Life in progress

Tag Archives: family


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What Day is it Anyway? Sunday, April 5th, 2020

My day today so far–4:13pm: 

Another failed attempt to get out of bed in time to go to the grocery store. But we’re not desperate for anything yet, so it’s really no big deal. I’m serious about keeping my visits down to once a week–the less time I spend around people in an enclosed space, the better.

Apart from that, I’ve been out to work on my book in the car for a couple of hours, and while I’ve been home, I’ve been fighting with Alex. He wants me to look for an old Wii game of The Price is Right. We’ve never been able to win it, so I refuse to look for it. As I write this, I’m sitting on the floor in my bedroom with my back against the door while he pushes on it.

My life is so exciting.

Yesterday:

I had a shower! Yay! When I was finished, I opened the shower curtain and saw Alex’s pants where he’d left them on the floor. In the creases is the eye and one ear of a cat, with a giant paw on its head.

Do you see it?

Here, I outlined it for you.

Did I mention my life is exciting?

Why I’m writing this post:

Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.

I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.

Let’s keep in touch!


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AtoZ/What Day is it Anyway? #SoCS Edition Saturday, April 4th, 2020

 

Started off my day telling Alex to throw away a calendar page that he had stuck to the fridge. It’s a little calendar that I get from my real estate broker every year. Problem was (and why he looked at me as if I was nuts), I told him to throw out April. Because I forgot April hasn’t already passed.

This staying at home thing is affecting me on a deep level. On the surface, I’m okay. Just flying through the days like they were nothing. (Which is part of the problem, I guess–they consist of nothing.) But it’s the underlying stuff. The effect it has going on under the rug, so to speak, that I don’t think we’ll find out about until this is all over.

Or I could just be thinking too much.

Still, I think it will be a generation or two before we forget all the lessons we learned from this, whether good or bad.

Let’s hang on to the good ones.

My mum sounded good on the phone earlier. Still very forgetful, of course, but I find she’s more “with it” when she’s craving a cigarette. It’s like all her mental energy goes into finding a way to get one, and she’s clearer than ever. She can’t have one, being in the hospital, and she can’t leave her room since there’s a Covid-19 outbreak on the floor she’s on.

At this point, I think it’s fate. One way or another, with her smoking and having to go out to a bench close to the sidewalk at the home, she was probably as likely if not more likely to catch it there. Right now she’s in a place where they’re taking every precaution known to man.

And hey, she survived literally breaking her neck …

Going out for a walk now. I need to clear these deep thoughts out of the cobwebs of my grey matter.

Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post. I’ll try to reply when I’m not quite as overwhelmed.

Love to all. ❤

 

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

This adaptation of #AtoZ2020, #WDIIA and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is brought to you by all three. To join us in the SoCS tradition, click the following link where you’ll find all the instructions and the other participants’ posts in the comments. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/04/03/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-april-4-2020/ Or you can link to this post if you just want to write a What Day is it Anyway? post.


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AtoZ/What Day is it Anyway? Friday, April 3rd, 2020 – Challenges

 

My day today so far–4:33pm: 

Challenges abound.

I started off the day early with Alex insisting on going outside to get the blue boxes since the recycling truck had been. I argued with him that it wasn’t safe for him to touch them, but he wasn’t gonna wait.

I’m sure if my neighbours didn’t think me crazy before, the sight of me, in PJs, my winter boots, and coat, out in the middle of the road at 7:15, picking up the pieces of paper that had flown out of my recycling bins in the night has likely cemented their opinion.

We didn’t manage to go out for a walk today because of the rain, but I did sit in the car down by the water to work on my book, so there’s that.

Then I came home and dealt with the hospital.

And therein lies the long story that I mentioned yesterday.

On Sunday, March 22nd, my mother collapsed at the home. They put her in an ambulance and sent her to the hospital–her heart was stopping for 10 seconds every once in a while. The doctor called me and asked if I wanted her to have a pacemaker. I said yes.

A few days later they transported her to Kingston, she had the operation and was back in town the same day. All well and good. On Wednesday, the 1st, she was ready to come out of the hospital. Yay!

Except …

The home won’t have her back. Because there are cases of Covid-19 in the hospital, she’d have to stay in isolation in her room for 14 days. Only my mother wouldn’t remember that for 14 minutes. So I had a choice–pay a security guard out of my own pocket to stand by her door 24/7 for 14 days, or find an alternative. I can’t have her here at home because of Alex’s cardiac issues (if she does have the virus … let’s just say it wouldn’t go well for him), so I’ve been on the phone a lot.

Mostly to discover there are no spots available in nursing homes.

So the hospital will keep her until there is one.

And I’m not allowed to visit. I haven’t seen her since the middle of March, and probably won’t until this virus mess is over. I’m guessing July if we’re lucky.

So I’m just burying myself in my work and my kids, and trying not to think about it all too much. Because what can I do but worry?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Yesterday:

More of the same.

Why I’m writing this post:

Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.

I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.

Let’s keep in touch!


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AtoZ/What Day is it Anyway? Thursday, April 2nd, 2020 – Bother

My day today so far–2:22pm: 

My AtoZ word of the day–bother–doesn’t nearly express my day so far (yesterday, too), but it was the closest synonym for pain (in the ass and other places) I could come up with.

Holy shamoly, where do I start?

Let’s skip the “Yesterday” section since it all melds into today.

Yesterday, I somehow twisted my foot while sitting down and ended up with a cramp that lasted hours. While dealing with that, I twisted my opposite knee going down the stairs, which is something I do on a regular basis anyway, so I was stuck putting most of my weight on the sore foot to keep from collapsing in agony because of the knee.

This morning the foot was better, so we did end up going for a walk. The knee’s okay as long as I don’t bend it on the stairs, so I look like a toddler going up and down leading with only one foot. It’s actually pretty funny.

I got a photo today that shows the amazing neighbourhood I live in. I need to get closer to get a good picture of that fence. It looks original. The church is 202 years old.

Click to enlarge.

Photo: The back of a very large church and what was probably the original housing for the minister. An ornate, knee-high, wrought-iron fence runs between.

In other news:

I’ve had a few telephone conversations over the past 24 hours that tell me there are a lot of people out there with no understanding of this virus, judging by the surprise from the callers who were amazed that I understood. I’m going to leave you hanging on the meaning of that sentence until tomorrow.

Why I’m writing this post:

Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.

I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.

Let’s keep in touch!


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AtoZ/What Day is it Anyway? Wednesday, April 1st, 2020 – Amnesia

My day today so far–10:51pm: 

Author’s note: I’m writing this coffeeless, so whatever mumbo jumbo I lay down on this page can be attributed to that.

Amnesia is definitely the word of the day, since I totally forgot today is day 1 of the A to Z Challenge. Even though I wrote about it yesterday. Aside from having a brain fart, I woke up at 10 this morning (which explains the lack of caffeine so far), and I haven’t done much. It’s a gorgeous-looking day outside, though the thermometer still says it’s cold. I hope we’ll get out for a couple of walks.

Yesterday:

We went for two walks yesterday. I have yet to hit 10K steps this week, but my feet are thanking me for it anyway. No TP at the stores. I keep thinking of something I saw on Facebook last week, that the youngest of our generation will be saying to their grandkids that during the Great Toilet Paper Depression of ’20, we had to drag our butts uphill–both ways.

I hope it doesn’t come to that.

P.S. If anyone doing the AtoZ Challenge could let me know if I’m supposed to link back to anything, I’d appreciate it.

P.P.S. I didn’t forget The Escapist Coloring Club! I’ll post the April 1st prompt later–after coffee!!!

Why I’m writing this post:

Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.

I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.

Let’s keep in touch!


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What Day is it Anyway? Tuesday, March 31st, 2020

My day today so far–12:11pm: 

Again, I haven’t done much other than answer a couple of emails and check my social media channels this morning. It would be more exciting, I suppose, to do this later in the day, but then I’ll miss out on the opportunity to remind us all what day it is early on. And it’s true–I would have no idea what day it is if I didn’t do these posts. I’ll have to find a way to incorporate them into the A-Z Challenge. Anyone else doing it? Let me know your theme in the comments, if you have one.

Yesterday:

Alex and I went for a walk despite the fact that it was raining a bit. Two days inside was too much to contemplate.


Photo: Alex and I under our umbrellas. Alex, as usual, is smiling.

My eldest went to the corner store for cat food yesterday evening and came home to let me know they had toilet paper. But he didn’t buy any. I could have strangled him.

In other words, all is as normal here.

Why I’m writing this post:

Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.

I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.

Let’s keep in touch!


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What Day is it Anyway? Monday, March 30th, 2020

My day today so far–10:54am: 

Though I haven’t done much so far, I feel like I accomplished something–I responded to some comments on my blog! As you know if I responded to yours.

I should be editing my upcoming book. I’m on a deadline and must have it ready by April 18th. This is not negotiable, as I signed up for a review service a full ten months ago, and have been waiting for this date ever since. Nothing like procrastinating ’til the last minute to get things ready, is there?

Alex was excited to get back to “school” this morning, so that’s a plus. The rain has stopped for the time being, so we’re off for a walk in a few.

Yesterday:

Spent the entire day indoors with a demanding kid. Hopefully my “yesterday” tomorrow will be more exciting. 😛

Why I’m writing this post:

Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.

I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.

Let’s keep in touch!


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What Day is it Anyway? Sunday, March 29th, 2020

My day today so far–3:04pm: 

Alex and I were working on his Easter bunny decoration earlier. Got that finished and hung up, then I went to the pharmacy–that’s about it. It’s a rainy day. Alex is restless and won’t let me work, which is frustrating.


Photo: A paper bunny decoration with coloured eggs taped onto a paper plate in a circle to make a wreath.

Yesterday:

Went for one long walk. A couple of days ago now (I think), Alex’s teacher was talking about the importance of social distancing and the fact that he can just wave to people without getting too close. Alex, being the social butterfly he is, started waving to everyone. So we were walking up one of the busier streets and I was explaining to him in sign language that he doesn’t have to wave to everyone, but if he sees a friend, that’s okay. Unfortunately, I wasn’t thinking about the fact that there was a car coming as I explained it. The friendly man in the passenger seat waved back at me.

Ah, I love sign language.

Why I’m writing this post:

Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.

I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.

Let’s keep in touch!


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What Day is it Anyway? #SoCS Edition Saturday, March 28th, 2020

Straying from the setup of my usual #WDIIA posts because I don’t want to box myself in while writing stream of consciousness style. We’ll be back to regular programming tomorrow.

Sitting beside me now (because it would be cheating just as much for me to have sat down beside something in particular to post the prompt as it was for me to sit beside something now just to write about it–but I didn’t cheat! Honest!) is a package of old photos. This is the first one I pulled out of the package:


Alex must have been less than six months old in this photo, because he was still feeding through a tube in his nose. The g-tube that’s still in his stomach was put there when he was half a year old. Judging by his size, this photo might have been taken before his open-heart surgery. And judging by the rocking chair I was sitting in, it was probably taken in the NICU at CHEO. Definitely CHEO. (The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.)

Back then we were living one day at a time, not knowing what the next day or even the next hour would bring. Kind of like now.

I braved the store again today. No TP, but I did get everything else. Except Kraft Dinner. There wasn’t a single box left. I asked, because of Alex and his heart condition, if I could come in the morning to the store when the seniors did, but the cashier wasn’t sure. I have to call the store later and ask. I wore a mask–people stayed far away from me and didn’t even look at me, at least not directly.

What a strange world we live in now. It’s amazing, to me at least, to think that just a month ago we were going about our lives as we always did. Remember the crowds in the malls at Christmas? That was only three months and a bit ago! It feels like years. Makes you wonder what Christmas shopping is going to look like this year, doesn’t it? Amazon will be booming, methinks.

Yesterday … What did I do yesterday? Ah, right. Went out for two walks with Alex. Plus, I recruited his brother to watch him while I went off alone and worked in the back seat of my car. Good news! I got my edit done, so I can send my book out to beta readers.

Moving forward. It’s all we can do.

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

This adaptation of #WDIIA and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is brought to you by both. To join us in the SoCS tradition, click the following link where you’ll find all the instructions and the other participants’ posts in the comments. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/03/27/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-28-2020/ Or you can link to this post if you just want to write a What Day is it Anyway? post.


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What Day is it Anyway? Friday, March 27th, 2020

My day today so far–11:28am: 

Didn’t make it to the store again this morning. I wonder if Saturday will be better anyway. It’s a day people traditionally try to sleep in. Maybe old habits will die hard. It’s a beautiful sunny day today, so I anticipate going out for lots of walking.

Meanwhile, Alex has lots of cool projects that have been suggested by his teacher. But he’s so impatient to get started! And I don’t have half the supplies he needs. Still a first world problem when you think about what others are going through.

Yesterday:

Went out for one short 50-minute walk yesterday. I was happy to see they’ve closed off the local playground. I was aghast that people were still letting their kids play there, right up until the day before yesterday! Stupid people!

Why I’m writing this post:

Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.

I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.

Let’s keep in touch!