And Repeat...

 Saturday was like every day before it. There were the dog walks, the meals, the naps and the odd little bit of yard work in the afternoon because it was so spectacularly sunny. And in the evening, as happens every night, I escaped into the story of a lovely film.

And today is My Day. The week flew by and it’s the day of the week without ‘shoulds’ again. It shall unfold as we please. Soon we’ll be going for our morning walk, and the rest of the day will be the same as yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, etcetera. It’s not raining, and it feels like it might turn nice and sunny again this afternoon, so perhaps some outdoor work with happen. And if it doesn’t, who cares? Grayson will soon be back to do more so I can just idle today if I want.

More Rain, More Chillin'

We managed our morning walk before the rain started yesterday, but I had to quit the group early because I was too pooped to continue. We bid our friends adieu and then Sheba and I went into the village to do some shopping. When we got home, I had a nap before lunch.

Every time I nap on my bed, Sheba hops up onto the bed right away. About 30 seconds later, I feel Ethel climbing onto my body. She curls up to sleep close by my heart. And then, THUMP! Fred has arrived, and he does as Ethel has done. I’m terribly touched by all this because it’s all of their own initiative.

There was no word from Grayson, so we had Pinecone Park to ourselves, and the day slid by enjoyably. My energy was low, so I did a lot of lounging right through to bedtime.  The best part of my day was spent at the computer because my big bouquet of Daffodils fills the air around me with its sweet, sweet fragrance.

This morning, I awoke to the sound of rain. It was warm enough to not have a fire, but I lit one anyway because of the rain. It feels good inside to have the fire and Fred and Ethel love being close by the hearth. Today will be just another slow easy day, but we’ll be going to GIRO to drop off a bunch of stuff from the cleaning up of the shed

I got an email this morning from Grayson. He may be here Monday, and he’ll definitely be here Tuesday to carry on. All there is left for him to do is sawing the large branches, splitting a lot more bucked rounds and bucking the last tree and then splitting that wood as well. Finally, he’s to remove the siding from one wood shed to increase the air circulation, and he’ll use the removed siding to extend the edge of the roof out further to ensure the wood stays dry.

Just Another Day

We walked the Ricki Ave. trail together yesterday morning. I feel sorry for everyone who cannot begin their day with a walk with Mother Nature. We didn’t see a single soul during our walk; it was as though we had the entire forest to ourselves.

The brilliant sunshine with which the day began did not endure. By noon, thin clouds covered the sky and so I bailed on my plans to do some outdoor work and instead had a nap and then I Zoomed with Steve, Dianne and Bruce. Sheba and I went to Rollo Park to play fetch late in the afternoon, and when I came home, I harvested all the Daffodils that were leaning over or lying on the ground. I have about 30 of them in a vase on my desk where my computer is. Their sublime Spring fragrance is sweet perfume.

Beth sent me some wonderful quotations, all of them by illustrious people and every one of whom was extoling solitude. I had a wonderful ‘I’m not alone’ response to them, and with Dr. Shoja’s response, I’m not concerned about how much time I spend alone. Soon, it will be a pleasure to be in the garden.

I’m not who I was before my breakdown. Wanting to be alone all the time is a result of having C-PTSD/FND. Before my collapse, I was far more social. 

Today is lovely and mild but the sky is overcast, and rain is predicted. Today will be another day like every other of late. So far, no word from Grayson, but he may be here this afternoon. I can’t believe how quickly time is passing. The weeks fly by. Tuesday is April 1^st!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Me and Dr. Minor

tuesday

Fog, drizzle and relatively warm air greeted me Tuesday morning when I rose and went out to chop wood. It’s not so bitterly cold in the mornings anymore, but it still feels good to light the fire knowing I will enjoy a cozy day indoors with their highnesses.

We got off to a late start. We didn’t go for our walk until 10:30, and then we went into the village to get cash with which to pay Grayson. He’s now very busy splitting and stacking wood, and he’s built a branch brace so that he can efficiently saw the many, many branches he’s harvested into firewood, and I will have it for future use when branches fall.

By noon the fog had lifted. It remained warm and there was no rain, but it was still a dull day except for the presence of Grayson. Mid-afternoon, Her Highness and I went. back to Regina’s to deliver more boxes. This time, we had a nice big load of them, and once unpacked, we went to Drumbeg for our afternoon walk.

Walking in Drumbeg was spectacular. I could smell the sea; it smelled sweet and fresh. All my life, I have lived close to the ocean, and I was a sailor and had my own boat. It takes engaging with the sea to develop a love of its fragrance. Later, I was buoyed by the scent of fresh clover growing where the Scotch Broom once grew. GALTT, our trail guardians, have successfully removed the invasive Broom and clover is thriving. My nose is a constant source of pleasure. I have always enjoyed a vivid sense of smell.

I may wind up stacking wood in the studio. I’d put down a protective layer to protect the tiles and to keep things clean and stack any wood in there that won’t fit in the two large sheds and one small one. I’m going to have an awful lot of wood. I likely won’t have to buy any wood until 2028. I’m truly set.

Bruce is in Iceland by now, I reckon. He’s been travelling through Italy and sending emails about his adventures. I’ve also been hearing a lot about travel from Ali and Pete, who spent several months in Panama, Kevin and Shelly, who’ve been travelling through Thailand and Vietnam, and Nancy and Ron who are in Mexico. I really enjoy reading about all they do, but it’s very clear to me that I will never travel anywhere beyond my tiny little corner of the world. 

I’d be a wreck were I to try travelling. I’d be exposed to too much risk of change, far, far too many strangers, noise, and chaos. I’m sure I’d be plagued with seizures and muteness. Those days are over. Besides, the premium I’d have to pay for travel insurance could buy me a house.

One of the best books I’ve ever read is The Professor and The Madman by Simon Winchester. It’s one of two incredibly fascinating books by Mr. Winchester telling the origin story of the Oxford Dictionary. The professor referred to in the title is Sir James Murray, the chief editor of the dictionary. The madman is William Chester Minor, a former American army general who became the first person found not guilty of a crime by reason of insanity, creating a precedent in British jurisprudence. Dr. Minor became one of the most prolific contributors to the development of the dictionary.

It's an incredible read, but the reason I have brought it up is because Dr. Minor was sent toa lunatic asylum, where he was treated to a grand cell, and which he filled with books that were the source material for his search for words and their provenance.

He was a brilliant man who fell apart due to exposure to the atrocities of war. His focus on the development of the dictionary seems to have brought focus and peace to his troubled mind and bringing his consciousness to the present from the past.

I think of him often because I feel imprisoned by my mind just like him. My cell is Pinecone Park. I occasionally get day passes to go to Nanaimo or Victoria, but the here is where I always want to be. My cell is my paradise, I have plants instead of books. I’m impatient waiting for the warm and nicer weather. I want to be outside, cleaning up the yard. But I’m a pussy. I don’t like cold; I do cool, but not cold, especially when its saturated.

wedesday

Wednesday without Grayson gave me a day to myself. He is not coming today, either, so today will be another gentle quiet day. We walked the Ricki Ave. trail yesterday. We were a big group of people and dogs. Then we made a quick stop in the village before coming home for lunch.

We had an afternoon walk on our favourite short trail, hoping to get our walk in before the rains came. Just as we were finishing, I felt the first drops of rain, so we came home, and I stoked the fire, and we had a very calm and relaxing happy hour. Then it was time for a movie, and last night I watched Délicieux, a lovely French film imagining the founding of the ‘first’ restaurant. It’s entirely fictitious, but beautiful to watch, and the reverence for food is a joy to see. I saw it via Prime and paid a modest premium.

As we were watching the film, the apocalypse arrived. We had torrential rain, lightning and thunder last night and it continued all night. It was still coming down when I arose this morning, but by 7:00 the sky cleared and it is a brilliant bright blue, promising us at least a lovely morning.

Today may bring the opportunity to do some outdoor work. I’ll see how things go. Tomorrow Grayson may be back so lots more will be done. However, there are things I can do and I may do some of them today.