Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Allergic ? Itching palms bright red, go white with pressure

Again I have had an episode of bright red very itchy palms after eating a popular ice stick coloured yellow and "fruit flavoured". It came on 5 minutes after eating/ drinking this icy pole. The ingredients list included 102 Tartrazine - yellow color - and 330, 410 . This intense itch was relieved in 15 minutes after swallowing a 180 mg antihistamine pill designed for use with urticaria. This is the 2nd time in six months that this has happened and each time relieved by antihistamine. I have had this symptom on 3 previous occasions and not got any relief even from covering palms with generous spread of spare cortisone cream. Ice pack did help. Perhaps this is an allergy or a sensitivity - to the tatrazine - 102 - but sadly I will not be able to eat anymore of these popular icy poles in a cardboard funnel thing. I wonder if other people get this maddening itchy palm effect from eating these numbers in food? Once I saw a GP during the first time it happened and she had no suggestions of how to treat it or how to prevent it - basically I did not eat red sugar coated almonds again.

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Family History BINGHAM MUNTZ FURZE

Many members of the Muntz family came from County Down, Northern Ireland to Victoria between 1852 and 1863 with the surname MUNCE and immediately began using Muntz with an umlaut. The were protestants from at least the 1820s and the surname MUNTZ is originally Jewish. Family legends say we came to Ireland with William of Orange and that we were from Alsace Lorraine. The men were all staunch Freemasons. Two brothers Joseph and John MUNCE married two sisters Margaret and Susannah BINGHAM. Many of their adult children came to Australia - firstly living at Woodend, Victoria - except TB Muntz. Three sons of Joseph Munce and Margaret Bingham came out: Joseph Muntz, William Muntz & Thomas Bingham Muntz. They left left behind siblings: Newell MUNCE and Margaret MUNCE m Capt NELSON. [Siblings Eliza Jane died 1838 of TB and John Munce died 1859 in a shipwreck.] Children of John MUNCE and Susannah Bingham who came out were: Joseph Muntz, Hugh Muntz, John Muntz, Susan m John STUART, Eliza Jane widow of William STOCKDALE. [The only sibling who did not immigrate were William James MUNCE/MUNTZ a ship's captain who visited his sister Susan at Woodend, and died in Perth] Many photographs and details of the lives of these people on a geocities free web site.

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Da Vinci Code and Opus Dei

This movie is screening this afternoon at the Balwyn Cinema and I will be most interested to observe what it says about the Opus Dei movement/religion which was the subject of an hour long documentary on SBS recently which may help me sort out the facts from fiction - I hope??

Monday, May 15, 2006

The Patio Picture

Now how do I get this picture enlarged onto plastic or waterproof material?

Monday, May 08, 2006

2006 Last Night of the Proms - MUCS Mt Evelyn

Our Musical Director - a true Maestro! Andrew Wails conducts many choirs in Melbourne - and is credited with creating a rise in the popularity in choral singing in Melbourne. After ten years as Musical Director of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir, RMPC, a testimonial dinner for him was held May 2006. Many musicians, professors and politicians from high office were there as well as his lovely parents. Of course there were lots of accolades both spoken and sung - some hilarious. Andrew also conducts the Box Hill Chorale, The Australian Children's Choir and the Melbourne University Choral Society choir which I was joining for the Rehearsal "Camp" at Mt Evelyn - the weather was cold and snow was probably falling on nearby Mount Donna Buang! MUCS web site here. Magnificat- Pergolesi, Vivaldi, CPE Bach, Concetrto for Two Trumpets by Vivaldi - 20 May, 2006, 8 pm All Saints' Church,cnr Chapel St and Dandenong Rd, St Kilda East Missed this parrot and some red beaked finches!