Morning Visitor

It wasn’t my favourite way to get out of bed in the morning. I felt something crawling on my arm, then my hand. Instantly awake, and somewhat alarmed, I smacked my hand with my other hand, and held it, while rising from the bed and heading for the bathroom. I released my hand over the sink, and there was a big black ant. How it found its way into my bed is unknown, this is the first one I’ve found in the bed.

I have had other unpleasant bedding surprises. Once, as a child, a wasp that stung. Once, as an adult, a mouse ran up my pyjama leg as I lay under the covers in my travel trailer, that was possibly the worst experience in this category. Once, at the country house, June bug crawling over my face. So the ant is small change in the irritating bed visitor ranking.

We are having a lazy day here at Mist Cottage.

My meals are beginning to settle into a pattern, high protein foods are being slowly worked into the menus. There is still some tweaking going on, and will be for some time to come. The changes will mostly relate to taste and quality of the eating experience, the nutrition is there, the aesthetics need some work.

This is the fourth day of extreme heat, but it is less extreme today, and it is predicted that seasonal temperatures will return tomorrow. Oh how I hope the forecast is correct.

Our daily walks have been in the air conditioned big box stores, we take the full tour, and purchase something small and needed to show our thanks for the cool opportunity. This morning, for the first time since last Saturday, we took our morning walk in the open air. The walk was very early in the morning, the sun was hidden behind clouds, and the temperature was warm but not hot. It was such a pleasure to get back to our routines. But it is too hot this afternoon and this evening, for walking out of doors. Back to the grocery store we go, at least for today’s final stroll.

On the last trip to visit my Mom, we mistakenly drove onto the 407, a toll road. There was nothing for it but to carry on and get off at the first exit. Our bill came today, finally, and it was around $22.00. Considering the cost, we will make the same “mistake” on every trip. It shaved at least an hour off of the journey, and was strikingly less congested, making the journey a whole lot less stressful. Driving through Toronto and into Niagara on non-toll roads is a nightmare these days. The older we get, the less we like it.

We will make the trip again this summer, to attend my cousin’s Celebration of Life. By that time my Mom will have moved into her new apartment, so we hope to visit her there! My Mom has always been amazing, she has such strength, determination, and independence. When she makes up her mind to do something, she goes ahead and does it.

Attila brought in the last of the peony blooms this morning, peonies and roses, the house smells amazing!

Worldly

Weather

30°C
Date: 2:00 PM EDT Wednesday 25 June 2025
Condition: Partly Cloudy
Pressure: 102.0 kPa
Tendency: Rising
Dew point: 19.4°C
Humidity: 73%
Wind: S 9 km/h
Humidex: 37
Visibility: 24 km

Quote

“A great preservative against angry and mutinous thoughts, and all impatience and quarreling, is to have some great business and interest in your mind, which, like a sponge shall suck up your attention and keep you from brooding over what displeases you.”
Joseph Rickaby
1845 – 1932

Dwelling in anger, righteous indignation, rage, sadness, grief, and all that is passionately difficult, is not good for us. Certainly these emotions need to be felt, and worked through, but obsessing about them achieves only poor health, spiritual, mental and physical.
I feel it is vitally important to choose your obsessions carefully, so that they work for you, and not against you.