When God Winks At You

Hot summer July days are just what the doctor ordered. Well not really, but when you think about it, they make you tired and thirsty, so you drink lots of water and get plenty of rest. At least that is my theory for surviving the heat!

 

I used to love the heat and warm summer days, and truly I still do, but I am not sure that it loves me anymore. To keep up my daily walking I have to get up very early to avoid the heat. So suffice it to say, some days I have opted for sleep over exercise on very hot humid days!

 

July started off with both a wedding and a bridal shower on the same weekend.  And both were truly beautiful events. Darcie and Shane were married on the shore of Lake Erie at the historical John R. Park Homestead, and it was both romantic and stunning. They were blessed with incredible weather and fantastic memories to start off their married life.

 

Julia’s bridal shower also brought together family and friends to celebrate her upcoming wedding. She has become a beautiful young lady and will make a caring and compassionate physician one day. It is hard for me to believe that the little girl that I taught to play the piano many years ago is now getting married and soon will be practicing medicine.

 

Both events certainly provided a chance for me to pause and think about life. Two young women starting out, with hopes and dreams of health, happiness and prosperity in married life. I wish them both all of that, but most importantly, I wish them both good health. It truly is something that you take for granted until you don’t have it. I know that I did. And by that I don’t mean that I abused my health in any way, in fact, just the opposite. I tried to eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep (ok, I wasn’t always successful there); however I also thought by doing this that I could work 18 hours a day and life would be just fine. I never really took the time to stop and truly appreciate the good health that I once had.

 

So as the first weekend in July drew to a close, I tried to focus on the health law course that I was taking. However the cases that I was reading about potential problems in health care or lack of proper diagnosis were hitting too close to home and reminding me of my own delayed diagnosis. Whatever the reason, I decided that the essay that was due could be put on hold for another day so my friends could join me in watching the July 4^th fireworks across the river from my porch. One of the advantages of living on the Detroit River is that you can watch both the Canadian and American fireworks displays. While watching the fireworks with my friends, I found myself deep in thought and very appreciative of the company on my porch. If I have learned anything at all this past year it is that my friends are very, very important, and that I must treasure every opportunity to spend with them.

 

Monday brought me back to my regular routine of an early morning walk before attempting to accomplish a number of errands. Some days I put an awful lot of things on my "To Do" list and this day was no exception. After meeting with Paul about my floor (yes, my construction is still ongoing), stopping by my accountant’s office, talking to the town about the property next door, a few calls about breast reconstruction and working on my essay, it was time for a bit of exercise and a swim at my parents. It was also a chance to visit with Linda and Ralph who were visiting from Ottawa for a few days on their way out west. I didn’t stay long once my swim was finished because I was determined to get my essay outline finished. Of course a case about a cancer diagnosis led me to the internet and somehow I ended up surfing the net for more information on breast reconstruction. This is definitely not the best thing to do before heading to bed and it certainly didn’t help me to finish my essay outline!

 

Every now and then I have what I now call a “me” day, and Tuesday was one of those. After my annual physical, I did a bit of shopping for the cottage, before heading to my hair appointment. Yes, a real, live hair appointment. My friend Michele is going to assist in getting the grey out of my hair. A year ago this would have upset me, but today, I love the idea that I actually have enough hair that I have to worry about colouring it! Of course it is still very, very short, but it is coming back in and that is all that matters now. It is a sign of recovery and good health in my opinion. So afterwards, I allowed myself to celebrate by having dinner with Linda and Ralph at my sister’s house.

 

Wednesday was a chance for a walk to the gym to use the weights very early in the morning. It was a great way to start the day and I was energized to make great progress on my essay, before joining my parents and Linda and Ralph for dinner. I also fit in a swim before returning to work on my essay.

 

Getting up early the next day meant I could start the day with a long walk and a bit of work on my essay before lunch by Sylvia’s pool. Unfortunately I had to cut the afternoon fun a bit short to participate in a conference call for the tribunal, but it also meant that I was able to do a little work on my essay before joining Jo-Anne for her birthday dinner. I love it when my friends catch up in age with me because I feel so-o-o-o much younger!

 

Dinner was also a chance to talk a little bit about heading north to the cottage in the coming days. And of course the conversation about the pleasure craft operator’s card, reminded me that our boat up north needed the license number on the side. Unfortunately we couldn’t find the old license number so I had to make a trip to Service Canada to request a new license number. I arrived just before closing on Friday to discover that I also required a declaration signed by my father, who is the owner of the boat. This meant another trip back on the following Monday to get the necessary license or risk a fine!

 

A rather hectic Friday ended on a very positive note as I joined my new friend Jen for dinner at her house. She has also gone through a very similar experience with breast cancer this past year. It is quite nice to relax and talk with another breast cancer patient and compare notes. There are often many similarities, but also many differences.  She truly has her act together and has a great vision on where her life is going now. She also is a really good cook, so dinner was delicious and a lot of fun!

 

Now getting ready for the cottage can be a busy time all on its own. To start with our family cottage is on an island in northern Ontario, which means that you have to bring everything with you. And when I say everything, I mean absolutely everything. So in between exercise and working on my essay, I started to assemble some items for the cottage on Saturday and Sunday, but it was a very busy weekend.  Cathy and Shelby came down to help celebrate our dad’s 86^th birthday on Sunday, so we had both a family breakfast and dinner at Terry and Joe’s (thank goodness Joe likes to cook!). I also visited Charlene and Alex at Jo-Anne and Ron’s and went for a swim somewhere in between!

 

Monday was the deadline day I established long ago for the health essay exam. It actually was not officially due until Friday, but I was leaving Tuesday for the cottage, so I had to get it finished and I did. Of course once it was finished I thought about a number of changes I could make (and some I did) before sending the final version off by email and express post!

 

With my essay in the mail, I was able to relax a little bit and concentrate on packing for the cottage. I didn’t quite leave at my preferred time of departure, but I was on the road by 3:15 Tuesday afternoon. I stopped in Chatham to pick up a few things for the cottage from my cousin Tom before he left his office. And I actually arrived at the motel in Orillia around 9:45pm, had plenty of time to draft a letter for a friend and was still able to get a good night’s sleep.

 

There is something about the northern air that I truly love. Because when I walked out to the car the next morning the air was fresh and crisp and I felt quite energized. As I drove towards North Bay, I didn’t even mind the construction delays. They are progress and mean that people are working; all good things in this economy.

 

Since we have been going to our cottage for almost 40 years, perhaps I should explain a bit before I make assumptions. When we purchased the small island with my cousin’s family it was just an island with trees and rocks. So for the first few years we stayed in tents while we cleared the land and built the cottage. It was probably one of the best experiences I had growing up. We hauled lumber, cleared brush, moved rocks, and had a great time. Today, the fruits of that labour are the cottage we enjoy with docks and a sundeck.

 

I mentioned earlier that the cottage is on an island which also means that we don’t have electricity or city water, although we do have solar lights and a propane fridge and stove. And yes we have an indoor bathroom but the outhouse is truly the second choice if you can’t wait! We also do not have hot water unless you boil it on the stove, so that usually means that you go for a quick dip to bathe.

 

So on Wednesday morning I arrived in North Bay in plenty of time to do the traditional grocery shopping for a few items including fresh fruit and vegetables, milk and bread. Jo-Anne and Curtis Bas arrived from their trip to Bancroft around 1:30 and we headed to the landing. Our good friend Ralph, who keeps our boat for us, had offered to help me set up a couple things at the island the first day. Although I tried to help out, Jo-Anne and Curtis did most of the heavy lifting in moving our belongings from the cars to the dock. And by the time we loaded the boats and parked the vehicles at Ralph and Naydene’s, it was after three, but we were totally relaxed because it was an incredibly beautiful sunny hot day. In fact the water was just like glass without a ripple. Perhaps this was an indication of what was to come but lets just say I couldn’t have predicted the afternoon’s events if I had tried…..

 

We hadn’t gone more than a mile when the boat just stopped. I was following Ralph in his boat, so he circled back and we tried to get it going again without much success. At first he was going to tow us back to the landing, but then he decided to anchor the boat and take the stuff in his boat out to the cottage. Jo-Anne was definitely a trooper as she stayed with the boat in the hot sun and Curtis and I joined Ralph in his boat. After two trips to the island, Ralph was now able to pull the empty boat back to the landing.

 

Two hours later, after checking the coil, the spark plugs, the carburetor, and a number of other things the boat roared to life. Ralph did check with my brother-in-law Joe on what might be wrong, but they both agreed if the boat was running we should go for it. So Jo-Anne, Curtis and I jumped in and headed out to the cottage. It was almost 8:30 in the evening when we arrived which didn’t leave a lot of daylight, but we were able to get the boards off the windows, the solar lights turned on, and the bathroom in semi-working order by using pails of water, before we took a quick dip in the lake and made dinner. Sleep came easy that night that much I know for sure!

 

The next morning Jo-Anne and I had a few more challenges to deal with. We needed to get the water line hooked up and the pump going. Fortunately our closest neighbours came by just before noon, and Mr. Schuetter, with Adrian, Jo-Anne and MaryAnn’s help was able to get the pump going for us. We were now in business because we had running water and the dead bolt back on the cottage door. The boat also started on the first try, so we headed to the landing to pick up the rest of the things we had brought and to get some more gas. After dinner we had a bit of time to clean a few things before we headed to the lake for a quick dip again. It was another night where sleep came quite easily for me. Perhaps it was the fresh air or maybe it was all the work we accomplished, whatever it was the tamoxifen didn’t interfere with a good night’s sleep.

 

Just when you think things are going really well, there is always another surprise. Friday morning was busy with more cleaning, a bit of organizing and putting the now famous license numbers on one side of the boat. However when we all got in the boat the engine wouldn’t start; the battery was dead. The good news was that Ron had sent a battery pack we could use to jump the boat and it actually worked! The bad news was we were a bit late getting to the landing and our shopping in North Bay became quite a quick expedition. We had several stops including a trip to Canadian Tire for two new boat batteries before we picked up my parents at the airport in North Bay. Somehow it all worked out and we got back to the island in time to have a nice dinner and enjoy the sunset!

 

When we were kids we hated leaving the island to go to North Bay for supplies because it always took up the entire day. And truthfully I still do hate leaving because it still does take up the entire day, but as an adult you know these things need to be done. So Curtis and I got up early on Saturday and headed for North Bay to pick up some lumber, return the old boat batteries, and pick up some minnows and gas, but most importantly to pick up Ron at the landing. Curtis was very excited to see his dad and couldn’t wait to go fishing, so after we got back to the cottage and had dinner, the guys all went fishing.  Of course we all laughed when it was my dad who caught the first fish of the trip! He didn’t have any of the new fishing equipment that Ron and Curtis had invested in!

 

Sunday was Jo-Anne and Ron’s 23^rd wedding anniversary, and I truly appreciated that they were willing to spend it at the cottage on Island J. They didn’t have much privacy in our rustic cottage, but my mom did suggest to Jo-Anne that she probably should get more action after 23 years of marriage! Jo-Anne and I howled at this, because coming from my 82 year old mother it was truly quite funny. Of course it became the slogan of the trip and my mother tried to deny ever saying it, but it brought a smile every time it came up! Sunday was also a day for relaxation down on the sun deck, before a great meal of salmon cooked on cedar planks and peach crisp! Of course a day at the cottage wouldn’t be complete without a round of Yukor (McGregor rules of course) before bedtime!

 

Ron and Curtis were truly determined to fish every minute of the day that they could and they were out in the boat before breakfast the next morning. It was tough, but Jo-Anne and I were able to convince Ron to cut the lawn and then help us put in the floating raft before heading out again. We were going to build the railing ourselves, but Ron offered to help, and pretty soon I was just a spectator in the event. I did get the beer and somehow I also ended up with a sliver in my hand, but all in all, the new railing looks pretty good!

 

It was great to go for a swim knowing that our major chores for the week were almost over and that we could now enjoy our leisure time however we wanted. And swimming in the lake was more than just a bath for me; it had to be my exercise at the cottage as well. So even though it was much colder than my parents’ pool, I swam for about 30 minutes every day to try to keep my body in shape. I also brought some hand weights to work on my arm exercises and Curtis was able to use them to help do his exercises to get ready for hockey this fall!

 

The days at the cottage went by much too quickly, between sleeping in, breakfast brunches, and drinks down by the dock and gourmet dinners (Jo-Anne is a great cook!). We even had homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to offer the Leardi’s and the Wolff’s when they stopped by one cloudy afternoon to visit.  I was truly amazed at the stamina that Ron and Curtis had for fishing. Several times we had to literally pull them out of the boat to come and eat dinner!

 

My parents left on a flight on Thursday evening, so Jo-Anne and I took them to the airport while Ron and Curtis stayed at the Schuetter chalet for the afternoon with the Leardi’s and the Wolff’s. It was sad to see my parents leave, but I truly think they had a nice time and were ready to get back to their warm swimming pool and real showers! On our way back Jo-Anne and I stopped in at the Schuetter chalet for apple crisp with Sylvia and Mary Ann while the guys were out fishing. And not to disappoint Curtis, there was one last round of Yukor on his last night on Island J.

 

Ron had wanted to get an early start, but everyone was still sleeping at 9:20! So needless to say that after breakfast and a quick swim with Jo-Anne, the Bas family wasn’t ready to leave the landing until noon. I decide to pick up some more gas before heading back to the cottage. And yes, if you are adding things correctly, I went back to the cottage alone. No one actually thought this was really a good idea but since Sylvia and her family were not far away at their cottage I decided it would be fine.

 

The next six days turned out to be a wonderful experience for me. Each morning I would spend a few hours cleaning cupboards or floors while listening to CBC radio, then I would read a book before heading over to Sylvia’s for a swim and dinner, and return before dark to read a bit more before getting a good night’s sleep. Docking the boat alone was a new experience, but I was actually able to do it even on the very windy days. The cottage was incredibly quiet and peaceful at times, and at other times it was a bit lonely after all of the activity, but my body truly enjoyed the time it had to rest.

 

I also had plenty of time to think. A year ago I had gone to the cottage not knowing that I had breast cancer but suspecting something wasn’t quite right. I truly thought that I had a cyst, and never in my wildest imagination could I have predicted the year that I have had. While I read the book “When God Winks at You” it truly struck home. There have been so many incredible signs over the past year that things will work out and that life will evolve. Every time I have felt down and out, someone or something positive has come into my life to pick me up.

 

And here is just one example of either God winking at me or a strange coincidence. Everyone had tried to instill a fear in me that there might be a bear on the island if I stayed alone. Of course no one worried while we were all there together, and we have never had a bear on the island before, but everyone still tried. On my first full day alone on the island, just as I was getting ready to head over to Sylvia’s for a swim, I made a quick cell call to my parents to say hello. While I was on the phone, I noticed a large animal swimming towards the island, and at first I panicked because I thought it was a bear, but as it got closer I quickly realized it was a bull moose. It was truly majestic to see. The water was calm, like the first day we arrived, and it looked as if the moose was actually walking through the water instead of swimming. He passed right in front of the dock as he headed toward the large piece of land nearby. I scrambled to find my camera and get down to the dock to take a picture.

 

Why do I say this is a strange coincidence? I have only ever seen a moose in our bay once before, and it was 14 years ago. It was a moose with a young one swimming next to it. I remember telling our friend Ken about it, and he wanted to know why I hadn’t taken care of it so we could have dinner. He was kidding of course, but he was definitely into hunting. Ken was our dear friend who helped us at the landing with our boat, came out to visit with his wife Naydene and cooked an annual fish fry for us. We would make the potatoes and sweet corn and he would bring the fish! He even tried for several years to teach me how to tie a boat knot properly (unsuccessfully I might add). Ken passed away in 1997, but when I saw that moose in front of the island, I knew instantly that I would be ok alone on the island. I knew that someone was watching over me. And it truly felt like it was Ken winking at me!