Nov. 28

 Scene from my bedroom window:

It’s actually very pretty if you can squint your way through the window screen. It makes me feel Christmasy. 

We have new “across from us” neighbours. It’s a family which is nice. They come from a city so I hope they know what they’re in for here: no gas station or corner store in our tiny village. No Costco or IKEA within hours of us. And our cat treats their new property like his own. But husband met “him” and says he seems very nice. 

Husband and I decided to start to watch another series on Netflix together ( we rarely have similar choices in tv watching so it’s nice to sit together and actually watch the same thing). I blew the whole Downton Abbey thing by binge watching it without him when I first messed up my back. So we are now just starting to watch Narcos which likely many people have already watched. But so far so good, although we are only three episodes in and quite a few people have already been shot, but that’s to be expected.

Anyway, it’s a quiet dull Sunday for me and I wish I could start decorating for Christmas but perhaps not yet as my back would be protesting too much.We may buy our tree tomorrow although it’s early for us, but “they” say there will be a shortage of Christmas trees, whether “they” are to be believed or not, I don’t know. 

Rolling Around on the Floor and other Adventures

 Quadradtus lumborum. That's the nasty deep muscle that is continuing to make my life hell. I am now a doddering old woman who organizes her week according to her appointments. Massage therapy today. Physiotherapy Thursday. Will the excitement never cease?

Three times a day I perform my ritual of stretching and strengthening exercises. Murphy the cat is a royal pain who feels the need to lie down under me when I am raising my rear end up off the floor with a pillow clasped between my knees ( I am on my back for this one). I do another one on hands and knees ironically called "angry cat" and yes, he is on the floor underneath me for that one, too. I wish I could say I am doing better, but I am very discouraged with how long it is taking for relief to be felt.

Do not confuse massage therapy with "getting a massage". I do a lot of "baby breathing" while I have my face mashed into the little head support hole in the table. Some of what the lovely Julie does can be described as exquisitely painful. 

I have been contacted twice by a vice principal to see if I am able to come back yet and do some supply teaching (one was for a job involving teaching gym class!!). 

On a different note, having already written that I have watched the ENTIRE series of Downton Abbey while sitting on a heating pad, I can now say I have also watched the new episodes of Tiger King (don't judge me) and Killer Instinct. I killed the heating pad, but can't take it back because we threw out the box, and likely the receipt. 

I just finished reading The Heron's Cry by Ann Cleeves. I loved it. I haven't added it yet to my page when I list all the books I have read, but I will. 

We have lots of snow here, but it will likely be melted in a couple of days. 

Today I was making a purchase at a pharmacy and the cashier said, "Are you 55?" and I replied, that yes, I actually was, and she said that I got a senior's discount because today was Senior's Day, so my purchase was 25% off. I looked at her and said, "Are you kidding??" No, she wasn't.  A senior's discount because I'm fifty-five???? As if the back pain and appointments don't make me feel old enough. And yes, I did take the discount.

First Snow - November 3rd

 This is what my world looks like today:

I won't be hanging anything on that clothesline!

Such a Canadian image - the last of the Autumn leaves falling on snow.

Those perennials aren't getting cut back at all now. 

As well, my chicken coop is now part of the red light district. I put in their heat bulb today. I know they'll still want to go outside, but at least they can come in and  bask under the warmth of the red glow if they want to. 

How much Downton can One Person Watch?

 Yes, I realize I am probably the last person on Earth to start watching Downton Abbey. As I am still very cautious about using my back (how can walking into my kitchen holding a bag of sugar activate a spasm???) I've been binge watching Downton Abbey. I know, I know, most have watched the whole series, but I believe I'm now on season 4. I'm a coffee drinker (obviously... hence the name of my blog), but I've revisited tea drinking. You just cannot watch Downton without tea in your hand, or sitting on your bedside table. 

My favourite quote (and I've left a bit out of this quote, so forgive me) is, "All life is a series of problems which we must try to solve... until at last we die." This was spoken by the character of The Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet Crawley. 

Before you start to give me advice about my back, trust me, I'm pursuing things, have appointments, have taken action, am on prescription muscle relaxants (and yes, for most people they cause extreme drowsiness, but I've always been the one for whom the small print applies... no drowsiness here!).

Also, no spoilers, please. At the moment, Carson has been asked to head up some war memorial, Edith is visiting the home of the farmers who took in her baby, and, god forbid, the local school teacher has been invited to the Abbey for a gathering to be Tom's guest. 

I know... last person on Earth.

                            At times, my spirit animal.