Whirled Dance Band

OK . . . my intention is to do a update on Mum's health, but I also have a few pics and a video to share as well . . . just to show that I am doing other things in my life up here in Sunny North Queensland in addition to being a full time carer, that don't actually conflict with the role either LOL! So . . . I am very happy to tell you about the Whirled Dance Band that I am now a member of. At the moment, the group consists of Alison Bird on Saxaphone, Chris Stott on Guitar, Marie Pesavento on Mandolin, Sabine Liebrich on Flute, Brett Turner on Djembe, and Me on my Darabucca. There are others that play as part of the group at times when they are available, so it's pretty well a case of who ever's in town . . .


There's no need for the whole story of how I came accross this wonderful band of musicians and was invited to join, so I'll just say that the other drummer, Brett, was the key. I'm thrilled to be a part of it and be regularly playing the sort of music that my drum, the Darabucca, is particularly well suited to.


But . . . rather than just babble on about it, here's a video so you can see and hear what we are all about. A few weeks ago, when we played at the Yungaburra Folk Festival, Maria's husband Rob filmed us and here is a segment of one of the songs we played. It is a unique Whirled Dance Band arrangement blend of two songs, Troika, and Zigeuner Karawane, and has the feel of a good old Russian drinking song . . .


OK, now onto Mum's health. Last update she was back in hospital with a blood clot in her leg, and they were working on that medicinally. Well, on the 27th October, after a few days on Heparin, and then a few weeks on the blood thinning medication, Warfarin, the doctor thought there was enough success with that and sent her home, even though she did not have full feeling back in her foot. This made it borderline whether she would be able to stand on it well enough to move from bed to wheelchair, to toilet, and back etc, but thankfully, she managed just fine with that.

However . . . other problems developed C/- the thinner blood, and she was back in hospital on Monday the 2nd of November, with ever-increasing nose-bleeds occuring spontaneously at any time of night and day. They thought about packing the nose, but instead opted, after a few days to cauterize the inside walls with silver nitrate solution. This sounds worse than it actually was, as it is a painless process . . . and it worked . . . and so Mum was home again on Friday the 6th, and she has been home, and going pretty well, since then.

Now . . . there is another story to tell as well . . . about MY health, but I think I'll save that for the next update, which will not be too far away, I promise :)