Tag Archives: daily walk

Tired!

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All of the changes and hard work have suddenly caught up with Attila and I. We are tired! Attila was transferred to another plant, in the same city where he was working before Christmas, as of Monday. It is like starting a new job all over again, all new people, all new tasks. He is adjusting well, but he feels a bit worn down. He is working straight nights, at least for now, and now works 8 hour shifts. We need to adjust to the change from 12 hour shifts to 8 hour shifts. This first week will be the roughest, as we struggle to adjust sleeping hours. Next week should be a bit better, and a bit better every week after that. Apparently the company moves people around their various plants to best accomplish most needed tasks.

My sleeping patterns are completely disrupted. I slept but two hours last night, arising in the middle of the night, frustrated and awake, to do laundry in order to keep myself occupied. I napped for about two hours in the afternoon, but I still feel like I have been hit on the head with a rock, which is how I feel when I am extremely tired. I have my fingers crossed that I will sleep well tonight.

Attila took an extra nap today as well, adding two hours to his “night’s sleep”. I think he is past the peak of tired now, and from here on every day will get easier. The hope is that by next week the chaos of change will begin to settle into a pattern for both of us.

The weather has warmed considerably, and it is 1C out there as I write, 9:30 p.m. I managed to get out for a walk this afternoon, and because the temperature was above freezing, my knee functioned without complaint. Today was my yoga class, and despite feeling like I had been hit on the head with a rock, I took myself off to do yoga. I always enjoy it when I get there, and today was no exception.

The happily ever after is, after all, full of ups and downs and all arounds. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Worldly Distractions

Weather

1°C
Date: 9:00 PM EST Wednesday 6 January 2016
Condition: Mostly Cloudy
Pressure: 102.7 kPa
Tendency: rising
Visibility: 24 km
Temperature: 1.2°C
Dewpoint: -5.3°C
Humidity: 62%
Wind: SW 16 km/h

Quote

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”
Anne Bradstreet
1612 – 1672

Bits of the Day

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My day was uneventful, charmingly so.

What did I do today, hard to think really. Oh yes, I paid bills, and we have $56 left, which is a bit shocking, but it makes me very glad that the bills are indeed paid. Let’s see, I updated web sites and added security. Oh, and I found a few more third cousins while searching for a death record for their mother, which I did not find. I went for a walk in the rain, early in the morning, without a raincoat or a hat; it was grand. I drove into the city to visit the dentist to check on the work that had been done. And I picked peonies to sit in a mug on the windowsill. And I stored the new composter that I purchased yesterday in the garage, because I haven’t decided on just where to put it. Well, I am sure there are more, more little things that flow through a day, more things of no ultimate consequence, except that they accumulate into a pleasant, well spent bouquet of waking hours.

Peonies on the windowsill.
2015 jun 16 peonies

Worldly Distractions

Weather

23°C
Date: 7:00 PM EDT Tuesday 16 June 2015
Condition: Partly Cloudy
Pressure: 101.3 kPa
Tendency: rising
Visibility: 24 km
Temperature: 23.0°C
Dewpoint: 16.2°C
Humidity: 65%
Wind: NNE 19 gust 30 km/h
Humidex: 28

Quote

“Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush, I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft star-shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,I am not there; I did not die.”
Mary Elizabeth Frye
1932

Slow Recovery

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Monday, March 30, 2015

The flue is on its way out! Friday morning my temperature had returned to normal. I feel better every day. The cough lessens in severity every day. I still sound “stuffed up”.

It just above freezing out there today, and very, very windy. I had planned on running errands, but instead chose to spend another day bundled up and warm inside the house. Better to completely recover from this bug before risking another, or a chill.

Attila decided to drive down to see how I was doing on Saturday. He stayed overnight, and left just after lunch on Sunday. It had been three weeks since we last saw each other, so it was a special event. He did a few of the outside jobs that needed doing, so that I would not need to venture outside until I achieved complete recovery from the flu.

We had a nice dinner together, and a breakfast, and a lunch. Three shared meals, a rare treat these days. We watched a movie in the evening, but Attila fell asleep by 8:30 sitting in the chair, so I let him snooze while I finished watching the movie, then shooed him off to bed. He slept ten hours! I have always been in awe of how many hours Attila can sleep. Unless I am sick I can’t sleep that long. I wake up after six hours of sleep, occasionally seven hours, and if I am really, really, really tired, I might sleep eight hours. Attila loves his sleep, and it is well earned.

Attila has a few grand schemes in the works, if they pan out I’ll need to write about them. If they don’t pan out, I’ll need to forget about them, so I am not writing about them now.

We thought we would have a two day weekend together here at the little house in the city, over the easter holiday. Such was not to be. Attila works Saturday. He will make an overnight visit, arriving Saturday night, and leaving again in less than 24 hours. I admit to a rush of disappointment at the news. After Easter, we won’t see each other again until the end of April.

Terra and Janus have been vacationing in Panama for over a week, they will return home tomorrow. They called to say hello while Attila was here, we all had a nice chat. Terra sounds relaxed and happy, which is wonderful to hear. She was tired and worn down just before they left for their vacation. She works rotating shifts, and she has had a few non-life threatening health issues, which have been upsetting for her. They were having a wonderful time though, and loved the place where they were staying. She was missing all her pets, including Diesel, who are staying with various relatives and friends.

I have been doing some additional work on the website I recently designed. The owner was editing the site and something went wrong, it took some time to figure out what it was and get it set right. It is set right now.

Wednesday, April 2, 2015

My recovery has slowed to almost a halt, but no matter. I am no longer running a temperature, but I am cold almost all the time, the cough persists, as does the runny nose, and the headache. I am still wandering around inside the house wearing a heavy jacket and toque, otherwise I feel chilled. Turning up the thermostat doesn’t help, I need the extra clothing, and it does the job. This is completely new to me, this feeling chilled! Oh well, it could be so much worse!

I have been getting out for my daily walk, but avoiding contact with people in public places because I don’t want to catch anything else just now, and I don’t want to pass along what I have to others.

I did have to go out to the bank yesterday, needs must. I got some miserable paperwork processed at the bank, it was all just routine stuff, but had been postponed for a very long time, because I hate doing that sort of thing. It is done now!

Terra stopped by this morning. She has some personal health issues to deal with right now, very distressing for her, and for those who love her.

She said through her tears, “Sometimes you just need your Mom!” At that point we were both crying, and hugging. Life isn’t always fair, as those of us who are older, and many of us who are still young, know so well!

It isn’t life threatening, not to worry on that score, just very distressing. She will work through it though, all the rest of us can do is give her time, and lots of love and hugs.

I have an appointment with the Orthopaedic Surgeon later in April, and I will be glad when I get that sorted. I don’t anticipate any further medical intervention with the knee, but hope for a few words of advice on going forward. I will be going back to the physiotherapist again after my appointment with the Surgeon.

Every day I do the exercises the physiotherapist showed me, except one that causes shooting pains. I avoid that one! I can feel my muscles getting stronger, providing better support for those aching joints!

Worldly Distractions

Weather

Little House in The City
5°C
Date: 11:00 AM EDT Thursday 2 April 2015
Condition: Mostly Cloudy
Pressure: 101.5 kPa
Tendency: falling
Visibility: 24 km
Temperature: 4.5°C
Dewpoint: -0.7°C
Humidity: 69%
Wind: S 16 km/h

Country House
8°C
Date: 11:00 AM EDT Thursday 2 April 2015
Condition: Sunny
Visibility: 16 km
Temperature: 7.9°C
Dewpoint: -1.1°C
Humidity: 53%
Wind: SSE 24 km/h

Quote

“The reason we all like to think so well of others is that we are all afraid for ourselves. The basis of optimism is sheer terror.”
Oscar Wilde
1854 – 1900

Hmmm… and those who dare to think not so well of others, are they the fearless members of society?

Routines

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Routines are important to me. Life can get very complicated with my anaphylaxis, and our multiple properties, so anything that streamlines recurring tasks is welcome.

One routine I have had to forego is a daily walk, until now. At the country house I made huge efforts to get out for a walk, but the barriers eventually wore away my determination. I could not develop any kind of routine for walking at the country house.

The spring and summer brought black flies and mosquitoes, and not just a few. Going out of doors meant wearing protective clothing. Walking in protective clothing is not enjoyable, and it is uncomfortable when the body begins to generate heat from the exercise. Heat from exercise attracts even more of the blood sucking insects. It became a chore to don all the protective gear for a truly uncomfortable experience. I simply stopped being able to make myself do it.

The autumn brings hunting season. The “bite” here is a lot worse than that the blood sucking insects. Hunters actually hunt on our land, so going for a walk is risky business, one never knows if one will be “mistaken for a swan”. This is not paranoia, just after we moved to the country house a woman, a seasonal cottager, was shot dead by a hunter while she was out for her walk. It wasn’t near our house, but the lesson is transferrable to anywhere that hunting is practised. I cannot make myself go for walks during hunting season.

The winter brings snow, which is ploughed into very high snow banks. It also brings ice, which is slippery. It also brings snowmobiles, which charge up and down our street at high speeds. I would not have a chance, if a snowmobile came upon me, around a corner, at high speed. I am not nimble enough in my senior years to leap almost my own height to get onto the snowbank, and out of their way. There is no other avenue of escape on the narrow country road. I cannot make myself go for walks in the winter.

Walking has always been my exercise of choice. Walking is something I love to do. So, this winter I am taking advantage of being at the little house in the city. Here there are sidewalks. Here there are few biting insects. Here there are no hunters with guns. Here there are no snowmobiles on the sidewalks, or ATVs for that matter. So far this winter the roads and sidewalks have been clear of snow and ice. At the little house in the city I can develop the routine of daily walking, with few interruptions due to environmental conditions.

My health will slowly improve due to my ability to go for a walk.

I am not the only senior out there walking! During my walk I see at least a half a dozen other seniors out walking, some with dogs, some with their life partner, some by themselves as I am.

Another benefit I enjoy at the little house in the city is that the people are friendly. To smile at a passing stranger costs nothing, and the people in this town spend their smiles freely. Every morning that I have been on a walk someone has said “good morning” to me.

At the country house we have few neighbours, and their combined greetings can be counted on two hands… and that is over an eleven year span of time. In the shops in town, I am not treated as a valued customer, because I am not a valued customer. The shop keepers cater to the wealthy seasonal people, low-income locals are not considered valuable customers. The one exception is the local grocery store, the staff there are friendly to all, the store is kept open over the winter as a courtesy to the local residents, which is very much appreciated. The liquor store and beer store might also be friendly, but since I don’t need to shop there I do not know. As for the rest, I haven’t had a good experience yet, as a customer or as an employee.

Attila experiences the country house location in a completely different way than I do. That is due to several factors. He is a white, well educated, male, this goes a long, long way to garner acceptance in provincial Canadian society. Another factor is that he has a decent employer, and his hard work is appreciated. This is unusual anywhere. Another factor is that Attila enjoys many of the people he meets through his work. Since his employer treats him as a valued employee, the customers treat him with similar consideration. The country house location is not toxic for Attila, quite the opposite.

I had a good day today. I went for my walk, following a tip yesterday from Randy, wearing two pairs of socks and securing my laces carefully. I experienced no pain during the walk, and the blister did not bleed!

Later in the day I gathered together all the unused items that have accumulated over the last five years here at the little house in the city. There are two piles of items, clothing for the Salvation Army store, and building materials for the ReStore. I visited the Salvation Army in town, but it was closed until next week. So I took myself off to the grocery store for milk, and came away with three bags of groceries. Bacon was on sale, so I bought a few pounds, and I also bought myself a treat for New Year’s Eve. Attila and I will be spending New Year’s Eve together, via FaceTime, and I wanted a treat for the celebration. I eventually settled on cashews. I love cashews, but they cost the moon! Still, they are better for me than the other alternatives I was considering, which were sweet or salty.

After returning home from the grocery store I started a batch of chili. I used the remainder of the first batch of baked beans I canned. I enjoyed a bowl for supper, set aside two helpings for another two suppers later in the week, and froze five more servings in the freezer.

I seem to be settling in, here at the little house in the city.

Worldly Distractions

Weather

-8°C
Date: 8:00 PM EST Tuesday 30 December 2014
Condition: Mostly Cloudy
Pressure: 102.8 kPa
Tendency: falling
Visibility: 24 km
Temperature: -7.8°C
Dewpoint: -13.9°C
Humidity: 62%
Wind: NNE 7 km/h
Wind Chill: -12

Quote

“Since you are like no other being ever created since the beginning of time, you are incomparable.”
Brenda Ueland