So much to do

I had to chuckle; the post about blogger issues  garnered over 450 views and 15 comments. Much more than I normally see. Perhaps my content needs to change? I did find it interesting that some are having the same thing and others are not. In any event, I'll continue to write about the mundane moments of my life and toss in a rant every so often. 

We had a full week, though it started off quietly with Thanksgiving Monday. We'd had our big meal the day prior so dinner was easy, just leftovers. D and I did a bit of laundry (she washes/dries and I fold), and she unloaded, I loaded the dishwasher. Otherwise it was a restful day.

I did a five hour shift at the thrift store on Tuesday. There were more than the unusual number of volunteers as we were preparing for the annual fall/winter sale on Saturday. Three ladies were in another area of the building unpacking the totes and hanging coats and sweaters, folding scarves and toques (I think others call them beanies?), and matching gloves, mitts and boots. These are items that have come in over the year and are stored until this sale.

My time was spent clearing racks in the store and walking them down to the other room. We certainly didn't clear out the store but were able to take 5 more racks out to use for the sale. I also did something that has frustrating me for weeks; I sorted the children's clothing racks by age, there are now spaces for 2T-5T, 6-8, and 10-14. Not only was it all jumbled together, I found adult clothing mixed in too. It is easier to just stick things on racks, but this should make things easier for the parents to find what they need. 

I should note, we weren't sorting the regular donations that day, except to look through the bags for anything fall and winter related. It was a bit annoying to some as it means we'll be sorting those bags again in a few days. I tried to stay out of the way as much as possible and my self determined project in the store was helpful for that purpose. In the meantime, the donations have piled up in the sorting room, the back hallway AND in our coffee room. I can only imagine how much more shows up over the next week.

I'd had my tires rotated at the garage last week, and realized I'd only driven 7 kilometers (less than 4.5 miles), and needed to put 100 kms. on before the bolts could be re-torqued. So D and I decided to make a run to the next town over on Wednesday after Eli went to school. First though, we had our booster vaccines for both Covid and the flu. We hit up our favorite stores and were home in just under 3 hours, in time for lunch.

I found, in the night, that the arm with the Covid vaccine was quiet sore, especially when I rolled over and laid on it. But otherwise I had no serious reaction to either. I've found that continuing to keep moving my arms seems to resolve the tenderness. 

D and I dropped into the thrift store on Thursday morning. She was looking for clothing for a friend who has recently returned to work and has little that is business casual. The store was having a sale for $10 a basket; we filled those baskets to the brim, not only with clothing for her friend, but for Eli, D and I, as well as items for her friend S and her children. Here are the bags we brought home, with just under 60 pieces of clothing for $20! She mailed the package to K on Friday; she's receving six or seven pairs of dress pants and five or six tops. Even with the cost of postage, it cost less than a new outfit at a women's retail store. 

Knit and Natter was held on Thursday afternoon. G and I were joined by two young women. The youngest, has learned to spin her own yarn, and was knitting up a cable sweater for herself. The older sister was busy memorizing lines for a play she'll be participating in. I had finished the ornaments for my brother and SIL, so planned to started on a snowman that D requested. However the library recently acquired a decorative goose, named Willie Honka in a recent contest, that is in need of winter wear. While I was there I made a crocheted scarf, with fringe. Earlier this week, I'd tried to make a bell, that ended up looking more like a hat. I brought that home to add elastic so it will stay on Willie's head.

Definitely the final garden update: We had a heavy frost two nights this week, so it was time to pick whatever tomatoes we could and pull the plants. I so dislike pulling plants that have gone mushy from freezing. Here's our one and only pick from the cherry tomatoes. 

Friday was a very tiring day; I hadn't slept well through the night. On the bonus side, I nailed down my route for my travel to Yuma, had come up with a solution for a niggling problem, and had cleaned up after my cat threw up several times before my daughter woke and stepped in it. The latter was my fault, I'd given Eli ice cream for a bed time treat, and not reminded him to take his bowl to the kitchen. Saku loves anything dairy, anything dairy does not agree with him.  

After far too few hours of sleep, I had to be up and at it as I had agreed to help with the set-up for the Saturday sale. At the community center by 9 a.m., I worked alongside the rest of the volunteers until just after noon. Some came later in the morning, but there must have been 20 of us there. The gymnasium is an array of racks, tables, and shelving units holding all of the clothing. I did get a brief nap in the afternoon - I needed it.

Today, I'm heading back in for another shift at 9:30 a.m. A well-known fellow here in town died suddenly  From what I have heard, he was very involved in the community, active in his church, a volunteer fire fighter, played in a local band, and just a long-time resident. Many of the volunteers to attend the funeral, and one asked if I would replace her as a cashier, at least until 2 p.m. when they expect to be available. We are anticipating a good turn-out and will have two check-out areas staffed with extra people. 

This is anticipated to be our last day of nice weather, so back on home, it will be time to pull the remainder of the annuals. I'll miss the colour but we're waking to frost most mornings now. Time to get everything put away. My inner wimp is on high alert.

The day lilies have taken a beating from the frost, while the sweet peas on the fence are still going strong. Most of the deciduous trees have lost all of their leaves.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Transitions

It was a busy start to the week, but has settled down as we're coming up on the weekend. Monday had me finishing up my packing and helping with a few household chores.

We had our flu vaccination booked for Tuesday morning . I was pleased to learn that we could get the Covid vaccine at the same time. That's definitely a benefit of a small town pharmacy. Im pretty certain in the city we would have been asked to make a second appointment. I dropped D and Eli back at the house with hugs for them and a quick cuddle with Saku. Then it was an uneventful drive to the city.

After dropping off my backpack and a couple of bags I headed for the mall. My first stop was Magicuts for a haircut! Much needed. The thrift store was next where I found an apron. There are regular potluck meals and coffee hours at the park. I recognize I tend to spill or splash water on myself.. Hopefully this will help keep my clothes a little cleaner. My final stop was the bank for some US cash. 

I had a good visit with my son and his roommate B in the evening. We ordered in pizza for dinner; a pepperoni pizza with red onion and charred corn. If you've never tried corn on a pizza do try it, it was so good as the sweetness of the corn offset the spicy pepperoni.

I slept in on Wednesday  until 7 a.m. It felt wonderful.  That morning I met with my friends, K and J to go over my potential driving route. They've made the drive south a number of times and were able to give me some pointers.

After lunch I went to Stitch and Chat. It was nice to see a few regulars as well as three or four new(er) attendees.  The latter thought I was new to the group...no, just rarely there. While we had a break due to the pandemic, I started attending the group six years ago.

I went out to get a few groceries on Thursday; some items i prefer including whole wheat bread, bananas, and old cheddar cheese. I also picked up a few items they were low on. The rest of the day was spent relaxing, working on Ancestry, and hanging out with  Kota, the cat. He looks a bit like my Saku but is quite a bit rounder.

I mistakenly made a trip to Costco on Friday morning.  Dumb idea...the lineup to the cashiers extended through the store. I took my time and found a relatively short line on my way out. While standing there a clerk asked if I would like to pre-checkout. Sure, as all I had to do at the till was show my membership card and make the payment.  

This week I've been watching the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners in the MLB playoffs. If you had asked me on Tuesday how the Jays would fare I wouldn't have had high hopes but watching the team rally and win both games in Seattle had me much more hopeful. Tonight they lost in the 8th inning when a relief pitcher gave up a grand slam. Game over! They will be back in Toronto on Sunday in a must win game.

Our Saskatchewan Roughriders played Friday night as well. Since they've clinched a playoff berth they weren't playing several of their starters. The game was a close one which they lost by a single point. Penalties likely cost them the gane as there would have been enough time left on the clock to make a play for the win. 

Today we are off to an appliance outlet to pick out a new refrigerator.  When we moved into the house in November 2023 I had called in a repairman as the freezer fan was making a loud noise. He checked it for a blockage and said it was failing. Parts were impossible to get and he said it could last for awhile. This week it started intermittingly making a very loud noise so it is time to get a new one.

I'll leave you with a photo of my son and his dog Sage. Miss Mooch is hoping there might be a crumb or two leftover.  (There wasn't).

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Get my shots, some good news, and a oopsie mistake

I really need to write a bit of my post every day, because looking back I often forget what happened. The big moments of the week were: getting my Covid and Flu shots on Monday, staying up wayyyyy too late watching the results of the US election, waking up to snow one morning, and a trip to the larger community nearby. 

The latter was primarily for Eli's dental appointment but, of course, we did some shopping too. While D and Eli were in the dentist's office, I went to Walmart to pickup some groceries. I discovered on the weekend, I'd forgotten the bag from Costco and we are out of peanut butter and mayonnaise.  I have peanut butter on toast almost every day. We had identified other needed items so I left the store with several bags and a lighter wallet.

D texted me, just as I got back in the car after loading the back, saying they were ready for pick-up. NO cavities, hurray!!  She booked his next appointment for another check and cleaning in six months. 

We left the parking lot and headed to Dollarama and Value Village. As we got closer, I realized that there had been an accident in the major intersection ahead. One semi had rear-ended another, hard enough to cause the trailer to run into the tractor ahead, damaging the tractor and the load on the trailer.

D took these photos from the passenger seat so there is a bit of glare. There were no apparent injuries, the driver of this vehicle was out on the street talking to someone on his cell (his boss, I suspect), and we later saw the offending semi being driven away. I'm surprised it didn't have front end damage as it must have hit this one pretty darned hard. (Eli calls accidents oopsie mistakes and this was definitely due to a distracted driver.)

We had to make a detour to get to the stores, but that wasn't a problem. D had a coupon for 30% off clothing and found t-shirts and pants for both she and Eli. I picked up a few household items: a muffin tin, a 4 piece mini-loaf pan, and three drinking glasses. The latter are for an experiment that Eli and D will do over the weekend. 

Earlier in the week, I had my Covid and flu shots. Since I'm now 65, I was offered the "high-dose" flu shot. I had no idea such an option exists, but I took it, with one shot in each arm. Both were tender, the Covid arm more so for a couple of days. Otherwise I had no reaction to either, though I decided to relax and take it easy on Tuesday...it was a pajama day for me. :)

I finished the 10th pair of mittens, and sent them off to the school with D. I have one more pair to finish that are adulte sized, that my daughter asked for - she liked the yarn colour. Then, it is time to turn my mind to Christmas crocheting. I'm going to test make a gingerbread man ornament as they may be the gift for Eli's teachers. There are also my brother, his wife, and two adult children - I'm thinking trolls for the kids but not sure what their parents will get. 

D is anxious to get into the Christmas season, while I wouldn't mind waiting a few more weeks. We went through the Christmas tubs, eight of them plus a box, and put some items away for donation, a few pieces need to be mended, and a few items were tossed in the garbage. We'll be down to seven tubs, assuming we don't buy anything more! It was fun going through things, as I didn't do much decorating last year at C's house, so some of the items I haven't seen in nearly two years. We talked about where things might be displayed because this is a new place for both of us. I'm sure we'll change our minds on some things and I won't be surprised if more ornaments make their way to the donation bin. 

The television coverage of the Grand Slam of Curling started on Thursday, and I've caught a few draws. The latest draw starts at 10 p.m. our time, far too late for me. I'll be watching again today, but will interrupt the curling to watch the Riders in the West final. They are matched up against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, our nemesis. I'm certain it will be an entertaining game, though if it is a blow-out, I'll like turn it off and watch the curling instead. 

Have a good weekend everyone, and a great week ahead! 

Running around and catching up

It's been a busy week, with lots of time spent away from the house. The week started on Monday when I met a friend for breakfast. She had driven her daughter back to Regina and spent Sunday night, so we met before she hit the highway for home. We didn't have a long visit but had time to share photos of the grandkids (she has three), catch up on family news, and the social activities we've been involved in. She has a much busier social life than I have, being involved with seniors community in her small town, she's currently part of the committee that runs the building and sets up the various activities.

On Tuesday, I made a run to Value Village and Salvation Army thrift stores to look for a winter coat for my daughter. I scored at S.A. with a Columbia jacket, for just $22.50 after my senior's discount. It should keep her cozy and warm this winter. Her several years old one just wasn't going to cut it another winter and the weather is about to turn.

Wednesday was vaccination day. I had booked a flu shot for 10 a.m. at the pharmacy and arrived to find a number of walk-in patients in line. However, since I'd booked on line I was first to be called. The nurse asked if I'd had my bivalent booster dose - I said no, because I was waiting for the Pfizer to be released. She suggested I go ahead and get the Moderna as she wasn't certain when the other would be received at the pharmacy. So, after getting my first shot, I got back in line as a walk-in and waited about 20 minutes for the next vaccine. 

I went home with two bandages, one on each arm. After a bit of lunch and a great chat with my friend K (whose birthday was that day), I headed over to the stitch and chat group. By the time I got home shortly after 3 p.m. I was starting to feel very tired. When C arrived from work, I told him he was on his own for dinner. I had some soup and was in bed by 7:30 p.m. and asleep not long thereafter. According to my Fitbit I slept for 9 hours and 14 minutes!

Thursday morning I felt alright, though my left arm (Moderna vax) felt as though someone had punched me very hard. There was a wee bit of tenderness in the other arm too. I had errands to run for D, and I was out of the house again by 9:30. I did some banking, stopped at the doctor's office for some paperwork and made a trip to Costco for some household items she needs. While I was there I found a few pieces of clothing for Christmas gifts for D and C. 

I had ordered items from Amazon last week, and the book for my brother and Eli's gift have arrived this week. Looking at my list of gifts still to be purchased, I'm more than 50% complete. The tough one is my SIL; there is nothing she really needs and anything she wants she can purchase for herself. I'll try to find a book she might be interested in, and the niece and nephew both get gift cards. That just leaves small gifts from Santa, and whatever I decide my son is giving his sister and nephew. :) Those will wait until next month as my budget for gifts has reached it's limit this month.

Friday was a much quieter day, spent at home catching up on housework, knitting, and watching curling, baseball, and football. The sports didn't start until noon, so I had lots of time to get things done in the morning. It was a cool'ish day with the temperature reaching a 12C.

Today we're expecting rain to start later in the day, with snow to follow. Yuck! I noticed the birds were hovering around the bird bath and feeder; with the expected weather, I felt they needed both. I'm pretty sure in the 1/2 hour since I filled the feeder they have pretty much emptied it. 

No photos from this week, except this oldie that I received this morning from my high school best friend. I'm on the left, my dad in the centre and A on the right. We're standing in front of her parents' garage in the small town we grew up in. I've no idea why her mom took the photo and I'm pretty certain I've never seen it before. I'm guessing we were between 16-18 in the photo as those were the years we were the closest. We've since drifted apart - I'm not even certain where she is living these days, but I'm sure her family, children and grandchildren keep her very busy.

Time for some lunch and an afternoon and evening of sports watching, and finish up the sleeves for a baby dress I started a week or so ago. Maybe I'll continue on Eli's sweater too as I got back to it earlier this week. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

After the rain

It's been another week of weather - isn't every week you ask?  Well, yes that's true, it's just been an up and down week that kiboshed some of my plans.

I started off the week in the best way, getting my second COVID vaccine.  This time I didn't have to wait in the drive-through, I had an appointment for 8:30 a.m. at the mega clinic.  When I arrived there were about 12-15 people waiting in line ahead of me, and although the doors were delayed in opening, I was in and out of the clinic by 9:15 or so.  I stopped on the way home to pick up groceries.  Once home, I received a text from the optometrist's office letting me know my new glasses were available for pick-up.

I went with some trepidation as Dr. Kelly had mentioned I might have some difficulty adjusting to the new prescription.  When the tech gave the glasses to me and I slipped them on, it was like a new world opened up.  I obviously didn't realize how bad my eyesight was getting.  I have had absolutely no issues with stairs or focusing near or far with them.  Hooray!

This time, with the COVID vaccine, I did have a sore arm.  My daughter described it as someone punching you very hard in the arm and that pretty much how it felt.  I was a bit tired the following day, but I think that had more to do with the general busy-ness of the two days.  Tuesday I was up early in the morning, it was going to be a hot day, and got busy in the yard. I swept up pine needles and pine cones on the driveway, weeded the front area by the containers (it is xeriscaped but the weeds come in by the sidewalk and driveway), cleaned off the deck chairs and tables, and watered containers before heading inside for more housework.

Wednesday and Thursday were considerably cooler and overcast.  So housework kept me busy, sweeping and washing floors, and cleaning the bedroom carpet (thank you cats...not!).  I spent some time working on Ancestry as well...it's quite the rabbit hole at times. 

We had a storm pass over on Thursday morning, but the sun made an appearance in the afternoon.  Out I went - our spring/summer is so short I need to spend as much time as possible outdoors. Other than checking on the progress of my containers, I enjoyed just relaxing in the sun and reading.  Earlier this week I finished a Sandra Brown novel Rainwater, and then I started Stranger in Paradise by Eileen Goudge.  I'm almost certain I've read the latter book before as it seems familiar as I read it, but I don't remember it well enough to not find it interesting.  I do recommend Rainwater - it's not the usual Sandra Brown fare, and was a very interesting story.

The storm clouds blew in again overnight Thursday into Friday morning.  I was wakened a few times in the night with the sound of thunder but was far too tired to get up to watch a lightning show. When I woke at 6 a.m. it was to the sound of water running out of the downspout at the corner of the garage - the weeping tile that drains the water down to the street just couldn't keep up.

It's not entirely clear in this photo but the eavestrough wasn't able to keep up either.  It's pouring down onto the edge of the spruce tree, and then running down the driveway to the street.  At noon we'd had close to 2 inches of rain in less than 24 hours.  That is close to average monthly rainfall for June in the city.  We can certainly use it as it's been so dry here but I'm sure the farmers and gardeners wish it would have come in smaller increments.

This photo was taken mid-morning Friday, and the amount of standing water in my backyard is gone now at midday Saturday.  I thought this was bad until I looked over to the backyards of my two neighbours to the west. The furthest of the yards looked to have a large pond forming. They have a fire pit and it was surrounded by water.  My next door neighbour told me today about a dozen years ago everyone along the street had to trench their back yards because one neighbour was getting flooded every year.  I'm thinking we may be close to needing some remediation again.

Today I woke to sunshine and decided it was past time for a walk.  After my morning call from my daughter I packed up the camera and headed out.  I keep thinking I should change up where I walk, but I really enjoy the paths near my house.  The terrain may be familiar but every time I walk there I see something new or interesting.

I spotted this young squirrel along the path just as he spotted me.  It initially didn't run away from me but waited until I got the camera out, changed the lens, and then it took off but not very far.

The prairie roses are blooming at one spot on the path.  These bring back memories to me of my childhood, as the bushes grew along the ditches near our farm house.

This fellow was enjoying it's breakfast in the sunshine.  I wonder if it eats dandelions?

After the heavy rain, the creek is beginning to fill up.  (That's a wee duckling swimming and perhaps it's father sitting on the bank).  

Just off the bridge were the mother duck and another of her young ones.  I was amazed how quickly the little ones can swim.  

I couldn't walk down the path on the opposite side of the creek as it was just too wet and muddy but I did risk a wander through the grass to get closer to the edge of the creek.  I was focusing on the Avocet (out of focus in the background) when I heard the sound of a gopher calling out a warning to it's friends. Ha, there it was just a few meters away.

When I got to the pond, most of the geese were on the far side, but I noted these two families swimming across towards me.  I waited nearby and was thrilled as they came right up out of the water just a short distance away.

This little one wasn't the least bit shy. It hopped right out of the water and came onto the path were I was standing.  I can see the feathers are starting to come in. Amazing how quickly they grow up!

There were two pelicans flying over the creek (I took photos but they weren't worth sharing) and two at the pond.  This one was feeding at the far end of the pond.

It's been a good week, even with the changeable weather. And I'm about to head outdoors to enjoy the rest of the day on the deck with my book.

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!

Oh happy day!

First off, Happy St. Patrick's Day!  May the blessings of each day be the blessings you need the most. - Irish blessing.

You're being treated/bombarded with a mid-week post because I'm too excited to wait until the weekend to share this news.  I got my Covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccine yesterday!!!!  It was unexpected, I truly thought I'd have to wait for the opportunity until April sometime.  But with the vaccine not recommended for over 65's*, our province opened it up for 60-64. Here in the city, the health authority opened a drive-in clinic, on a first come first serve basis. On Monday, it was only for 64 years old, but as time went on, they lowered it until the entire age group could attend.  I got a news alert around 11:30 a.m., quickly got ready to go and headed across the city. 

I was in fairly lengthy line-up by 11:50 and received my dose about 3 p.m.  After the shot there was a 15 minute wait in the parking lot to ensure I didn't have an adverse reaction - I didn't.  I never had to park in the line-up, as the vehicles kept moving but the loop took us through and around the parking lot, past various buildings and then a couple of switchbacks before we reached the building where the vaccines were being administered.  I'm pretty sure I've seen every square inch of the property.

There was sign here that said 90 minute wait from this point in the picture on the left. Note the porta-potties! But it only took 10 minutes to make it to the next sign that read 60 minute wait.  It did take close to an hour between the first sign and when I reached the building.  Inside there were six lanes set up, with three stations in each row for the vehicles.  When it was my turn, I pulled up in the lane, gave the nurse my health card, answered a few questions, and waited for the jab.  It was over in mere minutes and I was on my way to the parking lot for the brief stop before heading home. 

I waited to post this until morning, in case I had any kind of reaction.  There was no immediate reaction, in fact that evening I couldn't tell you where exactly in my arm I got the shot.  It wasn't the least bit sore. This morning, if I push on my arm I can find a little tenderness but that's it.  I'm one of the lucky ones as I know there have been others who haven't had it as easy.

I was excited when I got my vaccine yesterday, and as I told the nurse, I think it's because there seems to finally be an end in sight to this pandemic.  While things won't change immediately or even in a few months, and I certainly won't be giving on masking, social distancing, and washing my hands a lot, the potential for a shift back to more "normal" times is there.  It all adds up to a real sense of relief.

What a blessing!  For those who haven't yet had the chance to be vaccinated, I hope it's available to you soon. 

*An announcement by the NACI - National Advisory Committee on Immunization yesterday that the vaccine is now approved for those over 65 here in Canada.