Deck Work Day

Sheba and I walked with Stacy and Otis, and we got home just before Pete arrived with is sack of tools and his big smile. I’d brought out the lumber, tools and screws he’d need, and laid them out on the deck, so we got right to work.

First, we had to take up all the rotten pieces. Pete had borrowed a neighbour’s saw—an amazing saw that vibrates back and forth very quickly. It enabled us to cut through planks in the deck and replace pieces of long planks them with new wood. We didn’t have to remove the entire plank. Then we had to cut new pieces and install them.

At 1:00, I came inside to make us a vegetarian lunch. I had nice fresh French bread from some smart bakery who’s name I’ve forgotten. But I made cheese, onion, lettuce and cheddar sandwiches, with lots of mayo and mustard on nice thick and fluffy pieces of bread. And I made a Caesar salad on the side with dressing I make that everyone loves. Pete was thrilled. I told him he could call me his bitch.

I had a great time being a practical assistant. I really enjoy Pete’s company. We have lots of laughs and we are both diligent workers. Pete is a blessing. He is generous with cuttings of things in their garden, and he had rebuilt my deck. He and Ali are good friends. I am lucky with my neighbours.

I fell asleep several times watching TV, so I went to be early and slept death deep.

Today, I must water all the beds and then I aim to stain the deck.

Clonazepam Works!

saturday

It had become overcast, and there were even some light sprinkles of rain, as Her Highness and I bundled ourselves and our stuff into the car to head for the ferry. I stopped to shop for fruit to take with us at the Thrifty Foods in Nanaimo, and we went to Walmart for some supplies for the house and the pets. Then we headed to Nanoose Bay.

It was wonderful to be reunited with Alex and Ashlee, Dianne’s daughter. They are newly engaged, and it was interesting to realize as I approached the house, that I had it in my mind to hug Alex. I barely know the guy, but I like him very much, and he loves Ash, so he’s always been a pleasure to be around. But now that they are engaged, and it was his initiative, he feels very much ‘part of the family.”

Di is our matriarch. She has collected us—Lynn, Jane, Dana, and me—and we have become a family of long-time friends. And now Alex is one of us and it feels extremely good to feel that he’ll always be part of us.

I stayed until 3:30 and then made my way home. As with last weekend, I caught the last ferry of the day shifts. We were home shortly after 5:00, and I took immediately to the chaise for the rest of the evening. Thankfully, there were showers yesterday, so I have no watering to do today. I can just rest all day and that thrills me.

I haven’t had a seizure in just over two weeks! That is amazing and certainly due, in part, to my quitting activities that cause me to seize (the Sunday dog walks and my fitness classes). I also believe the new drug is helping me. I spoke quite well with the group in Nanoose Bay.

sunday

Sunday began as a clear day, so I was excited about things I would do during my day, Sunday, my day of rest and relaxation—my day where the concepts of “should” or “must” are banned. Sheba and I walked together in sunshine, feeling very, very good about our life together, and then the clouds rolled in, and the sky was completely overcast.

I read after lunch, and then we went for a walk as the sky cleared. It was a lovely walk. We happened of friends with their dog, Lillian, and walked with them a while. And then it was back home to fertilize a lot of the plants not yet treated. It was lovely having a warm and sunny break in the day to do some gardening. Then it was dinner and a movie, as usual.

sunday

We’ll walk with our friends this morning, then I’ll be doing deck repairs with Pete, and then watering all the beds. It’s an iffy day. The sky is overcast but things can change in a moment. Although it’s technically Summer, we’re still experiencing the instability of weather in Springtime.

Stachyurus is the only genus in the flowering plant family 

Stachyuraceae, native to the Himalayas and eastern Asia. They 

are deciduous shrubs or small trees with pendent racemes of 4-

petalled flowers which appear on the bare branches before 

the leaves begin to grow..

To Nanoose

Friday was a go, go, go day. We began our day with a really lovely walk in the trails with our friends. The air was still and very fragrant and we were walking before it got hot. Then I went into the village for wood to repair two more planks in the deck, and the screws I will need, and to fetch some groceries and some new tools for baking that I ordered from Amazon.

By the time I got home, it was lunch time, so I fed the brood and myself and then I got busy seriously watering every single plant to that they will not fade today while I am in Nanoose with the gang. It takes forever to water all the beds, and there was no resting when I was done.

I unloaded all the stuff I got in the big box stores last weekend because I wanted room for more. I plan to get more supplies today while I am on the big island. I cleaned up the car a bit for today’s drives, and then I started tidying up the house. God, what a dump the house had become. Sheba brings in billions of little bud caps every time she comes into the house. Vacuuming took half an hour the place was so full of them.

At 4:30, I was grateful for a break to have a nice soak in the spa. I was wasted from all the activity of the day, but I will enjoy myself today knowing that all my plants have enough water to get through the hot day. Tomorrow, rain is predicted, and I truly hope that the forecast is correct.

All evening, I worked on cleaning and tidying inside the house because I wanted to come home from Nanoose later tonight to a clean and tidy home. If all goes to plan, tomorrow will be a day of rest and relaxation all day. The gardens will not need watering I hope, and I can just chill with my pets all day.

I fell into bed., and the next thing I knew, it was morning. There are clouds, but it’s lovely and warm and there are big patches of blue in the sky, so my day at Nanoose with dear friends will be a good one.

Glow worm cave in New Zealand.

Routine is Good!

Look at these two men! What a night the Tony Awards was for them and their show. I adore them both and they are on top of the world right now. Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe. What a pair! What a team!

•

We walked alone, we went into the village to shop for food, and then I came home to water all the edible beds and the front beds. Then I took a very short nap in the sunshine. It was the warmest day of the year, so far. It was a t-shirt, shorts and sandals day from the get-go. By mid-day, it was 25° so I knew that we were in for a hot afternoon.

Post rest, I got busy with staining the parts of the deck we replaced last Summer. The hardware store advised us to weather the wood over the Winter and to not stain it until this year. That is now done. Pete is coming on Monday to replace more sections of rotten wood. Then there will be more staining. 

My back was dying by the time I finished staining the deck. I had to lie down because the pain was quite intense. And once rested, it was time to take Her Highness to the park to play fetch, but not for long. She hates being hot, so we took things slowly and returned home after playing for not very long. It was 28° when we came home.

Thankfully, my last task of the day could be done in the shade. Every time I plant another Clematis or other vine to grow up the fence surrounding the edible garden, I must put up some chicken wire to protect the vines from the Deer, and I had one more to do. Once that task was done, I was done for the day, and I could relax. And relaxing felt very good in my nice cool home. Now that it’s hot, the coolness of the house is something I appreciate.

I could be busy all day every day at Pinecone Park. Just keeping up with general household duties is a lot, but husbanding ½ an acre puts an extraordinary demand on me, and now things are ramping up because the heat means watering every day. Thank goodness I don’t mind the watering. It enables me to monitor every plant and tree.

I struggled to speak with Kris, Nancy and Steve on Tuesday. It disappointed me because there were so many signs of improvement. I’m monitoring and recording my speech, seizure and spasm experience because of being on this new drug. One good thing is that I am not noticing any side effects.

I did my nightly walkabout as the sun was going down. It was a wonderful 28°. It was thrilling to be so warm outside. And it is showing. I had to provide emergency water to three plants that I had watered the day before. My plants are my babies and so caring for them is not a burden—especially now that things are looking so good. Nothing is pressing, but there are a zillion things I can do at a nice slow pace. And … wearing my new back brace thingmy that I hope serves me well.

It's thrilling to see the deck all spruced up. Since the repairs last Spring, there have been several unpainted boards, but now the deck looks sparking bright and new. I painted all the scuffed places and it looks wonderful.

•

Routine, I have only recently come to realize, is a big part of my life. And I get it. It fits with what I understand about my condition. My three mornings a week walking dogs with the same people for 6 years, always on the same trails. Eating, often the same things for weeks or months, at the same time. Feeding the brood at set times, in the same order. The endless dinner and a movie. That’s why I want to stay here, on Gabriola, and in my home. It’s all about feeling safe to keep speech up and seizures down.

•

I’m going to move some plants today. I’m excited about doing the work. I may pick up some plants on the big island on Saturday when I go back to Nanoose Bay to see Di, her daughter, her daughter’s fiancé, and our friends Lynn, Jane and Dana. Woo hoo. Elder party!

And next week, the eye surgeon and then dinner with a friend from childhood whom I admired and liked very much. I’m really excited about seeing him and getting after 40 years apart. He came from a great family. There were five kids: Don, Ed, Patricia, John, and Louise. I was so jealous of Don, having so many siblings/friends.

All this sunshine, gardening, and some social engagements … life is good.