Recuperation

Thank you to all who sent their wishes for my speedy recovery from Sunday's heart attack via this blog, Facebook, and emails. Anne and I really appreciate the support we are receiving.
Yesterday, for example, I received a phone call from my elder sister, Mary, who was on one of her many holidays. Other family members had tracked her down, and she called us from Cornwall. A good friend from church also called, our Minister dropped by for a welcome visit and prayer, and a fellow bass singer from the choir also visited. The number of emails received was a little overwhelming too.

Before I was allowed to leave the Heart Institute on Tuesday, Anne and I attended a 90 minute session on how to cope for the next weeks and months. We were given three booklets to study and to follow. One is called the "Cardiology Discharge Booklet." While it was described as being in need of some updating, it is a very useful guide.

One section in this booklet gives good advice as to what I can do in the first three weeks at home. Some of the items make me laugh. Under the section, "Household" it suggests I should climb stairs slowly (a good idea), and then goes on to suggest I could also dust, polish furniture or do light laundry. While I have been known to do all these things occasionally, they are not highly ranking on my recuperation list of activities.

On the recreational side the booklet suggest I might walk slowly (agreed) and cycle on a stationary bike. Unfortunately we do not have such a bike!. And the suggestion that I could play billiards, the piano, and shuffleboard make me laugh since I was never any good at any of those activities before the heart attack!

Life has changed for us, but it will return to normal in the next few months.

Facebook: my social network.

Just a few weeks ago I began to use Facebook as a means to promote my sales of baskets and vintage items. As the weeks have passed I realised that Facebook is more than a promotional site for my 0n-line venture.

First it is a means of keeping in touch with some relatives we had not had much contact with in the past. Over the last forty or so years we have kept in touch with brothers and sisters in England via the phone, snail mail, and returns to England every three years or so. We did not keep in touch in this period with nephews and nieces. Now several nephews and neices ( and spouses thereof) are regular contacts through Facebook. How else would I have regular reports on the antics of referees at Stoke City matches?

It is also a means of keeping in contact with a couple of friends from our days in 1966-8 from Montreal. The photograph above reflects a similar photograph taken in that period at the top of Mount Royal.

Facebook is also a way of learning about new friends and contacts in Ottawa, friends as neighbours as well as friends from Glen Cairn United Church. Friends who work with Adrian could also be added to this group.

Facebook also allows me to keep in touch with people I taught with at Red Lake District High School. And it is from these friends that a number of my past students at RLDHS have contacted me. My reserved English background allows me to make friends with past students if they initiate the contact.

Through this blog I have also made some Facebook friends who are basket-makers or basket lovers. And through the blog and Etsy, I have also become part of a social network of people who have interests in people with autism.

And so my social network of Facebook friends slowly grows. Its purposes have grown too so that it is much more than a means of promoting sales!