Merci Juliet!

I’ve been having a rough time with speech and seizures.

I wrote a post for this blog the other day that I didn’t post it. It was pretty harsh. Instead, I told Dr. S. all that I had written and that’s why she said “of course” my symptoms are worse having put myself through this big change in my life moving to Gabriola. Her comment, together with the ongoing semi-monthly treatment she’s offered me beginning in the new year, have given me a tremendous sense of relief and hope.

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Leslie gave me a gift certificate to Lee Valley for my birthday and so I bought a hammock for the backyard. I’m thrilled. I wouldn’t have thought of a hammock but I was cruising the catalogue inspired by her gift and as soon as I saw it, I thought: Yes! What an ideal asset for the summer.

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I don’t know Juliet; she lives (and blogs) in Paris. Paris! Just imagine. She wrote to me via our mutual friend, Beth, having been following my adventures on this blog.

Dear Juliet,

Bless your wonderful heart and soul for sending your thoughtful and generous note to me. Your view of my transition to Pinecone Park came (almost) on my birthday like a wonderful present. Thank you very much for your kind words (that, for the benefit of other readers, praised me for my move at this stage of my life).

This is definitely a “follow your dream” experience. But instead of “eat, love, pray,” mine’s more “feed, stroke, play;” my pets have brought such joy to Pinecone Park.

I’m part of a generation of dreamers from the front edge of the post-war Baby Boom — a huge cohort of people that has never really known adversity such as war or the depression. We turned our sights on social issues.

I think I may represent many of us who are disappointed, after all our fighting for a better world, in the way things are going with international environmental and social policies and retreated. These islands are full of disenchanted people like me fleeing chaos and cacophony for tranquil contentment.

To hear my move viewed so beautifully, to be lauded for becoming a Pinecone Parker has put a bounce —not a mince — in my step, Juliet. Thank you very, very much!

~ Chris

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Excitement is a drug. Darrell’s work changes this place for the better every day. I’ll hear today if the woodstove installation is going to delay him in the studio. If that happens, he will do the latticework — making the area beneath my deck puppy proof. Then, when the studio is done, he’ll move on to the sunroom.

We had the rainiest November on record last month. Yesterday when I felt the sun’s heat on my skin I realized how wonderfully having a sunroom will be for my mood.

It will span my south wall in which there are two sets of double doors leading outside; one set from my office, the other from the dining room. I wanted the two sets of doors replicated in the new wall until yesterday; now I don’t. Feeling that sunshine has had me re-think the design to focus on creating comfortable sitting areas instead of focusing on access/egress.

And when the sunroom is done there’ll be a big change. No more Darrell every day; no more change and a lot of solitude but wonderful new rooms in which to play.

The final outcome of my move will happen, too. My ladies will come home.

I had a Puli named Bela. He look exactly like the beauty on the
right. Bela was black, too, and the best friend imaginable.