I'm getting a late start this morning. The dog woke me up at 5:30 a.m. to go out, and I let her out and just assumed we were up. But then, when she came back in, she went straight back to the warm bed -- so I did too. I only woke up about 20 minutes ago.
In lieu of a photo I'm giving you a short video of the back garden, showing the colors and leaves and sounds of autumn. I worked Olga into the clip, and I especially love the line of pigeons sitting atop the white apartment building behind our flat, spaced so evenly they could be gargoyles.
I managed to avoid filming Mr. Russia, who was working on the terrace above our living room spreading some volatile compound. He's been talking about the need to re-seal it so I'm sure that's what it was. Every time I open the back door, Dave says, "Close the door! That stuff stinks!" And it does.
I had to swallow this yesterday. This is not THE capsule, the one with the camera. It's just a dummy, a sort of test capsule to make sure my gut is capable of passing the camera later. I don't swallow the camera until tomorrow morning, at the hospital. If it's the same size as the dummy, known for some reason as a "patency" capsule, it should be a cinch. The dummy was no worse than a vitamin pill.
But I am on a low-fiber diet, which is pretty dismal. Yesterday for breakfast: white toast and an egg. Lunch: white toast with leftover ground beef and cheese. Dinner: skinless chicken and white dinner rolls. This is not the way I usually eat and I am dying for some broccoli. Dave bought carrot cake as a dessert treat, forgetting that carrots and nuts are off-limits for me at the moment. Oh well -- Monday night!
I walked Olga on the high street yesterday and did lots of housekeeping -- two loads of laundry, thorough vacuuming (including under the bed), plant-watering, windowsill-cleaning and other odds and ends. I don't know how there's always so much to do around this place when there are only two of us and a dog. How do people with children do it?
I'm trying to catch up on my New Yorkers, or at least make a dent in them. I was nine issues behind, having been diverted by "Bleak House." I've since dispatched two, and I'll take care of a few more today. Fortunately I'm off work tomorrow, but I doubt I'll clear the coffee table entirely!
Those pigeons are watching you....be afraid, very afraid!
ReplyDelete"The Birds"!
DeleteTentatively, as I fear your wrath, may I suggest that you rake up the fallen leaves and put them in a bag where they can rot down? Then, months later, you will have a nice little supply of leaf mould or a nutritious extra ingredient for your compost. Please stop shouting!
ReplyDeleteWhy bag them, though? If I rake them I usually just pile them in the borders and they rot down there. Why would I be shouting? WHO DO YOU THINK I AM?!
DeleteI’m kind of excited about your procedure. I’m extremely sorry about your preparation. I love the video. Thanks for pointing out the pigeons. I would have thought they WERE gargoyles.
ReplyDeleteThey really do look like that, don't they? It's funny how they give each other space.
DeleteYour pile of New Yorkers is exactly why I don't subscribe anymore. I couldn't cope! The video is lovely -- you do have a lot of color, just mostly soft, muted tones, which are beautiful. Of course, my favorite was the spot of black and white! Sending all good wishes for the test tomorrow. I'm interested in hearing more about it if you feel like sharing! Meanwhile, enjoy the day -- sorry about the food!
ReplyDeleteThe New Yorker is a veritable avalanche of words.
DeleteI got vibes from two films: The Birds and Fantastic Voyage pagain]!
ReplyDeleteTippi Hedren AND Raquel Welch! What could go wrong?
DeleteSuch exciting food! When my son had one of those preps recently, he was at a loss about what to eat! Such dull stuff.
ReplyDeleteYeah, there's no way to make it good.
DeleteThe garden looks very fall-like. I love the sound of those leaves crunching under your feet.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with your adventures in modern medicine.
I tried to make it interesting for the ears as well as the eyes! LOL!
DeleteYour garden is beautiful all year round, how lucky you are to have than space in such a gorgeous area! As for folks with children- standards are lowered- one learns to live with mess and chaos - priorities are keep everyone well fed and clean, well clothed and safe.
ReplyDeleteSwallowing a camera is just CooL! I hope that they give you the video!
Yeah, I'm sure it's true that with kids you realign priorities.
DeleteGood luck with the bowel camera. I still remember that old film with the submarine, I loved it!
ReplyDeleteYes -- "The Fantastic Voyage." All I remember is the attack of the blood cells.
Deleteyou lucked out when you got that flat, just for the garden alone. are they going to let you see the images of your gut when you swallow the camera? I'd be asking to see.
ReplyDeleteI saw a few pictures and that was enough.
DeleteThe Fall colors are beautifully muted ... I like that!
ReplyDeleteMy thought about what you can eat is this: Be glad you get anything to eat at all! What if you had to fast all day today and only sipping on broth?
Well, I just hope everything comes out in the end!!
That was my Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. Ugh.
DeleteLovely video! I love that bench back under the pretty tree. Good luck with the camera pill! Hope it shows no problems at all, Steve.
ReplyDeleteI was catching up on New Yorkers, too, but it seems silly to read a lot of the election prediction articles now that it's too late! ;(
That bench is my favorite spot in the summer. I just skip all the stuff in The New Yorker that's already out of date.
DeleteI cannot for the life of me ever wishing for broccoli. I eat it but only because I know it's good for me.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is saying good-bye for the winter. It's a little tattered and faded, but still so very beautiful.
I love broccoli! My favorite vegetable! I love brussels sprouts too. I know, weird.
DeleteI quit taking any weekly magazines years ago. I have enough trouble keeping up with monthly mags (I have four National Geographics sitting on my ottoman).
ReplyDeleteYour garden is beautiful every season of the year!
How did we ever have the time to read magazines years ago? I guess we weren't online all the time, reading blogs. :)
DeleteGood luck tomorrow on the camera business. At least you know that you're not going to gag on the thing.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was reassuring to see that the swallowing would be easy.
DeleteAren't cooked veggies OK, just not raw ones? Nuts are definitely off limits though. I love carrot cake! The test will soon be over and you can get back to normal eating. No consolation in the moment, I know.
ReplyDeleteNo, no vegetables! They specifically said that.
DeleteI do hope you get to watch the progress of the camera. I would love to see that, but perhaps that's just me.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting for the first few pictures, but it quickly became monotonous. I want to know how the doctor does it. Does he really look at every shot?
DeleteI love that video - very autumnal! Good luck with the camera tomorrow - and enjoy your carrot cake reward!
ReplyDeleteThank you! That carrot cake was yummy when I could finally eat it. :)
DeleteYour garden is a haven and very colorful. Good luck tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThank you, e!
DeleteSometimes I get up for an early morning bathroom break and then decide to stay up and do some early morning blogging. Other times, the warm bed just calls my name and I go back and perhaps drift back to sleep for another hour or so. I guess like probably Olga, I'm old enough to do what I feel like doing now and don't have to answer to others.
ReplyDeleteThat's always nice. I wish I could just stay in bed some days but duty calls.
DeleteYou have a great Autumn garden. The red maple is beautiful, and it provides a lovely pop of color.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the camera tomorrow.
This is my favorite time of year for the maple. It's so bright!
DeleteTake a couple of those New Yorkers with you as you wait out the testing.
ReplyDeleteYour back yard is just gorgeous.
Absolutely! I used the opportunity to get through most of one, but surprisingly I wasn't waiting around much.
DeleteThat's a very big "vitamin pill". Why catch up on the New Yorkers? I'd read the newest two for the latest news and then keep up as the new ones come in. I wouldn't bother reading old news. As for housework, I don't know how other mums did it, but I would send the kids outside to play between breakfast and lunch while I got stuff done. In Australia the weather is almost always dry enough to do that. When thye got older I had them helping so they'd learn how.
ReplyDeleteThe New Yorker is VERY expensive here in the UK -- I pay about $250 a year for my subscription, as I recall. I don't want to throw any of them away!
DeleteP.S. your garden is beautiful, I like the red tree and didn't even notice the pigeons. Will you be trimming those leggy rose stems?
ReplyDeleteYes, the roses get a light prune now and a heavy one in February.
Delete