Green Fingers = Blisters

Although we’ve been thinking about it off and on for quite some time, well, a couple of years if the truth be known, today we started on our front yard, although only in a small way.

One of the first tasks is to decide what’s staying and what’s going. Then comes the fun of removing the “unwanted” flora. So today, with secateurs, pruning shears and grubber in hand, it was time to say goodbye to the huge yellow daisy bush, a native melaluca, 2 juniper type bushes, some scrappy butterfly bushes and some of the “evil” ivy that has invaded our yard from next door. Clearing the yard will take a while as we’re restricted (by bin size) as to how much we can dispose of every fortnight.

We put the daisy bush through the shredder/mulcher and it was reduced to a small pile of mulch in no time. I’d forgotten how darned noisy that thing is. Our poor green waste bin was filled with quite a bit of dead wood and prickly stuff – bring on Monday when it’s collected and we can refill it!

The boys did a wonderful job helping. H pulled up quite a chunk of paving. I’m so proud of his efforts and sticking to the task at hand.

We cleared enough greenery to enable measurements to be taken so I can draw up a plan. There’s a strip roughly 15m long by 3.7 wide down the side, and 20m wide (minus driveway and path) by 4m deep across the front. The areas are not that deep so will require some careful planning. I have a partial design in my head and a narrow garden plan in a book which I could adapt, so that should make it a little easier.

The remainder of the winding path will have to come up and will be replaced by steppers, in some form. They will probably follow a similar line. Eons ago we bought a water feature in the guise of a statue, so she will have to find a home within the grand plan too.

The fun will be on in earnest when it comes to deciding what to plant!

In the meantime, I wait form my oozing blister to heal.


Thursday 20 May 2004

AC1 – Day 16

My period started today and I have another cold starting up, although the last one technically never went.

Aunty M dropped around this morning with a Shepherd’s Pie for us. We had a bit of a chat about me, her and life in general.

Saw my GP, had a bit of a chat about how things are going and got a referral for my onc.

Medicare have informed me that we are closing in on the safety net amount for out of hospital expenses, ie dr visits, scans, etc. Once the safety net has been reached, they will pay 100% of the scheduled fee until the end of the year (31 Dec 04), which will be nice.

Technically this should go under 21 May as it’s after midnight, but I had to put this down. My hair is starting to fall out! It’s from the right side top of my head.