Saturday, August 29, 2020

Bate Out

Yesterday the Everest of Banking, Library-ing, mailouts, and a grocery dabble (my curbside pickup is on strike) took place. Along with bed-changing, showering and dishwashing.

I didn't count the spoons.

The library had what they called a "soft opening". The librarians were behind plexi-glass but encouraged shelf browsing. I didn't. It was all I could do to pick up the three books they had on hold for me. But delighted I am with these as I was running a little low on my stockpile and that creates panic and you don't want to be around that.

I managed to cruise a little island inside the grocery store which had those display items of non-matchy things. Like grapes beside beef-rolls and lemon meringue pie beside spinach dip. All of which I bought as I felt like I was on death's door and couldn't move beyond this island of ill-matched goods. So yes, now I have a large thingie of cabbage rolls too and a chicken pot pie for a family of farmers and assorted little cheeses and oh 8 Portuguese rolls.

But I'll stretch the magnificent melange out into a semblance of kinda sorta meals.

I was sitting on the only bench outside the checkout area when a friend tinged and said she was in the grocery store and did I need....?

She came wandering out in surprise and told me I looked like death warmed up. Just what I wanted to hear.

So I got home, finally. A sad, trudging, and deathlike carapace of a human. Only to hear news that an old friend in Ontario had died after 3 years of awful and relentless cancer.

So I did what you would do, crawled into bed and stayed there. Thinking of times past and grieving and then thinking reach out to some younger people. Which I did. And they sent me pictures of completed projects and flowers.

But I'm still bate out as I type. Bate out? An Irish expression. Finished. Can't lift the pinky for a cuppa.

But hell, yes, we march on.

Amuse-Bouche
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28 comments:

  1. I so understand bate out. Which I call feeling like chewed string. Just reading your day was more than enough.
    Love the truth of the ancestral mathematics and that photo series is a stunner.
    Huge thanks. And hopes that your spoons replenish.
    Hugs.

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    1. Taking the day off today has surely helped EC. Finally coming back into myself at 7.30 pm.here. These lessons are taking a long time to kick into the brain.

      XO
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  2. Which farm family are you planning on adopting to feed?
    I might add, it all sounds delightfully alluring.

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    1. You'd be one of the them for sure GP. I threw it in the freezer for another day. I'm wading my way through those beef sausage rolls. Someone has to do it. I might have them with the spinach dip tonight. I have to have some veggies........:D

      XO
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  3. I'd never heard that expression. But dog tired I get.

    The moon photos - very clever.

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    1. I fell in love with that when I saw it. The patience alone!

      XO
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  4. A rough day and sometimes bed is the only place to be.
    I haven't heard of bate out.
    The moon photos are brilliant and certainly beat holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

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    1. Yes that Pisa thing got a bit tired after the 1000s of iterations.

      I'm hoping to rise like a phoenix one of these days.

      XO
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  5. Yes, bate out last Wednesday. Me. My neighbor came and handed my groceries up over the rail; I couldn't manage the stairs.
    I was such a fortunate/unfortunate grandchild. I was the first grandchild of the only grandparent I ever knew I had. It may have been more common back then to have fewer grandparents. It is a different existence.

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  6. Yes I came close myself to just throwing in the towel, Joanne, but knowing I need pacing and doing it is another story entirely and not written by me yet.

    XO
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  7. I'm sorry to hear you are "bate", and hope things improve soon. I like the Ancestral Mathematics and LOVE the guy stealing the moon.

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    1. Those pics cheered my up immensely River. It doesn't take much which is a good thing.
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  8. I hope you feel better by now, bate out is new to me, the word that is, not the feeling. And those stealing the moon-photos - so well done. Tha ancestral mathematics are fun, but mostly untrue, as we do not noramlly have that many unique Great-great-...-grands. I mean your maternal and paternal greatx4-grands tend to - at least partially - be the same persons unless they were moving around a lot ;)

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    1. I don't quite follow your logic, Charlotte, though I don't doubt it either. It just seems to me like there's quite a mass of people behind us :)/

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    2. However many there are I'm glad they all did their part to ensure I got born, so I could have my children and grandchildren.

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  9. Sorry you're feeling blue. I think we're all experiencing stress and fatigue these days. But at least I learned a new expression today!

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    1. Definitely Caution Exhaustion and Pandemic Pollution Tom, a factor we're all aware of.

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  10. I am sad that you feel like this. I had to consult my doctor for anxiety and he helped. Perhaps you should talk to your GP about how you feel and take it from there.

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    1. It's on my list, Ramana, but any little thing seems another stress point for me. Even a call to the doc. I know you understand.

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  11. Your food sounds delicious. Lol. Love the last photography of the man stealing the moon. Amazing.

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    1. It's lovely Gigi, the patience and time it took.

      XO
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  12. To your kind comment on my post - Thanks, WWW! Honestly, I go to Yorkville and I get so confused as to where I am. I am surprised that Cumberland Terrace is still standing, although practically empty. That dated food court is still there as well.

    I had an uncle die this week and a friend had a brother die last week.
    With this virus, my cousin has said it is okay if we don't go to Montreal for the funeral. I am debating, would love to go for her, however, common sense tells me not to.

    Your grocery finds sound great. It's fun just to shop like that.

    I borrow my library books via their online app. I find my eyes have a hard time now reading from a hard copy.

    Stay strong!!!

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    1. Thanks Jackie, your posts always bring on so many memories for me. Sights and sounds that will never appear again due to the incredible razing of old Toronto.

      I am so sorry to hear of your losses too. The autumn of our years alas, has a penalty. I have used donations rather than attendance and flowers at such funerals. Honouring the needy living while cherishing the memory of the loved one.

      I gave away my Kindle, but I hear you on the eyes, I am having some trouble lately so may have to adapt to the Ebook.

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  13. If I shop when hungry I get home with a lot of random and mismatched but delicious things! It won't be a hardship to get through it, it sounds good.
    Bate out does't sound so great but you've done everything now, you can stay home and recover :)

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    1. I've been busy doing just that Kylie and chatting with friends on the phone (bluetooth) and finishing off a small project and lining up some knitting designs.

      XO
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  14. So you got books and you got food - two of life's essentials! Like you, I get a bit panicky if I don't have enough books at the ready. I didn't know the term "bate out". Maybe the people I know have never been exhausted enough to use it?

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    1. It could be a south of Ireland thing maybe? Bate is also used to condemn someone - as in when everyone hated Bertie Ahern and he was known as "Bate". Interesting use of the word.

      I was presented with 3 more books tonight. So I am well stocked and supremely unpanicked now.

      XO
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