My in-laws purchased the Catalina 22′, which they named the Minnicog Queen* [because the Queen did come to Minnicog, well Penetanguishene which is close enough, and my pop in-law wrote a book called The Queen Comes to Minnicog, and it all seemed to make sense to them at the time] in 1979, just when hubby and I were reacquainting, having known each other as kids, and reuniting when I was 17 and he 19. We took the Catalina on our honeymoon in 1986 and for a wonderful 25th anniversary trip, and for many trips in-between, sometimes with all three kids and a dog. But sadness at its passing is very muted, as that is just the sadness of time passing, and as we cleaned out the mouse nests and opened the hatches under the seats for the last time, I couldn’t help but wonder at the beauty of our new boat
and think about where we might take it, and it us, for our 30th anniversary this August, which I promised my daughter we would elope for, avoiding all notions of a party.
But the old Minnicog Queen was the inspiration and proof of concept in many ways and she took us to many a particular harbour.
Thanks.
*I have a problem with boat names, and we always called it the Catalina, just as my parents had the Big Boat, the Whaler, and the Tin Boat. Indeed we have been unable to actually name our new sailboat, because it is just “the boat” and all names seem silly or ludicrous and many boats have terrible puns for names or are named after wives, two things which I have kind of nixed.
Good Thursday morning. So yesterday I had an appointment with the specialist fellow and yes, there is something wrong where tendons attach to the right side of my pubic bone and the first thing he suggested, with the aid of a portable ultrasound, was a guided injection of cortisone and lidocaine, which much to my astonishment they went right ahead with. I had told myself not to be apprehensive about the appointment because there was no way I would be getting an injection – it was surely just a consult. The goal is to take down inflammation, see if there is much response, and then move on possibly to this weird sugar injection which I have yet to properly research. But it was a little more exciting than expected, because he could not get the needle to go in where he wanted. Most of the way and then it would hit something apparently impenetrable, but that should have been liquid from what they could see on the screen. So he put the injection as close as he could, and sort of all around. The needle was not pleasant, and I can’t imagine why I seem to find them more painful than other people, but I think the problem lies with other people! A needle in your groin poking around for ten minutes ain’t pleasant, especially when they keep going, “hmmn, that’s interesting, I can’t get the needle to go in further … hmnnn, that’s weird …. could be a … should .we … maybe ….. hmnnnn.”
But so far so good, and I am not to stress the region for seven to ten days. Then back to doctor in six weeks and possibly more diagnostic imaging. But I think I should round up the MRI I just had and see if there is anything to be found on it, because they keep just looking at my hip but I think it took in the whole region. So the saga continues, but it is strangely satisfying to have a further injury confirmed rather than just feel like an endless whiner who didn’t recover quite from the previous surgery.
And it is a beautiful day, even if somewhat confined to the couch.
And now for a quick garden update, a sort of pre-blooming report:
These monsters came from Thing 3, alternatively known as Nana’s Funny Farm, and when we sold it, I just had to bring some of them home. They are plain ordinary monsters, but beautiful monsters.
I realise that last picture was fairly terrible, but my blooming anticipation is high, and I thought I should let you share in the vast excitement.
Now this is exciting, the most dramatic of Mimi’s marigolds that attentive reader (ah, learning are we? ed.) will recall I started from seed after harbouring the seeds that my lovely niece Rachael purloined for me through a tricky last year:
And two slightly less dramatic examples from the same mighty stock:
And rounding out the pictures of things that are yet to bloom (the whole garden is just bursting with flower buds, I must say) here is a somewhat difficult to discern picture of the hibiscus I misremembered as being blue, when it is a lovely pale pink, last year, looking much healthier and a little ahead of last year. It inspired me to plant another, which is about half the size of this one this year, and I think I remember reading they took a good five years to really move in and feel comfy. But it wasn’t ready for its screen debut.
And Good Morning from the Ottawa River. The weather (though not quite windy enough) has been beautiful and we got out on the boat on Friday afternoon and are sitting at anchor now. Lovely but it has made me a poor blog keeper and I intend to get back on that job!
But Brexit? Other than the worst contraction ever, word wise, I think it will be just a lot of meetings and little effect. Tempest in teapot, or I should say teapot escaping from tempest but very slowly. But intrenched interests wanted England to stay and they are intrenched so there will be no quick, dramatic, event. Maybe some smoke and mirrors but I suspect the men behind the curtain will continue to pull our strings.
But those are Monday morning thoughts and this is Sunday. Time to enjoy a little now, and hope you can too.
It got windy! Yikes but good fun and ended up sleeping on the boat, and now home but a little wonky from boat motion and my unfortunate stinging groin. Lilies have waited to bloom but a few more little golden lilies popped out and the rain didn’t really arrive, just a bit overnight.
Am getting more and more outraged listening to Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana – Medical, Recreational and Scientific by Martin Lee. I knew the fix was in but had no idea how badly, and hypocritically and appallingly cruel the war on drugs was. Right down to the government finding that marijuana was very effective for epilepsy but not telling any one. How can Charlotte’s Web have had to happen? Imagine denying cancer patients and epileptics medicine that you knew was effective and relatively side-effect free? Presidents come out looking really really really bad. I know it is a polemical book but nothing excuses Reagan and Nixon in particular for their heinousness, nor Hoover. It is a travesty with one report after another recommending decriminalizing or legalizing … buried for political gain and racial hatred. Argggghhhhhhh. And happy Monday.
Good morning, but darn. Right groin not happy. Trying to stay put … going stir crazy. Couldn’t sleep, ice packs … thank the great kahuna that I am able to be as comfortable as I am and curse Justin “It is harder than I thought” Trudeau who will disillusion another generation of voters with his broken promises and will astonish them by carrying on Reagan’s perpetuation of the most foul and racially tainted War on Drugs, most vehemently carried on by alcoholic prescription drug abusers.
Good better morning.
The first marigold has begun to bloom!
And finally something might bloom that isn’t yellowish. But what colour it will be remains a mystery as it turns out hydrangeas’ colour depends on the acidity of the soil. So while these were blue when I got them, ragged and very much on sale at Canadian Tire after Easter, they may well bloom pink. It is a first for me, growing hydrangeas and they are at the limit of their zone pretty much, and I might have to bring them in in the winter but we shall see:
Gonna take a swing at this.
Beautiful new laptop that I still haven’t learned how to use yet.
Far too little music running through my head these days.
It worked! Good morning and hoorah for new laptop.