Happy Rainy Day

Rain today

  
But I’m at Ian’s, my favorite farrier’s place getting Wilbur and Trouper’s feet done inside the shelter of his barn. 

   
 
We waited a sort bit till he could check his sheep. He’s lambing. So I pulled the horse’s halters off and let them stand in the box stalls. 

 

We’re all so at home there. It’s such a cozy place, full of interesting things to look at and to talk about.  I got to tell him all about my trip, hardly let him get a word in. 

He grew a goatee since I saw him last. I like it. 

He’s a good guy and a really good farrier and my friend which all made for an especially happy rainy day. 

My Treatment

A few people wanted me to talk about my treatment.

It was a good thing. 

I don’t think it’s cured the cancer in three months worth of shots. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t work just that it would take longer for my own immune system to do the job.

 I think my case is a little different than most because the tumor itself is inoperable. I didn’t have a problem with operations if that had been an option, only the chemo and radiation I didn’t want to have to go through. And again the side effects of those, for me, would have been different as well because of the location of the tumor and because of my ADD. 

For me the Latvian treatment improved the quality of my life so much for the three months I was on it. I am just now, after 6 weeks, without any treatment starting to feel a little tired again but I still feel happy and mentally and emotionally strong. 

I haven’t had a shot for the 6 weeks now, not because it didn’t help but because, personally, I haven’t been able to find the money to carry on with the shots. Not that it’s horribly expensive but we just don’t have any extra above food and housing. If I had the money I would so have kept going with the shots. 

I don’t suppose the Latvians would want me to say this but I wish everyone could undergo the treatment I have so they could feel as good as I have felt, even if they didn’t have cancer. I seriously haven’t felt this good for years. 

I was hoping to have an MRI to give me more specifics on the tumor but that is a slow process in Canada. My blood work has all been good so far. 

My dr has contacted the authorities about the import of the medicine and although I can’t have it mailed or couriered here I could bring it back with me in my luggage. That leads me to dream of what beautiful Riga would look like this time of year. Who knows things might still work out that I could go back. 

Anyway, a side from all that,  everyday I wake up and think: “Something wonderful could happen today”and each day things happen, sometimes bad things,  and I think: “wonder if that is it, if it’s going to lead to that something wonderful.” Life is good and I’m happy. 

Size Matters

I was thinking about Wales today and then got to wondering what the size difference was between Canada or even Alberta and UK and Wales. So I looked it up and found map fight. Cool site. 

  
So first here’s Alberta compared to the entire UK which doesn’t include Southern Ireland but still . . .

Then compared to Canada

  
I think it was as hard for me to wrap my mind around how small it was as it was for them to understand how big Canada is. Really, it’s hard for me to understand how big Canada is, size-wise. 

My cousin kept telling me that from England to Toronto is halfway to where I am. And Google maps says it would take at least 30 hours of continuous driving to get to Toronto. 

So just one more: Alberta compared to lovely little Wales 

  

Horizontal Width: 149 km (92 miles) from St. David’s east to Hay on Wye

Vertical Length: 201 km (124 miles) from Rhyl, directly south to the capital city of Cardiff. 

So to put that into terms that are most familiar to me it means that from Medicine Hat to Lethbridge (about 102 miles,  a two hour drive here) would be about 10 miles farther than from the east side of Wales to the west side. 

One other thing I often think of and feel bad about was the beautiful old churches that no one or at least very few attend. One Sunday I went to the one in Llanwnog (a Christian church being there for 1500 years, not that actual building but the believers) and only 9 people, other than me and my cousin and my other cousin’s good husband that took us, were there. 

I saw this from the 2011 census report that I guess explains why.  

 
Sad though. I suppose it’s happening everywhere which is even sadder to me but there, in England and Wales it seems such a tragedy considering all those beautiful old churches with such uncertain futures. 

I’m glad I got to hear the bells in Llanwnog, see the beautiful old rood screen, and where my dad pumped the handle to supply the breath for the old pipe organ, where my cousin was married, a lovely old church where I’ll be attending, in spirit if not in body, every Sunday. 

  
   
    
    
    
    
 

Good

Life is good (most days). I’m still feeling surprisingly well with lots of energy to fuss over a couple of old horses, my housework, Lilly, Blue, an old cowboy, and one tomato plant. I do wish I could have a garden or a least a balcony with a little more sun but it’s all good. 

Everyday Blue and I get to go out to the barn and smell horses, my favorite place and favorite smell.   
 

Shock

The grocery store I went to in the UK was Tesco, here I go to Safeway. I went to this particular Safeway today, the first time since I got back. 

What a shock. 

I was racing around looking for this and that when it hit me. I remember the last time I was in here before my trip and my treatment and how tired I was then. I could hardly face walking around in the big store. 

I don’t feel anything like that now. It’s like night 🌘 and day 🌞 with now being the day. 

Wow! I feel so much better that it was an actual shock to realize how much better. 

Scaredy Cat

Hmmmph! I’ll tell you the moral first, then the story. “Never underestimate a scaredy cat.”

My lovely Lilly is terrified of the vacuum cleaner. But, hey, I still have to vacuum. Right?

Me in my infinite wisdom (not) thought I’ll just pick her up and move her to a safer feeling place. But somewhere between picking her up and the need for 6 stitches she thought the vacuum was attacking her. 

  
I knew it was deep so drove myself to ER, an annual occurance for me. 

The doctor did a pretty good job of the freezing, open wound vigorous scrubbing, and stitching all the while warning me about pasturella bacterial infection, spreading red, and possible IV antibiotics, with a hint of surgery thrown in.  

 
The penitent scaredy cat. She knows she’s done something bad but I don’t think she knows what it is.