I’m making a slow start. But, hey, at least I’m making it!

My previous blog ran for more than 3½ years and was some 275,000 words spread over more than 1,250 pages. And now it’s disappeared from sight as Australia's National Stroke Foundation moves forwards (I reckon its backwards) with its new “enableme” website and ditches its previous “StrokeConnect” website.

I’m hoping this place is much more user-friendly, and allows easy uploading of jpegs. The NSF site was hopeless when one wanted to include photographs.

Today I had a special meeting of the local Men’s Shed (Men’s Shed are, I understand, a peculiarly Australian thing….a place where men can meet and discuss men’s issues and do men type work such as woodwork, carpentry, metalwork, repair household items and just chat about male type things such as footy, cricket, fishing, or issues such as health.

And there are now more than 1,000 such sheds around Australia with our’s – the Kyneton Men’s Shed - being one of the first 3 to be established anywhere). Anyhow, I’m the chairman of our Shed, mainly because I am a semi retired writer/journalist/photographer and can prepare funding submissions, write media releases, and use the internet to great effect. Which means I am hopeless at using my hands and making anything other than building words! The job suits me, as I have lost the effective use of my right hand, and am far more at home using my brain as opposed to my hands. This is not to say that I don't want to use my hands! I would have loved to able to make things and undertake DIY projects, but sadly pre stroke and post stroke I have been shown to be hopeless at any type of handiwork.

Our shed is currently moving location, and we are awaiting the outcome of a submission for $60K that we can add to our current $30K. Once we get the $60K we can move to a more central locale. Anyhow, the special meeting was to bring members up to date with where we currently stand - which our executive reckons is in a very healthy position.