Rain...John's MRI...House Arrest...and Dunkin's

 

Woke to thunderstorms and more rain. 

...it's going to rain forever...

Our weatherman says for the next five days.

~sigh~

But my friend, Susan, and I plundered Dunkin's yesterday...and brought home doughnuts...and all is right with the world.

 

I now have raspberry jelly filled Dunkin Doughnuts...Vanilla coffee...and a good book. 

...The Oral History of Bob Marley...

 

Also Tux, my cat, who is now on house arrest...until his breakaway collar arrives.

To make a long story short...he went outside (per usual) early in the week...while it was still misty and gray. Uncharacteristically, he did not return when the sun came up.

He often makes the trip back to Susan's where his play buddy/girlfriend Honey/Ginny lives.

He wasn't there.

She and I called each  other frequently that day...but no sign of Sir/ Tux.

...I call Honey, Ginny...she calls Tux, Sir...

As it got later we realized he...who never knows a stranger...had been temporarily abducted...

Let in by some well-meaning but unsuspecting soul...soon to find out that when the sun sets he turns into A THING that will tear your door facing...paint...and carpeting up to get out/back home.

As soon as it was dark he instantly reappeared.

He knows where he lives.

There is no bigger better deal for him out there.

"They closed the door behind me, Mom!"

Phoned Susan, to let her know he was home.

Then placed him on House Arrest until I can collar him...and everyone will know he is a owned/loved cat.

...he is not amused...

Dayne's mom ( Donna) from the lake sent me the best...but an older...photo of Chris, this week.

Hard to believe that in a couple of weeks Lachlan will be two!

His Aunty, Kimberly, the chicken lady bought him his own chick to join her flock.

...since her nickname for him is LOKI...it is only appropriate they named the chicken THOR...

 He is completely smitten!

Chris and Tina are great, and we are all getting together soon to celebrate his 2nd birthday.

This year's party theme: CONSTRUCTION. 

Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, Lennon and I have to rescheduled his summer trip. We will do this soon!

 James has been busy with his music, work, and the kids.

 Brenden...Hannah...Aiden...

 And recently turned me onto a movie I had missed earlier

 

A tongue-in-cheek commentary on the future state of AI.

Excellent film!

John's week next is filled with scheduled tests..the first of which was this week. 

The MRI (brain) came back completely normal...no sign of recurrence of the excised tumor...which is fantastic news!!!

Also, they discovered why he has been feeling so fatigued and bad the past few weeks.

He had lost a lot of weight.

A LOT.

And they had not reduced/recalibrated his BP medications.

His BP was dropped to 90/40.

That is why he was collapsing/couldn't hardly walk across a room.

Now he is doing much better...gaining strength...doing PT at home...and slowly recovering!

...another mystery solved...

We should know more by the end of the week...

Have a Great Weekend! 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Virtual Jamaica: St. Thomas~ Marketside

 Today, we will virtually check out the marketplace!

Tour

https://youtu.be/_y_MSV-iv5E?si=pbKtAnEjXNOv87bs

Live Cam

https://www.youtube.com/live/yxobbaRDzvc?si=zVd_XJXHcRI_-eN1 

 

Everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to household goods and clothes.

And I even found this tee-shirt!

Until next time...

 

This Week...Seals...John and More

 

They have now issued a series of stamps to commemorate The Mother Road!

How cool is that??

 And David Attenborough is 100 years old!!!!

 I've been amusing myself...or maybe just distracting myself with stories out of Australia of Neil...the elephant seal.

Who has grown substantially since this pup-photo and now has the elephant seal nose and weighs as much as a sub-compact.

Love his on-going fights with poles and doors...and his habit of napping where he falls.  Sometimes in the road...where the locals just surround him with orange traffic cone so he will be safe.

Sometimes behind your car....forcing you to call in to work and say

"Neil."

Rather exasperatedly.

In San Francisco, at Pier 39, they have their own celebrity (sealebrity??) this year.

A massive sea-lion they have dubbed Chonkers.

Many times larger than those that usually frequent the pier.

Harmless enough and happy...he is a welcome visitor.

We've been regaled by the Met Gala

 

and a new Banksy that popped up in London in the middle of the night.

And I played all week in Virtual Jamaica...

Trying hard to get a break from the stream of crap that is the administration...wars..sky-rocketing prices...absolutely ignorant decisions made by our decimated CDC...

But I digress.

Then, there is John.

Today, we celebrate our 9th year back together...which is wonderful...but his health has been a roller-coaster for about 6 weeks now.

We gain some ground...then we lose some.

He is so tired of feeling so bad.

I am terrified that maybe the cancer is back.

He has several appointments/MRI/et all soon.

We will know what is happening, then.

The rain seems to be breaking and it will be therapeutic to just play in the weeds and plant a few things, soon...

Love,

Carla and Tux 

Addendum:

 

I'd be remiss if I  didn't add The Worst of the Internet...to balance out the seals and such.

First up is Cee Cee...

Who is a certified looney...er...flat earther.

He is confident, angry and loud all the time.

Sure that everything THEY tell you is fake.

Is a poster boy for why we should take mental health more seriously.

Next up is Vehicular....or Testicular...or dammit...Clavicular.

 

Yes...

Clav of "LooksMaxxing"

Calling people subhuman if they are plain.

Telling you to take a hammer to your face to optimize your bone structure.

Hitting someone with his car in December...Assault and battery charges in February...Opening fire on an alligator in March...OD-ing in April...and charges filed when he injected a minor's face with a fat solvent in May...

Oh, and he experiences ED because he has been injecting steroids since he was 14.

And he is 20 years old,

and Spiraling.

Lastly, The CDC...

 Which has been absolutely gutted by the current administration and now faces an Andes Hanta Virus Outbreak.

No...this is not Covid.

Covid at its worst killed between 1-3% of everyone who contracted it.

Andes has a 45% mortality rate.

https://youtu.be/rO4Xd5PfIo0?si=llIliqk05FoSbT4w 

Sleep Well. 

 

 

Virtual Jamaica: St. Thomas~ Albion Sugar Plantation Ruins

 

But first...cooking with Anai...

Whom has shared recipes for traditional Jerked Chicken with Peas and Rice.

 

 

 

During my cooking session with Anai...I was grateful to find realize that there was a way to decrease the "heat" of The Jerk for this non-Jamaican palate, as well as learning that the "peas" in the fore-mentioned rice dish were small red kidney bean or black beans.  

 

 

The secret to the Jerk was to simply omit the Scotch Bonnet Peppers.

 

                              The Beans and Rice was made with coconut milk.                                                                                                         

 

 Now, on to The Ruins!

 

 

Tour

https://youtu.be/Amp0LRflxZI?si=kq8Nb5eZw1pV7a-A

 

 Existing from the 18th Century or before

Slavery was banned here in 1833.

 

By 1923 the plantation produced its last sugar.

This was in part because the (free) slave labor was gone,

but mostly because it was impossible for the cane

sugar to compete with the much cheaper beet sugar

being produced elsewhere.

 

Today the rain forest, weeds and jungle has

taken over the ruins and you must hack through 

with a machete to see a lot of what is left.

 

See everyone next week!

 

 

 

 

Virtual Jamaica: St. Thomas~ Morant Lighthouse

 

But first...as we resume our exploration of Virtual Jamaica...a word about Paul Bogle...

Born on a plantation as a slave in 1822...he became a National Hero leading the 1865 Morant Bay Protest.

History

https://youtu.be/Cu6S71G-EmE?si=bEra-mTupqsI6s5h

Not only does his face grace some Jamaican money and the name of several prominent buildings in St. Thomas ...but it is also the Memorial Highway we will use on today's journey.

 

This coastal highway runs the length of St. Thomas.

Drive

https://youtu.be/BWMkhpvFnsQ?si=SURlSqGtX2wTOl6p

So...come along and we will check out the Morant Lighthouse.

Erected in 1841, it is the oldest lighthouse in Jamaica.

Tour

https://youtu.be/c8NgTfSZ8ws?si=_xEnFW7BMWLIVCJ2

It is also the first cast iron lighthouse in the Western Hemisphere.

100 feet tall!

It is located on the tip of Jamaica (Morant Point) on Morant Bay.

Heading back to Jay's Guesthouse, now...where the cook has promised to teach me a couple of local recipes to share!

See everyone, Friday!

 

 

Virtual Jamaica: St. Thomas Parish

 

And we resume our virtual adventure in St. Thomas Parish...

 

Our first concern, of course, is a place to stay.

St. Thomas is filled with Air BNB's...guest houses and cottages for rent. No Sandals..no 5 star hotels...No all inclusive's. 

 Given that, the best is 

 Where the views are spectacular...

 sitting at the foot of The Blue Mountains.

The food is plentiful and amazing...

 and the hotel itself is...

 honestly underwhelming.

 The room...even less so.

 

But after seeing what is offered in this Parish...the sparse room above seems like luxury...and how much time are we really going to be staying in the room, anyway.

At 68 USD a night...it will do.

Jay's Guest House

https://youtu.be/4Z7K0JRZyI8?si=fvR6EMFjx8Df2J5u 

And you have to love the view.

 

 Everything we want to see is nearby...the mountains...the rain forest...the beach.

 This will do.

Checking out what St. Thomas has to offer.

https://youtu.be/E_3VyoPVrYI?si=3s0V_uDnnr_nyrxY

See you, Wednesday! 

May...40 Degrees...and Forget Gardening

 

Okay...maybe not this bad...but still pretty bad...

 

It is May...and it's still 30's and 40's at night.

Barely cracking 50's in the daytime.

I'm freezing and putting pinto beans on to soak tonight...but only because I don't have chili making ingredients, right now.

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooo tired of this cold.

 

 I have beautiful flower seeds...mostly in pinks...sitting waiting...and waiting...and waiting...and waiting...

Tux has basically given up the outside.

"I have indoor plumbing, Mom"

and rarely goes out unless Ginny comes over...or I sit/garden/read outside.

Right now, heat and comfort food seems the most important.

Stacked three quilts and a throw on the bed.

With the addition of my 22 pound furry cat it keeps one almost toasty.

This, too, shall pass.

Love,

Carla

...send heat...