Most times I plod along from day to day. Like most people I do my best. That's about all your average caregiver can do. I am not rich, or beautiful or clever. I am just your average middle aged woman. I am plain and kind and reasonably good. Not outstanding in any way, shape or form.

But we all excel sometimes. We are cited for awards of various kinds, from certificates in kindergarten to doctorates in University. We may be praised by our bosses, awarded by the community for acts of bravery or acts of charity or feted by our friends. For a moment we have our turn to shine. Some people have more than one moment as they excel in a praiseworthy field. Some outstanding or memorable athlete, the Tiger Woods of their field, shine again and again.

What is this blog all about? I have been doing a free tipping contest on AFL ( Australian Football League, the kind of football popular in Victoria) and NRL (National Rugby League)the popular form of football in New South Wales). I am about in the middle of the scores in both competition, my tipping is erratic to say the least. But when I looked up my results tonight I had scored 11/11 on week 22 of the AFL ladder. I couldn't believe it, for once a perfect score. I am stunned. Inspired guesswork and an occassional read of what the experts have to say and I finally cracked a perfect score.

The rest of my life is maintaining the status quo. I had to take Ray to the doctor on Friday as he had run out of scripts for a couple of his medications. I also took along the urinary tract ultrasounds for his doctor to review. He is extremely disappointed by Ray's diabetic blood test which showed it as out of control. The kidney screening was not good, other organ functions not much better. For someone who answers :"I'm fine thanks." Ray is nowhere near that self-appraisal. Mind you neither is he at deaths door. Just in that space where the warnings lights start to flicker and a few things need attention if he is to go on being well. So it is another round of specialists, he is to see a Urologist first and then maybe a Diabetic specialist. The last one of those he saw in 2001.

Our family gathering on Saturday was nice, the family arrived more or less on time. And the two older grandkids were okay playing together. Naomi had a tummy problem and wouldn't eat, Alex was having a grizzly day and screamed a bit, normal range of behaviour for kids. I finished up taking Tori and Alex to the park to give everyone else's ears a break. Ray enjoyed the BBQ, the singing of Happy Father's Day. He loved the two cakes, white chocolate with caramel icing and chocolate mudcake with chocolate icing, one was for Father's Day, the other for his birthday. The littlies put a lot of candles on the cakes, enough to light up a small town. Ray couldn't decide which one to have first so he had a piece of each. He ignored the presents as he usually does, suffering from embarrassment if someone does something good for him has always been a problem for him, maybe more so now as he doesn't seem capable of showing emotions.

Today he was a little slow, in his dressing, in his walking and talking and eating, a normal reaction to a full day yesterday. So he slept in as late as time would allow as we needed to get up for church. He came home and went to bed straight after lunch and got up just before dinner. He enjoyed a special meal cooked by Trevor ( well re-heated really) of more pork spare ribs and had a special dessert. It's good to spoil him occassionally. We will arranged a special dinner on Friday night for his birthday, just the three of us as the others are busy with other events.

I spent some time at the Dementia Lodge with Mum today as she had another fall yesterday and I went to spend some time with her to observe her movements etc. She seems fine. One of the nurses came and told me her troubles. I guess I am a sitting duck really, sitting there beside my Mum. Anyway I hope she felt better for it. Her Mum is dying with cancer and she has to go back to New Zealand to take a turn nursing her mother to give her sisters a break. Trading paid nursing for unpaid as she said. But it is her Mum so she will use her holidays to help out other family members.

Today on the whole was a good day. And I got 100% in this week's AFL football tipping contest. A lot of people are going to hear about that!