Dear Neighbor . . .

FEBRUARY 13th, 2026

Estate Lane

Middleton, Nova Scotia

-7*C/19*F

Mostly clear

rain/snow ahead

Dear Neighbor,

I think we have officially gotten to that point in Winter where we are all more than a little bit fed up by it.  Those fluffy flakes that pirouette down so beautifully from the sky have begun to lose a tiny bit of their charm. Even my heart has begun to long for the sight of green shoots and the sound of peepers in the ditch echoing through the evening air.

We can be such impatient creatures. In thinking of the fires of last summer I am reminded about how much I longed for a Winter with lots of snow and rain so that we could end the drought. I will not complain if we got exactly what we were asking for.

 

(source)

Eileen went to her Valentines Party yesterday and appears to have had a good time. She came home with a smile on her face and some Valentine cards.  Tim was there with his "friend." But she says she did not sit near them or talk to them. Instead she sat with her friend Calvin and his fiancé and she went there and back in a car with some other people. She is coping with everything quite well I think, at least outwardly. I am trying to be as supportive as I can for her, as are we all.  Our days have settled in to a bit of a routine. We laugh a lot. At ourselves. At the cats. At life's little happenings. Dwelling on the positivity of things rather than the negative. 

She has already gotten a phone call from her Doctor's office about her blood tests. She is dangerously low in Iron.  They are arranging a CT scan, a stool test and Iron infusions for her. I am not sure when these things will be happening, but I expect soon. I really hope that there is nothing untoward going on and am praying that all will be well.  I, myself, have struggled with anemia my whole life off and on. It's no fun.

 

(source)

Late yesterday afternoon our next door neighbor on the right, Zilla, knocked on the door and she had a little plate of Valentine Cupcakes for us to share. That was such a thoughtful gesture. I have been blessed with very good neighbors. Caring and thoughtful. We all get along well. It has been no hardship living here. Good neighbors make all the difference in the world.

The other day a fella was going around trying to get new customers for an internet company. I took so long to answer the door that he went away. I was not sorry. This same man had been around in the autumn selling the same thing. I am not interested in changing my provider. I am one of those people who likes to stay with what I know works, and I really dislike pressure sales. I feel sorry for those who need to earn their income through door to door sales, but I really am quite content with all that I have now and am not comfortable being pressured to change what I already know works, and works well.

Anyways.  Valentine Cupcakes are a lovely gesture on the part of a caring neighbor.  A silver lining in our day. They were little mini ones. I confess, we each ate two while we were watching television last night. Naughty us.

 

 

(source)

I seem to have pinched a nerve in my left buttocks last night while I was sleeping. I do not know how that happens when one lives and sleeps alone but there you go. I woke up to go to the loo around midnight and it was already pinched. I found myself wincing through the bedroom to the bathroom.  I had hoped it would go off the same way it came on through the night, but it is still there this morning. However does one pinch a nerve in their left buttocks without doing anything but sleep on it? It boggles the mind.

I would so love to be able to soak in a hot bath this morning, but alas, I fear I would not be able to lower myself into the tub nor lift myself out and I do not have a plug for my tub anyways. I used to love long soaks in hot baths. Especially with a good book in tow.

 

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Today is Friday the 13th. I am not a superstitious person, or at least I try not to be. I tried to look up the origins of how this superstition about Friday the 13th being unlucky began, but there were far too many reasons for it's beginning. And, as I said, I am not superstitious.  The number 13 has always been lucky for me. I was born on the 13th, how much luckier could you get!! I love the number 13.

Eileen has a busy day ahead of her today.  She has her bible study this morning and then she is walking from the church to Tim Hortons and waiting with some friends until she gets a drive to the community college for a People's First meeting at around one. I am not sure how long those last but someone will drive her back here to home when it is done.

I am going to cook something with cauliflower while she is out. She and I both love cauliflower. We also happen to both love cheese, so no doubt whatever it is I cook will contain both ingredients. But you never know. I could surprise even myself.

 

(source)

My new health card came in the mail yesterday. Somehow with all of my medical appointments over the past few weeks I managed to lose mine. I don't know where. I have finally gotten my new one though and for that I am grateful. I did have to pay a $10 to get it replaced, but I didn't mind. It is like the magic key card that gets you into all of your medical appointments, and something you really need to must have. I kind of think that I left it at the lab when I had to drop of my last urine specimen as that is the last time I remember having it. It was not until I went in for the last procedure at the hospital that I noticed it missing. I called to have it replaced the next day and to be honest it really didn't take them very long to issue a replacement for it. I am impressed.

I also got this cat toy in the mail yesterday. It is a ball with a long tail. Supposedly it acts like a mouse and they will "revel" in chasing it all over the house as it mimics prey for them to hunt. We will see how that goes. I have had it charging all night and the light on it is still red. I will have to read up about it. 

Reading instructions for use of anything is not my strong suit. I am a person who learns much more by doing than by reading. I am not sure what that says about me, but it is what it is and I am who I am.

 

(source)

We have been really enjoying that Everwood series. I love these series about these small towns, like the Gilmore Girls. Small towns where everyone knows everyone else for the most part and they celebrate every holiday with gusto.  I wonder do such small towns really exist? I live in a very small town and I am sure that they do celebrate things, but they are not really very good at promoting them because I rarely, if ever, hear about them until after the fact. But then I am not very social so I don't keep abreast of what is happening . . . anywhere. Had I children going to school and were I a Tim Horton's junkie, I would probably know a lot more. Those two hubs seem to be where most people get their information.

Do you remember way back when that they used to have community newspapers?  I remember our mother getting one and there would be news updates in each one about the going's on of each community. 

"Mr. and Mrs. Smith were visited this past week by long lost relatives from the village of Timbuctoo. All were received and honored with a special reception in their favor at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Doe, where a lunch of homemade sandwiches and lemonade were served."

Everything that happened was duly noted with names and dates and various personal details. They were like the jungle drums and heart beat of each community.  We used to love reading them.

Things change I guess.  They call it progress.

 But something has been lost along the way.  I call that heart.

 

 

(source)

All things being well next Friday I should be having this stent removed. I am a  bit nervous about that. I will not be put to sleep but frozen for that. I am not sure how they freeze you for that so that is what is making me nervous I guess. The unknown.  I can tell you I won't be sorry to have this all over with and I hope I don't have to repeat it again. Not for a very long time . . .  if ever. It has been a most uncomfortable state of affairs. I am so longing for what is considered to be normalcy in my life. This has not been much fun I have to admit.

I am afraid to be over-hopeful about things getting back to normal, just in case I am disappointed again, but secretly I am longing for it with all of my heart. I will never again take for granted the mundanity of my days. All of this extra excitement is highly over-rated. Give me normal any day of the week!

And with that I will return you to your regular programming with 

a thought to carry with you through your day  . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*The purpose of a relationship is not

to have another who might complete you,

but to have another with whom you

might share your completeness.

~Neal Donald Walsch • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 

• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 

I did end up baking a cake the other day. A Moist and Delicious Chocolate Bundt Cake.  We are both very pleased with it. It is almost too dangerous to have around!

I hope you have a beautiful Friday. May your day be filled with light and love. May I figure out how to use this latest cat toy.  May none of us forget that . . . 

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

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And I do too!