I was going to call it an addiction, but that is pushing it a bit far. No my latest vice is pleasant without being addictive. Once a month, we go to see a movie. Not just an ordinary movie, not at a proper cinema, not a video or DVD. No, once a month, we go to an elderly friend's house where he has a room set up with 20 or so seats, and we ( Read more... )

Four weeks ago, Robert and I flew to Melbourne to spend a four day weekend with his family. On the Saturday morning, my mother rang in a state, asking me to go and visit her brother. Uncle Neil had been rushed to hospital, his children had been told to come to see him and he was in a very bad way; could we go down to the hospital as my mum couldn ( Read more... )

I was sure that it would all go well, but there is always a slight stress to even simple surgery. My skin cancer has been removed and covered over with the back of my ear. A one hour operation, and a couple of hours later they sent me home. I have taken a couple of pain-killers today because the local anaesthetic he gave me has worn off, and I ( Read more... )

Cancer #1For the past couple of months I have had a small spot above the end of my right eyebrow, which is annoying but not much more. Occasionally if I knocked it, it would bleed a bit, and about 2-3 weeks ago, it was bleeding when someone saw it and told me I should see my doctor. Although the Dr said it didn't look like a problem I had a ( Read more... )

Unlike some, I am not really a film reviewer; I envy those who are able to succinctly describe a film or album or book in such a way that others are able to understand it ( Read more... )

I have always loved Crosby Stills and Nash, with or without Young. They make absolutely beautiful music together, and although I enjoy each of them alone, the total is far greater than the sum of the parts ( Read more... )

Today is Australia Day ( Read more... )

I realise that my LJ posting is erratic at best, but at the end of the year, it's a great time to reflect ( Read more... )

I mentioned a week or two back (in my post about foster care) that we had cared for a family for six months. To recap, in March 1999, we started doing respite care with them. The family was the mother, Louise, Aaron (9), Cassidy (4) and Victoria (2). The father had been a violent drunk; he and Louise had been having troubles, he threatened to ( Read more... )

Yesterday it was one month since our dog Jack died, and we had to have our other dog Sheba put down. She was a beautiful, sweet natured dog, very loving and gentle. We got her in 1992 as a companion to Jack, and they got on wonderfully. In the photo, she is on the left. She was a kelpie/cattle dog cross, and always a bit ditzy; when we got Jack ( Read more... )