Friendships

 On Sunday, I was busy all day again.

I went on the big dog walk and it was wonderful. Then, as soon as it was over, I hurried home to make my lunch and then start on the risotto. Shelling all the Prawns and then using the shells to make the broth takes an hour and a half, then making the risotto takes another hour. Plus, I had salad to prepare and all the tidying and cleaning I wanted to do. I finished with just enough time to have a spa before Stacy arrived for dinner.

We had a lovely evening and, thank goodness, she had the decency to leave early so that I could crash into bed early. But I must say, dinner was delicious. The Prawn risotto recipe I have is excellent and my Plum cake was fabulous too. (I’m not bragging; it’s the recipe writer who I’m praising.) But my God, I was tired.

Stacy. Her name’s been coming up. The interesting thing about this relationship I have with her, is that she is driving it. She compliments me, and so far, each time we meet, she proposed when our next meet-up could be. 

I have another neighbour, Monica. She’s a lovely soul, and she mentioned to me that she was finding it hard to meet compatible people here. That was a while ago. I think that I’m a compatible person for Stacy. She is not a permanent resident here, but she’s here often and I really enjoy her company. From the second she arrives there’s interesting conversation and we have lots of laughs. I feel lucky to be her compatible friend. 

It’s been like dating. Our last date was Sunday night. We gay men have long been good friends to women.

On Monday, something similar happened. 

I was out working on the wasteland and heard my name. It was Merrill, Leo and Issa, back after being away for 2.5 weeks. It was wonderful to be back together. They walked me through the shell of their new house, telling me what would be where. It was as thrilling for me, as it was for them.

We went to their bedroom to look at the view from the window. They wanted me to see how much of my yard they could see. And while they were there, they told me that they were going to have to leave again because their home had been epidemically infested with mice. There is mouse poo and pee everywhere. 

They are living in a cabin that will be torn down once their new home is completed. It’s the home their living in that is infested, not the new home.  So, they are arranging to stay at Merrill’s mother’s place, and I may not see them for quite a while. It was sad news.

They are packing their stuff into safe containers and getting a storage locker delivered in which to store all their things. They want to come back for weekends periodically, so I’ve offered them the studio. They welcomed the suggestion. I am very happy to help because I love them. I would never say so to anyone but you, Miss Diary, but I do tell them how much I value our friendship and that the gate is a symbol of our mutual goodwill.

Late yesterday afternoon, I was watering. Merrill called me and I went through our gate to say goodbye. They were heading off to Vancouver.  She gave me a book and a card, and off they went. 

I did a some cleaning up, got myself my new favourite drink. I’ve been sampling different water products, trying to find one that hooks me. My new favourite is Montellier, and it comes in a lovely blue bottle, and it’s cheap. It’s my new Diet Coke, but healthier. And then I opened the card.

I’m not going to tell you what they wrote, but Merrill wrote half and signed it, and Leo wrote the other half and signed it. When I read it, I was weepy. 

It’s weird and wonderful. I can feel their friendship—all of them, Merrill, Leo and Stacy—and it satisfies me like love once did. Why? I wondered. And I thought: Yea, it is like dating, like first love making a new friendship. 

It’s also because I am still new here; October 7^th is my fourth anniversary here. These new friendships make this island feel more and more like home. It makes me feel safer. They said they really value their daughter’s relationship with me. Sheba and their dog, Omelius, get along perfectly. My blood pressure was 168 yesterday.

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My affliction, Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) was in the news. My friend Kathy sent me a link to a CTV news article about young people diagnosed with FND were blaming their affliction on their Covid vaccinations. And because most people haven’t heard about FND, most of the article was about the disease. The line that stood out is this one: “It's actually the second most common neurological disorder that comes to see neurologists in outpatient clinics, but yet many doctors, including me several years ago, hadn't heard of this disorder.”

I’m part of a wave. I’ll be proof of a conspiracy soon.

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I’ll be back in the wasteland again today. I’m made little progress yesterday. I plan to get lots done today because soon I’ll be able to spread topsoil (expensive) and seed it (also expensive). I’ll probably make one more garden. And put Hostas by the shady gate.

 I like doing physical labour (at my pace). I see so much to do move around the yard, taking wheelbarrows full of wasteland trash into my dumping area, fetch tools, and water gardens. I’ve got lots I can do, and it’s the most satisfying work because I’m yard proud.