Learning and understanding

There was an impressive thunderstorm this morning before 7.   The rest of the day was cool and overcast, a big difference from yesterday’s sunny warmth.  Either way, though, it’s all part of the fun and we’re enjoying the end of the school holidays.  My boys are well, and don’t seem to be missing me too much, which is both hard to believe and yet, reasonable… they’re probably indulging in feasts of sweet things at levels that they wouldn’t normally be allowed!  Jerry has reached the stage of not responding to my voice and turning away from my image on the phone, so I’m officially being ignored!  Don seems to be feeling a bit better and sleeping reasonably well, although I’m equally sure that he’s telling me partial truths and hiding details that he thinks I won’t notice since I only see his face on the screen. I am recovering from the trip; it’s taking a little longer than I expected, although I knew that it would be difficult for me.  I’m sleeping well, thankfully, and I have had an a

It’s a lovely day today, with loads of sun and a bit of a breeze and not too humid, although I can see some lowering black clouds not far away, so it may change, but I’m fine with that.  I don’t have Jerry — who is ignoring me and refusing to acknowledge me on the phone — but I do have Radix, who seems to think that my toes are a snack and has been trying to lick every part of me that he can reach, when he’s not trying to climb into my lap or jump in my chair (where he’s not allowed)  I spoke with Don this morning, and he’s ok.  He said that he was sleeping late and that the temperature had dropped overnight.  I had someone drop by to check on him today, and she cooked so he’ll have something to eat for a day or so, which is a relief to me since I’m a few hundred kilometres away! So the train journey was, in itself, fine.  They fed me a delicious meal (chicken yakitori, rice and cabbage; with a berry cobbler for dessert) and I ate almost all of it, plus a piece of raspberry chocolate a

For reasons known only to the gremlins who live in networks, my photo app refuses to display and let me choose an image.  I’m sitting on the train heading to my sister and still a couple of hours from my initial destination (and a bit longer to the end of my journey). I have left behind one very unhappy, sulky puppy who complained bitterly that he was abandoned and ignored (partially correct; he didn’t come to the station to drop me off) and who will be entering a prolonged period of grumps until I return!  I’ll also be deprived of puppy snuggles and little warm hugs and scratches for attention!  Don is on his own for a while, so I expect that he’ll be blasting the TV (he complains that I keep turning down the volume; I maintain he needs his hearing checked and there’s no need to watch games with the volume set to “wake the neighbourhood”) and eating all sorts of things that he would otherwise not have in the house… I didn’t sleep at all well last night; it was another of those where I

It’s a warm and sunny midsummer day, with a bit of a haze and moderate humidity.  Got to enjoy these kinds of days!  Jerry is being snuggly and shadowing me everywhere… I haven’t been able to go to the kitchen unaccompanied.  Don continues to improve slowly, which is reassuring, as he’s in much less pain.  He’s also been glued to the baseball and football games on TV, so I’m catching up on other shows and books, because baseball has got to be THE most boring game to watch (other than golf or stock racing or… well, there’s a list.) I slept quite well last night, despite waking up a few times.  I think that my new meds are helping with my appetite, which is good, except that I’m eating more than I have available!  I have worked my way through almost all the frozen meals I have in the freezer, even those I’m now a little tired of eating.  I had an odd sensation today when I felt shaky and weak, and was too tired to eat, although I didn’t do anything strenuous.  It’s really strange.  Thank

It’s been overcast, but warm the last 2 days, which is fine, although I’ve found that it’s distinctly chilly when the fan is on!  I’m wondering if that’s me or the weather?  Probably me… It hasn’t rained, but it’s definitely gloomy — what we used to call “London weather” (which I enjoy, since London is my favourite city.)  I just need some small cakes and a scone with tea to complete the image! Jerry has been surgically attached to me when I’m up the last few days.  I can’t even sit properly before he’s jumped on my lap and settled down with his back against my tummy and his little paws hugging my hand.  I tried drinking some water, and his little foot came up to push away the glass!  Silly puppy.  Happy to report that Don is feeling much better than he was, and is able to walk somewhat more comfortably.  Still not perfect, and I know he’s still in pain, but at least it’s eased up.  Now if only he would see a doctor… Yesterday was my “tired” day after chemo.  It’s the day when my energ

Both late yesterday and today have been beautiful sunny summer days.  Yesterday started off quite chilly — I needed to dig out a sweater!!  — but warmed up to shorts-and-sandals weather (for non-Canadians) by noon.  Jerry responds well to the change in weather, and has been bouncing happily around (and barking at the wind) while going from lap to lap to lap in cycles!  He’s also been more assertive about demanding food, and (naughty boy!) got into his snacks and finished off a bag (it was almost empty, thankfully) before I knew what was up.  He looked so proud of himself… Don is feeling better and is in less pain, thankfully.  He was moving more easily, which reduced my guilt at needing his help getting to chemo.  He’s now glued to US politics, which will only get worse and I’m already over it.   This was me at chemo yesterday… cycle 7 done; we have another one before my next scan.  The usual request for prayers for a result of “stable” or “improved” please… getting it in early!  Night

It’s definitely been a cool, wet day that feels like early autumn and I’m almost inclined to dig out a sweater or blanket.  Summer isn’t over yet, obviously, but at the moment I’m enjoying the cooler weather and the fact that I’m not sweating profusely.  Jerry is feeling very energetic and playful, and has unintentionally managed to leave several scratches on my leg which are very  red and sore.  He’s quite unhappy at having been evicted after he inflicted them and is now on the sofa sulking and glaring at me.  Don is feeling a little better now but is also a bit drained from the pain.  Yesterday on the way to my appointment at the hospital he was having a lot of difficulty walking because his knee “locked up”… I felt like a combination of Torquemada and Savonarola tormenting a prisoner— I couldn’t do much to help, and he was suffering badly. My appointment went as expected, and we will go ahead with chemo tomorrow.  The resident who came in to see me commented that my tumour was “inte

It’s been wet, cloudy and grey all day today… and cool; feels a bit like the beginning of autumn.  I don’t mind, I do like the cooler days and nights and the breezes that bring hints of even cooler nights.  I’ll begin to complain when it’s too cold to wear sandals and my toes have to be battery farmed again!  My feet are always happiest when they’re in open-toed sandals with nary a sock in sight!  Jerry has been on my lap for most of the day, as he’s woven himself into some interesting positions for naps.  He was lying on his back, paws in the air, just wanting to be petted and cuddled like an infant… spoiled puppy!  Don continues to be in pain, and I have no idea of what I can do to help, short of drugging him and having him bodily carried to a doctor… and I would, except he now outweighs me by at least 40lbs and I can barely lift a 2kg bag of sugar… I woke up in the middle of the night last night feeling like I hadn’t eaten in days.  I have zero difficulty with having hunger pangs, b

Very rainy weekend, with thick clouds and cool breezes.  Excellent for being indoors and resting while having cozy beverages.  It’s not cold enough for hot chocolate, but not hot enough for frozen drinks; we’re in that midrange where room temperature drinks are fine or late afternoon tea is very welcome.  Still overcast today but not raining as much, so it’s pleasant.  Thankfully there’s no flooding here, although from the news other places weren’t so lucky.  Jerry is a little hyperactive today, wanting to play and throwing his ball a lot, making me bend over to get it to toss to him.  Don isn’t feeling great, although it’s not a difference from before  He’s glued to US politics when he’s not watching baseball, so I’ve been entertaining myself with other things. I needed a lot of sleep yesterday after my fun day on Friday.  I’m feeling a bit better today, although I’m still taking things slowly.  I’ve agreed to meet someone tomorrow for tea, but I’m rethinking the location as my trip t

It was hot, muggy, sunny and a little difficult to breathe easily today.  Beautiful sunshine, perfect for being on the water somewhere, but it’s definitely not all that comfortable if you’re just outdoors.  The fans are going full blast, just because it’s so still.  Storms are forecast for the weekend, so that will help cool things off a bit.  As for his tiny bossiness, he’s been nibbling at my leg to demand space on my lap or else stretched out in some bizarre positions on my lap to get his tummy rubbed and take a bit of a nap.  Silly puppy!  He was overexcited for some reason, and barked at everything.  Don mentioned that he’s been having nightmares lately, of the vague sort, which are interfering with his sleep.  There will be sports tonight, so that should keep him occupied and probably help him sleep better 😝  I went to sleep quite early last night; I was feeling so drained!  Then I kept waking up every couple of hours for no reason… I felt more rested this morning, which is good

The weather has been pretty nice for the last few days, but today is hotter than it was.  Not dreadful, but definitely hot and muggy.  It’s reminding us that it’s still summer even though nighttime temperatures are cooler and reminiscent of the upcoming autumn.  According to one forecast, we’re in for a cold, snowy winter around here, so we’ll see.  Jerry is on my feet after having tried to separate me from my meal and then been evicted from my lap where he’d spread himself out to nap and insist on being petted and spoiled.  Don was walking very  gingerly today around the apartment and wincing a lot.  He’s also been grumbling about pain in his thigh and is using hot and cold patches to try to reduce the ache.  I’m not sure it’s working as he’s been a little grumpy if there’s any discussion of walking or moving a lot. I have some good news and some not great news.  The not great news is that I couldn’t sleep properly last night.  Again, I was tired, but just couldn’t fall into a restful

I’m happy that we seem to be in a mild period of summer right now.  It’s not too hot, not too humid, not uncomfortable lovely blue skies with little white clouds and cooling breezes.  So nice and enjoyable, especially since overnight is about 12C which is gorgeous for sleeping with a light coverlet!  I have been a dog bed all day.  Jerry just took over my lap, stretched out on his back and stared at me while poking me with his paws whenever I wasn’t massaging him enough or if I dared  to pause to take a drink or something!  He’s temporarily moved to my feet, where he’s chewing on his ball and plotting mischief.  Don was feeling a little better today, and although I thought he was napping he was listening closely to the shows I watched.  I realized this when he threw in a serious comment and not his usual jokes.   I didn’t sleep again last night.  I dozed off around 1am, woke up at 3:30 and just couldn’t get back to sleep.  I have no idea why.  I felt tired, but just couldn’t drop off.

A beautiful, mild sunny day with a lovely breeze; just ideal I think.  It’s one of those where in the old days I’d go for a walk for hours with no destination in mind and just wander by the river with small dog or find a patio somewhere and sit with a book and a drink and just enjoy the weather.  I miss doing that sort of thing… really.  Jerry just pushed my iPad off my lap and inserted himself for a nap, so I had to stop typing until he decided that he needed to bother Don.  Plus I fooled him by picking up the phone and pressing a couple of buttons.  He interprets short phone conversations as someone coming up and he was on alert to head to the door and bark 😆  Don is ok; his leg continues to bother him and he’s complaining about the cold… so I’m keeping some distance from him as he may be ill. Sleep was better last night, thankfully.  It felt good to have a few solid hours of rest, instead of waking and turning all night long.  I met with the care agency manager, and I am really uns

This is from my dear friend and brother who does some amazing work with flowers and other decorations… this is for a wedding he’s working on this weekend.  It’s a warm, sunny day that isn’t too hot, and there’s a pleasant breeze, making it comfortable.  I’ve been a dog bed, trampoline, scratching post and ball thrower for a bit, but his tiny bossiness is lying on the back of the sofa with his head and front paws on Don’s shoulder looking neglected and sad because there’s nothing for him to mooch.  He’ll be back over here soon, I’m sure, once he realizes that there’s no food there.  Don is still grumbling that he feels  cold; and his leg continues to ache and refuses to seek medical help.  I’ve got him to watch a few British shows (he doesn’t like them, he says) including ones with cricket matches which makes me happy. I again didn’t sleep too well last night, this time because there was an itch in my back in an area that I can’t easily reach, and it just persisted all night long!  My w

It’s fairly mild today, with slight humidity, but comfortable.  May it last!  Jerry just got off my lap a moment ago, so I’m taking advantage of a free leg to type!  He’s moved over to have Don pet him and try to mooch some peanut butter biscuits!  Don is still in pain, and still refuses to see a doctor, but complains that he’s cold and needs the heater— in 25C temperatures.  I’ve been threatening to call 911 if this continues… I anticipate fights if that happens! I had an attack of coughing last night, which led to a bout of heaving that lasted about 5 hours from 12:30 to just after 5am… then I finally fell asleep until 10:30.  Most frustrating.  It was almost like an extended allergy attack… I’d stop coughing, go back to bed, and start over again.  It may be (now that I think about it) that I have a reaction to the laundry detergent— we’d just changed the sheets to some freshly washed ones that still had the “just out of the washer” scent.  I’d recently changed the detergent that I u

It’s been pouring rain all day since about midnight… it’s a lovely day for being indoors and being cozy.  After days of 40C heat, 21C feels like you need to break out the sweater!  Jerry was on my lap this morning, stretched out and snoring for a good hour, then was annoyed when I got up to do things.  Don commented that he didn’t sleep most of the night, but he doesn’t seem to be unusually tired today; I imagine, though, he’ll probably try napping soon. I was not feeling particularly energetic yesterday or today either, for that matter.  I haven’t done anything unusual, but I feel like I could use more sleep.  For some reason, I seem to sleep best after 6am… I doze before that, but apparently at 6am my body decides it’s time to sleep!  I did eat something slightly more for the last 2 days, but it’s not anywhere near enough, I know.  I’ve arranged for someone to help with cooking for a couple of days, so we’ll see how that goes… I had a talk with the provincial coordinator, and she say

It’s warm today, but reasonably comfortable with a light breeze and lots of sunshine.  The humidity is lower too, making it easier to breathe so that’s great.  Jerry is bouncy and very active, and is feeling very playful, so that means that he’s cooler and now has some spare energy to burn off… poor me!  Don finds it less difficult to breathe today, although his leg is still giving him problems.  I had a lovely time binging my shows, since there weren’t any games, and I’ve instituted a 15-minute limit on US politics per day.  (It may get reduced to 5 minutes soon.  What a gong show!) It was a bit of a busy day today.  I was woken up at 7am by a telemarketer… I was expecting my nurse to call, or I’d have let it go to voicemail.  My nurse did show up, but she was an hour later than she’d predicted.  Then I was supposed to meet the manager of the care agency today — she bailed.  I’d like to pretend to be surprised, but that goes with her history; always cancelling at (or after) the last m

It’s soooo much more comfortable the last two days!  The temperature dropped by over 10 degrees and it’s lovely.  Slightly overcast, but whatever.  Last night almost required a sweater, it had dropped so much with a strong breeze!  It’s just great!  Jerry is sprightlier than he was, and is jumping on and off of laps and wriggling into all sorts of interesting positions to have his tummy and ears and feet all petted and scratched and generally spoiled.  He snuck in to try to go to bed with me, but I’m still somewhat poisonous to him so I had to throw him out… I felt so horribly guilty!  Don’s still in pain, and is having difficulty walking, although he’s binge watching as many shows as he can in the lull between endless baseball games (that game is unbelievably boring! 🥱) and Friday night football.  My only relief is that there’s no hockey just yet, but that won’t last long… I slept quite well last night; the lower temperature and breeze made it very comfortable.  My only concern these

On days like this I wish that I’d got a beachfront property where I could soak for hours in the ocean!  Although to be fully honest, on a day like this, being in the water and being out of it aren’t very different!  It continues to be a sauna with very still air that just isn’t moving anywhere… no breeze, no cooling, just heat and humidity!  Worse, even the storms (like last night) didn’t do anything to break the humidity for any length of time… but there was a lovely cool breeze for a while.  Jerry is now by my feet, with his foot on mine, but he’s not very mobile; his tiny pink tongue is just hanging out when he pads over to drink water.  He’s an odd little guy who doesn’t like ice… I’m surprised by that.  Don has been also suffering from the oppressive heat and it’s hard for him to breathe.  He’s not even able to focus on his games, as it remains so uncomfortable.  I know, it will be cold in a couple of months and I’ll be griping about the ice, but meanwhile, it’s oppressive. Yester

My sister sent this from her birthday picnic last weekend… I’m jealous!  It continues to be blazing hot and muggy and there are storms forecast, but judging from the details they aren’t likely to be serious.  Jerry is still unhappy with the heat, and will prefer the expected cooler weather at the start of the week.  Don is still suffering from the heat and pain in his legs, and I still don’t know what to do to help; but he’s bone stubborn. So, good news!  I’ve been assigned the PSW I requested (but was told wasn’t available as she had too many hours) for 4 hours a week of my assigned 8.  It seems that the calls from my doctor’s office had an effect!  We’ll just have to work on the other 4 hours and get them down to zero with the odd substitution for holidays and illness… I’m pleased, and I’m sure that I’ll sleep better tonight (except for the heat, which continues to be worse than tropical!).  You guys are awesome, and clearly  know your ice creams!  I’ve received several recommendatio

It is HOT 🥵 and like the Wicked Witch of the West, I’m melting!  I saw 2 memes that apply today — the first is a woman saying “I need to ensure that I become a better person because I definitely can’t survive hell!” And the other, “Just because I grew up in 40C tropical heat doesn’t mean I can cope with 30C Canadian summer!” (It’s actually about 42C today, but that’s not the point!  I can’t deal!)  And yes, I will gripe about the snow and ice in about 4 months, just deal with it!  Poor little Jerry is moping around, drinking all his water and not moving from in front of the fan if possible.  He’s not touching anyone, which — if you know his habits — is very unusual for my little guy.  Don is groaning in pain and having tremendous difficulty walking and I have no idea what to do for him.  At least he doesn’t have to go anywhere tomorrow, so that is a bit of a relief for him.  But the heat is hard on him as well. I had my chemo today, and I got put in a “private” room as the ward was fu