M.I.A.

 Holy man, it's been a while since I've posted. I shall catch you up, from what I remember has happened since my last installment.

Canadian Thanksgiving: Yes it's in October. I didn't think anyone was really getting together and our daughter was going to be up in Thunder Bay (Tundra Bay) with long time boyfriend visiting his extended family for a week, so I thought it would just be a little gathering here - husband, son, and spring mother-in-law from the home. But then, one of my older brothers said they would have a gathering, so that was nice, I got to see my three siblings. No cousins except our son were in attendance because they are spread hither and yon, or have jobs that keep them working  even on holiday weekends.

Supply Teaching: I stepped out of my comfort zone and supplied at a different school. It was fine - a kindergarten class which also has an ECE working in the room (early childhood educator), so that makes it less daunting because they know the routine and the students so well. I realize that I still like "being in the game" and I was missing the interaction, the fun, the sweetness of the little ones, even the drama of someone chucking their applesauce in a mild tantrum. 

End of Season Gardening: It is most definitely autumn and with that comes cleaning up the beds. There was an awful lot of cutting back of perennials and digging up unwanted and uncontrollable Black Eyed Susans, and storing away tomato cages, and cutting back shrubs... which then lead to...

Me Sitting Here Drugged Up on Robaxicet (well, the generic kind because I'm too cheap to pay for name brand), and prescription level Naproxen: Yup, back spasms are fun. After the marathon session of bending over and cutting back TONS of perennials my back reminded me that I am an idiot with previous lower back issues. A couple days after the hard core gardening, I was innocently pushing a shopping cart and I moved, just moved, and my back went TWANG!!!!! I literally had to gasp and just stand there for a moment, gripping the handle of the shopping cart wondering if I would be walking out of there under my own steam. It "twanged" a few more times before I got home (yes, I finished shopping). I've been using a vibrating heating pad and finally went to emerg. to see a doctor (I don't have a doctor anymore, a fate that many, many people here come to when their doctors retire and nobody replaces them). If it was my husband who had gone with the same issue, he'd have come home with industrial muscle relaxants and a doctor's note to take it easy for the next several weeks. But I got some recommendations to take a few more Robaxicet and a renewal of my Naproxen. She did write me a doctor's note to receive massage therapy so I can claim it on my crappy retirement drug plan. 

Reading: When you are sitting around on a vibrating heating pad because you're afraid to move in a way that will cause "twanging", you end up reading more. I finished a wonderful book by Richard Osman called The Man Who Died Twice. It is light hearted and fun and I loved it. He wrote The Thursday Murder Club and this is a follow up to that. I highly recommend it. 

I think that's about it. I'll probably remember a bunch of things after I hit "publish", but that's it for now. I do read your blogs, just haven't been in a commenting mood these days - take no offense. Have a great rest of your week, all!