Further News?

 Well, not really. Post hospital I've been being a good girl and doing everything my doctors and physiotherapists require of me. So far so good but the point when all could fall apart is still about three to four weeks off. 

I've a few concerns. I still have numbness and altered sensation in my bad leg (it feels as if someone has applied an elastic bandage too tightly over a thick pad on the sole of my foot - I've actually woken up trying to take this non-existent bandage off a few times.) This, combined with my numb leg, makes walking somewhat difficult because I can't get any normal rhythm going. As well walking without the walker is also hard although I am persevering with hands free walking in safe places where I have easily accessible things I can grab if it all goes sideways. Sigh.

So life is not a bowl of cherries at the moment - but since it's cherry season in Tasmania there is actually a bowl of these delicious goodies in the fridge right now. I'm going to savour every bite of these luscious imports because in the wider world Western Australia is in the middle of shortages and consequent rationing of some food and grocery items. This is because we import many consumables from the eastern states by road and more importantly by rail and currently unprecedented rain has caused serious flooding and both road and rail links have been damaged. The road is now open but it will take some time before all the trucks backed up in South Australia will reach the Western Australian distribution centres. While this will help it's expected the rail line, which has been most badly damaged and brings the bulk of supplies, will be unusable for several weeks - and this means cherries are unlikely to be available since the local season has finished.

We're not going to starve, of course. We have local sources of fruit, vegetables and meat and there are still local suppliers of dairy products but to see how the shelves have been stripped in panic buying you'd think we'll never see food again. Of course we can't always get our favourite items but Pisces and I are largely enjoying the substitutes we're being sent - we mostly do our grocery shopping online and if they don't have what we want we get given something different. Apart from that some of the shortages have encouraged me to pull out my old yoghurt maker and start making my own again and when I can manage to stand long enough to knead some dough I just might make bread.