Blood sugar testing.

 Oh the joys of being a diabetic. Before Christmas, we visited a diabetic educator, fancy name for someone to give us more information,  he also gave me a testing kit after showing me how to do it. It was 6.3 in his office.

He told me that I could test regularly or not, depends if I wanted to know. 

I tried to do it about a month after and couldn't get it to work so didn't worry about it.

But I had a further apt with David so I thought I should do some testing and I read the instructions,  opps, need to insert paper test in the machine before extracting blood. 

All good and at 4.30pm, my levels were 5.8

We had bought a 100 pack of test strip's the day David gave it to me as there were only five in the sample pack. As I am registered with NDSS, National Diabetes something something, I was able to get them for 20 cents instead of normal price of $28. 

I realised that there was also only five needles so on the last to the chemist I bought some more and dragged out my card. Huh, blood test strips are discounted a lot but not the needles. Apparently though I can use the needles for z few times, they are only pricking the skin to get blood. 

i am not testing on a regular basis as it seems that if I eat well, my levels are between 5,5 and 6.5.

 

Just something else to keep in the bathroom drawers. After a few shaky starts, it's become old hat and I can do it in a flash.

Visit to Ripley

 A tourist streak of parkruns has been happening and it was suggested to take up one at Ripley, near Ipswich.

All well and good but then there is the logistics. I am not an early bird buy yes I will go. Alarm set for 4am. We were picking up Sheridan at 5.30am, leaving home at 4.40 as no way am I leaving without my morning coffee and no, I do not take it with me, so 4am wake up, shower dress, coffee.

We were rather early everywhere but that's okay. The park run off behind the shopping centre.

Sporting metal figures were dotted around the other side of the shopping centre where Lucy and I walked.

I checked my phone for caches and yep, one within 60 metres, it was on one of the metal figures, bonus.

A standing pig outside the butchers.

My breakfast. Then I had a meal replacement for lunch. Loved the glass jugs that they were served in.

Sewing.

 I bought a new sewing pattern for 7 to 10 year old from a charity shop. It looked easy and only had a zip at the back.

Many of the ladies sew for little kids 2-5 and while they look cute I figure the bigger kids need clothes too.

I opened the packet of the pattern and to my surprise, it had never been used. 

To date I have made eight of the size ten. It's actually a top with a skirt and there is also a pattern for pants.

This was some of the fortnight's sewing.

I had this satin fabric so I made the  skirt and pants with pockets from a coppers shirt.

Some ribbon that I had

I used the button placket down the front for the uniform part and also used 

Latest blanket

 We learnt a new stitch at crochet, we only do a small swathe of about 30 stitches. I thought it would make an interesting blanket. 

I usually like to build z square from the middle therefore I don't need to continuously count stitches. I did chains to measure 44 inches.

I bought the wool for another project which I didn't start as we were going to just four weeks after the first two weeks. The project was a term thing through our crochet group getting a section each week.

This was an easy stitch but required carrying the wool across which became quite tangled towards the end.

I ended up just doing stripes to finish it and it measured 45 inches by 45 inches, I had a little left of the yellow and light green at the end.

Tannum Sands

 Was were we stayed. We went to get the handover of the Cub Club files and computer. Warren and I are going to run the club for a couple of years. The out going administrator has been doing it for ten years and wanted a break.

Warren took the opportunity to do the Tannim Sands park run as well. The camper was fine overnight but it really heated up during the day.

As Warren was pretty tired when we arrived, I suggested we break the journey homel and do a couple of nights at Maryborough. Nice place and there were some caches there that we could find. We rang to book only to ve told they weren't taking any booking due to the cyclone that was about 400kms out to sea. It was expected to come inland by Tuesday. 

We headed for home on the Sunday.

 

Peacocks and peahens were walking through the camp.

The start of the parkrun.

We paid a few dollars extra to get an unsuited.

Our first night, there was a wood fired pizza guy on-site $15 saved me cooking and we took Lucy for a walk along the foreshore. Trouble was, there were a few mossies around.

Gin Gin

 Heading north, we were discussing a great place that we had stopped before. At first we thought it may be Childers but no the big bakery was not there.

Onwards we continued, fifty kilometres later and we had found it, it was Gin Gin.

No idea why it is called this but it is a fantastic place to take a break if travelling. 

There is caravan parking in the centre of the highway, a wide park between the parks with two toilet blocks along it, one north and one south and an information office in between. A fenced kids playground and all under large shady trees. Across the road is a large bakery and across the other way is a coffee cafe with food like avo on toast, toasted sandwiches with seating outside.

Plenty of seating in the middle of the road as well.

All in all, a very pleasant place to spend some time out of the car.

Bakery is the back of the car to the left.

Woodford

 Country market day was Sunday at Woodford. We saw the flags out advertising along the street when we drove through to go to Kilcoy.

Could be a nice day out we thought, plus we know there is a good coffee cafe there.

It started at 7.30, huh, no way were we going to get there then but we did leave home about 8.30.

The town boasts a main throughfare plus a side street on each side, making it easy to get to the shop and park. One side has lovely big shade trees and it was under the trees that the market was held.

We parked up and walked across the road to the market, there is a walk way plus further down a set of lights. 

We walked through, I was hoping for vegetables but there were none. Coffee called, it was my turn to buy and carry. Lots of buns, cream cakes etc but nothing really that was suitable for me. I bought Warren a danish and an iced coffe and I had a diet coke.

The day before we visited a bakery for breakfast and he bought me a pastie which I had some of the insides of, it was a ham tomato and cheese pastie. I think my days of bakery food is over but I didnt even miss it. My coje zero was enough.

Warren bought a homemade steering wheel cover.

Wattle flowers on the edges of the seats.

Metal seats under the trees with a wood lopping scene and spirit of Woodford across it.

Kilcoy visit

 Warren is on a bit of a tourist run with parkrun. He needed a Y for the alfabet so decided that we would go to Kilcoy which is approx 45 minutes away.

Even though its Kilcoy the parkrun is called Yowie.

We had alarms set for 5am as we like to allow extra time just in case.

We were the first people there after the volunteers. Lucy and I set off for a walk around the lake then we walked down the main street and back again. Not very exciting as nothing was open.

We decided not to have our photos taken with the Yowie.

Warren got on the top step of the podium and sixteenth over all. He was miffed

that he was beaten by two people older than him, they were in the next age group.

Sister Act

 Sister Act opened on the weekend, Sunday was an early evening and I was invited to go for my birthday.

I caught the train down using the 50 cent fare.

Good seats, last row back, fair in the middle. We were a few minutes early and no one was in the row so we were able to go in without having to step over anyone. Even at intermission, the people each side of us went out without disturbing us. 

Brilliant show, of course lots of singing and dancing. One of the big names who was performing, Casey Donavan, wasnt that night but the girl that played the main role was just great. 

Then to top it off I was driven home.

The lights outside as we crossed the bridge to the carpark.

42

 That was the magic number that I set myself as a challenge to make 42 items for Uniforms for Kids over the holidays. Why? Because that was how many days we were going to have before meeting again. 

Normal meetings times are every two weeks. Should have been a doddle but I was sick for almost two weeks before Christmas and did no sewing at all.

Some of my pillow case dresses.

Shorts

More shorts.

Little dresses, these needed studs on the shoulders which Warren helped with, had to be put in with a hammer. I tried and got it crooked.

More shorts and dresses

Lady at crochet gave me this fabric, it was her daughters bridemaids off cuts. I had navy blue polo shirt to add.

These dresses were my davourite although they took awhile to do. It was a novel way to add in the uniform fabric. The pieces came with the pattern. These are for bigger girls, 8 to ten. I had a lot of the pink but I like to make them a little different.

I added the size to them to make it easier for those who pack and sent out to communities.

I did acheive the 42, 13 pillow cases dresses, (4-5)17 pairs of shorts, (5-7) 3 rompers, (3) 3 larger dresses, (8-10) two little dresses (2) and 8 snap dresses (4).

Travel insurance

 Our trip is booked and deposit paid, flights are booked and fully paid. We did this about three months ago so I thought I should organize travel insurance.

When we were working overseas, we always used the same company. We never had the misfortune to have to use the insurance but a mate did, had been happy with service he got and he had recommended that company to us.

They have always been our go to for travel insurance.

However with my diabeties, I knew I would have to declare that. Well, I didnt quite understand the legalese on their website. I was asked if I wanted tk send a message, yes, I did. Warren told me that I should have just rung them. Good idea except there was no phone numbers.

Oh, live chat come up, okay I"ll do that. I was told to go the medical page and fill in the information. Could not tell me if I could be covered but she could get someone to ring me the next day.

Three hours of mucking with this that I wont be back. Warren did some reseach with other companies, some were as much as $2000. We didnt pay that much and thankfully we are now covered for our travel.

Oh, not sure if I received a call from the old company, there was a call but I dont anwser unless i know how it is. I did get an email from them saying that as I gad talked to the live chat then my query would have been resolved. They obsviously did not read my commenrs about their service.

Savory toast/lunch

 I find the worst meal of the day is lunch, what to have/make.

Sometimes its easy, left overs for the night before dinner.

I try to avoid sandwiches because of Warren's gluten intolerance which does limit choices.

Today I was thinking of making Warrens favourite which is banana and cheese toasted sandwich.

I looked in the fridge, it was almost full as it was shopping day yesterday. I saw one lonely rasher of bacon, half a spring onion and quarter of a red caps.

Light bulb moment I would make savoury toast. When I was a kid growing up in a country town, there were often things happening at night at ths local hall and it was bring a plate for supper. Many cakes, cup cakes slices etc mainly sweet stuff. I used to beg mum to make something savoury and often she would make savoury toast alongside of the sponge cake that she usually made to take.

So diced fine was the onion, bacon and red pepper, add an egg plus the last of the grated parm cheese. Just three slices of bread left in a packet, so spread the mixture over the bread and into the airfryer for ten minutes.

Didnt take a photo as the mixed doubles was on TV and it was a tie breaker so had to hurry to see the rest of that.

Tennis blanket

 Lots of tennis being played in Australia at the moment which means lots of crocheting for me.

Our last stitch that we learnt at crocheting was single crochet then a double crochet done in two colours. The discussion was, was it better to carry the wool or cut and start the second colour. I liked the look of it but I didnt want to do either of the options so I made my own rules.

I did a long chain then stitch up one side and around the other before using the secobd colour. I used contrasting colours.

It is just off the hook and needs to be blocked to pull it into shape. Its about 40 inches by 60inches. Its quite dense, heavy and warm. I did get a bit sick of it as it was slow going. I finished it off with two balls done in ordinary granny stitch.

The second blanket was much quicker and measures 50cms by 50cms.

I put a border on this obe which I dont usually. 

No more blankets for now, I bought a pattern book a couple years ago with 15 animal toys in it. I did make a couple of toys from it and I want to make some others so starting from the back, I am on my second mouse.

The Ginger Factory

 Its school holidays and already they are winding down so I invited my daughter to a girls only lunch date thinking we would meet about halfway between us. But she suggested going north to the ginger factory about 70 kms from my place, she would pick me up and drive.

Oh boy, it was school holidays and the place was packed, only obe tabke available so we made a beeline for it. I love their ginger scones served with ginger jam and cream, thinking that we would have half each only to discover that she doesnt share my love of ginger.

The cafe is surrounded by big trees and palms, it does have a roof and also huge fans to move the air around. Lunch was pretty good, we had ordered a grazing plate and a poke bowl plus my scone. 

Then we walked the gardens, which has been quite a small area but it has been extended and now is a great ramble especialy for kids as through the trees are dotted cut outs of dragons and dinasoars.

We were particularly taken by an art display of colourful umbrellas.

Several lanes had these hanging above

Cool through the nature walk with different flowering  bushes. A small train goes through the park and then there are some shops on the side. We didnt shop as we didnt want or need anything. A pleasant way to spend a few hours.

Meatless Monday

 Not often we have a meatless meal but I saw this on one of the cooking shows and decided to give it a go.

It was called a mushroom pie. Five ingredients.

As usual I did change the recipe a bit!

So first cook off onions and mushrooms, they didnt give out quanties but it looked like about three onions and maybe 500gms of mushrooms.  The pie bit was a flat bread and they wet it with water and put it into a pie dish that had been lined with baking paper. Next went in some ricotta cheese and spread over the bottom, add in the mushroom and onion mixture. The flat bread came up the sides a little and was molded over but it didnt cover the whole top. Oven for forty minutes, that seems a long time to me as everything was actually cooked. Served with a dollop of ricotta.

I had some of the ingredients so I set to work. 

No onions so I did have a couple of spring onions and half a can of sweet corn, did have mushrooms.  Cooked them.

No flat bread but there were a couple of wraps so prepared the tin. No ricotta but some tofu in the fridge. Whizzed up a red pepper, garlic and the tofu with some olive oil to take the place of the ricotta. Red pepper was getting a little past its prime so cut and threw in with the mushrooms. The wrap only covered the base of the baking tin so I added anither wrap on top, pierced a few holes and added some parm cheese, only baked it for 20 minutes.

This was left over. The wrap on top went crispy with the parm cheese. Followed the recipe to a T, at least I had mushrooms! 

Todays lunch was left over musroom pie in scrambled eggs. We didnt eat the bottom wrap. Def would make again with proper flat bread, not as many onions are orginal recipe used.

Board game

 Warren decided to make a game for when we hosted Christmas. He went to Totworld and luckily thet had trivia questions so that was the biggie out of the way.  We found small animals which he glued to bottle tops making the tokens. The rest he did himself.

Its upside down on the table. Needed a couple of tweaks but it was good fun and took roughly ninety minutes to play, cant remember who won. The questions were all Australian trivia , so some of us learnt a thing or two as well. The questions had three possible answers so didnt need to think too hard just pick 1,2 or 3.