Learning and understanding

I was sent these lovely daffodils from my friend in Vancouver.  Aren’t they beautiful?  I’ve got a stunning collection now of flowers sent to me from several friends and if I spent a little time cataloguing them, they are likely to make a beautiful coffee table book — which would be relaxing to flip through.  I’ll see if that materializes 🤣 I was up for an early appointment today, and by noon I was dozing off on myself!  So I took a nap this afternoon, which has helped with both my energy and the pain.  Jerry is squeezed on my seat between me and the armrest, just to let me know that I’m failing in my job of puppy snuggling!  Don also had a solid nap this afternoon and he just made supper and is watching the news — a very depressing activity, I must admit.  There isn’t anything cheering in the news!  I watch enough to keep informed, and then switch the channel… which makes for some battles for the remote. Speaking of news, I got a call from my ve...

Ah, spring weather.  We’re -9C today, and the forecast for the day after tomorrow is 15C!!!!  Can you believe that?  I mean, that’s a whole 25 degree difference, in less than 48 hours!  (Yes, red man, your jokes are anticipated while you work out the average change, but it’s much more useful if you just sent me some puppy pictures 🤪). Then it drops back down to 5C.  That’s weather to make you ill with sniffly colds, to say the least.  There will be a hilarious April Fool’s joke if the temperature shifts over by one day!!  It is very likely that Jerry will have an outing on the 15C day — in part because I have a doctor’s appointment that day! — and he will be wiggling his little stump of a tail with excitement.  He was a little annoyed today because there was a visit from the building management.  There’s a new company who’s looking after the building now, and they were checking that the keys worked and there were no leaks.  The guy was ...

Oh my word, it is CHILLY today!  The cold just sneaks in everywhere and I’m shivering badly.  I admit that spring is here and it is changeable, but oh my!  It feels very wintry and not at all springlike today.  Jerry is not a fan of this.  While he enjoys a certain level of cool weather, he is not enthusiastic about outright cold!  Don, on the other hand, seemed to perk up with the chill — strange man!  He must be Canadian or something 😂. Honestly, though, he has a range of temperatures where he picks up and “blooms.”  This temperature (when he’s not outside in the wind) is actually easier for his breathing than when it’s hot and humid or when it’s really cold and dry.  <sigh> the changing seasons are hard on me sometimes… So apparently, after last night’s post, I opened several cans of worms… I disagree, but it seems that I should talk about the scandal  at the Oscars.  Can you imagine that it’s possible to hire three  ...

Look!  A magnolia, at the beginning of spring!  YAY!  I slept pretty well last night, thankfully, and had enough energy today to bake some bread.  I’m sitting here writing this before I head off to bed.  I’ll be fairly brief, as I don’t want to give my back any excuse to twinge at me for no real reason. Jerry is wearing his little collar because he was barking almost nonstop today so the collar came out.  Since then, he’s been really quiet and snuggly.  He doesn’t like his collar, even when it’s turned off (as it has been all day) but he is quiet finally.  I didn’t want our neighbours to complain because of his noise.  Don was happy that there’s bread, but he was catching up on his sleep because for some reason he didn’t get much sleep last night between hockey, baseball and a small black dog who wanted to play.  Next time he’ll just leave the games and get some sleep!  Or not.  Who can tell?  😂  I made myself a prom...

I got a decent sleep this morning, from about 6am onwards after evicting the dog who wanted to play.  Thankfully I was able to get 4 hours uninterrupted.  Jerry has been on my lap or on my feet since then.  Don is doing better; he cooked yesterday, so that saves me the effort.  At the moment, I’ve made our teas, and the little monster is curled up on Don’s lap while I’m writing this.  That does help a little, as I don’t have to juggle a keyboard and a puppy.  Some years ago I did a 23-and-me DNA analysis.  I blame one of my friends for that; he did the analysis and found some oddities in his family tree.  I had balked a bit because I’m (a) from the Caribbean; (b) of very  mixed ancestry — even without the DNA research and (c) not white, therefore not likely to be well-represented.  (Because let’s face it, the databases will work best for white, Western European or North American and the more melanin, the fewer hits.)  But I tried an...

I’m being a dog bed at the moment. I can’t move and the extent of what I’m allowed to do is pat the dog and cuddle him.  I’m typing with one finger, with an ear or a foot interrupting me.  I’m also getting rabbit kicks every so often… I exist just to keep the dog happy.  We were laughing hard earlier, because Jerry won’t let me hug Don, or vice versa.  He climbs onto Don’s shoulder and butts me away 😅🤣 When we realized that’s what he was doing, we laughed so hard that my knees gave way and Don had a bad coughing fit. I’ve had a small jag of watching some “classic” TV… mainly mysteries, like Matlock  and Columbo.   I don’t know what was the impetus for that, but I was amused at watching these old episodes.  Part is looking at how gender roles have shifted over time, and some more on cultural shifts… they now have warnings about smoking as being problematic.  Added to that are the “progressive” attitudes where women were assuming more leadership r...

It was a wet and chilly day today, even though it warmed up to 10C!!! by this afternoon.  It didn’t feel  quite that warm.  I was out with my friend for an afternoon coffee, and we walked a bit outside.  It was almost warm enough to just wear a sweater or light jacket in the sun (which didn’t put in an appearance) and out of the wind (which was persistent in its appearance!) I was glad for my shawl over the light down coat.  Jerry was not at all happy that I left him home with Don while I went out, and much less happy that I didn’t return home with treats. I’m pleased to see that Don is more active, and he’s eating more, so that makes me less tense.  I ordered Wendy’s chicken sandwich (for me) and chilli and chicken nuggets for Don.  My sandwich was lunch and dinner, so that’s good, right?   My niece and I were having another conversation on books today; interestingly, I also got quite a bit of email from you guys on the same topic, so I thought I...

I had an appointment today at the hospital, and I approached the window where the receptionist greeted me with, “Good afternoon Mrs. Crosby.  Good to see you again!”  Now, I hadn’t been to that  doctor in almost 2 years, and it’s been longer since I saw that receptionist, so it’s a sign that he has a really good memory, plus I was in a mask, so… I’m going to take it as a sign that all will be well, and all shall be well and all manner of things will be well ( Julian of Norwich ). The nurse who came to escort me into the little room, however, scared me by looking at me with extreme concern and saying that I looked well, and was I ok?  Little disconcerting I tell you!  Jerry somehow knew that I had an appointment today and was a little hyperactive and literally bounced on and off my lap several times and snuggled up against me.  Very adorable!  Although last night he got evicted from the bedroom because he wouldn’t settle down!  Don is feeling a lot...

The sun is peeking out more, which is great to see.  I’m looking forward to the flowers just bursting out!  The next street over has lilacs all along its length, and it smells so heavenly!  The dog woke me up this morning by wriggling into a little drill and then lying on my tummy and stretching out his telescopic legs which somehow take up so much space!  Little darling.  When I crawled out of bed he sneezed at me and then shook himself before chasing after Don.  I don’t know what to say to him to keep him from driving me nuts, but he’s still a good little boy. I’m going to have to appeal to my friends to help me eat more.  It’s one of those things where my energy is not consistent and sometimes eating and cooking are too much for me to cope with and I’ll find that if I cook, I haven’t got the energy to eat (such a dreadful thing!!) and if I eat, there’s no energy for cooking.  Silly, isn’t it?  My I would have thought that being able to eat...

Yesterday I couldn’t wake up, nor stay awake for any significant period of time.  It was truly odd, more so because Don also couldn’t wake up!  He asked what was making us sleep, because it’s so unusual for both  of us to be that sluggish!  Today was better, in that I woke up at the usual time (but I fell asleep around 3am) and had a little more energy.  Jerry was very good, and let me sleep, instead of his usual dancing on my chest and lying on my face!  He’s adorable and so sweet when he wants to be 😆. My nurse was here today and noted that I’ve lost “a bit” of weight, so he would like me to eat more, please, because I should be maintaining a fairly steady weight.  Clearly I need to do better…  Today’s photo was taken at “the start of spring” in New York.  Isn’t it lovely?  It’s from J&H who have been so good at sending me flowers pictures.  But blooming trees are a welcome sight, as it means that the warm weather is not too ...

More back twinges today.  I had to run to my chair a few times to sit so the pain would be manageable.  Then I’d get up to continue what I was doing.  It’s not I was doing anything strenuous, but making a sandwich felt like hard labour!!  Under the heading of “enjoyable item,” I got a letter on the most beautiful stationery from a friend in Vancouver.  Apart from the utterly gorgeous paper, it was full of news and I absolutely love getting newsy letters!  That took away the focus from my back for a while as I got caught up on her details.  <happy sigh>. The boys were snuggled up for a lot of the day as it was damp and chilly.  By 6pm it was definitely a cold, damp, stay-under-the-covers type of day.  I am also pleased to report that the days when I go out to meet my friend for tea and a chat I have no pain when I return home.  Maybe I need to go out with more with my friend?  Yesterday wasn’t too  bad, so… Thoughts? ...

My back is better today, thankfully.  I get very frustrated when the pain keeps me awake and uncomfortable.  I was able to get out for a short walk and met a friend for tea (that was my St. Patrick’s Day drink!!) both of which were great and helped distract me from the pain.  I wonder which factor helped the most?  Seeing my friend, getting out or escaping the tiny monster?  (Don’t tell him I said that!!!  He spent most of the today on my lap letting me know that I was in deep deep trouble for going out without my guide!!). Don was bribed with a really good  piece of chocolate cake to distract the puppy, so he’s implicated!  😂  I’ve learned, perhaps later in life, that I should guard my tongue when I have something that may be hurtful to say.  It was hammered home to me yesterday, when I said something that I really should have kept in, no matter my annoyance.  Apologizing is inadequate in this situation, and I’ll have to work out ...

So as usual, after several days where things were all comfy and ok, I woke up this morning in FLAMING AGONY and can barely move, even after swallowing my pain meds.  OW!  I hope that it clears up soon, because it’s super painful and uncomfortable to have that much back pain for no known reason!!  Jerry has tried to be a comforter and spent as much time curled in a ball on my lap as I could bear (sadly, not much for any length of time because I couldn’t find a comfortable position) and Don has been napping to recover from bringing home several large bags of groceries last night. The beautiful daffodils are from K(B) and they’re so wonderful and sunshiny!  My back pain fades a little when I look at them.  Many thanks for this sunny delivery. I’m trying to understand the logic employed by some people.  When the pandemic started, people began attacking and boycotting anyone who looked  Asian, and escalated to doing violence to them.  Now there are mov...

 It’s slightly warmer today, but overcast.  Spring is on the way.  I had a small dog curled on my lap any time I sat on my chair, and if I was not sitting, there was a small dog curled on my cushion!  The boys went to the supermarket this afternoon, and I’m a little nervous to see what comes home with them!  One of them is known for coming home with bags filled with pies, tarts, cakes, candies and assorted junk food and not much in the line of fruits, vegetables or the components of meals!!  The other is particularly good at getting underfoot when I’m putting away groceries.   In my conversation with my niece, she mentioned that they were told about church groups and other activities that were available.  I said to her that when I was a teenager, girls were not allowed to be altar servers.  She was shocked to hear that.  She said that all of her life she’s seen girls as altar servers, so the idea that they were banned was just appalling....

A day of R&R, which is great to deal with.  It’s a little unusual but still… I’m going to admit that it takes a moment to acknowledge that rest and relaxation are actually allowed, but but it’s still great.  I’m just going to enjoy the moment as it happens, and not worry about everything!  We finished off the leftover Chinese meal, and will manage to finish everything up tonight. Jerry continues to grumble that he’s not getting any Chinese leftovers and has been trying to dig a hole in my arm… he’s unsuccessful, for the record, but he keeps trying!  Don certainly enjoyed his meal, and he’s happy to play with the little monster. Today the city opted for “Valentine’s Day 2.0” after the convoy.  It didn’t quite meet the expectations of organizers, but the weather this week promises to be warm and sunny.  It’s lovely weather for maple syrup, but it should improve.  I’m looking forward to spring breaking out soon. I’m a bit tired today, and will be head...

Time changed today, so I slept past 10am — doesn’t matter which system you use, I was asleep!  I was apparently wiped out and needed the extra rest, because — I think I mentioned yesterday that my back was twinging quite a bit.  Today it’s much  better, thanks for all the prayers!  Lilacs are my favourite spring flowers.  When they bloom, I know that spring is here.  We had Chinese today for lunch as a treat.  Jerry is not pleased because he wasn’t given any scraps of food that would upset his tiny tummy and cause problems.  He’s been bouncing from one lap to another and has temporarily settled on my feet to stare at me in hopes of sweet-and-sour pork falling into his mouth 😂 Don had his 2 helpings and is now having his post-prandial nap 😁. Don’t tell him, but he looks so cute all curled up on a corner of the sofa with a cushion under his face. I’m watching a mini-series of Watership Down.   I love this book, and it takes all of one paragra...

 The weather couldn’t seem to decide whether it wanted to snow or to be be sunny today.  It alternated between the two today, and given that the time changes overnight, it makes for a short night and and early morning!  Jerry has been curled on my lap most of the day, even after being evicted regularly.  He’s now moved over to Don, where he’s in a little ball dozing away!  My father has been trying to get me to come home for a long visit soon.  I’d love to, and I’d be thrilled to be able to be there, but then he point out that the number of cases and hospitalizations is still high, so it’s not worth the risk.  <sigh> Is it just me, or are others overwhelmed by the state of the world right now?  We’ve got wall to wall bad news… beginning with wars: Ukraine, the ongoing Syrian civil war, and several others creating refugees in huge numbers.  There are various natural disasters, from floods to earthquakes to mudslides and drought.  Th...

It was a mostly snowy afternoon today.  My lay minister was here this morning, and I felt tired after, so I decided to take a nap; I found that the buildings across the street vanished!  It was funny, but then I realized that it was also getting a little cool, hence nap!  Apparently chilly, foggy, snowy afternoons are good for naps.  It was a family activity since we all  managed to doze off for a couple of hours this afternoon!  Jerry is now at my feet, nibbling at the remains of one of his toys — he shredded it and pulled out all the stuffing a while ago! But for some reason he likes it and is dragging the fabric around with him.  He carries it with him and shakes it vigorously… Don and I laugh at him with it, but it makes no difference.  Silly puppy! I’m watching reruns of Judge Judy  and a couple of other judge shows.  It’s entertaining for me to see how she unravels the cases and determines the outcome.  We both watch it, and s...

So yesterday I was out with a friend, and we went walking in a mall, then for dinner.  It was nice to have an outing that didn’t require a visit to a hospital.  I got home late enough that I went to bed almost as soon as I walked in!  Today I was pleased that I didn’t feel exhausted but still took my time and didn’t push myself too hard.  It’s great, because I feel fine.  Jerry was annoyed at being left behind yesterday so he’s been glued to me all day today.  Don got some take out dessert (chocolate silk pie) and cookies, so he’s also happy 😃 I ate a second portion of my dinner today for lunch and I have the last bit for tomorrow.  I’m amazed at either how large the portions are, or how my appetite has shrunk.  Either way, there are meals, and it works for everyone.  ( Incidentally, my friend ate all of their dinner and dessert, so it’s probably me, not the portion size. ) I’m really enjoying writing short notes and letters to people. ...

My personal care worker was here today, so that means I got my hair washed!  Very excited about that.    I was able to eat some more of my leftovers, although I feel very full after a couple of bites.  I’ll work on that a little.  I wish that we were packing for trips instead of everyday hair washing, as that would be more exciting, but one thing at a time, right?  Jerry is very displeased that my lap is occupied by the iPad and not the small dog.  He’s trying to figure out how to make the switch without me noticing LOL He’s curled on the floor, licking himself and pretending to ignore me.  I know it’s pretence, because if I stop typing, or shift the iPad off my lap, he assumes the alert position ready to jump on my lap!  Don is feeling a bit more active today, which is good, and he’s also eating well, so I’m happy and relieved. Can someone please explain the reluctance of (particularly) men to call the police when it’s necessary?  You h...

Today’s quote translates as “No one learns except in friendship” I like that thought, because it encourages learning and friendship, both of which are good things, in my humble opinion.  Taking the time to understand students helps them to settle in and open up to asking questions.  Love that. You’ll be pleased to hear that I cooked the chicken drumsticks with some cabbage and had a plate with some rice.  Plus a donut.  So I’m working on that.  Jerry has got a blast of… puppy zoomies and has been running back and forth and going nuts.  He’s attacking Don and barking loudly.  Silly puppy.  He’s trying to mooch some chicken off of Don, unsuccessfully. I’m deep in the reread of a series of books and I discovered a website that provides a summary of the books along with a commentary about it.  I was excited to find it, and my plan was to read that along with the books — at least, the commentary — because usually I miss chunks of activity, and thi...

 It was a fake spring day today.  Despite some rain this morning, it was 12C and reasonably comfortable.  I did not, sadly, have enough spare energy to take Jerry for the walk he’s craving, and I feel guilty about that.  I’m hopeful that when the weather warms up I’ll be somewhat more inclined to spend time outdoors.  I had a decent, if light, appetite today, and I ordered some donuts; mostly for the man in the house, but there are some for me.  I ate one today and I finished the half shawarma that I had from yesterday.  There’s a package of chicken thawing in the fridge which I plan to cook tomorrow.  I’m debating how  they will be cooked.  Do I opt for the super healthy grilled, or steamed or stewed?  Curry somehow didn’t make the list.  I’m not craving that right now, oddly enough.  Something will be sorted out by tomorrow, don’t worry.  Don is sitting on a minor pedestal for jump starting my appetite last week, he...

Yesterday, March 4, marks 2 important anniversaries for me.  The first is the 29th anniversary of the death of my grandmother, Elisher Jones-Garcia-Romain.  She was a pillar of my life.  I spent much of my childhood and teenage years with her, absorbing her ethos while breathing.  She was short — under 4’ tall — but was a force of nature.  She raised my mother and aunts as a young widow, as my grandfather died aged 39 from complications from lupus, although at the time nobody really knew what that was.  That was in an era when women didn’t work outside of the home, and they were not rich, so she was left a widow with 3 children under 10 — my mother was just 6 months old then.  She had an elementary school education — that was considered sufficient for girls — and 3 months salary from my grandfather’s job.  Extremely difficult.  But my mother and aunts all finished high school, found decent jobs (my mother worked for a bank all her career, fin...

  I’d like to pretend that I didn’t hear the report from my doctor this week.  It is stressful and is causing me to be anxious.  The anxiety increased quickly with the other things happening around me.  It’s astounding how my anxiety can increase with blowing horns and revving engines.  I’m trying to learn how to restore balance in my mind.  It’s odd, but even as it is now, where it’s calm, I feel anxiety when I hear horns, or there’s raised voices.  What’s worse for me is that even if I’m reading about a stressful situation, I feel stress mounting.  This is a new thing for me, as I normally am not stressed by reading things, but suddenly I can’t relax easily.  It depresses me to have this happen, and more so to have it happen when I’m reading, which is my calming activity!  Fortunately Jerry is a source of joy, so I can usually relax a little.  He makes me laugh easily… like today when he was chasing pigeons off the balcony.  ...

Sorry I missed yesterday.  I had a crack-o’-dawn appointment this morning and opted to sleep as much as I could.  I did get anointed with ashes, as my lay minister visited and I was able to get ashes.  Apparently March 1 is the beginning of meteorological spring, and for Ottawa it was COLD 🥶 and snowy.  Here’s what it looked like on the 1st… this week is going to be odd.  It’s forecast to be 12C on Sunday but -15 on Monday.  Winter is holding on!  The bridging season always has temperatures that bounce from mild to frigid and back without any warning.  Some of the temperatures are a little scary — like this morning, which was -20C, a deep winter temperature, and a strong wind.  I’d like to make believe that the conditions were milder and more comfortable so that the little dog would enjoy the outdoors instead of complaining that it’s brutally cold.  I’m able to enjoy the sun when it’s brisk (around -10) and sunny.  I’m focussed on ...

  I spent a large part of the day doing a CT scan.  I’m not crazy about that because I had problems getting the IV inserted in my suddenly difficult veins!  I’ll have the results in a few days, as always, and I’m pretending not to care about that.  Jerry has been surprisingly curious about everything, and is currently exploring everything.  Don took advantage of my appointment to do a grocery run, and came home with many things on the list, omitting only a few items that were out of stock.  We’ll need to go again soon, but it’s fine. I’m sorry, and I have to confess that I was a little irritated with my dad.  He has been opting for the saddest part of any information.  For instance, he was telling me about someone who caught a cold, and spent about an hour worrying that they would be sent to quarantine… I pointed out that they were fine, and were recovering but he still kept on about quarantine.  😔. The quarantine issue was that if they did ...