Shakespeare to Undercoating

Did we make it to Shakespeare by the Sea? We sure did and in fine style. Stopped and picked up sandwiches from Subway and had a 'picnic in the park' on the sunny Saturday. My buddy's son, daughter-in-law and her beautiful granddaughter joined us as did a childhood friend who lives in the city. The two of us who have yet to be privileged with grandchildren 'borrowed' Ev for short periods as she is a very good baby. We received periodic canine visits as Point Pleasant Park is a dog friendly area. The funniest guest was a rotund dachshund who was adamant he was joining us and stationed himself in the middle of the blanket as he waited for a sandwich, his embarrassed owner said "dachshunds are pigs" and attempted to make his lab wait while he shooed the picnic crasher on his way. Reminded me of trying to chase two toddlers in opposite directions. The performance of Much Ado About Nothing was wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The setting in Battery Park is very suitable for Shakespeare and I can't believe it was the 20th anniversary before I attended. The cast is multi talented and I was impressed after the show, to see 'Beatrice' driving a mobility impaired guest up the road in the golf cart. We wandered our way up the hill, said goodbye to our Dartmouth friend and headed out of the city. A stop for tea and a treat and a catch up on all the news and we were home.

Kayaking weather for sure

Sunday morning (which was beautifully calm and sunny as you can see here on the right) I followed through on a promise to myself to apply for the Diploma in Tropical Nursing as they are taking applications for the December 2014 program which is the one which a counterpart and I are aiming for. When advised, a friend in Iqaluit commented "you two never give up do you?" I guess not. It has a two weeks prep phase, three weeks in Liverpool attending classes  and then three weeks post assessment at home. Think I can handle that and still have time to investigate the Beatles Museum. Check it out here:

http://www.lstmliverpool.ac.uk/learning--teaching/lstm-courses/professional-diplomas/dtn/

So I carefully scanned and printed all the required certificates (until the printer starting fading ink) and then read the instructions where it said email was the preferred method of submission. So I attached all the files to an email and hit send. Have heard from them it was received and now will await the decision. Only 60 students are accepted per class so.... My buddy was applying but I'm not sure if it was before or after she attended the Depache Mode concert in Toronto. I had to look up who they were as I must've been too busy with small kids to even know them.

The weather was sunny, warm and pleasant the past week and so when I had to attend physio in Lunenburg (Nova Functional Assessments - who fixed my back a couple of years ago) on Monday, my newly retired friend was free to come along. The clinic was really backed up and I didn't even get started on my treatment until almost an hour after I'd arrived so my travel partner checked out the town, had a cup of coffee, the usual tourist stuff until I was ready. It was almost lunch time by then so we stopped for some sustenance.

http://saltshakerdeli.com

I had a smoked salmon club sandwich - yum! and my friend had a great chicken, brie and cranberry pizza. It was delicious!!!! We ate outside on the deck and enjoyed the view of the horse drawn carriage tours, bus loads of tourists and general waterfront activity. Will remember all this socializing when I'm back to work (shhhhh but the countdown in into single digits now).

By Wednesday it was back into the social planning mode again as a girls night out at a local cottage

was in the works. Managed to round up supplies for BBQ burgers, some folks contributed salads, one of the guests of honour brought the makings for s'mores and we had a cake for my newly retired former co-worker. We managed to surprise her (which can be a challenge) and gave her some US funds for our planned 'southern belle' tour in December. The other guest being cheered along in her chemo treatments received a spa gift certificate for mani-pedi as well as lots of laughs and stories. It was for the most part, a large group of more mature attendees some of who had to leave early or arrive late (the bane of shiftworkers) and there were lots of war stories from 'back in the day'. Four of us slept over and enjoyed a full breakfast in the morning  before heading out. Ahhhhh, good times.

Friday saw me back on the road again like that old Wayne Rostad song. Up early to catch my physio appointment which was completed in a more timely manner, and for which I was pleased. I was also relieved to hear that Darlene felt my shoulder problem was not a rotator cuff tear but rather an impingement - meaning I'd trapped it somehow - and was settling nicely. If you can call being taped up and wearing a posture support brace in this heat nice. One more appointment before I head back to work. She's suggested that I lie face down with my left arm hanging over the edge of the bed with a soup can in my hand. Apparently the beds in my house are all close to the floor or I have exceptionally long arms as my knuckles graze the floor when I do this - good thing I can still oppose my thumb to all my fingers :) She tells me this is to stretch the muscles in my my left shoulder and chest out.

Underway to meet up with my former co-worker in Truro and then off to Amherst. Construction and really heavy Labour Day weekend traffic. Passing truckloads of furniture being moved to universities across the province reminded me of multiple Labour Days spent relocating offspring to institutions of higher learning. Connected with my friend and up to Amherst to visit with another former work colleague and his wife. They have a wonderful modern home on Penny Lane, just off Abbey Road which is filled with art, antiques and heirlooms. So cozy. We visited, shopped a bit in the downtown (which I hadn't been in for over 40 years) and I picked up some lovely lacy yarn which I couldn't resist, and then enjoyed G&Ts in the living room before supper. Discussed such topics as senior learning - Eldershostel is now called Road Scholar:

http://www.roadscholar.org

and the 'open university for seniors' concept of Tantramar Seniors College where both of our hosts lecture. It is a non profit organization which offers courses on diverse topics - check it out:

http://tantramarseniorscollege.ca

I offered my presentation on Nunavut, so may find my way back there. I will have it polished after presenting for Mid Week Break at the library in November. Supper of fish, fresh veggies and lemon tarte was delicious. Then we headed out to Tidnish Bridge for an evening of jazz which was a fundraiser for a new roof for the art gallery. The music was superb, the vocalist had a wonderful set of pipes (as did her daughter who sang twice) and the saxophone brought tears to your eyes it was so good. There was also a bass player who I couldn't fit in to the photo and a 'guest' who came to visit for the weekend and was added to the line up. He was a professional bass player who had played in New York with the sax player twenty years ago. We had no problem dropping the suggested $10 into the hat when it was passed around. What a wonderful evening of entertainment. Home for some more visiting and then off to bed where I'm sorry to say that I snored in the key of G so my roommate knew she wasn't alone.

Up in the morning for a wonderful breakfast which our host cooked for us of roasted tomatoes, spinach frittata and toast. We told them that the B&B would get a five star rating on Trip Advisor from us. Off
to source fresh blueberries at the local packing plant (for about $3 per box cheaper than I pay at home) then to the market in Sackville. One of the streets is blocked off and there is a wonderful assortment of fresh vegetables, meats, baked goods, preserves, vintage dishes, teas, soaps, ethnic foods, wine, fruits and live music. A quick stop at the Salvation Army Thrift Shop and then off for a walk through the bird sanctuary. There were many varieties of birds, especially very tame ducks and lots of dragon flies in the sun. It was getting pretty warm once we made our way to the gift shop but the air conditioning felt good and there were some beautiful, reasonably priced crafts which the ladies checked out while our host surfed the news online. Back to retrieve our stuff, thank our wonderful hosts and on the highway. My friend headed off to visit her sister at the trailer by the sea to make good use of the holiday weekend and I filled up with gas and out on the road. What traffic - it took me over an hour longer to get home today than the drive up. Lots of slow moving vehicles, more students being taken to university and a beautiful sunny day until.....I got within twenty minutes of home that is. I was met with thick fog and a temperature which dropped from 27 c to 20c in a few kilometres. Thought of wearing an orange vest when I walked the dog.

Lots of social activity for the final week of my 'time off' and so I'm being taken to lunch on Tuesday by two retired ladies I 'used' to work with, I have another physio appointment on Wednesday and Thursday a friend and I are going (weather dependent - although the forecast looks good from here) to Tancook Island for the day and Friday will be the car servicing and undercoating. At some point in that whirlwind of a schedule I have to pack. For those of you who haven't seen this video which is circulating it's the caution against taking your full of clothes roof top luggage carrier in to a safari park. Pretty cute:

http://www.myamazingearth.com/2012/09/baboons-hijacks-a-car-at-safari-park

It turns out that I will have company on my journey as a younger nurse will be flying with me as she heads out for the first time to be a home care nurse in another Kitikmeot community. I can't believe that it's been a year since I began myself. Looking forward to seeing both my girlies in Edmonton. One is working and should join me for supper, the other is coming off nights and having car trouble but the plan is to rent wheels for the trip to see her mother. Well, late and lots of kms on this carcass today. Off to hit the hay. Don't you love the quote of the day below?

"The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion."- Paulo Coelho