Bush fires havent gone away!

I keep hoping to wake up to heavy rain and the news that the bush fires are out or under control.  But it isnt happening.  I keep waking to sunshine and winds.  both of which seem the wrong type of weather to be helpful.   Washing is drying well but I would be happy to put it in the dryer if the fires could get dealt to!  Healesville is still under threat.  I keep thinking that we havent yet been to the animal sanctuary up there... i keep meaning to go and now I may never have the chance.  i wonder what they are doing to protect all their animals??  I took the kids along to give blood the other day, but apparently they have been so flooded with donations that they really dont need it now.  I have registered as a donor and in a few weeks, it seems they will need more.  Its amazing though to think of how many people must have responded!!  I have offered the caravan as temporary accommodation if needed.  And finally the idea for the collab charity kit seems to be getting off the ground.  i had done quite a bit of work trying to put the idea out there and then bumped into someone else working on the same idea!  So we combined forces and it actually might happen.  I guess our proceeds wont be impressive by comparison with the $20 million from the telethon last night but every bit counts.

Working hard on my new blog... wish i was more technically minded coz i do so much swearing trying to make things work.  I mean do i look like someone who can edit HTML?  In fact code always looks like something that I should leave well alone.  I mean it is on par with changing the bios settings on your computer... Not for dummies!!  but apparently i am going to have to do some editing to get what i want, so you understand why i am trying to get it right first.

Now yesterday I found this incredible bargain

http://subscriptions.creativelivingmedia.com.au/subscriptions/

Check out this link for a 6 month online subscription to craft mags.  How cool is that?  Unfortunately they have canned the Digital Scrapbooking mag that i subscribed to.  I really liked it but it is gone.  The beauty of online subscription is you are not destroying any rainforests!!

So what did i do yesterday?  I made a page of course.

[caption id="attachment_50" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Feed me"][/caption]

I tried to finish my book, but i kept falling asleep.  I read the label on my new medication and discovered that 'it may cauuse drowsiness'.  boy they werent kidding.  I had a lunchtime nap and was asleep at 10 with my book in hand.  We did fit in pizza and a movie for dinner.  We watched Wanted with Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman.  Very shoot shoot bang bang.  But kind of entertaining too.  I enjoyed it and i am not really big on violent movies.  Having said that i am thinking that I might check out the newish Liam Neeson one, Taken i think it is called.  I figure i can deal with violence while I listen to that voice.

Greg is very disappointed not to be giving blood right now.  He is so funny and mature and .. let me tell you the story.  When he was about 13 he had a seizure.  We called an ambulance, he was taken to hospital and they decided to put an iv cannula in his hand.  I asked for Emla first (nurse mother) but they said he was big and they didnt have time.  Honestly they were awful to him.  I think there were at least 5 staff holding this poor boy down while they forced this iv into him.  I was torn between trying to ensure he got the iv because it was important and horror at the way they were doing it.   Later on the ED dr came back and told Greg off.  Told him he was a big sook and that he needed to grow up.  It was awful.  I nearly complained but felt a bit torn as Mike worked in that department at the time.  Well they started him on Epilim and he had to go back for a blood test to check  the levels.  Honestly he was shaking he was so frightened.  The phlebotomist did a fantastic job and he came out kind of ok.  Said it hadnt been too bad.  He then neglected to take his Epilim because he didnt like it. (big kids - honestly!) So he has been unmedicated since.  Now Greg is 16 and he wants to join the army and is talking about getting his car licence.  Sorry I said but you have seizures, you cant do either.  He doesnt have them often, maybe 4-5 times a year, absence seizures, so in a way they dont seem like a big deal.  But they will prevent him from doing what he wants.

So I told him that if we started back on the meds, that he is young enough, that if we can have 2 seizure free years they will call it juvenile epilepsy and he can then go and do what he wants.  I put it all into his hands.  So suddenly Greg is nagging to go to the Dr.  And we went the other day and the Dr ordered a number of blood tests.  I cringed a bit thinking of Greg's previous trauma.  Well, get this.  Greg says, I could get them done on the way to school.  I said, dont you want me there.  Nope.. he can do it fine.  And he did.  No big deal he told me.  do you realise how amazing that is?? And now he wants to give blood. wow!  I am pretty blown away by that big step up.

So now we have to see a Neurologist.  Guess which silly family hasnt organised their private health insurance yet?  Every year at tax time they sting us and the financial advisor says.. get medical insurance.  So i am off work for 4 days, so i might make that a priority.  And my calendar.  I made it in December and just plain ran out of time and energy to print it, so now it is February.  So what I thought is this... how bout I make it a march to march calendar?  Then it isnt wasted.  I have put a lot of effort into it.  The trouble is that it takes quite a while to print it ( like on my home printer) and then i have to take it to Office works where they put that cute metal spiral binding and a cover on it for $5 per calendar and a hole to hang it by.  Honestly it is so gorgeous.  If you are a member of my family you should be emailing me asking where it is.

Now i have a few family pics to share.  These were taken on a recent trip to Ikea.  Lucus loved Ikea.  From the awesome breakfast to the toys, and then he found his dream bedroom (which he had to be dragged out of kicking and screaming).  then we went over the road and walked along by the river and I grabbed a few photos.

[caption id="attachment_51" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Greg and Lucus (our ginga ninjas)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_52" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Lucus"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_54" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Lucus's ikea bedroom"][/caption]

I finally downloaded the pics off my camera yesterday... do you know that some of the photos date back to my trip in sept/oct last year.  Our Ikea trip was back in January!

so thats enough for today.. . off to look for Medical Insurance.  I wonder if they will waive the waiting period?