Dear Neighbor . . .

 

JULY 31st, 2026

Estate Lane,

Nova Scotia

18*C/64*F

Mostly cloudy

Dear Neighbor,

I hope this finds you well on this last morning of July, 2026. How did that happen?  How are we already at the end of July? It seems that it was just yesterday that we were celebrating the new year and now we are halfway through the summer. This year has been going by far too quickly. I wish it would slow down just a bit so that I can catch my breath. I am sure you probably feel the same. Time, it passes by far too quickly . . . minutes, days, months, years  . . .  that we can never get back. Oh boy . . . I guess we better make each one count for even more eh?

 

(source)

It feels quite humid this morning, which isn't really surprising. We got bucket loads of rain yesterday. I didn't even venture out to check my post box. It was just bucketing down for most of the day. There was no need to water the garden last night.

I have been going to check my mail early in the morning most days. This is going to sound really bad. I hope you will forgive me.  The lady across the way, the one whose birthday we celebrated a week or so ago . . . if she sees me go out my door to check the mail, she comes out and sits on her porch and then grabs me as soon as I turn to go back to my place, and then I cannot get away. She beckons me over and then she talks and talks and talks. I end up sitting there on an uncomfortable stool forever, not able to get away.  It is not that I am mean-spirited, but I end up with a really sore back and I get behind on my work, etc. 

So I have been checking my mail around 6 every morning. I don't know what else to do.  I am not totally anti-social, but I want socialization to be on my terms. I totally understand that she lives on her own and has mobility issues. I do too, although mine are not as severe as hers. I can walk to my mail box. I just don't really have the time or will to sit like that, uncomfortably . . .  for ages, knowing that I have work to get done.

So I take my usual route. Avoidance. I alter my life so that I don't have to confront the problem.

 

(source)

I have ascertained that Nutmeg is afraid of flies. I have always known that he is a bit of a chicken.  For instance, when someone strange comes to the door or he sees someone approaching the house he takes off and runs under the bed.  My cleaners have only ever seen him once. The other day I decided to lay back in the easy boy and he came and lay down on my lap only to take off like a bat out of hell when the guy who was dropping off the flyers came by and walked past the front of the house throwing the flyers onto the deck. At first I wasn't sure why Nutmeg had done that, but then I noticed the flyers and it all made sense.

These last few days I have noticed that every so often he takes off running and hides under the table seemingly for no reason at all. His eyes like saucers.  Yesterday I figured it out. There is a small house fly in here. He is terrified of the fly.  He never used to be afraid of flies. He used to try to catch them along with Cinnamon. 

I am wondering if one of those wasps stung him when I had the wasp problem and if it has made him afraid of anything that flies? I am not quite sure what to do about it. Flies are going to get into the house. I do try to catch and kill them every time that they do, but this one has been particularly evasive. Its small and quick. It was on the ceiling in my bedroom last night and I hair-sprayed it. I thought I had gotten rid of it, but it was flying around the bathroom this morning, so it must have revived.

I do have an electrified battery operated insect swatter thingie. But in order to use it the insect has to be within reach and standing still. 

 

(source)

Eileen is coming to stay overnight for two nights this weekend.  Monday is a holiday here so she doesn't have a visit on that day so she asked could she stay over on Sunday night as well. I couldn't see why not, so we will be having a sleepover on Saturday and Sunday nights. She is really looking forward to it, as am I.  It will be nice to spend the time together.

It won't be long now until her biopsy on the 10th of August. She will be spending the night that night as well as she has to have someone watch her for 24 hours.  I am happy to be that someone.

I am praying really hard that this hasn't spread anywhere else, and that when they do the hysterectomy they are able to get the whole lot. I am hoping that it won't be long after the biopsy before they do the operation, and that hopefully we will be able to put this behind her and start the healing process. 

And that all will be well  . . . 

 

(source)

My knees have been pretty poorly this week, especially these last few days. On Wednesday night I could barely get from my car into the restaurant and then back again after our supper. I can only suppose it is the weather? I know it can affect people with arthritis quite a bit . . .  the weather. I should be going with Cindy to take dad this afternoon, but I am not sure I will be able to cope with the getting in and out of the car several times and then walking around Walmart. I may have to give it a pass, which is a bit of a nuisance as I do like to get my cat food there, and I do enjoy spending the time with Cindy. Chronic pain is no fun. But, there are people who are much worse off than I am, so I count my blessings that I can still do what I can still do. And not all weeks are like this. I have many more good weeks than bad.

 

(source)

In the utter stillness she heard the tinkle of the fountain, and smelled the roses, whose blossoms hung rich and motionless. So she drifted, drifted on the wistful feet of beauty, past the water and the swans. to the noble park, where, beneath a great oak, a doe all dappled lay with her four fine feet together, her fawn nestling sun-coloured beside her. 

~D.H. Lawrence, The Rainbow

What a talent it is to be able to string words together like this  . . . words that are able to transport another soul into a world so sweet and tranquil. I am reminded of all the parks and gardens that I visited often when I lived in the U.K. Country walks and gardens so beautiful as to take the breath away.  Knole Park was one not too far from us when I worked at the Manor. It has a herd of 350 deer, so majestic, all wandering about.

It was the place where the Beatles filmed the Strawberry Fields Forever promotional video and where they filmed the 2026 film version of Wuthering Heights. (I have not seen that yet.)

But my favorite of all the gardens to visit was Sissinghurst. We went there many times. Also Scotney Castle gardens. They were a real favorite.

 

This was a photograph that I took of Scotney Castle on one of our visits there. It was such a beautiful location and the walk around the lake was lovely.  You could not go into the castle. It was largely a ruin. The ruins of a medieval, moated Manor House. But breathtakingly beautiful as you can see and when the gardens were in bloom  . . . simply amazing to visit. 

But that was the U.K. in general once you got outside of the cities. It was a country where stone walls and garden gates were all swathed in greenery and colour.  Colour that bloomed and sprouted from every nook and cranny, nature seeking a toehold in every opportunity which presented itself. 

How very blessed I was to have been able to live and work in such an environment. Memories of beautiful things that I get to carry with me forever. 

 

This was a photograph that I took in the gardens at Hever Castle.  This was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. Another favorite place of mine to visit. I remember when I took Bruce there on one of the times I brought him over to visit me, there was jousting on the grounds of the castle. So much fun. Henry the VIII and Anne Boleyn were walking around. (Of course only actors.)

A land steeped in tradition and charm, filled with history and beautiful customs, and colours, and wonder and common sense.  A land filled with people and accents as varied as the colours on a map.  this is a land that I quite . . . simply . . . loved. What a great blessing in my life it was to get to experience all of that. My life is a lot quieter these days, but blessed in other ways.  Living near my family is something I am particularly fond of, and would not change for anything.

And with that I best end this off now and leave you with a thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛.Be a pineapple,

stand tall, wear a crown 

and be sweet on the inside.  

~unknown •。★★ 。* 。 

This is a delicious sandwich I made for myself from what was in the refrigerator the other day. Fresh Tomato, Cheese & Cucumber Sandwich. It was too good for me not to share it with you. Rich sourdough bread, layers of cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, a lovely creamy dressing, etc. What a tasty mouthful it was!

I hope that you have a lovely Friday. Whatever you get up to, I hope that it brings you joy! Be happy and be blessed. Don't forget!

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And I do too!!