Frogknot - The First Time.

We are back up at Frogknot!We have brought Phoebe up for her first visit and Dulcie has come too.We drove up today in convoy, DJ's car and Roxy, stopping for lunch at Aratula and arriving here about 2.30 ish.It is lovely to be back......it is so peaceful!Phoebe had hardly been here an hour before she stripped off and leapt into the dam.....but quickly scrambled out again. It was brave though.Penny came over for awhile this afternoon. It was lovely to see her after so long.Dulcie and Phoebe are both in their beds as I write......all is calm except for the cacophony of noise from the dam. I have never heard the frogs so loud!

'The Biggest Indian Festival in the Southern Hemisphere."

DJ and PJ arrived yesterday.....DJ has driven all the way up from Canberra.Our day today started at 6.15 with Will's new phone reminding me to take my blood pressure tablet. We were going to the markets and the change of routine has in the past meant that I have forgotten to take my tablet as usual.We had quite a table full at breakfast at the markets with Andrew down from Toowoomba and Martin Pearson, up from Melbourne to do a series of gigs, Ros and her friend Kim, Will, DJ, PJ and I.

Phoebe and Daddy                            Phoebe enjoys her 'Babychino'

We got back at 9.00 ish just as Dulcie was getting up.Last night as we were sat around the table having tea we heard loud wailing outside and discovered that the largest Indian Festival in the Southern Hemisphere was being held just down the road......yesterday and today.We decided to all head there at about 10.30 to experience the festival for ourselves.Will and PJ dressed in suitable Indian garb.

Will gave me his wallet as his Ganesha pants had no pockets and he didn't want to take a bag."I know, put my money in your wallet," he said," as yours is less bulky"......that's the Carer's Pension for you.Just before we left he changed his mind and decided to take a bag and threw his wallet in the top. I decided to leave mine behind as he was taking his....so off we went to 'The Biggest Indian Festival in the Southern Hemisphere."Ros and Kim came specially too and we all walked with Dulcie in her wheel chair. We were a bit thrown by another celebration that was going on in the nearby park which seemed to be more Muslim.....but eventually found 'The Biggest Indian Festival in the Southern Hemisphere."It was $3 each to get in."My wallet is in the top of the bag," said Will.........have you guessed what happened next?I pulled it out and opened it and.....there was no money in it. I had taken his money out and put it in mine and then promptly left mine at home when he took his.I ran/walked/ran/limped home and found Danny outside the house......wondering where we all were. Poor Danny, the last time he called to see his Mum we were all up in Toowoomba at the flower festival. He didn't have time to join us at 'The Biggest Indian Festival in the Southern Hemisphere" so he left and I picked up my wallet and drove back to 'The Biggest Indian Festival in the Southern Hemisphere" in Roxy.'The Biggest Indian Festival in the Southern Hemisphere" was a major disappointment.......there was hardly anybody there and half the stalls were not open. We stayed 20 mins then left.

                Phoebe hunts for a new outfit.             'The Biggest Indian Festival ?.......dead!"This afternoon DJ wanted to go to Ikea to look at kitchens so I went with her. We were away nearly four hours.....Will was getting worried by the time we got back. At one point I did have to rescue DJ from the maze that is the Ikea Showroom........we had arranged to meet at the restaurant but she couldn't find her way out of the showroom.We got back about 4 ish and Will gleefully informed me that I had missed Jonathan who had come for the remaining bees......finally! Damn!Wendi , back from George Clooney's wedding, and Geoff came over for a barbecue tea which we ate to the sounds of more wailing from 'The Biggest Indian Festival in the Southern Hemisphere."It had obviously picked up since we had been there.We are having an early night.....tomorrow we are all going to Frogknot.....PJ has never been and yes, Dulcie is coming too. It is going to be our trial run of taking her for a night at Frogknot......if it is successful.....we may be able to begin weekends away at Frogknot again.

The Fish and the bees.

The bees are still with us.Will texted Jonathan yesterday.....no reply.Today Will rang Brisbane Beekeepers but Errol, who he spoke to, said that it would be better to get Jonathan back to finish the job seeing as he took most of the original swarm.Will rang Jonathan and left a message.....that was this morning.......it is now evening and we still have had no reply.....perhaps he died as a result of the bee sting he received....or maybe he is out surfing or modelling.We will have to find another beekeeper to come and free us from them.While Andrea provided respite this afternoon Will and I went off to buy fish for the pond he is creating from the old bathtub ripped out of Dulcie's old bathroom.We found them in the biggest pet shop n Brisbane, Pet World, which was like an underground cavern of pet supplies.We got 6 Pacific Blue Eyes.....they were $6 each!........way more expensive than cod per kilo!

Will chose these because they don't eat frog spawn but do eat mosquito larvae.

The bath is filled and he has borrowed some plants from Oxley Creek. We are leaving the water to settle for 24 hours before we add the fish.

Iris Burwah Mangan 1924 - 2014

It was a hot day today....it got up to 33 degrees this afternoon.It was also Iris's funeral at Mt Thompson Memorial Gardens at 1.00 pm.The service was held in the West Chapel and was lovely. It was lead by Jenny Trebilcock (pronounced Trebilco....apparently) the celebrant.Iris's neighbour Gwen came over to talk to us before the service and she got upset when she found out who Dulcie was. She had heard Iris talk about Dulcie often. After the service we chatted to one of Iris's step sisters and were invited back to the wake at Iris's house but Dulcie did not want to go so we made out excuses and left.Here are some photos of the Order of Service.

Dulcie is sad that she did not get to see Iris before she died. It all happened so quickly. We knew she was ill and that she was in hospital having tests done to find out the cause of her illness but had no idea it was so serious. The day the hospital discovered it was stomach cancer was the day that Iris died.I am very sorry I never got a chance to meet her.

On speaking too soon!

So......just when I said that 'Respite' had settled down and was at a regular time.......Yesterday I had a phone call..."I know your 'Respite' is down for 10 until 12 but would it be ok for us to come at 11.15 tomorrow?""Well, I have no appointments booked," I said.....sadly I never do....."So that is fine.""Thank you," said the caller.Following that call Will made arrangements to meet up with his workmates for coffee at the cafe up on Kangaroo Point tomorrow.Today dawns and Shanita turns up at 9.45!"Er.......I had a phone call yesterday to ask me if it was ok to move respite to 11.15, " I said."Oh," said Shanita," Well, the client I just left was unsure if her grandsons were visiting today and they were so she didn't need me. I should have rung you I suppose."Well, yes she should....but we didn't say anything because Shanita would have probably cried.We rushed about trying to get ready to leave and wasted 20 minutes of our time.Luckily Will's workmates had arranged to get to the Kangaroo Point cafe early.

We had a lovely but brief catchup with them and were 5 minutes late in getting back at 11.50.Shanita had gone and Dulcie was sat on her own!I rang Blue Care and spoke to Indira."That shouldn't happen and it will never happen again," said Indira.I felt a bit bad for Shanita for dropping her in it. She is still inexperienced but she would learn a lesson today.There is apparently a 'holiday' next Monday.....no one we knows seems to know if it is Labour Day or for the Queen's Birthday.....but it means no shower for Dulcie.As I hung up on Indira I rang again to speak to Lynn to see if she could squeeze Dulcie in for a shower on Tuesday...."Hold please.........yes, we can but cannot give you definite time."'Why change the habit of a lifetime!' I thought.