being made because one of those precious "Aussie Rules" football clubs has allegedly been caught injecting what might be a banned substance into their darling over-paid players. A lot of people are shaking their heads and expressing horror. Others, not supporters of that team but other teams, are suggesting that this is how they gained their advantage last season. Still others are saying that "everyone does it these days" - often mentioning Lance Armstrong in the same breath.
I suspect that drug taking in sport is rife. It has to be. There has to be a limit to what humans can do without external assistance. Roger Bannister's breaking of the four minute mile barrier was, I believe, mired in "assistance" controversy - assistance from the wind? I am sure someone can enlighten me. I doubt however that it was from modern performance enhancing drugs.
My sister's area of special interest within her profession is sports injuries. She also believes in the sort of diet supplements and drinks often ingested by sports players. She insisted the Senior Cat needed an exercise machine. He uses it simply because she bullies him into doing so. At ninety he is not going to re-develop the strength and coordination he had at age nine. He was never very coordinated anyway. Our mother always dreaded the dance she had with him at the annual school ball (such things being held in country schools). She complained he had "two left feet". I sympathised with the Senior Cat.
My sister also insisted that the Senior Cat needed a dietary supplement. She arrived with a large tub of "dietary food". It was a powder, supposedly chocolate flavour, to be mixed with water. It was to be taken in addition to the meals I prepared. I was, I was sternly told, to feed him a lot more protein as well. He needed it.
I believe older people do need to watch their protein intake and that many of them do not eat enough.
We listened humbly. The Senior Cat tried the drink. He would rather eat a piece of chocolate. (We still have chocolate left from Christmas last year. We both like chocolate too much to hurry it.)
Drinking the drink made him feel he did not need a meal. We decided the meals were more important but, dutifully, he spoke to the doctor.
The doctor listened. The doctor asked questions. The doctor laughed. No, you do not need a dietary supplement if you are eating that well. I wish all people your age ate such a well balanced diet. The Senior Cat came home and told me this. It was nice to know the doctor thought I was feeding him properly. We put the dietary supplement to one side. My sister was not pleased about this but, for once, the Senior Cat did not allow himself to be bullied by her.
We felt guilty because she means well but he does not need a dietary supplement.
I doubt many people, even sportspeople, need a dietary supplement. They do need to eat properly. They need a balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, protein appropriate to their age and level of activity and carbohydrate which is equally appropriate. It all takes time to consider and prepare.
I rather suspect that, at least for some people, that dietary supplements are seen as dietary substitutes.
Thursday, 7 February 2013
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
No more birthday candles
will be allowed on birthday cakes in childcare centres under a new hygiene regulations (not guidelines) put out by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
They are also stating that all toys, cushions, and floors must be washed every day. Door handles must be "disinfected". If children play in the sandpit then they must have their hands washed in "sanitiser" both before and after they play there.
The NHMRC has also added to the regulations governing sick children. They, rather than the doctor, will now decide when a child can return to day care.
All this, reported in this morning's paper, will add immeasurably to the amount of work already done by child care centres - although I suspect that the floors in any reputable child care centre are washed everyday. It will also add to the pressure they are under as parents (also under pressure to go to work) will want their children cared for. It will also add to the pressure some grandparents and other carers are under to take over the care of a child who is deemed not well enough to attend day care.
As regular blog readers will know my father had his great-grandchildren here over the past weekend, They are still very young. One of them, aged ten months, has just started to go to day care for two days a week.
He is also teething.
"Of course he has picked up a cold," his mother told me. She was not disturbed by this. "He has to develop some immunity to this sort of thing."
She was concerned for him but not worried. Her view, like that of her sister-in-law (mother of the other two great-grandchildren) is that "a little dirt is natural". Their children are not, thankfully, going to grow up in a sanitised environment. Their clothes are bought with the idea that they will get dirty when they are playing. They are allowed to explore their environment. Their parents are watchful but they do not hover.
Of course there will be issues from time to time. Their parents are not perfect any more than I am the perfect aunt or their own parents are perfect grandparents. Nevertheless they are doing well at the very difficult job of being parents.They do not expect that their children will never be ill or suffer from the minor bumps, bruises and grazes of a normal childhood.
The NHMRC guidelines seem to suggest an entirely different sort of childhood. It is coming closer and closer to "bubble wrap". It is coming closer and closer to "sit still and learn but do not do". It is taking much of the fun out of childhood.
Going to day care is now considered the norm. Stay-at-home mothers are frowned upon. The government expects both parents to go to work. More and more guidelines are being imposed. We all need to know the limits if we are to live with other people but do these go too far?
The eldest granddaughter was given a sweet on Saturday afternoon. I am advised she put it in her mouth and sucked it for a while. Then she took it out and dropped it on the lawn. She picked it up again and looked at it. Then she carefully wiped off some dirt by rubbing it on the brick surround of the nearby garden bed and put the sweet back in her mouth.
There could be few less hygienic things to do. She suffered no ill-effects at all.
They are also stating that all toys, cushions, and floors must be washed every day. Door handles must be "disinfected". If children play in the sandpit then they must have their hands washed in "sanitiser" both before and after they play there.
The NHMRC has also added to the regulations governing sick children. They, rather than the doctor, will now decide when a child can return to day care.
All this, reported in this morning's paper, will add immeasurably to the amount of work already done by child care centres - although I suspect that the floors in any reputable child care centre are washed everyday. It will also add to the pressure they are under as parents (also under pressure to go to work) will want their children cared for. It will also add to the pressure some grandparents and other carers are under to take over the care of a child who is deemed not well enough to attend day care.
As regular blog readers will know my father had his great-grandchildren here over the past weekend, They are still very young. One of them, aged ten months, has just started to go to day care for two days a week.
He is also teething.
"Of course he has picked up a cold," his mother told me. She was not disturbed by this. "He has to develop some immunity to this sort of thing."
She was concerned for him but not worried. Her view, like that of her sister-in-law (mother of the other two great-grandchildren) is that "a little dirt is natural". Their children are not, thankfully, going to grow up in a sanitised environment. Their clothes are bought with the idea that they will get dirty when they are playing. They are allowed to explore their environment. Their parents are watchful but they do not hover.
Of course there will be issues from time to time. Their parents are not perfect any more than I am the perfect aunt or their own parents are perfect grandparents. Nevertheless they are doing well at the very difficult job of being parents.They do not expect that their children will never be ill or suffer from the minor bumps, bruises and grazes of a normal childhood.
The NHMRC guidelines seem to suggest an entirely different sort of childhood. It is coming closer and closer to "bubble wrap". It is coming closer and closer to "sit still and learn but do not do". It is taking much of the fun out of childhood.
Going to day care is now considered the norm. Stay-at-home mothers are frowned upon. The government expects both parents to go to work. More and more guidelines are being imposed. We all need to know the limits if we are to live with other people but do these go too far?
The eldest granddaughter was given a sweet on Saturday afternoon. I am advised she put it in her mouth and sucked it for a while. Then she took it out and dropped it on the lawn. She picked it up again and looked at it. Then she carefully wiped off some dirt by rubbing it on the brick surround of the nearby garden bed and put the sweet back in her mouth.
There could be few less hygienic things to do. She suffered no ill-effects at all.
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
It is the Senior Cat's
actual 90th birthday today.
I have been told "do not fuss". What does that mean? I never fuss. I am always cool, calm and collected - perhaps.
My brother and his partner are not going home until tomorrow. We plan on taking the Senior Cat out today. There is a lovely garden centre on the other side of the city which is more like a landscaped garden than a commercial enterprise. We will go there and have him choose something for the garden. After that we plan to go on to lunch in the Barossa Valley and do very little. Yes, I am taking the day off!
And I have just given the Senior Cat his birthday present from me. "An Open House" by David Boyd. It is a biography of the Boyd family - Australian artists, sculptures, musicians and otherwise involved in the arts family. I may have to remove it from him in a moment so that he actually eats his breakfast!
I also made him a birthday card. I did not, although I wanted to, make him a card with 90 quotations. The computer was not, as regular readers of this blog know, working. It meant that typing in the necessary quotations and printing them off was not possible. It was not the sort of job I could do at the library or at my sister's place. It requires access to reference books. It requires peace, quiet and solitude in which to choose the quotations.
What to do? I looked at commercial 90th birthday cards. Definitely not. He would get most, if not all, of those. (He did. He was given some of them several times over. There is a limit to the variety available.)
The problem was solved when I looked at my precious box of Puffin post-cards. There were the front covers of books and more books.
I pulled out an ABC and a 123. The cover for the books of magical tricks and the jokes were absolute musts. Life has been an adventure for the Senior Cat (and still is) so Tom Sawyer was added. He treasures life too so Treasure Island was another must. There was the book about 'things to make and do' and a gardening sort of book, one on puppets and the Punch and Judy cover as well.
I wrote on the back of each, turning them into a continuous message. Then I taped them together into a concertina type fold that falls open into a long line. He liked it enough that he has taped it to the kitchen wall calendar. I am not sure how well it will stay there but - for now - he can see it there.
And so can I. It is a reminder of how much he loves books - and how much of that love he has passed on to his children. We are fortunate.
I have been told "do not fuss". What does that mean? I never fuss. I am always cool, calm and collected - perhaps.
My brother and his partner are not going home until tomorrow. We plan on taking the Senior Cat out today. There is a lovely garden centre on the other side of the city which is more like a landscaped garden than a commercial enterprise. We will go there and have him choose something for the garden. After that we plan to go on to lunch in the Barossa Valley and do very little. Yes, I am taking the day off!
And I have just given the Senior Cat his birthday present from me. "An Open House" by David Boyd. It is a biography of the Boyd family - Australian artists, sculptures, musicians and otherwise involved in the arts family. I may have to remove it from him in a moment so that he actually eats his breakfast!
I also made him a birthday card. I did not, although I wanted to, make him a card with 90 quotations. The computer was not, as regular readers of this blog know, working. It meant that typing in the necessary quotations and printing them off was not possible. It was not the sort of job I could do at the library or at my sister's place. It requires access to reference books. It requires peace, quiet and solitude in which to choose the quotations.
What to do? I looked at commercial 90th birthday cards. Definitely not. He would get most, if not all, of those. (He did. He was given some of them several times over. There is a limit to the variety available.)
The problem was solved when I looked at my precious box of Puffin post-cards. There were the front covers of books and more books.
I pulled out an ABC and a 123. The cover for the books of magical tricks and the jokes were absolute musts. Life has been an adventure for the Senior Cat (and still is) so Tom Sawyer was added. He treasures life too so Treasure Island was another must. There was the book about 'things to make and do' and a gardening sort of book, one on puppets and the Punch and Judy cover as well.
I wrote on the back of each, turning them into a continuous message. Then I taped them together into a concertina type fold that falls open into a long line. He liked it enough that he has taped it to the kitchen wall calendar. I am not sure how well it will stay there but - for now - he can see it there.
And so can I. It is a reminder of how much he loves books - and how much of that love he has passed on to his children. We are fortunate.
Monday, 4 February 2013
Yesterday there was chaos in
the house. It had been quiet but something happened. The four great-grandchildren appeared over the horizon in the middle of the morning.
We were expecting them. They leave early today and the first thing on the list for yesterday was a visit to "Grandpa" (my brother is Grandad instead) and "Cat".
The kettle went on for the adults. Milk was supplied to one toddler. The other declined but they both had dry profiterole cases - left over from the party preparations. The almost toddler had a rusk. (He's teething and was not at his sunny best.) The baby was asleep but soon woke.
Our supply of toddler toys was brought out. There were blocks all over the floor. They needed plastic bowls to make a swimming pool - but without water "because we have to make it". (The father of one has just made a real one and we noted with interest that a high fence went around the imaginary one as well.) There were the inevitable trips to the little room - the younger toddler has been out of nappies for two weeks now.
They explored the garden, Fortunately the birds had not pecked the strawberries which had ripened just in time - three each for the two toddlers.
Oooh there are tiny, tiny red tomatoes too! They consumed some of those. They smelt the lavender "stinky nice" and headed off up the other path.
They stopped. "Cat's big bike!"
"Could we have the key for the lock please?" the father of one asked. I went in and handed it over. A little later there were small squeals of delight and much laughter as the two little girls were being taken for a ride in the big basket at the back. I still do not know how they both fitted in together. I am not at all sure it was a good thing for the basket but they were having fun.
Meanwhile the baby was being fed and her mother was talking to me about early reading. Yes, the toddler gets a story every night and, if there is time, before she settles for her afternoon nap. She is not two yet but a book is the only thing she will sit still for.
One family had to leave then. They were catching up with friends. The others stayed a little longer. The baby was passed to me as the Senior Cat and "he's MY Daddy" went into the shed to get a screwdriver to put something together. The toddler used the little room - again.
It was well past lunch time by then but, having had a late and luxurious cooked breakfast, they did not want lunch. The toddler was sleepy but not too fractious.
The baby went to sleep in my arms. I could keep her!
We were expecting them. They leave early today and the first thing on the list for yesterday was a visit to "Grandpa" (my brother is Grandad instead) and "Cat".
The kettle went on for the adults. Milk was supplied to one toddler. The other declined but they both had dry profiterole cases - left over from the party preparations. The almost toddler had a rusk. (He's teething and was not at his sunny best.) The baby was asleep but soon woke.
Our supply of toddler toys was brought out. There were blocks all over the floor. They needed plastic bowls to make a swimming pool - but without water "because we have to make it". (The father of one has just made a real one and we noted with interest that a high fence went around the imaginary one as well.) There were the inevitable trips to the little room - the younger toddler has been out of nappies for two weeks now.
They explored the garden, Fortunately the birds had not pecked the strawberries which had ripened just in time - three each for the two toddlers.
Oooh there are tiny, tiny red tomatoes too! They consumed some of those. They smelt the lavender "stinky nice" and headed off up the other path.
They stopped. "Cat's big bike!"
"Could we have the key for the lock please?" the father of one asked. I went in and handed it over. A little later there were small squeals of delight and much laughter as the two little girls were being taken for a ride in the big basket at the back. I still do not know how they both fitted in together. I am not at all sure it was a good thing for the basket but they were having fun.
Meanwhile the baby was being fed and her mother was talking to me about early reading. Yes, the toddler gets a story every night and, if there is time, before she settles for her afternoon nap. She is not two yet but a book is the only thing she will sit still for.
One family had to leave then. They were catching up with friends. The others stayed a little longer. The baby was passed to me as the Senior Cat and "he's MY Daddy" went into the shed to get a screwdriver to put something together. The toddler used the little room - again.
It was well past lunch time by then but, having had a late and luxurious cooked breakfast, they did not want lunch. The toddler was sleepy but not too fractious.
The baby went to sleep in my arms. I could keep her!
Sunday, 3 February 2013
The birthday party was
a success...a great success even.
The magician did magical things - and everyone laughed. Much party food was eaten by almost everyone.
The cake, decorated by our friend Polly, was a work of art. It was pale cream and there were two "books' on top. One was "The Compleat Gardener" and the other was "DIY". The first had flowers and vegetables on it. The second had carpentry tools of all descriptions. It was much admired by everyone.
The speeches were short. The great-grandchildren behaved perfectly. (Two of them are of an age where they slept for most of it.) The Senior Cat insisted that they were the really important people there so they had presents given to them. He had made two little wooden walkers and I put teddy bears in them for the youngest two who will soon be walking. The older two are getting sets of modified "Lincoln Logs" so that they can build houses and sheep pens - just the way we did when we were young. As there were too many pieces for safety in a crowd I compiled "busy bags" of a blank book, pencils and some activity cards for the day. They were soon "busy" - mostly loading everything into the laundry trolley and "going shopping" on the back lawn!
We had name tags for everyone and, underneath we had written something like "cousin" or "friend" and, in the case of one of the Senior Cat's oldest friends "ancient friend" - because they rib one another about this sort of thing all the time. That worked well because it told people about each other's relationship to the Senior Cat.
Old friends discovered one another - "we haven't seen you for forty years!" Unexpected connections were made - "yes, I taught her music!".
My brother had compiled a "book" for my father. We all wrote short pieces and he put it together with photographs. It is the sort of thing my brother enjoys doing - although how he found the time is nothing short of extraordinary.Many more photographs were taken.
And the Senior Cat's smile grew bigger...and bigger.
The little ones will be back again today for a while. I have, as far as possible, child-proofed the house for their safety. The Senior Cat is already purring at the prospect of seeing some more of them.
They will be going back to their home halfway across Australia tomorrow so we are making the most of it.
It was worth all the work, definitely worth all the work just to hear the Senior Cat purr so much!
The magician did magical things - and everyone laughed. Much party food was eaten by almost everyone.
The cake, decorated by our friend Polly, was a work of art. It was pale cream and there were two "books' on top. One was "The Compleat Gardener" and the other was "DIY". The first had flowers and vegetables on it. The second had carpentry tools of all descriptions. It was much admired by everyone.
The speeches were short. The great-grandchildren behaved perfectly. (Two of them are of an age where they slept for most of it.) The Senior Cat insisted that they were the really important people there so they had presents given to them. He had made two little wooden walkers and I put teddy bears in them for the youngest two who will soon be walking. The older two are getting sets of modified "Lincoln Logs" so that they can build houses and sheep pens - just the way we did when we were young. As there were too many pieces for safety in a crowd I compiled "busy bags" of a blank book, pencils and some activity cards for the day. They were soon "busy" - mostly loading everything into the laundry trolley and "going shopping" on the back lawn!
We had name tags for everyone and, underneath we had written something like "cousin" or "friend" and, in the case of one of the Senior Cat's oldest friends "ancient friend" - because they rib one another about this sort of thing all the time. That worked well because it told people about each other's relationship to the Senior Cat.
Old friends discovered one another - "we haven't seen you for forty years!" Unexpected connections were made - "yes, I taught her music!".
My brother had compiled a "book" for my father. We all wrote short pieces and he put it together with photographs. It is the sort of thing my brother enjoys doing - although how he found the time is nothing short of extraordinary.Many more photographs were taken.
And the Senior Cat's smile grew bigger...and bigger.
The little ones will be back again today for a while. I have, as far as possible, child-proofed the house for their safety. The Senior Cat is already purring at the prospect of seeing some more of them.
They will be going back to their home halfway across Australia tomorrow so we are making the most of it.
It was worth all the work, definitely worth all the work just to hear the Senior Cat purr so much!
Saturday, 2 February 2013
Today is the Senior Cat's
90th birthday party. There is much to be done.
I will report back later - if we are not all 'magicked' away by his conjuring friend who is coming to entertain us...
I will report back later - if we are not all 'magicked' away by his conjuring friend who is coming to entertain us...
Friday, 1 February 2013
The Prime Minister has announced
that Australians will go to the polls on September 14th. We are, it seems, set for an eight month election campaign.
The date, announced yesterday, was apparently set "in accordance with the agreement with the independents". It is the last possible Saturday for the government to go to the polls. There were at least two other late dates on which the election could have been held.
Going on the last possible date has its risks - but why announce it now?
One suggestion is that it puts more pressure on the Opposition Leader - but it also gives him more time to plan and plot and perform. He will.
Another suggestion is that it will stop the former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, from making another tilt at the job. (There is also a belief it will lock the unpopular Opposition Leader in place - to the government's advantage.)
The government also hopes to put in place a range of 'popular' but unfunded legislation, particularly in the area of disability services and education. The proposed National Disability Scheme is not even costed (because the details are not even decided on) and the funds are not there for the sort of scheme that people with disabilities have been hoping for. The Gonski proposals with respect to education are not fully costed either and rely more on state funding than federal funding. Cutting funds to private schools will actually cost more. (It costs the government less to subsidise a place in private education than it does to pay for a child in a state school.)
The government also hopes to show that the so-called 'carbon tax' is working the way it intended and is not a burden on the taxpayer. They are apparently refusing to recognise that many businesses are currently trying not to raise prices in the hope of increased market share when others go under.
But perhaps all this does not matter very much. The government will stay as long as possible. The independents will continue to support them (and thus retain their pay packets) and even believe that they have managed to do so much for their election (in the way of government funded bribes) they will be returned. We could, some say, be set for another hung parliament. I hope not.
The electorate I live in is on a knife-edge. I have no doubt at all there will be some major announcements that say, "Vote for us and we will reward you with this."
Polibribery is about to begin.
The date, announced yesterday, was apparently set "in accordance with the agreement with the independents". It is the last possible Saturday for the government to go to the polls. There were at least two other late dates on which the election could have been held.
Going on the last possible date has its risks - but why announce it now?
One suggestion is that it puts more pressure on the Opposition Leader - but it also gives him more time to plan and plot and perform. He will.
Another suggestion is that it will stop the former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, from making another tilt at the job. (There is also a belief it will lock the unpopular Opposition Leader in place - to the government's advantage.)
The government also hopes to put in place a range of 'popular' but unfunded legislation, particularly in the area of disability services and education. The proposed National Disability Scheme is not even costed (because the details are not even decided on) and the funds are not there for the sort of scheme that people with disabilities have been hoping for. The Gonski proposals with respect to education are not fully costed either and rely more on state funding than federal funding. Cutting funds to private schools will actually cost more. (It costs the government less to subsidise a place in private education than it does to pay for a child in a state school.)
The government also hopes to show that the so-called 'carbon tax' is working the way it intended and is not a burden on the taxpayer. They are apparently refusing to recognise that many businesses are currently trying not to raise prices in the hope of increased market share when others go under.
But perhaps all this does not matter very much. The government will stay as long as possible. The independents will continue to support them (and thus retain their pay packets) and even believe that they have managed to do so much for their election (in the way of government funded bribes) they will be returned. We could, some say, be set for another hung parliament. I hope not.
The electorate I live in is on a knife-edge. I have no doubt at all there will be some major announcements that say, "Vote for us and we will reward you with this."
Polibribery is about to begin.
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