General Chat

Swollen feet and ankles sounds like water retention Huia, is Phil on BP tablets? they can cause Oedema.

I dont know what meds they have him on, but there is a 'family' meeting (doubt if son can come up for it, or daughter) called for next Thursday so I will have to make sure I ask then.

Huia.

Hi Huia,

sorry Phil wasn't awake to see you both but probably better if seeing your son might have confused him, he is more used to you, the noisy one, turning up now I expect, if he has any kind of memory.

I hope his meds can be sorted out so he doesn't get the swelling - it can make the skin more susceptible to knocks and then ulcers form - that's what happened to my elderly neighbour.

Can he not be given a sleeping pill so he stays asleep at night, it's a shame if his body is so confused and it makes things better for him if he can be awake most of the day, so he can take advantage of daylight. He will probably end up Vit D deficient if he sits and sleeps the day away, this comes from personal experience.

Glad you have some firewood ready and your son cut down trees you presumably needed felling.

take care
Lizxxxxx

Hi Liz.

We had our 3rd concert this afternoon at Mt Albert. The church was packed, which is always pleasing. I arrived home an hour ago and have now had a tin of spagghetti with a sausage and am full up. (We did have afternoon tea after the concert).

Peter cut down some tall tea trees (kanuka, latin name kunzea ericoides, I think, although the experts seem to keep changing names), which were looking rather straggly, all the leaves at the top. They are a popular tree for firewood. The drive looks much tidier with them gone. There are plenty of other trees on the bank below the drive. Many of the trees on our property are self sown, apart from the exotics we planted (deodars, rhodos, beech, hazelnuts etc) and a few special natives (kauri, totara, pohutukawa, kowhai). We have an acre (half hectare) of land, so plenty of room for plenty of trees).

Huia.

Hi Huia, sounds as tho you have some lovely trees around, do you have animals living in any of them or birds nesting? I love trees and have introduced a few to o.h.s very tiny garden, including a hazelnut which produces nuts for him to gather up and eat, a couple of unusual fir trees with blue cones, and a couple of silver birches in pots which came free with so many coupons from milk cartons, as well as cut price Magnolia (in a pot). We also have a eucalyptus that we bought at an open garden stall when it was just 12" high and now it's nearer 10' tall and that's in a big tub too. We did have two trees that he grew from seed brought back from Kefalonia but last year the snow got them - luckily this year we were able to find more trees the same on Corfu so brought back lots of seeds. He grew about a dozen last time and we gave them away and not one person managed to keep them for more than 9 months but ours got to at least 5 years old before we lost them, and that only cos o.h. didn't get the fleece down from the loft in time, and I can't get up there as there is no ladder fitted and I can't haul myself up from the top of the small stepladder, as he can.
You must be really pleased to have the drive looking tidy and less stuff to worry about.

I am glad the concert went well and you enjoyed it, and the social bit afterwards too.

take care
Love
Lizxxxx

Ooooh, Liz, we would be hung drawn and quartered if we brought seeds back from other countries.

Huia.

Huia, thanks for an interesting thread...I would love to visit NZ..maybe one day....

By the way,have you ever tried using salt and water for your conjunctivitis?
My Dad was a chemist and he swore by that method,and I've used it successfully in the past.1 teaspoon of salt dissolved in a pint of water-or less in proportion-using 1 cotton ball starting from the inside of the eye,wiping once to the outside,then discarding the ball to prevent cross infection.Very effective and cheaper than ointment!

Best wishes, Margot.

Hi Huia and Liz

Huia's right Liz we can't so much as bring a pip into this country - no honey and no dairy products, no meat etc. Our little Customs dogs are great at sniffing anything out.

Liz, two tuis regularly come over and sit in my Totara tree and they chat away to me when I am hanging out the washing. They are quite good at mimicry, my father was a bushman before WW2 and he used to chat to the tuis. Some of them if they are around you often enough will copy what you say. There was one on our Birdland Program on the TV the other day and he was in an aviary and would say things like Yep I am going up the back for a smoke. - And it would have the exact same accent as his keeper.

I am quite fond of all our native birds - the majority are very friendly and will come to you and our Kakapo (flightless parrot) loves cuddles and they will let you stroke them.

love
Norma x

What are you doing up so late Norma? (Says she who is also up late - I couldnt get to sleep).

Off to bed again now for a 3rd try.

Huia.

Oops sorry miss - won't happen again. Weeeeelllllllllllllllll I won't let you see it happen.

I can't resist talking about our birds - I think we have one over on the rest of the world with our lot.


xx

Norma