The Shut In

He sits, wistfully looking out through the bars, looking out into the sunshine, to the joyful birds twittering and flitting through the garden.  He sees the butterflies, the ants, the bugs.  He twitches and stretches, willing himself out there, out there in the garden.

He moves to the open front door, barred again by security bars.  He sits, watching the people passing by walking their dogs, out on the street.  He stretches in the Autumn sun, streaming through the open door.  He feels the rays warming his body as he lays now, drifting into sleep.

He runs, from window to window, he knows something is out there in his yard, if he can just find it maybe he can protect his house.  He sits, looking wistfully out the window while the cat moves away.

He sits, perched up on the speaker box, his body leaning forward towards the open window, he lifts his head and shoots the breeze, catching every scent, the ones we can not smell.  He stretches upward, into his meerkat pose, listening, smelling, wondering.

This is his life, shut in, always wondering what it would be like out there, out there in the wide world, the wild world, the garden.

He curls in her lap, loudly purring as she strokes his head, his ears and tickles him under the chin.  He sleeps on her bed, curled closely to her body, glad he is loved, and he dreams - his legs running out there in the garden, chasing butterflies and birds for he is a hunter.  A hunter kept inside to protect not only the others that share the garden, but himself too, for dogs lurk over fences that he has yet to scale.

His name is Max, and she loves him so much she keeps him shut in, sometimes she wonders if she is depriving him of too much by keeping him so protected here inside.

Mother's Day - The Eliminate Project

Well here is yet another Mother's Day, my Mother's 56th, my 39th.  Both my mother and I have been blessed to have reasonably healthy pregnancies and children.  We gave birth in sterile hospital conditions, with doctors and midwifes present.  Two of my daughters have also become mothers under these 'first world' conditions.

We choose to vaccinate against childhood diseases and it costs us nothing, so we don't have to worry about what are common childhood illness in 'third world' countries.  With the birth of our recent grand-daughter, we have been given boosters of the whooping cough vaccine at no cost (parents and grandparents), as whooping cough is back on the rise in Australia and is threatening babies lives.

But I, along with probably many other mothers, have taken it for granted that things like tetanus and diphtheria are no longer a threat here in the wonderful land of Aus and I must admit I haven't thought about the wider world where it seems these diseases are still a very real threat.

So on Thursday night I was grumpily moaning to hubby about the fact that my hairdresser of 9 years had sold her business and I would have to find a new one, when I was smacked in the face by the Universe.  I very rarely watch Channel Ten's The Project, but I happened to flick over just before it finished and heard about Carrie Bickmore becoming an ambassador for the UNICEF The Eliminate Project.

Did you know that up to 60,000 babies die each year from maternal and neonatal tetanus, newborn babies, babies born in less than sterile conditions, and that their mothers have to watch them die a painful and horrible death.  That's one baby dying this way every 9 minutes.  That stunned me and gave me the wake-up call I truly deserved.

Did you know that for 60c an injection, mothers can be immunised and pass the immunity onto their unborn children.  Did you know that for every $2 you donate you can help a mother get the 3 injections she needs to be fully immunised.

Did you know that The Eliminate Project has been running since 2010 and that between 2000 and 2011 21 countries have eliminated MNT!!

They are aiming at 100 million mothers now and they need our help.  They need to raise US$110 million to achieve this.  That with our help they can rid the world of MNT by 2015.

So on Mother's Day I appeal to you all to do just that, to HELP.

In honour of my children and my beautiful grand-daughters I have donated $300.00 to the cause.  But even if you can give as little as $2, you will be helping keep the mothers and babies of countries less fortunate than ours stay safe.  It seems so little to give.  I spent more than that on my Mother's Mothers Day card, what about you?

Please take a moment to consider donating, to consider spreading the word.

Thanks, and a Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there in the blogosphere.  xxx

Hearts In Nature

One of my daughter's friends often posts pictures of 'hearts in nature' she has found on her Facebook page.  When I popped outside today I realised that we have some hearts in nature in our garden.  So I thought I would share here.  I love how they start out such a bright and vibrant green and then turn into the deep purple as they mature.

Have you found any hearts in your backyard?

Just some Sunday sentences

Washing day in this part of the world, light sprinkling rain means some will go in the dryer and some under the patio to dry.  I love it when you have sunny showers, even if it means I have to use the dryer and I don't particularly like my clothes dried that way.  So only undies and socks will be popped in there today.

Hubby's preparing for a colonoscopy tomorrow, so I feel a little guilty having lovely fresh sliced tomatoes with sea salt and cracked black pepper on lightly toasted multi-grain bread for breakfast while he has black coffee.  He doesn't seem to mind too much though.

My D2 readings are still all over the place, but definitely getting more 'good' than 'bad' in the ratio so hopefully heading back into the normal range at some time.  Still struggling with the whole giving myself injections and regular blood glucose testing, but I'm doing it even though it is doing my head in, so just taking one day at a time.

A little worried about travelling at the end of the month for work as it will be the first time I have flown and needed to take my injection pen and needles with me.  Got to make sure it stays in the right temperature zone so off this afternoon to look online for a pen travel kit.  Luckily I only have to inject before breakfast and dinner so won't have to worry about taking it on the road for the field trip driving around Broome to look at the conservation parks.

The 'black dog' has been nipping at my hubby's heels again lately, mainly seems related to work issues, but it still worries me.  Yesterday he took longer than normal when he went shopping and I really started to fret about where he was and was he coming back - silly I know, but I know things are weighing on his mind, things I can't control.

Got sent this gorgeous photo of my littlest grand-daughter being serenaded by her big sister.  Big sister is still besotted by her baby and is coping well with the transition from being an only child to sharing her parents and grandparents and the rest of her extended family with the new addition.   I just know she is going to make the best big sister ever.

So life goes on, pretty much as usual, with the ups and downs and ebb and flow of the days rolling into each other.

Hope you are having an awesome Sunday in your neck of the woods, will be popping off now to read some blogs and maybe leave a comment or two myself.  xxx

Really You Judge A Mother By That?

The local radio station is holding a Mother's Day Mumathon competition, like the Mother's Day Olympics, they want you to upload a photo of you and your family and if you are chosen you get to compete in things like making beds and stuff and you can win prizes if you are the best at all the tasks.

Of course it is all a bit of fun - but it made me think, should you be called the Ultimate Mum because you can make a bed - because if that is the case then I failed miserably at being a Mother?

I have never put being a good cook, bottle washer, bed maker, house cleaner etc high in my priorities especially while my children were growing up.

Of course as a child growing up you want a clean house, clean clothes and food on the table and I achieved that most of the time - but is a hospital corner on your bed more important than your Mother taking the time to read you a story, or hold you close while you cry because you have had a fight with your best friend.

So my priorities while my children were growing up where to keep them safe and healthy, to put them first in everything I could.  To stick up for them, to support their choices as they grew, but most of all to LOVE THEM UNCONDITIONALLY.

So the beds may not have been made regularly and dust bunnies may have roamed (and still do) my house.  Sometimes there were toothpaste splatters in the sink, but if my child needed a cuddle, or help with a problem - then I was there to do my best to make it better.  I tried to be their champion at all times, for my greatest wish for my children is that they be happy.

I like to think that is where I have excelled as a Mother  because I know my children LOVE ME UNCONDITIONALLY and that is the most important thing.  That and knowing that your grown children respect you and know they can come to you, no matter what the issue and that you will respect them, give them the time to listen and love them just for who they are.

So how would you judge a Mother?

What's small and cuddly, smells gorgeous and has the cutest chubby cheeks?

Why it is our newest grand-daughter, that's who!!

My daughter has asked me not to share her name publicly so I will just say it is a beautiful name and I will refer to her as AJ here.

She was born last Thursday 26th April and weighed in at 9lb 4oz and was 56cm long.  She has the softest skin, a dusting of peach fuzz hair - a little darker than her older sister when she was born.  She is as cute as a button and loves a cuddle on her Grandma's shoulder.

Her big sister is smitten and gives her lots of kisses and tells her often that she loves her, makes my heart melt.

So welcome to our family AJ, we have lots of love to go around.

I know that our bond will be deep, just like the one I have with with my first two grand-daughters.

I so look forward to all the love, joy, cuddles and happy times we will get to share over the years.

 With her very excited big sister, just hours after she was born

 My girls, having a first cuddle together with their Mum

The first bonding moment with Grandma