Yesterday was our granddaughter's last day of grade one.
I watched as she got on the bus...(under smoky skies).
Hard for me to believe that her three-year-old brother (in his dad's arms) will be getting on the bus with her, in September, when school resumes.
They grow up so quickly! As my mother used to say: "Grandchildren grow up more quickly than your own children do." She was right!
Our grandson was recently over for the day.
We were checking out the flowers when a rabbit appeared.
Can I pet him? the three-year-old asked.
You can try, but he'll probably run away...
And of course, he did!
Lesson learned: Rabbits are fast!!
Last week, I spent a few days at my son's home, helping with the kids. Luckily I'm an early riser!
I got to enjoy the beauty of dawn...
... all the more peaceful in the country.
Soon, the rest of the world would spring into action - and life would get busy for Terry and me.
Getting the mail, talking about birds...
Trying new wheels...
All too soon, I was caught up in the day - and forgot to look up at the sky!
I'm trying to make my time productive by sorting through piles of papers and boxes of photos.
As I excavate these mounds of memorabilia, I came across this sketch of Johnny Cash.
Who sketched it?! I'm pretty sure it wasn't me...
My mother took art classes in her early years of retirement...
But maybe it was my daughter...
I took a picture and messaged it to her.
Yes, I did that, she quickly replied. I wanted to give it as a gift to someone who loved Johnny Cash...
We always remember the things we labor over...
Mystery solved!
Grandma is babysitting...
"Be careful! Don't go fast!" she says.
"But I like going fast," the three-and-a-half-year-old replies...
His big smile says it all!!
I've been on blood pressure medication since my working days - a low dose that has no unpleasant side effects.
But things have been changing. On several occasions, my blood pressure has been high in the doctor's office, Different doctors have mentioned prescribing a stronger dose.
Without going into lots of details, I'll just say that two different doctors did prescribe "add-ons" to my medication - and, in both cases, I developed serious new problems. One was difficulty walking - due to swelling of the legs. So I stopped the "add-ons" and went back to my original low-dose medication - all the time wondering: Did I need something more??!
Then recently I was referred to a young doctor who specializes in hypertension.
I was very apprehensive about seeing him. What medication would he prescribe? What awful side effects was I in for?
When the nurse took my blood pressure at that first appointment, it was higher than it had ever been. Oh no! I was sunk!!
But when the young doctor came in, he didn't even look at the blood pressure reading on the monitor. I told him my long story of blood pressure medication and adverse reactions. I showed him my average blood pressure with each medication I had been prescribed.
Your blood pressure's isn't that bad for your age, he replied. This is what I want you to do. Stay on this low dose medication and take your blood pressure every day for the next four weeks. If it's high, wait a bit and take it again. Do that until it's as low as possible. Just keep track of your LOWEST blood pressure readings. That's all that I want to see in four weeks when I see you again.
So that's what I have been doing - taking my blood pressure daily, at different times of the day, and writing down my LOWEST daily reading.
The most surprising thing has happened. My blood pressure has gotten lower! My daily lows have been very close to "normal"!
Finally, I'm feeling a sense of hope!
I was walking past a display of succulents, when this one caught my eye. I don't remember seeing anything quite like it before...
Such interesting leaf texture... Little dots like braille markings... like a mysterious code...
Now I'm trying to discover its name. As I scroll through dozens of photos of succulents online, I wonder if this is the plant that I'm looking for...
More research needed!
As I read more about Gasteria succulents, I discover that they're native to South Africa - and that they cross-pollinate with aloe veras - creating many interesting variations!
I've added a new routine to my day...
Checking the air quality several times a day on my weather app.
With forest fires billowing smoke in Quebec and elsewhere nearby, I want to plan my day accordingly. Do I open windows? Do I stay indoors?
Hot summer days - smoky summer days - or even cool summer days - can be perfect for SORTING stuff that has collected in the basement.
(I like to do it in small bits so as not to be overwhelmed by years of memories!)
I recently came across this plaque that was given to Terry in the busy days of his career in social work - working with children and their families. He must have brought it home when he retired.
I love it! So true! Important to remember.
I think it deserves a place on the wall, where we can see it often.
A few years ago, I bought this interesting gardening system... a series of three containers that sit on top of each other. I never took them out of the box until about a month ago. I wanted to use them, but I was afraid to try!
When you water the top one, excess water flows down into the next container... and the next.
I planted zucchini in the bottom pot, beans in the middle one and corn in the top one. ("The three sisters") The tower of pots is sitting on the deck, covered with a plastic bag. The seeds are sprouting but I'm afraid to uncover them for fear the squirrels will dig in the soil and tear the plants apart.
I put a tomato cage on top to hold the plastic up and give the plants room to grow.
I'm not sure what to do next... I don't think I can grow them to maturity in these pots. This will require some strategic planning!
Scrolling through old photos on my cell phone, I came across this one of Terry opening... What is it?! A Father's Day gift??!
Then I realized what it was! His first CPAP machine!
Has it really been 4 years since he opened that first CPAP box - and life (or, at least, sleep) has been better?
According to Terry, it has been a life-changer! Sleep does affect everything . I don't think he could now imagine sleeping without it.
Today is a family birthday...
A time for remembering...
First trip to an old fashioned farm at Upper Canada Village...
First trip to the Toronto Zoo, a few years later.
A few years after that, a stop at Graceland (en route to Texas to visit cousins)...
Family fun!
When my daughter lived in south-western Ontario, I noticed interesting yard ornaments in Guelph and Kitchener - tiny doors at the base of trees - as if some tiny leprechaun lived there ...
Or faces on the trees - like this one I noticed recently in my own Ottawa neighbourhood. Cute!
Not sure I'm ready to add faces to the trees in our yard - but I did check to see if one can buy tree ornaments online. I haven't seen them in local stores.
There's a surprising variety... and they do bring a smile!
