The Adventures of Pippin

Pippin. I woke up thinking of her yesterday; how I should see her on the weekend. It had been awhile. And lo and behold, later that afternoon she shows up at Mom's! Amazing. Pippin is amazing as well and she joined the OT Director and I as we built a Mrs. Frosty in Mom's yard. She's always up for an adventure. You're only as young as you feel. Pippin got right out there with the two of us and joined in the festivities, along with Dad, Mr. Corner Gas (he looks like the father off that show). Mom was inside busy making the gourmet meal, but I coerced her outside to have a photo shoot with Frostina. Frostina Frosty.

Now Frosty lives at my house and Frostina lives at Mom and Dad's. Dad asked why, and I told him it's because they didn't get along, so I had to separate them. He laughed and said, "Just like me and your mother!" Whatever you say, Dad. Snowmen mimicking life. Pippin arranged a beautiful pink scarf on Frostina. I think Frostina wants to run in The Run for the Cure in October. I hope she feels OK by then. Take a look at her: isn't she beautiful? We only had a short time with Pippin, not quite long enough, but at least I got to see her.

Speaking of the run, Natalie called today to say that Amy is busy organizing the run in The Pas, MB (northern Manitoba). Thanks, Amy for doing this on my behalf and all women who find themselves hearing the words "You have breast cancer." I hear that men and women are running. Good for them! Thank you! I feel so special. Perhaps The Pas will have a special t-shirt to wear (smile).

The website for the CIBC Run for the Cure will soon be accepted registrations. If you are interested in running in October and being on the Team Dancing Queen, email Angie at murf1@nb.sympatico.ca or me at debmac88@yahoo.ca.

Today, I woke up about 3 a.m. and wanted to get up. I was in quite a bit of pain, but lay there for awhile and went back to sleep. At 5 a.m. I was awake again and thought I might as well face it – I cannot sleep. Finally got up at 7 and went to the kitchen table to work on my 'hinge' painting again for another hour or so before breakfast. I just can't seem to get that hinge right. I'd like to put it on a door and open it, but it's not ready yet. If life was so easy – just paint what you wanted to happen.

Talked to my optometrist's office this morning. I really need to get new glasses, because your eyes get dry when on chemo, and sore. And when you lose your eyelashes, you lose the ability to filter dust. I wear contacts and find it increasingly difficult to get moisture in my eyes. I've just got to bite the bullet and get them, so am hoping for an appointment next week. I'm also going for physio on my shoulder again – one of the areas of pain is my shoulder. I've had it for a year or so, and it did show up on the bone scan, so I know I'm not crazy, just sore. I need my shoulder to work – it has a lot of years left in it, considering it has to last me until I'm 95.

I cleaned the house this morning – decluttered, dusted and vacuumed. S. and D. came for lunch. We had chicken stew and salad and tuna salad in Scoops. For dessert, bitter truffles and tea. After a walk and a ski by D., we settled down to watch a movie. D. is knitting felted slippers, and am I ever glad. She has never stopped talking about them for a month, trying to find the wool and the needles. I think I'll make some, too. S. is content to sit under a quilt and eat suckers and drink hot chocolate.

Cuz C. came over bearing chips & Laura Secord suckers. She had spent the afternoon scouring the city for satin pillowcases. She finally bought some satin fabric and we can make the pillowcases. Thanks, C., you shouldn't have, but I'm glad you did. I was going to make them tonight, but S. left with the material and is going to make them this weekend. I should have given her a sucker-to-go as payment. What was I thinking? I need to be more considerate.

I'd like to point out 'Dusty's' comments on yesterday's blog. Check it out. Dusty gives us an update on how to treat your husband, circa 1955. Very interesting. I thought I would quote a bit of it here and comment on how I treat my husband.

• Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. [Well, I was sitting in the chair watching a movie for two hours, does that count?] Touch up your make-up [he doesn't like it, so didn't have to do that], put a ribbon in your hair [does hair standing up on end count; it's like a ribbon] and be fresh-looking [oh, I'm that, for sure]. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people [me, too, we don't want to work and like to watch movies on a Friday afternoon].
  • Be a little gay [that's me – very happy all the time] and a little more interesting for him [well, I guess I could work on that. I'm pretty boring]. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it. [Check with me later to see if I've improved. Perhaps you could comment on this, Doug].
  • Clear away the clutter. [I actually did that today! The first day I've cleaned my house myself for a long time! And I decluttered the downstairs so much that he wondered why the living room was so large]. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. [Forgot that]. Run a dust cloth over the tables. [Did that this morning].
  
• Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. [Well, I have to admit that sometimes I question his actions. Sorry, Doug. I'll try to do better. I want to be a good wife, really. Like Floss, Dusty's wife]. Remember, he is the master of the house [Yes, you are] and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness [This is true]. You have no right to question him. [Well now, that's stretching it a bit far, isn't it, Mrs. 1955?].
  
• A good wife always knows her place. [Yes, in front of the TV or out walking or sewing or doing crafts or off exploring the country in her Nissan].
  

Well, I must sign off for today. Tomorrow we're traveling up river to the big town of Bristol to see Jon and Alicia and the three grandkids. I told Alicia I didn't know whether we would stay overnight or not; it depended on whether my hair fell out or not. That I didn't want the kids to see that. She told me it was OK, as she had already discussed it with Afton (4), and she said, "That's OK, Gram Deb is sick, and that's OK if her hair falls out." Out of the mouths of babes. It's OK.

We're awaiting a call right now from a famous cookhouse. When the pizza was ready, they said they would call. Doug is having a nap in preparation for pizza eating. I'm blogging, because I'll probably be too full later to put fingers to keyboard.

Today's quote from Managing Housework in Canada, and quite appropriate considering the amount of chicken I've consumed this week. The poultry industry is getting to be very important. Herbert Quick [I haven't yet figured out who he is] says that the poultry products of the United States are worth more than the wheat crop, and that nine-tenths of these are produced by the women on the farms. It is a very interesting subject, too, the care of poultry. You know the slogan of the Canadian Poultry Association in 1923, 'Make the useful more beautiful and the beautiful more useful.'

I thank God for chicken, for the women who produced the chicken, and for Herbert Quick, whoever he was. I thank God for food and the pleasures of eating. This verse was from my devotions today: So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that this pleasure is from the hand of God (Eccl 2:24). Right on.