Labour Day

Sunset over the Northern Range in Trinidad… photo sent by my sister to make me homesick — she says it’s to help me remember what it looks like in the late evening, which it does, but I also miss the smells of the trees and the feel of the late afternoon breeze.  It’s one of those trigger images, which works both to inspire nostalgia and a little nugget of warmth and happiness.  Today is Labour Day in Trinidad, so we can all celebrate this together.  Jerry has just settled down for a while; he was pumped up during the day because I had home visits, and he doesn’t approve of people coming in to check on me.  He jumped on my lap when I was on the phone, stretched out on his back and used one of his telescopic legs to move my hand to rub his tummy.  He didn’t let me stop, either, until I had to get out of the chair!  Don had a decent night’s sleep last night, and was feeling perky this morning.  He disappeared into his ‘office’ for several hours, and finally emerged with a huge grin on his face, to announce that he’d managed to solve a problem that was bugging him.  He’s quite talkative — chatted all through a murder mystery I was half-watching, and distracted me.  He’s feeling much better now, although his ankle is still swollen.

My taste is definitely returning, it’s gradual, but it’s happening!  That’s a relief, as it’s been quite a while, and I’d really like to be able to eat foods that have flavour.  I had some curry (thawed from last week’s delivery) which finally tasted like curry and I could detect the garlic and geera.  I’m just waiting for my ultrasound to be scheduled so we can check on my shoulder to figure out the achy arm.  I had another broken night last night, and woke up feeling drained.  That meant that I had very little spare energy today, and I’m planning an early night tonight.  I’m frustrated by this, as I have plans of things that I’d like to do but without the energy, everything just slips back and I feel annoyed with myself for not accomplishing what I have planned.  Working on that, so I don’t push myself too hard.

I’ve added to my crochet project list, even before finishing my current one.  Some friends of mine recently bought a new house, and I’d promised them a tablecloth for their last place (when she very excitedly announced that they’d bought a “real dining table” a few years ago) but between my recurring losses of energy and their failure to send me the size of the table, it slipped through the chasms of life.  So with the new place, I recommitted to making them something, although she said that their dining table was not moving with them, so they’ve been given a list of goods from which to choose.  Like many other crocheters/crafters, I’ve got lots more wool than I can easily use, but then I discover that many of my proposed projects don’t match my stash, so I then I need to get more.  I found that there are all sorts of boxes of wool available from places like Facebook marketplace for varying prices, plus second hand stores, so they’re less expensive than buying all new.  Frankly, though, there are also many vendors with wools of varying types and prices often with free shipping, and my challenge is a lot more one of restraint.  My last project, though, overran the estimate of yardage (is there an equivalent word for metres?  Meterage?) by about 50% so I’m worried about underestimating other major projects.  I’m thinking of ways to creatively use the stash (and clear space so I can get more!)

That’s all my rambling for tonight; I’m ready for my pills and bed.  I hope that tonight will be more restful than the last few nights have been, so I have more energy.  I’d like to go for a walk with the little dictator but I need enough energy to do that.  I’d like my “one big thing” to be fun, and perhaps to increase to “two medium things”?  In any case, I’m off to try to sleep.  Good night!