How does a bedridden woman fall out of bed

This is my nanna, she will be 93 in May but that is not the point of this post, today mum and I went over to the nursing home to see her, we also had Liarna with us and we really need to plan to go over on a Saturday and take Temika with us as Temika as she has been saying that she misses seeing great nanna but that is also not the point of today’s post.

When we arrived this morning Pearla was there visiting nanna and she said she was there because the nursing home had rung on Sunday to say that nanna had, had a fall and she wanted to go over and make sure she was ok. Now nan is bedridden and in fact she doesn’t move even in bed the nurses have to move her so how the hell did she have a fall. They said she fell out of bed and she is supposed to have bed rails on each side of the bed and apparently she only had the bed rail up on one side of the bed and they thing she got tangled in the bedding and this caused her to fall. However I find that hard to get my head around as she doesn’t move I have never seen her move, well not in the last 3 years, while we were there the doctor came and checked on her and he said she was lucky she doesn’t have any bruises and only a few minor scratches.

Both mum and I were glad that we were there when the doctor came to check on her but mum also was annoyed that the nursing home rang Uncle Frank and not her, if we hadn’t been there today and saw Pearla would anyone had told mum about nan falling out of bed.

We went over to the nursing home early today as mum had to drive Kayla to school and when we got there nan was still in bed she hadn’t been showered yet and looked very sleepy but there are days when she is like that, sleeping and not really with it. Even though it is upsetting at times when we see her we still like to go each we to check in and see for ourselves what she is like.

 

Advertisement

Thank You for this award I am honoured

I have been nominated for this award by Pat over at http://plaintalkandordinarywisdom.com/ and I am honoured to accept it and want to say a big thank you to Pat for this.

Here are the rules for the Seven Awards

1. Display the logo’s on your blog
   
2. Link back to the person who nominated you
   
3. State 7 things about yourself
   
4. Nominate others for the award
   
5. Notify those you have nominated
   

Ok number 1 done, number 2 done also that was easy but I now I have to tell you 7 things about myself ok Jo-Anne think what can you tell people there must be 7 things they don’t know yet.

1. I can’t touch my toes
   
2. I have some false teeth
   
3. I have a lot of photos on my walls
   
4. My feet sweat a lot
   
5. I have oily hair
   
6. I don’t think I am beautiful, or ugly just kind of average looking
   
7. I consider 51 to be middle aged
   

I am not going to nominate anyone if you want to take part feel free to do so if not then that it fine too.

I Love my girls all the same and differently at the same time.

Good morning world, the day started out ok, got up went for a walk came home got Leo’s lunch packed and then got him ready for school and then I had to drive him to school. While I was waiting for the bell to ring at the school I noticed a message from my precious daughter asking if I was awake, she had sent it while I was out walking and didn’t notice until then anyway I replied she wanted to tell me something that was on her mind so I said I would ring her when she got home which I did.

She wanted to tell me she didn’t need me anymore, she said that I am always so busy with helping her sister and driving Leo to and from school and when I am at home I am busy on the computer blogging and whatever. This hurt my feelings I didn’t know what to say so all I said was that it was kind of good as that meant she was becoming more self-sufficient but It did hurt my feelings, I don’t know why I am surprised or hurt she has always been the daughter who acted like she didn’t need me, even when she was a very young girl.

I have always felt that nothing I have done was good enough for her not matter how much attention I tried to give her it wasn’t enough but you know what this is not going to change anything I am still going to be there whenever I can, I will still watch my grandchild whenever I can. Why because I am mum and it is my job to be there for my daughters as much as possible.

Yes I like that they are becoming more self-sufficient and more grown up, but I also like to feel needed but at the same time I have a life that is not always about them like most mothers I try to do it all and like most mothers I fail at times.

I know my girls love me just like I love them, I have a different relationship with each daughter and they are all special and unique and I try to treat them each the same and differently at the same time no it isn’t always easy but I do try because I love them all so much.

I consider my niece Kelli one of my girls and in fact we are both very much alike so she is like a daughter.

No Point in Arguing So Why Bother

As everyone knows Tim and I have been married for 29yrs in all that time you could count the amount of fights we have had on one hand this is because my mum always taught us that you cannot argue with someone who is drunk, or who is convinced they are right, so why bother just let them think what they want especially if they are angry or in a mood. You can try to put your point across if they are in a calm and open mood where they are willing to listen, if not just let them be, yes there are exceptions to the rule but often I find it just not worth the energy to argue the point.

I don’t remember my parents fighting much when I was a child, sometimes dad would fly off the handle at something, and dad has a short temper. When it happened mum would just let dad go she didn’t yell back or anything she just let him have his moment and when he was calmer she would talk to him. We all have memories of dad going off his head at something and we all had moments when we copped a smack, usually because we had pushed him too far and deserved it. After getting really angry with us, dad would wait a while and come and have a chat with us to make sure we were still friends.

Tim was the same I can remember him going in and having a chat with the girls after he had done his block with them over something, I think it is good that a parent goes and speaks to a child when they are much calmer.

So here is the thing, do you think arguing with a person who is either drunk or in the frame of mind that they don’t want to listen to reason is worthwhile?

After losing it with a child do you go and talk to them when all has calmed down?

Australian Flags

Good afternoon everyone, it is another hot day here, Kelli and Daemon are home again and Jessica said that she and Leo will stay here tonight which is all good with me. Ok let’s move onto today’s post what should I write about I am thinking Australia’s flags yes there is more than one Australian flag, did you know that.

The Australian National Flag is Australia’s foremost national symbol. It was first flown in 1901 and has become an expression of Australian identity and pride.

The Australian National Flag flies over the federal and state parliaments. The flag is paraded by our defence forces and displayed around the country at sporting events and by service organisations, schools, community groups and private citizens.

The Australian National Flag has three elements on a blue background: the Union Jack, the Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross.

The Union Jack in the upper left corner (or canton) acknowledges the history of British settlement.

Below the Union Jack is a white Commonwealth or Federation star. It has seven points representing the unity of the six states and the territories of the Commonwealth of Australia.

There are some other Australian flags, under Section 5 of the Flags Act 1953; the Governor-General may proclaim flags other than the National Flag and the Red Ensign as flags or ensigns of Australia. Five flags have been appointed in this manner. The first two were the Royal Australian Navy Ensign and the Royal Australian Air Force Ensign, the flags used by the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Australian Army has no ensign of their own, but they are given the ceremonial task to be the defender of the National Flag. The Air Force and the Navy flew the appropriate British ensigns (the White Ensign and the Royal Air Force Ensign) until the adoption of similar ensigns based on the Australian National Flag in 1948 and 1967 respectively. The current Navy and Air Force Ensigns were officially appointed in 1967 and 1982 respectively.

In 1995, the Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag were also appointed flags of Australia. While mainly seen as a gesture of reconciliation, this recognition caused a small amount of controversy at the time, with then opposition leader John Howard describing it as divisive.  Some indigenous people, such as the flag’s designer Harold Thomas, felt that the government was appropriating their flag, saying it “doesn’t need any more recognition”

The Australian Defence Force Ensign was proclaimed in 2000. This flag is used to represent the Defence Force when more than one branch of the military is involved, such as at the Australian Defence Force Academy, and by the Minister for Defence.

The Legislative Instruments Act 2003 required the proclamations of these flags to be lodged in a Federal Register. Due to an administrative oversight they were not, and the proclamations were automatically repealed. The Governor-General issued new proclamations dated 25 January 2008, with effect from 1 January 2008 (or 1 October 2006 in the case of the Defence Force Ensign).

The Red Ensign was the only flag private citizens could fly on land.^] By traditional British understanding, the Blue Ensign was reserved for Commonwealth Government use, with State and local governments, private organisations and individuals all using the Red Ensign. As an example, the explorer Sir Hubert Wilkins planted a red ensign in Antarctica.^[7] However, the official painting of the opening of Australia’s new Parliament House in 1927 shows only Red Ensigns and Union Flags being flown. 

There was some confusion over appropriate use of the ensigns until the Flags Act 1953 set the Blue Ensign as the national flag, and the Red Ensign as the flag of the Australian mercantile marine. Red ensigns continued to be used in Anzac Day marches into the 1960s.

Technically, private non-commercial vessels were liable to a substantial fine if they did not fly the British Red Ensign. However, an Admiralty Warrant was issued on 5 December 1938, authorising these vessels to fly the Australian Red Ensign. The Shipping Registration Act 1981 reaffirmed that the Australian Red Ensign was the proper “colours” for commercial ships over 24 metres (79 ft) in tonnage length.

There has been talk in the last few years of changing our flag, which annoys me I like our flag and I can’t see the point in changing it.

So how many flags does your country have?

 

News reports do they annoy you, they do me at times.

In the news here it is all about Schapelle Corby lately and I have to say I am so fed up and over hearing about her, I don’t care if she was set up or if she was guilty, I don’t care that she has been released from Kerobokan Prison or if she spent her first night of freedom in $1000 a night resort. I get she is news but do we really need 15 minutes of news reports telling us the same thing over and over again each night.

So my question to others is do you find that there is often so much focus on what this well know person or that celebrity is doing than what is really important, like crime in your local area or other events in your local area?

Like here in Lake Macquarie some Anzac day services have been cancelled due to the council being tight asses and charging for things that in the past have been free, this upsets me Anzac day is still very important here in Australia and the council need a right kick up the bum to help them see sense. However, as important as this is to people it was only on the news once and only a short story about it at that.

 

 

When I was little

When I was little I was pretty much a good girl, but not always I remember when we were living in Schroder Ave we lived across the road from a bush me and the little boy next door started a fire in the bush and the fire brigade had to be called to come and put it out.

There was also the time when instead of walking straight home from school I decided to go to a friend’s house, causing my parents a lot of stress and worry, I think they even called the police to find me, my friends older brother walked me home. I would have been beyond myself with worry if one of my girls had done that.

There was also a time when I was around 10 that I was accused of shop lifting from the local shop, I say accused because I didn’t do it, I was at the shop with a couple of friends and one of my friends was outside and called me to ask something and I walked to the door to find out what she wanted and the woman serving said I left the store without paying for my packet of chips it was one of those times when it seemed easier to just say I did it and not argue the point because as a kid I wouldn’t had won the argument.

There was one time when I wanted to sleep at the girl who lived across the roads house, this was when we lived in Flame St anyway I carried on so much about what terrible parents I had who never let me do anything, they gave in and let me and I remember thinking afterwards that I should had stayed home as I didn’t have a good time.

See there was only a few naughty things done by me when I was little.

Pain

Pain do you suffer form it?

How often do you suffer from it?

Is it a daily event and if so does it slow you down or stop you from doing things?

The reason I ask is because today I am in a lot of pain and when I say a lot I mean a bloody lot of pain, I have had to move my laptop so I can sit in my arm chair to use it, I have taken pain killers to help with the pain but as yet I have had little relief from the pain.

I have had a lot of back pain for years; it is so bad that I have to use a shopping trolley for support when I go shopping if I don’t use one I am in so much pain before I even get inside the building.

It hasn’t stopped me from going for a walk each morning although by the time I get home I have to have a lay down in order to be able to function again due to the pain. I am hoping the more I walk the better it gets but I can only take it slowly. In fact I can only just manage to walk around the block at a pretty slow rate but it is a start.

Now my mum is in pain with her back 24/7 and she takes morphine for the pain but it doesn’t stop her doing much, she still cares for children every day and still manages to walk better than I do at times, I do wonder how she does it at times.

I also suffer from pain in my right knee and I have to say that is getting worse as well, my knee either goes out on me or locks up on me and this makes walking difficult at times, all I can really do is take it one day at a time and one step at a time.

Names

Do you have a middle name?

Do you tell people what it is?

How about your first name do you use your full first name or do you shorten it?

How about if your first name is hyphenated do you use the hyphen or not?

My first name is Jo-Anne, as a child I didn’t think my about it being hyphenated but now that I am in my 50’s I like that it has a hyphen and I am particular about it. I don’t feel like it is just a run of the mill name. I also have a middle name and there is nothing wrong with it, it’s “Nita” I was named after my mother’s aunty Nita but it is not a name I use very often.

My oldest daughter is Kathy-Lee, and her oldest daughter is Sydney-May we seem to have a trend with the first name being hyphenated. Kathy often uses only Kathy and not Kathy-Lee but that might change as she ages since it did with me.

Sometimes I am called just Jo and I am fine with that as well, my mum’s name is Mavis but she has been called Mae for most of her life, as I think about my siblings while writing this I realise that Jeannie prefers to be called Jeannie, so not shortened, Susan prefers to be called Sue and Sandra prefers Sandra but often gets called Sandy and David gets either David or Dave.

Now my grandfather (dad’s dad) Tom’s first name was Richard and his middle name was Thomas and he was always called Tom, his sister my aunty Joyce her first name was Sylvia and her middle name was Joyce but she was always called Joyce as well.

I know so people do not to share their middle name as it can be something a little old fashion at times, being that they may have been named after an elderly relative I have three daughters the only one who was named after a relative is Jessica her middle name is Mae and the name Mae is popular in this family all being named after mum.

We have Sandra Mae, Jessica Mae, Temika Mae & Sydney-May I would have preferred if Sydney’s name was spelt Mae not May but can’t have everything can we.

I do feel if a person is going to give their child a strange maybe out there first name they should also give the child a normal sounding middle name, like if you are going to call your child “Apple” maybe their middle name should be “Jane”…………..lol just saying, something that sounds less out there that the child can use if they do not like their first name.

I also feel many people do not like their own name at some point in their life, Kathy-Lee called herself “Kate” for a while which was ok with me as my nan used to call her “Kate” I don’t remember Natasha ever complaining about her name but Jessica did when she was a teenager but haven’t heard her say anything about her name in years.

I do not think children realise how much thought their parents put into their names but I do not know a parent who did not think a lot about what to name their child, I know Tim and I put a lot of thought into it going over names saying them aloud to get the way the sounded.

The Most Amazing Woman I Know

On the 31^st of January 1940 the most amazing woman I know was born in the town of Parkes she was the first child of Flo and Mervyn they would have 2 more children before the divorce when she around the age of 4. After her parents’ divorce she went to live with her maternal grandmother in the country town of Byabarra which is a small country town the closest large town was Wauchope http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wauchope,_New_South_Wales.

As a child mum had to walk a long bloody way to school after getting up and going to her aunt & uncles farm to fetch the milk which was up the hill a ways from her grandma’s house, they didn’t have an inside toilet or a bath, mum use to have a bath in an iron tub which had to be filled with hot water that was heated on the stove.

Mum lived in the country till she was about 14 or 15, it was after her grandmother passed away that the family moved to Newcastle, the family consisted of my nan & pop along with mum, her brother Ronnie and Sister Diane and baby brother Frank.

My nan married my pop when mum was about 10, mums stepfather was her “dad” he is the one who raised her, he was the one she called dad.

In 1958 mum met my dad there were both working on the trains, they married in 1960 mum is 2yrs older than dad but that didn’t bother them and they are still together and still in love. They had 5 children, Jo-Anne, Jeannie, Susan, Sandra and David and a total of 17 grandchildren, Kathy-Lee, Natasha, Jessica, Samantha, Tina, Tyler, Tom, Heather, Vaughan, Kirsty, Kelli, Zac, Temika, Denni, Dawson, Kayla & Liarna and 9 great grandchildren, Isabel, Holley, Lenny, Blain, Leo, Sydney-May, Summer, Hayley & Daemon.

Mum is one of the busiest women I know she never seems to stop; she never needs to have a nap and is up at 5.45am everyday more or less taking care of kids, she often has to drive Kayla to school and Liarna to day care and of course she has to get Dawson up so he can get ready for school. Mum is Dawson’s main carer and the one constant in his life.

Growing up I always thought if I was as a good as mother as my mum was then I would be a great mum.