Musings on a Small Life

My dad, who lives in Vancouver, BC with his wife, will be visiting in a couple of weeks. Originally he had intended to visit in September, after returning home from his month-long trip to Quebec City, Chicoutimi and Gaspe, but he and his partner have been able to alter their plans (well, his plans) so that he'll come and spend a week or so with me, then join her with her family afterward. So they leave Vancouver on August 8th and will be in Quebec City on the 9th. They'll spend a few days there, then Dad will come here on the 12th and Helene will go to Chicoutimi via bus. It makes sense to combine trips and certainly saves the cost of another trip east (airfare plus car rental). And on his way back to meet up with his wife and her family, he'll stop in Montreal and visit his nephew and family (my uncle Peter's son). I'm looking forward to seeing Dad, as it's a once-a-year visit, and actually am delighted he's coming in August for a change, when tourist...

Ladies, I have found my sport, and it's rugby. I thought the tattooed rugby players were hot. Okay, they were. Really hot. So are all these yummy rugby players. And just a warning: If you don't want to see a lot of skin...taut, buff, gorgeous, drool-worthy skin, with thighs some of us really want to sink our teeth into...navigate away from this page now. I might as well give up the eye candy feature after this; I can't possibly top this without becoming "X" rated.  :-P Italian team  Cover of a 2008 French calendar...Why don't they sell something like this in Canada?  Obviously another calendar, but I don't know if it's the same one.  Photo date was sometime in 2004.  I found this on an Italian (I think) site and the photo name indicated it was cancer fundraising. Don't know what nationality the players are, though...Who cares? Happy Friday, everyone! P.S. I just can't think why the middle-aged, soft, paunchy, balding men in my age gr...

So. Physio and Geriatrics have seen Harry, today in fact. He'll be in the hospital through the weekend, at least, and when he's able to get around enough, will move to a rehab centre. Geriatrics noted a deterioration in Harry's cognitive abilities/memory from two years ago, when he his first assessment done, and he's been told not to drive anymore. Which I think is a bit odd, considering he's not likely to get out of a care facility for quite some time. Perhaps not ever. They want to reassess him in September, when he's recovered from the surgery. I am presuming, perhaps erroneously, that he'll remain in the rehab centre for the duration. Physio did have him up and taking about half a dozen steps today, to sit in a chair, but that's it. Is this the norm/average recovery time and process for a 79-year old, post-hip surgery? I think there's a lesson in here somewhere, something about being proactive in our own lives and making preparations for our ...

How lovely to have a calm day at the office for a change! There's only me here and the co-worker who sits next to me; everyone else is off. (My boss has been in and out all day, but mostly out.) So without the intense energy that often bounces around this place, things have been peaceful. Gloriously calm. My two-day headache is gone at last (tension over Harry's health issues and worry for Mom, I think), there's a lovely breeze blowing in through the window behind me, and I have only one more hour before I can leave. Mom did call around lunch time; she had been down all morning with Harry. He's more alert, more "with it" today, and I believe she told me the nurses had him sitting up at the edge of bed once. Physio is supposed to assess him later today, I think. That's all I know. So I'll just post the paltry three floral snapshots I took on my way to work and wish you all a good afternoon and evening.

While Derry was busy watching for insects on another plant, this little guy or girl came and landed on one of the two giant hostas that flank my back step. I tried to get Derry's attention and point it out, but he was oblivious. He's a sweet boy, very good at getting insects (most of the time), but not the smartest kitty in the house (that would be Nicki). So this is the one that got away! The pics aren't great, but it was breezy and it was hard to get a half-decent snapshot in macro mode, with the hosta leaves blowing around. Plus the evening sun was too glaring. By the way, I called and spoke to Mom a few minutes ago. She had been down at the hospital this AM, will go again later. Harry still is very confused and this can't be attributed to the pain meds. He's been in cognitive decline for several years now (okay, more than "several") and we're wondering if this incident somehow has pushed him over a line. Too early to say, but the hospital want...

I promise I won't continue to post about Harry every day, just wanted to let everyone know he did have the surgery yesterday afternoon/evening and came through fine, with multiple pins to repair the hip. Apparently he's still loopy today from the pain meds, but at least isn't having quite the hallucinations today that he was yesterday. Mom said he was very entertaining, actually.  :-D I expect she'll know more in a day or two about his rehab, how long he'll be in the hospital before being moved to the rehabilitation  centre, etc.. So it's all still a wait-and-see game at the moment, whether he is able to go home at some point, and whether that's the current house or an apartment, whether he needs palliative care or "only" daily in-home nursing care. There will be a lot of changes in their lives in the near future, I expect. Thanks again for all the good vibes and healing energy; it seems to be working! Sunrise sky on Friday July 23rd. Love ...

This was the soft evening sky two nights ago, I think--Thursday. It's been a while since I've taken any sunset or sunrise snapshots, just haven't been in the mood--mostly it's been the humidity, sapping my energy and enthusiasm. That and the fact that the skies have been hazy most days. But just breathing seems to work up a lather right now, it's so sticky out. BTW, I heard from Mom a bit earlier this afternoon. Barring an emergency case, Harry was slated for surgery at 3PM Atlantic time, so he should, in fact, be in the OR now--fingers crossed. And fingers crossed all goes well. Thank you all again, so very much, for all the prayers, Light, healing vibes, etc. They are deeply appreciated, by both my mom and by me.

Mom just called, no real news other than Harry being on the list for surgery tomorrow, depending on whether a more urgent case bumps him. He doesn't need a hip replacement, they'll repair it with pins or plates or whatever it is that they do. Nothing else! But Mom very much appreciates the positive energy; thank you!

Mom's husband, who is 79, fell out of bed early this AM and broke his right hip. Mom just called to tell me; she'd been at the hospital from the wee hours with him, only got home about an hour or so ago. (Mom lives in Halifax, NS, so is not close to me, geographically.) Harry's had health issues for quite a while now, mostly brought on by the fact that he never was physically active and hasn't done anything to keep his body moving in a very, very long time. It's the old adage of "use it or lose it." He also has cognitive deterioration, though not Alzheimer's. Anyway, he's as comfortable as possible right now, will see the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow. He's on an internal wait-list for surgery, comprised of a list of patients that come in via ER. We don't know when he'll have the surgery, what exactly he needs (pin, replacement), and what kind of rehab he'll need afterward. Mom has her own health issues (back, leg and foot) and ...

I mean that in the literal sense. Not as a euphemism for cat rescue or anything else. [Boring video of 5:45PM deluge follows; the enormous clap of thunder seems to have been drowned out by the sound of pounding rain. I was standing on my doorstep, pointing the camera across the little street.] Today's post actually is a hodge podge. First weather, then some rambling. It was a long week. Really long. Maybe because it's been so hot and sticky. Too hot and sticky to do anything like household chores. Such as vacuuming. Which I normally do every other day but didn't do all week. Ugh. I lost count of all the times I had to empty the canister (bagless) this afternoon, as it was so filled with cat hair. Today I briefly debated going out to the conservation area, but went back to bed instead. Up at 3:15AM, back to bed at 5:45AM, up again at 7:45AM and out to run errands (just cat food and groceries) on the 8:45AM bus. Home at 11:30AM, house work for a couple of hours, and...