Well, it is a lovely tractor, bright red with brand new tyres, and room for an esky !

It is free of faults, will do as it's told and go where I direct it !  Holy bliss, I'm going to love this tractor !  The price was a bit steep, but then, you don't get too many opportunities to trade your wife in, so we did the deal !

Tomorrow, I go to collect her (the tractor, that is ) and hope that Janice will be Ok while I'm away.  After another terrible night last night, with severe pain turning to excruciating pain (and of course, no sleep ) the Doctor has put her on narcotics, which he says are the strongest pain killers he can prescribe. They now seem to be working, and the pain is easing. Hopefully, she may get some sleep tonight for the first time in a week. He is trying to arrange an emergency consultation with a specialst to try to find the source of all these problems.  And pigs might fly !   I have more faith in the diesel mechanic who will service my tractor !

So please accept this as a response to all of your good wishes, all of which Janice has read, mostly through teary eyes. You are truly a great bunch - no match for my tractor of course, but I love you all anyway !     Steve  xxxxx

I need to report my abject failure at trying to live up to the high standards set by you Minti girls.

When I read all your comments to Janice this morning, she said that I had to answer all 26 personally, so I tried, and after a few hours and replying to about 6, I found that the 26 had become 36 and i was still behind the eight ball !

True I had  some lovely telephone conversations with Deb and Luisa but I don't blame them for my lack of productivity !

So can you please accept from us both a combined thank you for all your kind thoughts and encouragement.

You all know that the big goal is to be on that plane to Canada. However low Janice is, this is what is motivating her, so all of your messages have been an enormous encouragement.

I think I am starting to know you all as well as Janice does, so I know you will forgive me for not replying personally. I am a mere male and confess that my multiskilling genes were smothered at birth. I can play golf,( sometimes) and absolutely nothing else !       

So I will go and prepare our bread and water dinner and hope that the patient is well enough to cook a mixed grill tomorrow !

Thank you all so much for everything.

Steve

Janice has asked me to write a blog for her as she is not able to do it herself. Many of you will know that she has been struck down with what the doctor has diagnosed as "Vasculitis"    If you Google that it will save my feeble attempt to describe it !  What it will not tell you is that it is likely that this is yet another manifestation of a more serious problem she is facing and which the doctors have been scratching their heads over for the past 3 years. They think she has a tumor in her pancreas, but they cannot precisely locate it, and therefore cannot remove it untill it gets bigger and more obvious. This is attacking her liver and is a serious problem. It is called VIP( vasoactive Intestinal Peptide ) - Say that and keep your teeth in !

I am explaining all this because she never talks about it herself, and concerns herself with other peoples problems rather than her own. I have no idea how to deal with this. I am on the lowest rung of medical knowledge but I do know that it is very serious.This is why we are going to Canada in May, rather than in September as originally planned. I have to get her well enough to travel by then . But how ?

I read her the blog that Marg  ( without an 'e' on the end.  Yes, I am learning ) posted ,and she bawled her eyes out. Then when she read all of your comments and received phone calls from Marg and Lui ( whose real name is Luisa which I think is so exotic and beautiful ) and Lexi, she bawled some more !!  Why can't women be like men ??     OK, I take that back !  I know I am outnumbered.

She just wants you all to know that you are  so very special to her, and your love and support at this time are a great strength to her. Certainly a greater strength than my knees which appear to have been relegated to the back page !

So now it is nearly dinner time, and my medical skills are only trumped by my culinary ones, so off to the Pizza place for a take - away.  they were designed specifically for me !

Janice forgives Marg for writing about her in her blog, and is still counting down the days. Right now they are very long days - but hey, daylight saving finishes soon ( but don't tell the Queenslanders - their cows will stop giving milk if they find out ! )

Thank you again for all your messages. I am sure Janice will soon be back and I will be banished to the golf course to do my penance!  I am so good at that !

Love you all,   Steve and Janice  xxxxxxxxxx

I know there has been much love, support and healing vibes sent  to our dear friend Marg, to be passed onto her dear son Jacob. To help him  fight and recover from this serious infection.

I'm just asking all my friends who have not seen Marg's blog, can you take a few minutes to pop on over to her blog & share some love, support and healing vibes.

To my friends who have not read Marg's past blog's about Jacob.....he fought a long ( 3 years)  battle with cancer, when the odds were against him and came out of that tunnel of darkness.....so as a mother, Marg's worries are real.....so if we can all rally around with support, love & healing vibes.... 'We will be a force to be reckoned with"

Since it is Valentines Day tomorrow and i won't be here, i thought i'd leave this poem for each and every one of my friends. And wish you all "A Happy Valentines Day"

                                 A friend is someone we turn to

                                       when  our  spirits  need  a  lift.

                                            A friend is someone we treasure

                                                for    our    friendship    is    a    gift.

                                                    A friends is someone who fills our

                                                         lives  with  beauty,   joy  and grace.

                                                             And makes the whole world we live in

                             a      better      and      happier    place.

Hugs & much love Janice

Thought it fun if everyone did a blog about what they like to do outside of Minti.

On retiring  from Sydney to our little peice of paradise, 12 years ago in March, I was at a loss of what to do, since working on & off since the age of 13.

just thought i'd throw this picture in of our beautiful Tibouchina in flower.

As a child i always wanted a Doll's House", but never got one....so i  thought it might be nice to build a doll's house for one of the grand daughter's, so I set about building!

So after many a headache and 2 years of  hard work, this is the front of the 2nd house

I buildt & assembled every peice of furniture, even down to the pictures and a very small jewel box, with jewellery in it.

To finally doing all the electrical wiring, which worked the very first time, Wow!

Not bragging i'm very proud of the end results, but as you can see, the doll's house are still we me, and will be handed to 2 granddaughters, when they are old enough to appreciate them.

I enjoyed building the 2 dolls house's immensely.....these projects also took me back to my childhood, with the pleasure of playing with a doll's house.

I would like to tag every Minti member to place a blog up telling us all what they enjoy doing outside of Minti.

Hugs to everyone Janice

Well since  late yesterday morning the heaven's have opened up around us.....we have had  8in's of beautiful rain without the storms. I know the locals are saying enough is enough, though a few months back they were saying when are we going to get some rain....never pleasing some people.

I think there is something magical watching the rain, just so peaceful and calming....when we are recieving run off, we have a stream running into our dam for which Oscar our  koi thinks it's xmas.....and a stream with ripples running out of our dam.

Just the sound of  a running stream or just watching water, brings such a feeling of calm & peace to me. Rain water replenishes the earth, with such ease....and to watch the transformation of a plant that was struggling to survive....suddenly spring to life & show itself in all it's glory, is simply amazing.

Mother nature, we have a lot to be thankful for!

Love Janice xxxx