Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Parksville!

I really enjoyed my day in Parksville yesterday. How could I not? It was a stunning day!

We caught the eight-fifty ferry and when we arrived in Nanaimo, we went directly to a large park on Bowen Road and had a walkabout. Then it was off to Walmart for kitty litter, suet and grass seed in bulk before heading off to Parksville.

Everyone speeds on the highway. I hate that. So, I use the curb lane and cruise control and take the coastal road as much as I can. We went for another walk in the community park in Parksville and watched a baseball game before going to the café to meet Norman and Dana.

It was great to be with long-time theatre friends and talk about times past. Norman and Dana are now neighbours and Norman is keen to visit me here.

The drive home was uneventful, but we had a long wait for the ferry. Poor Sheba was dead to the world; she was so tired she could barely keep her head up. It was great to get home and into the spa before dinner and early to bed.

Today is a day to putter around Pinecone Park.
















Tuesday, September 29, 2020

To Parksville

I have sinned. I indulged and savoured the sweet slow slide of spiced Apple nectar down my grateful throat. Thrice yesterday, I succumbed. I am weak but I am happy! Have I learned my lesson? No. I look forward to sinning today—before I go, and when I return from, Parksville, where I'm going to see Dana and Norman. They are two theatre friends from way, way back, but I met Norman in 1950 when I was two-and-a-half. The three of us go way, way back to the early days of the Arts Club Theatre.

Monday morning at five I stepped outside and into Halloween. I was greeted by the call of a huge (and startled) Owl that was in the tree above me, and in the distance, illuminated by my flashlight, I saw two eyes reflecting light back at me as their owner quickly scurried away.

We went on the morning dog walk with Regina and Di yesterday morning, and in the afternoon, Her Highness and I walked across the island and down to the south end. It was a great way to celebrate a stunning day together.

In the evening I watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix. What a fascinating show! The speakers are all incredibly eloquent, but the clear “star” of the film is an incredibly bright and articulate young man named Tristan Harris. Listening to him, I discovered how sexy intelligence can be.

















Monday, September 28, 2020

Recovery Day

I’m alone here and there’s half an Apple cake in the fridge. If I move, I’ll be helplessly drawn to the fridge door and compelled to open it. I’ll see the cake. Oh, the cheeky little Cake, with its luscious Apple bits sticking through its custard topping that hides its thick sweet juicy and moist shortbread-like bottom crust that will crumble in my grateful mouth. It’ll go bad if I don’t eat it … slowly … in little bits.

Sunday morning, I got up at six. It was nice to sleep in a bit. After washing up, I stepped on the scales and they said I’d gained five pounds. I felt gutted. I was really, really disappointed. 

I went into the kitchen, fed the pets and did the dishes and then I went back into my bedroom to make the bed. When I was done, I went back into the bathroom and the scales were sitting there on the floor saying, “Hi fatty!” I kicked them gently to push them under the cabinet where I keep them, and they illuminated but didn’t go all the way in.

So … I stepped on them again, masochist that I am. And what?! Now it said that I still weighed what I weighed last week. I stepped off and let the scales turn off. Then I turned them on again and stepped on. I did that five times to confirm my weight. 

Happy again! And on my way to the fridge…

I had three seizures when Todd and Jess were here, and after they left late in the morning, I, spent the rest of the day on the sofa and went to bed very early. I love having visitors, but company is exhausting no matter how much I like them. So, I declined Norman’s invitation to Parksville for lunch today. I’m going tomorrow.

Today will be slow and easy. It’s going to be a gorgeous day, so Her Highness and I will do a lot of walking and I’ve resolved to collect a shitload of twigs because it’s so easy to begin a fire with them.

















Sunday, September 27, 2020

Arrival!

The showers stopped and the sky brightened just afternoon on Saturday. I quickly got into the spa. I was up to anything I could do to make time pass quickly. We walked, I sewed a long-split seam of a favourite coat, I read, but all I kept thinking about was Jess and Todd getting here. I was as a child anticipating Christmas.

I went to the fisher neighbour and bought Prawns, but they couldn’t safely thaw in time for our dinner. And I waited. And then suddenly, there they were. I was stupid with glee. We sat down and started talking and we didn’t stop until we went to bed.

We got pizzas and I had a salad made and, of course, the cake. The cake, my invention in a way, was fabulous. And they loved the cozy atmosphere of the studio and the fire. It really looked nice with the big white comforter on the bed.

Today, they want to go into the village to go to the Wishbone store and a walkabout. So that’s likely all we’ll do before they catch the ferry to go home. 

It was a great, great (but short) visit. 



It looks like the coming week is going to be a great one for Fred, Ethel, Sheba and I. F&E will be back out on the porch after the past week indoors, and Sheba and I will go on some long walks exploring new trails. And I get back to the starvation diet and completing the plastic curtain. I’m enjoying the curtain project and working in the studio with my new radio keeping me company.