Good Morning ALL! Well here we are at Sunday already where has the time gone. I know, I know. We had our wonderful cousins over for a visit yesterday. In the morning, my daughter was here until sometime around 10-10:30 a.m. and from early in the morning I was preparing for the visit. I spent the morning doing some cleaning, baking and food prep. I was able to have most of the meal or at least the fussy stuff completed before they arrived. The COUSINS were arriving at 1:30 so that meant that I had to be done and have time to get ready, not ball gowns or anything like that but just get freshened up and put on some eye makeup and change my clothes. I elected to wear blue jeans and my new fav sweatshirt, my only sweatshirt. But I love it so much, I wore it. Everything went pretty much to plan. I was not as happy about the end result of the biscuits but they were okay. I made the gingerbread cake and the peanut sauce and cleaned up the kitchen, main floor bathroom, looked after the Alvin, did some laundry and a few other things on my list. Luckily I was finished before they arrived so I had a few minutes to just snuggle with the Alvin on the sofa. I feel like yesterday he was making progress. Oh and his sister more easily got his medicine into him! Just today, tomorrow and Tuesday left for the medicine so I have to just hang in there. Back to the visitors. They arrived pretty close to 1:30 and we were over the moon happy to see them. Actually it felt like a long time since I had seen them and was shocked when L had done the math and said it was 2019 before the pandemic. YIKES. I guess I really did not see many people over the last three years. Anyway, they were here and we were going to get caught up. L had a brain tumour removed last June 2022 which I knew about and she is doing amazingly well. Although she joked about her memory, it is still better than mine, lol. Her husband, W had a bad car accident in February 2022, I believe. He is doing well. Both are seeing different types of therapists to help in their recoveries. They are both retired which has helped. I am so grateful that they are on the way to be “fully” recovered. We talked about family, politics (yes, a bit), food, work and retirement and life in general. There were stories about family history. Lots of laughter. We had a great visit. Drank two pots of coffee over the course of the afternoon and early evening. I administered Alvin’s medicine while they were here and it went a sight better than this morning and gave him his supper at the appropriate time. Perhaps I am overthinking and just need to give it to him. Anyway, I popped the chicken into the oven and continued to visit. In between set the table for supper. When the chicken was almost finished baking, I put on the peas to cook and the rice. Heated the peanut sauce in the microwave. The menu: baked chicken breasts with greek spice seasoning, rice, homemade peanut sauce, green peas, biscuits and cucumbers. They both loved supper even the biscuits. Dessert was also a hit and that was the gingerbread cake with real whipped cream. I was so happy and relieved. They left just after 7:30 p.m. – what a great visit. I am so happy that we had this wonderful visit.
After they left, I finished cleaning up and doing the dishes. Why would one stop to do dishes when you can visit. That was my thought process anyway! We had a quiet night and I watched a movie. Which movie was it, I just forgot. Gave Mr. Alvin his medicine around 10:00 p.m. and got most of it into him in a decent amount of time. We came down stairs about 3 or was it 4? I honestly do not remember, the time is mushing together. Outside for a pee (him not me, lol). Then back inside to the sofa. I should have set the alarm because we overslept the scheduled time for medicine. So then he did not eat until almost 8:00 a.m. Just, maybe five minutes after the medicine, he started to fuss and threw up. Not vomit but a bit of foam like liquid. Not much. Just a bit. So I made the decision to just go for it and give him his breakfast. I cut back on the amount of rice and gave him the normal amount of chicken. So far so good. He is resting in the hallway while I write this post. Sorry for the babbling but I am quite tired. One of our friends is coming for coffee at 10:00 a.m. so that will be nice. I think this afternoon, it will be just nap time. The sky is overcast. I was thinking as it is so nice out – that we should go for a walk but then I was thinking perhaps not. He is a bit wobbly these days so I do not want him to slip but I will see later. Today is the last day of chicken and rice, the bland diet. His medicine is finished at end of Tuesday. Monday and Tuesday, I slowly reintroduce his regular food back and then Wednesday back to his regular food diet. I hope it all goes well. I have been thinking that perhaps I will just go to the office on Thursday and Friday. Wednesday is a tricky day and without knowing how he is going to react, I cannot take the chance of something happening while I am away. But I am going to try and go to the office on Thursday and Friday. Life in the fast lane.
I am grateful that so far Alvin has kept his food down.
I am grateful for my daughter, son-in-law and grand-pups and family.
I am grateful for my cousins coming to visit. L asked if she could have a slip of one of my plants and as luck would have it, I was starting a few so I sent her home with some.
I am grateful for good food, my good health and fingers crossed Alvin will keep improving.
I am grateful for all my friends.
Gratitude is what keeps me going.
Have a wonderful Sunday.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Always, Carol & Alvin
My New Life @ 51 