My Lazy Life

Yesterday was beautiful. I had a morning spa, just before Cathy called to check in on me and my mental health. I’m getting slightly feisty with her; her “tough love” can be hard to take on some days. But she’s put me onto an interesting website run by a woman who calls herself the Crappy Childhood Fairy. 

The videos are interesting, and Cathy is kind to keep in touch, but I’m kind of sick of being sick, and as long as she is seeing me, I can’t forget I’m “sick.”. Given my isolation and lack of stimulation, I am doing very well. My symptoms are almost dormant, so I want Cathy to stop calling (but I won’t yet ask her to stop). I want to just get on with my life.

I went for my weekly shop and it’s clear that people and life and supplies have settled down. There’s flour, toilet paper, bread; everything was in stock. There were also lots of “summer folk;” I’ve become like all my fellow permanent residents who wish they weren’t here.

The nice thing about summer people is that many of them have children with them and their laughter and the melody of their voices provide an uplifting soundtrack to my visits to the park. But not this summer—not yet, at least. The parks remain closed.

•

My asthma clinic appointment next month is cancelled. I’m relieved that I don’t have to go to Vancouver but that I’m still connected to them. 

•

The RCMP shut down the local Marijuana store because a legal one is opening soon. The former owners spotted me in the park and invited me to do business with them by phone. I told them I’m barely a user anymore, but the fellow gave me his card anyway.

I notice that an ounce of Marijuana from him now is one hundred dollars. It used to be two-hundred and fifty, so enforcement, lessening his overhead, has made his market more active because he is much, much cheaper that brick and mortar vendors.

Also, when I bought Marijuana, I chose it by its smell. The legal outlets I’ve seen, and certainly the government mail-order service, prevent you from smelling their product. The product has to be packaged in approved safe environments and cannot be opened before sale.

I wonder how sales of marijuana, now that its legal, will evolve and how the legal vendors will deal with illegal sellers.

•

I mowed the front lawn and the lawn over the septic field yesterday. (I have to do the other lawns today.) And I did a laundry, loving every single second of hanging it listening to birdsong as sunshine warmed my back. Mmmmmmm. Then it was off to Rollo Park, then home for dinner and a relaxing evening at home.

Today and the next few days are predicted to be nice, so I’ll get lots of little tasks done: Tying up the Garlic, more edging and weeding and some napping in the speckled sunshine.

Next book: Less

Yesterday began with me reading the final chapters of educated. It’s a gifted accounting of a life shaped initially by survivalist parents who rationalize the behavior of a psychopathic son, into a life of remarkable academic and literary achievement. The part that amazed me the most was the accounting of her initial year at university after never having ever been schooled. It’s a riveting read. 

At noon, my Internet and cable TV failed, so I called Shaw, my service provider. They said it wasn’t their fault and blamed a splitter somewhere in the cabling within my walls. But then, when I heard Sheba barking and went outside to stop her barking, I met Deborah, my neighbour, and she told me all her Shaw services were also down.

I chose my next book: It’s Less by Andrew Sean Greer. Without the Internet, I couldn’t research anything about it. But I know from the publishing and advertising text, that it’s funny, was copywritten in 2017 and won a Pulitzer Prize.

In the afternoon, Sheba and I went to Rollo Park. The rain had stopped, leaving a freshness in the air that was noticeable the moment I opened the door to leave. From every single tip—every single tip of very, very many—on every single branchlet that comes off every single big branch emerging from the trunk of every single Fir and Hemlock tree, a light green but of new growth grows. Forest fairies have painted the tip of each dark green branchlet with light green paint. 

Last night, unable to use the Internet or TV, I started reading Less.

This morning began dramatically with Sheba freaking out. She suddenly jumped off the bed and started barking furiously in the dining room. I got up and saw her going batty over a racoon in the yard. It was five fifteen and I was wide awake; then I noticed that my Internet was working again.

Today’s a nice day, but it’s windy so a power failure might happen later today. I’m going shopping at some point and I may get some chores in the yard done.

I Love Reading "educated"

Sugar cookies. Yum! I made a big Saturday morning, making the house smell like my beloved Aunt Audrey’s did. It’s from her that I got my love of baking. She was my first experience with love.

Saturday turned out to be not too bad. There was no rain, but it was overcast with thin clouds that let lots of lovely bright light through to keep me warm. It was a lovely day. I love listening to CBC2 because it plays a wide variety of classical music during the day. And nothing beats a day when the weather is calming and there’s great music on the radio.

Bright sunshine and clear skies impel me to work. Days like Saturday render me still and I appreciate the day and my lifestyle. The soft light that penetrates the cloud makes everything look soft, and at this point in our Springtime, the leaves are free of dust and evidence of insects.

I checked on the water level in my cistern… and so begins summer. I felt fine watering the front gardens after my baking, and then I transplanted some Boxwood starters that had popped up in one of my planters. 

But I reckon my Wisteria is a goner. My friends Dianne and John sent me photos of theirs in majestic bloom, but mine has signs of tiny shoots that are not developing. I’ll get a Clematis to replace it; its purpose is to hide the lot next door that is likely to be developed into a home in the near future.

My Paulownia, however, is thriving. I bought a tiny shoot last year and planted it in the front yard and this year it’s already twice as high as it reached last year. They are fast-growing trees with gorgeous blue towers of flowers and their leaves are rich in Nitrogen, so they make excellent compost.

Saturday afternoon, it cleared up! I went to Rollo with Sheba and came home for a spa, dinner and watching The Nance(with the incredible Nathan Lane) on YouTube. It was very funny when it was supposed to be, but when it got serious it felt rather forced … rather melodramatic. Still, it was Nathan Lane … and no commercials.

He has one scene in which he plays Hortense. He does it in drag and I was cramping from laughing so hard for so long. The man is a magician with comedy. I love Nathan Lane.

“Very Damon and Pythiassy.”

•

And then came Sunday. Time is flying by. 

The morning was damp and grey, so I it a small fire and opened my book, educated as soon as I got home from the morning dog walk and I read right through until it was time for the afternoon walk. And when I got home, I read more until I watched the documentary about Divine on Netflix. I loved it, and I now love John Waters.

Today it’s raining real rain. And Ethel is sick, so I’m lighting another little fire to keep her warm and to make the house cozy on a dark wet day.

I’ll finish educated today and start another book because what else am I going to do? But I’m very happy for the gardens that today is so wet.