Learning and understanding

A lovely 5C today.  Partly sunny, then overcast and rain looming… The long range forecast has snow coming.  I’m not looking forward to that at all at all.  It’s the time of year when it gets miserable and the days shrink to dark mornings, dark afternoons and midnight at 4pm… not fun in the least.  Jerry is on his “new” bed — an old pillow that we gave him.  I stopped buying him beds as he will just rip the stuffing out of them and I’d be spending ages picking up the wads of batting.  Don was feeling under the weather today, having difficulty breathing, walking and sleeping last night.  He’s dozed a few times today and is not fully awake at the moment.  He’ll hopefully sleep better tonight. I realized that for the last few nights I haven’t slept too well myself.  I turn off my light to go to sleep by 9:30, will fall asleep for about an hour, and then wake up in pain in my back — there’s pain in my coccyx where I can’t find a comfy spot, and an...

  It started off sunny and chilly and is now overcast and chilly… That’s my grumble about the weather today.  It’s fall, so “chilly” is a standard description.  Jerry couldn’t wait for me to sit this morning, and plunked his tiny self on my lap as soon as I got to my chair!  He managed to stretch himself into a remarkably long dog, demanding tummy rubs, hitting my face with his overly long paws and knocking my phone out of my hand.  Don is fine and his pain seems to be fairly well managed, as he’s been playing on his phone and moving around pretty easily.  Do I need to say that I feel happy when he’s like that?  It’s the Grey Cup tonight, so somewhere this evening I’ll be banished from the living room so I don’t “accidentally jinx” his team.   I had a huge bout of “digestive distress” last night that went on until almost midnight.  It’s totally bizarre, as I have no idea of the cause!  I went to bed in hopes that it would pass, but then ...

There was a wild wind storm last night that woke me up, somewhere around 2am.  The howling, banging and noise was quite tremendous.  There was a rainstorm at the same time, which made things feel crazier.  Jerry did not approve, and was trying to hide under us last night, working to bury himself away from the wind.  He’s calmer today, and is presently chewing his ball.  Don’s fine, and not in any extra pain, so that’s good news. My tummy is calmer again today, and I’m quite happy that it’s settled.  It’s a relief when things are back to normal and I’m not in pain or exhausted.  I had a decent dinner, and I had a fairly relaxed afternoon.  In the ongoing PSW saga, the person I had yesterday, did laundry, and for the third time in a row, brought back my clothes dripping wet and left them in the laundry basket… When I say dripping, I mean literally. Don says she probably doesn’t know how to use the dryer (put clothes in, tap to pay, press start, come...

Rainy fall days feel colder than they are really.  There’s a dampness that soaks in and gets into your bones… although that’s probably exacerbated by age and infirmity, and sadly, I feel both.  Night temperatures are in the single digits, so blankets are necessary.  Jerry is Dickie dancing all over, because his  worker is cooking for me today and he’s super excited.  He won’t stop barking except when she’s playing with him, and he has run to show her his leash and harness at least 5 times in the last 15 minutes!  Guess what he wants? 😆  Don is moving a bit stiffly, which I attribute to the weather but he’s not in worse pain, thankfully.  His coordinator was here yesterday, and I’m waiting for a call to know when his personal support worker will start.  He’s glued and torn between sports and US elections… while I’m watching the comedy shows about it; it’s about the same level of information either way! I conked out early last night, although ...

It was 6C this morning!  That was distinctly chilly, and a bit of a shock first thing when you crawl out from under a warm blanket.  I dove into a hot cup of tea, and it’s been pleasanter since.  Jerry was waiting impatiently for me to get into my chair and has been attached to my lap since.  He got out for a bit, so he’s resting now, and a bit quieter, which is good.  Don is watching recordings of sports and I’m ignoring that… and I just heard a rumble of thunder.  We were promised a “late autumn storm” tonight, so it seems that the Jewish New Year and Navratri will be washed clean tonight. My energy is fluctuating a bit.  I have moments when I have a lot, and others when I just think fond thoughts of my bed!  Today was middling… I’m a little leery that my iron is still low, and I’m nervous about that.  It’s normal, I know, to have these reactions, but after last Tuesday and the extreme weakness I felt, anything that makes me feel short of b...

October has brought in autumn with cooler temperatures and rain. It’s great for sleeping and to be wrapped up in sweaters but i prefer slightly warmer days myself.  Jerry spent as much of today as he could cuddled up on me, batting me in the face with his paws and just staring at me.  He was a good boy yesterday, guarding the house by himself for a few hours and he was gentle with me when I got home.  Thank God Don was feeling better yesterday.  If not for that… disaster!  He was just awesome. I went for the transfusion yesterday.  We left here about 8:45, as I needed to do blood work 4 hours before they could do the transfusion.  Unfortunately yesterday was a very bad day for me.  I couldn’t walk more than 4 - 5 steps without gasping for air, and my legs were extremely weak.  I could barely walk to the apartment door, and I struggled to get to the elevator and then out to the garage… I had to stop then, as my legs wobbled so much.  Don ...

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 p...

The end my strawberry cream cake… so yummy, very decadent, and I hope that it made up at least some of the calorie deficit!  We’re under a thunderstorm watch here, and it feels like it.  The air is oppressive and it’s very still and humid.  The kind of weather that would generate migraines in the old days when I suffered from those.  Just ugh! 😩 Jerry doesn’t particularly like this weather; he gets restless and unsettled.  It’s odd, since fireworks don’t seem to distress him at all, but thunder and wind make him want to hide under someone.  He’s been coming to get extra affection, and keeps moving from one to the other of us.  Don, of course, is glued to one of those never ending games that go nowhere, interspersed with watching cars drive in a loop endlessly… there’s a theme there, but I get mocked for watching reruns of The Simpsons! I had difficulty sleeping last night, I don’t know why exactly.  I was tired, my eyes didn’t want to stay open, ...

I’d be a multiple gold medal Olympic winner at that… really the only medals I’m likely to win (except for the one I have for tug o’war from way back)  Another overcast day, with some sprinkles, and definitely warmer than the last few days.  Jerry is a happy little boy playing with his ball.  He got a new king sized pillow for his bed, and he’s protecting it diligently.  He’s put it by the sofa so Don has to be careful when he gets up to avoid stepping on it! 😂 Don spent some time watching the draft — which is, to me, another boring event.  I’m really not sports minded at all! I slept a lot better last night than the last two, so much so, in fact, that I was disoriented when the sun hit my eye at 6:30am and didn’t know where I was.  I just moved my pillow to block the sun and went back to sleep.  My appetite is not all that great today, so I’ve been drinking Ensure again. My helper was here today and helped pack away some groceries.  I ordered a c...

I was woken up this morning by the rumble of thunder and the occasional flash of lightning, and during the day we were under a tornado watch, heavy rain, high winds and a very cool day.  It’s still pouring down and the sky is heavy… so instead, here’s a lovely photo of a “beauty bush” sent from Vancouver for me to enjoy!  Isn’t it pretty?  Jerry is in a small ball on Don’s lap, glaring at me.  He spent a good part of the morning on me, then he got pushed off when I went in search of lunch and later when I was on a Zoom call, so he’s sulking at me.  Don was glued to a series of games today, although he didn’t watch any in its entirety.  He’s also enjoying the rain, although he’s finding it difficult to breathe with the high humidity (100%, as there’s rain) so he’s moving slowly. I’m finding it comparatively easier to breathe today, which is surprising to me.  Perhaps tiredness aggravates the breathing, I don’t know.  I got a call from my family doc...

What a beautiful day it was today!  Sunny, not too hot, low humidity, lovely blue skies… just as ordered for a beautiful spring day.  Not sure what the forecast is for the weekend, but today was picture perfect.  Jerry is glaring at Don who’s playing some country music on YouTube and his lap is unavailable.  I threw him off mine so I could type (and give my thighs a chance to regain their normal shape) so he’s a very annoyed little schnoodle, who just wants to be a schnoodle and get attention from all the people in sight 😆  Apart from the music, Don’s feeling more like himself, although the government just made him feel old by reminding him that “drivers over 80 have to undergo certain tests” and he’s never been a fan of tests, or anything that reminds him of his age (other than me) so that needs to be added to the list of errands. I slept uninterrupted for a solid 8 and a half hours last night, not even getting up to shift position or anything.  That’s aw...

Greetings from the most spoiled schnoodle on Earth who doesn’t wear clothes/costumes.  (There are those that do, but not this little guy)  Here he is, in his favourite spot letting everyone know that his tummy is not constantly petted, and he’s a neglected, unloved, starving boy who is just so exhausted from having to nag for cuddles!  I have explained, in vain, that other dogs have to work for a living, and he just replies with a “Pfft!”  He’s been very good all weekend, and didn’t complain about people in his house.  Don is disappointed that his preferred team was eliminated last night in overtime but he has at least 2 other Canadian teams to support in upcoming battles.  Then there’s baseball, formula one racing, horse racing and I don’t know what else going on, so he’s got lots to keep him distracted. Nothing of significance to report today.  I slept well, even with Jerry lying on my legs all night (and again all day as soon as I got up!)  As ...

It’s a lovely spring day, warm and sunny and there are hints of flowers making their way out.  That’s especially good as the Tulip Festival looms near, and it’s particularly nice to have tulips in bloom then!  Not as much fun when the blooms are over 2 weeks ahead of the festival.  Jerry managed to work his way in for lots of snuggles this morning, and was using me as a bed and trampoline this morning.  He’s right now sequestered with Don as a support worker has arrived - she’s new, and learning her way around my kitchen - so he’s in the other room.  Don complained that Jerry kept him up most of the night, by lying on his face at every opportunity!  He managed to get some sleep this morning when it was my turn to be a bouncy castle… I slept quite well; I did wake up a couple of times but went right back to sleep.  My appetite is fine; I was quite hungry this morning and had some leftovers for lunch; I now need to work out what I’ll do for dinner. ...

It’s another fairly cool, cloudy day today, but I’m adjusting to the growing length of the day — it’s still light at almost 8pm, which is both wonderful and disconcerting!  Jerry is in full on cuddle mode, and was sprawled all over me for a couple of hours today, even ignoring Don to settle on my lap.  Silly puppy!  Don is snoring on the sofa at the moment, although he claims to be paying attention to the TV.  He’s got a very important game on tomorrow, so he’s planning to watch it live, not just record it. My sleep was back to mildly interrupted last night, where I woke up and took over an hour to fall back asleep.  It’s a bit strange, as I’m not in any pain, nor am I having my mind running over anything, so the usual reasons don’t seem to apply.  We’ll get it sorted out, worry not, and then I’ll share “secrets to sleeping all night” as an ebook 😆. My appetite is OK today; I had 2 decent meals today, and will have something lighter for supper.  I con...

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 m...

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 ov...

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 sl...

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 vis...

Here are some Vancouver snowdrops, so the West Coast is also starting to show blossoms.  We’re still snowed under, so no flowers just yet.  Today is the birthday of my dear friend and big “brother”, who is brilliant, kind and super creative.  It’s also Don’s eldest son’s birthday so Happy Birthday, gentlemen!  Jerry is a little ball on my lap at the moment, looking very cuddly and sleepy.  Don is suffering sports withdrawal and is running out of true crime shows to fill in the gaps.  There are a couple of our “regular” shows that were recorded, but that’s not much.  He’s now resorted to NASCAR and was actually browsing football (soccer) to make up for the gaps.  Meanwhile, Jerry is teasing him with his toys, so they’ll all play happily. My support worker, lovely woman, has made me a beautiful lasagne for dinner and for lunch for the next few days.  I’m waiting (im)patiently for it to cool so I can eat some.  I had another interrupted nig...

Other than the temperature having dropped fairly sharply overnight into today, and a hazy sky, I have no idea what the weather was doing.  There’s apparently a lot of snow still in high banks along streets, especially in residential areas, while some of the major ones (like in my area) are a lot more clear.  Ah, January, when the wind blows cold and the snow piles up along the streets!  I heard from some friends in New York that flowers are beginning to emerge there!  Plus some photos from the UK show grey-green grass, which is a lot more colour than we have here!  Jerry is beginning to look like the original shaggy dog, and will need grooming soon, but it’s far too cold to clip his coat… I’d feel like a torturer if I were to arrange for a grooming at this point! He shivers badly when it’s 25C and there’s a cool breeze, so to do that to him at -10?  Don is glued to sports again… there’s a new professional women’s hockey league which he’s very much enjoying,...