August 17

Luv Bug's stay with Grandpa went very well, but Grandpa was a bit tired after 54 hours of grand parenting.  We played piano, sang, read, went to the parks several times, rode the tricycle, went for walks, and even got in a few hours of sleep.  Actually, Luvisa has long afternoon naps so I had a chance to meditate, contemplate, and snooze on the deck in the afternoon.  Luv doesn't really eat.  She grazes.  She also spreads food throughout the house and much like a squirrel, she finishes food that she has stashed around the house...mostly from her stashes on the floor.  I used a snow shovel then a vacuum cleaner after she left on Wednesday.  On Tuesday, we had a potential disaster.  We had been at the park in the morning and when I put Luv down for her afternoon nap, Pink Bear was missing.  Apparently, Pink Bear had fallen out of the stroller on the way home from the park so I extracted Luv from her play pen, loaded her in the stroller and went on a bear hunt.  We retraced our route home from the park and the prospects were looking bleak.  We were almost back home and...no bear.  Then a miracle.  Luvisa usually prattles on repeating herself multiple times.  I try really hard to listen carefully, but I am guilty of tuning her out from time to time.  Fortunately, I did pay attention when she said, "Grandpa, there's Pink Bear!"  Someone had picked up Pink Bear and placed the bear on a fire hydrant.  Luvisa's sharp eyes spotted the bear that Grandpa's dull eyes had missed.  Crisis averted, bear and kidlet inserted into playpen, and nap time began.  

On Sunday, we celebrated Judy's 65th birthday.  Haley brought shepherd's pie and a pot pie, Mary supplied the salad, and I supplied the dessert and the Pina Coladas.  We had a picture of "Grandma Judy" on the table.  Even at Luv's tender age, we remind her of the precious lady whose name she shares.  We reminisce about the Judy birthdays when Judy was with us in body.  We recall how Queen Eva would arrive with Grampy in the old Dodge Raider.  The Queen would be served her glass of wine and Grampy would take the kids downstairs to play while the adults visited.  Things have come full circle.  Now I am downstairs playing dolls with Luvisa while the adults visit on the deck.  Life is as good as we make it.

August 6

Odometer reading on the E Bike:  1800+

I am sitting on the deck in 33 degree Celcius heat just loving it!  

Since Last Entry

1.  The sailing adventure was memorable.  I got to Elbow Harbour around 3:00 pm.  Captain Dave showed me around the boat, then we sat in the aft seating area and visited until midnight.  Another friend joined us for the evening.  Captain Dave was an excellent host.  He barbecued chicken and veggies on a small grill.  Great conversation.  My speciality...going off the deep end.  After we checked out the Milky Way, the visible planets, and constellations, we went to bed. I slept on the couch in the galley.  The rocking of the water made for a great sleep.

2.  I have been to the lake every weekend since Mid July.  There was a time when I used to enjoy lallygagging on the beach for the afternoon or fishing or partying hardy til midnight.  Now, I gladly volunteer to sit on the deck in a zero gravity chair while my Luv Bug has her afternoon nap or I put her to sleep for the night while Mary enjoys a campfire with Morgan, Dustin, and Haley over at the cabin.  My happy place is sitting on the deck reading or journaling.  I also enjoy having morning coffee with the girls and talking about life.  Luvisa keeps us all entertained.

3.  Slowpitch season is well underway.  The league has gone from 100 players to fewer than 50 because of covid concerns.  The players who do show up have fun and respect the restrictions in place to mitigate the possibility of transmission.  After the game, there is a small group that congregates on their lawn chairs in the shade.  Again, great conversation and connecting.  We all need that.

4.  My mom is soldiering on.  She doesn't appear to be in any noticeable pain related to her breast cancer or lung cancer.  She has a CT scan on August 24 to determine how fast the tumours in her lungs and breasts are growing.  Mom still cleans her own apartment, bakes cookies and cinnamon buns, knits mittens and slippers, and visits with her neighbours on the outdoor patio next to her apartment building.  She has a terrible time finding words at times, but we'll give her a pass on that because she is 92.

5.  This weekend, I am in Saskatoon rather than the lake because I am babysitting my grand dogs.  Pieces and Jaxon have both had surgeries this month to remove tumours/growths...old dog stuff.  Part of my babysitting duties involves administering medications.  Mary, Morgan, and Luv are at the lake so I am going kayaking at Pike Lake for the day.  I love Saskatoon so I must admit spending the weekend in Stoon doesn't break my heart.

6.  From Monday noon to Wednesday noon, I am looking after Luv Bug.  Yes, she is coming to live with Grandpa for two days.  The plan is to play with toys til mid morning, spend time at the park/spray pad til noon, have lunch, enjoy nap time, go back to the park til supper time, play some more, have bath time, read some stories, sing some lullabies, and then hit the hay.  I'm not so foolish as to think we will be sleeping in, but it would be nice.

Life continues to be good.  I don't kill my days; I fill my days...with good things.  There are so many things I could regret or fear, but I try to stay in the "now" and enjoy all the good things I have going on.  I hope you are doing the. same.