Mourning Winter

Records breaking again and again, apparently 39 degrees in Winter is possible in Central Australia, and they got it this week in Oodnadatta. On the east coast, we’re getting high 20s, not entirely unusual for August, but that it’s continuing so many days in a row seems to be. Looking across the road to the RFS, I hope those burns through winter were enough because we’re in for a long hot summer.

We were in the shower this morning and my  partner turned it up to warm his legs, I said to him to enjoy it because I don’t think we’re gonna need the heater again this year and that that air con will probably be on at lunch a few times this week, if the boys come home for lunch, so they can cool down and not feel like dying in the heat. We’ve started summer prep – making sure there’s zinc and sunscreen, a couple new pairs of cheap sunnies, and hats and shirts and shade and the shade sails. Water bottled in the fridge and freezer, eskies and ice packs. People are wanting to get their boats and caravans all dolled up for Spring already, so it’s on.

It’s four months til Christmas, but, along with my annual will I get a lease extension myself to stay here for Festivus, my sister will have to find a new rental in the next few months, having being given notice, and there’s places, but whether they’re suitable for 4 kids, or close enough to schools and therapies and Dads to not cause too much upheaval, all the things. I hate the housing situation in this country. I truly do.

Finally dragged myself to the GP and scored some drugs – prednisone steroids to strengthen my weak lungs. And that’s kicking in, which I’m grateful for. So I should be able to at least hold a sentence in a week at that panel, and perhaps enlighten people on how us ground level advocates can help change the world. I hope I also get more of my works back, because I’ve had more word-finding difficulties since the last Covid bout, and while I’m a master of circumlocution, not so helpful when time limited. Also keeping an eye on my swallowing and saliva control, I think I just need to be more mindful of it, they always said in uni that swallowing function starts declining after 40, so for me to be coughing and gagging more after these latest illnesses isn’t a shock. I also need to chew my dry food like chips or popcorn. I hate having to pay attention in order to do basic life things.

SO, I’m fuzzy but getting there. Repurpled my hair, even shaved my legs. Spring IS here. Vale, Winter.

And the week that was

So I posted, thinking I knew what this past week would involve, but of course that all changes. I still have the butternut pumpkin and not sure what I’ll do with it yet. I also still have this cough which has turned into a cough that’s triggered into a coughing fit when I talk too much or have crumbs. So I’m minimising my talking and dusty foods and environments. A blogging friend suggest it sounded like the tail end of whooping cough, and it does. I have a GP appointment next Friday so if it’s not too late to test for it I’ll get a pathology referral then, but I’m well past the window where any antibiotics would help and I’m not gonna be infectious so yeah, I just have to deal with that and the wetting myself which is the worst part. I’m getting older and am overweight so adding a cough has pushed my bladder control past its limit. lol. Ugh. I’ll live. It’s just annoying when I cough and that and also the dizzyness from lack of oxygen etc.

New Zealand food bank unknowingly distributes lollies made from potentially lethal amount of methamphetamine Posted 1h ago1 hours ago A pineapple flavoured sweet in a yellow wrapper A pineapple flavoured lolly filled with a potentially lethal dose of methamphetamine.(NZ Drug Foundation via AP)

I’ve been asked to be on a panel for the Anglicare national conference in Newcastle next month, the panel is “Putting People First: Campaigning for Change Together.” so I’ll talk about my pivot from food blogging wine and chocolates and happily giving that extra 50c to a food care charity at the checkout to critiquing the food support foodchain and layers of waste and other aspects of the poverty industry while munching on my out of date snacks from the local foodbank, which at least having been donated meth lollies. I’m absolutely terrified, but gonna use my mantra “Speak because your voice shakes” to get me through.

I’ve decided not to renew my Greens membership, though will still assist my local group where I can for the upcoming local elections. It’s just easier not that have that perceived conflict on paper when I’m speaking truth to Labor, whether the Greens policies in that area actually align with my views or not.

I also went out of my  comfort zone yesterday and agreed to dog-sit from someone I knew but wasn’t close to in highschool, but our lives have become more aligned in the years since and I consider her a friend. The coughing was a pain, but she shouted me sushi and even though she didn’t end up leaving me alone with the dogs so I wasn’t as relaxed as I could be with just me and the fluffers, it was good to get out and do something different, especially since my car is still out of action and we’re waiting on parts so my movements are limited.

I’ve been put in the bath to relax and it’s soothed my cough a couple nights this week as well as soothing the rest of me. This week I have a couple of evening meetings – one for the antipoverty conference I’m helping with organizing in Brisbane in November with APN Qld and the Antipoverty Centre quarterly meeting. I’ll minimise my talking, but at least I’ll be on minutes for the second. So, if you need me, expect only text xoxo