A Month in Our Lives

I thought I’d write a bit about our lives for the past month.

The Canadian Cancer Society, as I understand it, is supported by donations. It is an organization to support cancer patients, both current and future. There are many programs within the umbrella supporting things like food, counseling and so forth.

The Society provides housing, across the street from the hospital, for patients from out of town that is free to the patients. Here at the lodge the patients are provided 3 meals a day plus snacks, housing, entertainment rooms and rides to and from the treatment center. There is a small daily fee for the caregivers.

There are not many rooms at the lodge so many of us are put up in hotels for periods of time. We came to the lodge for 1 week, then a hotel for about 12 days, and then back to the Lodge, where we are now. This is typical of many of the patients who we have gotten to know.

The Lodge is pleasant but the hotel was super close to Government St with Murchie’s Tea, and Monro’s Books, both being favorites here. Alas, we have added to our stack of books.

As far as activities during the day, I for one do spend some time on the computer, writing this blog for example, reading the NY Times, some of the Atlantic and playing Sudoku on the NY Times site. Also, I sometimes play some of the games on the Marian Webster site. Additionally, I read quite a bit. Have finished “Colored Television”, “The Secret War of Julia Child” and nearly finished the 500+ page book “Poisonwood Bible”. I was reading a book by Mary Beard “Pompeii”. This book I put down as I want to wait until I have some sticky notes to tab pages of places I want to make sure to visit on my 3^rd and maybe final visit to Pompeii.

I also started going thru photos for a calendar. Unfortunately, my good camera was stolen at the end of our summer trip so all of my photos were lost. I had planned to save them but my laptop died nearly immediately upon reaching Italy so now I need to get motivated quickly in finding my Oslo photos and then whatever else can fill the calendar.

Otherwise, we are like the old people at the old folks home, we wait for the next meal!

 

A Small Gift, A Big Heart

 

We are now on a journey of a different sort.

Before I go into our new journey, I want to just put it out there that we are not religious so don’t need any blessings poured down over our heads or to hear about prayers or about sympathy. We don’t care if this is what you do privately but we don’t need to hear about it. This is not a blog reaching out for anything, just simply a blog about our journey.

Today it is about the small things in life that make a difference. It’s about remembering to be a friend and reaching out.

We are at the Cancer Lodge for an extended stay. Needless to say, most of the people in here are without their family members, hence, support comes from within the group.

One person has a treatment that has damaged the exposed skin. It is terribly painful and causes other problems. I reach out to the person especially when they are in pain.

Yesterday at lunch, my friend was in obvious pain. A new patient in treatment came over to my friend and handed my friend a little handmade gift. It wasn’t much but it was just a sweet little gift that had taken some effort to make.

That exchange led me to tears. It was just a small gift but from the heart, one patient to another.

What have I given to lighten one’s day?

A Summer Prize, A Private Concert

While I wasn’t asked to start blogging again, I feel the need to write. And, as I’m asked about this and that of our travels, it seems easier to just write out what we are doing.

Dale and I have been doing lots of traveling, at least it seems that it is the case when we wonder where we were last week, or last month. If not traveling, then entertaining for sure.

I’ll start with the main event this summer and then tomorrow or so, I will discuss the trip we are about to embark on.

First, Dale and I enjoy classical music. We have traveled to Europe several times to enjoy concerts in several countries. We have since discovered the Victoria Symphony, and this past season enjoyed several symphonies.

The symphonies we have attended are usually on a Sunday afternoon. This means going down to Victoria on Saturday, attending the symphony on Sunday and returning home on Monday. We normally stay at “The Magnolia”, a small hotel near the harbor and within walking distance of most symphonies. And within walking distance of a wonderful bookstore and tea shop.

The Victoria Symphony, like many in the US, needs to raise extra money. For this, the symphony had a sweepstakes selling 5 tickets for whatever prizes they were. I bought 5 tickets.

I was in the eye Dr for a check-up when I got a phone call saying that I’d won 1 of the prizes. The prize? A private concert with the String Quartet. Wow!!! This was one of the prizes I hadn’t really paid attention to, but really, had just bought the tickets to contribute to the symphony. I had no idea what this prize would be. And to be honest, had no idea about what any of the prizes were except the big prize to hear Yo-Yo Ma.

We could have 10 people so 1^st we thought about who we’d invite. One friend, Rick Penner, had just asked, maybe 1 week before, if we had a string quartet in Victoria and we didn’t know. Well now we knew and we invited him immediately. We started to ask friends and neighbors who would like string quartets.

We also thought we’d have a “Downton-ish” type dinner. We knew that we couldn’t get friends up here to serve but we’d do the next best thing.

In the end, we turned our home into a symphony hall, seats in the front row (couch and grandpa chair) and balcony seating. The Quartet, http://emilycarrstringquartet.com was probably 10’ away from the front seats, right in front of the living room windows

Our guests all had their jobs. Kim Bergman made desserts, Marty Ediger and Rick and Wanda Penner helped with this-ing and that-ing. Marquise was to help with lots of stuff. We had instructed everyone on how to move the table to extend from dining room into living room, where to place plates, napkins, sterling and crystal. After the concert, everyone moved quickly and efficiently, and it was perfect. And, if not perfect no one noticed any problems nor cared. It was perfect for us!

Dinner was really based on Downton dinners we’d already had; Beef Bourgogne, potatoes, veggies, salad, mushroom Bourgogne, champagne to toast the quartet and our friends.

Wow, what a prize. Really great friends, a concert in our home and good food. It doesn’t get much better!!