the white background for me as far as reading.

.

God provided us with an eight seater in an amazing way!

Two little peas in a cot.

My sweet, one and only grand daughter♥

Sweet fourth grandson ♥

The usurped baby poses for Mumma.

Love those kids in their flannie jammies!

Health wise I am improving very slowly.

Most of my problems bring with them tiredness so

most of the time I feel absolutely whacked.

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post.

I appreciate your continued prayers.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Man makes his plans

But God......

directs his path.

Hello to any one who might still remember me and see this post come up.

It has been a long while and much has happened, but as I again attempt a post I am still quite frail and weary and so have decided to simply leave a quick blog about my past month in hospital and

then resume life rather than blog about particular things which have happened over this period.

You may remember back in May I had some headaches?  One morning I woke with a terrific pain in my head such as I had never experienced before.  I spent several hours in the emergency dept of the local hospital during which time my blood pressure sky rocketed.  I had a cat scan of my head but no sign of bleeding etc (to which I am at high risk).  However, while there I had pain medication through a cannula in my right arm.  This was to trigger a chain of events from which I am still recovering.

About ten days later this site became sore and swollen, infected and painful.  On being scanned at the hospital it showed I also had a clot from elbow to shoulder in the vein of that arm.  That was when I was first admitted to hospital.  My well being slumped over the next two days and it was feared I had suffered another heart attack but it turned out the triponin leak was due to the fact that a small bit of the clot had  moved to my lung and this was pressuring the heart.

After several days I returned home on Warfarin (a thinning medication) and tried to get back to our hectic life with my daughter's twins still two months off due date.

Ten days later again, I  presented at Emergency, this time with severe pain in the right side of my stomach and my right shoulder.  My liver was bleeding!  This meant ICU, first here in Rocky and then I flew on RFDS to Royal Brisbane.  Blood and plasma were necessary to reverse the effects of the Warfarin and thankfully surgery was avoided.

Because of my underlying health problems, namely Type 1 Diabetes, I already have renal impairment and some other associated problems so the next week was very traumatic.  Everything plummeted. A lot of pain, pain killers, lack of sleep and gibberish (from me!).  This was all exacerbated by the fact that I developed pneumonia as well.

I ended up spending the whole month of June in hospital, 

 being an inpatient during the birth of the twins

and only getting to meet them when they were home and thirteen days old.

I enjoyed many visits from Brisbane friends and family while I was there and was especially blessed to meet my blogging friend Mum-me.  Thankyou so much for coming over to see me!

And I do not think I could have survived without the faithful visits, encouragement and prayers of my dear friend, JF, who came up twice a week to make sure I was going okay.

Also thanks to her hubby and family who willingly sacrificed their mum for me :-)

What a precious friend I have xoxoxo

Sooooooooooo, all the well laid plans we had made came to naught,

I am not going to pretend I just took all this lying down :-(

I was devastated.

But I know that God never left me or forsook me.

He gave me strength to endure both the trauma to my body and the huge emotional

trauma of being away from my family at such a time.

My wonderful family cope magnificently!

My older daughter has been an amazing example of the self sacrificial love that mothers have for their children as she tends to the little ones.  They still wake regularly in the night at three weeks of age and her one and two year olds are as lively as ever.  She manages on very little sleep.

My hubby and the boys have been fantastic, undertaking much of mum's work during this time.

My sons have had a lot of practice in caring for babies and small children, that is for sure.

My younger daughter has been a tower of strength and given up many days to mind children and help out generally.
We are blessed with a wonderful praying and supportive family and friends who
have provided meals, cleaned our house and given unfailing encouragement.

Now I am home, but after four weeks of bed rest I am extremely weak.

It is going to take time.

The whole business has taken a great toll on me and I seem to have visibly aged alarmingly.

Praise God he has restored me to my home and family!

His  mercies are new every morning.

Great is His faithfulness.

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength

It has taken me four days to get this post up.  Please forgive if I am longer yet before I get back to blog reading.  I have missed all your news.

First a Boy and then a Girl!

Announcing the arrival early this morning of my new grandbabies!

Twin No 1, a little boy weighing 2.29kg followed closely by his sister at 2.62 kg.

My daughter had a reasonably short labour and managed the double birth beautifully without need of stitching. though some help required to get the first little guy out.

Thank you to all have prayed.

I praise God for a safe delivery at 35+ weeks.

I have ended up in Brisbane in hospital for the last two weeks so, almost unbelievably have missed the momentous event :-(  But God's timing is perfect and I look forward to being reunited with them all in a few days.  I PROMISE to get some pictures of the real babies when I get home.

Remember Ruby?

After a rather long sabbatical, I am back!

Sometimes we go through phases of life where everything is predictable, scheduled, ho hum even.  Other seasons are more frantic - spontaneous.  Sometimes, we are caught unaware and life carries us along paths we never imagined.

Two weeks ago I blogged from the Brisbane airport waiting to return from my appointment to the Eye Clinic.  That day I noticed a soreness in my arm, like   a bruise, and I think I mentioned I had a niggling headache. By Friday night that arm was fierce and swollen and very painful.  Turns out I had a DVT there and a severe infection. So whilst in hospital dealing with the symptoms some other things began happening.  I had skyrocketing blood pressure, which had been going on for a couple of weeks and other sensations which indicated things where not going so well.  By the Monday, my bloods showed I'd had a triponin leak which is an indicator of a heart event.  I then spent a couple of days in Coronary Care before the problem was made more clear.  A little of the clot had gone to my lung which was causing grief to my heart and causing the leak - so no heart attack!
I am sure it all sounds very dramatic to anyone reading but alas, this is the way things go for me sometimes.
I was able to come home last week on the Hospital in the Home scheme and have my condition and new medications monitored here which has been great.  I am feeling really well now and praising God for His mercy!
So, needless to say, my best laid plans have not come to fruition for a really full on term of school work with my boys before the birth of my daughter's twins.  She is due in about six weeks. Any mother who is teaching her children at home and also coping with chronic illness knows that we have to be somewhat flexible in our schedules.  It is a challenge and I won't commit to writing a post on that topic as I frankly do not think I have been the best of examples in it.

On the positive side, two of the boys' supervising teachers have made visits in the last couple of weeks.  This has been good motivation for them and great encouragement for me, who naturally wonders whether I should keep on the road we are going.  My older son is joining the Homeschoolers trip to Canberra in August which the school is organizing.  He is very excited.  I think this will officially make him the most travelled member of our family!
Whilst in hospital I jotted down several anecdotes and other ideas for blog posts which perhaps will make it here in the near  future,  I am still limited in my usage of the computer and the three weeks enforced break, with no internet here, has perhaps helped to wean me from the need to check my favourite blogs too often.
I hope to catch up with you all over the next few days and comment.  I have been missing all the happenings at your places and trust you are all well and happy.

Though I have posted this verse several times before it is very precious to me and I leave you with it now.


 "My flesh and my heart faitheth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Ah, the many aspects to loosing internet access!

Blogging has been been few and far between for me this year.

But loosing our internet all together has revealed some heart attitudes!

THE GOOD side has been, weaning myself from a growing addiction, spending more time doing the things I should be doing.  ie. housework, schoolie type stuff and concentrating on my precious people in the household.  For other members of the family, enforced limitation of time using technology and spending more time in real life interaction.  For Hubby, earlier bed time ☺ He drew the short straw for last block of time on the computer at night. I have noticed that everyone has been more responsive to requests for help, less cranky when asked to assist with something and generally more willing to play/ work together.

THE BAD side being, we are all unimformed!  My boys almost missed a very special mates birthday without Facebook to remind them. I am out of touch with my Bloggy friends :-(  Don't give up on me girls.
Mum-me, if you are reading, I am very sorry we have not met up today.  I only have email for you and have had no way to contact you before my eye appointment.  (This is being posted as I fill in time here before boarding the plane home.  Maybe next visit.)

THE UGLY side, I suppose, is the bad attitudes we have unearthed.  Will we be less selfish and more inclined to prefer one another when our connection is restored and we remember this time with out? Perhaps.

Do not mistake the absence of post here as me disappearing from the Aussie Home School Bloggers or this Cyber world in general.  You would not believe how busy life has been at our place!! Today I am in Brisbane having my recent cataract operation checked.  I am pleased to say all has gone brilliantly well.  Unfortunately, I have a few other health issues to deal with which has manifested in some severe head aches.  My little family are thriving.  My expectant daughters are blooming. My own sons are growing, progressing, ( supervising teacher visiting them tomorrow) and near eating us out of house and home!  My grandsons are such a pleasure to enjoy as they grow and progress both in knowledge and stature as well as in vocabulary.

I wish I had some words of depth and wisdom to share, but alas, time and energy are in short supply. 

God is indeed our refuge and our strength.

Until I am reconnected and able to respond at your place, good bye. Signing off from Brisbane Airport!