July /11

At last summer has arrived and I love the warmth.   Flowers are blooming and oh so pretty at that.

Some places have had a lot of rain but so far we are rather lucky but we had enough that crops were later getting planted but all is well now.

 

I hit my left shin getting in the bath one morning, those porcelain tubs are sure not very forgiving,  so am nursing a sore leg but it will heal in time.

so am not going out as much as I should.   I lost my sister a month ago to a lung disease and miss her very much as we used to visit every day.  Her husband is still in hospital but recovering slowly.  I have a cousin living close by so can call on him for help if need be.

 

I have been enjoying watching the Royal visitors and they seem to be having a good time as well as the people where they have visited .  All are interested in what the Duchess wears and she seems like a fashion icon. She has performed her role very well but does have a heavy load ahead in the years to come.  Most of us are lucky enough to go about our businesses without any problem of security , hope all realize that.

 

At long last

It has been many a day since I last wrote anything in my blog but decided to do so now.   My last was in March /10.  A few things have happened since then.  I am learning how to live alone , learn a bit about banking , I sure was dumb about that but with lots of help am still putting food on the table, paying the taxes, hydro and such things.  I have a wonderful advisor at the bank so much so that I often drop in and always with an apple for her.   I also take an apple to my Dr when I  go .  An apple a day is touted to keep the Dr away but methinks that is just an old wives tale.

 

I have joined a bridge foursome  which I like.   Another woman and I go to a retirement home and play with 2 residents there every Friday if convenient.  The weather has been anything but helpful on some of those days.

 

I slipped on the ice  5 days before Christmas and pulled the muscles in my left shoulder.  I was going to stay home and sit in my chair but one daughter came and insisted I go to Brampton for a week and a good decision as I had to get up, painful as it was, get dressed and exercise during the day.  That was enough to make me stay in while the snow and ice have been around.   Spring can't come soon enough for even the younger ones.

We are having snow today but it is warm out so no doubt it is sap snow.   Time to tap for maple syrup.

 

Another  couple and I go to the Legion every Sunday night for dinner and after,  we go visit my sister and brother in law.  My sister developed a lung condition late last year and is now on oxygen mostly full time.  She doesn't like it as she was always an active person but now stays in her house and won't go out,come spring maybe so.   They both were depressed so we try to take some encouragement with us along with a good visit.  They look for us to come.   John, one of us, and I need a chair for when we take off and put on our boots or shoes and my brother in law had one ready by the door when we visited last Sunday.   They sure look for us.   Two people in their home and not much mental stimulation can get rather boring.

 

I have enjoyed the many e-mails that come my way.  Tis morning I had one from a cousin about funny animals.  Many jokes come along and I red one at each lodge meeting I go to.   Some are a bit off colour and so they don't get read.  One I thought about reading was funny but my granddaughter said she didn't think it was appropriate to read to the women, but I may reconsider that as I think it is hilarious as it is about a male cop. Men make jokes about women  and I think women can make jokes about men. 

 

The curling is on this week and very competitive so interesting to watch.   Much better than what they call hockey these days  with a lot of men getting concussions.  Will they never learn?  They are like a group of gladiators on the ice.

All have a great week.  
Helen

March 25/10

                    Another day and a cloudy one at that.  We had a beauty yesterday with sun all day and warm.  It was over 50*F so very pleasant.  Went to the hospital to visit a friend whose husband has not been to see her as yet, doesn't feel like it, he says.   She thinks he is in the throes of Alzheimers.  He does seem a dab depressed but he may snap out of it one of these days.   She had hip surgery and then fell after she came home and they had to redo the surgery and put a plate in and now has to stay in hospital for 4 weeks for therapy.   She is in a lovely room. she had her hair and nails done so looked good.

 

Today  my care giver came for an hour then my cleaning lady then the nurse to dress a lesion on my leg.  After a quick lunch I went to a lodge meeting.   After the meeting we had a fruit plate, cheese and tarts with our tea.  Always have to eat.   Tomorrow is a bridge game in the aft at a retirement home then cards with friends in the evening.   Will need Saturday to rest up.  Nice to be busy , especially at something that is entertaining.  

 

I watched some TV this morning and a Dr's show was on that I hadn't seen before.   They were on about diets and what we should eat and what not.   They had a recipe for brownies that are gluten free.   They used a can of black beans instead of flour.  Will make some and if they are as good a they say will send the recipe to my sister who is on a gluten free diet.   She was very ill in hospital a year or so ago and it took the Dr's a month to figure out what ailed her.   When they found out she had a bad allergy to gluten and  now that she eats nothing with gluten in it she is fine.   How do we get these things later in life?  How do we get anything?  I guess when we get older our body starts to fall apart or else we abused it  in our youth.   How did we know that the bod  wouldn't go on forever.

 

I had an e-mail today from the condo board telling me that they would not pay for my dish washer that the rat chewed a lot of it .  They said they will fix the hole it chewed through the wall.  I sent them an e-mail asking when they would do that job.   So far no answer.  I am not holding my breath on that one. 

 

The swans that were swimming on the bay yesterday were not there today  so must have found a better place to swim.   They may be back tho.  Hope all are enjoying the day.

march 24/10

What a beauty day and after the rainy blustery of yesterday.  Had a slow morning .  Went to the church for their monthly soup and sandwich luncheon.   Very good.   Then wit a friend went to Belleville Hospitalto visit another friend who is in after having leg surgery.   She has had some trouble with it so is in for 4 weeks therapy.  She was in the lounge playing bowling on the Wii.  Had a good visit then home tp watch the rest to the women's curling.  They are no slouches and wonderful to watch.  Have a busy day tomorrow with a lodge meeting in the afternoon.  Have to find time to go shopping as well as visit a friend in a retirement home. 

I have to make more smoked turkey and split pea soup. 

This morning 2 beautiful white swans were on the bay and so close to our shore.   I took a picture but by the looks of it I aimed too high and have a picture of tree tops  instead. 

Not much going on just now , so have a good day.

March 20/10

We are having a lovely late winter with warm weather, warmer than Florida.   Tomorrow is supposed to be the first day of spring.

 

The days roll by and my life is sure laid back with not much that has to be done on time.   It seems now that there is always something that needs fixing or replaced due to old age.  One smoke and carbon dioxide alarm detector started taking .   Now try and listen to that off and on 24/7.  Finally my brother-in-law found where they had hidden the battery in it and when he replaced that all was quiet. Imagine telling someone that your smoke detector  talked !!

 

A rat had chewed though the back wall of a cupboard under the sink and has had a good time destroying my dishwasher.   As he did his chewing while we were out or asleep at night we didn't notice anything.   When I used the washer , after the dishes were done there would be water on the floor.   When Doug, son-in-law, pulled the washer out there was a mess behind it plus the varmit had chewed most of the insulation off as well as chewed the plastic frame and a hole in the water pipe.   It was so subtle about it we didn't notice.  A large trap caught the intruder.   A new dishwasher was in order and that has been installed .   Now the dryer is making a loud and funny noise when drying the clothes so that will need looking at.  I am thankful that the computer is working perfectly. Thanks Sandy.  The TV  is dong its job if there weren't so may and long ads. 

 

 I played bridge yesterday and one woman was from Victoria, B.C.   She remarked that she likes to watch public broadcasting but there are so many ads as compared with what she watched in Victoria.  Last night Tony Bennet, jd lang, Elton John and others had a musical program and right in the middle of one of their songs along ad came on  asking for more money.  It does give one time to finish a job you might have stopped to listen to the programme   There must be another way.

 

The Canada geese are flying and honking as they fly north or wherever they go for the summer  . Soon the ducks will be around and I can watch them from my deck.  Then the new wee ones will be about and look like  yellow fluff floating on the water.

 

Do wish there was some happy news  in the paper but then that kind of news never sells.   The uglier, raunchier, destroying news    apparently is what the public wants to read  so says the media.  The media can destroy anyone and methinks often does.

 

Hope all have a great day and  enjoy it to uits fullest.

more

It is March 4th and a beauty day.  I hear that it is cold in Florida and my friends are  leaving  tomorrow for 10 days there.   Once I saw a picture of icicles hanging on oranges this winter I decided that home was the better place.   At least we know that winter is cold and we are prepared for it and wear clothes suitable for the days.   We had a light snow fall this year.   With my new Windows 7 computer I have been kept busy and the time has gone fast.  

Last November  when getting out of the car I didn't step far enough away and the point at the bottom of the car door caught my right calf and tore off some skin as well as some flesh..   It is still being dressed twice  week and still draining.   I am on prednisone and that has slowed down the healing.  It is a dreadful drug but is supposed to do wonders.   I wonder.  I have taken it for temporal arteritis which I acquired after a knee replacement .   Me thinks I picked up an infection in the hospital and that was over 3 years ago.  Couldn't convince any one but have paid the price since. 

Have had 2 of my daughters with me this past weekend  from Thursday till Saunday.   What a joy and as well help. It is getting near income tax time and I had no clue as to what to do so Daughter #3 put everything together and I have taken it to an accountant and let them figure it out.    Don't know whether this will mean getting out the cheque book , will have to wait an see.

The days are lonely but there are things to be done and the nights are lonelier.      One needs  another breathing soul in the house.  

Must do this more often. 

notes

It is March 3rd and where did February go so fast? Being alone is not bad if you have something to do. Thank goodness for the coputer and that Sandy got us started on it 16 or 17 years ago. I know I don't use it as I should as there is so much info out there to find out. I am now reading the daily news as I don't get a paper so can keep up on what is going on. Watching the Olympics was a real treat especially seeing events over again