Learning and understanding

It’s been a rainy, cool couple of days, but since my sister is here with me, that really doesn’t matter.  Jerry is trying to decide whether to complain because there’s someone else in his space or to wriggle happily because there’s another slave to play with him… he hasn’t made up his mind yet.  Don is watching assorted games, so is happy not to be interrupted by conversation on random topics, but is having fun teasing my sister and getting teased back.  He opted out of 2 excellent dinners, because he’s a fussy eater… we made up for it 😉 I’d gone to sleep early last night, around 9, but woke up at 1am and didn’t go back to sleep, despite my best efforts.  Oddly enough, I didn’t feel sleepy until it was almost time to head out tonight.  Last night, we had an excellent Chinese dinner, where we all (3 of us) ate WAY too much and we needed to be carted out in wheelbarrows 😆 Leftovers are in the fridge.  Tonight we opted for a full Balkan dinner, as a girls’ night out, and ate again far t

We had a thunderstorm in the middle of the night, with some brilliant lightning and rumbles of thunder.  The little dog did not approve of this in the least, and tried to hide himself under the blanket and behind any person that he could.  The wind picked up too, which really upset him.  He’s not a lover of the noises that the wind makes.  He spent as much of today as he could curled up on laps looking for cuddles.  Then “his” support worker came, and he was bouncing around happily playing with her.  Don is currently watching a show about Abba; we both enjoy their music, and it’s fun listening to them.  I know, it’s not “cool” to admit to being a fan of Abba, but really, their music is fun, light and entertaining so what’s not to like?  He also managed to take in a couple of games, grumbling that he’s out of shows to watch.  I still have a few recorded, but he’s watched all of his. 🤭 My support worker and I cooked a Chinese style meal — lo mein and soy sauce chicken — as seen in the p

Aren’t these lovely?  Taken this week in NY and sent for me to enjoy.  Such lovely bright colours!  Gotta love these moments of sunshiny happy things, right?  I’ve got a short break to type, as Jerry has marked my lap as his favourite place today.  He gets up for maybe 10 minutes, then wriggles back into position.  Don is watching baseball, after just watching some juniors playing for a cup in southern Ontario.  Hockey season should  end with the snow and ice, but it goes on until June!  Ah well, keeps him out of mischief, I suppose! I had a good long sleep last night.  I like it when I get a thorough rest, so I don’t feel ragged the next day.  The little pies we made last night were good; I’ve now got a stock in my freezer for easy snacks over the next little while.  My regular worker is getting to be a really good Trinbagonian cook!  At least, she’s following my directions so the food tastes like it would if I cooked it, with a few tweaks (I just need to get the seasoning levels up a

It’s slowly warming up, and I’m happy for it to take its time, because this part of Canada can get very  humid and muggy in summer, which is not much fun overall.  Today is sunny, cool and comfortable, which is just lovely.  It’s the kind of day that I used to like to go for a long walk on because you don’t get overheated.  Jerry is in disgrace for stealing and eating the remains of my chicken salad arepa, which I foolishly left within reach of his fast-moving little mouth!  He’s lying on Don looking sad because I was upset with him.  Don is tired out and achy after yesterday, as things took longer than we anticipated and he was in the car with Jerry for a long while.  Then last night he was happily watching the women play, and they’re doing a marvellous job.  Plus there were regular playoff games, so that’s keeping him busy. I slept for 12 hours last night, and I’m still a little groggy today.  Chemo went well, although we were delayed by over 90 minutes… apparently the pharmacy was b

Poui at sunset.  I love the gold on gold with gold carpet look of this tree.  It’s no wonder that I miss being home at this time of year, except for the heat and dryness, as this is the peak of the dry season, and rain doesn’t often fall.  Very different from here, where we started the day with snow!!  Jerry is curled in a little heap squeezing Don off his seat on the sofa.  He just wriggled his way in and settled down, after leaving my lap.  He was annoyed this morning as his snuggle time was interrupted by the arrival of my nurse, and he’s been letting me know that he doesn’t approve.  Don is happy that his team won their last game, and is quietly cheering for them to defeat their opponent in this series, plus a few of his preferred players are doing well.  He was up fairly late last night watching recordings of various games — this time of year there are 2 different sports, and I might find that what he’s watching switches suddenly from one to the other!  Last night was one of those

This is from Jerry, who has mastered  the ability to fit himself into any available space, from a tiny spot on the chair to a queen sized bed!  He’s settled in a ball on my lap, so typing is uncomfortable!  I tried pushing him off, and got a schnauzer side eye, his legs grew longer and I think he set grappling hooks in my thigh to stay put!! Don is ok, happily watching the playoffs and hoping that the Canadian teams make it safely through the first round, and that one wins the Cup.  Not very likely, and it’s no longer very comforting to say, “At least most of the players are Canadian!” I had my regular pre-chemo check and bloodwork today.  Everything seems to be going pretty well, although I have to admit that I don’t trust my body any longer.  So even if I feel well,  I’m not sure if things are actually improving or it’s a chimera.  Anyway, when I got home my support worker and I prepared some pork as the filling for meat pies that we’re going to make tomorrow evening.  They taste bes

More poui for you!  The season is drawing to a close, so I’m just sharing all the glorious photos that I received from Trinidad.  I understand that it’s been really hot and sunny there, so rain (like we’ve had for the last few days) would be welcome; the rainy season is still a good month away.  Jerry is on guard, waiting for Don to finish cooking… he’s curled on the sofa, pretending to sleep, but he has one eye fixed on the kitchen while the other is closed, unless I move, in which case his head pops up to see what I’m doing 😝 Don’s making something for dinner; I haven’t checked, and I’m staying out of the kitchen until I’m called!  There’s more sports tonight, so we’ll see what unfolds, but I do have an assortment of books to keep me entertained! I had another good night last night; I do like getting decent sleep!  I was happy being a little wrapped roti this morning, just luxuriating in my blanket before I finally crawled out of bed.  I did quite a bit of cooking yesterday, and mad

The weather continues to be cool and wet, which I have to admit that I like.  It’s great weather for this stage of spring, and will make it better for the farmers.  Maybe the poor snow cap won’t be such an issue after all?  Jerry was making me laugh this afternoon… he carefully waited until Don got up, then sneaked up and stole a slice of toast off his plate.  Then he ran around trying to find a place to bury it… he tried his blanket, the sofa, my feet… all the while whimpering and running around.  He lost it when Don returned and took it away from him.  Now he’s sulking about the unfairness of life 😆  Don was up late (and again this afternoon) watching the playoffs.  That’s 3 hockey games per day for the first round, and then add in the juniors and the women, and I barely get a pause from hockey! I had such a good sleep last night; it’s so great to wake up feeling rested!  Then I had a massive (for me) breakfast; one egg, a sausage and a slice of toast.  I’m cooking a few things for

Scarlet ibis heading to nest at sunset, Caroni Swamp, Trinidad.  I remember watching birds flocking overhead as night drew in, with shrieking parrots and brilliantly coloured macaws before the bats and owls emerged in the darkness.  Jerry had extended snuggle time today; he climbed into my lap, curled up and fell fast asleep… or so I thought.   I picked up my camera to take a photo of him and he immediately woke up, shook himself, knocked the phone out of my hand and jumped down!  Don is avidly watching a game, and the playoffs start tonight, so I’ll be amusing myself for the next few months.  At least I have books and several series to stream (for when I get access to the TV!) I had good intentions of going to sleep early last night, and said that I was going to bed around 9pm… Don went channel surfing and found the Billy Joel 100th concert at Madison Square Gardens  and there went my sleep!  I watched it again this morning, as we’d switched over about 25 minutes in, and I enjoyed wat

Happy start of your weekend!  Here’s a little comfort and love going your way from me on this wet and cool spring day!  We’re rolled up in blankets as it feels damp and chilly— which is always colder than just plain chilly! — and Jerry is lap hopping.  He’s shaking, I think he feels the cold, but he won’t wear his little jacket and prefers to snuggle under a blanket on a lap and use his little dictator paw to insist on tummy rubs!!  Don is glued to the news, specifically US politics, and isn’t responding to any conversation.  I’m being shushed when Wolf Blitzer is talking!  But I’ll get my revenge — when I’m done making dinner, I just won’t say anything and make him wait for his MWAHAHAH!   So I didn’t post last night because I was feeling absolutely exhausted.  The night before I didn’t fall asleep until 5:30am, and woke up about an hour later, so I was really out of it all day.  I also had a minor headache from the lack of sleep.  Last night, I went to bed around 9:30pm, and slept un

It’s another cool spring day, with wind (which transforms the day to “need a coat”) and overcast.  More rain is forecast later this week, but right now it’s just gloomy.  I don’t mind the rain, as it leads to displays like this (from my friend’s garden in Hamilton)  Jerry is sitting contentedly watching his  support worker as she’s cooking supper.  He had a few happy wriggles and barks and got his tummy rubbed, so he’s fine with people in his space.  Don was dealing with some pain again, but it is at its worst when he first wakes up, and improves a bit through the day.  His team won the last game of the year (when it no longer matters) and he’s happy that they did. I took a sleep aid last night and slept for 9 solid hours, but I’m feeling a bit groggy today, so there’s that trade off.  We’ll try the early night again — without the pill — and hopefully it’s a successful experiment.  I had some (frozen) Chinese today — from my sister’s last visit — and we’re making supper.  I was teachin

It’s still poui season in Trinidad, so I’m getting several photos of trees in full bloom.  I always loved this time of year, when the trees are so glorious, so I’m going to share them with you.  Look at that golden carpet of flowers that fell from the tree!  Isn’t that beautiful?  Jerry is right now attacking a plastic bottle, tossing it around, trying to open it and having a great time playing with it.  He seems happy with it, just quietly gnawing on it, so I’ll leave him for a while.  He’s always been a “chewy” dog, and the only thing he can’t really destroy are rubber or plastic items.  Anything fabric is shredded in moments… Don needed to take his pain meds today as he said that his legs were bad, so that means that he may very well not get a good night’s sleep — the meds keep him awake.  We’ll see how it goes; his team has 1 more game this year before their ultimate elimination, so he’s got to find someone else to support! I didn’t sleep well last night either.  Insomnia seems to

🎼🎶 It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring.  He went to bed and bumped his head and couldn’t get up in the morning! 🎶 I love the rain, actually, and it’s just going to encourage more tulips, like these that my friend photographed in Vancouver recently.  It’s also been cooler, so normal spring temperatures and it’s enjoyable.  Jerry is tired after a day of schnoodle… he’s been running around with his ball, jumping on and off of me and is now lying on Don, giving little puppy snores.  Don’s doing pretty well also; he’s relaxed, and had a decent sleep last night after watching Canadian women win gold in hockey.  The playoffs start soon, so he’ll be glued to the TV for the games for the next few months. I woke up this morning feeling really hungry, which is good.  The thing is, though, that after breakfast this morning (around 9:30) I didn’t eat again until 5:30… I just didn’t want anything to eat, although I did drink water.  I had to rest my timer so I wouldn’t go that lon

OK, it’s a lovely wet April, so the flowers should be spectacular  later on.  They’re not out yet — mostly.  There are a few in a couple of sunny spots, but anywhere shaded is still pretty bare, and the trees aren’t yet leafing.  Soon come, though, soon come!  I was debating pulling out a sweater today as it was all of 6C, but thought that there was no point adding to my laundry for one day!  Consider me optimistic, OK?  Perhaps even rushing the season, but it’s not cold enough to justify digging out the warm stuff that just got packed away.  As you can see, Jerry is extremely comfortable and living the life of Riley.  He’s right now rolled in Don’s blanket, pretending to be a little roti, all wrapped up and cozy.  Don is, again, watching some true crime stories — they’re mixed in with series of (real) court cases and what happens after arrest and so on… what used to be Arts & Entertainment is now all the worst of humanity all the time!  I asked him what’s the attraction for those

Adding this thought for today… someone sent it to me, and I thought it should be forwarded on to share with everyone, complete with air hugs and pats on the back!  Jerry is in the other room at the moment, although he had a good nap on my lap, and sulked through some phone calls and a bit of internet browsing.  He stuck his nose in the camera and then tried to push the phone out of my hand to interrupt the call… 😞  Such a dictator!!  Don was watching true crime (again) and I told him that I’ll just leave a note for the RCMP if I disappear unexpectedly.  Then he fell asleep in the middle of one, so I switched to cozy mysteries instead… I’m waiting to see his reaction when he realizes that the murder isn’t particularly gory! I have a support worker today for 2 hours!  Just as I was about to call to ask if anyone was coming today (my regular person doesn’t work on Saturdays with me) she called to set a time.  😅  I’m catching up on my sleep, and I slept through the night last night for a

A beautiful drone-taken shot of the north coast of Trinidad… sharing some sun and sea on a chilly, damp spring day 😊  Longing to get into that water myself, but… soon!  Jerry is pacing around, he’s been evicted from my lap and is looking for an excuse to get into mischief; he’s thrown his ball at my legs a few times and is standing by Don, wagging his little stumpy tail.  Don’s watching a true crime documentary, with some particularly gruesome details.  There were a few games last night, so he was up quite late catching up on them! I slept better last night than the night before, which is great.  I didn’t especially want to get up this morning, as I was warm and cozy, but I did and got on with the day.  My sister-friend dropped by with lunch (including dessert and drinks!!) so I didn’t have to worry about that.  Yay for friends who  drop off lunch (and thanks to the one who dropped off lunch, tea and donut yesterday!!)  My tummy is happier today than it was, although I find that I get

This photo of the Queen’s Park Savannah is in stark contrast to today’s chilly wetness.  I’m not complaining, the rain is needed, and it’s not affecting my plans, so it’s all good.  Jerry has just vacated my lap and moved over to Don.  He’s been using me as a trampoline and got thrown off a few times for bouncing on me!  He’s been rolling his ball around, wanting it thrown for a while, too.  Don is OK, but is running out of shows to watch, so he’s liable to be a pest for a while… with getting into all sorts of trouble because he’s bored.   I had a bad night last night due to an unhappy tummy and issues related to that.  I accidentally ate some pickled peppers (I didn’t know they were in a sandwich until I’d eaten one) and my stomach has been protesting ever since.  I didn’t feel much like eating last night or this morning, but I did… and my tummy continues to grumble.  My support worker had an accident yesterday and had to head to emergency, so I’m again without help since yesterday; i

It’s 20C today, and sunny!  How lovely, and just a beautiful introduction to spring!  Jerry is sulking a bit because his  support worker spent time looking after me and not just playing with him 😜  He also got thrown off my lap for digging his claws into my one sore spot and then plunking his full weight on me.  Don is loving the warmer, but not humid, weather, and was out on the balcony for a long while this afternoon.  He has caught up on both his PVR and sports shows, so he’ll be wandering around like a lost puppy as he works out what to watch next… streaming services are still available, so we’ll see what he comes up with! I’m sorry to report that I seem unable to eat Indian food still.  I had some small servings of Indian yesterday and today, and both  times I had ‘digestive issues’ within an hour so it’s clear that it’s the food that’s to blame.  I’m not pleased by this, as curry is one of my favourites, but my system has been rejecting it since I’ve been on chemo for a while no

Shot of the total solar eclipse sent by my sister from the Niagara region; this was taken at their home.  At 3pm the sky looked like night, and the street lights came on.  Isn’t that awesome?  In Ottawa, the sky got crepuscular (isn’t that a really cool word?  Means “like twilight” but sounds so much eerier!) and it looked like dusk, nowhere near as dark as in Niagara.  The sun was on the wrong side of my building, so I was in no danger of looking directly at it.  We watched the live coverage to see the corona and all the other super cool effects without the risk of eye damage.  Jerry spent the day moving from one lap to another, seeking cuddles and peering.  He was in that kind of mood all day, then he had an attack of the zoomies once the eclipse had passed over and the light returned to normal.  Don is currently clanging around in the kitchen, doing I don’t know what, but I’m hoping it has something to do with making dinner… He’d turned on the TV coverage early to not miss any of it

🎼🎶 Oh what a beautiful morning, Oh what a beautiful day!  I have a beautiful feeling everything’s going my way  🎶  A yellow poui tree in full bloom from Trinidad, which is like sunshine on a tree!  Isn’t it lovely?  It was beautiful, sunny and (fairly) warm today.  It’s currently about 15C, which is perfect for this time of year.  Jerry is sulking on my feet; he was having an attack of the zoomies this afternoon and played tug o’war with a blanket, which he managed to tear.  (He’s got really sharp teeth!) He got a small yelling, and has hmphed his way onto my toes!  Don was griping about the pain in his legs today and has been resting quite a bit, in between sports recordings.  No comment on those LOL I was out for a bit this morning; I was “kidnapped” for a quick coffee and time by the river with my sister-friend.  I’d delayed to today just to give myself time to recover from treatment, although it’s been easier on my system than the last time.  She’s a very accommodating kidnapper