April 26

Today is a windy, rainy day suitable for blogging and snoozing.  Maybe I will bake a few muffins later.  The warmer weather over the last few days has certainly given everyone a boost.  Last Sunday, I had my kids over for a Weiner roast.  We celebrated the last barbecue on the old deck.  On Monday, I started to dismantle the old deck.  By Tuesday evening, I had most of the deck apart.  I believe my carpenter friend will begin the new deck next weekend.  The decking boards are still in pretty good shape so I am taking them to Mary and Morgan's to make a platform deck.  We will only have to buy new joists.  Wednesday, April 22 was my mom's birthday.  She has been quarantined in her apartment  for two months so I decided to pay her a visit.  I left Saskatoon early in the day, picked up subway sandwiches and long John donuts from Wakaw, and we had a little picnic on the sunny side lawn beside her high-rise.  Mom was waiting at the door with her walker and her teapot wrapped in a Terry towel.  She also had home made cookies for me.  Oh yeah, I also brought two lawn chairs and a little table.  We sat outside her apartment for more than two hours.  Of course, we had to visit with all the other residents coming and going from the high-rise.  Mom had a great birthday.  I bought her several bags of yarn to keep her busy for a while.  I read her all the Facebook birthday messages on my home page.  We also Facetimed a few people.  Mom received several phone calls from family and friends during the day.  It was nice to see her get so much love from everyone.  She was very happy and grateful.  Wednesday was a wonderful day for traveling.  I loved to see the spring run off.  There was more snow as I headed north.  The ditches were still full of snow.  Yes, it was a perfect week to rake the lawn and tidy the yard.  I also built a large compost bin for the backyard.  A highlight of the week was having Dustin's electric bike in my garage.  I am not sure whether I can go back to a regular bike after having electric assist.  I put several miles on his bike in the past week.  Haley and Dustin are keeping their bikes in my garage because I am close to the Meewasin Trail.  They have been her for three bike rides in the last week.  Fortunately, I have been able to ride bike for exercise because my walking has been limited due to a shin splint on my right leg.  I had been averaging over 11 000 steps a day during quarantine.  Apparently excessive walking was too much for my 64 year old body.  Another highlight has been seeing Luv Bug.  Morgan has been at his parents farm since Thursday so Mary and Luvisa came to my place for supper on Thursday and I went to their place on Friday for supper.  Luv is enjoying reading "potty books".  She reads them several times, but she hasn't been applying the message.  Oh well...when she's ready.  Yes, life is good.  I can handle the new normal as long as I can see my family and know my family and friends are doing well.  Keep on loving one another and making the world a better place.

April 13

Yesterday was Luv Bug's second birthday.  Mary had called me 2 weeks ago asking me whether I could make a kitchen helper stool for Luv's birthday.  I found a pattern on Pinterest, then made a trip to Rona's drive through lumber mart for materials.  Last Thursday was construction and last Friday was sanding and varnishing.  I delivered the stool to Mary and Morgan's house yesterday.   Of course, Bug loved the stool.  Mary has a picture of Luv on her stool helping to rip the lettuce for last night's dinner.  Haley and Dustin gave Luv a new life jacket and a tea set.  Grandpa and Grandma Battersby delivered a new tricycle for her complete with a light and a bell.  Mary and Morgan gave her a little table and chairs, some Easter treats, and a stuffed toy or two.  She was one happy little girl.  Thankfully, she is oblivious to all the quarantine business going on.  Haley, Dustin, and I stood by the door at a social distance and watched her enjoy all her presents, then we sang Happy Birthday to her. Of course, Luvisa asked for an encore.  "Again".  So we sang Happy Birthday again.  Since my last entry, I have continued to stay busy.  It really is the best way to not just survive, but thrive during the self isolation times.  I have baked Easter cookies, coloured a couple pictures, practiced my Spanish, played guitar/ukulele, journaled, meditated, read, and enjoyed some delicious afternoon snoozes.  It does get lonely at times, but my girls call me every day.  I often join Haley to walk the grand dogs.  Seeing my crew is the highlight of my life.  I also have faithful friends who give me a call.  And when no one calls, I follow the adage that "I have a phone too".  If I feel like calling someone, I just call them rather than wishing they would call me or pout because it is their turn to call me.  Mom continues to do well.  She suffers a few head aches and days when she is "off", but lately she has had a few good days.  Her wonderful friends in the Tisdale high-rise know that she loves to knit so mom is the recipient of their unwanted yarn.  Last week, an anonymous angel just hung a bag of yarn on Mom's doorknob.  Their are some wonderfully kind people who take care of my mom.  In closing, I want to encourage everyone to think of the people you know who live alone.  Widows, widowers, the elderly, and those with pre-existing mental health issues are having a particularly tough time in these days of social isolation.  Give them a call.

April 3

I've noticed over the last few days that my conversations with people on the phone and FaceTime are less and less about the virus.  That's refreshing! I may have mentioned in an earlier post how I have weaned myself off U.S. news and the glut of bad news speculation/horror stories/dark humor/ warnings/voodoos so prevalent on news channels, talkshows, and social media.  I follow the Sask Health updates daily, follow the rules, and have faith things will get better in time.  One of my volleyball buddies opined : "There are three possibilities.  A vaccine will be developed and we won't have to worry about the virus.  You will get the virus and survive so don't have to worry about it.  Or, you will die and then you really won't have to worry."  On the lighter side, I have been keeping busy.  On Wednesday I made 6 dozen pirogies.  I have continued to keep in touch with family and friends, many of whom I haven't chatted with in years.  I have my daily calls with my mom.  She is doing well, but the hormone suppressant medication she is taking to limit cancer growth is causing some nausea and headaches.  On Tuesday I sent a message to all of mom's grandchildren letting them know that I am cancelling the Mother's Day Family Reunion that I was going to host at my home.  I encouraged all the grandchildren to give mom a phone call to let mom know what is going on in their lives and to tell mom she is loved and appreciated for the strong lady she is.  Mom's Birthday is on April 22.  She will be 92.  She is still knitting up a storm.  She ran out of yarn last week, but neighbours in her senior's high rise have been giving her yarn that they would have never used.  One lady gave her ten balls of yarn.  Two days ago, there was a bag of yarn hanging on her door.  Anonymous.  She continues to make cinammon buns and cookies.  Although she gets one meal a day delivered, she makes most of her meals and does her own cleaning.  I wish I could see her, but I will have to be satisfied with our daily phone call.