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The
Squamidian Report – Sept. 7 / 24
Online Versions Of This And Past Issues (Choose the year and then the date for the online issue you want) Issue
#1163 The Ontarion Wayne Nova Scotia Sus Russ Doug ****
The Ontarion
Hello everyone and welcome back! As you can imagine, or can you? It’s been a rough summer for me and my family! Every day is filled with work setting up my life sustaining machine! I’m hooked to it for 9 hours every night to take the place of my kidneys! It’s keeping me alive and is as much work for Adam and Carole as it is for me! It takes about two hours a day just to put it together for the nights session! In the other hours I have some time to myself but most days I’m pooped out! It’s not like I only spend the 9 hours with it because the process is basically an on and off process throughout the day! I wish that otherwise things were normal but they are not! It’s constantly on our minds as you can imagine! At least I don’t have the regular hospital visits! Adam is constantly in touch with the hospital kidney clinic as well as ordering supplies for my machine! Our office space is half full of large boxes filled with the necessary supplies for the machine! Life is anything but normal! I do as much as I can around the house to help out but have so little strength it’s hard to get much done that helps! I’m still not driving so Carole or Adam have to drive me around to appointments etc! Last weekend, Adam and I attended an annual car show in Fergus. We’ve gone to it for several years now but this years show as particularly difficult for me! The show is at the Wellington county museum and the show is on their front lawn which is sloped and difficult to navigate with my cane and slow walking! We made it through only once around the venue and I was warn out! Last year we took the MGB and entered the show! Two weeks after the show I received an award in the mail! Our MG was judged to have the BEST INTERIOR in the show! This year we didn’t have the MG on the road so we went to the show in the Jeep! At least the Jeep has AC so it was comfortable! The day was blistering hot and it made it hard to breathe at the show! It was ok, but not enjoyable weather wise! We have one more British car show on the 15th in Oakville that we attend every year, hopefully the weather won’t be as hot! We won’t be taking the MG to this show either! Oh well, maybe next year! The Oakville show is put on by the Toronto Triumph Club and is an all British show! I’ve always been a British car fan so I really enjoy this show each year! Plus, this show is on a level field in Brontë Park and will be much easier to navigate for me! I’m looking forward to it and will be sure to take my camera along! I’ll post some pics of the show in an upcoming Ontarion! Until then, everybody take care and be well! Bye for now! Greg ****
Wayne’s Squamidian Report
Hi faithful readers and contributors: My farm update will be short but not sweet. Although we lost no livestock to marauding coyotes and eagles, we did lose one of our humans to pneumonia, the farm’s 97 year old matriarch and Sylvia’s mother, Eva Steinke. Spring was slow this year and with it came respiratory ailments for all of us. Eva died June 27 and I was diagnosed with double pneumonia the next day. Sylvia was two weeks later. Sonja and Ken were probably victims at least six weeks earlier but they beat it with their youthful systems all on their own. While I was in emergency waiting for Xray results, we met two of our neighbours who were similarly diagnosed that same night with the same illness, They told us about another resident on our road who was also diagnosed with pneumonia. We live within a circle of about a kilometer but we haven’t been together since last fall and we seldom go to town. The only commonality in play is that we breathe the same air. I don’t believe in coincidences. These events make you wonder if conspiracy theory should more accurately be called conspiracy fact. By July the weather improved and so did our health. With the return of my energy, I built a play-set for my granddaughter as pictured below.  Wayne ****
Nova Scotia Sus
It's great to be back with the Squamidian, our family from far and wide..... I started the summer with a trip out west to visit my sister Michelle, in Bashaw, Alberta. My brother Warren from B.C. had been visiting us in Nova Scotia for the month of June flew with me to Calgary. He loves spending time here and makes a point of coming each year. The plan was to have a family reunion at Michelle and Chris's home. My other brother Dennis and his wife Lordez also made the trip from Mexico by car. I hadn't seen them for at least 10 years so our gathering was extra special. We all crowded into one house with bodies sleeping everywhere. Also Michelle's son Seth from Fort McMurray and Warren's daughter, Becky from Prince George made the trip.
We had so much catching up to do and telling stories of growing up together and all the places we lived. Its funny how each of us remembered things differently. The week went by quickly and we all went our separate way home.
The flight home was an early one and since we lost time flying east I arrived in Halifax airport at 7pm. then get my car in the park and Fly, then a 2 hour drive home. I found myself very tired. I didn't want to stop so I turned up the radio and sang out loud every word to every song. It worked and I made it home safely.
Sus ****
From Russ
'perks' of growing old’
What a joy to welcome you all back to the 'Family News Letter' we call the Squamidian. I was so very pleased to see your names come up on my screen - and you did so quickly. I had prepared to write about 'crows' today, until I read an excellent article in the Grey-Bruce edition of boomers magazine which gave me a 'shot of energy'. It's entitled "Aging outrageously", if you look for and find the free magazine in your local supermarket you would be happy as this "old guy" - it's worth the read! Its written by Lauralee Gilberti, and she writes about the loss of her 95-year-old Mom who died a few months ago. I happen to be the same age as her Mom, but I'm not dead yet.
Of her mother, she writes,"She was old, failing and death was to be expected. Yet, her death left a gaping hole in my life - that too was expected. What was not expected is how, all of a sudden, I felt old"
She goes on, "Up until her death, I had a disconnect between my actual age and what age I felt. Cognitively, I was fully aware of my age, I just didn't 'feel' it. Sure, I saw the wrinkly skin, felt the aches and pains, and daily I wondered where my upper lip went, but I felt.....maybe 45? Forty-six? On a bad day, 48....tops!
Certainly not my age of 63!"
Her words are 'right up my alley', I can see the changes in my body, wrinkles, bat-wings, varicose veins, receding gums, shift of body mass and fat to the middle - while my feet and ears keep growing, all the while becoming useless! Cashiers at the LCBO no longer ask for proof of age, they can see I'm over 19! I take advantage of the situation and say,
"Would you believe I'm over 90?" To which most would say, "Over 90? You sure don't look it?" And I follow with, "Yup, I'm 95, still virile and available" Ten years ago I would not have said such a thing to a lady , but being 95+ I find I can 'get away with it' One of the perks - making people laugh. I get a laugh too, and we both feel good. Laughter is the spice of life!
The final book (No.9) has been written - just waiting for the person who does the art work, and printing and "Doors and corridors" will be distributed to those who wish a free copy. Strange how Lauralee's story blends with mine.
Of her Mom, she went on, "Score another one for the Grim Reaper. Her turn came and went on the great wheel of life" In my book I call it the 'never-ending conveyor belt, that relentlessly moves ahead at the speed of life, and stops just once - at your death'.
Lauralee continues,"and now, because of the natural order of things, it will soon be mine. That is, after all, how it is supposed to work - parents first, then kids. Now, there is just me and my cohorts, marching 'Over the Top' ready to be mowed down by the enemy called time. Since Mom's death, as I slowly recover from the darkness of it all and I surface blinking into the light, it has hit me - I am much closer to my end than my beginning"
Occasionally, I look at the number of years behind me and the few left in front and somehow feel no fear of death. I'm ready any time He decides to 'take me'. Relief. Taking another note from Ms Giliberti - Lets look at the facts:
>I am 95 years, 3 months and, while a recent Stats. Can. report has a good chunk of us living to 100 and beyond (Hmmn) > I am old, elderly, mature - we might even say I'm 'ripe' - according to my Dad, the next stage is 'rotten'! >If I were a horse, I would be 'long in the tooth', and soon ready for the 'fox farm' >If I were a car, I would be a classic and have to be started with a hand-crank >If I were a piece of furniture, I would be an antique, and padded with horse-hair Finally, I'm happier now than ever - people are kind to me - they open doors when they see me trying while pushing my rolator. My neighbours are thoughtful, they frequently bring me baked goods (Just got banana cake from Grace - bless her heart) I no longer drive, and my Health Team comes to my home to keep me well and out of hospital. Many of my health needs are covered by OHIP, and some, I am fortunate to be able hire persons to carry-out.
Uncle Russ
PS Must leave you now and take 'something' to relieve the pain in my 'tusch', the pain in my side they call irritable bowel syndrome, and the pains in my back, neck, and hand they call arthritis. Be happy - age outrageously!! ****
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From Doug
How’s it going…..eh? Its been a while.
Well, here we are, back again. Funny how fast summer goes. Thanks to all of you for your encouragement. It becomes both very difficult and pointless to write this letter when it feels like know on is ‘out there’. Knowing that many of you look forward to your ‘Saturday read’ makes it all worth while. Now, on with the show.
My blueberry season is over! It was different this year though. Our spring was very cold and wet and that meant a late start to the berries. I didn’t think there would be any but for some reason the south end of the patch did wonderfully. It was laden with lots and lots of berries. The north end of the patch didn’t do anything at all, it had a total of zero berries. I have no idea why but thats how it was. Sadly, for all the berries the south end produced, I was able to pick only about one tenth of them. The damed birds damaged all the rest. They would beck one little bit out of each berry and leave the rest to spoil, or pull them off the plants and leave them on the ground. Very frustrating. But, even that one tenth of the crop was way more than I expected to the point where I was even able to freeze some of them which is great because I have a bad habit of eating way too much ice cream when fresh blueberries are available.
And in order to keep this fairly short, I won’t bore you with anymore bear stories for now except to say we have been over run by then for the last several weeks. What is strange about that is that its a least a month earlier than usual. There should have been lots of natural food up in the hills for them this year at least until the drought dried everything up, so perhaps that is why they are coming around so much now. But, this should not be happening until mid or late October. Perhaps they are expecting an early winter. We’ll have to wait and see.
Doug ****
Have
a
Good One ****
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