self-indulgence

Warning! Long-winded self-indulgent rant… skip the first several paragraphs!

The days since I last wrote have somehow flown by even though I've been dragging myself around. It's taken herculean efforts to walk (except one day I was bursting with energy and even managed some weights)... I can't seem to get a handle on the energy and mood fluctuations I'm having - it's very discouraging but I won't give up. 

For years I've been bouncing between feeling great with lots of energy and then days where I can barely get myself off the sofa - it's a real rollercoaster… It's clear that bipolar is more than a mood issue, it's also an energy issue. I'm not sure which comes first, the low mood or low energy, but I think a drop in energy is my first cue that I'm on a downward trend. When I'm strong it's much easier to keep my thoughts in order, but when I'm tired or low, my brain gets the upper hand at times. 

I've always had this ebb and flow of energy but it's more obvious now as I'm wanting to get consistent with exercise but keep getting waylaid… I've managed to walk every day, sometimes for only 20 or 30 minutes but strength training is a hit or miss with no real consistency :-(

I’m wondering if perhaps I'm pushing myself too hard on my tired days… I've spent the last 20 or more years learning how to get myself going despite medications and fatigue from depression, and honestly, I've gotten pretty good at it… however, I'm wondering if pushing myself physically so hard is the right thing to do when I'm in a low cycle.

I find it difficult to scale back because mentally (at first) I feel so motivated but then my body doesn't cooperate but it feels impossible (or undesireable) to just give up and take a break. I have a fear that if I stop I will spiral down to the depths and won't be able to get myself going again… I guess historically that has not been the case, so I have to remind myself that it's not permanent but a transition that I just have to adapt to.

I would just like to live like a normal person and to be able to just exist without constantly checking in on myself… Maybe I'm too self-aware and causing the problem myself? Maybe I overthink everything!

I feel stupid for complaining though… so many other people are going through so much worse that my problems seem trite, so I know, that really in the scheme of things, I am quite lucky!

Sorry for going on. Sometimes it helps me to put it out there. Hopefully too, it helps you to understand why I don't always fully show up.

Chapter 53 Cato and Bailey Meet Laura's Brother

The parrots and dogs knew that something was happening because Laura and Carm were rushing around getting things ready. Laura and Carm spent a long time in the kitchen and they both did some cleaning even though the cleaning lady was at the house the day before. Cato and Bailey knew now that when those things happened, someone was coming to the house.

After the animals had their supper, Laura and Carm answered the door and in came Aunt Kari! Cato and Bailey liked it when Kari visited because there was always lots of fun conversation. Bailey was surprised that they all sat down at the sofas without having supper because when company came they always had supper first.

Laura told them that her brother Olaf and his partner were coming as well so we had to wait for them to make the long drive. Finally they arrived so everyone went to the kitchen. Cato and Bailey were happy that the people were going to have their supper as it usually meant there'd be something good for them to eat too! All the parrots were happy to have a little bit of roast beef but the dogs thought it was unfair for them to only get a tiny bit as well.

Cato and Bailey were not sure what to think about Olaf but after a while they thought that he was okay and could see why Laura said that he'd be the life of the party. There was lots of music playing but the birds were disappointed that no body would dance.

https://youtu.be/zjdgmAvh-dI?si=GtQYIFvoZL4Y_LcT (Rock n’ Roll all Nite Kiss)

Gosh though! Let's get back to regular life! Friday Kari, Olaf & Steph came for supper and a late night of visiting. It was fun, but I felt kind of low key so there was no wild and crazy dancing! 😜 Yesterday the whole family plus all the plus one's, and some extended almost family, gathered at Kirsten's for a Saturday Easter Lunch. Kirsten pulled off an amazing gathering of 22 people - she made a crustless smoked salmon and asparagus quiche which was divine, and a gorgeous lemon loaf. Mom brought her special carrot cake with icing that you could eat out of a bowl. Marion brought a salad, and I brought hummus and cardamom bun sandwiches. It was a group effort with Kirsten hefting the bulk!

Sadly, it was a miserable grey day :-( I wore white summer pants with a summery pink top, but should have had fleece & wool! I did wear my biggest parka though…

Awesome!

“family gatherings”

“focaccia is always a favourite”

“all the snow is gone!”

driving to and fro

Of course, on the day that I absolutely HAD to drive into the city - twice - it was freezing rain, or if not actually freezing at the moment, was threatening. Luckily, Carm has been my hero today volunteering to do the driving back and forth. For the early morning drive the roads were just wet, but the ice was still threatening this afternoon. In the end, both trips would have been fine for me to make on my own but it was nicer to do it together!

Yesterday was a beautiful day with temps reaching into the mid teens and full on sun. Today, the opposite. That's pretty lousy luck!

Let's time travel back to Friday… I overcooked the roast and the yorkshire pudding… I may never make another prime rib roast again! Hopefully I learned a lesson this time - take it out way before it reaches the rare temp (138F). In fact I might take it out at 134F since it seems to continue cooking for ages as it rests. The yorkshire pudding was just a dumb mistake. I'd pre-cooked them a few days earlier and stuck them in the freezer but when it came time to warm them up, I slid them into the oven which I THOUGHT I’d turned off but hadn't so they sat in a 350F oven for way too many minutes :-(

The other failure was the icing on the cake. The actual cake turned out well but of course the icing just flowed off, leaving just a thin layer of almost fudge. It was okay but not amazing…

All that said, it was a great night!

Chapter 52 Cato and Bailey Hear about Magicians

It was a normal afternoon except that Carm was out golfing. The parrots knew because they saw his golf clubs at the door. Laura started playing music right away which of course Cato and Bailey loved. Grace too! They all really liked the song that talked about Magic especially since Laura told them that she was friends with actual magicians!

https://youtu.be/h6o38MN8yqE?si=2pW-uPtw4xrTH_F4 (Magic Pilot)

Laura told Cato and Bailey that she'd see the Outerbridges on Saturday for Easter dinner but that the animals would all have to stay home because there would be too many people there. Cato and Bailey were sad about this and wondered if they'd get a chance to see the magic show sometime. Laura thought that might be a possibility but not for a while as the magicians were going to China to put on shows. They weren't sure where China is so Laura told them that it was on the other side of the world from here and that it is even farther away than Florida where they went for a vacation many years ago. Laura got out a globe so that she could show them how far it was!

Cato knew that she could do tricks as well but they weren't magic, although everyone who saw her do the tricks thought that it was a great show. She wondered if she should be part of the magic show that went to China. Bailey thought that might be a good idea, but wasn't sure if there would be glop or toast in China. Laura said there might be other good things to eat but it didn't matter since it would be impossible to get a passport that would let the parrots go there.

Plus Laura knew that Ruth and John would not like them to go so far away!

Awesome!

“my honey driving”

“no actual ice on the roads in the morning”

how many rotations around the sun

It seems impossible but 39 years ago today I first met Carm! It was a series of coincidents that led me to be at that place at that moment… the day before I'd gone to sign a lease at a new apartment but when I mentioned that I had a dog, they backed out. Boo hiss! So I was starting to walk back to my current apartment when I passed a man putting a 'for rent' sign out! It was for a one bedroom on the first floor of a two apartment house. I loved it and it was in my price range. I mentioned Chetta but Gene wanted to meet her before signing the lease so we set up a time for the next day for me to bring her over. That next afternoon, as Gene was meeting Chetta, Carm walked through the entry hall so Gene introduced me as the new neighbour! No one could have predicted that 39 years later, we'd be celebrating Carm's birthday together still!

I thought I'd get a bit ahead of the game yesterday by getting Carm's birthday cake done… it was a  burnt sugar disaster 😞  I think the cake turned out okay (but won't know until tonight when we finally cut into it), but the icing, which is really the best part, was an utter failure. I THINK I measured 2 half cups of brown sugar instead of 2 full cups… I felt that something was off, but I had measured everything out in the morning so it wasn't fresh in my mind. By the time the butter and sugar had melted it was too late to re-measure. When the final step was done, I should have followed my gut and started over. As it turned out it never thickened (it's usually like fudge) so ran all over the place.

Tonight, instead of supper at the Keg with Bruce and Tina, we are making a prime rib roast with all the fixings. They'll stay the night 😀  We don't eat meat very often, and I cook it even less frequently but gosh! The smell of a prime rib roasting in the oven is heavenly!

Chapter 51 Cato and Bailey Sing Happy Birthday

Laura wasn't singing the usual morning song but instead was belting out 'Happy Birthday'. All the parrots wondered for a minute who's birthday it was. Cato knew it wasn't hers or Bailey's. Grace quickly figured out that it was Carm that Laura was singing to! The parrots all thought that it was very exciting and that perhaps there would be special food for supper.

They could tell that people were coming over as the people were cleaning and spending lots of time in the kitchen. Grace told them that it was probably Tina and Bruce as it was also Bruce's birthday on the same day. She remembered Laura and Carm talking about it many times. She was glad that they weren't going out, which is what they usually do on Carm's birthday. The birds were all happy that there would be company and hopefully interesting things to listen to.

Later in the day Bailey noticed that there was the smell of meat cooking and was certain that the parrots would get some for second supper! It made all their tummies rumble and their mouth water to think of such a delicious second supper.

https://youtu.be/Cs5vUfddkT8?si=oYe_8-Sl22oWxdbM (Birthday Beatles)

Awesome!

"licking the beaters"

"anticipation of cake"

"bright sunny day"

"the smell of cooking roast"

elderly

I've always been a believer that even if you don't like something (to eat), that you should try it a few times before fully deciding, and even then, try a year later! I purchased Kimchi to try ages ago and honestly, at first I thought it was horrible, but I had a big container that I didn't want to waste. So I kept eating a bit everyday - now I love it! My tastebuds just needed to adjust. 

Other examples include cantaloupe which I always disliked as a child - it was easy to avoid so I did. Then on a cruise a few years ago I served myself a few cut pieces and GOSH! I loved it and now gobble it up whenever it's on sale :-) (which has been often now that we have a Food Basics in the neighbourhood).

Some things are just too horrible to develop a taste for though… I have never gotten over my aversion to coconut (yuck) or miracle whip (double yuck!). I keep on trying, mainly because I like ¾ of what makes up a nanaimo bar so plug my nose for the coconut ingredients…

Spring has been reluctant to show it's face… it's been barely above freezing and there's still lots of snow on the ground. I recall many late March days when we enjoyed lunch on the front deck. Several  years ago we met friends at a patio in the market and ended up having to ask for a table in the shade!

We've had a busy few days - Saturday Pat came for supper - I made mushroom gnocchi with a creamy lemon and garlic sauce which ended up being way too lemony and way too garlicky. More is not always better! Sunday Kari came for a late lunch - we had french onion lentils & barley with roasted butternut squash, brussels sprouts, and a bit of tofu. Sad for the birds that everything had onions in it though 😞 

Yesterday afternoon we deeked over to see Trudie & Leo so Carm could help Leo with his printer.

This is what Lupa does while I'm busy walking on the treadmill... and then if there's still a sun spot it turns into a napping area!

I started step one of the prep for the sugar extravaganza that we will enjoy Friday. Yes! It's burnt sugar cake day again soon 😀 

A comment on some random post: "I'm elderly, 63…."  WTF! I would never consider myself even close to being elderly! Imagine her mindset thinking that she's already elderly at 63…

Chapter 48 Cato and Bailey Listen to an Italian Singer

The parrots were delighted when Laura started laughing while she was watching her tablet. They couldn't quite make out the words to the song she was listening to but they all agreed that the beat was fun and worth dancing to. 

https://youtu.be/fU-wH8SrFro?si=hgucujBBOqnA7p2U (Italian Guy with made up words)

Laura brought her tablet over to the birds so they could see what she was laughing about. Cato thought the guy dancing was funny although maybe a bit goofy. Bailey wondered why Laura was laughing as it all just seemed like good fun.

Carm asked Laura about the video and she told him that it was an Italian singer from the 70s who made up a song of nonsense words that sounded a bit like English to trick the Italian listeners. It turned into a huge hit! He thought the guy looked like a mix of Jerry Lewis and the guy from 'Flight of the Concords'.

Cato and Bailey thought that a lot of songs that Laura plays sound a bit like gobbly goop to them as well and wondered if most musicians did the same thing. Grace just thought that many singers aren't very good at saying words clearly and that she has a far superior way of talking. Cato thought the same thing.

Chapter 49 Cato and Bailey Sing the Champion

It had been quiet in the house for a while until Laura finally put on some music. The parrots were all singing and dancing along but when the song about being a champion started playing the dogs even joined in. Everyone thought that it was a good song.

https://youtu.be/HgknAaKNaMM?si=5N-WiVKCQab7L37f (the Champion Carrie Underwood)

Laura told the parrots that she would listen to this song when she was feeling down or unmotivated as it reminded her that she has power within. Cato agreed that the song was energizing and started swinging on her boing. Bailey hung upside down from the top of his cage while Grace just bobbed on her perch.

Then Cato got in the mood to toss her toy around. While she did this, Bailey moved to the perch that he is slowly taking apart. All that activity made everyone hungry so they all had a few more bites of lunch.

Chapter 50 Cato and Bailey Have Grains

This morning Cato could see that Laura was measuring out things into the instant pot and wondered what she was making. Bailey wasn't sure if it was something that he would like, (and really, how could he tell!), but Grace told them that Laura was making their grain mash! The parrots all agreed that this was an important task for Laura to complete so they stayed a bit quiet while she measured things. They could hear Carm telling her how much of everything to add.

Cato thought that there were a lot of grains and beans that made up the mash… first there was flax seed, then millet, quinoa, adzuki beans, split peas, barley, bulgar, hard wheat kernels, oatmeal, and finally vegetable soup. She was amazed that so many different things went into their food.

After the instant pot was started, Laura played one of her energy songs so the parrots and dogs could all dance around for a while. 

https://youtu.be/qaH7exO9GzQ?si=z-LovPwfzj-HVCsr  (Don't Stop Me Now Queen)

The smell of the grains cooking made all the parrots feel a bit hungry which was good because it was time for glop!

Awesome!

"clouds of honking geese darkening the sky"

"smashed potatoes with lots of basil garlic salt"

"a few more sunny days"

young men

I can't help but think about those young men, really boys, that we shared a few drinks and laughs with at Punta Cana. They were finishing up training to be merchant marine sailors and were going to be deployed to the middle east… at least that's what I remember. Those boys were just dumb kids with no real understanding of the world, or politics, or how some American citizens were being manipulated by billionaires and war mongers. They believed everything that they were told. There was only one critical thinker among the bunch. I hope they are out of harm's way… but know that there are many other young people in the line of fire. 

https://youtu.be/SgpiQF_ulzM?si=-p3nHttEaejtzZny (All the fine Young Men)

Yesterday was another snow day! Today was mostly sunny and 6C! Beautiful!

Chapter 47 Cato and Bailey Eat Grilled Cheese

The parrots had already eaten their supper when it seemed that they could smell toast, or at least something good cooking. Cato hoped that Laura and Carm would share whatever it was that smelled so good - Bailey was sure that they would. They tried to be patient and made sure to shout out 'Supper' at frequent intervals. The smell was making their tummies rumble.

Finally, Laura walked over with a plate in her hand and started handing out food. Grace was pretty sure it was a grilled cheese sandwich, although it had been a long time since she'd had one. She grabbed it out of Laura's hand and took a big bite. 

Bailey was next. He was so excited that he fumbled it and it dropped on his cage floor. Laura quickly opened the door to retrieve it to his dish. He was a bit more careful when he picked it out of his dish. His eyes flashed as he bit down into the toasty, cheesy, buttery goodness.

It was finally Cato's turn. She didn't make the same mistake that Bailey made, instead she put it into her pellet dish and just picked it partially up to take bites. 

The parrots were all happy and didn't leave a crumb of their treat.

https://youtu.be/6dAavO8TtsE?si=-GapM0K2z-PRUbYN (Cheeseburger in Paradise Jimmy Buffet)

Awesome!

"no where to go!"

"grilled cheese sandwiches - missing chocolate milk though!"

the eye doctor

It's been a grey day with temps below zero in the morning and slowly rising as the day has progressed. We had to take a trip into the city for eye doctor appointments which took ages and ages… The roads were snowy on the way in and slushy on the way home. Not my favourite! We stopped at Costco on the way home to fill up on gas and groceries. Gas was $1.59! Yikes. And we couldn't get tofu or yogurt :-(

Yesterday was sunny and the wind had died down so we took a trip to Mom & Dad's to help them set up their new computer.

The world is getting crazier by the day… hopefully something good happens soon although it's not looking likely. I wonder if we'll have trouble getting to Europe or worse yet, home, in just over a month!

I seem to have left my brain in the city though as I struggled with this story!

Chapter 46 Cato and Bailey Learn about the Eye Doctor

All the animals in the house were dismayed when it seemed that Laura and Carm were getting ready to go out. Cato and Bailey were surprised as Laura hadn't even walked on the treadmill and it seemed like she does that everyday. The dogs were not happy either as they knew they'd have to stay in the bedroom.

Grace could see the clock from her cage and saw that it was only 9 in the morning when Laura and Carm left the house - it seemed that there would be no toast for breakfast but at least they had their regular breakfast. The parrots quietly talked amongst themselves as the morning seemed to drag on forever. They all wondered where the people had gone.

Finally, well past lunchtime, the dogs shouted out that Laura and Carm were home! Big bags of food were brought into the house and put away in the fridge so they knew that the people had been shopping, but why did it take so long? Cato and Bailey were happy (so was Grace), as Carm started making toast right away! Hurrah! It was late but there'd still be toast. 

While they were eating, Laura told them about the eye doctor appointment that she and Carm had gone to. She told them that they had to look at little letters on the wall through a weird contraption and that the doctor had also put drops in their eyes that made them see funny. None of the parrots had ever been to the eye doctor. Laura told them that there weren't eye doctors for parrots because parrots can't wear glasses. This made sense to Cato. She reminded Bailey that Laura and Carm wear glasses so that must be why they had to go to the special doctor.

https://youtu.be/jxcZAHTyVCI?si=q3Bm6zdkJTS-DNc6 (Wear my Sunglasses Cory Heart)

Awesome!

"healthy eyes"

"getting home safe and sound"

"Zootopia! Cute movie to watch on the treadmill"

"not missing a day yet this year although only walked 20 minutes today"

"chicken shwarma sandwich"

detour

Spring has taken a detour, blown off course by a gusting wind. Snow swirls across the field, sometimes almost obliterating the road on its southern edge. It's a good day for staying mostly inside - cold and blowing snow make the roads icy and snow covered.

I've gotten out of the daily habit of writing something - it seems like my creativity has taken a hike! Hopefully it's temporary but even so, already I've written almost as many blog posts as last year in total! I just have 20 to go 😱 Last year must have been a doozy!

Saturday we drove into the city to have supper with Carm's nephew Justin and his partner Sonia. Carm's brother Frank and sister-in-law Tammy were also there. We hadn't seen them, except for a few minutes here and there, for absolutely ages! That's my sign to get busy and start having people out for lunch or dinner more often! I've been remiss in that for a few years now… Part of the problem is trying to figure out what to serve… I've been in a bit of a rut cooking wise for two years… it's so much easier to create meals when they are centered around a bit of meat…

I think today would be a good day to comb through my menu records to come up with a few ideas and WRITE them down - no excuses!

Chapter 44 Cato and Bailey hear a Song

All the parrots were quietly grinding their beaks when Laura interrupted the peace with a crazy song about a dog and a window. After a moment Cato decided that it was a good song to dance to and that it was even okay that Laura was singing along.

Laura stopped singing to tell them the story about Grace's Dad whistling this song to Grace when she was still in the egg. He also sang the song to her when she was a tiny chick.

Grace couldn't remember but felt that the song sounded familiar and that it gave her a nice feeling inside. Laura reminded Cato and Bailey that they would have heard Grace's Dad too as he lived across the aisle from Cato and Bailey's parents. They thought that it was nice to think about.

https://youtu.be/Aqwq4AgMiik?si=xvkyEhQc5Pt1Ds6d (how much is that doggie in the window patty Page)

Chapter 45 Cato and Bailey are Kept Awake by the Wind

The roar of the wind hitting the house kept everyone awake all night, even Cato and Bailey had trouble sleeping with the noise. Grace could remember the wind being that noisy in the past so she wasn't too worried that the house would blow down but Cato and Bailey weren't so sure.

When Laura opened the blinds in the morning they were surprised to see snow on the trees as they thought the wind would have blown it all away. But instead the snow seemed to be plastered on the trees in a more permanent fashion. Laura said it was because it had been raining before the snow started so it stuck to everything like glue.

It sure didn't seem like spring was here, even though they could hear the lonely sound of the red-winged blackbird calling outside. Cato thought that he sounded cold so Bailey wondered if there was a way to invite him into the house, but Grace said that they are a bit shy and didn't like people like parrots did.

The blustery wind reminded Laura of the story about the three pigs and the wolf blowing down the houses so she read it out loud to the parrots. They were glad that the house was not made of straw because it surely would have been blown down by the wind. It made them wonder a bit if the wind was really a wolf trying to get inside. Bailey thought that was a scary idea and didn't want to think about it at all. He thought that hopefully the house was made of brick and was sorry to hear that it was made of wood like the second house the wolf blew down. That made him scared, but then realized that it would have been blown down by now so maybe the wood was more like brick!

After the story it was time for toast which distracted everyone for a while.

https://youtu.be/2vRsEC65NTA?si=nPqB9SPKW-Q2hiMv (Against the Wind Bob Seger)

Awesome!

"cosy in the house despite the howling wind"

"visiting with family'

paper napkins

Spring is in the air! Or at least the possibility of spring is in the air. It's already been a few days since the geese started coming back 😀 

There was some sad news in the obituaries today… my old boss, Jack Drawbridge, passed away a few days ago. I'll time travel back to mid summer in 1981 while I was between the last days of high school and starting my adult life. I know I've shared the story of Mr. Jenkins, my friend June's dad, who heard me lament on my lack of direction so offered me a temporary job as a contractor to the government 'documenting master files'. I had no idea what that meant, but started the job anyway. The contract was working for Jack in the Data Management branch of Industry Canada (or whatever it was known as way back then) and I was to comb through listings of files to figure out which were the main data files. I had no idea what I was doing, having had NO, ZERO, NADDA, experience in computing. 

With Mr. Jenkins, and Jack's help, I managed to bumble through! As the contract neared completion, Jack came to me with an offer - if I'd take a typing class he'd hire me (on contract) as a data entry person. So I took that class and started a 29 year career in Data and Repository Management. Jack was a true mentor, often dropping in to my office with pen and paper to talk about data architecture, data and information management, methodologies, data redundancy, documentation, system life cycles, etc. He never talked down to me or made me feel like I didn't know anything - I was part of the team. Our informal meetings were instrumental in developing my passion for data dictionary and repository management. He pushed me to become more than a data entry clerk, getting me involved in managing and developing the software that we used to accomplish our goals, designing data structures, and more importantly helped me to develop a view of the bigger picture.

I was just 19 years old when I started working for Jack and living on my own in the city for the first time. I remember one day being so exhausted from whatever was happening in my life that I fell asleep at my desk… Jack walked in, saw that I was asleep and tiptoed back out! Yikes! He was so understanding. A few years later my boyfriend Steve broke up with me and I was devastated beyond words. Jack was there with a shoulder to cry on. In some ways he was like a stand-in dad when mine was cities away. He was always kind and supportive.

I am blessed in so many ways to have had him as my mentor. And I've never looked at a paper napkin the same again! Jack couldn't talk without drawing it all out and many a lunch was spent doodling on a napkin as we tried to reshape the world.

Chapter 42 Cato and Bailey Learn about Freezing Rain

It was darker in the house than normal so Laura turned on the lights around Cato, Bailey, and Grace's cages. Cato wondered why it seemed so dark and knew that it wasn't sunny, then Bailey pointed out that the windows on one side of the room were blurry. Laura and Carm were talking about freezing rain, which they figured was regular rain but frozen. They all wondered what that would be like but were glad they were inside as it didn't sound like a very good thing.

It was so dark that all the animals in the house just felt like sleeping and napping all day.

Later in the afternoon, Laura put Adia & Lupa's travel clothes on them so the parrots knew that they'd be alone in the house for a little while. They wondered why Laura and Carm would go outside when there was freezing rain but Laura said there was more regular rain and not as much ice as was expected. Bailey wondered what it would be like outside if ice was coming from the sky. It seemed that it was different from snow which they knew about from looking out the window.

Cato thought that it was a good day for warm glop and was surprised when Laura didn't warm it up enough. She had to spit it out because it was so cold. Thankfully Laura realized what the problem was so warmed it up properly. It was much better then and warmed Cato's tummy. It was still warm when it was Bailey's turn which made him happy. They wondered if it was a good day for Laura and Carm to have warm glop - they called it soup but it seemed just like chunky glop to the parrots.

https://youtu.be/MdhRhGX3AG4?si=Qx15_6HktY_ZQyD3 (Rainy Day People Gorden Lightfoot)

Chapter 43 Cato and Bailey Hear Geese

For a few days now Cato and Bailey could hear a strange honking sound whenever Laura or Carm opened the door to outside. They could even hear it sometimes when it was quiet in the house. It sounded familiar but they couldn't quite remember what made that sound. Grace told them that Canada Geese make that sound when they are flying in big flocks! She'd even seen them flying overhead in the fall. Laura had told her that the geese were flying south for the winter and that they'd come back in the spring.

The parrots were very excited to hear this as it means that spring is coming! It seemed almost impossible as they could all see that there was still snow on the ground outside, although there were lots of spots where the snow had disappeared. 

Cato wondered if the geese had gone as far south as she and Bailey had gone the year that they all went to Florida as she remembered seeing some out the window when they were there. She wondered if they'd maybe even seen some of the same geese that she heard flying overhead! Bailey thought that it was impossible as it was way too far to fly. The parrots all agreed that flying that far would be difficult and that they'd rather drive in the car to go so far away, and that maybe everyone should go south for the winter where it's warmer out.

https://youtu.be/ZtUDEEBagxk?si=jWlVNkoe6hNCxAVP (Hot hot hot Buster Pointdexter)

Awesome!

"not as much ice accumulation as expected"

"comfort food"

"ice on the trees glinting in the morning sun"

the hills are alive

The hills are alive with the sound of music… well, not the hills but the living room as I belted out favourites from the movie! I never realized how LONG the movie is - it took 2 long days of walking to get through it but time flew as the story unwound. I've seen 'The Sound of Music' countless times, yet there are still scenes that bring a tear to my eye. I got chills when Christoper Plumer sang 'Edelweiss'.

We were blessed with warm sunny weather the last two days, a bit of a break before we are iced over tomorrow…

Chapter 40 Cato and Bailey Watch Golf

The sounds on the TV on the weekend sounded familiar to Cato and Bailey. They could remember hearing the hushed voices when they were at their home with Ruth and John. Cato could see the TV better so told Bailey that it was a golf game. It seemed very boring compared to the movie that they watched with Carm and Pat the night before but they knew that John also liked to play golf so they payed attention so they could see what all the fuss was about.

Cato was surprised to see that there was a little white ball that looked similar to the one she was playing with in her cage that morning. She wondered if the ball on TV was as easy to break as the one she was playing with. Bailey thought that it must be a much stronger ball as it seemed that the men were hitting it with a big stick. Grace asked them if the sticks look like the ones that Carm had brought home a few weeks ago. Laura had called them golf clubs which had confused them as they thought a club was somewhere that people go to be with other people. Cato recalled that John sometimes went to what was called a curling club so they all wondered if the sticks would also be used for curling. Cato said that they were the same sort of sticks as the ones on the TV. 

Grace thought it was crazy to call a stick a club but the parrots all agreed that people sometimes have weird names for things!

The parrots talked amongst themselves wondering if Carm had gone to play golf with his clubs a few days ago when he went out and wondered if it was fun for him. It looked like it was a nice walk outside and it even seemed like it was summer where the TV was showing. They remembered hearing a summer bird just the day before so maybe summer was coming here too and soon they'd be able to go outside.

https://youtu.be/UK8YopKseO4?si=FvJaTWYBlg0hF_mR (Golf Tim Hawkins)

Chapter 41 Cato and Bailey See a Picture of Ruth

It was already in the afternoon and the parrots were sleepy from eating glop when Laura jumped up and ran over to the birds. They were startled and a little surprised that she had her tablet in her hands, but then thought maybe she'd be playing the whistling song that they like so much.

But no! There was no music, instead it was a picture of Ruth! Cato and Bailey were so excited to see the picture which helped them to know that Ruth is okay and that they'll get to see her soon. Laura said that she was outside for the first time in weeks and weeks. They were a bit confused by why this was a surprising thing as they hadn't been outside for ages as well, but then they knew that people went outside at all times of the year, even winter, and sometimes even in a blizzard (which they had only seen from a window). Laura reminded them that Ruth was still recovering and was unable to go outside before today.

Cato whistled and chatted to Bailey, but Bailey wasn't really listening. Instead he was imagining himself seeing Ruth again and thinking how happy he will be. Then he climbed to the top of his cage and hung upside down swinging in happiness.

Laura told Cato and Bailey that it would still be several weeks before they'd see Ruth, but they were okay with that!

https://youtu.be/_JoZS6LgqYI?si=5S6Kfz8vyoIFqJ1i  (You Should Be Dancing Bee Gees)

Awesome!

"warm sunshine"