Lazy day.

I got up yesterday full of ideas for the day, what work I would do and how to do it but hey ho, I did nothing. I did find a book to read. It was an old one on my bookcase 'The Book of Insults Ancient and Modern' It is hilarious with insults recorded from people all over the world and through the begining of time. I felt very good after having a good laugh.

My new book.

I made it at last. I think my computer was playing up before.

Back again.

Greetings to all my friends.
I know it has been a long time since I have written here but I really didn't have anything to write about except pain and discomfort so I stayed away.
I am recovering well now from surgery and every day I am feeling better but I haven't been completely idle.
My book 'The Celtic Fabler' has been selling well and those that had bought and read the book were pestering me for another one. As I had been unable to write for several months I decided to put together a book of my poems. I discussed it all with my printer and she was most enthusiastic and with her help I have produced 'Book of Dreams'. It is only a small book of little poems that I have written over the years, some funny, some sad and some are just my thoughts. To my surprise it has been successful and is selling well and it has only been a week since I announced it on my facebook.
It is only a small book so the postage hasn't been so high in fact I sent one to Canada and it only cost AU$17.00 and has been well received. I am trying to load a picture of the book here but at the moment nothing is working for me. I will try again later.

I am hoping to get back to finish a novel that I started late last year and I am able to knit again and have started designing another baby gown. Of course, it is going to take several months for me to finish it so you will all have to wait, so I hope you have patience.

My youngest daughter.

Today, my youngest daughter, Elle, has the first of three operations on her right shoulder. She has had problems with it for years but it has only recently discovered what the problem is. Apparently her colloar bone is too long and is pushing against the shoulder socket. Since then it was also found she had a cist in the ball socket and a ligament torn so today she is having that sorted. It will take about 12 weeks to heal and then she will have another op. I am not sure what they are doing there but it will take about 12 months to heal and then there is supposed to be a third op.
The poor girl is an avid tenpin bowler and coach so she has spent the last few months learning to bowl with her left hand and she is confident that she is almost as good woith her left arm as she is wih her right so she is happy to be able to continue bowl and continue coaching the littlies. I just hopes all goes well for her.

The morning after.

Yes, I am stiff and sore after market yesterday and there were times when I really wondered what I was doing there.
Normally, Mother's Day market is good. The ladies come with dad and the kids and everyone buys another little gift for mum but not yesterday. The crowds certainly came in but they had short arms and long pockets, they looked around but bought very little.
I did have personal visitors though. Gwyneth came by with young Matthew with a present for me, a pair of winter pyjamas and lovely quirky fluffy slipper boots all in pink and as the nights are getting colder, I am sure they will get a lot of use.
Then Elle arrived with her partner Kris and children Raimy-Rose and Lachlan. There was anotherbag of gifts, a pretty clip that can be worn in the hair or as a brooch in a lovley purple which matches my favourite shawl, a box of chocolates and the surprise of the lot, a copy of 'Farmhouse Cookbook'. I had a copy of this for years and was my favourite cook book then lent it to a 'friend' in 2000 who claimed she had returned it to me. Well I knew she hadn't but apart from breaking into her home, how was I to prove it? And I have mourned that book ever since and I have watched out for it but Elle found it on e-bay, it was like meeting an old friend again. Now I might feel like cooking again..
Soon after they had all left, my granddaughter Julie-Ann came by with her three boys so there was cuddles and kisses all around.
By the time they all left it was nearly time to pack up and go home and beleive me, I was ready for it. When I reached home I made a coffee, took some pain killers and went to bed. That was mid-day, I fell alseep and didn't wake until 4PM and even then I felt I could have slept some more.
After tea my som Trevor phoned and wished me happy mothers day. He knew I was at market because I had spoke about it on my 'facebook' but it was lovely to hear his voice. The trouble was, his three boys were washing the dishes, well supposed to be but were fighting over something or other, those boys just seem to love fighting, so the call had to be cut short before they killed each other. LOL.
In reality, it was good day. I saw most of my children, most of my grandchildren and three of my great-grand-children.

Naughty, naughty.

I had just finished saying that I needed no more clothes. Well. my daughter and I went shopping today, grocery shopping that is but as we walked pass Millers they had a 'nothing over $20' sale and there in front was a beautiful long dress. I love long dresses and wear them at every opportunity and these were lovely and they had my size. Of course, I had to buy one. Yes, I know it is nearly winter but we do have warm days in winter, it is just the nights that get cold and this one was chiffon with an underskirt in shades of purple and a bit of cream. I might wear it tomorrow, it is my eldest granddaughters birthday and we are all meeting to share some birthday cake, and I have my variegated purple shawl to wear if it is a little chilly.

The Great Ausie Morning Tea.

That is what I went to today. It is held all over Australia to raise money for Cancer Research. The one I went to was held by the CWA at Oakwood and we had a great time.
There was a speed knitting competition and a lot of women took part. The winner was an 80 year old lady and I swear, her fingers flew so fast that her needles were in danger of bursting into flames.
I also won a prize, a beautiful skein of Mohair from Wagtail Yarns of Childers, just a short drive form Bundaberg. It is a beautiful yarn, lace weight and so soft and silky, I already have a design in mind to make it into a shawl for myself, I will just have to chart it up.
Linda also took part. She was so nervous, she is not used to knitting in public and she feels she is slow but she did well and she was relived, she didn't drop a stitch.
All the ladies were so friendly and made myself and Linda welcome. We will look forward to doing it again next year.

Poor NZ.

As if New Zealand hasn't been through enough. Today, they had a killer tornado rip through Auckland. It is said that a couple of people killed and many injured.
My thoughts are with them.

We had a thunder storm this evening. It wasn't very long but it did make a terrible noise. It is just raining now, very gently and the wind has stopped. Let's hope it stays like that.

I have one.

Today I could prove that I have one. A heart that is. I had to have an ultra sound check on my heart prior to surgery. Once the results have been sent to The Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane they can make a date for me to go down and have this crazy gall bladder removed. Hopefully, then I shall be with out this terrible pain which has been with me since christmas day and I can get on with my life again.

I think winter is on its way. The nights are getting colder even though the daytime is very pleasant, still need light summer dresses on but I have been going through my few winter things. Unfortuantely, I don't need any new ones so I guess I don't go shopping in the clothes shops, so annoying but then it means I can save up quicker to have my next book printed, I have nearly finished it.

Disapointed.

On Sunday (8th May) it is a monthly PCYC market that I have been going to for years. I sent the manager an email last week to say that I planned to sell my new novel there and hopefully hold a sign in. I have received a reply. Of course I can sell my book there but not have a sign in, the crowd might get to big.
That is a laugh. A big crowd? I am new author and here in Bundaberg, no one is really interested but I thought it might be a good advert for the market if they mentioned it. I was disapointed at first but I shall still sell my book there and if people want me to sign it then I shall but I am not expecting to be overwhelmed by crowds after all, I am not JK Rowlings or Dan Brown <BG>

Problems.

Linda, my webmaster is read y to tear her hair out. Why? The paypal button for me e-book is playing up. One minute it works for people to pay and then it won't. She has spent all week checking all the codes and thingys that go into this sort of thing but it still plays up. At the moment, if someone emails me about the problem then I send them an invoice and when it is paid, send them the pdf but poor Linda is still pulling her hair out. "It should work." I am sure she is starting to say that in her sleep, "Why doesn't it work?" So if any of you are having problems please email me and I will sort it out. Well, try to anyway. LOL.

The Royal Wedding.

I, like millions of other people around the world, last night watched the Royal Wedding and wasn't it great?
I lovely pageantry and as an ex Brit I love the way we can organise precisely a big occasion and they didn't get any bigger than this.
I loved the gown, it would the type I would chose if I had the money and of course, young enough. I love simple elegance, so many brides nowadays tend to go over the top with frills of beads and anything else they can think of thinking that more is better.
Yes, I enjoyed last night.

This morning I had to go for a breathe test to see what capacity my lungs have ready for surgery. The trouble was, this morning I woke up0 with a terrible sinus problem. For quite a while I coughed and sneezed and wheezed my way around but I seemed to cope well with the test, we shall see. I just have to wait now for my ultra sound appointment.

E-Book on line.

At last the e-book for my novel 'The Celtic Fabler' is available on my web site, http://www.knittedlacedesigns.net/
 My web master worked hard on getting it up and I thank her, it was the first one she had ever done, when she did her computer corse at university e-books had not been invented.
I wanted it put up because postage is a killer now all over the world and makes things like books very expensive now for those who don't need an autographed copy can afford to buy it.
My local bookshop, Dymocks, have taken a few of my books to sell for me, the owner likes to suport local writers and I thank them also.
I plan to do a book signing at the PCYC craft martket on 8th May. I have had a site there for several years selling my craft work and patterns and have a lot of regular clients and friends and they have all been interested in my writing. I look forward to having a good day there.

Trip to Brisbane.

Well I am back from Brisbane. I am exhausted and sore from travelling.
There were a few 'stuff ups'. First when I got to the place where the Bundaberg Hospital had told me they had booked a room for me over night didn't know a thing about me. They checked there booking and there was none for me. They were very good though, they had an empty room and welcomed me in.
They were an elderly Chinese couple and treated me like family and we were soon sat chatting over a coffee and having a good laugh.
The room they showed me to was excellent and I was soon in bed having a rest.
The next morning, I was off to the hospital to see the surgeon. I was advised by reception to have a wheel chair as it was a long walk to the department that I needed. I agreed and a lovely man named Stuart pushed me gayly along while we talked and laughed.
At the department, the receptionist asked me what time I had left home yesterday. I told her my train had left at 10.15 am.
"No wonder I couldn't reach you." she said.
"Why?" I asked.
"The surgeon has been called away."
"Oh, no."
"Don't worry," she said, "I have found another surgeon who is willing to see you but it won't be until this afternoon. When is you train due to leave?"
"At 5.00 pm but I also have to get from here to the station first and by bus that could take an hour."
She agreed to check with the surgeon and it was decided to put me in as soon as possible. I counted how much money I had left in my purse and decided that I would splurge out on a taxi. I knew it would cast a lot but it would be better than trying to catch several different buses and having to walk a distance between them. I told the receptionist this so that there would be time if the surgeon ran late.
I had my consultation and he agreed that my gall bladder should be removed as soon as possible following a couple of other tests.
As I got ready to leave the receptionist called me over.
"Mrs Lewis, we have arranged for your taxi and the hospital welfare is paying for it."
I was amazed. I was wheeled down to the taxi rank and everything was waiting for me. I had to sign a form and just get in the taxi. I was dropped at my station and all I had to do was wait for the train to arrive.
The train arrived back in Bundaberg at 9.30pm and by then I was tired out, went to bed a got a good nights sleep.

E-book.

I am so pleased that my new novel has been well received. I was at Bundaberg Writers Club yesterday and I showed them my book and was asked a lot of questions of how and why I had done it. I sold one as well and a couple of others wish to buy one, it was very exciting for me, I feel more confidant now.
People in England that he been buying my patterns from my website are interested in buy my novel but the postage makes it very expensive so my web master is working on converting it into an e-book to down loaded to a reader. It is a new experience for both of us and we got together today to talk about design and how the page should look like and all the coding that needs to be put in. It should be available in a couple of days.

On Tuesday I am off to Brisbane for a consultation with a surgeon. I shall be staying over night in a motel and coming back on Wednesday an I hope that they will decide on surgery soon then I will be able to sit at the computer longer and get on with another story. At the moment I am in too much pain to sit too long and it is very frustrating, I so much want to get this other one finished so I can start to edit and get it ready fro the printer.

The Celtic Fabler.

At last my novel has arrived. I am so proud of it, it is like having a new baby, only without the labour pains.LOL.

My webmaster has put it up on my web page 
 http://www.knittedlacedesigns.net/
so it is for sale around the world and I am so happy, I have sold one book already and another two are ordered.
I love the way my printer managed the cover, we talked a lot about how I wanted it done. Now I must finish my next one.

Getting closer.

I met with my printer yesterday, she is such a nice person, really friendly and bubbly.
We went through the proof of my book which sent sent to me last week and I had marked a few mistakes that i had made and a few things that I wanted to change. I thought I was making too many changes and was a little worried but she said I had done good and the changes wouldn't take her many minutes to make when she got back to the printery.
We sat and talked after with a cup of coffee and I asked when I had to pay the rest of her fee (so far only a deposit had been asked for) she told me that I needed to pay the remaining when she delivered, I asked how long that would be, and she said 'about a week'. I was over joyed. A week! So soon it will be in my hot little hands. How great is that?
My web master is already preparing a site for the book on my web page. We have discussed wording and presention I just have to work on the final bits and pieces and then get ready to launch it.
It is so exciting.

Facebook.

At my granddaughter Julie Anne's encouragement, I have re-actified my face book account. I had joined ages ago but got fed up with the trash that kept dropping into my page so closed it down
With her help, I have got it all sorted now and have been learning my way around. One good thing is that I have linked up with another granddaughter. I am not sure if she knows I am her grandmother so I shall go very careful.
It is a shame when families are parted. My son was in a relationship and they had a little girl but the mother was the youngest in a large family and very much dominated by her own mother who persuaded her daughter to leave my son when she was pregnant again.
The up shot is that we were forbidden to see our granddaughter again although from time to time we did get little bits of news.
She is grown up now and has a daughter of her own, my great granddaughter, and she is a beautiful little one.
I asked her to be my 'friend' and she replied 'yes' so I shall take it easy, I don't want to frighten her away, I don't know what she has been told by her parents.
Such is modern life.

Poor Robert.

I had an e-mail from my brother Robert in London "I can't phone you Val, my phone is not operating for some reason"
I tried phoning him but was taken to his message bank so I waited.
Two days later he phoned me, really stressed. He had worked at finding out why he was phone less. It turned out he had changed servers. Unknown to him they had put in another phone socket in a completely different place, hadn't told him nor had they plugged in the phone line. By the time he was able to call me he was stressed out with spending time on his mobile phone to his new server and then finding where the socket had been placed and then to find his phone line wouldn't reach it. After linking a couple of extension cords together, he made it but said he will have to go and find a cord long enough to reach.
A lesson for Rob. Sit and watch the technician work so you know where they are placing things. Poor Robert.

Devastation continues.

The devastation continues in Japan.
Our Urban Search and Rescue Team (USAR) arrived there yesterday to give what help they can.
These people must be exhausted. First they help with the floods in Queensland then the horror of Lockyer Valley where the were so many deaths. Just as they had finished there they were sent to north Queensland after the cyclone Yasi hit. Home for a couple of days when the earthquake in Christchurch happened and they were there within hours. They have been home from there for less than a week and now they are in Japan. It is not a job I would like to do.

I had a fight with my little chihuahua this morning.
For those of you that don't know, I have two little dogs. Trixie is a 13 year old Tenterfield Terrier and Cariad a 2 year old tiny chihuahua who I often call a fur ball tornado and is really a bundle of fun.
This morning I was up early, I had to take some pain killers. After a cup of coffee I decided it would be best to go back to bed for a while. Cariad was still on the bed but in the place where I normally lay. I told her to move. She just looked at me so I moved her and she nipped me. Well I can tell you, she had a Sharp slap on her rear end and I gave her a right royal rousing. She slunk down to the end of the bed but as I settled down she crept back up and cuddled into me. I think she is sorry.

Devastion.

I have been watching, with horror, the devastion of Japan. The destruction is terrible and I am afraid there will be massive lives lost.
I believe that every country in the world will be affected as Japan is a popular country for work and holiday, I know that many Austalians are over there, some on holidays in the snow fields and others working, mainly as english teachers in many schools.
My sympathies are with the people.

I have the cover for my book.
I googled images and found a perfect picture. I contacted the photographer and asked his permission to use it. He was such a nice young man and for a small fee, he gave me the right to use it.

It is an oak tree in the morning sun. The oak was a sacred tree to the Celts, to them it was strength and hope.
I think it will look good. It is a wrap around cover with the tree on the front then the spine and the sunshine section will be the back.
I can't wait to see it on my book.

So sad.

Again, North and Central Queensland are flooded.
How much longer does our state have to endure such terrible weather.
Cardwell, after being hit by cyclone Yasi is now under water.
My sympathies are with them all.

Its on its way.

This morning, I e-mailed my manuscript over to the printer. Now the waiting starts.
I shall recieve a copy of the first print to read to find any mistakes and then it will be ready for full printing.
This is becoming very exciting. Wish me luck.

News.

The last couple of days have been busy for me.
As some of you may know, I write. Novels that is.
Normally I just write and give the stories to my granddaughter to read and then put them away but I became friends with another very successful author and she read my last novel and said it should be published and with her encouragement I went through it again, did a rewrite and then edited it. Another friend who is an eetymologist went through it again and checked my grammar and spelling, gave me alternative words to use in a couple of places and it was all ready.
I tried to find an agent to handle things for me but no luck. Mostly, they will only handle authors who are already published and publishers will only accept manuscripts from agents so it was a catch 22 situation.
Well I have got sick of this. After a lot of thought, I have decided to publish it myself. A local printer has given me a good offer and I tried my hand at some art work for the cover, and to my surprise, it turned out very well. So soon, everything will be on "GO" and I shall have my book in my hot little hands. I shall add it to my web page and here and sell it myself and would you believe, I already have an order for one. How good is that?
If this is successful then I shall use any money I make from the sales to print up some of my other stories, I have a load sitting on my shelf just waiting to be edited and cleaned up.
I shall be writing under a slightly different name 'Valerie Stewart Lewis' There are so many Valerie Lewis's out there I was afraid I would get lost in the crowd so I have added my maiden name.
Wish me luck my friends.

I'm back.

I know it has been a long time sinced I posted last but I have been unwell. I am still unwell but the pain is under control more now and I am hoping I can sit at my computer longer than a minute or two.

So much has happened over this last month it is almost as if mother earth has a grudge aginst us.
Most of the floods have left Queensland now but there is that terrible earthquake in New  Zealand and so many deaths. The wrok is still going on there but I am afraid they will only find more bodies.

My friend Linda is on her way to Canada at this moment, her birth home. She plans to spend her birthday with her sisters and brother. I am hoping she has a pleasant journey and no doubt will have plenty of stories to tell me when she gets back in three weeks.
I think she will find it very cold there. It is the middle of summer here and she is travelling into snow. Good luck to her.

Great excitement for me yesterday. I was interviewed by our local TV station.
There has been a lot of telephone scams going on and I pjhoned up0 to tell them about mine. The staion decided that my story was interesting enough to know more so along came I nice young lady and a young camera man and taped the interview. Whether it will go to air I don't know. Shall have to see.

I shall have to go now. I am going to try and do some knitting a little later, my fingers are itching to use my needles but lately I hhaven't been able to concentrate.

No thunderstorms tonight?

Tonight, I hope to up date my doings. For the last couple of night thunderstorms have forced me to switch off because of the lightening.
We had a lot of rain through the night and a couple of roads were closed off again. One of our local shopping centres are, I think, preparing for another flood. They have been busy all day in bringing in loads of sandbags and placing them near all their doorways. I can't blame them after being flooded out twice in two weeks and there is a king tide tomorrow morning and our river is a tidal river and is still running very high after the floods.

I am back on track with my knitting. After the flood, the heat and sickness I am very much behind where I wanted to be but I have it all going now, the last part of pattern for the border is now sorted and I have begun knitting it. Keep your fingers crossed that the chart is correct now and I can proceed at a cracking pace.

Today was my shopping day. I was exhausted when I got home. The places were packed with people and of course everyone is shopping for school equipment for the kids to be back at school next week. I think every parking spot was filled. I know I saw many cars driving around and then out again, looking for a space to park.
I hate it when the shops get crowded as I get knocked around a bit and no-one takes any notice that I have a walker and will cut me off and then stop suddenly in front of me and if I should bump into them I get filthy looks or yells to watch where I am going. It can be trying and stressful. Never mind, all being well children will be back at school when I shop next, the little darlings.

Now back to the tennis and my knitting. No sound of thunder or lightening yet.

Life goes on.

The floods in Queensland are nearly finished and clean up has started.
We are all cleaned up here in Bundaberg from our second flood, it is good that it didn't come up as far as the first one. The businesses that had water in them again have cleaned up again and are now waiting for new stock to come through so they can open for business.
Food has started to arrive to re-stock the supermarkets. We had run out of bread and milk and there was very little let in veggies on the shelves but in a day or two it will all be back to normal.
Brisbane and Ipswich are cleaning up quickly thanks to the army of volunteers that turned up to help. A lot of houses and business places will have to be re-built and could take some time, the insurance companies are making it real hard for a lot of people. It depends on how the small print is defined in the policies and it also depends on which company the insurance is with. The government is already said that they are going to shake up the companies to make sure no one is out of pocket after paying their insurance for up to as much as twenty or thirty years and are told they get nothing.

It was Bundaberg Writers club on Saturday. It wasn't an official meeting, just an informal get together. We all sat around a big table and talked about writing. A couple read out a little of what they had written lately and we made comment, suggestions and gave our opinions. It was a pleasant morning and I think we all came away with some good thoughts.
One of the members is reading my novel at the moment. He hasn't finished it yet but says he likes it. I gave him chapter one of my new story to look at. It is only three pages and didn't take him long to read through it. He liked that as well and has encouraged me to finish it. He looks forward to reading that one as well. It has given me confidence to continue.

Now I must get on with my shawl. I was sick last week and in a bit of pain and didn't have the concentration to work on it so must catch up now.

More up dates

Here are a few more links.
Floods in our state are becoming worse. The capital, Brisbane, is vertually closed down with the power being shut off today for safety, and is at a standstill.
80 suburbs are alreay under water and more are effected.
Ipswich is also in a bad way and it is said that 2thirds of the city will be flooded by tonight.
Parts of NSW are flooded as the water creeps south.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/

http://www.yahoo.com/_ylt=Ava97DPEgtyXn.CEtd_4bWSbvZx4;_ylu=X3oDMTNlaW9pZ2p1BGEDMTEwMTExIG5ld3MgYXVzdHJhbGlhIHRzdW5hbWkgdARjcG9zAzEEZwNpZC02MDcxMQRpbnRsA3VzBGl0YwMwBHBrZ3YDMTAEcG9zAzIEc2VjA3RkLWZlYXQEc2xrA3RpdGxlBHRlc3QDNzAx/SIG=12p87p6b3/EXP=1294841397/**http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110111/ap_on_re_as/as_australia_flooding

Floods up date.

The flood in Toowoomba has stopped for now but the water still gushes down the Lockyer valley and many places are under water there and more is to come.
In Brisbane, the water has risen rapidly. Evacuations are in place. 6500 homes are expected to be flooded by tonight with another 16,000 to be affected. This flood is worse than the great flood of 1974. Since then many flood mitigations were put in place but this is worse.
The Brisbane river is rising fast and all ferrys have been moved to safety and all ships in Brisbane port have been ordered out to sea because of the refuse floating down with the flood.
This has all been caused by what is called a super rain fall and rain is still falling, heavy in some places, as much as 10-12 inches over night.
The roads in Brisbane are cut and also Ipswich which is also flooding fast.
So far in the Toowoomba area there are 9 people dead and 59 are missing. It is expected that there could be more deaths before this is over.
The floods are also spreading into NSW and the weather man says that the rain is going to reach right down into Tasmania.

A series of links showing the floods in and around Quensland.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/gallery-e6frer9f-1225985231174?page=1

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/brisbane-flood-alert-as-wivenhoe-threatens-to-spill-over/story-e6freoof-1225985251560

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/gallery-e6frer9f-1225983022068?page=1

Up date.

There is more information from Toowoomba. The flood there is being called an inland tsunami.
8 people are confirmed dead and 72 are missing.
An emergency warning has just been sounded for the whole area as severe weather is expected within the next hour with more flooding expected.
A school is isolated with the children and teachers still there and also a child care centre. It is hoped that they will be rescued soon. The weather of rain and fog has stopped helicopters getting in at the moment.

Toowoomba.

This was Toowoomba yesterday lunch time. There are still many people missing.

From bad to worse.

At lunch time today a wall of water suddenly gushed through the garden city of Toowoomba. It washed away houses and vehicles, there was no warning and several people are missing, two are dead. This wall of water is now heading for other towns nearby, Gatton, Grantham, Helidon, Standthorpe and on towards the border with NSW. People have been told to flee. There are several people stranded on the roofs of their houses in Helidan and the helicopters are trying to reach them. One house has been swept of its stumps and is floating down the Lockyer river with people still clinging to the roof.
Even our state capital Brisbane,is starting to flood. There is no where left for people to go. The state is flooded now form Rockhampton in the north to the southern border. All roads are cut. Even my daughter is stranded in Brisbane. She took a team of young tenpin bowlers to Brisbane for a tournament and now they can't get home.
The river here in Bundaberg is rising again and roads here are closing. At the moment I am safe but we are under flood warnings again.
No-one knows when the rain is going to stop. Of shore, we have to watch a cyclone forming. That is all we need.

Not again!!!!

This afternoon we had a massive thunderstorm which dumped another 3 inches of rain on us and so have brought the flood waters up again and more rain is forecasted. The last road in Bundaberg had just been open an hour and it is now closed again. Our fingers are crossed.

In Rockhampton the Fitzroy river has peaked at 9.2 metres. It was predicted to peak at 9.4 and there was a sigh of relief, not that .2 metres sound very much difference but it meant that another 500 houses didn't go under the water. It will be at least 2 weeks before the river drops, that is if more rain doesn't fall in the catchment area and it will take months to clean up.

Bundaberg's clean up is going well, at least it was until this afternoons storm. Everywhere you go you can see sodden items out on the roadside waiting to be picked up for the rubbish dump. It is sad to see so much personal belongings ruined.
More SES volunteers are arriving to help, out own volunteers are exhausted from working since before Christmas so the ones arriving from interstate are very welcome and we thank them.

Our Premiers disaster fund now stands at $14million and still growing. It will be handled by the Red Cross to all those that have been affected by the floods. Other people are arranging the gathering of school supplies the the children. At the moment it is summer holidays so there are a couple of weeks for the schools to be cleaned up and re-furbished but a lot of parents had already bought their school books ready and now they are lost. It is not only for our area but the other towns and cities that are affected, 40 towns at the moment and more are flooding every day. Some one said today that it is possible that the whole of Queensland will be under floods before the end of the month, that is one massive amount, Queensland is the second largest state in Australia, our coastline alone is over 2000 kilometres.

Anna Bligh, our state Premier, has appointed the state senior Army Commander to handle the organising of repairing the flood damage. This worked well when Inasfail was wiped out in cyclone Charlie 4 years ago and with military operations, it took one year to put the town and farms back to order so I think it will work well this time.

I must go now as I haven't been very well this week and the medication I am on makes me very drowsy so I am going to bed early.
Night  night.

And the new year starts.

The river is going down rapidily now but we are still having thunderstorms which we could well do with out.
Here are some photos taken by various people around town and placed on a web site.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=152567448125489&set=o.176597162370872
I have looked at several of them as I was stuck where I live and unable to get out. It is terrible to see how the rest of my city were and how they are coping to start the job of cleaning.

I deided to do nothing today. I have spent it reading and a little doze here and there. Tomorrow I start to do a bit of cleaning in my unit and some washing and then I hope I get time to do some writing. I have neglected it the last couple of weeks as I had things to make for christmas but my story hasn't been far from my mind and I want to put it all down.
I must get on with some more of my knitting as well and get ready for the next craft market, if there is one, the PCYC where it is held is being used as a  community relief place at the moment for those who had to evacuate their properties.

Happy New Year.

Happy New Year to you all and I hope it is a good one for everyone.
I reached the grand age of 70 years today. It was a birthday there was some times I never thought that I would reach so ...yahoo, made it.
I had morning tea with my daughters which actually lasted to lunchtime. We sat and talked about all sorts of things and laughed about the past and eating all the sorts of bad food including a lovely chocolate cheese cake. I never did agree with diets anyway.
My eldest daughter gave me a gift voucher for Dymocks book store so I can go along and chose some new books. What a lovely thought. Her son, Matthew gave me a silver ring with a large Perot stone.  It is beautiful although he admitted that mum had bought it but he decided he should give it to me. Matthew is slightly autistic and 13 years old and we gave a great meeting of mind sometimes, my daughter says I am corrupting him, just because I encourage him to read Celtic Myths and lend him my books.
My younger daughter bought me some lovely bath goods and I am going to have a lovely bath and I am sure I will come out looking ten years younger. (I wish).

The floods are slowly receding although it is starting to smell badly now. Cleaning up is happening where the waters are well away, some places are going to take months to re-pair though and there is talk about that some trades won't make it trough this devastation, so many were just hanging in, waiting for a better time but they have had enough and can't manage anymore. I feel for them.
The farmers around here have lost everything. After 10 years of drought, it was good when we had the rain at the beginning of the year but just as they were about to harvest their first crop in years, the floods come and wipe everything out. It will be weeks before they can get onto their lands and start to plant again, that is if they have the money to buy the seeds.
We have been warned that food prices are going to go sky high and there will be a lot of shortages of fresh foods etc.
Ah well, let's hope we have a better year.