Learning and understanding

When I woke up it was dark and overcast, and not at all encouraging.  I checked the time, rolled over and went back to sleep, waking to a lovely clear sky and a brisk, cool breeze.  It’s been coool and chilly since, and I’m wrapped in a cozy blanket with a sulky dog on my toes.  He’s sulking because I was eating some cookies that didn’t somehow fall into his open maw.  They contained chocolate so he’s not allowed any, but he thinks that’s definitely a problem.  In his view, nothing that goes into my mouth should be denied to him!  Don is quite chipper today, which is so nice!  He was happily bingeing his true crime dramas until my nurse arrived to hook up my hydration and after that he was indulging in some Canadian football… it’s that time of year. I have only one small gripe about the hydration, and that is that it makes my feet swell at the end of the day; they go back to normal overnight, but it is a little frustrating that they do that, as my feet...

Happy thanksgiving from us.  It’s a brisk day — it was 1C at noon today — and slightly overcast.  Beautiful day otherwise. My sweater and blanket are definitely getting a workout, and I’ve been wrapped in one or the other all afternoon.  Right now I’m hunting online for slipper boots so my feet stay warm!  Jerry has been tearing apart the “fur” trim from my winter jacket.  I took it off the coat this morning, it fell from me and was grabbed before I could pick it up!  He’s got his little paws wrapped around it and is dozing… Don’s cooking turkey and some trimmings, so dinner will be a little later this evening.  His stuff is always good, so I just stay out of the kitchen when he’s cooking, and just enjoy the results! Last night I fell asleep around 8pm.  I’m still stunned by that.  I slept solidly until midnight and then after that I woke intermittently.  Part of my discomfort I realize comes from the pressure on my coccyx and then on my...

The weather is beautiful for the last few days; sunny and warm, which is just lovely and a bit of a breeze.  I’m pleased that it’s warm and comfortable and no real need for for sweaters or shawls or anything of the sort.  Jerry has not let me out of his sight at all since last night; he’s been on my lap, wagging his tiny stump and wriggling to sprawl across my belly.  He’s been trying to type while I’m typing, so that makes for some interesting edits!  Don is doing well, not complaining about any pain, which is fabulous because I was a little worried about him while I was away.  They seem to have taken reasonable care of themselves, although there’s a lot of stuff to do still, but I’m taking a break and it will get done over time.  I have no idea what sports he’s been watching, but I just left it for a while; it will be sorted out eventually. I have to apologize for a week’s silence.  That cold and cough just knocked me out completely.  I fell asl...

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, th...

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 “i...

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...

Another comfortable, not too hot day, where the sky got progressively more grey as the afternoon lengthened.  It’s sprinkling now, and likely to rain all night.  As I selfishly have no plans to be outdoors tonight, that’s just fine by me.  Sorry for all the evening wanderers!  Jerry was, as always, parked on my lap for as much of the day as he could manage.  He manoeuvred himself into a position that any time I tried to text on my phone, he’d move his head or foot so I couldn’t, and would try to knock the phone from my hand.  I know.  It’s my own fault, and I own that.  The birthday boy in the house spent the day happily watching sports (thankfully he took a break from news!) and a couple of cheesy reality shows that he seems to enjoy.  I found the old British series Yes, Minister  and we watched a couple of episodes… still sadly very accurate, never mind being over 40 years old! Again, I had some difficulty getting to sleep… it was well...

The rain has come, and with it cooler temperatures.  It’s dropped a good 15 or so degrees from yesterday and it’s about 22/23 this afternoon which is much more comfortable than high 30s with muggy humidity!  Puppy tax!  For your enjoyment, a snuggly little schnoodle being all spoilt.  He’s parked himself on my lap, stretched himself out and the little poky paw is temporarily retracted while his tummy is being massaged.  That’s a spoilt puppy who is in a happy place just making himself at home on my lap because he can!  He of course objected to being thrown off so I could eat and type, and he’s been on high alert all day; why I don’t know.  Don has been alternating between dozing and streaming stuff; as part of my Prime day purchases I added 3 subscriptions at $1/month for 2 months, so he’s exploring the options available on the channels.  We’ll see! It took me until about 1:30 to fall asleep last night (or this morning) then I woke up at 3:30 unti...

It is meltingly hot here; 39C this afternoon, with higher humidity.  That’s the kind of weather where you’re panting as soon as you get outside, although thankfully not at the stage where you’re sweating as soon as you exit the shower.  I took a hot shower this afternoon and I feel fairly comfortable, thankfully! There have been a few storms in the last few nights, none of which lasted very long but each dropped the temperature a bit.  Jerry spent the night curled up on me for the most part, but had the urge to play every couple of hours and then spent part of the night hiding under the bed.  Don is walking cautiously; his pain is still present but seems to be somewhat muted.  His teams all seem to be bent on setting records for losses this year; the game last night, his team had less than half the score of their opponents.  They really are dreadful this year, and that’s from the non-sports fan in the house! I had a broken night last night, in contrast to t...

It’s Canada’s 157th birthday today!  We have an absolutely beautiful deep blue, cloudless sky with a fresh breeze and low humidity to celebrate.  It’s the kind of weather that you could be out in for hours (as long as you’re wearing a decent hat, sunglasses and an SPF of 15+)  There is a risk of sunburn if you’re out too long, but it’s postcard perfect!  Jerry is happily getting into mischief today, and thankfully our balconies were changed last year so he can’t throw his ball over the edge and into the parking lot!  Don’s watching the signing deals for athletes, and I’m not. I slept well last night, and I managed to eat a few more things in the last couple of days.  Today I spent a little energy to cook some Italian sausages (it is BBQ season after all!  Although mine were done on the stove as BBQs aren’t allowed in a high rise) and had one as my lunch.  There may be cake later; I’ll have to make some room first 😆 I’d heard rumours, but didn’t b...

It’s an absolutely beautiful day - sunshine, little puffy clouds, not too hot or humid and rain setting up for the evening as required!  Birthday on order, thank you very much!  Jerry greeted me this morning by jumping onto my lap even before I could sit (don’t ask.  He manages somehow and makes himself very comfortable regardless of how I contort myself!) Then he lay on his back and waved his little imperious paw to let me know that his tummy was being neglected… he complained that he was left behind when I went out to lunch, but I’ve been forgiven since.  Don is running out of games, as his main sport is over, his team in the other sport is about to be eliminated, his other summer sport is just getting started, and there aren’t that many matches yet.  Meanwhile, I’ve got a long list of sci-fi, fantasy and British shows to watch when I can wrangle time with the TV. So my nurse had arranged to come early this morning as I said that I had an appointment at 11 (wh...

Here’s a silly joke for your amusement (or as my uncle said, “Ugh”) I thought it was worth a grin.  It was a lovely day today, comfortable, breezy and not too humid.  We were watching a flyover from the Canadian Air Force’s Snowbirds and the Italian Air Force; sadly I didn’t get photos, and I must grumble at the addition of the new high rises on the next block which cut off a chunk of my view towards Parliament Hill.  Jerry has been playing with his ball and throwing it at me all afternoon.  Don is down, but unsurprised at the results of last night’s game, and I was sufficiently disinterested that I’d gone to bed before it started! I’m feeling tired today, with some pain… that  I attribute to radiation side effects as it’s in the area they treated.  I slept a lot, which is probably my body’s way of letting me know that it’s working on healing, but I would also appreciate it if it did that during regular sleeping hours and not during the day.  I had som...

Some dogwoods at sunset from Vancouver for your enjoyment.  The tulips are in full bloom in Ottawa, so they won’t last until Victoria Day, but they are beautiful.  Jerry has been on my lap as usual most of the day, and has been lying back like he’s reclining in a hammock when he’s not using me as a trampoline!  He’s right now supervising Don in the bathroom — apparently he thinks we need to be monitored everywhere.  Don was up late last night watching the women’s playoffs (which went to 3 OT periods, in case anyone cares) but he enjoyed it, so that’s all good.  He’s been watching other sports, including an international tournament (there’s no snow anywhere at this time of year, so why is there still hockey?) to keep him distracted from all the season finales of his favourite broadcast shows. I’m confused… I haven’t had much of an appetite for the last couple of days, nor have I felt like eating, despite the meals that are in the freezer.  I’ve been knocking...

What a gorgeous, warm, spring day!  It’s a sunny, breezy day, with blue skies and tiny puffy white clouds.  A definite change from yesterday with the rains and the clouds and the chills!  Just lovely!  Jerry was sniffing the air like he was smelling something delicious, and his little nose was against the window (I have to keep it mostly closed, as I’m terrified that he might get excited and jump out the window and down 20 stories)  Even Don is perkier — in spring, a man’s fancy… and all that!  He and Jerry are both curled up on the sofa watching TV and looking so content that it’s cute. I slept pretty well, given that Jerry seemed to want to hide under me for most of the night!  He made himself comfortable while I turned into a pretzel.  I did sleep — daddy used to say that if someone managed to fall asleep it didn’t matter how uncomfortable they looked, they’d only sleep if they were fine in the position — and only regretted it when I got up and...

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 ti...

Sunny, cool day, which is actually milder than yesterday!  Definitely feels like warmer weather is starting up, although I don’t want to jinx anything!  But it’s the end of March, and according to legend, we should be in the middle of storms since it was so mild at the start!  Jerry is being a cuddler today.  He climbed on my lap every chance he got, including trying to knock the phone out of my hand while I was talking with my doctor!  Don didn’t sleep well last night; his pain meds cause insomnia sometimes, so he was up until almost noon when he finally started dozing off. I slept reasonably well once I did fall asleep.  I had one of those nights when it took a while to drop off, but it was ultimately restful.  So I learned this morning that sliced smoked salmon is lox!  I always thought that lox was some sort of spread, rather like the excellent salmon-cream cheese one that I get sometimes.  I’m not a huge bagel fan, but it’s denser than o...

Someone sent me a photo of Tyrico Beach, in Trinidad.  I immediately felt a little homesick, as I’m several thousand kilodometers away from the warmth.  It started off as very cold — last night was -14C — and warmed all the way up to -5!  I have to say that -5 almost felt comfortable after this morning.  It was bright and sunny, which is always lovely except when it’s hitting you directly in the eyes as you’re driving!  Jerry spent the morning, of course, in my lap, and when we got back, he jumped back on me so I can’t move without throwing him off, and he’s using that as his signal to bark at imaginary intruders.  He nearly threw a fit when I got up out of my chair to go to the kitchen, and he’s been running between Don and myself.  Don was up late last night watching the recordings of his games so he was tired this morning understandably, and was sluggish getting started.  He’s perked up since, and managed to do a few things and is now playing w...

The weather changed a few times today.  It started with flurries this morning, then got chilly and miserable, then the sun came out and it was mild, almost warm (sweater weather, really)   I’m glad it cleared up, as I was out, and it was nice to enjoy the sunshine a bit more.  Jerry had a sulking fit because I left him for a while today.  He saw me getting dressed, pawed at his harness to show me that he knew where it was, and then jumped on my lap and tried to keep me from leaving.  When I got back, he immediately plunked himself on my lap and wouldn’t leave me alone.  He’s now on my feet and every twitch I make, he looks up at me with very disapproving little schnoodle eyes.  He’s also eyeing Don with suspicion, and is on high alert for anyone moving out of their chair!  Don is quite happy today after staying up quite late last night to watch his game, which his preferred team won in overtime.  I got a text in the middle of the night to tel...

Yes, she did it again… apparently, though, I was told that I blame her even when it’s not, but this is definitely my sister’s handiwork!  I’m not opposed to jokes, and sometimes you gotta suffer with me!  😈  The little dictator is on my feet again — he curls up in the blanket and makes himself very comfortable.  It’s  sports day, people.  There have been no fewer than 7 hockey games and he’s gearing up for an NFL game shortly.  I give thanks that he wasn’t watching all the pre-game hype on the sports channels, so at least I’m spared all the sporty-bro-banter which makes my brain cells feel like they’re being killed off by their stupid commentary. I slept like a dry, well fed, year old infant last night… that lovely profound sleep where they look so happy and relaxed.  I dragged myself out of bed this morning because of Mass, otherwise I’d probably have slept until noon.  It was my own choice, and I can’t complain (although l’homélie was less...

Happy Lunar New Year.  Have you eaten yet?  I think that’s a brilliant greeting, don’t you?  Especially when it’s followed by a banquet… Jerry has assumed a sulky guard on the coffee table as I’m not letting him on my lap just now.  He’s trying to both ignore and watch me simultaneously, which I find hilarious.  He’s got his head turned one way, and his eyes are fixed on me sideways, as if I can’t see him.  😆  It’s that time of night when games are on, and I’ve been dismissing repeated reminders on the TV for the start of Don’s game.  It’s his home team, so it’s (of course) being recorded, but it’s also on live and he’s a happy little gnome watching them.  I am now officially a “grass” (or should that be “ice”?) widow until at least Monday morning 😂  I had trouble falling asleep last night, although at least part of that is due to the fact that we were sitting up, talking until after midnight.  We had started watching a documentar...