16:32 - 11/03/2013
Ommmm
October - rake leaves, shovel snow. Sounds like a koan, doesn't it? That is October - transitional. It was my last chance to address cabin fever issues. You know being outside for extended periods of time in blustery weather makes one want to huddle in and cuddle up until spring arrives. That's the theory anyway. We'll see.
My youngest son ran out of access to a vehicle early in the month - that has really slowed the cleaning down, because I can't shift all the heavy stuff when I want. However, I am getting through things slowly and maybe that is a blessing. I used to wish I could move at the speed of my thoughts, now I am grateful for the energy and endurance to move at all. I feel as though I am swimming through treacle, but at least I get something accomplished each day. Maybe slowing things down allows me to attend to the minor details as they emerge. Grace notes, I used to think of them.
Their newest baby was born a week after they moved out too. I met him about a week ago. He is so cute that I wanted to bring him home with me - instead I brought home a really nasty chest infection. That really threw me for a loop too.
As a result I haven't been able to spend as much time with A+ - not wanting to make his Mom sicker by sharing this infection. We went to a football game with his sister and nephew when they came to our city for a visit. Night time game - yay - I got to pretend I was an adult again. It was a great game - our team won, but I had trouble with both my depth perception and balance getting up to the 50th tier of the stadium. No railings to hang onto, you see. The fear must have been evident on my face, as other fans scrambled to help me get settled. It was nippy out, but not bad for a night time game. The boys' dad played semi-professionally, so it triggered a lot of memories, good and bad. When I was recounting the experience to my Dad I allowed that I wanted to get on my hands and knees to crawl up the last few flights. He agreed that was how he felt, but mentioned his knees as the source of his problems with going to a live event. He hasn't been to a real game for decades for that reason.
A+ and I walked to my youngest's new digs too because he wanted to meet the newest grandbaby. It was pretty easy, but wait for the piles of snow. I bought an ice pick to attach to A+'s cane and he attached it last week, reluctantly. Maybe it was because I was threatening to use the blade to get the attention of rude fellow transit passengers.....
My number four and five sons came by on Thanksgiving to visit with me. It gave me a chance to visit with their families too. Gave my one grandson his belated birthday present and some scrubs to my one son's partner - she writes her final nursing exams in February. She said her entire graduating class was taken aside by the local health authorities and told that they would not be hired, but I see the so-called authorities are advertising aggressively for less skilled applicants in neighbouring provinces. Sigh. That is what I noticed a year ago when I was in the hospital - more technicians who knew nothing but the protocols set out by said provincial government so patient care wasn't costing too much and many less skilled/qualified medical people. When one is seriously ill, one doesn't need someone unskilled making critical, life altering decisions for one's care no matter how "nice". The real professionals often risked their employment to protect their patients - like me. I was told things I wasn't supposed to know - not my business, you know. Grrrr.
I met the same work friend during the month - she still hasn't managed to get a full time job in the province's biggest industry even though she has the skills, experience, and the paperwork; she is very discouraged. We had a good visit. She and one of my sons gave me veggies grown in their own gardens. Mmmm good. Maybe next year I can grow my own. Sent me into a bout of extended domesticity. Cooking and baking both. What a luxury.
Near the end of the month my cats changed my focus. A new neigbour's cat has been coming by to make their acquaintances the past month. Not surprisingly, my oldest son's neurotic kitty totally freaked out when that beautiful animal appeared on the back balcony asking to be let in. It wasn't until our cool, calm matriarch cat had a literal hissing fit, that I became uncertain of that new cat. The last time my cats acted out of character was in the middle of one night when I woke to find all four ranged like statues around me while I slept; each one seated in one of the four cardinal directions facing outward and making a strange humming - not purring - sound; seemed they were guarding me. I just pulled the covers over my head with visions of that one scene in "Golden Child" flashing through my mind.
Anyway too much to contemplate for me, I guess I should go watch the rest of Snow White to clear my mind. Talk with you later, dear diary.
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