The future, the present and a look at the past

Thank you all for your kind words regarding my back pain. I've had a follow-up with my chiropractor and we both agree I'm back to 80% or more. Every day I'm seeing improvement. Moving from a sitting or lying position is still somewhat painful but I'm getting there and once I'm up and mobile I'm good to go. I'm also continuing to take an anti-inflammatory every morning and use the RubA535 ointment for pain relief. I didn't do a whole of lot of anything this week, but did continue to stay active by walking frequently during the day. 

On Monday I went out to Walmart to pick up a few needed grocery items, milk and fruit. While I was there I also got the goodies for the Halloween trick or treaters. The box of mini chocolate bars and box of chips are tucked away in the garage for now. I couldn't find one of the items I wanted so stopped at the Co-op on the way home where I picked up a few more items. We should be good for the next ten days or so.

Tuesday was an exciting day, not for anything I actively did but because it was time to make final payment on my next cruise. The photo from Wednesday was taken from the cruise company website of the Island Princess navigating through the Panama Canal. I booked this cruise in April 2021, hoping against hope that the pandemic would be over and life be back to semi-normal. I guess I was almost right.

The cruise I'll be on is a 14 day cruise sailing from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles with a full transit through the canal. We also have stops in Columbia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Huatulco, and Puerto Vallarta. It is the first leg of the world cruise (111 days) leaving from Fort Lauderdale. I can't imagine a cruise of that length, and reading about passengers dealing with Visa's and the like in various countries makes me content to be on the shorter cruise. Just about 90 days to sail-away!

When we reach Los Angeles, I expect there won't be a whole of passengers disembarking. It should make for an easy transfer to the airport for my flight home. The other thing that will be quite different for me is the size of the ship. The Island Princess has capacity for just around 2200 passengers and 900 crew. In comparison, the smallest ship I've been on previously had over 3000 passengers and 1200 crew. (Basically the size of the town when I was growing up). The larger ships are too big to go through the old locks. 

Back to the mundane, on Wednesday I managed to get some floors mopped before I settled in to watch the first of a Jays baseball double header. When I left for my stitch and chat group the Jays were leading but the Orioles rallied and one for the first game. Stitch and chat was good, with six of us there working on various projects. D was back this week and we had a great chat about the Panama cruise. She's done the route twice before so had a few ideas for me. 

Thursday morning dawned cold with a temperature of -5C (23F). It never got warmer than 8C (46F) and while I should have gone out to pull the remaining annuals I left them for one more night. It was chilly out there and I was procrastinating. Most the plants looked fine on Thursday morning but after an even colder night into Friday morning, the geraniums and ivy that I meant to bring indoors are done, and my impatience is finished too. The marigolds and petunias were still looking decent, but I had to pull them before the soil in the pots froze solid.

The other activity that has been keeping me busy is a return to Ancestry website. I had paused my membership and re-started it late last week. I signed on and found over 600 hints waiting for me. This doesn't include the 400-500 hints I had identified through Newspapers.com while I was able to view Ancestry but not update. It's going to take some time to complete the revisions and add new information. 

One of the new individuals, was the great niece of my 3X great grandfather. Alice May was born in Quebec in 1885. She married sometime between 1901 and 1905 when her oldest child was born. Five more children were born between 1907 and 1914 including a set of twins; sadly none of her children lived to see their first birthday. At some point, her husband remarried and had two surviving children and he passed away in 1949. No 1921 census records are available for Alice May or her husband, though I did find a voter's list for 1940 and discovered she was living with her mother and sister in Montreal.  The last document I've accessed was a border crossing from 1945, when at the age of 60, Alice May went to visit a male friend in Detroit, Michigan. I've had no luck in finding this friend, as his name is very common, and she seems to have disappeared after this point in time. 

One can't happen but wonder what happened to Alice May. She suffered many losses, her children and her husband when she was a young adult. She clearly supported herself as she is listed as a servant in 1940, and a cook in 1945 on the border crossing declaration. Whether she returned to Canada or remained in the U.S. is a mystery with no conclusion. Perhaps as more records are made available, the end of her story will be revealed. 

I won't end this post on that solemn note, so will drop in a couple of photos from this week.

I've finished two scarves in the past ten days or so, both crocheted, and a pair of knitted mitts. I have a toque/beanie started in the same color of brown, and a baby dress from skein of yarn that's been in my stash for a long time. There aren't too many more bits and pieces of yarn left in the tub.

This is photo of the trees in my back yard on Friday morning. As I mentioned we had frost overnight in Thursday and Friday. I was doing dishes on Thursday afternoon, and noticed the trees were dropping their leaves, even without a wind. It seems they just changed colour over the weekend and they've both lost most of the leaves in just a 24 hour period. 

I did get the containers cleared out on Friday afternoon, after the curling and baseball game, and before the football started. The patio furniture was put away, and all the containers stored in various places in the yard or small shed for the winter, along with the garden hoses. It all looks so bare now with the exception of the perennials in the front flower bed. I'll cut those back in the spring. 

Today is going to be quiet day. A little baseball, a little football, and some knitting. To my Canadian readers, Happy Thanksgiving!

Visits and autumn colours

This week has flown by in a flash, and I'm reminded we're a mere three months away from 2023. Autumn is definitely here with cool nights, though the heat has been turned up during the days. Thursday, we broke a record of 135 years, with a high of 31C (88F). It's cooled off since and I will spend some time this weekend pulling annuals from the containers. There is definite frost in the forecast this upcoming week and I'd rather pull while they bloom than clean up a sodden mess.

As I mentioned last week I spent a couple of days visiting my daughter and grandson. Lots was accomplished inside the house on that first day so we took a break at the park on Saturday afternoon. As soon as Eli arrives at the park, he removes his shoes and socks - hence the foot photo from wordless Wednesday. I swear if he ever grows into those feet, he's going to be a very big boy. D tells me he is six inches taller than most of his classmates, and at least 3 inches taller than the next tallest. This surprises me as neither his mom nor dad are tall, however my son and my brothers are all over 6" so he does come by it honestly.

One of his favorite pieces of equipment is this swing. He sat on the swing, asked us to give him a push, and then climbed to his feet. Evidence of great core strength and no fear! 

I drove back Sunday morning, planning to stop in the valley if the autumn colors were evident. But it was still pretty green so I kept on driving. I did make it home in time to watch the final curling game of the weekend. (I didn't miss out on the women's final as I'd PVR'd it and watched it later - priorities, right?)

Tuesday I headed to pick up a few grocery items that were on sale. Since it was senior's day at Value Village I headed there too. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, and was mostly browsing. Then I spotted these lamps (the photo makes the one shade look smaller but it actually isn't). I got the pair for less than $20. When I got home I discovered they are tri light lamps - perfect for my need for better lighting for stitching. Even though the bulbs were $20 a piece these were still a decent bargain. They replace an old set I've had for 15 years or so that will be passed on to my daughter. 

Wednesday was stitch and chat with six of us in attendance. One of the regulars, D wasn't able to make it; S said D had Covid a few months ago and hasn't completely recovered yet. All the more reason to try to avoid it, knock wood. One of the ladies is working on a knitted kitchen towel; it is working up so nicely that I'll have to ask if I can photocopy the pattern. S had been to the optometrist that morning and had her eyes dilated so she sat and kept us entertained. 

On Thursday I took a drive out to my brother's place in the valley north west of Regina. Neither he nor I know why but in that part of the valley the leaves have changed color and the wind we've had this week has taken a lot down already. I did get a few photos to share. As I was driving above the valley I spotted a hawk on the bale in the field and came to a screeching halt to take a photo. It flew off, but then I noticed there was another hawk just a couple of bales further along. This time I was a little more cautious and was able to get the shot before it flew off. R thinks it is likely a red-tailed hawk. 

This next photo is my favorite of the day and was taken as I drove down the hill to the valley. I pulled off to the side of the road, and for the first time in my memory of making that drive, I had two vehicles pass by. Almost a traffic jam, lol!

It is unusual to still see the green on the valley floor at this time of the year. The red roofed Anglican church is rarely used, mostly for weddings and a few funerals. There is a cemetery on the property too.

After checking R's newest project, a rocker for the front porch, the two of us took a walk over to a nature reserve next door. I should mention my back was giving me grief so our walk was mostly limited to the lower elevations though there were a couple of places where we had to climb. Thank goodness for the small saplings along the path. At the end of the trail, we reached the parking lot and turned around there to return to the house. We had Kola with us (the dog) and dogs are not permitted in this area. 

R's property runs up against the preserve and he maintains many of the trails that lead in and out. Since he's done started doing this work, they have started marking the trails for their members. It works for R as he likes to run the trails and they appreciate the widening of the deer paths. 

We headed back to the house and sat out on the verandah chatting for a half hour or so before I headed back to the city. By the time I arrived home, my back felt even worse, so I called the chiropractor and made an appointment for Friday morning. Good thing, as I woke up in the morning in the shape of an S. My left hip appeared to be an inch or so higher than the right and any movement that required me to bend was extremely painful. 

My appointment went well, starting with a ten minute electronic massage - a first for me. I felt absolutely no pain while that was happening. She did an adjustment in my lower and upper back and I can't say that wasn't somewhat painful. Before I left she explained that my muscles are tight and my sciatic nerve is inflamed causing the spasms that shifted me into the S position. I'm to take an anti-inflammatory, and keep active as sitting or laying down will merely cause things to seize up.

So I came home, took a couple of Aleve and headed outdoors to start the fall clean-up. No heavy lifting was done, I merely cleaned up a couple of containers, cut back the ferns, and swept the front patio and back deck. Indoors I did sit briefly for my lunch, and later to do a bit of crocheting. But I timed my breaks based on the television, and got up to move during the commercials. As the day went on, the pain did lessen quite a bit and I got in over 14,000 steps. 

I might have overdone it a bit, as I woke this morning feeling quite stiff and sore.  I'm continuing to move though as sitting definitely is not good for me. The laundry is done for the week, and I'm heading outdoors to pull a couple more containers. Then there is baseball and football to keep me amused until bedtime.

Just one last photo before I end this post.  It was taken with my cellphone early one morning as the morning light was shining on the tree. Since then, the wind has come up and the tree is almost bare.

The rest of the trees on the street have yet to change colour, but I suspect it won't be very many days before they too are losing leaves. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Ups and downs and turn-around

 Well, this week sure had it's share of disappointments  but eventually things turned around.  On Sunday it was announced that the World Curling broadcasts would be postponed (and later cancelled) as four cases of Covid-19 were detected in the broadcast crews. Initially it was only going to be for a day or so, but as additional cases were detected, up to seven on Tuesday, there was another announcement that no further games would be aired until Friday afternoon. As it turned they were able to get back to the arena by Friday morning and all of the draws, not only those with Canada as a participant, were aired. 

In the meantime, Curling Canada provided updates on Twitter of the Canadian games and I was able to catch the live scoring on the World Curling website but it was a poor substitute.  But, I do understand the need to keep the athletes, officials, and all of the broadcast crew safe. I should note that the broadcast crews stay in a separate hotel and except for the camera crew, who maintain an appropriate distance, there is no physical interaction between the players and on-ice crew with the broadcasters. All interviews are done virtually and it seems to be working as no athlete or official has been infected. Since the return to television, the camera crew hasn't been permitted on-ice so we're getting some different looks. All good!

So, with no curling for much of the week, I thought I'd tackle some bigger projects; spend my time decluttering in the house, working in the yard and setting up containers for planting in a few weeks.  But also on Sunday, as I was putting down the bowl of cat food for Saku, I twisted and popped something in my left hip.  The pain radiated through the muscles down my leg and into my lower back.  It actually took my breath away it hurt so bad.  I spent the next 24 hours in significant pain, using Advil as an anti-inflammatory and extra strength Voltaren for the muscle pain. Monday was a write-off, as I was in a fog most of the day and I couldn't concentrate on anything.  That evening I laid down on the bed on my stomach and did a few stretching exercises.  One of them, what I would call a frog kick (if you've done the breast stroke in swimming you'll know what I mean), resulted in another pop and the pain immediately went from a 8 to a 4 out of 10.  What a relief!

I did get my grocery shopping done on Tuesday but getting in and out of the car was quite painful. Each day the muscle pain was reduced and I was able to do a bit of housework on Wednesday including laundry, sweeping and vacuuming.  

By Thursday, I was feeling some better.  The afternoon was lovely with a temperature of 16C (61F) so after lunch I headed outdoors.  No point in just sitting around and I figured I'd just stop doing something if it hurt.  An hour later I had: the back lawn raked and debris picked up, cleaned and filled the bird bath,  swept the front patio and used my grabber to pick up pine cones, and got the front flower bed tidied.  There are few green shoots starting to show but I can't recall what it is.  I'll have to find my garden book and check my diagram.

By Friday, just in time for the re-start of the curling, my hip/back was almost back to normal.  Getting up and moving from a sitting position, especially if I've sat for an extended time does cause some discomfort but I can live with that! It just means I must get up between ends and walk a little bit.  Canada was in the first draw of the day and won their game handily.  They've had an up and down week too, and needed a win by Switzerland in the afternoon to make the play-offs. Switzerland started off by scoring two points in the first end and continued to run over their competition. So Canada is in the playoffs and have a spot in the Olympics.  Phew!

Some other good news to share, my daughter was able to book an appointment for her vaccination as she was eligible as of Tuesday.  She was able to book on-line before the site crashed temporarily.  Today, she got a call from a friend who works at the local hospital - they had some extra doses so she headed down to the clinic and was able to get her first vaccine!  My son is eligible as of today, but there are no appointments available in the city and the local pharmacies are only providing wait lists. Hopefully later this week.

There are three draws today of curling, Canada is currently on the ice with Sweden.  A win and they make the semi-finals, a loss and they are out.  The two teams have played each other a few times in the past couple of weeks and the games are always tight. I'm not making any kind of prediction.

Since I didn't get out walking this week, I'll share a photo of my cat Saku.  I was able to open the sunroom in the afternoons.  Thursday, it was quite warm out there - I had one of the windows open and the fan running.  The photo was taken after he'd had his supper. I'm not sure if he's simply cooling off his belly or if he ate too much!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Best laid plans...oft go astray

Well the last few days didn't turn out as I had planned.  If you recall, on Friday I had intended to take the old paint and other items to the hazardous waste event at the city yard.  In fact, I got nothing done that day....instead I spent from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. mostly waiting.  First was at the doctor's office, as I had been experiencing pain in my back and abdomen since Wednesday evening.  It had kept me awake for a few hours both of the previous nights and it was even worse when I woke up on Friday morning.  I arrived as the office opened at 9 a.m., only to be told Dr. O wouldn't be in until 10. Arrrgghh!

When my doctor saw me, shortly after 10, he did a cursory exam and decided it was my gall bladder.  He contacted the ER at a local hospital and advised them he was sending me in, getting assurance that I would be seen.  Of course, they didn't commit to exactly when that might be.  So off I went to the ER, where I sat and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited some more.  I was eventually seen by a doctor shortly before 4 p.m.  He sent me for an ultrasound, and when the results were read, it was determined there was nothing wrong with me and I was sent home.  There was no indication of what might be causing the pain which began in my right mid back area and wrapped around my side and across my belly, nor did the ER doc have any other suggestions for it.  He'd done what my doctor asked and he was done with me.

My son is the one who came up with what I believe is the correct diagnosis.  He had suffered a pinched nerve in his back a couple of years ago and the description of my symptoms were similar.  After another night of tossing and turning I went to the drugstore on Saturday morning and picked up some Robaxacet.  It seems to relieve the pain, at least temporarily so I can actually get something accomplished.  So I delivered the waste to the city yard by lunch time on Saturday.  One more item off the list of things to do.

In the meantime, Friday afternoon, my daughter decided she hadn't heard from me for some time and decided to drive into the city to check on me.  She and Eli didn't stay at the house, but stayed with friends which was appreciated as I was still in a lot of pain and really didn't feel the need to have company.  I did have Eli for a couple of hours on Saturday while she took some outgrown clothing to a consignment shop.  Then it was off back to Melville as there was snow in the forecast.

And snow it did through Saturday evening and Sunday as well. The wind was howling and driving the snow sideways.  At least it wasn't sticking to the street.

We fared much better though than D.  She woke to a foot of snow on top of her car!  It should melt over the next day or so as temperatures are to improve.  

Oh, and I had a call from my real estate agent on Saturday evening.  He was on his way back from Costa Rica, had a flight cancelled on Saturday from Toronto to Calgary, but had made a later flight.  Now he was waiting in Calgary for a flight to Regina.  (Remember how I say you can't get anywhere from here...there are also times you can't get here either).  We had a brief chat on the phone about our meeting and he mentioned he would provide some advice on getting the house ready for sale.  I didn't tell him I've spent the last two months doing just that.  He has been in my home previously when D was still living here so I suspect he's remembering what it was like with a make a mess toddler and his make and even bigger mess mommy.  I pretty sure he'll be surprised but we'll see what he has to say.  Our meeting was pushed back to Monday since he had an open house to attend to on Sunday.  I can only imagine how tired he felt!

He touched base on Sunday afternoon and we set our meeting time for 3:30 Monday afternoon.  In advance of the meeting I transferred several photos I've taken of the various rooms to a USB key, and prepared a list of the improvements and replacements I've had done over the past almost 9 years.  I know I'll never recoup what I've spent but at least it shows I've attempted to maintain the house over the years.  

We met this afternoon and spent quite a bit of time going over what makes a house sale-able, which includes decluttering and cleaning (done), setting the right price to bring buyers in, allowing access to buyers to view the property, and holding an open house for realtors and the general public.  I indicated I'd need a bit of advance notice to allow me to get the cats out of the house, to set out clean towels, and tuck away a few things....maybe 30-60 minutes.  He assured me he would provide at least 3-4 hours, that works!  An open house is expected and I expect that will occur within the next 10 days or so.

Curtis will be sending a professional photographer to the house to take photos. He did take the USB key as I had provided some outdoor photos from last summer.  It's too early yet to set out flowers as we're still getting freezing temps at night though I notice one of the box stores has set up their garden center.  I'll probably see if I can get a container or hanging basket to put out during the day. 

We also talked numbers of course and I was pleased to hear the commission is reasonable.  We looked at the current competition and the houses that have sold in the last 180 days in the neighbourhood.  There were 4 sold and 3 on the market.  The one most comparable to mine is overpriced and the listing photos are horrid.  You can see them for yourself via the link.  What they call a sun room definitely doesn't compare to mine.  (I do have new towels to cover the furniture for a showing...these are badly snagged by the cats).  

We did a walk through and I pointed out some of the features of the house, along with indicating where I'd made improvements.  Initially Curtis said he thought the house would attract a young family with small children but when he saw the basement he said it opened it up to those with teenagers as well.  The more buyers we can attract the better.  I was quite happy to hear that he doesn't think I need to replace the carpet or repaint the entire house. 

We've arranged our next meeting for Thursday, when we'll complete the paperwork that needs to be done.  I expect the sign will be up by early next week at the latest.  And then the real fun begins. We can start looking at condos!  There are four currently in the area that have the features C and I are looking for, though there is a glut of others on the market that are missing a key item.  I'm excited about this next phase, can you tell?  

Now I just have to wait and see if all my plans come to fruition.  Fingers crossed, there are no major hiccups!