when you adventure – leave only with a photo
It’s been a snowy few days here in Sook. I don’t mind it. We had snowball fights, we walked, we drove when we had to (thank you Subaru.) It’s been nice seeing people help each other, watching businesses take care of their staff by sending them home early… things like that are good. It reminds us we are still people.
My Doctor’s office is a couple of blocks from my favourite beach. Today he told me to go home and rest until Wednesday so I sneaked to the beach on the way home.
Sebastian beach is never too busy and there’s always something happening there. Today, the sea lions were feeding on the herring that are here. The noise was amazing. They were leaping up out of the water. It was great.
At least I have videos to look at while I get better!
When Joel and I first brought Ozzie home from the SPCA, I thought we had made a mistake. I had never owned a Siamese critter before and she meowed and paced and raced around all night. During her first week with us, she had two vet visits, one because she had sprained her front paw with all her cat parkour.
She’s small for a full grown cat. When most people see her they think she’s a kitten. She only weights about 6lbs. Tiny – but she has the biggest heart ever. When I’m upset she insists on sitting with me. She runs to the door to greet us when we arrive home. She doesn’t like being alone. She even likes to be carried around the house in the laundry basket.
We definitely didn’t make a mistake when we let her choose us.
Neil is Joel’s cousin. Seventeen months ago, he and his amazing wife, Etsuko had a new addition to their family. She’s our Goddaughter and her name is Neko. She is an inquisitive, independent, hilarious, amazing little creature and it was an absolute joy to meet her. Neko will always have a place with us if she wants it 😀 Even if she’s just trying to escape her Dad’s watchful gaze heheh.
We love our family. A lot.
Joel’s cousin was here to visit with his lovely family and we took them to Mussel Beach Wilderness Campground. It’s absolutely amazing there. It’s probably the most beautiful setting for camping that I’ve ever encountered. It poured rain and we still loved it. We fell asleep to the sounds of the rain on our tents, the pounding waves and awoke to the sight of a small black bear sauntering along the beach.
Perfectly Vancouver Island.
I took this photo of my friend, Brian Buckley, years back when I first met him in Vancouver. Joel and I attended his acoustic concert and both fell in love with his music. We often disagree about music; we didn’t when we heard Brian.
The one song that stuck in my mind when I first saw him (and went on to become one of my favorites) is “Soundtrack”. It’s a special song to me. That’s the thing about music; you create it and set it free and it becomes special to others. It plays a part in their lives.
I think that’s amazing.
If you’re curious, you can check out Brian’s music with the Brian Buckley Band at their website.
Does anyone else feel like summer is going by far too quickly?
I have noticed, recently, that there are a few more popup Libraries in Nanaimo. I love it. We drop our used books there and pick up a few more every so often. It’s fun. And it makes a lot of sense.
What’s wrong with giving something away? Why do we have to donate it to a place that will sell it? (One obvious exception to that is the Literacy Central Vancouver Island bookstore in downtown Nanaimo. Great cause!) A lot of the, so called, “Thrift Stores” in town are for-profit businesses that are privately owned.
Giving books a place to live temporarily is a wonderful idea. This little library in a downtown neighbourhood seems to be quite busy. The little birdhouses that decorate the fence around it are an added attraction. I’m not sure who runs this little gem, but I thank them.
I finally have one new knee. I’ve been needing both of them replaced for over five years. Finally, on April 22 Dr Cobus Smith replaced my left knee. 
He’s a great surgeon and a very nice man with a good sense of humour. I know! Unusual for a surgeon.
The surgery itself was a walk in the park. The anesthesiologist, Dr Lee convinced me to have a spinal block and it was a great decision. I woke up feeling as though I had just had a nap. I was in no pain because there was the spinal wearing off and I also had a nerve block in my groin. It’s much better than getting a general.
So I was alert, in no pain, had a catheter, one drain in my knee and IV pain medicine.
The hospital room was semi-private which meant that it was two beds crammed into a room that was meant for one. It was stuffy and hot.
Then the nerve block wore off. The pain wasn’t unbearable but it was enough. I was standing two hours after my surgery and walking first thing the next morning.
That was probably the worst time. At first there was a painful burning in my shin each time I took a step. This was when I discovered that it really was like learning how to walk again. There were movements I just could not get my knee to make. It was frustrating. The worst part was that I was unable to get comfortable in the hospital bed. I couldn’t manage to roll over and ended up dosing while sitting up most of the time.
My first experience with physio wasn’t great. I swear the man who came to work with me was the most clumsy guy I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet. He actually hit my new knee with the walker, held my arm so tightly at one point that I couldn’t even reach the walker and then he grabbed ny hospital gown at some point and gave me a horrible wedgy. Who does that? Hahah
I did all my exercises and I went to rehab. I didn’t do the things they told me not to and I did what they suggested I do. I was a good patient. More than three months on I’m now at one with my new knee. I love it. It’s such a pleasure not to have pain every time I use my left leg.
What we need in Canada though, is a medical system that doesn’t make people like me wait over 5 years for a replacement. I’m on a waiting list to get my second knee and it could be up to 22 months.
That is unacceptable.
My Mom passed away on June 28th, 2015
I keep trying to write about losing her.
But I can’t.
Maybe it will come one day.
