Lat Day of May

Hard to believe it is now nearly three months since we shut down here in Canada for COVID-19. Mother Nature is certainly a very powerful element in our lives. She controls the wind, the rain, the seas and everything else therein. We can think that we can control but in reality we cannot. We adapt and perhaps this time adaptation will mean a better environment for everyone. Would it be possible that our skies could remain as clear as they are now or ever better, our seas less polluted giving our children a better chance in their future.

A cold chilly beginning here in Ottawa but the sun is shining brilliantly. The birds have returned in large numbers considering their absence or just small numbers the past few years.

To ride on the Ottawa Light Rail/Bus system you must wear a mask now. We started wearing masks on the 13th of March whenever we went out and about and for the first three weeks we actually did not go much further than our front door. We did have to pick up our groceries kindly delivered by our neighbours; we did have a person come to look at the renovation we need doing to assist my husband and perhaps me one day. But once we started going out on our own again after the three weeks (we had mostly stocked up but needed a few perishables) we wore our masks every day every where. It wasn't thought to be necessary but we felt better to be doing that as our bit to help with COVID-19. As far as we know we have never been exposed to COVID-19; we haven't had it although we have not been tested for it unless my husband was tested during his ten day stay at the hospital in which case he was negative as he continued in the same ward.

It is the silent carriers that are the most dangerous just like typhoid silent carriers, etc. etc. The polite thing is to wear a mask because you could be a silent carrier. That protects the people around you.

A little more gardening today, not too much. It is the Lord's Day.

Crow Family

We have a crow's nest in our back tree. We never had a bird nest there before and to have such a large one is certainly interesting. The young are starting to move around on the grass at the back as they learn to fly. The crows are huge birds and occupy almost the entire bird feeder. Not far from their nest is the cardinal nest that appears every year now on a neighbouring fir tree. I haven't seen their young yet but they are a much smaller bird and likely they are keeping them well hidden because just a few houses away we have acquired a neighbourhood hawk that sails overhead daily.

No rabbits now, the hawk has eliminated them or they are hiding most of the day. That is perhaps a good thing as they nibble away at our garden plants. A little nibbling is fine but an entire family of rabbits can eat a whole garden!

Moving things in the kitchen today as there is a split plug on the other side. We managed to trip the breaker the other day - first time in this house (lived here for 42 years). When we came here there seemed to be so many plugs but life has changed with all sorts of new gadgets - microwave, grill, portable oven and they all need electricity.

Tomorrow we will plant the garden although we are promised our usual below 4 degrees centigrade days in the next week or so. Always a gift in June to have this cooler weather! It does help the new grass to grow for sure but can be a little hard on the bedding plants and the new seedlings but we are late planting so no danger there if frost comes to the main vegetable garden.

COVID-19 is starting to be less in my thoughts. I still always wear a mask when we go out and I wash my hands as soon as we return home. I am still using the lysol wipes on all the purchases that come into the house. There are less than 150 cases in our city area which is slightly over one million. However, one knows that could easily change if we do not continue being vigilant.

I tested 6.1 for glucose fasting (we use Gamma Dyna Care so you can see your results on line) so bought a blood testing kit. My mother in her mid 70s started to test in the above 6.0 for glucose (just very slightly). I think my health is similar to hers and was not surprised. I will keep a check on it and maybe test once a week or so just to establish a baseline. She was always one to communicate with her doctor and was careful to increase her protein and reduce her carbohydrate and that seemed to work well for her. My godmother was a nurse and she used to come by quite often on her way home from the hospital. I actually didn't like doctors as a child and probably not as an adult either. I like to just go in and ask for what I feel I need; I am willing to be corrected if I am wrong but not having the MRI on my knee was annoying I must admit. It is stronger for sure but still doing YOGA I can feel that it is not quite right. It made me dreadfully nervous at first as there was pain there but the physiotherapist kept assuring me that what I was doing wasn't damaging it. Probably he was right but an MRI would have been more assuring. I guess I have trouble understanding why I can not just have an MRI when there was obvious sign of damage on the X-ray and I did ask our doctor for that. I have only been in the hospital to have children and for about two weeks when I had a nervous disorder after trying to go back to work when my first child was born (they thought it was multiple sclerosis). I do not remember being in there at first as my mind was completely absent from reality but after I did realize it and was in therapy sessions I spent all my time listening to other people and not talking so they finally just let me go home when I was once again lucid and able to manage. Perhaps it was some sort of a function of my autism; no ideas on that but I mostly keep to myself and it is nearly thirty eight years since I was in a hospital as a patient.

I worked at the Ottawa Hospital for ten years and found that to be most interesting. Working with doctors gave me a different perspective on medicine and I, of course, have great respect for the medical profession. It is a hard life in many ways. The research areas were my biggest interest although the actual hospital work that I did do including being the Administrative Assistant for the Hematopathology Residency Training Programme was most interesting.

Another day that passed too quickly

Gardening again and perhaps tomorrow we will get the main garden planted and then time will magically appear back in my life schedule!

We were shopping as everything my husband eats now is pretty much made from basic raw ingredients to avoid salt.

Finished working up the last flower bed so that is done for a while hopefully.

Other than that it was just a very busy day.

End of the day

Generally I write my posts at the beginning of the day but this one has moved quickly from the beginning to now near the end of the day. All the dirt is moved now into the gardens or onto the lawns. Most of the bedding plants are planted. The garden will get rotatilled soon and then we will plant the seeds and the remaining bedding plants. This was a day of great accomplishment.

My husband seems a little stronger these days but it will be a while before he regains much of his strength. Perhaps one of his greatest gifts is his ability to keep pushing himself; he just keeps going. It is a good thing; he has generations of ancestors who lived into their late 80s and 90s and he isn't going to give up without a struggle I am happy to say.

We made a saltless meatloaf for dinner tonight. I grew up with no salt in my food so I do not really notice but I think it tasted pretty bland to him but he ate it anyway. It was quite a nice recipe. The meatloaf was extra lean beef and regular minced pork about half and half. Then 3/4 c of oatmeal and 2 large eggs along with a couple of cups of diced onion, carrot, bok choy and garlic cooked in unsalted butter and then added to the mixture. The final cake of meat was quite good and we had roasted vegetables along with that (potatoes, asparagus, cauliflower and peppers). We had a spinach salad with tomatoes and garlic to start which was quite nice (Canadian spinach and tomatoes is always a treat this time of year and our greenhouse industry is growing quickly).  A good meal after a long day working in the garden.

Renovation

Our renovation is moving ahead slowly. Today our renovator is coming to relook at what needs to be done given the change in Ed's health. Hoping that he can get started soon as the handrail is especially needed.

Busy moving earth yesterday and a myriad of other items. Edward wanted to look for more herb plants and that entailed three different stores with my daughter taking him to the fourth store in the afternoon. I was shopped out for sure. I am not much into shopping anyway and an entire morning of shopping is enough to last me for a bit. Although we will likely go to the grocery store today for a few items.

Just half of a bag of earth to move now. My daughter and I will finish that off perhaps tomorrow as today is meant to be a scorcher. With Ed's poor health and my age we move somewhat slower these days.

I realized the other day that I do try very hard not to let my autism run my life. It is actually a good thing probably as autism leaves you less able to determine what people mean when they are saying things to you. I tend to see it all very literally and am shocked sometimes at the things that people say. However, I do not make excuses for people and simply avoid them in the future. It does make for a solitary existence but I am actually happier that way. The 20 plus days in isolation were most welcomed at the beginning of COVID-19 and returning to that state I find to be quite attractive. We have built up a good supply of items now and except for perishable probably can manage six weeks of a lock-down if another one comes. We replenish from the stock but the stock will remain at that level or perhaps even eight weeks would be desirable and will work away at calculating the products needed to reach that point of readiness.