(things posted as they unfolded) This could be a busy month As reported in the previous post, Dad fell, broke his left humerus and is in the hospital. Holly came from Brampton and stayed 3 days and really got us organised with the hospital and doctors. On my second visit to him it was very discouraging. He did not look well. I noticed there was no IV so asked a nurse why. It seems (to me) like a - what’s the word? - to ask why the treatment does not include a saline drip. Anyway, my request was acted on and after two days back on the drip he was much improved. Aug 6 An easy day. Made coffee, showered (washed hair) stripped bed, washed sheets, made Mum breakfast, made bed, packed, empty dishwasher, drive to hospital to visit Dad, to LCBO, to grocery store for food for Mum, packed car (stuff for John), check pool, pickup corn, and get ready for my drive to Mississauga. After visiting Dad, I set out - a 4 hour drive. It was easy with light traffic and good weather. I was up to attend a barbecue with Laurel’s parents. Laurel is my youngest son - John’s - partner. Her parents had recently sold their family home in Mississauga and were preparing to leave for Nova Scotia. Laurel’s Mum, Maureen’s parents were from the east and a home in Halifax remains in the family. It was only my second time meeting them, hence the kids idea for a get together. We had a lovely time, h'orderves at 2:00 and dinner at 5. So glad they did this, otherwise it would have been a long time before we had another chance. I drove back to Windsor on Sunday. Crazy Times A 2 month heat wave in the western US with temperatures regularly over 100F is adding to the massive wildfires which have been burning for weeks. There are over 250 wildfires burning in both BC and Ontario. Saskatchewan has seen record hectares consumed by fire. A 7.2 earthquake hit Haiti and two hurricanes are about to hit. Massive fires fuelled by the heat dome named “Lucifer” over Europe has hundreds of fires burning in Greece, Turkey and Spain. Russia has fires burning which are 4 times the size of California’s largest fire. The Taliban is about to retake Afghanistan and the US is scrambling to get it’s people out. The Covid delta virus 4th wave has hit the US, and Texas, Louisiana and Florida are either out or will soon be out of available ICU beds. Wednesday August 11 The hospital called to let us know they were moving Dad to the rehabilitation center on the west side. This was at least a week before we expected, but in itself, good news. We did not go that day as we expected the settling in to be tiring for him, but I went the next. He was sound asleep so I did not wake him. We have been working to get my sister Cathy, who lives in the states and after 21 months will finally be able to visit. You are allowed only two visitors, but we thought with a new location, the list might be restarted - no such luck. However at this facility we are allowed to take him outside in a wheelchair - so this will accommodate any visitors. The Dream Time I had a dream in which things were going along as they usually do (in a dream) when suddenly it dawned on me that I was in a dream. I acknowledged that “yes I knew that, as we always do at some level” and then I started to have a closer look. My thoughts were that this is a mental construction but it’s so amazingly complete down to the tiniest detail. I stopped - I was descending an outdoor stairwell and had a close look at the detail of the handrail. Then it slightly changed, as if the detail began to slip slightly away. I returned to the dream. Order of Posts Cathy arrived on Sunday August 14th, Dad died at 10:00 that night, she did not get her chance to see him. The next few days were a blur - the funeral home arrangements for cremation, the obituary and planning, letting people know, eating, cleaning - one day just ran into the next. A little too much wine on two occasions - my sisters drink more than me. On a social signpost note, the announcement of Dad’s passing prompted 610 sympathy responses and 505 comments on FB. (this was the total across family FB posts). I will not post about Dad here, as it appeared on my FB page. I will post remembrances over the coming months. As mentioned, the 4th wave of Covid is approaching - the delta variant. My art show has again been postponed. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called an election for September 20th. The US is leaving Afghanistan - and then they are gone, leaving a few thousand supporters whose fate is uncertain. Hurricane Ida smashed into New Orleans as a force 4, leaving “hundreds of thousands” without power for possibly a month. How will they survive? (note the temperatures are reaching 100F with no water or air conditioning). Ida continued north east causing major flooding in the New York area. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics took place this month (in 2021) but I didn’t watch much of it. Highlights for Canada were the women’s gold in soccer and Damian Warner’s gold in the decathlon. I spent a refreshing 10 days at the cottage (with a friend). A chance to recharge a little. Viewed My Salinger Year (2020 Crave) FTW: “In 1995, Joanna, an aspiring writer and poet, leaves Berkeley, California, as well as her boyfriend, and moves to New York City, where she takes a job at one of New York's oldest literary agencies, run by Margaret. Unbeknown to Joanna, the agency looks after the interests of the notoriously reclusive writer J. D. Salinger. She has not read any of Salinger's books, not even The Catcher in the Rye.” I’d read this book by Joanna Rakoff when it came out and found it OK. It’s a true story. Like Joanna, I’d not read Salinger, so of course I did after. I was not that thrilled with Catcher - it was also just OK. Cast includes Sarah Margaret Qualley (born October 23, 1994 daughter of actress Andie MacDowel -she is great) Sigourney Weaver and Colm Feore. IMO this is a case where the movie is better than the book. See trailer here. Murder in the Bayou (Crave) This has never happened to me as I watched two shows in a row which I’d read the book. This is a true story (5 parts) about 8 women murdered over the course of two years in the small town of Jennings, Louisiana, population 9,980 . It’s inconceivable that after some 12 years there are absolutely no clues or leads, according to law enforcement. The series unfolds just like the book and it becomes pretty clear what is going on, but no one, to date, has stepped up and laid charges. See trailer here Nomadland A 2020 American drama film based on the 2017 nonfiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder. The film is written, produced, directed, and edited by Chloé Zhao, and stars Frances McDormand (who is also a producer on the film) as a vandwelling working nomad who leaves her hometown after her husband dies and the sole industry closes down, to be "houseless" and travel around the United States. David Strathairn also stars in a supporting role. A number of real-life nomads appear as fictionalized versions of themselves, including Linda May, Swankie, and Bob Wells. The film won many awards including the 2021 Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress. See trailer here
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AuthorI believe we are what we think. What we think depends on what we feed our brains. This is a partial record of what my brain has been eating. Archives
February 2023
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