Health

Get your mum to apply the sunblock

by Cellobella on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 · 1 comment

This is why.

Use zinc cream to get this effect

Ah the follies of youth.

Of course none of us would go outside in the Perth sunshine, well known for its lethal properties and expose our skin to within an inch of the burns unit.

Would we?

Nahhhh.

Well not without letting someone we trust apply the sunblock.

My poor baby has been in pain for four days and scratching for another four following this fun day at the beach.

We’re hoping she learns from this experience.

Poor thing.

Imagine having bloggers as parents…

Groover blogs here.

Tired, snotty, with cold

by Cellobella on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 · 3 comments

Sunset

A photo of me at the moment would not be a pretty sight so I’m distracting you with a lovely sunset.

I am not a great patient.

I am grumpy and tired and I’ve eaten too much today.

Being home all day near a refrigerator is another bad idea.

And I’m clumsy.

As I was lying on the couch watching telly I noticed my toenails needed painting so of course I did them and watching House waited for them to dry.

Cleaning up I knock the nail polish over the floor.

The carpet.

Then I go out to get a pie for dinner – I can’t cook when I’m sick (and I’ve eaten all the leftovers in the fridge) and when I cut it open it’s chicken and mushroom not beef and stout and the kid won’t eat it.

Bad things happen in threes they say.

  1. I get a cold
  2. I knock over the nail polish (it’s hard to get off carpet you know)
  3. I get a dud pie

Phew… I thought I was going to have to wait for one more.

A perfect Sunday lunch

by Cellobella on Sunday, February 21, 2010

Lunch

How good is this diet I’m on?

In the last two weeks I’ve lost about four kilos, I’ve not given up wine and I get to have lunches like this.

Smoked salmon and cream cheese wheels – easy and delicious – with a light salad.

There was a light breeze as I sat outside on my reclining camper chair eating my salad and thinking that the world was a pretty good place to be in.

Speaking of salads… here’s a little rant.

Why do restaurants – in particular perhaps those that aren’t so great – overdo salads?

The one on this plate has some rocket leaves, one chopped spring onion, some sliced cucumber and yellow capsicum.

Simple and delicious.

A salad I had the other day at a restaurant had so many competing flavours I felt sick by the end of it.

It’s unnecessary.

I’m writing this listening to my new iTunes purchase – Elbow‘s The Seldom Seen Kid.

Strange name for a band don’t you think?

Stranger if they’d decided to call themselves after the inside of the elbow… you know… that little crease on your arm that has no name.

I guess then that little crease would have a name.

You know, maybe I should give up on the wine.

Speaking of which…

I’ve just volunteered to host four kids going to my daughter’s school’s drama weekend.

Are you okay with Halal cooking I’m asked.

LOL – I don’t even know what that is.

Something to do with the meat is slaughtered no?

So I say yes, whatever and then my daughter tells me she’s not even doing the weekend because I didn’t fill out some form.

How very irritating.

I put my headphones in, turn Elbow up loud and go to a better place.

UPDATE: And then discover that iTunes didn’t download the album properly and I’m missing two tracks including the one I actually bought the album for. I don’t know, you do the right thing and throw money at the problem and you end up wishing you’d got your teenage son to steal it for you. (Note… that was a joke. As if I’d admit to being THAT bad a parent on a public blog)

Goodbye girls

by Cellobella on Saturday, February 13, 2010 · 1 comment

What a week!

Two funerals – which to be fair were both uplifting in their own ways.  An odd mixture of celebration and sadness and seeing people at their most real.

I do like this trend of personal funerals rather than the traditional church burials – you really feel you know the person.

As for mine?

I don’t care.

Cremate me in a cardboard box and play Yo-Yo Ma’s Bach Cello Suite 1 as you throw my ashes off the ridge at Ennuin (or wherever),  that’d do for me.  It’s up to you. Funerals are for the living not the dead. 

I stopped to smell the roses on the way to work one day this week.  That’s what funerals do for you.

Smelling the roses

It didn’t smell but it did look pretty.

I wasn’t going to talk about funerals today, but I guess they have been a big part of this week.

My crazy protein diet is still on.

Tomatoes and bacon for breakfast – my favourite breakfast and one I rarely have because… well it’s bacon. 

But bacon is protein and therefore allowed.

I’m losing weight.

The girls are going.

Gee it’s been fun having them.  I can see some lingerie purchases will soon be necessary.

Sigh.

But my waist is coming back.  Yay!

I might even be able to bear to buy some scales.

In other news, the other day I was in the city and came across a Free Iran protest.

This I could tell from the banners. 

All the speeches were in Arabic so can’t tell you exactly what the protest is about.

It made me feel good to be an Australian.

How we allow everyone to have their moment to speak publically about issues they care about.

I think we’d all like a free Iran.

So it’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow… have any plans?

I’m planning a visit to the beauty parlour – an annual overhaul?

I do hate going and have people fuss over me.

Yes I realise that that makes me less of a woman.

Let me check my care factor… oh… zero.

So I’m stealing myself for some major fuss.

Standby for a sleeker, browner, glossier Cellobella.

Just like me, but better.

That Indian Ocean bite

by Cellobella on Wednesday, December 9, 2009 · 13 comments

You remember how the other day I was going on about how I needed that Indian Ocean bite to “wake me up“?

I am officially awake.

thenasty

I saw a stinger (small translucent square shaped jellyfish) when I was about waist deep, but Groover was already at the pylon and I figured that I had as good a chance as any to not get stung.

Doh!

“I’ve been stung!”, I wailed as I drifted around the back of the pylon.

“Oh don’t be daft – it’s psychosomatic”, said Groover, using a very long word for 8 o’clock in the morning.

It didn’t hurt that much.

A vague tingling and I knew it had somehow swum down into my swimsuit.

(goodness knows how – there isn’t even enough room for me!)

It was a short swim.

As Groover said this morning as I was trying to convince him to come with me:  ”What is the point?  It’s not like you’re working out!”

They are always short swims.

For one thing – it is FREEZING.

For another – I’m not that fond of swimming.

And now – there be stingers!

But that is not the point.

The point is: if I’m staying at home for the holidays I need to at least feel I’m on vacation.

Anyway.

Despite the copious amounts of vinegar applied, today I just feel stung.

And I’ve also just found out my sister and her family can’t make it home for Christmas after all.

Stung again.

Herbal cure

by Cellobella on Sunday, October 11, 2009 · 7 comments

stjohnswort

The last couple of months haven’t been great for me.  I’ve felt very… thin skinned.

Ever felt like that?

Like the tiniest thing can break through and bring tears to the surface?

At first, I thought it might be hormonal.  It seemed to be in cycles.

I’m nearly 43 and I’ve had a hysterectomy which I’ve been told can trigger early menopause.

(I still have my ovaries… if they are removed you get menopause immediately)

So I’m quietly freaking out because not only am I feeling emotional a lot of the time but I’m thinking: “Shit!  I’m too young to be menopausal!”

It still took me 6 weeks to get to a doctor for a blood test (denial?) and when I did the blood tests came back clear.  I’m not menopausal.  Not even peri-menopausal… although the hormone levels are getting close.

Phew.

So then the question was – why the tears?

Was I depressed?

The doctor offered drugs… but saying yes to drugs seemed like giving up.

“You don’t have to feel like this”, she said.

Sure… but taking prescription drugs… I don’t want to be that person.

Not yet anyway.

So then she suggested I try St John’s Wort.

Two weeks later (denial again?) I gave it a go.

Instant resiliance.  Instant.

Hmmm I thought… what the hell am I taking?

At this point you are probably wondering why I didn’t Dr Google it before I took it… to be honest I just thought – hey it’s herbal, probably won’t make any difference, how effective could it be.

Which just goes to show that you shouldn’t take herbal medicine lightly.

Serious medical trials have been done which suggest that St John’s Wort is more effective than placebos in the treatment of mild to moderately severe forms of depression. (See also)

So… does that mean that I’ve given up?  That I have mild depression?

It’s a scary thought and one I’m choosing not to think about too much at the moment.  I prefer to think that I’m just going through a bad patch and that already things are looking better.

Hey I’m blogging more again… that’s got to be good sign. 

Doesn’t it?

The bad news about mandarins

by Cellobella on Sunday, July 5, 2009 · 2 comments

I learned something this weekend.

Mandarins – those lovely packets of orangy goodness…

mandys

… make me fart.

Sad but true.

A mental health day

by Cellobella on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 · 6 comments

Today I decided I needed a mental health day.

It was going to be a reasonably quiet day at work, I had plenty of rec leave up my sleeve and a very understanding boss.

A form tomorrow and a sigh of relief.

I had a few things to do.

I’m making a little slideshow for my mum’s 70th birthday.

How gorgeous is my mum?

Glenheadband_web

There’s something about the sixties… so glamourous.

I love the headbands, the pointy shoes, the gloves, the hats.

In the morning I met the lady who is coming to clean our house.  We’ve been doing our own cleaning but with both of us working full time and a recommended cleaner available, I thought it was time to say yes.

OMG our house is disgusting!

I thought it was relatively clean – we had cleaned on Saturday – but no.

It seems that some people are gifted in that department.  I am not one of them.

Then I had to go over to Mum’s house to pick up some more photos… which enabled me to have another cuddle with my new niece and score some salad for lunch.

Afterward I played with the photos before leaving to pick up my kids from school – a rare treat.

I actually thought I was supposed to be having parent-teacher meetings but that’s tomorrow.

At the end of the day I feel as if I have been on holiday for a week.

So relaxed.  Nice clean house.  And organised for Mum’s birthday… with the small exception of the present. *worried look*

I think the idea of regular mental health days is a winner.  :)

Glen-model

glenhat

Glen-canade

Warning: This post contains photos of my breasts

by Cellobella on Monday, May 25, 2009 · 4 comments

breast

Disappointed?

Yes I had a mammogram.  First one ever.

The clinic was very efficient.  I was in and out within about 15 minutes.

I probably would have been quicker but I asked the nurse if I could have a look at the plates.

Normally you get the photos taken and walk away to wait for the results, two weeks later, by post.

It took me three years to get a mammogram done.

Three years since I was sternly talked to by two of my closest friends to get them done.

Two years with the note from my GP in my handbag.

It wasn’t because I was scared.

I honestly thought the tales of discomfort were probably exaggerated for effect.

The tales are probably exaggerated to the same level that pain in childbirth is exaggerated.

Not. In other words.

You think at first that it’s not going to be that bad.

It’s firm pressure, yes, but painful?  No.

But then the nurse presses down just a little bit more.

Yowsers!

You stand there, caught with one breast in a vice, thinking “For f**k’s sake take the picture already!”

And then they take the sideways picture.

Yikes!  It’s even worse.  Breasts aren’t supposed to be squashed that way.

breast2

So what’s the verdict?

Well I don’t know do I?

She talked about ducts and probable cysts but as they say in the classics – no news is good news.

I’ll hope just for a letter in the mail in a fortnight.

I told my mum by the way that I was having one done and she shocked me!

I’ve had a good life she said.  I don’t want to know.

That.  Does.  Not.  Compute.

She’s not even 70.

Mind you, she is so healthy and fit she’ll live to 100 or more with or without painful squishings.

Still it was a little… unsettling.

And as for me… two years until the next one.

UPDATE:  I have the all clear.

Just saying yes at the moment

by Cellobella on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 · 8 comments

groover1

This is a photo of Groover at the top of the overbridge that we walk on during our weekend’s walk.  He nearly always beats me to the top.

These days I find it hard to find the time to exercise.

Yes I know it’s an excuse.

Yes I know that if I really prioritised properly I would find the time.

The fact is my life is full and exercise comes a long way below family time, work, sewing, bridge, twittering, blogging, reading… just about anything in fact you care to mention.

I’m playing in two competitions at the moment – State Swiss Pairs – first night last night = epic FAIL, and the Interstate Women’s Selection.

Well I’m practicing for the latter.

I’m playing with two different partners with two quite different styles so it is quite interesting.  One seems as steady as a rock, but can be quite intuitive with her bidding – in a good way, the other follows the rules strictly.

As I’ve also been described as intuitive (but not in a good way), it makes for erratic scoring. :)

If only work didn’t get quite so in the way…

As far as sewing goes, I’ve made Dippity an outrageously short bubble skirt, which she of course wears ALL the time because it is so revealing – and not with leggings as I suggested.

And I ran up a pair of black pants to wear with the black and white overskirt Mum picked up at Freo Markets.  They were surprisingly simple to make.

Reading – well I’m taking an age to read the library books I’ve got out and have already had to go back and renew them.

Work is insane at the moment – I seem to be filling in for several people all at the same time – and I am so over fire season!

Family – yes they still seem to be occupying the same house… Hugamuga gets his lower braces tomorrow…

And so to exercise. LOL.

At least giving up alcohol seems to be helping control the weight.  17 days and going strong.  You never know I might even make it to the end of the month.

The other thing I’m trying this month – in the spirit of open-mindedness – is Bettina Arndt’s just say yes policy in the bedroom.

It raised my hackles when I first heard her talk about it.  It struck me as a blow for feminism and the rights of a woman to say no.

But.

But.

Okay perhaps I’m not entirely living without exercise at the moment.

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