Learning and understanding

What a lovely, mild day we had today.  Bright sun, 10C and generally lovely.  Spring preview in effect, I guess!  Jerry is being a cuddler.  He spent almost the whole morning on my lap and every time I pushed him off, he came back like he’s on a retractable cord!  Cute, but also painful as he digs in to the one sore spot on my tummy, which only hurts when he puts pressure on it.  Don is fine, watched some sports — his day is empty without that, it seems — and we’re now catching up on some PVR programs.  He’s going to be making supper soon (well, as soon as I tell him that he’s on cooking duty, anyway LOL) So I had a minor tummy issue today, which I can’t attribute to the treatment, as it has happened before unrelated to any medication.  It means that I feel weak for a few hours and then I’ll be fine - and I’ll probably sleep well, because that’s been the pattern.  My support worker (not my regular; she doesn’t cover me on a Saturday) was over...

We had 2 days of wet, icky weather, with yesterday having 15cm of wet blowing snow.  It was below 0, windy and generally miserable — heck of a day to have to go out and deal with appointments.  The roads were slippery and the wind actually fought the car!  All’s well, though, and Don has strong wrists, so it was all uneventful, thankfully.  Jerry is more settled today as the wind has calmed down and moved to the other side of the building so it’s not unsettling him too badly.  He’s curled up on Don’s blanket on the sofa, pretending to nap, but he’s alert to any movement or crumb falling in the area 🥹  Don’s ok, watching a game, which I think was recorded, but he’s awake and fully absorbed in the game, which is one of those that just drags on with no useful resolution.  I’m told it’s a “game of strategy” but honestly, it’s not cricket and the level of spitting and scratching cancels any potential interest! I’m happy to report that chemo had ZERO reacti...

🎼🎶  Though April showers may come your way, they bring the flowers that bloom in May 🎶  That old song was in my mind when we headed to my appointment this afternoon.  It’s been raining with high winds since last night, and it’s bitingly cold from the damp!  To make up for that, you get a lovely moonlit poui tree taken last week in Trinidad.  Jerry dislikes the wind, which was blowing strongly for most of the night and he was trying to find a place to hide from it.  He gets nervous at the sound of high winds, especially since they’re rattling my windows and finding cracks through which to seep.  He just rolled himself into a blanket and is hiding out there away from the bangs and bumps.  Don was up pretty late last night watching his game… then fell asleep about an hour before we were due to leave.  I could feel the wind buffeting the car on the way home, and it was so nice to return to a cozy house out of the weather which is not at all en...

So it’s officially  spring now!  April, the month of showers and flowers and all that lovely stuff… and, because I live in Ottawa, it also means snow !!  They’re calling for 15cm of the white stuff over the next 2 days — days when I MUST leave my house and go to hospital appointments!!  Today is mild, sunny and lovely, but if the forecast is right, I’ll have to find my boots again.  And maybe a heavier coat.  I was getting used to just a sweater.  Jerry is being very attached to me again… I pushed him off my lap about 5 times, and he just bounces back up like a rubber ball (remember those super bouncers that could go really high and just keep bouncing?)  Then I tried pushing him off and he just dug in his little paws and refused to move… and then lay back and fell asleep.  Don is on tap to take me to my appointments over the next few days, while grumbling about the increased price of gas… it went up yesterday again.  He managed to record...

What a beautiful day for Easter Sunday.  It was sunny, mild, and really lovely.  The sky is a lovely blue, with a few puffy white clouds and in another place, would be perfect to be on the beach with a cold drink in hand, and a fried bake and kingfish for stuffing into your mouth!  Can you tell where my thoughts are today?  Jerry is in affectionate mode today, and has been guarding me all day.  He just jumps on my lap and settles in comfortably, ignoring any and all attempts to displace him, attract his attention or to tease him.  His concentration is amazing when he wants to ignore people.  Don is doing well, he was watching his sports earlier, and is now catching up on the news.  He’s been moving stiffly, but isn’t in more pain than usual, thankfully.  He’s right now the recipient of puppy affection, with the little dog curled on his lap and being petted like a small teddy bear and Jerry is lying on his back, long legs stretched up and he’s...

It’s a beautiful day, with mild temperatures and bright sun.  If the old farmers are right, it’ll be a hot, dry spring and summer, so here’s hoping they’re mistaken, although there are already burn bans in effect.  Jerry has been banished from my lap, as he seems to be able to find the one sore spot on my tummy, and then plunk his full weight on it.  He’s sulking at me and complaining to Don who is “watching” baseball (there are little snores that I’m hearing…) I was really sleepy last night, and conked out for about 12 hours, which was great this morning!  I felt more alert than I have for a few days.  I have to admit to being a little lazy this morning and not wanting to get out from under my cozy blankets.  Once again I have no support worker today, and I’m getting frustrated leaving messages with the agency asking “Where are my helpers?” I’d promised to share a short poem by Tagore, and I think today is a perfect time to do that.  I hope that you f...

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...

I’m not really grumpy, it’s just… well, I’ll explain below.  Another day where the temperature flirted with moving above zero, but with a coyness that would make a Victorian heroine blush!  I’m so eager for spring temperatures, hovering between 10 - 15C, with flowers popping up… I’ll probably regret this when the humidity moves in!  Jerry is temporarily not speaking with me today.  I have ONE sore spot on my tummy, and that’s where he tends to plunk his little 10lb self!  I threw him off because he was causing me pain, so he took himself to the sofa and is sending me recriminating glares when his back isn’t turned to me.  Don is playing on his computer, in preparation for his game later… although I think his team is now officially eliminated from the playoffs.  I won’t say anything, because apparently hockey is not “just a game.”  (I said that once and thought I’d stepped on a land mine!) My sleep is good, my appetite is decent and I’ve been sorti...

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...

Another cold day today, although it’s sunny, which makes it feel a little better.  Still below zero, and I’m really getting tired of the cold.  Jerry has an appointment for grooming this week, so I’ll have about a half a dog when we get him back… I love it when he’s floofy, but because of his thick curls, that leads to matts, and snarls, which aren’t good for him.  He’s been on my lap for as much as he can today, and is on my feet right now, pretending to be neglected.  Don is good, he’s recorded a couple of games, but is all caught up.  His team is out of the playoffs (as usual) just in time for baseball season.  I’m just grateful that basketball and golf aren’t part of his rotation! I slept like a log last night, but was still really tired this morning.  In fact, I’m “beppin” (as my sister says) which means that I’m nodding off on myself.  Early bed tonight, definitely.  I also had a fairly decent lunch, and will work out supper soon. ...

It’s been a temporary return to the freezer; the temperature hasn’t crossed 0 in about 3 days!  There was snow forecast, but it seems to have stayed east over the St. Lawrence and avoided Ottawa, not that I’m complaining.  I’m back in blankets and sweaters, and Jerry is stealing all the throws that he can pull off anyone.  He’s been good at standing on my lap and blocking my view of the TV, or sitting on my iPad so I can’t use it… very clever moves!  Don is good, and is moving comparatively easily for him.  He’s also got the order for his chest X-ray so that’s happening.  Can you hear my sigh of relief? Yesterday was more unsettled than I’d like.  I had an allergic reaction to something , I don’t know what, and was up for several hours coughing and sneezing until the allergy meds FINALLY kicked in and I fell asleep around 3am.  Then I was talking with my regular support worker, who’d been ill for a few days, and finally I made her get an ambulance...

It was -10 today.  MINUS.  Below zero!  I can’t say that it’s a huge surprise, as every year at this time we have a bit of a snowstorm, but today was beautifully sunny, even if frigid and blustery!  I’m not putting so much as a nose outdoors until it warms back up above freezing, thanks for asking!  Jerry is guarding my feet right now, after making an unreasonable amount of noise because he heard my neighbour drop off the paper at my door.  I think he’s tired out from that… Don’s doing pretty well, and his appetite makes me envious since he managed to eat a double-stuffed foot long sub and then went looking for dessert.  I ate half of a 6” sub and was stuffed.  What does that tell you?  (That clearly, my sandwich wasn’t as good as his.  Or something like that.) I had an early morning visitor; my lay minister arrived after early Mass, so I dragged myself out of bed for 8am, and after he left, I jumped back into bed and slept for another 2...

Spring is sprung, the grass is riz. I wonder where the birdies is. They say the birdies on the wing, but that’s absurd. I always thought the wing was on the bird. OK, there’s your silly springtime rhyme to start you off!  I will just note in passing, though, that it’s currently hovering around the freezing mark and there are little while specks falling out of the sky, so wherever the birdies are, I hope they’re warm and dry!  The tiny dictator was disturbed this morning by the monthly fire alarm test, and he sang along with the alarm but was shaking badly from nerves.  He then spent over an hour on my lap needing to be “soothed” from the trauma of the noise.  I’m trying to explain to him that I am not  a trampoline, but he just wags his stump at me and cuddles harder.  Don is good, and in charge of tonight’s supper, so I wait to see what he’s decided!  He’s grumbling that we’re out of shows to watch since he decided to binge all the stuff on the PVR, s...

It’s a cold, chilly day today, and a moment ago I looked out the window and saw… snow! ❄️. It’s a little bit of a shock, but it’s not totally unexpected as we’re still in March.  The snow can continue until mid-May when it wants to, but when there’s a long break the surprise is bigger.  Jerry parked himself on me every chance he got today.  I was on the phone and he settled himself in, stretched out on his back, put up his front paw and batted me in the face… when he thought I’d talked enough, he changed position, sat staring at me for a while then tried knocking the phone out of my hand.  He left me to go lie on Don, and is now glaring at me from the sofa.  Don had a doctor’s appointment today (🙌) and now has a requisition for a chest X-Ray which he’ll do in a few days.  The respirologist needs to see how his lungs are doing, so fingers crossed!  He’s suffering sports withdrawal, as spring training is dragging on and not accomplishing anything, and t...

The mild days took a break today; it’s been raining off and on, and it’s been around 5C all day, so it’s cooler than it has been for about a week.  We were warned, and there’s more of a cool down coming over the next day or two as it’s been frigid out west so it’s making its way over here.  As long as the snow is light, we’re all good!  Jerry just left my lap to sprawl on the sofa, after a good long while of being here and staring into my eyes and patting my tummy for a while.  He ate at me for a bit, crunching his kibble on my feet, then giving me a side eye as he ran off for another mouthful.  Little clown!  Don is good; he watched his games for a bit, recorded some more to watch overnight, and is now bingeing a new police procedural set in Canada, which looks interesting to say the least.   I slept like a log last night, and woke up precisely once at 6:45am then back to sleep for a couple more hours.  I feel a little sluggish today, but otherwi...

It’s raining, it’s pouring, Don is snoring… 😴 and so is Jerry, for that matter.  They’re both relaxed, which is good, and there are tiny gentle snores coming from both of them, while there’s a baseball game being ignored.  I’ll very quietly change the channel and pretend that the game is over, what do you think?  😆  Jerry has assumed his normal position on my feet, where he’s keeping my toes warm and trying to steal my blanket.  I mean, it’s fairly mild (although there’s a bit of a wind from the other direction; I only know from watching some leaves skittering around)  These crocuses are from New York; ours are beginning to emerge in warmer spots, and will soon be followed by daffodils and narcissi and all the lovely spring flowers! Last night, for reasons unknown, I didn’t manage to fall asleep until 6:30am.  It was one of those where I didn’t feel restless, but just couldn’t drop off.  That annoys me, but I’ve realized that it happens every co...

It rained for a good part of the day, but has now cleared up and is sunny.  It was also fairly warm, and that’s a continued benefit.  Jerry is, as usual, guarding me and alternated between petting me and finding the one sore spot on my tummy and using it as a trampoline!  It’s all good now, and my feet are being warmed by a small schnoodle.  Don’s doing pretty well, with no extra pain, although he’s been muttering about not sleeping too well at night.  He’s been watching recordings of his games, and we’ve been catching up on various PVR recordings so it’s been a pretty relaxed day, no stressing. I feel much more like myself today, thankfully, and was able to eat some meals that were more substantial than yesterday’s.  No nausea, which is even better, and my energy is recovering.  I slept a lot last night, and was late getting up today, all of which contributed to me feeling more alert today.  I just had an omelette and toast, and I’ll probably hav...

It was a lovely, fairly mild day, and there’s grass showing again, after months of brown and grey.  Flowers aren’t yet up, nor are the trees budding, but it’s coming soon.  Feels like it will be warm in no time, but there’s a cold front coming in, so the warm will just have to wait a while it seems.  It’s ok, although I’m nervous that the summer will be brutal.  I just have visions of low crop yields because of the erratic weather, dryness and cold in the growing regions and not enough snow, all of which point to higher food costs this summer.  I also don’t want to hear the idiots blaming the prime minister for this as it’s entirely due to the weather.  Jerry has been patting me on the tummy and snuggling up to me all day.  He’s being very attentive, which is so sweet.  Don is feeling a bit more like himself, and had a lovely sports marathon today while I had a nap.  He and Jerry took advantage of the weather and were outdoors enjoying the wa...

This morning started off overcast, but it’s cleared up to a sunny, mild day.  Spring is, apparently, about 10 days off, so it’s nice to have the milder weather.  Jerry is lying on his back on the sofa, with his little paws up in the air, and taking up a remarkable amount of space for a little dog!  He’s very comfortable, so I won’t disturb his dreaming.  He was on my lap for a while, curled into a ball and moved off reluctantly.  Don is up and about, feeling more like himself (I like that) He tried one of my spicy soups, and after a reaction for the heat, decided that he likes it, so now I have to share 😆 It’s ok, I keep trying to broaden his palate, so this works very well all around. Yesterday morning I had an early appointment with one of my doctors, so I had a somewhat broken night as I was afraid of missing my alarm… I did wake up before it, but didn’t get up, and fell back asleep for 15 minutes… sigh.  Anyway, we were up and made it on time; got back...

It’s been sunny and mild today, although yesterday was blustery, wet, cold and snowy.  I was none of those, as I was happy and cozy.  Today is beautiful, although it’s cool — early springlike weather in full force.  I’d be pleased if it stayed fairly mild for this week, especially early tomorrow morning, as I have an appointment at the crack of dawn, which is even earlier since the clocks changed yesterday.  It’s still light out, although it is getting late according to the clock.  Jerry has finally settled down and is sitting on my feet.  His PSW was here today, and he was very excited, but she petted him for a few minutes and he calmed down a bit.  He was bouncing around like a jackrabbit on a pogo stick and leaping on the sofa until she played with him.  Don is dozing off and on; he’s lying on the sofa and relaxing a bit.  There were several games yesterday that he recorded, so at one point I wasn’t sure if he was watching a live broadcast...