Day 27, Post-Op Rhubarb Root Garlic Bulb Fall Planting Blues: Wednesday, October 12th!

The mosque is too far from home, so let's do this / Let's make a weeping child laugh. -Nida Fazli, poet (12 Oct 1938-2016) 

Another cool, crisp morning, [1ºC as the sun came through the  bedroom window], which the frisky felines enjoyed, on the patio, and elsewhere around the sides of the house. Lady Dar is off to a Grandmothers for Africa meeting and when she returns she will plant the rhubarb Famiglia Dunn brought over yesterday, and Jugos Dom Pedro's garlic. I'm sure Etta and Duke will be helping whether wanted or not!

Just after GFA Grandmother left, I called Fred at F&A Chimney and Gutter Service and turned out he was able to come over right away as he was between jobs, just leaving Summerland and headed our way. He had cleaned our fireplace and inspected chimney last February and I had liked both him and his work. Etta and Duke were gamboling in the front yard when he pulled up in his truck so were very curious about this new person. As soon as he started to vacuum firebox, however, they immediately disappeared! Found Duke atop table in Rumpus Room and Miss Etta well under our bed. Once Fred had finished and was writing out the invoice, they returned to check him out further. I suggested he take them for payment as they would make terrific little chimney sweeps, Duke, in particular, as soot wouldn't show up on his coat!
 

Now Lady Dar will be toasty so know she'll be chuffed when she returns to learn fireplac eis ready to go. Remains to be seen, however, how she will do lighting the fire each morning and cleaning the glass platen. For next little while, fireplace is too, too low for me to be able to tend and clean, given my hip restrictions. Also curious to see how felines respond to fire. Assume they will love the heat just like their mistress!  Dad, this is what skinny Duke needs, maybe an Alpaca sock sweater
Hello Alpaca Woman! Had Pam and Jos for bridge last night. Pam wore your Mom's slippers and Jos yours! [Duke was "kangarooing" them when we made your bed yesterday!] Gave them both away as bridge prizes so you'll definitely need to buy more Alpaca socks! 

Felines are both inside now and I just finished my bowl of yogurt with diced apple. Duke hopped up on computer desk and licked bowl clean so I don't even need to wash it! Miss Etta is napping on our bed but Soccer Boy, filled with energy from yogurt, is chasing his large, crumpled paper throughout the house! I'm cancelling our subscription to Netflix. Why pay for entertainment when we have our own clowns and acrobats. Do you have an application form for Cirque du Soleil? Must away as it's time for brunch. Love and Cheers to one and all, Dad/Patrizzio! Pics: Chimney Cat and Scaredy-Cat

Hi Margareta! Terribly, terribly sorry to learn about your "TWO disc prolapses"! Cannot imagine how painful and restrictive this must be. Also, difficult to hear about your Dad's critical illness and surgery. However, simply wonderful that he seems to have come through everything with flying colours and is now recuperating at home. Like you, I am still waiting for physiotherapy. Love and Cheers to one and all, dearest Margareta! I hope things start to improve and that you will be back swimming in no time! Patrizzio! Pics: Bridge fiends and winners with their fabulous prizes! 

Hi Jane and Jack! Lovely to hear from you. Thanks for the kind words. We certainly do enjoy the Okanagan but miss many of the wonderful friends, such as you and Jack. Fondest regards to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hello Grand Canyon Woman and Forgetful Fillipo! Sorry you didn't have any turkey but, for our part, we enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, especially since Chloë was able to be with us. Fondestos from Lady Dar, in absentia, to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pic: Belated Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello Cousins! Thanks so much for wonderful rhubarb root! Great to see you both, if only briefly. Trust tire project went well. Travel safely. Cheers, Patrizzio! Hello St Hildegard Von Bingen! Glad you liked the card. Enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend so trust same went for you. Fondestos from Lady Dar, in absentia, to you, St Hildegard! Hope we'll see you before you are off to Patagonia! Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Ben's new Swiss collar; tasting room 


Hi Bruni and Tony da Lip! Glad you liked the card. Fondestos from Lady Dar, to you both. I gather she'll see you, Bruni, at Book Club while she is in town for VWF. Cheers, Patrizzio! Hello Duhlink and Madcap! Trust you are both well.  Fondest regards to our favourite Mill Hill Mob! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Jo-Anne and Colin! Very, very sorry to hear about Colin's complicated eye problem. I trust that the treatment is successful and curtails bleeding. Makes my recovery seem nothing but straightforward in comparison. Had a message from Paul Whitney and he had been enjoying VIFF as well. One of the few things I truly miss, here in Penticton, is the wonderful cinema one has access to in Vancouver. Sorry not to see you in November but have a grand time in DC and elsewhere. Travel safely and in good health. Fondestos from Lady Dar to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Rhubarb root; Lady Green Thumb; Tracker Cats exploring front sidewalk and boulevard.


Hi Netflix Junkie!!! Thanks for tips. Don't know Witnesses, Tyrant, Wentworth or Shetland but if you mean, Marcella, we couldn't stop watching! Will check out the others soon. Had a message from Paul Whitney, former City Librarian and Cora Lee's colleague at VPL, and he had been enjoying VIFF. One of the very few things I truly miss, here in Penticton, is the wonderful array of cinema one has access to in Vancouver. Fondestos from Lady Dar to you, one TV addict to another, drooling over The Young and The Useless, as I scribe. Cheers, Patrizzio! 

Hi Glasgow! Do you and Catherine have a roof over your heads yet or are you still living on the mean streets on The Downtown Eastside? Did you tak ein films at VIFF? One of the very few things I truly miss, [aside from dear friends like you!], here in Penticton. Fondestos from Lady Dar to you and Catherine. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi NB Goil! [Does that stand for New Brunswick or Naramata Bench?] Am wondering if you will have any trouble leaving, given havoc Matthew seems to have wreaked elsewhere in the Maritimes/Newfoundland Fondestos from Lady Dar to you, Airborne Pamela, I trust. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Lynette! I gather Lady Dar replied to say book is not here, unless felines have hidden it somewhere! Fondestos from Lady Dar, Lynette. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Thanks for the e card Patrizzio ! I could not open it up but appreciate the thought! Hope all is well. Joan W. Hi JW! Trust you are well. Sorry to learn that you were unable to read the eCard. Nothing critical but simply Thanksgiving wishes. Fondestos from Lady Dar to you, Joan, Cheers, Patrizzio!

Young Patrick, Thanks again for the entertaining, and informative letter.. And Hello to the rest of your troop. Brad Johnson did request me to friend, which I did, and then have not heard back. He is a nice enough guy, but from my time of knowing him, he lives in a pretend world. Remember that he was to be president of VRC, and was voted out as he had contributed nothing in his year as VP. 

As a favor to him I had him list my first condo, and it was a disaster. I switched to Andy Evans, and Andy sold it very quickly, as well as my condo in Burnaby. Good luck to him with a Filipino wife. They will be sending money her family in Manila until he is a very old man.. but I do wish him all the best. Thanksgiving looked beautiful. Thanks for the pictures as well. We are going to a great dinner on Sunday night. They put platters of turkey on each table, and many kinds of dessert...oops!!
 
I had very good news today. I have had a black smudge, scar tissue, the bad"T" word.. or whatever for quite some time. Today they put a camera in my lung, and pending the test results, the specialist said it all looks good. I have been very worried, and with xrays, penicillin, ultra sound have just not had positive results.. Let's hope this time we have it right and nothing more to worry about.I am still off any type of libation, so I envy your tipping the glass.
 
It is starting to get cold here as well. I keep inching the thermostat... as my Mom used to say ""I will not go cold" My Buddy and I saw the magnificent 7 last week. We both really enjoyed it.. It is unbelievable what people went through in the 1800's. Well Kid, I am glad you are still limping along.. Take care my friend... Wild Bill I meant to congratulate you on having Donald and Hillary for dinner.. Very impressive, but from what I hear, you should count the silverware immediately after each on leaves.. 

Hi again, Wild Bill! Really pleased to hear your great good news regarding your lung. Guess I'll have to tipple for you so thanks for the excuse to have another drop! Thanks, as well, for the "backstory" on Brad. As I mentioned I really didn't know him all that well at VRC but even from some of the things he said, over the course of our stay in same hospital ward, I wondered about. At any rate, I do wish him all the best as well.

Speaking of thermostats, 1ºC today.We are hoping to see The Magnificent 7 when it hits town so looking forward to that. With respect to Hilary and Donald I should tell you, with all The Freeloaders we seem to have we installed metal detectors on both outside doors! Also, in case they don't work, we usually only use plastic knives and forks! Fondestos from Lady Dar to you, Wild Bill, [Were you an extra in The M7?], and Cheers, "Chester Limping Along" Patrizzio!

Sorry to read that you won't be coming to the Writers Fest Patrick. We'll watch for Corinne. Glad you made it to Kanazawa and liked what you tasted. I'll watch for his Malbec. I can't match your photographic output but here is one I call Cutting the Rug in Comox featuring our friends Charlie and Yvonne (whom you have met at least once at a Scotch tasting you hosted) along with our stoic Swedish friend. Hope our paths cross sometime soon. Cheers....Paul 

Hi Kanazawa Man! Enjoyed "Cutting the Rug"! Where was it taken? At Jane's? When did you visit the Stoic Swede? You should suggest that Charlie and Yvonne come up to Penticton when you are here and I'll organize another malt tasting! The Babes can sip Kanazawa Malbec as we tipple! Fondestos from Lady Dar to you, Paolo, no stinkin VIFF films for her, swooning over her heartthrob, Victor, in The Young and The Useless, as I scribe. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Patrizo - thanks again for inviting Nancy and I over for thanksgiving dinner! We had Teagan (stepdaughter) and a friend and had a great time. However, we heard the festivities from your house all the way down the street! ha, ha. Hope you and Corrine and your daughter (plus guests) had a great time also. I have surgery on Thursday but hopefully back to hiking in a week or so. My new bike has still not come in yet (rats...I wanna go riding!). Glad you liked "the night of"...Have not got to the bridge yet but will this week. Cheers! Bill  

Hi Fellow Netflix Junkie Man! Pleased your Thanksgiving with Teagan went well. Sorry about the noise disturbance but that might have been when Duke took off with a drumstick. Diversion tactic as Etta ate all the dressing while we were chasing him! Do you know the mystery French miniseries Witnesses, subtitled in English, on Netflix? Friend recommended it but I'm wondering if it's a little too light for us! Buona Fortuna with your surgery domani! I'll be thinking of you as I have my java tomorrow morning. Fondestos from Lady Dar to you, Guillermo, and Nancy. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Love those cat photos! I few big storms are expected to hit Vancouver Island and the Coast in the next several days....so I shall 'batten down the hatches', literally... I have tarpaulins in several places. Two skylights were installed today so this will be an immediate test to the quality of work. How did Katie & Brian's job/ house hunting efforts go last weekend? Lots of good wishes for your rehabilitation, Patrick  Lynette😌✌Hi again, Lynette! Glad you like the performing cats! Unfortunately, Emma had a terrible cold so Katie and Brian didn't come up for the weekend. Too bad as kids were looking forward to meeting Etta and Duke and we were looking forward to having entire family for dinner as we enjoy everyone's company. not sure when they might be back. Buona Fortuna with big storms and wet weather. Have been wondering how Vancouver will fare either. Must away as Lady Dar is calling for me to make a salad. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Life in the Rumpus Room!

Hello Longest Nerve in the Body Man! Fondestos from Lady Dar to you, Arv, and Sandee. Cheers, Patrizzio!