Don’t wait - Loss

 My oldest brother died yesterday. This was a shock for everyone. He was 72 years old- a character if there ever was one. He hid how much his COPD had advanced and was affecting him. He also had later onset diabetes ( requiring insulin). 

When he started feeling unwell last week he naturally thought it was a cold virus and rested and dealt with it accordingly but it was influenza which rapidly became pneumonia. Within hours he was intubated and in the ICU. Regardless of all the antibiotics and the multiple machines and lines which were helping his body systems to function it was all too much and he died within four days, never coming out of his heavy sedation/ medical coma. 

Don’t wait is what I put in the title of this post. Don’t wait to take care of your health. Don’t wait to get together with family and friends. Don’t wait to take the trip, make the call, hug someone, or prepare or update your will. 

When you think you are having a bad day, ask yourself if you woke up in your own home and breathed on your own. If you did, it’s a good day. 

Thank you for allowing me to share. Please enjoy the holiday season and appreciate your good fortunes. 

At Long Last, December 4, 2025

 Realizing I've been absent from blogging for months now, I thought I should show proof of life. This morning, here in Ontario, I am sitting with my Santa mug of coffee, reading blogs and preparing myself mentally for getting ready for a supply teaching job even though buses are cancelled due to the wintry weather. (The schools remain open and many children are brought in by their parents). 

Life has been busy and good. We spent the whole summer and fall doing projects related to getting ready to host our daughter's wedding here in August of '26. We also went away for a week to Cuba in November which was ill fated and probably won't be repeated again in our life time, ha ha! 

I am just starting to gear up for the Christmas season. We were in the city to deliver our son's cat back to him (we were cat sitting while he was away for a much more successful holiday to Mexico later in November) and we managed to get some shopping done. We found a Christmas tree (real) close to home for a sale price of $60.00 which suited us much better than the $99.99 price tag we were seeing! I decorated the tree with Celtic Christmas music in the background yesterday. 

As per usual, Murphy has ensconced himself in his rightful place under the tree. (Tree skirt is not yet put down, so excuse the ugly mat that is used to protect the wood floor). 

I shall start baking soon. We will be having our immediate family get together on the 24th and then extended family will be on Boxing Day, hosted by my eldest brother's long time girlfriend. I am not heart broken over not hosting this year. It is a big undertaking. This will be the first year that we will not be bringing my mother-in-law out of her nursing home to come to our house for a meal and presents. Her dementia has made it more difficult to leave the comfort and familiarity of her place and she is not always aware of who her son is. So we will go to her and hope that it is a nice break in her day. 

As I said, today is blustery and as I look out at the one street light on our dead end road here at the edge of the village, I see there is a tiny break in the weather. Hopefully when it is time for me to set out, there will be another break as I navigate the 20 minute drive through the country side to the school I am working at today. It is a JK /SK class that I am in (junior kindergarten, senior kindergarten split) so I'm not sure how many little ones will show up. 

I hope everyone is well out there. I still enjoy reading blogs, but have lost the previous years' momentum of writing posts myself. Perhaps I will do another Christmas baking post soon.