SUMMER..............It's Over

In South Western Ontario the leaves are changing.  Signs of autumn showing everywhere.  There is a part of me that wants to say "Whew, Made It Through That".  That is more often a feeling at the end of winter.  I love this time of year, it is like every year I am taken in again, fooled again into believing these sunny days and nice cool nights will be with us for a while, all the time knowing that around the next couple of corners lay snow, blowing snow, freezing snow, every kind of snow you can imagine we get here and we get it in abundance,  But right now I am enjoying the riot of colour and the warm days and cool nights, even while knowing all the while what is coming.  There is still a lot of colour from my daughter's gardens, although the Morning Glory's no longer open and face the sun in the morning, other hardier plants are still looming in gardens and on our deck.

We are normally a hardy bunch here and the autumn seems to be bringing with it some health problems for the more senior members of our large tribe.  At almost 76 years old that would include me, but as of now aside from suffering with my knees, my health remains good.  On the 26th of August I quit smoking, so I have just over a month in.  This is it for me.  I was beginning to notice things like getting of breath all of the time, which is exacerbated by the weight problem.  I used that excuse for so long not to quit smoking.  Finally I stood in front of a mirror nude, do you have any idea the amount of courage that takes?, anyway I did and said to myself "you are already fat, so this is the best time in the world to quit smoking" and I did.  I don't like ridged plans or schedules, for me something flexible always works better; thus I am not doing anything stupid like dieting or weighing myself until at least spring.  One thing at a time and this fall and winter are dedicated to not smoking.

It is not my health that I meant to discuss here.  Dennis, my son in law, has the health problems in his family right now.  Dennis's Mother, Molly discovered a mass in her breast.  She has already had one operation and another is scheduled for 2nd of October.  To really complicate things, Molly's mother Hilda is 103 and still alive.  Hilda enjoys quite good health for someone that age.  The thing is Hilda is ready to go, she is more than ready and has told everyone so.  Hilda has already lost 2 of her 4 children to cancer and she feels she can't and won't do this again.  I am with her ENOUGH already.
Hilda also needs some care, at 103 her vision is gone, she needs the basic help any person over 100 needs.  Tami, my daughter id going to kitchener, about a 2 hour drive from here, on October 1st so she will be the primary caregiver to Molly and Hilda when Molly gets out of hospital on the 2nd of October.  This kind of shifts things around here.  I will take on some of the things Tami does and Jon my 18 year old grandson will help.  Dennis is working in Alberta and is away working for 2 weeks, then flies home for a week.  We will all do our part and do the best we can. 

Tami and Dennis celebrated their birthdays the first week in September and I had a painting of this home commissioned by an artist.  The picture was taken last Christmas and I am going to get Jonathon to show me how to put the picture on my blog, so next blog will come with picture.