Easter time and away we go for a little holiday and some nostalgia too

My beloved childhood home from the age of 10

This Queensland beauty was built in circa 1885

on a 120 acre Brigalow scrub selection.

To anyone in the US reading this, don't forget Australia was only settled in 1788

and

the area I lived in was only settled

in

the early 1800's.

So to us, this is a really old house.

Here is my father and youngest brother doing some verandah repairs in about 1974

It's almost Easter time and I'm feeling a little nostalgic.

This is my paternal grandfather with one of his prize winning Orpington fowls.

He bred, showed and judged chooks all his life and was highly regarded as such.

He was chook mad and made sure all of us kids had some chooks or showed chooks.

He lived through the depression, married, was a WW2 veteran and together with my grandmother raised 6 children.

 He just loved little kids and always entertained them with singing, "The bear went over the mountain", 'blowing up his muscles' and taking them down to the chook pens and telling them about his precious chooks.

We never left my grandparents house without a fruit tree to plant, some eggs or something.

My grandmother's cooking was legendary.

She was a show cook and exhibited for over 30 years.

She baked and sewed until the end.

I still have her last pattern still pinned to the fabric ready to cut out.

 My kids in turn have very special memories of Pop and Grandma...very special for them to know their great grandparents so well.

I loved them to bits.

Pop passed almost away 10 years ago and Grandma almost five years ago.

Me with my daughter and my paternal grandparents 1985

My daughter with my paternal grandfather 1990

On a lighter note my  husband, our scottish terrier and I are heading off for 4 days

in the country

to a 700 acre beef farm

called

Covendale.

It's 3 hrs drive from here.

DD at the farm

In order to be able to bear the trip there,

I will be dosed up with valium and I will be wearing my TENS machine

in order to cope with the pain.

Sitting and travelling in a vehicle are not a good combo for me.

Come May it will be 12 months since my TLIF (L5/L6 fusion, new disc and bone graft).

Come July 17th it will be 12 months since I fell over backwards

and finished off some other levels that would have needed fusing some time in the future.

So between the operation last May and when I fell, I actually had about 8 weeks where I was walking everyday and feeling quite good apart from the terrible pain that is quite normal after such a huge surgical procedure. I won't lie, the pain after the TLIF was cruel but the fact that the pins and needles in my foot  were gone and that I could walk were signs the op was a success.

Who knew in 1964 that this smiling little girl (me) on her way to sunday school

would end up with a "back that is a mess" (as described my neurosurgeon).

Me and my brother in 1964

Me and my two brothers in 1971, just after my spleenectomy

Me and my two brothers in 1975

Echo the Hereford Bull in background

My daughter with my Mother 1987

Bonza the horse lived until he was 34

My daughter (wearing her farm clothes) at my home farm in 1987

 with a litter of Australian Cattle Dog pups.

Since falling my plans for long term healing have gone pear shaped and above and below the operation site are the problems now and it's a toss up which level is the worst...

I am seeing the neurosurgeon in May and we will discuss what level of my spine he will fuse next.

Whatever happens I'm in for a long haul...but after 17 years of this garbage I'm still hanging in there.

Housebound, can't drive, can't do much of anything.

 I have pain all the time but thank the LORD I am still a sane and emotionally secure person.

My husband, kids, parents and friends are all very supportive.

Anyhow we will be staying in a cottage at the farm this long weekend for Easter.

My daughter, her husband and my new little 9 week old grandson will be there too...

can't wait to see my little man.

I last saw him 2 weeks ago.

My DD and Master E, 8 weeks old.

My father with Master E who is his Great grandson.

My Dad looks very much like his Dad who is pictured above.

He doesn't take a good picture but here he had just managed to make Master E aged 7 weeks smile.

Master E aged 8 weeks

Master E at 8 weeks old

He's a big fella at over 6 kgs.

For about 5 weeks he was putting on about 500grams a week and the clinic nurse

 told my daughter that 130 grams/week was considered normal.

Master E is only breast fed so I am sure all is good.

His weight gain has slowed now...couldn't have kept up at that rate....LOL

So tomorrow we are heading off on our Easter adventure

and

hoping to have a calm and peaceful family time on the farm'

I hope you all have a blessed and peaceful Easter 2012 as well.

Christ is Risen!