Month: January 2024

Life from the egg chair

It’s been four months since I’ve had the egg chair and I don’t know how I did without it. I’d had the idea for ages, but thought it would be colonised by the chooks – the name tempted fate for a start. Once the last of them fell off her perch, it seemed safe to give it a go. Fortunately Felix hasn’t taken to it as he doesn’t like the swinging motion.

I’m holding it steady for him, but he’s still hanging on with his front claws.

I love the swinging motion which has lulled me off to sleep many times. It’s great as a reward for work done during the day, such as staining the garden furniture or working in the garden. Or when needing a rest part-way through a job.

I can watch the washing dry, watch the sunset, observe the birdlife and the bees, notice that the tomatoes are beginning to turn red, see that watering is needed for particular plants, enjoy a cool drink myself, read and think.

I highly recommend it, as Diana said of married life shortly after marrying Charles. I’m sure the egg chair and I will have a happier time of it.

Angelic indulgence

A decorated mobility scooter was parked at the local shops this morning. Bees, butterflies, mermaids, flamingoes, frogs, flowers…and – double take – a real dog waiting patiently in the foot well.

From inside the shop I could see the wee dog had been ‘decorated’ with angel wings. Give that dog a medal for forbearance. At least he has a water bowl and a mat. Perhaps the owner has matching wings.

The rabbit is caught on the headlight rather than in the headlights. The painted-on eyes are as wide as those of the passing observer.

These days with Felix

Where’s Felix? Mum often asks. She is pleased if I tell her he is on her bed.

On Christmas Day:

He inspected her walker which she brought home from Burwood Hospital.

December 23

After being out in the rain, Felix dried himself vigorously with the hand towel.

Friday 29 December:

He likes warm, dry towels fresh off the line.

Wednesday 27 December:

A felted wool coaster is fun to chew – without inflicting any damage, fortunately.

Tuesday 2 January:

Felix likes to patrol the perimeter.

Thursday 18 January:

Today, after a hot 32C day, he cooled off in the vegetable patch on the pea straw.

Friday 19 January:

We both enjoyed the cool back garden this evening, Felix on the lawn (the sprinkler now on the vegetable patch), and me in the egg chair. The last of the sun made the tree tops glow.

Celebrate!

It was breakfast in bed for Mum on Saturday and the opening of cards and presents as her 95th birthday celebrations began.

A vase of her favourite flowers, phone calls and greetings were followed by high tea at Mona Vale, then an afternoon nap before dinner and, of course, birthday cake.

The next day, Mum enjoyed Felix playing with the sushi toy from a granddaughter, and the very useful tray with folding legs.

At home with trees

In the cool morning before the onslaught of the day’s heat, I headed to the gate for the paper and looked up. I realised I was forest bathing in my own driveway. A revelation – a canopy of native trees: pittosporum, kōwhai, beech, hebe and NZ myrtle. They tower over the exotics below. Lovely.

Conserving energy

New batteries in the frother made an impressive topping on my morning coffee. It will be the last hot drink for the day; the temperature was already at 23C when I returned from my walk and two hours later it is 29C heading for 31C. It’ll be a day for keeping cool, hydrated and conserving energy - while the solar panels soak it up.

We’re listening to cool summer music to enhance the summer vibe. Currently it’s Santana. Before that, The Fairer Sax ‘Blowing hot and cool’. What next?

Running repair

The tap snapped on one of the water butts which collects rain water from the roof and which was full to the brim. There followed a frantic bucketing of water onto the garden before it was all lost and became a boggy swamp. When the level got down to about a third, I figured the pressure was eased and tried a running repair with silicone. This involved a funny-as-a-fight (in retrospect) struggle to get the caulking gun into action (thank you YouTube) and to unplug the silicone stuck in the nozzle (no, YouTube, my caulking gun does not have that handy piercing device on the side). And it was getting dark. I resorted to hammer and nail, and then it was all on…everything. I emptied the rest of the water butt and left it for another day.

Daylight (two days later – leaving one to recover my equilibrium) revealed a sticky-looking tap, which broke apart as I removed it (a tricky task which really needed two people, one to hold the tap firm while the other unscrewed the thingummy aka slip joint – thank you, YouTube – and gasket inside the deep water butt). I took the pieces to the hardware store where I achieved some calmness walking along the towering aisles of all kinds of plumbing and tools – almost as good as forest-bathing or book-bathing. I chose a sturdy-looking replacement and was relieved that it was easy to install. The next test will be when the water butt fills (rain is forecast next week) – will the slip joint, gasket and tap stand the pressure?

While the butt was empty, I took the opportunity to clean out the area under it and found a nest of snails. Feeling a little guilty, I put them in the bird feeder. But it looks as if they all escaped into the garden where the busy blackbirds and hedgehogs will eventually find them, I suspect.

Caption, anyone?

Downloading the tree app

It was great to take a morning walk today. I had breakfast to look forward to when I got home as a reward: porridge and frothy coffee and the morning paper. I was surprised to find that the walk in itself was a reward, especially the cool shade of large trees in the park and on two tree-lined streets. Other rewards I hope for from regular walking are better circulation, improved mobility and improved health generally. I zip about quite quickly on the whole, but when I get up from a chair or sofa I can find my muscles have seized up a bit.

Yesterday, I nearly signed up to another few weeks of the Better Me app with its plan of exercise and diet, but I stopped myself, realising that it would take away my self-efficacy. I had to do it for myself, rather than fall into the psychological trap of paying for something and then waiting for a miracle. A morning walk and a smaller portion of porridge is a start.

Later, when I took Mum to the doctor, the waiting room had this picture on the wall. Even the inevitable screen found in waiting rooms had a ‘nature break’ with images of natural scenes. Those scenes were from around the world, but the one on the wall facing me was a local park in Spring.

Just looking at it was calming and I felt the restorative power of trees.

Will it, won’t it…?

A bit like wondering what sort of year we have to look forward to, I scanned the sky this morning to see if rain seemed imminent and if it would be safe to do some washing. The clouds to the north looked impressive. So did the clouds to the south.

I risked it. And now it’s a beautiful, warm, sunny day.

P.S. I noticed Mum doing ankle and leg exercises this morning, a promising start.