Hamilton

On Monday I flew from Queenstown to Auckland, where my Mum was waiting for me at the airport. We drove back to Hamilton where my parents live at a Retirement Village. We called in at their villa to have a quick bite to eat before driving to Te Awamutu to pick up Hollie, my Grand daughter from Intermediate (she’s nearly 13 and in the equivalent of Qld Yr 7) and take her to her physio appointment. She hurt her back at Cheer leading sometime ago, and is now having a break and lots of treatment to try and get her back ready for next year. We dropped her at home, said a quick hello to Jack (grandson, nearly 15) who was home today with “I’m feeling sick and think I’m going to be sick” excuse, before heading back to Mum and Dad’s where my daughter (Christina) was waiting for us on her way home from work. I came back home with her to pick up her car to use while I’m here, as she now has a work car. There was an amazing red sky sunset last night, which I just had to take a photo of. My Dad found a "front door" mat, which is pictured below - I think it's great. 

Yesterday, Tuesday, I had an acupuncture appointment in town at 9 am. I hurt my back a week ago and thought another treatment would help it on its way to “normal” (well, normal for me). Before that, I ended up dropping Jack off at his high school. He normally gets dropped at a little country town to catch the bus there, but now that Christina has changed jobs, that is out of her way by about 10 mins, so while I’m here, I’m happy to help out. Acupuncture was interesting. A Chinese lady practitioner. She put 17 needles in around my shoulders, neck, down my back, each hip area and behind each knee and then attached electricity to about 8 of the needles, which sent pulses through that made the muscles twitch, some stronger than others. It was a very peculiar feeling, not painful, but not really pain free either. She then did some ‘cupping’ on the same area. Now, I’ve had cupping before, but this was a lot ‘stronger’ than I normally get. It felt like she was giving my back a “skin lift” – a bit painful to begin with but by the end of the 5 minutes, just ‘tight’ feeling. She wanted me back on Thursday and Monday, but I’ve said only Monday. 

Back home to Mum and Dad’s I went and went over to the bowling green and sat and watched my Dad play while having a cup of Ginger Lemon Kiss Tea and a piece of Shortbread, that tasted just like my Aunt made – delicious. 

I had a quiet afternoon planned, but plans are made to be broken. I got a call from Christina asking if I could go over to hers as Hollie was home today, feeling unwell and she had now broken out in a rash. Over I drove and sure enough, she was having an allergic reaction, in the form of lots and lots of hives, from a new tablet she started last night. Poor kid, her thighs were covered and the hives were appearing on her arms and down her legs. I raced down to the Chemist and got antihistamines – both tablet and cream for her. Also put wet cold towels on her legs to help the itching. The tablet kicked in within half an hour and within one and a half hours, the rash was fading. It’s a good trick to remember for itchy bites or rashes, wet flannels or hand towels, wring them out, put them in a plastic bag in the freezer for 10 mins and then onto the itching area. The coldness really helps stop the itching.  

I spent the afternoon with Hollie, preparing tea, putting on washing, folding washing and having a quick sweep outside the front and back door. 

I love this view and it is the one I used to see every day out my kitchen or dinning room window, when I lived on the property next door. My daughter now lives here as my parents still own this 5 acres. The land is leased out to someone who grazes it, although they don't really know what they are doing and the land is now really "pugged" up from overstocking through winter. The soil is a clay loam and in in winter gets so wet. 

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