Day Off

Day off. Back tomorrow 

Dianne Day 2

Wednesday was a lovely day because it is so wonderfully easy being with Di. We putzed around the house in the early morning; I started at 5:00, Di joined me just past 8:00. No fire, no rush. We just chatted and chilled until it was time to walk Her Highness.

We went to walk in Elder Cedar, a place that Di loves. We walked slowly and took turns pointing out things to each other. It was slightly overcast but warm, an ideal temperature for walking comfortably. When we got back to the car, we came home and had an early lunch, after which we both got comfortable to read. I, however, fell into a short snooze, and when I awoke Di was MIA. (She was napping in her room.)

I, therefore, went outside and watered the front yard, the edible garden and half of the backyard beds. It’s the backyard that takes so long to water properly. When I was done, I was chuffed to have given all my flora friends essential water. I still cannot believe how dry a Winter and Spring we’ve had. This morning, I will finish watering the backyard beds.

When I was done, Di was up and back to reading in the living room, and so I proposed that we get into the spa and chat. She absolutely loved being in the spa. She loved the heat and being outside in brilliant sunshine. Yes, the eternal sun was back in full force all afternoon. 

After our spa, Di went back to reading and I took Her Highness for our afternoon walk, and when I got back, it was time for us to head into the village to pick up a pizza for dinner. Yum! Just as dinner was winding down, I suddenly lost my capacity to speak at all to Di. It came back, but barely, later. It was weird and worrisome, but my voice is a constant source of confusion and frustration. Sigh. 

We’ll walk this morning and read and chat some more, we’ll have leftover pizza for lunch and Di leaves around 2:00 to go to Nanaimo to meet her friend, Lynn, with whom she will be travelling in Europe this Summer, to attend Di’s daughter, Ashlee’s, wedding and to do some sightseeing around southern Europe. Then she will head home on the ferry at 18:00.

So, this afternoon, I return to solitude. Aidan is in NYC, so I am taking time off SPACE work, and instead reading and doing yard and garden work around Pinecone Park. I reckon the cold is behind us now.

NASA photo of surface of Jupiter.

Dianne Day 1

Friday morning was very busy! I cleaned the cattery, vacuumed everywhere, took the garbage out for pick up, did a lot of dishes, cleaned the firebox and the toilets. Everything is spick and span for Di’s visit. We walked before 8:00, and I delivered Her Highness to the groomer at 9:00. While she was getting groomed, I did more prep work so that our dinner would come together quickly and easily.

It was disappointing that Di arrived on a cloudy day. Still, it was toasty warm, so walking remained a potential joy even without le soleil. At 8:30 I got an email from Di saying that she’s in pain and sleep deprived due to her root canal. I have Tylenol 3s if she wants one, and I shall give her time to nap, and I’ll serve her nice smooth soup by the fire. Actually, no I won’t. She just texted to say no hot fluids until after 16:00.

After dropping Sheba off, I stopped to fetch eggs for scrambling, ice cream, yoghurt and bananas for Dianne who needs soft foods, and when I got home, I picked a small bouquet to put in her room.

Di arrived at 11:30 and she loved the bouquet and how clean the house was. She got settled and then we had a modest lunch. Her dental work was causing her some pain and so soft food was in order. I was talking key word speech, and it was tremendously satisfying to be able to talk somewhat. I could convey thoughts, but I had a couple of seizures.

Mid-afternoon, Di took a long nap, and I took Her Highness for our afternoon walk during a very modest rain shower. And then we had more chat time before I made my current favourite pasta sauce (lemon, mushroom cream sauce) and we had some of the baclava tart I made. Dinner went down well.

We watched a great little movie after dinner, and then we watched some TV before going to bed. I slept deeply through the night. Sleeping may be what I am best at.

I have no idea what we will do today. It’s warm already. There’s no need for a fire. We’ll do as we please, and there’ll be more movies tonight. We are very comfortable together. I know we’ll have a great day walking, talking, eating and chilling. 

Di Arrives Today!

Friday dawned brilliant and warm. No need for a fire yesterday. Instead, I made Di’s bed early in the morning, and I used my wonderful new iron to iron her pillowcases. I should have got this iron long ago. My old one leaked. It looks so nice to see the pillows looking clean and fresh on the bed. And then I did some gardening before coming inside to shower and get ready for our walk with our friends.

Our walk was extraordinary. These are ideal temperatures right now. I hate heat, so walking on these fine, fine days is heavenly. After our walk, I went into the village to pick up some homey for the syrup of the Baclava tart I’m making for Di’s visit. It is the most delicious dessert! The syrup is heavenly.

We had lunch when we got home, and then I made the tart in advance of my session with Dr. Shoja. I feel slightly overwhelmed by having Dr. S. in my life and Jess. It feels like too much therapy to me. As each day passes, I’m losing my interest in speech therapy, but I’m not of a mind to quit. I want to talk to Dr. S. and Jess about going forward. I wrote a long email to Jess about my fears and objectives.

My session with Dr. S. was disturbing. It is brutally hard for me to speak, and when I speak, I must use words that I can say—and I don’t know what those words are until I try to say them. This is so fucking weird, I’m telling you, having a Twilight Zone speech problem. And trying to speak brings on more seizures. It was hard but it was revealing and I feel it was an important session.

I wrote so much more, but I’m sick, you’re sick, of the subject of my brain and my speech. This morning I tossed a long bit about my session.

Today may bring showers. Fat chance, I say! It’s been such a dry Winter and Fall, I have my doubts but lots of home. It’s cloudy this morning, which is good, because I should be watering, but I’ll hold off to see how things go. Besides, Sheba goes to the groomer this morning, so I must walk her early. And Di comes late in the morning, fresh off a root canal.

I’m so looking forward to her visit, and yesterday Dwight said he is going to come visit. And he’s checking in every second day. What an amazing friend! 

A Summer-like Day

As you may notice, on the top right of this homepage of my blog, there is now an orange image telling you whether I am having a speaking or non-speaking day. I will ensure the right message is up every day. I’m doing this so that friends can know how to best communicate with me: on speaking days, I can receive a Facetime call; non-speaking days require arranging to speak on Zoom with its chat feature or communicating via email or text.

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Yesterday began with a lot of domestic chores, and a long email to Jess about our future. Then Her Highness and I went to Drumbeg to walk because it was My Day and because it was so gorgeous and warm. It was a no coat day. (The photos are below.) When we got to the park and entered the drive into the parking lot, there was an Otter on the road. He moseyed down the road to the beach and I drove very, very slowly behind him snapping photos.

I wrote to Jess with serious concerns before we left. I’m not sure I see the point in seeing her on days when I cannot speak. I feel our calls should be limited to speaking days and that her function is to help me speak as well as I can on speaking days. In our recent session, she wanted me to try to speak or make sound on a day when my body didn’t want me to, and that’s why I had four seizures. I do not want to have more seizures. I do not want to try to talk on days when I can’t.

When we got back from our walk, I posted the first orange speech status image on my blog, and then we had lunch. After lunch, I wrote to several friends to tell them to go to my blog to see what my speech status is before trying to reach my by Facetime. Facetime is how I’ve distance communicated in the past, but it has no chat function, so on semi-verbal days, I can use it, but on non-verbal days, I cannot.

Then we went shopping for things so that I can bake a tart tomorrow and make mushroom pasta sauce. And when we got home, it was 18° and so I tidied the courtyard, put chairs out on the deck, and cleaned the deck a bit, all for Di’s visit. I was very happy to be doing yard work and not working on my speech and adaption. I need to live and not just work for SPACE and on my methods of communicating.

When I finished doing as much yard work as I wanted to do, Her Highness and I went for our afternoon walk. It was 18°! No coat, no hoodie, just a t-shirt and we had a lovely slow walk to tire her out thereby inclining her to sleep while I went out for dinner.

What an incredibly wonderful day of sunshine and warmth. It was like a fine Summer day, not too warm. Just perfect! I was so, so glad I had plans to go out for dinner with Eoin and François. I am soready for a bit of fun, time to relax, and to forget about my speech.

We had a good time. I could very slowly string ‘key’ words together to communicate. I felt welcome and happy in the company of my friends, and that means a lot. They did not make me feel uncomfortable. I felt we all had fun together.  Eoin wants to go to Country Grocer with me one day. I was really moved by his wanting to be with me.

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Today will be even warmer than yesterday. It’s going up to 20°. I have a lot to do today. I want to make a tart for Dianne, and the pasta sauce for tomorrow night when she is here. And I see Dr. Shoja at 13:00, and that might mean that I can speak a little while Di is here.

Photos taken at Drumbeg Park.

Above and below: The Otter who loped ahead of 
me on the road to Drumbeg.

Gorgeous tiny flowers were everywhere.