Bacon

Friday was a beautiful day, if slightly cooler than the rest of the week. Our walk was heavenly. I walked ahead of the group with Sheba to separate myself from all the talking because I love experiencing tranquility as we walk. She is such a good dog! Whenever I stop to take a photo, she waits with me.

We walked for an hour and a half, and when it was over, I wanted to walk some more but my foot was telling me No! So, we came home and I Zoomed with dear friend, David, who called from London. We talk every week. And then I got busy with domestic duties. I did laundry, built up the fire, went outside to prune all the Hydrangeas (slightly late in the season), did the recycling sorting and bagging, and I vacuumed everywhere (because I hadn’t vacuumed since yesterday). That was a joke. I must vacuum every day, or we’ll get buried in Fir needles.

I stopped eating pork decades ago. I love pigs and cannot eat them. But since moving here, I bought two hams from Eoin and François. I couldn’t believe I did it, but I’ve always believed in guidelines over rules, and so it wasn’t moral collapse on my part. I have never regretted what I did, but I surprised myself. Well, yesterday I bought some bacon.

I believe it’s locally made bacon. The packaging is by Nester’s. I bought it because it is more meat than fat. In fact, there’s very little fat, and it’s very thick so I am going to make lardons to keep for salads. But it positively thrilled me to make and eat a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich yesterday. They, and clubhouse sandwiches, were a staple of my youth and so it was wonderful to enjoy one again. It brought back memories of eating them in sunshine in our backyard when I was a young teen.

Finally, mid-afternoon, I was ready to submit myself to the chaise to read. But after just two chapters, I was ready to nap. I was quite tired from my walk and doing all my chores. However, napping wasn’t going to happen. First Bruce called and we Facetimed for quite a while, and then Her Highness wanted to walk. We’d had a great, long morning walk, so we went for a short walk at Rollo Park and then came home in time to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics.

And what a fucking disaster that was! Watching the Olympic opening on the CBC was, perhaps, my worst experience watching television. It was ads interspersed with shots of the opening. It was pure torture to watch. I couldn’t stand it, so I watched a movie instead. Unfortunately, I the part where Mariah Carey was singing was uninterrupted with ads. What? Are there are no great Italian singers? What a shit show! Not the opening, but the CBC coverage. And the commentators! Holy crap they were insipid.

The rain is back. It’s light rain this morning, so we’ll walk without getting soaked, and for the rest of the day, I will putter and read. Last night I decided that if we get no snow this month, I will fill the hot tub next month because I miss soaking in hot water in the mornings and enjoying the sounds and fragrances of my beloved island. 

Dragonfly wings.

Dinner Out

Thursday morning dawned with clear skies, so we’re back to chilly morning temperatures, but it’s predicted to be 14° this afternoon and that means we’ll probably walk this afternoon at Drumbeg again. It is just so, so beautiful there, and it’s such a treat to be so warm in Winter.

Her Highness and I took our morning walk together just before 9:00 am. We walked the Ricki Ave. trail that’s a good walk for both of us, and then we came home to the heat and for my Zoom call with STAMMA on telephone accessibility—a session aligned with the work Aidan, and I are doing with SPACE.

When that was done, it was lunchtime for everyone, and then I worked on the posts for the new SPACE blog, and I sent them to Aidan. And then Her Highness and I went to Elder Cedar to walk the trail there on a beautiful and warm Winter afternoon. And then we came back to chill together until dinner time for the pets, after which I left for The Surf to meet Kris, Steve and Nancy for dinner.

Dinner was a blast and because we ate early (17:30), I was home again at 19:30 and I enjoyed a bit of time together with the pets by the fire until it was bedtime.

Today is bright, sunny and warm, but tomorrow the rains return. I’m more than okay with that because we’ll soon be half-way through February and there’s been no snow so far. What a miracle! I’m doing no SPACE work today. We’ll walk soon with our friends, and I’ll read today. I’m wanting a day to myself.

Can you believe that the Orange Blowhole offered NYC the money the government promised but which he has been withholding for a mega tunnel project IF they agreed to change the names of Penn Station and the Washington-Dulles Airport to Trump Station and Airport. What a fucking baby buffoon!

I’m looking forward to watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics this afternoon. I reckon there’ll be booing when the Americans enter the stadium. I hope there is. 

A Beautiful Day for a Walk in the Park

Wednesday dawned sunny and warm, but until the sun shone on the treetops, I was busy at my computer doing my SPACE homework and loving every second of it. Then, just past 9:00, we went to meet our friends to walk out dogs. They walked further than Her Highness and I did because I wanted to get home to receive my Tezspire when it arrived. I must sign for it and immediately refrigerate it when it arrives.

Our walk was a delight because of the brilliant weather. Everyone’s spirits were high, including the dogs, and the air was rich with the healing fragrances of the forest. My God, I love walking in the forest. City people have no idea how incredibly sensual, healthy and uplifting forest walking is, and I get to do it every day at least twice.

Aidan wrote me a kind note of appreciation yesterday. It thrilled me. I have struggled with feelings of poor self-worth all my life, so when someone values me, it really makes me feel great. And he sent more work for me to do that I’ll do today after he and I join a STAMMA Zoom conference entitled Ending the Phone Call Nightmares. Could there be a more interesting and relevant conference for us?

My Tezspire arrived and the driver was a lovely guy. Everything is so routine now. They always take my packaging from the previous month when they deliver a new needle, and the unpacking and repacking are routine to me now. And once processed and after lunch was served to the four-leggers, I went to Drumbeg Park because it was so Spring-like.

Buds on my Daffodils.

It was 13° — my Apple watch measures the temperature and posts it on my clock dial. How handy is that? — sunny and still. There was no wind and the sea was flat calm. Kids were playing with no coats on. I had my coat on, but I kept it open. However, regardless of the beauty of the day, there was hardly anyone there. I was able to let Sheba off the leash as we walked even though we were in a provincial park.

My foot is getting worse. It’s been five months since Jennifer sent in a requisition for a cortisone shot for me, and still no word. That’s fine, I’m happy to be patient, but I worry about how long the relief I get from the shot will last, because I will want another shot and that will mean at least another five months waiting. A month from now, I’m going to see Jennifer to get some prescription renewals, and I’m going to ask her about the cortisone efficacy over time and depending on what she says. I may ask her to send in a new requisition every X months—the length of time that the drug works—to reduce my waiting time.

In the evening, I wrote three short essays: one about neurogenic stuttering, another about shame in the stuttering community, and the last one on the telephone relay service. SPACE is going to launch a blog, and so Aidan wanted some content. I’m sure he’s asked many of us working with him, and so it should make an impression on those who check it out. The challenge will be maintaining good copy, but I’m confident that we can do it.

It was nice to spend an evening not watching a movie, and tonight will me sans cinema as well because I am going to The Surf to eat with Kris, Steve and Nancy. I’ll also be working on re-writes of the essays. I’m really looking forward to that work!

I love opals!

❤️ SPACE!

Tuesday was dry! It was wonderful to be able to walk without worrying about rain. And it’s so warm, walking Her Highness is a treat.

I was reluctant to leave home through the day because my Tezspire is due today, but it often comes a day early. So, I after our walk, I read a while and napped before my meeting with Aidan at 14:00. And what a meeting it was! I am practically in love with Aidan. He is so dedicated to helping us stutterers, and he is smart and very articulate, and he is often sending me lovely messages of gratitude for my contributions. He and SPACE have given me such a wonderful sense of fulfilment, pride and joy.

Then Her Highness and I went walking late in the afternoon when I was certain that Fedex wasn’t coming with my Tezspire today. We took a short walk in Rollo Park and then we went to Nester’s so that I could get more fresh fruit and veggies for another batch of curried rice salad. I make mountains of it. 

I’ve become a massive fan of brown rice. I’d put a load of it on in my rice cooker before leaving for our walk and shop, and when I came home and opened the door, the smell of the rice cooking smelt quite like popcorn at a movie theatre. It is such a wonderfully pleasant smell. I’ll never go back to white rice.

I have a ton of homework to do today for SPACE, and I could not be happier to have something to occupy my mind that is practical and that helps Aidan. The Tezspire will come today, so I must stay home and I’ll have my homework to do while I await its arrival.

It’s still amazingly mild outside, and we’re getting sunshine for the coming four days, and then the rains return. But better than mild temperatures and no rain is the fact that there’s still no snow predicted. This is often the coldest month of our year, so the risk for snow is high. But so far, so, so good!

I noticed that I have jobs the need attention in my garden. Sheesh, everything is budding like mad and I didn’t so some essential pruning, so I will do some during this good weather. But not today; today is a SPACE day.