Madame!

Sheba has been dealing with a damaged foot. This is her curse. Yesterday, she would not walk at all. I urged her outside to pee, otherwise, she was housebound all day. I was relieved to get her out to pee before I left for my 8:00 dentist appointment.

When I got home, I had an email from Sue, my respiratory therapist, who relayed that my lung test revealed my lung capacity at 100%! That’s up from 20% last August, and what better proof of the efficacy of Tezspire is there?

It wasn’t easy, but my phone is now registered with Koodo as belonging to a person requiring text communication with the 911 system. I feel a lot safer now.

After my teeth cleaning, I went shopping for things with which to make my dinner for tonight. I needed four things that they did not have in stock: radishes, parsley, walnuts, and lemons. Lemons! My palette pays a price living here. I called Ali to see if she had some lemons, and she did, and walnuts and daikon! I was set. I have Italian parsley in my garden.

My goal for the day was baking a meringue roll up cake. It did not go well, but it is salvageable. Besides, meringue tastes fabulous no matter how unattractive it is. I baked a flat meringue on a cookie sheet. I added corn starch to make it malleable. Once it was baked and cool, I slathered on a layer of sweetened cream cheese infused with mint, and over that, I piped lemon curd over that, and then I rolled the meringue as tightly as I could in parchment paper and I put it in the fridge. 

Once that was done, I made a pea pesto spread that I love. I got the recipe from Kris Gabbott, my friend here on Gabe. I’ll serve it and a mushroom spread that I made this morning with toasted baguette slices.

I cleaned up all the dishes, and I felt as tired as I do after a day working in the yard. The chaise was calling me; dinner was calling me. I was beat. The evening was the usual routine, but it was very, very welcome. I loved having my feet up and doing nothing but watching a movie after a busy day. 

I watched Madame, on Kanopy. I loved, loved, loved it. It’s such a clever plot and script. It’s loads of fun. The actors do a great job, but it’s the writer that’s the star of the show. I’m constantly choosing a movie by its log line. I watch at least one movie every day; sometimes two. Taking a chance on Madame, I was very richly rewarded.

Today I must make a complex salad that I have never made before. It’s blanched asparagus, walnuts, bacon, radishes, herbs and a dressing that I think will be fabulous. But it needs lemon. Sigh. I hope they have some when I go shopping, or I will have to use that horrid lemon juice that you buy.

I also must make the main. I was going to make a pasta that is my favourite (with lemon) but that’s not going to happen, so I’ll make a creamy shrimp and bacon pasta. I haven’t consumed bacon for over thirty years, so no guilt. I love making and serving new recipes when I entertain. Tonight is the first time I’ve entertained since Christmas.

I’ve been walking three times a week with Regina for almost eight years. Meryl joined us a couple of years ago; Nola’s been walking with us for probably five years. These are people with whom I am fluent. The part of my brain that makes me stutter and have seizures is my fight or flight centre. It’s stuck on high alert. It’s constantly monitoring my environment and my emotions. Understanding all this makes it logical that I am at my most comfortable with people I have seen so often for so many years.

When I had my accident and hurt my arm, I felt no pain. When the paramedics bandaged me, same thing, I felt no pain. It started hurting three days ago and now it really bothers me. Tonight, when my friends arrive, I am going to ask one of them to help me change my bandage. I can’t do it alone.

I have a busy day today before the dinner party. I’m going to crash after dinner.