Learning and understanding

Today started off rainy, blustery and distinctly chilly.  The wind was quite strong from last night and carried on until just after noon.  It’s sunny now, but brisk, so it’s not as cold as it was.  Jerry is being extra mischievous today; he’s been hooking his claws in my new blanket and getting caught in the crochet, then he goes romping around trying to sneak food from one or the other of us.  He’s very attached to the former “fur” trim of my coat, and shakes it aggressively.  Don’s new medication arrived, and he’s been grumbling about the expense and saying that the over the counter version is cheaper.  It is, but the dose is about one-tenth of the prescription.  He’ll adjust once he tries it, I’m sure! For the last few nights, I’ve gone in to bed, snuggled under the covers to get warm, then I fall asleep with the light on and totally unaware of that fact.  I’ll wake up 2 - 3 hours later, turn off the light, plug in my electronics and go back to...

Someone turned the heat down overnight, and from all reports, they’re intending to turn it completely off  tonight!  Apparently the overnight temperature is supposed to be around freezing, and I’m not thrilled in the least by that.  I definitely think I’m in the wrong part of the wrong part of the country.  It’s warmer in southern Ontario, although not by much.  The Caribbean tempts, as it often does… Jerry is again attacking the trim of my coat, and is shaking it when he’s not growling and trying to subdue it into a more compliant position!  Don’s been suffering a bit, he says that his knee “locks up” and is painful when he’s trying to stand or walk on it.  He’s making an accompanying soundtrack of groans when he walks across the room.  His support worker has been asking for more work to do, which is diametrically opposed to mine, who prefers to sit and watch me… we’ll sort it out and find a balance. For the record, taking an opioid painkiller be...

It was a beautiful, sunny day today, lots cooler than it has been for a while.  In the sun it was comfortable, but in the shade it was sweater weather.  It was fun for the little dog to go run around the park for a while, and he used up some of his extra energy and climbed into my lap to snooze when we got back home.  He has discovered a fondness for ripe strawberries, which is not a good sign for me!  I’ll have to share them along with clementines, apples, blueberries and several other fruits.  Sneaky little thing!  Don is perkier today than he has been, I think in part because of the cooler weather and breeze, so it’s easier for him to breathe.  He almost got yelled at today as I saw that one of my episodes had disappeared off the PVR, but then I realized that it had been automatically deleted by the system, so he’s safe.   Don paid for my birthday lobster dinner, and I opted for a lobster pasta (in photo) which is smaller than my usual, mostly ...

Hot cross buns, one a penny, two a penny, if you have no daughters, give ‘em to your sons… My “brother” made a batch and tormented me with photos!  It’s been a lovely mild, windy few days — and it will be a bad year for crops as there was no rain (or snow) today!  Jerry is in major cuddling mode, and was slapping my face with his paw because I wasn’t rubbing his tummy enough this morning.  Don’s doing pretty well, although he had trouble sleeping last night.  The TV woke me up at 3am as he seemed to be having an argument with voice assist… Very annoying recording that just wouldn’t go away!  He finally sorted it out, which was a relief, around 4am. I slept well, other than the hour and a bit that the voiceover was announcing loudly everything on screen.  Today I didn’t have the energy to make some of the things I wanted to eat, but I had some salmon and macaroni and cheese for lunch.  I will see if I can get the energy to make what I want to eat, as I ...

Mild weather is here 😀  I hope that there’s rain tomorrow, as rain on Good Friday is supposed to mean a good crop yield in the summer.  I don’t know where that originated, but I had been told that by an elderly parishioner many years ago on a very wet Good Friday.  It’s different in the Caribbean, but here it’s apparently linked to enough rain for the crops!  Yesterday the little dog got groomed — there’s a lot less of him since his thick, shaggy winter coat is all gone.  He’s an affectionate little guy again, and his legs seem to have extended further!  He looks like a mini-greyhound right now.  The groomer nicked him just above his eye, but the vet checked him over and he’s ok.  He’s burrowed under the blanket and is snuggling up to Don who’s watching the opening game of baseball season.  Can anyone explain to me how you can have a “World Series” award when only one country plays in it?  I mean, in a sensible game like cricket, when t...

“On the feast of the Lupercal…” is a line from Julius Caesar, Act 1, scene 1 where Cassius (or Casca, I’ll need to look it up) is berating the crowds for gathering to try to crown Caesar as emperor.  Today would have overlapped that ancient feast of Lupercalia (which has turned into Valentine’s Day) and it’s Ash Wednesday.  Gotta love the changes, don’t you?  My tiny dictator is currently lying on the sofa, licking his lips and staring at me.  He’s had a stressful day.  There were several people in and out today for various medical issues, and he was very unhappy at the invasion of his private space.  He’ll need some cuddles to calm down before his day is upended again tomorrow— he doesn’t like when I have to go to the hospital.  Don had an appointment with his new care coordinator who conducted the intake assessment to determine what services he would need and what they might offer.  He’s waitlisted for a physiotherapist and a respirologist, and ...

Oh man, it’s getting to be cold!  It was a HIGH of 0C today!  That’s as warm as it got; when I first woke up this morning it was -3.  😌 Winter lasts too long in this country.  And it just keeps hanging around for years at a time!  Well, it feels like that, anyway.  Jerry is a happy puppy tonight, and is running around eating and tossing his toy.  The alarm got replaced and upgraded this morning, happily, and the repair guy was here for all of 5 minutes to pull out the old one and install the new one.  Since the beeping has stopped, Jerry has stopped shaking and trying to burrow under us, which is lovely, and even better, he’s eating and drinking normally.  He wasn’t eating much with the noise; it really caused distress.  We’ll see how he is tonight at bedtime… Poor Don didn’t sleep at all last night, although we’re not totally sure why.  He’s blaming the alarm, I think it’s pain that he’s covering, but either way, he was up all nig...

Two lovely, sunny, late summer days with very cool overnight temperatures.  The days were gorgeous, although the sun wasn’t especially warm.  Fall is just a few days away officially, but we’re promised more sunny days until the weekend, when we’re starting autumn.  I always have a preference for summer, particularly late summer, with all the fresh produce!  Jerry is right now glaring as the cleaner is working on the floors… he doesn’t like the vacuum and would be chasing it and barking, except that he has his training collar on, and it buzzes when he does things he’s not supposed to do.  He just needs to see it, not even wear it, to respond.  Don is still not doing well, and is in quite a bit of pain so that sitting, standing and walking are all difficult for him to manage.  His appetite is very good, so that’s not a concern at least!  But he was improving yesterday, then today it took a small step back.  It’s frustrating, as you can imagine,...

Ah… excellent summer weather continues today.  Warm, not humid, not too hot, bit of a breeze, and I think that I may have got a little sun-kissed while I was outside on the balcony this morning.  The sun felt good for the few minutes that I was there — I try to limit my sun exposure because of my medications and the chance of burning easily.  Jerry was quite noisy as my nurse and support worker were both here, and he let me know that there were people in his  house.  We discovered that if we’re talking about him being naughty, he tends to look away, then looks at me as if to say, “Why are you telling such stories?”  Don was doing a few things today in the garage again, and has tired himself out from all the walking he did.  He says that the car just seems to move further each time he goes to the (assigned) parking spot. So I’ve discovered an unpleasant side effect to my chemo pills.  The little paper that accompanies the bottle lists about 100 pos...

It’s a hazy, warm day today, starting to get a little humid.  It feels a little like the smoke is returning as the air is a bit acrid.  Might be just smog, or my imagination, as the news hasn’t mentioned anything about this yet; plus there’s ongoing construction in the area, so that adds to the dust and mess.  Jerry is alternating between being hyperactive and being a cuddler.  He’s been bouncing around, tossing his toy, attacking Don (thankfully not me!) and trying to climb on everything then jumping on my lap to lie back and insist on being petted.  He puts his little leg up to pat my hand back if I stop rubbing him, and he licks my hand when I’m “good”  Silly puppy.  Don ordered some club sandwiches and I ate half of one; it was so good to actually taste  food!  He finished the other half, plus his own, so he’s clearly got a healthy appetite.  His sleep is also much better, which is great, so he’s a little more alert during the day. ...

Another photo from Tobago, this time, that I received and which I’m sharing.  It’s just such a glorious golden sunset and I transport myself there in my mind to listen to the sounds of the sea, music and people.  Today is certainly hot enough for Trinidad, it’s hot (30C) sunny and somewhat humid.  I’m officially resting today as yesterday, fun as it was, also had me feeling tired.  Jerry is quieter today since he’s had  company all day, and has even supervised my visits to the bathroom, complete with his dog toy… I try for privacy, but it’s not guaranteed!  Don was feeling off last night, with an upset tummy.  He didn’t sleep too well, so he has been sleeping this afternoon… sorry, he’s been “watching” sports.  The snores are louder than the TV though, although every time I changed to something else, a hand would come up and the channel would be changed back!  So I’ve lost myself in a good book for a while.   Since I rested today, my arm...

This is me, 6 years ago this weekend, when I was visiting my sister in Toronto.  At the time, I had no cane, was able to use public transit easily and could walk at the lakeshore over uneven rocks.    Time does make differences in life, doesn’t it?  Jerry was very excited when my support worker came over, and has been in a playful mood all day.  He’s trying to persuade me to give him another  blanket (he’s got 2) to add to his pile of comfort.  He’s also letting me know that feeding him dry dog food is an insult to him, please adjust accordingly.  (Not happening.)  Don is happy to have sold off a few things he no longer needs, I’m happy he’s happy, and he has a few more items listed for removal.  All 3 of his teams have been eliminated from the playoffs, so that just leaves baseball until the football seasons start.  I’ll have maybe a week of no sports in the next few months, and I’m trying to persuade him that we should consider a ...

I got outside today for a little while — it was lovely, sunny and warm!  But it was great - no sweater, I wore flip flops and a summer dress.  All signs of warm weather becoming the order of the day more regularly.  I’m loving it.  Yes, I know, Canada isn’t the place for year-round warm weather, but then Trinidad doesn’t have Canada’s other benefits.  I’m happy to report that my pain has dropped back to where it was last week, and my medication level is equally lower.  Finally!  Since it’s the second day like this, I can be reasonably confident that things have regularized!  I hope that my return journey isn’t as traumatic as the one out, because 5 days of recovery just burns up my holidays and I don’t get to enjoy the things we plan.  My boys were doing pretty well today; although the building is doing work on the units opposite me.  They’ve set up a swing stage and will be removing and replacing their balconies over the next few weeks....

Happy Easter, everyone!  I wish you all the blessings and joy of this season, and hope that you have been able to spend time with loved ones.  It was a beautiful sunny day, still a bit cool, but it was pretty.  My back persists in hurting, and I’m getting really rather annoyed as it’s been 5 days since my trip and it’s my belief that by now I should have got some relief.  I was, though, able to reduce my pills by about half, so it’s closer to where it was when I left Ottawa.  My boys were all happy this morning, although Don complained again about overeating.  Jerry, of course, doesn’t approve of me being away and still is sulking at me over video calls. I was allowed to sleep for an extra bit this morning, until my niece peeped around my door and said, “It’s time to get up!”  Then they both climbed on my lap, carrying books, because the books can’t read themselves, and it’s apparently my routine on non-daycare mornings to read (repeatedly) a couple of...

I’m still recovering from Wednesday’s train ride.  The pain is gradually reducing, but it’s persistent and I have had to increase my medication routine, as I have no relief otherwise.  Last night, I went to bed around 9pm, fell asleep almost immediately, and woke up every couple of hours throughout the night.  When I finally woke up this morning the pain had faded a lot, but it returned within 2 hours of getting up.  I’ve been taking my pain meds on a 6-hour rotation (I can take them as frequently as every 4 hours) and that seems to bring me some relief, although if I leave it too long it’s harder to manage.  I had a long video chat with Don, who had Jerry lying on his shoulder while we spoke.  Jerry also had his moments of sulking at me when I was on the phone… Don decided to cook a turkey for his Easter dinner (we had one in the freezer) along with some of the trimmings; not a full dinner, as he’s on his own, and by the time I get home… we won’t discuss t...

The forecast is calling for a wintry, messy mix overnight and into tomorrow… They expect snow, freezing rain and ice rain starting around 2am and lasting most of the day.  Apparently places like Chicago were badly affected by this storm system and there are warnings everywhere.  I packed my things today; everything fit into a carry-on, very exactly! I’m debating transferring stuff to my larger bag, which will have more space for bringing back stuff, but it’s not likely that I’ll be doing a lot of shopping.  Honestly, if the weather were more consistent, I’d have more room, as I wouldn’t be packing a cardigan and a selection of sweaters!  Jerry was again in suspicious guard mode, where he’s been barking almost continuously this afternoon, never mind getting buzzed by his collar!  Don has been busy trying to sort out a problem with his email… he’s used an old, non-standard program for years; it’s unsupported by pretty much anyone, so every so often when an update ...

It’s been a very cold, but sunny, Palm Sunday.  The temperature struggled, but never quite  made it above freezing, and it was even chillier with the wind, which was… brisk.  Jerry spent the night using my tummy as a combination trampoline and mattress, then decided to plunk himself on my lap and block my view of the TV before turning himself into a brick and refusing to be moved!  Until my support worker arrived, and then he gave me a death glare for trying to take him from her so we could do things!  Don made us some creamed potatoes for supper; he had burgers with his, and I just had the potatoes — my tummy is acting up just a bit!  Then there was baseball and hockey, so he’s been busy all afternoon! My process of de-accessioning (isn’t that a lovely word?  Sounds so posh!) started as I offered my support worker dibs on my closet.  She’s quite petite, and that’s not a word that could ever be applied to me (except that I have short legs, so my t...

It’s got cold again, and we’re expecting snow and ice overnight.  Every so often we get these little reminders that it’s still “in the deep midwinter” and therefore cold is to be expected.  For reasons that are not clear, I’ve been in pain for most of the day, and we discovered that I have a bruise on my back for which I cannot account.  I don’t remember bumping into anything, which would cause a bruise, and I don’t sleep walk, which was the only other explanation offered.  Jerry is happy, since my support worker was here today, and he got to greet her — it was too funny; he leapt off my lap and raced to meet her so fast that he turned a somersault and skidded to her feet in a tangle of legs.  Don was pretty good today, and had planned things which I had to spoil because of my pain.  I’m continuing to find things to eat, which remains a challenge.  Very annoying, especially since it’s been going on so long!  When I report to my medical team, they’...