Fall is here, visiting and baseball

I checked the last blog post and realized it was over a week ago. What's happened in this past week? I guess everyone knows fall arrived on Wednesday morning but we are still having late summer weather. I guess we'll be in for some cooler days soon. I did manage to drop in on Logan and Alida and Jeff last Tuesday. They had spent the previous week in Florida and Jeff was still on vacation finishing off a tiling project in the 3rd floor bathroom. So I spent some time playing with Logan and then going for a walk with Alida and Logan before enjoying lunch together. Good to see them again and I plan to do that again tomorrow.

On Thursday I visited Oscar and his family to help celebrate his 4th birthday. Oscar was a little under the weather so he was allowed to skip a day of JK. I played with Oscar and Charlie in the backyard looking for bugs to collect. It was pretty dry out there and so we did not collect a lot, but it was great to spend some time with them doing something they enjoy. Then we had a pizza birthday lunch before the boys needed to go and have their nap/quiet time. That's when I left too.

On Saturday I dropped in on our friends John and Beth and had supper with them. I had made a rhubarb-apple-pear crisp which we enjoyed for dessert. It's always good to visit with these friends who take care of me. And on Sunday afternoon I managed to get in a visit to Hannah, Mark and Rosemary. I always get warmly greeted at the door by Hannah and then I read to her while she sits on my lap. After a coffee Mark and I took Hannah for a walk down to the Beach onto the boardwalk and then played with her at the playground nearby. Then back to the house for dinner. Afterwards we say our goodbyes before I leave and Hannah goes to bed. There are a few photos of Hannah and me below:

Reading a Sesame Street book

In the sand park by the Beach

It was great to visit with family and friends and I intend to keep on at it. But I did spend a lot of time watching the Blue Jays play great baseball. Even though they may be down by a bunch of runs they never seem to give up. They have come back to tie and win a number of games lately that way. And if one player makes some mistakes another is there to pick him up and get back into it. It's exciting and nail-biting baseball and we have not experienced this for a long time. So keep it at Jays. Maybe this is the year they can go all the way. At least they are in it. I was thinking, if Ellie was alive and well I would not be watching so much baseball. I'd be willing to give up the baseball for sure; maybe not all. But it sure is a great time passer for now that I am home by myself. I certainly miss Ellie; some times a lot more than others. I wonder what she is doing right now. Some day I hope to see her again and give her a big hug.

Look who's 4 months old!

Alida just sent me a few photos of Logan who became 4 months old yesterday. He has lost most of his bushy baby hair; there is only a little left at the top back of his head.  Here are a few pictures:

Logan is 4 months old

Smile, you're on camera. What a cutie!

He must be enjoying this photo shoot. Hope to see him and his parents tomorrow for a little visit.

Quiet day at the Beach

Yesterday promised to be a hot day in the city so I decided go to Sibbald Point Provincial Park. This is the park that we frequently went to for spending a day at the beach or for camping for many years. I arrived before 11 am and the temperature here was about 25 degrees, very comfortable. There were almost no one at the beach until later. I had a snack, read for a while, went swimming, had a walk in the sand to dry up and watched a mother photographing her 1-year old daughter who was all dressed up for the pictures. The water was warmer than I thought it would be; I've experienced much cooler water in Augusts of previous years. Then I had lunch, read for a while and went back in the water. I got changed and went for a walk in the camping area that we normally used. There was nobody there but I remembered all the good times we experienced camping with family and friends, both in dry and wet weather. The thoughts brought a lot of tears as I miss those times when we were together. I guess this is what grieving is all about. Later I went for a walk in the area that we called the "rocky beach", sat there for a while and then went back to the sandy beach. I finished reading my book, went for another dip, got changed into dry clothes and headed out. On the way out I drove along Hedge Road along the lake; this is a scenic drive and most of the properties there have hedges along the roadway. I stopped in Sutton for a coffee before driving back home. Here are a few shots of the beach area in front of where I parked my chair. By the way there were more people in the water and on the beach in the afternoon.

View to the right

View straight ahead

View to the left

This morning Mark came by and we walked to the cemetery to see the gravestone and the inscription which was recently done. We talked and had a good cry together then walked home for a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. We chatted for a quite a while and then he was off to pick up Rosemary from school for lunch and a movie. Mark had a day off from work as the movers were in to reorganize the office and all staff had to be gone; that's difficult to take. Thanks Mark.

And tomorrow Henry and the boys come over again. Good to see all of them.

Mid-September Garden Shots

With some of the cooler and wetter weather that we have had recently I was able to do a little work in the garden and I noticed some changes in the flower beds. Ellie planted a perennial hibiscus a few years ago and it blooms at this time of year with huge bright red blossoms. Here is one of them:

Perennial Hibiscus

I promised to show you the chinese lanterns when they turned orange; here is a sample:

Chinese Lanterns

And the rose bushes have bloomed for a second time.

Small Roses

On the deck the pansies are still blooming since the spring but have gotten a second wind with the cooler weather.

Pansies in the barrel on the deck

Everywhere the sedums have turned from an off-white colour to a light rose on their way to a deep rose colour.

Sedum

Last week our oldest grandson Oscar started full day school in Junior Kindergarten. So on Thursday I went to meet and walk home with him and Melanie his mom at the end of his school day. He was pretty bushed and wiped out in front of the TV for a little while. Then Henry and I took Charlie and him to the park to play until supper time. It was great to see them all again.

On the weekend I spent a lot of time watching the Blue Jays beat the Yankees in a 4-game series in New York to further their hold on first place. On Sunday John and Beth invited me over again after church for lunch; it's great to have good friends who watch over me.

Yesterday I went back to volunteer in the food bank at the Lighthouse. I think this is the first time since May. It was good to be back to doing something useful there. I have also been active again in my role as membership clerk at church preparing new ward (district) lists and gathering the statistics together for the 2016 Yearbook.

So overall I'm doing well. I miss Ellie a lot. It is quiet around here. As an introvert I don't mind being by myself most of the time. But Ellie brought excitement into my life over the years. She urged me to do things that made my life fuller. I miss that. I have missed that for a while as she deteriorated. For the past number of months, maybe even years, I spent a lot of my time taking care of her or arranging things for her to do or be involved in. I need now to funnel my energies in new areas and that will take some time to figure out.
 

Visiting the Butlers

This morning Alida, Logan and I went up to Orangeville to visit Steve and Cheryl, Jeff's parents. I haven't been there since before Jeff & Alida's wedding so that's been over 2 years. It was high time. We had a great time. Cheryl spent a lot of time playing with Logan. We talked a lot over coffee and a delicious lunch and then headed back to the city to beat most of the rush hour. 

Logan enjoyed being fussed over

Two proud grandpas: Opa, Logan and Papa

This was an enjoyable time. Ellie and I got along well with the Butlers and I appreciated being invited up to their place. It was also nice to chitchat with Alida along the trip. Thanks and we should do it again long before 2 years go by again.

Family Time on Friday and Saturday

Late Friday afternoon I headed on over to Mark and Rosemarie's place to visit. When Hannah saw me she called out "Opa" and ran to give me a big hug. What a great welcome! Then she wanted me to play with her making figures out of playdough using all her forms. We played together until suppertime. Supper was great: hamburgers and salad.

Opa and Hannah playing with playdough

After supper we all went to the playground by the school so that Hannah could burn off the rest of her energy before going to bed. She climbs, hangs and slides on the equipment. When we went home Rosemarie prepared some coffee and desert after which Hannah was going to bed and I left for home. Good times with Mark, Rosemary and my favourite granddaughter.

Hand-in-hand walking to the playground

This morning I received another visit from Henry and the boys at our home. It worked out great for Melanie who was sleeping after a night shift for them to visit me here. As always we all headed downstairs to the playroom where the boys played with all sorts of toys while Henry and I talked and played with them. When they were getting a little restless we pulled out the Duplo blocks and Oscar and Charlie each built some structures including the towers shown below.

Oscar making his Duplo tower

Charlie building his tower

Then we had an early lunch together; peanut butter and jam or banana sandwiches. We spent a little time outside and then said our goodbyes until the next time. I love having them over and they appear to enjoy it too. It`s a win-win situation and I love being part of their lives. Thank you Lord.

Visit to Riverdale and more...

Tuesday morning I joined Alida & Logan and Henry, Melanie, Oscar & Charlie for a tour of Riverdale Farm. This is a farm for kids. There are horses, cows (even a newborn calf), sheep, chickens, pigs, turkeys and ducks. This is not a petting zoo, but the kids could see all the animals in their outdoor pens. We walked and talked, had a snack and a lunch together in the shade of some large trees near a wading pool so the boys could cool down a bit before lunch. It was great to see them all.

This photo was taken after lunch in the shade before we all headed home.

Melanie holding Logan with Oscar & Charlie

On Sunday I drove up to Barrie to visit my sister Ann and her husband John. We attended church together where I met and spoke to some folks I knew when I was young and some others who I knew in Willowdale who have since moved to Barrie. I spent the rest of the day at John & Ann's place where my sisters Marion and Jane and their husbands Bill and John visited over tea and coffee and later over a BBQ supper. It was good to see and talk to them again. I hadn't seen them since Ellie's funeral. Afterwards John, Ann and I all relaxed with tablets and books. I spent the night there instead of trying to fight the traffic back to Toronto. After breakfast I headed back to the city with no traffic problems. Thank you Ann & John for your hospitality. I'll be sure to come up again.

This morning I checked in with the urologist. I am feeling well. Almost all the issues I had 3 weeks ago are gone and I'm back to where I was before the infection. He was happy if I was so I don't see him again until December for my regular PSA checkup unless something crops up. The second drug I'm taking for shrinking the prostate will likely be in effect by then; so I should be even better than I am now.

I am doing well overall. I do miss Ellie but less when I keep myself busy. So I try to keep myself busy most of the time. Besides visiting, I read, watch the Blue Jays, walk, swim and do some chores around the house. Hopefully, this heatwave will go away so I can get on with some more cleanup outside without sweating buckets. Over the next week I will be visiting with all the children and grandchildren and popping to see some of our friends too. After Labour Day I hope to pick up my volunteer duties again at both the Lighthouse and the Willowdale church.