The books have gone!
The drive was really successfull with about 300 books donated and sorted, listed and packed off to the prisons. It was lots of work at the end and I felt really overwhelmed but by hiring Sylvia, and with Nathan's help, it was done. I will write a report for the Social Justice Committee. I did not take a picture of the pile of boxes, because I forgot to before leaving work. There were 30 boxes - three of fiction from the town library, three of encyclopedias, also from the town library and 24 of donated books. Kathryn, from Borallon, rang to say that she had received them but that the courier had only delivered 5! I hope she can get them to locate the others. No word from BWCC or Wolston about theirs.
Worst event - Barbara falling over box in corridor where I was packing it. She fell on her knee and it is swollen and sore but unharmed. She was carrying papers and reading them so not watching where she was going, but it was my fault for having the box in the way. Best event - Nathan's help and competence. He is an organized chap. He brough his baby son - a real cutie - to the second last session. Then on the last day he came and helped when I had just received another 2 boxes of books from Ronel. They were magnificent books, all recent and on varied areas in Business. They will be most useful.
Marilyn will be in on Tuesday so I hope I meet her for coffee. I must get around to asking her out for a meal here, before we finally sell.
There have been a few inspections but no one yet wants to buy.
Hugh is recovering quickly, still getting tired, but doing things like mowing.
Yesterday we cleaned up the bank behind the house. The day before I used the electric hedge clippers to cut it back. This was the first time I had used them and found them easy. The most frustrating thing was the cord kept uncoupling because it was a bit stretched and I did not have the two tied effectively.
Today, I have the usual soil mite itch spots. No wonder I don't go out in the garden much. Each time I do I get these intensely itch hive-like spots. It has happened all my life since moving to Glenorina.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Follow-up to the Book Drive
Well, yesterday I had Sylvia come in in the afternoon to finalise the allocation of books to the three prisons. Nathan brought his baby son in for the morning and was a great help too. We finished by 4.30pm. Now I have to get Courier's quotes to take the boxes to Brisbane. David advised me to discus it with Vicki, as she uses couriers all the time. I need to know if they move them by size or weight as this will dictate the way we pack the books.
It is very satisfying to view the results of this book drive. There are some wonderful books from Sciences, Education, Nursing, Engineering as well as Psychology. There are lots on Developmental Psych which will be good reading for prisoners who worry about the effect of their imprisonment on their children. If they don't worry then this might make them.
Hugh is recovering well but gets tired, and having K and the grandchildren here for a couple of nights has made him very tired. The little girls are so full of energy and push each other all the time. Kit keeps a low profile and V is just a normal baby needing holding, caring and feeding etc.
She is really cute, just like the rest of them. They are beautiful girls. Kate and co are leaving for Sawtell on Sunday. We will go down there between Christmas and New year for a few days. That is all I want, the beach is not for me - too much sun, heat and humidity.
Lee is organizing a lunch next week with V and M, A and M, Gillian and her husband, and maybe a young chap and his girlfriend: he is the junior art teacher with Lee. We are meeting at the Enginer Room which serves good food.
It is very satisfying to view the results of this book drive. There are some wonderful books from Sciences, Education, Nursing, Engineering as well as Psychology. There are lots on Developmental Psych which will be good reading for prisoners who worry about the effect of their imprisonment on their children. If they don't worry then this might make them.
Hugh is recovering well but gets tired, and having K and the grandchildren here for a couple of nights has made him very tired. The little girls are so full of energy and push each other all the time. Kit keeps a low profile and V is just a normal baby needing holding, caring and feeding etc.
She is really cute, just like the rest of them. They are beautiful girls. Kate and co are leaving for Sawtell on Sunday. We will go down there between Christmas and New year for a few days. That is all I want, the beach is not for me - too much sun, heat and humidity.
Lee is organizing a lunch next week with V and M, A and M, Gillian and her husband, and maybe a young chap and his girlfriend: he is the junior art teacher with Lee. We are meeting at the Enginer Room which serves good food.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Success!
The book drive finished yesterday and it was successfull - over 200 books were donated. Nathan came to help me move them but arrived at the end. Of all days, the lift in S block failed so a kind girl from Marketing told me to store the books in the Loading dock, so that is where they are at the moment.
The Staff Christmas party - first, last and only one for the ELEPC - was a held at Swish, a new restaurant that had aspirations of grandeur - and charges to match. The meal was canapes and a main @ $25. Desert, drinks and coffee were extra! Three mains were brought out - chilli prawns, pasta carbonnara and beef tartare. The chilli was 'hot' the beef 'raw' and the carbonnara was OK (that is what I got). The chef had cut the ham with a machette it seemed as there were lumps of gristle in it.
The Dean came and I took the opportunity of thanking him for his support for the Book Drive and he immediately said he had some books to give. He was kind enough to allow Peter and me to come back to the uni with him as Ian was not returning to work, and I had organized to move the books from the library. It took three trips with the trolley loaded with three boxes each time. Lots of good hard cover reference, texts on a range of topics are included so they should be a good addition to the prison libraries. I have engaged a woman to type the details of the books and then we can keep a record of what goes where and have the prisons keep a record of how useful the books are. It would be silly to send stuff that they do not want.
Peter has had a testicle removed that was cancerous and he starts Chemo on Monday. He has to have more scans to see if there are any loose cells and if there are then he needs more chemo than the single dose that is on the cards now. I do hope he is found not to have any other signs. He is so young! His children are 5- Hamish and 2 - ? I must find out this.
Hugh has just had emergency surgery for gall bladder disease - bladder was full of gall stones and very dangerous - it had begun to be gangrenous. The Dr said 'Your husband has no right to be as healthy as he is!' because despite this situation he had no fever, no serious infection - just the pain, which was bad. The chap who did the ultrasound said 'You have a problem!' and the surgeon rang and told Hugh 'I have a slot at 4pm, and suggest you take it.' So he did. Recovery has been rapid and he was discharged from hospital on Thursday morning. Now he is well, with no infection and the key-holes are just a bit tender with no ongoing pain.
Today, Saturday, we drove out to Acland to a farm where the Ferguson tractor, the spray outfit and the tractor accoutrements were in an auction. Richard had taken on the work of getting them ready when Hugh went to hospital, and it was so good of him. All the stuff sold, which was great as the money can be used for the garden, and I believe Richard enjoyed the task. He is getting bored and needs another project.
I also need a project at home. I just need to focus on one thing at a time.
A list of projects:
1 Make bed cover from material I have.
2 Finish the quilt - green & white.
3 Start painting again.
4 Winnow the books
5 write down my early morning dreams - they are interesting situations that could be used to create stories.
The Staff Christmas party - first, last and only one for the ELEPC - was a held at Swish, a new restaurant that had aspirations of grandeur - and charges to match. The meal was canapes and a main @ $25. Desert, drinks and coffee were extra! Three mains were brought out - chilli prawns, pasta carbonnara and beef tartare. The chilli was 'hot' the beef 'raw' and the carbonnara was OK (that is what I got). The chef had cut the ham with a machette it seemed as there were lumps of gristle in it.
The Dean came and I took the opportunity of thanking him for his support for the Book Drive and he immediately said he had some books to give. He was kind enough to allow Peter and me to come back to the uni with him as Ian was not returning to work, and I had organized to move the books from the library. It took three trips with the trolley loaded with three boxes each time. Lots of good hard cover reference, texts on a range of topics are included so they should be a good addition to the prison libraries. I have engaged a woman to type the details of the books and then we can keep a record of what goes where and have the prisons keep a record of how useful the books are. It would be silly to send stuff that they do not want.
Peter has had a testicle removed that was cancerous and he starts Chemo on Monday. He has to have more scans to see if there are any loose cells and if there are then he needs more chemo than the single dose that is on the cards now. I do hope he is found not to have any other signs. He is so young! His children are 5- Hamish and 2 - ? I must find out this.
Hugh has just had emergency surgery for gall bladder disease - bladder was full of gall stones and very dangerous - it had begun to be gangrenous. The Dr said 'Your husband has no right to be as healthy as he is!' because despite this situation he had no fever, no serious infection - just the pain, which was bad. The chap who did the ultrasound said 'You have a problem!' and the surgeon rang and told Hugh 'I have a slot at 4pm, and suggest you take it.' So he did. Recovery has been rapid and he was discharged from hospital on Thursday morning. Now he is well, with no infection and the key-holes are just a bit tender with no ongoing pain.
Today, Saturday, we drove out to Acland to a farm where the Ferguson tractor, the spray outfit and the tractor accoutrements were in an auction. Richard had taken on the work of getting them ready when Hugh went to hospital, and it was so good of him. All the stuff sold, which was great as the money can be used for the garden, and I believe Richard enjoyed the task. He is getting bored and needs another project.
I also need a project at home. I just need to focus on one thing at a time.
A list of projects:
1 Make bed cover from material I have.
2 Finish the quilt - green & white.
3 Start painting again.
4 Winnow the books
5 write down my early morning dreams - they are interesting situations that could be used to create stories.
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