👭 Our 3 kids were all together in British Columbia, kids having a blast with cousins. Our four grandies getting to know one another. They were having a holiday in B.C. Jesse lives there, but my 2 Ottawa kids all got together, flying out west to stay a week at his cottage. We've been texting back and forth, but the time difference makes it as difficult as keeping up with Jesse's family on a regular basis! My youngest is in the background. We are estranged. I blurred his face. I know some of you know how this hurts your heart.
Isn't this adorable? Aster with Cluny (I think?). Or it might be Bryony. I don't know them well enough to tell. Isn't that sad? I know when we moved from Toronto to Ottawa when Caitlin was two years old it broke my mom.
They did thrifting in Chilliwack. There was swimming and paddle boarding, berry picking, lots of fun. They kindly posted photos for us. I travel vicariously. Maybe we can travel out there next year if I can get my act together. They are renting their cottage out in August this year.
They've been blueberry picking, as well as hiking. They found the Canadian/US border! Isn't that weird?!
Aster got a text from Fido, "Welcome to the US!" Whoopsie! Not good for the pocket book. I was fascinated with this image.
😷 Friday, my nurse friend was going shopping in town, and she popped in (staying well away from the door). Did we need anything? Orange juice! What a lovely human being.
What else am I up to? Coughing. I was awake at 3, couldn't sleep with back pain. Voltaren helped my back. The kitchen tool is an easy way to apply it without getting it all over your hands. (Tip from my physio person. I could use her ministrations, but that ain't gonna happen!)
I put my back out, probably from just sitting in my easy chair. It's an ongoing issue, since Jesse was born in 1983, and I broke a pedicle exercising after he was born.
Robaxacet might help, but I'm going to try topicals. And Joe's
Dr. Ho machine. It did the trick.
My COVID has settled into my lungs and nose, and feels like a horrid cold. At least the sweats have diminished. Sinusitis, relieved with saline nasal spray; and a persistent cough are wretched. I am writing down everything I take, which helps me remember. I was overmedicating with my puffer. I've had nursing advice, since my doctor wouldn't see me, to follow a strict 4 x's a day with the puffer, and twice a day, 12 hours apart, with the Symbicort. Turbo puffer, as we call it. I cannot imagine what people went through prior to vaccines during early COVID days. Then there are people with long-term COVID. It is sort of like long-term Lyme Disease, prior to people being given Doxycycline.
I think Joe made it through Lyme Disease, and the Doxycycline worked for him. He made it through his COVID bout, and is on the upturn. He's still fatigued, and has been having two naps a day. The last couple of days have been better for him. He went out Saturday afternoon (wearing his N95 mask) and got a few groceries, as well as picking up a fresh pizza for me. Look what else he brought home!
My late mom would be horrified with the clutter around here. I am letting it go.
Positive people know to focus on what you can do, not what you can't, but I cannot do anything that requires effort as my lungs can't take it. That said, I managed to do my laundry a couple of days ago. I am managing diarrhea with sanitary pads. I had a partial hysterectomy in 1995 or so. They still serve a purpose! Joe has some from after his prostate cancer surgery.
As I write here, at 3 a.m., I am grateful that I slept 5 hours. For many of you, you know that is all you can expect on a normal night. You deal with it. We're retired. Naps are good. All the rules around sleep hygiene have to go out the window. I was up at 3 the day before as well, and went back to bed having taken my normal sleep meds, and slept until 7 a.m. I don't think the sleep meds helped. I coughed the rest of the day, into the night, regularly irregular. 🎲 It's a crap shoot
Sitting on the back deck, Cinnamon kept me company whilst Joe slept. Cinn sat under my chair! These iPhones are great for sideways and tight corners. It's been a hot one. The nights are cooler, as is the way with August. Yes, I know we aren't there yet, but as Jasper continues to burn, it is reality.
Also, out back, Merlin told me it was a Black-billed Cuckoo. Merlin audiotaped it. I put in two Wiki images, bless their heart for sharing them with the world. I'll never see them. They are up so high in the canopy. It was wonderful having a project I could do without talking, coughing, or otherwise tiring myself out.
Here is my video.
black-billed cuckoo from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
🦉I heard, "who-cooks-for-you?" outside. It was late at night, in the dark. I added my own photos from previous years. I can't tell you how beautiful it is to hear them. Life carrying on with the new generation.
The whistle is the chick calling for food. It sort of whistles, if you listen to the video. It was dark and I couldn't see them. I knew what it was, though! I've heard it before when they nested out back.
barred owl and chick from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
Thank you for your kind words, faithful readers. It truly helps.
12 comments:
I so hope you get some real relief soon. Naps are good. And those owls? Wow. And wow again.
Your nights haven't been good. I've had some decent ones, but not last night. Ugh.
I have seen the young of many species of owl, but Barred Owl offspring have somehow eluded me. I am envious!
Good to see family gathering out west...glad you text with some of them to keep up with activities. So sorry about Jasper. A lovely place now cinders. Hope it's contained soon. Great that you can i.d. birds by calls, and thanks for sharing their sweet sounds. The Voltaren does help with muscular pain, even arthritis in my hands. Beautiful roses to focus on. As I walked through my mess this morning I told myself "I've been sick." Of course that's on top of the last time I was sick. One of these days I'll get to the bottom of things! Maybe...
You are sounding a bit better with your Covid symptoms, one day at a time. Yes I know how hard it is not to have a relationship with a child...sad and hard at the same time. Good for the cousins to get to know each other! Hope you have a good week:)
Thank goodness us retired folk can sleep when we need it. My owls are very chatty these nights. There is one by the neighbours house and one back of mine. They talk to each other. I'm pretty sure I know where their nest site is, but not walking back there with the darn old deer flies along for the ride.
It sounds like you are heading towards getting back to normal. Nap when you need it and relax.
B.C. temperatures have been a little cooler, but a 36C on Friday 2nd was the previous forecast for Squamish. By a lake might be a bit cooler. Jasper, what tragedy for the area. For you, rest when you can, sleep when you can, ignore what isn't absolutely essential,this might take a while, it already has, but surely time will heal. XXX from a very early wake up down here, fire is going, stoked it up again,coffee made,.
You are having a very rough time. Once you get rid of this stuff you'll feel like a new person.
Plain old cough drops can help long enough to get to sleep. I usually pull the tiny bit left out of my mouth so I don't choke on it. Plain, only cough syrup also helps. That's the secret for how nursing students legally get through school and get any sleep! Linda in Kansas
I hope you continue to recover and are soon entirely free of COVID
Didn't realize you were fighting Covid again. Nasty virus. Hope you bet better soon.
I too am fatigued all the time but it is my body and meds fighting cancer. I do not expect to be full of energy again but the cancer is on hold for which I am thankful!
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