7 zucchini on the counter

So much time has passed since I last wrote (July 20th!) but nothing much has changed. Summer is racing by and it seems like it will be a short one this year 😞 It started late and the weather forecast going forward isn't great… last week we had 217mm of rain - that's over 7inches! The hayfield swale is still draining water, the creek was in flood, and the ground everywhere is saturated. It's the total opposite of last summer which was such a drought that even the car wash places were closed!

Today is gorgeous though! I stupidly wrote down the wrong time for my doctor's appointment this morning so I drove all the way there and back for nothing - 55 minutes wasted - dooh! That used up my allotment of energy for the day but luckily Carm was back from golf to drive me back this afternoon.

I did get some time to sit outside! Last week we had so many rainy days, and then there are the days when it's too much effort to even take the cover off the sofa out there so today was a bonus :-)

I still don't know what's wrong with me… 😞 My doctor and his resident are leaning towards me/cfs but I have more blood tests to rule out a few other things. I thought I was starting to be on the mend last week so started with a bit of time in the kitchen, then after a few days 10 minutes of walking, gradually increasing to 20 minutes, but then I hit a wall again and I'm back to barely able to do anything. My arms and legs feel like jelly… Even cooking can be a trial as I get so tired that it's all I can do to stay standing up - at times I feel such a strong need to lie down that the floor seems an option -  I've managed to keep upright so far!

It wouldn't be so bad (yeah right), except that when I get really tired it's like having a horrible hangover - my head gets foggy and dizzy and I feel nauseous on top of barely being able to move. It's really frustrating! I am so over this!!! It's time to get better now! I keep singing a little song to myself about all my cells being happy and healthy which may or may not help (but doesn't seem to hurt at least!).

We spent a few days at the trailer last week with Kirsten. Carm didn't have golf so he hung around as well. We did discover that a lightning strike took out our tv, furnace and airconditioner… luckily we had cool nights so we were able to sleep. We met up with the insurance adjuster yesterday to get the ball moving. It's too hot for the next week to do sleep-overs there though!

Kirsten and I spent some time at a dog show that wasn't too far away - she was interested in the St. Bernards (and we saw a couple of very sweet dogs). I don't need another dog at the moment but did meet two ladies with schnauzers and gosh, I was very tempted to get another puppy - which would be absolute insanity right now with my energy levels!!! But wouldn't it be fun for Lupa to have a sister her own size 😀 

Oh, and we went shoe shopping one day when I was feeling a bit better. I ended up with two pairs to try out at home - I like to test them out on the treadmill to see if they'll work on my fussy feet! I'm keeping both pairs ;-)  One is a pretty pair with sparkles (of course!) to wear for dress up times, and the other is a platform shoe, less dressy but still nice. Two weeks today I leave for my cousin's wedding in Medicine Hat and now have my dress and shoes sorted!

I see that I mentioned doing a ‘stress test’ in my last post. Well, I did it and it went well. It showed something possibly unrelated, but overall it said I had above average fitness and the technician mentioned that my heart rate recovered quickly. So at least my heart has been ruled out! My blood work ruled out iron, thyroid, b12, d, blood sugar, etc. Which is good I guess, although I'd hoped it was just a low iron issue which would be easily sorted out!

I have been complaining about my energy levels, but I guess I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention the heaps of zucchini that I've been dealing with! I made 2 loaves of a lemon zucchini cake last week. Then I used the mandolin to do long thin slices that I layered with homemade tomato sauce like lasagne. I cooked it for a bit, and then cut it up and airfried sandwich sized pieces. A sandwich with prosciutto (the one processed meat that I will eat as it has no additives), some black olives, fresh mozzarella, and a stack of zucchini slices makes a 5 star meal! So messy but delicious. I had it again tonight - yum!

Monday I thinly sliced some zucchini for a salad, but never got around to adding the dressing (which I did make)… tomorrow I might mix them with a homemade pesto, eggs, and lay them out on a baking sheet to cook. Maybe for a sandwich or maybe just to eat plain.

Well, this was just a whining post. I know that others have it so much worse than I do so I feel guilty about complaining… I try to keep that in mind and to be grateful for everything good in my life!

Awesome!

“the rain finally ending - should we start building an ark?”

“getting sandals!”

“lots of zucchini”

“just one schnauzer who likes to cuddle against me”

what is lovely never dies

We lost a dear friend yesterday. Trudie was an incredible woman, full of energy and life. There was never a person that she wouldn't give the shirt off her back. She was generous almost to a fault. And she was always up for a party! Trudie & Leo were neighbors to the west of us, a mere kilometre of farm fields between our homes. Over the decades, many nights were spent together - the weather was never too bad for supper and a glass of wine (or two).

Trudie had a green thumb the size of a planet - her yard was filled to the brim with plants, flowering and otherwise. She and Leo would shlep pots and pots to and from the greenhouse every spring and fall, creating a backyard paradise. Her two magnolia trees in the back were magnificent! We have a giant Katalpa tree that was a baby from the giant one in their backyard.

We always figured she'd be close to immortal as her strength of will seemed impossible to tamp down, but alas, her body betrayed her and struck her down with PSP (Progressive supranuclear palsy), which is related to Parkinson's. It took her quickly. But now she is with all her dogs, birds, cats, and other creatures that she loved so much.

We got the call yesterday morning so quickly got cleaned up and drove to their new place a few villages away so that we'd be with Leo when they came to get her. It was sad for sure… We stayed with Leo then drove Andre home… my head was spinning for the rest of the afternoon…

This morning a bunch of us gathered with Leo for breakfast at our local greasy spoon. We made a pact to stay in touch… Trudie was the central character in our friend group. 

Again, I was exhausted when we got home so stayed in bed until supper time. Sometimes even sitting up seems too hard. I've been keeping my daily steps low which helps a bit, but I don't feel like I'll be on the treadmill anytime soon. I'm scared that I'll get stuck mentally and keep myself feeling low even if my body has recovered… am I really tired or just tired because I keep telling myself I am?

Tomorrow I have a treadmill stress test at the Heart Institute which will hopefully exclude any heart problems (and honestly, that is the last thing that I think is wrong with me - I think my heart, while weird at times, works pretty well!). My follow up appointment is in two weeks but I'm hoping for a miraculous recovery by then!

What is lovely never dies, but passes into another loveliness, star-dust or sea-foam, flower or winged air." — Thomas Bailey Aldrich

Awesome!

“friends coming together”

“eggs benedict”

“zucchini from the garden!”

a long and whiny post

It seems that I have fallen off the face of the earth, but no, I'm still plodding along. I've been having increasingly worse fatigue and can now barely get out of the house without a crash that puts me in bed for a day or two… not sure what's going on - I've had a few tests on my heart which have been fine but am scheduled for a ‘stress test’ on Monday, my blood work shows no problems - it's all a mystery. 

I'm pretty discouraged as it's not something that I can push myself through, infact it makes me way worse. I haven't walked on the treadmill for over a week - I stopped all together when I could only do 10 minutes - I don't think I could even do 5 now…

My years of mood and exercise logs have come in handy as I've been able to give detailed information about the ups and downs I've been experiencing since March to my doctor. There is a definite trend and unfortunately it's not going the right way! He has some ideas, but we have to do some more testing before a diagnosis can be made… meanwhile my fingers are crossed for a miraculous recovery!

Anyway, aside from that, summer is progressing quickly! I can't believe that tomorrow we'll be half way through July! We've had a good run of hot days without thunder storms so have been enjoying the deck and its shade cover. Today it will come down as the forecast has some pretty wicked weather including the possibility of tornados and large hail - ugh!

We've been managing a few visits a week with Trudie in the hospital. Her spirits are good but her body is not cooperating with her - we wonder if she will be able to go home again 😞 

A bunch of us were signed up for the Girls Mud Run this weekend but I've cancelled for this year and hope that next year is better! I was so excited for the challenge but know that I couldn't even walk the 5k, let alone do any obstacles. It's hard for me to not rail against myself!

It's been so long since I wrote that even Canada Day passed without a post! On 30th, Ken and Francine came for lunch - unfortunately it was a stormy day so we were stuck in the house. Later that evening Olaf & Steph arrived for supper and an overnight stay. Kirsten, Shawn, Mom, and Dad, joined us here on Canada Day for lunch - it was a scorcher but we managed a few minutes outside before we had to dismantle everything for the storm that was bearing down on us.

As it turns out, it was a good thing we put everything away, including the shade cover, as we were hit with what felt like the edge of a tornado. I watched out the back window to see one tree fall into the hay field and a walk around later showed another big tree down at the side of the house. It was a dozy! I've never seen the trees whipped around so much! 

Luckily everyone made it safely home, although some had to skirt trees on the roads!

Sadly, I still haven't recovered my energy from those few days :-( Lupa has been glued to my side and sometimes won't even go outside with Carm without me also going… she's a bit of a pita!

Oh! And we had a lovely visit with Carm's brother :-)

Awesome!

“summer days”