Today the smoke from the wildfires in Quebec has cleared here, at least for now. The sun is shining, and the day is warm and breezy. Attila is out in the garden beginning to transplant his starts from the greenhouses to the soil. He has installed a support fence with t-bars and remesh for the tomatoes, and hopefully they will grow up and away from the soil below. Already doing well are the pumpkin and squash, and the peas and beets. We have enjoyed two green salads made from the thinned plants of the lettuce, beets, and spinach.
The peonies are blooming, ours are all white this year, the pinks ones have not yet appeared. Attila brought in three lovely blooms for me, they sit majestically on the dining table.
I’ve been relatively busy with domestic tasks. I ran out of flour, so yesterday was flour milling day, two gallon jars filled with whole wheat flour. That should last at least a couple of weeks. Today I baked burger buns, as we often eat burgers with fresh salad for dinner during the summer. Our burgers are made from either our homemade salmon patties, or our homemade sausage patties.
I finished the blouse I was making with the material from the vintage tablecloth. I love it. It is very simple, roomy, and comfortable, and I think pretty in a plain sort of way. After finishing the blouse I’ve been hemming and hawing over what sewing project to tackle next. I still haven’t reached a decision.
I have been sorting through my clothes lately. When I was young and in my 20s, I was a fairly large size, as I was not only tall, but big boned as well. I was not fat, I am not fat now, certainly not thin, but not fat either. In my middle age I gained a size. In my old age I’ve gained another size. So the clothes I have from my early years have not fit for decades. The clothes I have from my middle age will fit tightly and uncomfortably, so I don’t wear them. The pile of clothing that will not be worn again grows, and will go to the charity shop one of these day.
There is also a pile of pants that fit but the elastic in the waistbands is completely shot. I haven’t decided yet if I am going to try to replace the waistbands, or just give up on the pants completely. It is so disappointing when shoddy elastic is used to construct clothing, when it wears out before the garment does.
I was sad to hear that a cousin of mine is now living in long-term care with dementia. I had not heard from her for a while, and my Mom’s cousin had also tried to get in touch with her with no success, so I contacted her daughter. Apparently my cousin is doing well, and is happy enough with her living arrangement. Her daughter visits her weekly, sometimes more often, and takes her out on day trips frequently. The news was a bit shocking, as she is my age. She lives out west, so visiting was not something we could manage even when she was well, now the internet is beyond her, and I suppose that although I will miss her, she won’t miss me. That is a blessing for her. I find it comforting that she is so well loved by daughter, and family.
Worldly
Weather
Updated on Sat, Jun 10 at 3:55 PM
22°C
FEELS LIKE 25
A few clouds
Wind 11 S km/h
Humidity 63 %
Visibility 14 km
Sunrise 5:23 AM
Wind gust 17 km/h
Pressure 100.6 kPa
Ceiling 9100 m
Sunset 8:50 PM
Quote
“We are here and it is now. Further than that all human knowledge is moonshine.”
H. L. Mencken
1880 – 1956
Human knowledge is intoxicating, and thus untrustworthy in essence!
I love the blouse you made, Maggie. I think it’s very pretty and also looks comfortable. I haven’t had time to watch the news lately and was amazed at the scope of the wildfires, I heard from a cousin in northern Wisconsin who mentioned the fires and the haze in her area. Here, near Chicago. I don’t notice any haze. My oldest cousin went into a nursing home recently. She couldn’t take care of herself and her home any more. Initially she had some memory issues, but after being care of at the home, her memory is good again. When she was in her home she wasn’t eating well at all, but after a good diet, she’s also gaining weight. We’re all encouraged. She said she likes the place and she’s made some friends. But she’s only 5 years older than me, so it gives me pause. One day at a time, I guess.
Thanks Sandy, the blouse is very comfortable. I have very broad shoulders (in more than one sense of the phrase), and this blouse allows me free movement for any activity.
The wildfires are incredibly large and profuse this year in Canada, much worse than they have ever been in my lifetime. I’ve seen pollution from industry this intense, but never from a wildfire hundreds of miles away.
Sorry to hear about your cousin. It does give one pause, lets us know the years are passing by.
Memory issues can be caused by dehydration, improper medication, malnutrition, there can be many causes. Most people don’t go to nursing homes, but many do. We do our best and carry on.
Only one person in my extended family ever went into a nursing home, that was my Great Uncle A, he took himself there, he was always single and lived alone on the farm, but his health concerned him (emphysema), so he decided to check himself in. He lived in a small community so he knew a lot of people who were in the home, so it wasn’t too bad. We visited him, he was very happy with the situation. Little story there,
I was married to my first husband at that time, who had long hair and a great big beard. We were in the lounge area chatting with Great Uncle A, and two women on the other side of the room were watching us. They must have been hard of hearing, because they talked really loud. One said the other, “look at the hairy guy, how does she sleep with him, so disgusting!” They didn’t know we could hear them and we didn’t let on we could, kept on smiling. Great Uncle A got a real kick out of it!
Your blouse looks very well made! I’ve changed sizes quite a bit. I was quite glad to have kept my smaller stuff. It felt like shopping for free to dig them out and find several colorful shirts I’d forgotten I had. (Likewise, I’ll keep the larger stuff, because who knows what will happen in the future?) It’s good your cousin is being well looked after. Also, I’m glad your air is clearer now…..
Oh that’s funny about the women commenting on your ex’s beard 🙂 My cousin is also single. Doctors said she couldn’t live alone because she loses her balance when walking and falls. She’s very stubborn about not using things like walkers. So she uses a wheelchair instead. (Not sure why she accepts the wheelchair). We moved her downstate so that she would be near my Aunt and the cousin who is handling her affairs. While this sounds like a sad story, I think in her case it’s a somewhat happy story. She is safe and cared for. She’s eating good food which she hadn’t been doing. She likes the home. And she’s making friends which she had not done when living alone. My Aunt and I used to call her every weekend, but we couldn’t see the state she was in physically. So the new arrangement gives us peace of mind. Still, in my parents’ tome, nobody ever went to a nursing home. They would move in with a relative.
Thank you Joan, that is a real affirmation about the blouse, because I know you have professional sewing skills! I too found a few things I’d forgotten about, that still fit, so my wardrobe “in use” has expanded.
I am so pleased that my cousin is being so well looked after, she is a very sweet person.
The air is better, and I think the fires are slowing down a bit, with the recent light rain, hoping for more rain though.
Sandy, so glad your cousin is happy with the situation! Yes, being single and living alone can have risks. I’ve thought about that, and wonder how the services for emergency help would work, the ones where you can hit a button on your iPhone and it calls for help. Personally, if I needed a walker, I’d use a walker, or a wheelchair, or any other device to maintain independence, but that is just me.
With my allergies I’d have a rough go of it in a care home, they would probably feed me a food or give me a medication that would kill or brain damage me, so I’d never feel safe or cared for. I base this not-so-optimistic, but realistic concern, on my various experiences around my allergy. After a few near death experiences you learn not to trust people… human error isn’t malicious, it is just part of the human condition, as aspect that I have been made acutely aware of through circumstance.