Loved B&M's Visit!

friday

I was tired as soon as I got up, but I went directly into high gear, vacuuming, polishing, dusting and, most of all, watering all the backyard garden beds. I had a ton of things that I wanted to get done before the arrival of Bill and Marsha in the early afternoon.

Bill was the founding artistic director of the Arts Club Theatre in Vancouver, and Marsha was the lighting designer for the theatre for decades. She and Bill have been partners since before I met them in 1972. I was a very proud member of the theatre in its inaugural season. It is now the largest theatre in Vancouver and one of the largest in Canada.

I arrived at their door with no training but unbridled passion for theatre work. I worked for them for a year without pay to learn the work, and then I was on the payroll for the ensuing year. Those years were a highlight of my life, and when I went on to build my own theatre (Presentation House Theatre in North Vancouver) Bill sent shows to me to add real power to our offerings. Bill and Marsha are personal heroes of mine, so hosting them yesterday was an enormous pleasure.

When the watering was done, I was ready for bed. But I had to set the table for lunch and to make the fruit salad for our dessert. Honestly, it was go, go, go! Sadly, there were no emails from my friends in our small dog walking group. Regina has left us because Molly can’t cope with our walks; poor Molly is dying of Cancer. Just typing that makes me cry. I love Molly and so does Sheba. Their exit seems to have brought an end to our walking group.

I enjoyed making the salad. Just standing still and cleaning, peeling and cutting up fruit was a pleasure. Then I cleaned the outdoor dining table and put cushions on the chairs, and I cleaned up the courtyard. I finished all my chores at 11:15, half an hour before Bill arrived on the big island, and that left me some chill time before they arrived. It ensured that I’d be in decent shape for their visit.

However, before I could relax, it was time to take Her Highness for a walk. We both loved walking slowly through a forest that is particularly fragrant currently, but man-oh-man it was hot (30°) and humid. It was lovely, though, to have the time to take a slow leisurely stroll before Bill and Marsha arrived.

I was very happy to have had rest time before they arrived just past 1:30. We got directly into lunch and conversation. We all had a great time together, especially me. It was wonderful to feel their friendship. They brought preserves, photographs to give me, and cookies, and they loved my lunch. Bill ate two helpings of the tart and most of the dessert. It was very satisfying to see how much he liked the food. And he’s going to India in December, so I am going to send him information about Rajasthan and the

 

saturday

First thing yesterday morning, we went for a walk in a short trail that’s close to the farmers’ market. The slope is slight, but it was very challenging for me. Clearly, this weakness is not getting better on its own, but at least I’m making progress with the investigation.

Consulting with all my specialists to eliminate my existing health issues as the cause has taken a long time. I see Dr. Shoja on Tuesday, and if she thinks I should stop Clonazepam, it will mean a few more weeks before I can assess my capacity. And if that doesn’t work, I see my NP, and it takes a month to see her when I make an appointment. So, insight into the cause of my decline is still a long way away.

But our walk was beautiful. The trail we took opens into a huge natural meadow that is a massive sheet of sandstone on the surface of the land. It must be a couple of acres in area, and it hosts huge islands of moss that are brown now, but beautiful, lush and green during the rest of the year. After our walk, we went to the market, then to the village and the plant store. I bought more plants. Yes, I’m addicted.

By the time we got home, it was lunchtime, so we ate and then I got to watering all the garden beds. It was a pleasure to do, visiting each plant and feeding them, all while enjoying lovely warm temperatures and a clear, bright blue sky. I particularly enjoy watering the edible garden beds because everything there really has taken off this year. I expect an abundant crop of fruit next year.

As I did my evening walkabout, I took great pleasure in the firmness of the leaves and the plushness of the blossoms, all because of my late afternoon watering. Bill and Marsha were very impressed with my gardens, and it pleased me because few people see my backyard. And today I hope to plant all the new plants with which I’ll fill spaces.

Saturday was a day for recovery after all the work involved with Bill and Marsha’s visit. I forgot to post yesterday because I was so focused on only doing essentials so that I could spend the rest of the day in the hammock or on the lounge chair. 

Today I have a couple of Zoom calls with friends, and I plan on getting all the new plants into the beds today. Plus, of course, there’ll be lots of watering to do.