Sunday Breakfast

Nick and Bev held another great Sunday breakfast for us (Kim, Matt, Kellie, Nolan, Nash, and me) this morning.  We ate out on the deck this perfectly beautiful summer Sunday morning and I wondered again if any of my family takes after me when it comes to cooking.  I don't like to cook and they all seem to not only like it but be exceptionally good at it.

Kim, Kellie, Nash, and I played a couple of board games after (Bev helped) while Nick and Matt watched something foul on T.V.  At least the language was.  LOL!  That also made me wonder if there is anything you can't say on T.V. any more except maybe the "n" word.  Not good for kids to hear this stuff!

The outside planters I helped Bev pick out in the spring are just looking glorious and I'm very proud of her for looking after them so well.  She doesn't know too much about plants but she's learning.

I headed back home about noon and had my afternoon snooze.  It seems I can't get by without one any more and that's why I don't trust I can do the long drive to Florida and home.  Brent wants to go down for Shelley's birthday (April 3) and he'd drive us home but I haven't arranged someone to drive Faye and me down there after Christmas.  We're hoping Dwayne will do it but we haven't asked him yet.  All in good time!

Family...I don't know how I could live without them!

Stroke Aftermath

Wayne is having trouble talking and that's normal for people who have just had a stroke.  I've been told that it can take up to a year for stroke patients to recover normality so he does have a long road in front of him.  He'll need lots of intensive care, either from family or therapists so this is quite serious.

I think I speak for every senior when I say that one of our worst fears is of being bedridden and having to depend on others for everything.  A stroke strikes out of nowhere and it's not something you can prepare for or even completely avoid.  Wayne's stroke was brought on by his fall and hitting his head but it can literally just hit you from nowhere.

I told my children that, if I'm ever bedridden with no chance of recovery, I do not want any life saving measures taken.  I don't want to end my days like that.

My hopes and prayers are going out to Wayne that he can recover enough to enjoy life.  He's such a good man.

Brother-in-law/Brother

I was very lucky to marry into the family that I did.  It's a large family and most of my in-laws are some of my best friends.  Wayne is one of them.  We were all in shock yesterday to find out he'd fallen off a ladder, hit his head on concrete, and suffered either a concussion or stroke or both.  The good news is that he has survived but will need therapy to walk again.  

Wayne was the first of my in-laws that I met...even before my husband (his brother).  Wayne and I were mid teens at a teen dance and he was and has always been a good dancer.  I remember him pointing out his brother (my future husband) who happened to be reeling drunkenly in the doorway and saying that he got drunk all the time and beat up all his girlfriends.  I think he was trying to turn me off that handsome brother of his because it turned out that Dennis rarely drank and I don't think he ever beat anyone up in his whole life.

Wayne has always been like a brother to me...a seriously good man with a heart of gold.  He ended up marrying the lady who is now one of my best friends (Mary).  Unfortunately they divorced after a time but Mary has always remained my good friend.

Wayne has always been such a happy-go-lucky guy, loved by everyone who knows him so we're really hurting that he's been so badly injured.  The original news was that he probably wouldn't survive so just needing therapy, even if it's for a serious problem like walking, is a blessing to hear.  He and Rhonda have been married for 30 or so years and his recovery is going to be mainly on her shoulders.  They live in the Chicago area which is quite far from his Canadian home where most of his relatives live.  It helps to have family close by at a time like this.

It was just over 13 years ago that Dennis passed away and that was very hard on Wayne and the rest of their siblings.  This is an extremely close and loving family so Wayne's misfortune will also be terribly hard on all of us.  He's 79 years old and he's not going to bounce back quickly from this accident but they come from tough stock and I'm truly hoping he'll recover enough to have a good life in his well deserved golden years.

My healing thoughts go out to you, my brother, my friend.  

Stress

I have 3 daughters, all with different personalities and different ways of handling stress.  Cindy is the one I worry about most because she has always been the most responsible one, the one who took on every task with a fierce determination, the one who feels she has to look after every single thing or it won't get done right.  That leads to unbelievable stress.

Aeron, Cindy's daughter, is getting married in September and Cindy is already going a little crazy worrying that some little detail won't get done.  Aeron, on the other hand, is calm and collected and taking care of those details.  We're all concerned that the stress of this wedding will be too much for Cindy but there is hope on the horizon.  Aeron wants to get pregnant immediately and that should make Cindy very, very happy.

Stress can arise from too high expectations...Cindy wants a wedding where absolutely nothing goes wrong.  They will and they will be dealt with.  Any problems will be laughed about in years to come and make good stories for the next generations.

We all deal with stress in our own way but those who can fling it off and walk away from it are the happiest people.  We have to remember that what seems insurmountable today might mean nothing tomorrow.  Most often "won't" matter at all.

Cindy, this time next year you might be nuzzling the neck of your first grandchild.  Life is good! 

Shooting in Toronto

A deranged man obtained a gun and shot up a neighborhood in Toronto, killing 2 innocent people and injuring many others.  At first I assumed it had been the middle of the night and outside one of the clubs but it wasn't.  It was a beautiful summer evening where people were enjoying the local restaurants or just out for a walk.

I, of course, mentioned on Facebook how I wish there were no guns on the street and one of my friends replied that, if all guns were banned, only the criminals would have them.  This is a constant theme from people who seem to want us all armed and wandering the streets waiting to be offended.  How scary!

I haven't heard where this mentally disturbed man got the gun but, if it came from his family's collection and wasn't secured properly, the family should be charged with contributing to the murders.  There is absolutely nothing anyone can do if he bought the gun on the street but, thankfully, there are not too many in Canada available that way.

Our gun laws are strict enough to limit the number of guns available to criminals or crazies but can be obtained if someone really wants one.  We can't control 100% but I would rather live in a society where you can be out in public and not worry that half the people around you are carrying guns.  That's how I feel when I'm in the States.  Heaven forbid you should accidentally cut off a gun toting motorist who is having a bad day!  We already see too much of individuals who can't control their tempers and have no shame when making a public spectacle of themselves.  I always hope they're not armed, too!

Nothing will bring back the lives of the 18 year old young woman and 8 year old little girl who was shot and killed but maybe whoever allowed the gunman access to a gun will have learned something.  Maybe that person has a conscience.  

Hot Topics

It's much better for your peace of mind if you avoid hot topics...usually politics, religion, and the awful people in your life.  Of course, those topics will come up once in a while because you consider them important but it's best not to let them take over your life.

I know only too well how I can get carried away by ugly events happening in the political world but just what can I do about them?  Nothing!  So I have to train myself to give them a smaller part in my consciousness so that I won't stress too much unnecessarily.

I've been very fortunate to not have many nasty people in my life.  I don't know how anyone can stand living next to neighbors that cause them misery every single day.  I'd move.

We Canadians really don't appreciate just how good we have it.  Our country is not war torn.  Our streets are fairly safe.  We have free health care for everyone.  The world (mostly) loves us.  I'm ever thankful that my ancestors chose to come to Canada to live and I would never want to live anywhere else on earth.  The worst part of living in Canada are the cold winters but most people take advantage of that time of the year for winter sports and activities.  I go south.

Anyway, today I'm going to ignore all the crap that's going on in the rest of the world and just bathe in the Canadian life I'm so lucky to live!

Polite Rebuttals

I posted on Facebook my feelings about the Trump/Putin meeting and expected some of my American friends to be offended but I also felt they would not reply rudely...and they didn't.  I have chosen very nice people for friends!  I make sure they know I love them dearly no matter what their politics happen to be.  I know that they're good people and that's all that matters to me.

It really is a time to worry about the U.S., though, and that goes for the whole darned world.  Like it or not, we all depend on the good graces of the U.S. to keep our countries relatively safe from invaders and it's frightening to see that the worst invader of them all is a friend of Trump.  I can only hope that the other politicians in the U.S. have enough power to contain Trump and keep the likes of Putin from destroying their country...and ours. 

Praise and Insult

Seeing Trump wink at the Russian dictator, Putin, and praise him while putting down the intelligence operatives of his own country shocked the world.

I'd equate it to having a husband wink at the town tramp, praise her for being an honorable person and then trashing his wife for being a faithful partner.

How many wives would stand for that?  And how many Republicans will stand for it?  That's the real question.

Trump has insulted and alienated most, if not all, of America's allies while befriending some of the most evil dictators in the world.  Wonder why?  Birds of a feather!!

Horror of Horrors

It was 90+ F outside and, poof, I heard a little crack and then the horrible silence of the air conditioner and the T.V.  I was at the opposite end of the apartment and instantly realized the lights there were still on and knew I'd just blown a fuse.  This has happened one other time in the 5 years I've lived in this apartment and, at that time, I phoned the superintendent with my problem.  He asked if I'd checked the fuse box.  I had no idea where the fuse box was (it was conveniently located on the wall next to the stove) so he kindly walked me through the process of rebooting the fuse and it worked.  This time I knew what to do and it worked.  Thank heavens!!

I've been worrying about a power outage because we've had so much hot weather this summer.  This time it was just a blown fuse, though.  Tragedy averted!

Yup!

I always say that it's best to stay away from doctors because, if you let them test you for one thing, they'll find something new.  I had the consultation for the colonoscopy and endoscopy yesterday and have reluctantly decided to have them done but now they've found I have a heart murmur...apparently it's a quiet one but darned if they didn't seek it out and now I have one more "illness".  Shelley said not to worry about it especially if it isn't a real loud one and mine was hard to hear.  Apparently it could have been caused by my recent anemia because I've never been known to have one before.

The specialist had some kind of weird foreign name and I had envisioned a chubby middle aged Arab but was surprised when it turned out to be a stunningly beautiful young woman doctor.  I shouldn't be so surprised because women have made great strides in equality over the years and many women choose to become doctors now instead of nurses.  And then, we have many male nurses, too.  Professions are becoming less sexist and that's a wonderful thing.

I've never had a colonoscopy before...I avoid medical tests like the plague...but I knew the worst part was the cleansing the night before the procedure.  Luckily, I live alone and don't have to share my bathroom because I'll be spending most of that night in there.

Another somewhat good thing is that both endoscopy and colonoscopy are done at the same time so I won't have to make 2 trips.  The bad thing is that my follow up appointment with them isn't until November 2nd so I can't apply for my out-of-country health insurance to go to Florida until I know what the results are.  I'm not planning on leaving until after Christmas but I like to plan well ahead.

Oh yes, I'd been a little concerned about my normal good blood pressure being low recently but it was a bit elevated yesterday.  This happens when I'm nervous.  I keep telling these doctors that I feel perfectly fine and don't feel I need to see them or have any more tests done but then I feel coerced into taking the damn tests.  My little old body is sure to have flaws they'll find if they look for them!  I'd prefer they don't look.

Well, the procedures will be done August 27th...I could have had them done earlier but I wanted to get past the shower on the 18th before worrying about anything.  Kim will go with me for the procedures and Cindy will go with me for the results.  I am one lucky woman to have precious daughters who support me when I need them.  Shelley is my "go to" when I'm in Florida but she's also my "go to" for medical advice when I'm home.  

I can't wait for all this crap to be over with!  No pun intended.

Nolan's Birthday

Nick and Bev had a 9th birthday party for Nolan yesterday (his birthday is on the 10th) and it was a pleasure as usual to be included.  I know I harp all the time on what a wonderful wife Bev is to Nick and how lucky he is to have found her but it's simply true.

Nolan and Nash are also super lucky to have her for a stepmother.  They call her "Bev" and she doesn't mind that but will accept whatever they might choose to call her.  I'm hoping one day they'll choose to call her "Mom"because she certainly fills that role well.

Nolan has been having temper tantrums at school and running outside.  This scares me so much because he has no idea what kind of predators troll the streets looking for victims.  I asked Nick if he'd put some fear into Nolan and he said he has but he doesn't want to terrify him.  I asked if it was okay for me to speak to him and stress the dangers and got the okay from Nick.  I wouldn't ruin his birthday but will speak to him later.

Running off is how Nolan deals with what he sees as unfairness but he really is putting himself in danger.  Kim feels he'll mature soon and handle his frustrations in a different manner and I believe that is true but that doesn't help now.

Apparently Nolan deals with stress the same way his GG does.  I run from it, too, but no-one is going to kidnap me.  He is such a perfectly beautiful little boy and it hurts to see him struggling.  I remember Matt as a little boy, always in trouble for some little thing but never having anger build up in him.  Funny how children are so different.  Childhood is not for the weak...it's a time of having no control over your surroundings or your life and that can frustrate anyone.  How you are able to deal with it is probably in your DNA...some fight and some flee.  Worse are the ones who just give up and give in.  I love Nolan's spirit but will be happy when he's matured a bit and can handle adversity a bit better.

But Nolan was one happy little boy at his party with friends and family making him feel special.  Every child needs that and he always gets his fair share of it.  He is a much loved child!  

Happy Birthday, my precious Nolan, my first greatgrandchild!

Jury Duty

There are a lot of reasons people don't want to be chosen for jury duty.  One is the low pay...I think it's $9 per day.  Not many hourly workers can afford to be off their regular jobs for that kind of pay.

Kim has to attend a jury selection this week and she's the only full time employee in her office.  The powers that be wouldn't allow her to use that as an excuse to escape jury duty.  I told her to say she's read all about the crime in the news and has already made up her mind about the person's guilt or innocence and that should get her removed but I'm not sure.

I wouldn't want to serve on a jury.  Either I'd be bored or horrified and I don't know which would be worse.  I've spoken to police officers that say the public really doesn't want to know the details of the horrible crimes that occur every day and I believe that.  Just knowing that criminals have no conscience about committing crimes scares me.  Hearing how some teens will carry out a murder for a couple of bucks really is terrifying.  Again, it's the flaw in human beings that we've never been able to obliterate from our DNA that makes every one of us capable of the most heinous crimes.

No, I prefer to know about these crimes only on the surface.  I don't want details.  I wonder if there's an upper age limit for jurors? 

Update:  I checked about seniors being exempt but they're not, only if someone has a health issue.  I think I could be exempt because of how often I have to pee.  LOL!

Heat Wave

Kim called yesterday to make sure I was keeping cool and I was.  My window air conditioner works fine even if it is a bit noisy.  It worries me, though, that the life expectancy of a window air conditioner isn't all that long and mine is 5 years old.  It's bound to break down during a heat wave but, if it does, I have places to go.  Thank heavens for lots of nearby family!

It got me thinking abut how many people survive without any air conditioning at all during these heat waves.  I never had one until way after we bought the house in 1968 so I must have done okay during hot spells.  We seldom had 90+ F days back then, though...only maybe half a dozen throughout the whole summer.  We're having a lot more now.

It doesn't have to reach 90F to be unbearable.  Even 80F when you're living in a tiny 3rd floor apartment (as we did when Kim was born) is pretty awful with nothing to cool you but a fan that only moves the hot air around.

But I'm old now and comfort is my king.  I couldn't last very long today without air conditioning but at least I could stay with family until I could fix or replace my own air conditioner.  A bit of a worry is that stores have been known to run out of window air conditioners...Kim said no but I think they have in the past.

Anyway, lucky me is staying nice and cool right now and I'm hoping to stay that way. 

4th of July, 2018

Americans are some of the most patriotic people in the world...until lately.  Could it be Trump's influence??  Anyway, today is the day they celebrate their country and just maybe it will help heal the wounds the overly political factions have opened in that great country.

Happy 4th of July to my American family and friends! 

Bedroom T.V.

One of my habits is to go to bed about an hour early and watch T.V. but the cable receiver broke a few days ago and I have to travel up the mountain to the mall to get a new one and haven't done that yet.  I miss my bedroom T.V.

When I moved to the apartment 5 years ago, I bought my own cable receivers instead of renting them.  I'm not sure if that was cost efficient because I've forgotten how much I paid for them.  I would buy another one, though, but have heard Cogeco doesn't sell them any more so I'll just have to rent one.  The one in the livingroom T.V. is still working fine.

Funny how, at my age, I have to consider if it's worth buying something that will last 5+ years because I might not.  I'm also planning to reinvest some money into a 5 year GIC but that's okay because I won't need it until long after that if I'm still around.  I don't like thinking this way because I'm enjoying my life very much and want more.  Don't we all?

Well, I'll drive up the mountain this morning and get the receiver and some groceries, too.  Life is pretty damned good!

Canada is Beautiful!

We make a lot about how Canada is a melting pot of nationalities but we don't say enough about how these various nationalities come to Canada from impoverished or war torn countries and live here in peace.  Just as our ancestors did a few generations back!

Someone said that "We (long time citizens) are not children of immigrants.  We are citizens", and that's exactly what we all are.  We shouldn't forget how difficult it was for our ancestors to pack up their few belongings and cross the ocean to a new country where they might not even have spoken the language.  They did it for their children and their children's children.

Our ancestors were no different than the immigrants of today.  They wanted a better life and opportunities for their families.  That's all most of us want.  Yesterday I saw crowds of visible minorities (not sure they're minorities any more, though) wearing Canada t-shirts and celebrating our special day.  What a beautiful sight!

Canada has so much to be proud of...a very safe and peaceful country to live in, opportunities for everyone, government health care for everyone (not perfect but no-one suffers because they can't afford to see a doctor), busy cities but surrounded by lots of beautiful countryside, and cultural diversity!  

We're known as the "peacekeepers" in the world and not the invaders.  That's something to be extra proud of and not to be taken for granted.  Few countries carry that title.

I'm a proud and grateful Canadian.

Canada Day in Niagara Falls

I made a last minute decision to go to the casino in Niagara Falls yesterday and, OMG!, I've never seen that kind of crazy traffic and drivers anywhere on this earth.  I got to the casino okay and spent the day there before losing most of my money but had to leave around 7:30 P.M. so I'd get home before dark.

Again, OMG!!, I drove out of the casino parking to absolute chaos in the streets!  Traffic was not only bumper to bumper all the way to and along the QEW but none of the drivers were staying in their lanes.  Cars blocked the intersections...and not a traffic cop in sight!...so drivers drove around them even if that meant going into oncoming traffic.  Cars whizzed across traffic without looking to see if anyone was there!  Pedestrians were everywhere, of course, and they were actually a pretty sight to see.  We are a diverse nation and the pedestrians reflected that.  Families from every nationality sported "Canada" t-shirts and it warmed my heart even as I gasped and groaned about the insane drivers I had to contend with.

Caucasions don't seem to be the majority any more and that's okay.  We're just more interesting now!  

I sort of surprised myself in staying relatively cool in spite of the driving dangers.  I've experienced driving in China and thought nothing could be worse than that but Canada Day in Niagara Falls beats all.  A sense of  sanity settled on the drivers as we merged onto the highway but the incoming traffic was lined up for miles coming into the city.  I wanted to yell at them to go home because there was no room for any more cars!

Anyway, I arrived home safely and determined never, ever to drive anywhere again on Canada Day.

Happy Canada Day!!!