Birthday day

It was a deceptive day today.  The sun was shining brightly, causing the the ice and snow to glitter, and everything looked picture-postcard winter wonderland, but it was bitterly cold with temperatures below -20 (“break out the heavy winter coat” weather)   Very Canadian thing to have multiple winter coats of varying warmth, accompanied by a range of thermals, lined pants and assorted multiple layers to be able to cross the street!  I was saying that my preference is for temperatures ranging between 15-25C, where I don’t need thermals, scarves, coats or boots except as fashion statements!  Jerry stuck his nose outside long enough to register a protest agains the chill, and is lying on my feet under my blanket getting as warm as he possibly can.  He somehow found one of his older toys which had been lost for a while, and is lying on it now, protecting it from being hidden away.  Don is lost in a sports game — the one where men run around a field and pat each other on the butt regularly — after having watched another one earlier.  I’m really not spending much effort pretending to be interested in any of them, and he hasn’t been paying attention to me, except to let me know an interesting statistic about a player.

I had a bit of a rough day yesterday.  I wanted to just lie down and sleep all day, uninterrupted!  I don’t know what triggered that; but I was super sluggish.  Around 6pm I realized that I hadn’t eaten much (or really, anything at all) which made things worse, I’m sure!  I went to bed around 8 last night, and slept until almost 11 this morning.  I still feel a bit sluggish, and I’m making myself eat but I look at food and it’s unappealing.  Another early night is in order, I think, after I’ve had supper.  I am back to griping about the dryness of my skin — cancer treatments are brutal on skin! — and I noticed that the hairs that are left on my body (admittedly, not a lot) have all turned white.  I wonder what my hair will look like when it regrows?  Will I have any black left, or will it all be white?  Or hopefully silver, which looks so much nicer!  Vanity is still a thing, even when it’s a little thing!

Today is my elder niece’s 19th birthday.  It’s hard to accept that so many years have gone since my sister’s excited phone call that she was pregnant.  She’s grown into a lovely, intelligent, caring and kindhearted young woman, of whom I’m tremendously proud.  My dad fell in love with her the first time he saw her, and she was his reason for living; the rest of us often commented that she could get away with anything, her grandfather would move heaven and earth for her.  Despite that, she’s not spoiled, which (as I know all too well) is hard to accomplish.  As I’ve said before, I’m honoured and humbled that she trusts me enough to share her thoughts and plans with me, and I do my best to be supportive without being overbearing.  In some ways, I still think of her as the little girl who would tell me that I was only to spend time with her and not my friends when I was in Trinidad, except when she was in school!  I look forward to seeing her grow more and to watch her accomplishments.

My younger niece asked to speak to me so she could show me her present from me, which she seems to enjoy.  She’s been telling me that some of the items in her “kit” (toy makeup, hair styling, etc) are for when she’s older — “when I’m 10, Momma will show me how to do this” — and she was extremely surprised to hear that she could use them now — “But I’m only 5!  Can I really?”  Auntie is torn between melting in emotion and laughter at her reaction!   We think she thinks that 10 is next year… but there’s time.  Her brother has been playing with the kit too, trying to cut his (very short) hair and blow dry it, and is annoyed that he can’t use the clips to pull back his hair LOL

OK, I’m going to get something to eat just so I eat!!  I hope I feel more like myself tomorrow, as I don’t enjoy feeling drained and sleepy all day.  I’m staying in and warm tonight, as it’s still supposed to be freezing, and bracing for my series of appointments this week.  Good night!