Lake Canuck

Tuesday few by! We went for an early walk together before I took Sheba to the groomer’s for a makeover. While she was getting cleaned up, I did some shopping and then I went to pick her up. Once back home, it was soon lunchtime and after lunch I did some doomscrolling and some SPACE work, and before I knew it, it was time to go for our afternoon walk. 

I had a lovely long soak in the spa before we went for our walk. The walk was spectacular. The forest has dried out, and the fragrances were incredibly stimulating. They turned my mind to recollections of walks in Africa, India and southern France.

At 17:00 I attended a Zoom meeting of US health professionals who stutter. I was the only Canadian in the chat, and the only person who is not a health professional. However, I reckon I earned my place at the table because the host thanked the two nurses who chaired the meeting and me. I was the only participant thanked and I know it was because of the points I made.

There was quite a bit of discussion about disclosing. Should they declare that they stutter or not was at the centre of a long discussion. I waited a long time before I spoke because I was not certain I would be welcome because I was not a health worker, so when I did speak I began with my own disclosure. I told then I was Canadian and not a health worker and then I told them about the work I am doing with Aidan to make medical services easier for dysfluent people to access.

The discussion was framed around health care workers who stutter and about how to function as a stutterer in a medical setting, but when I spoke I spoke as an advocate for patients and I told them that stuttering patients needed them as allies and that by not disclosing their stutter to their peers, they were deciding not to educate them about dysfluency. That, I said, is a disservice to people who stutter. I could see them nodding in agreement as I spoke and I was thanked for speaking up for patients. It all went over very well. 

Then Her Highness and I went for our afternoon walk. It was a long one and at first she balked at walking in the heat, but she finally relented and we had a good walk. And then it was dinnertime followed by a movie on my huge and fabulous new TV!!!

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Let’s rename Lake Michigan Beaver Lake or Lake Canuck. Yay Canada for standing up to old Fuckface. 

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Today, of course, is sunny but it is going to be cooler. Yesterday it was 27° when Sheba and I went for our walk. It’s a major watering day for me today, but we’ll walk with our friends as well, and I shall do some work in the garden.

A change in the weather is coming. Sunday, the sun will be behind a cloud cover for at least three days.