On the Road - The Lilac Way

 The roads were lined with lilacs like this everywhere. Having the windows down filled the car with their divine scent.

 The Cape Vincent Ferry from Cape Vincent, NY to Wolfe Islan, Ontario. We took 3 ferries to get to Wellington.  Such fun an a beautiful day

 The Lake Ontario view right in front of our inn last night In Wellington, Ont - Prince Edward County

 Enjoying the afternoon sun before dinner

My steadfast and incredibly wonderful chauffeur. 
We arrived in Waterloo at about 2 pm and enjoyed catching up with my sister, Margaret and husband Jerry.  We have checked in to our hotel and will be returning to Margaret's for dinner shortly.  Niece, Emily, is cooking.  We pick up the other sisters at the airport at 10 this evening.
Oh happy day!!

Love to all.

Beautiful Nieces

Thought I would show you a photo of my fairly new niece, Penny.  She knows how to take a break, doesn't she. Penny is the darling of my niece, Ellie, and I will be seeing three of my nieces later this week when LM and I take a break to drive to Canada for a reunion of my sisters.  I cannot wait to meet Penny.
I've been absent in these parts for a bit....been sick for about 5 weeks and only Saturday after an emergency trip to the hospital, do I have what better be a definitive diagnosis. Three weeks were wasted getting to where I am now. I was falsely diagnosed with diverticulitis.  On Saturday I became acutely ill and it turns out I was right about it being a UTI....it had 3 weeks to percolate into a full-blown emergency.  DRAT. So painful.  Come what may, LM and I are hitting the road at 3 am this Wed. I will try to update with photos when I can.

Love to all!

Fishing Rights and Visitors

Some moments that happened while I was very sick with diverticulitis several weeks ago....my fisherman, LM, arrived at his very favorite fishing spot to find that someone had put up a sign designating said fact!  Of course, the proud "site owner" had to have his photo taken at his spot.  The sign maker remains anonymous but there are suspects, and they are part of LM's posse that fish the same area day in, day out nearly year 'round.  

Also that weekend, brother, Evie, paid a visit with his handsome sidekick, Tiger.  He was up to NE from Baltimore on a little business trip and just had to see the Cape and walk the beaches. He and Tiger had a great time walking the National Seashore at Race Point in Provincetown for several hours.  We only saw each other briefly because my illness had me sleeping on and off all weekend.  Hope he comes back again soon!

Our trip to Canada is getting closer and the excitement is building!!  I will be as faithful as possible in capturing the memories to share.

Love to all!

T-Ball with Teddy

Oh, the cuteness of 4 year olds at their first day of t-ball.  After only one practice session, the very patient and helpful coaches gathered all these little ones for their first game. Teddy is #7 for the Mud Cats, in the picture above and the one below, he is to the far left.  When he saw me by the fence....you could hear "that's my Nana, David"  all across the park.  So funny.  Kristi and I joined Alison and Jason to watch this grand event on a very chilly morning almost 2 weeks ago.

Teddy walking up to the plate for his first turn at bat....several times he turned around and was carefully guided back.

Careful instruction.....

After the festivities at the ball park, we drove the short distance to Teddy's house where Kristi and I would be in charge of Teddy while his Mum and Dad went to work for awhile.  I was already under the weather and took a nap in the family room while Teddy took Kristi upstairs to his playroom to meet all the toys.  I loved hearing all their discussion while I drifted off into my nap. After lunch, we suddenly could hear a large truck backing up the street - beep, beep, beep...and soon enough this is what we found when we looked out to investigate.  Jason coming to collect Teddy for a ride in one of his big boy toys.

Jason put Teddy up on the trailer and told him to hold on tight as they were going to work....that didn't last long, and soon Teddy was happily seated safely in the co-pilot seat and they were off.  Kristi and I set off on a trip to find her some new and sturdy summer sandals and a few other fun errands.

 

I am beginning to feel so much better and having a lot to do as our trip to the sisters' reunion in Canada is now less than 2 weeks away.

Happy Thursday and lots of love to you all.....Happy birthday, Albie and Merry, and belated wishes to Eileen.

Little Miracles

It just had to turn out to be a better day.....after waking with that still sick feeling, I managed to make myself a tiny smoothie with some yogurt, banana and a bit of protein powder and have that along with some chamomille tea.  As I was dressing I looked out the bedroom window to see gold finches playing in the trees. They really stood out on this foggy morning. 
Driving to work I saw all sorts of beautiful flowers glowing in the fog - our tulips and daffodils are at their peak right now, then, as I parked at the office, the local osprey was dipping and diving over the baseball field across the street. I knew, the day just had to get better.  Several hours ago, it felt like someone had turned a feel good switch and I felt progress...so much better, energetic and happier.  I still have 3 days on the antibiotic but I will get through it.

Love to all...and the sun just broke through the fog.

The Unexpected.....

 There's been a lot going on around me the past few days.  Ms G has been sunbathing.

 My brother, Ev came to New England on business, so he stayed at my house with Tiger. Here he is visiting with LM and Kristi, after they all enjoyed a nice seafood dinner.

My dear LM has finally kicked off the 2013 striped bass fishing season with great success. Some of his friends (we do not know which ones yet), put a sign at his sweet fishing spot. On Saturday night LM took a large group of his students from the past yea, on their first guided trip to try for bass.  The only person to catch a fish was LM.  oops! They all had fun, though

So, there has been lots of fun happenning for all those around me, but my elation over the good news from the doctor last week was dampened considerably when I awoke Friday morning about 3:00 am in major lower abdominal pain and shaking with chills.  I felt so tired that I barely dragged myself from my boss's house and the dogs, and got to work.  Within an hour, I called my doctor and asked to be seen. As always, they got me right in and were very surprised to be seeing me so soon after Monday's visit, where we had all shared the good news that my EKG had returned to normal, my BP was normal and my bloodwork showed major improvement from the toxicity I had shown 6 weeks ago. 
After taking my temp (elevated) and an exam, she determined I have an acute attack of diverticulitis.  I was sure this was all bladder related, but the swelling from the colon was pushing on my bladder to give similar symptoms.  So I spent the weekend with my doggy friends,very chilled, just barely moving, taking a nasty anti-biotic, on a liquid diet, and have just today started bananas, toast and applesauce.  There is improvement, but my strength has fled.  This is my second attack (what I thought was a bladder infection a year ago has now been ruled diverticlar, as well).  She says one more attack and I will have to have surgery.  Once I am healed from this, I am to very gradually increase my fiber intake. I am not quite sure how I can take in more than I already do, as I have been aware of the importance of fiber for years.  I will most likely have to add in psyllium but it must be done slowly. 

Meanwhile, there was fun happening all around me....I read books on my Kindle, sat in a sunny window and took 2-3 naps a day. Other than not feeling well, that was a pretty nice weekend, and one I know many would dream of.  I returned to my house yesterday morning and have just been resting more. Going to try work this morning. 

May Day!

Consider yourself finding a lovely homemade basket filled with treats and flowers hanging from your front door handle this morning!!  It is May, the lovely month filled with color, warmish days, greening trees and lawns, and the month of special days, among them, my parents and brother's wedding anniversaries, Mother's Day and the birthdays of two of my dear sisters, and it is also the month of our long awaited sister's reunion in Canada, where in the land of gorgoeus lilacs, we will celebrate our incredible family bonds.

This incredible array of tulips and hyacinth is not far from my house, and across from a beach I often visit at lunch.  They adorn both sides of an entrance gate.  The display changes with the seasons and is always spectacular.  I got these photos in late evening Sunday while driving and walking around "chasing the light".....a favorite pasttime in my glorious surroundings. I'd been feeling very anxious about my coming doctor appointment on Monday morning, and found great ease in the late day light.

Have a lovely May Day all.