Daybook: Monday, May 7/18

Please bear with me. I still have not read my usual blogs. I am still replying to emails and phone calls from friends and other family members who have discovered I am back home. I have finally emptied the van and continue to wash up items that were packed up for me to bring back. I have been asked when I am going to have my yard sale, but the short answer is that I am still not sure. It was going to be this past Saturday but unforeseen circumstances interrupted that plan. My SIL and my niece were going to help me, but my brother who was going to have his back operation did in fact have that surgery. Coincidentally, it turned out he was finally called in the same day I left Bradford for the second leg of my my trip. The surgery was a success and two days later he was released from hospital. Two days after that, my SIL took him back in through Emergency very ill and severely dehydrated.  He was admitted and ran through a series of tests to discover WHY he couldn't stop retching. His white blood cell count was through the ceiling, but no fever. He couldn't keep anything down so he was fitted for total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Finally, after a week, he was able to eat something by mouth. They STILL have no idea what caused this very serious situation, but this past Friday he asked to be sent home after spending 24 hours without incident. He is now recovering at home feeling much more like himself and grateful that he has finally rounded the corner.  We are all very relieved.

Outside my window.....The day has been gorgeous. Temperatures were 14 degrees Celsius and sunny all day.  The grass is green and definitely needs mowing.

I am thinking.....I could definitely be outside right now to pull a few weeds, prune some bushes, and generally enjoy being outside again, but I have other work to do right now.

I am thankful for.....my general good health and ability to do things for myself.

From the kitchen.....I have made another big pot of chicken vegetable soup which I am going to freeze. I have frozen four of the packages of  ground beef and I have divided and frozen 2 packages of 3 sausages each. I have yet to slice up the pork loin into chops and roasts for the freezer (maybe later tonight). I roasted one of the trays of chicken thighs and had some for dinner on Saturday, used the meat from some for the chicken soup and still have some meat for a stir fry later on. Last night I made a sausage casserole and tonight I am hoping to make a moussaka.

I am wearing.....blue jeans and a printed pink t-shirt. I am still wearing socks which indicates that it is not quite summer.

I am creating.....a family scrapbook for my mom for Mother's Day. I took the scrapbook  with me to Elliot Lake, with blown up photos of the five of us children when we were very young.  My plan was to decorate the pages in the album and leave it with my mom. I was kept so busy while I was there, that I had very little time to work on it. I brought it back home and plan to finish it here, then mail it tomorrow (hopefully) with her Mother's Day card. She won't get it in time, but I think my family has come to expect everything from me to be late in arriving. That includes my son as well. His birthday is today and I just sent out his package this afternoon. I also took a finished card for my DIL (who begins her chemo and first radiation treatment today) to Elliot Lake as well. My plan at the beginning of this was to send her a card every week. I have been very good until I left on my trip. My intentions were good, but again, I didn't have a chance to mail it while I was away.

I am going.....nowhere else today. I have been to the post office.

I am hoping.....to get my chores caught up this week.

I am hearing.....just the sounds of traffic outside.

Around the house.....I am making preparations for a yard sale in the next couple of weeks.

One of my favourite things.....is Facebook Messenger on my tablet which allows me to face-time with my family and grand kids.

A few plans for the rest of the week.....include my appointment with the ENT (ears, nose, throat) tomorrow afternoon, picking up a prescription, a visit from a friend who I sent cards to over the past 8 months and who has been declared "cancer free"  at his last appointment,  my grandson's 7th birthday in Bradford this weekend  (I have been invited to his Star Wars party on Saturday), and dinner on Mother's Day at my son's and his fiancee's. It will be a full week.

Here's the picture I am sharing.....

Some blooms that greeted me on my return home this weekend.