November: Never A Dull Moment

I wrote that title somewhat sarcastically.  “Never a dull moment” should be about fun stuff, but that’s not how I’m going to remember this month.

It’s not as if the weather wasn’t unusually warm for November, allowing for many pleasant outings.  It was, and I have no complaints there.

Trinity Square Park

Nor am I going to complain about the unreasonably early arrival of Christmas hype that has been bubbling up everywhere.  This shopaholic hasn’t been feeding her credit card this month.

Christmas window displays

in Saks of Fifth Ave … on Queen St in Toronto

Hospitals however, were a different matter.  I’ve made numerous trips to various hospitals this month. Have you paid the fees in a hospital parking lot lately?  Holy Sticker-Shock.

Son #2 did in fact break his foot earlier this month, as I wrote about here.  With his left foot now in a Boot Cast and unable to drive his manual shift car, Mom had to step up to the plate and trade cars with him.

I’m not sure who was more nervous – me, driving a standard in city traffic for the first time since my 20s – or Misha, having his very rusty mother driving his almost-new car.

I saw my life flash in front of my eyes a few times, but nothing that a glass of wine couldn’t later smooth out.

Grainy photo taken with my phone

… but any whining I might have done was short-lived.

While we were attending a Fracture Clinic for Misha in a downtown hospital one week, the following week in a different Fracture Clinic at a north-end hospital, I learned my collarbone was not doing what it was supposed to be doing – ie healing into a bone more solid than a pretzel stick.

It’s been five. freaking. months.

Surgery was scheduled, and 10 days later I had the dubious honour of contributing to our family’s unorthodox tradition of collecting scars and internal hardware.  The problematic bone was reset and a plate put in to secure it.

With my arm back in a sling and 18 staples in my shoulder, I’ve joined Misha on the Disabled List for the holiday season.  How ironic that he will have to return to Toronto to take me to my follow-up appointment in 2 weeks while Gilles is away … because now I can’t drive at all.

We are quite a pathetic pair.

But back to lovely November … I hope you’ll enjoy these beautiful autumn sights from downtown Toronto and be grateful I didn’t include a photo of my ugly staples.

More ivy covered old buildings

In the fading afternoon light, Old City Hall is as beautiful as ever.

It’s a rare Saturday night when Gilles and I are on a date downtown.

Ivy covered homes with fading fall colours

Protests on a sunny Saturday afternoon

This post is part of the Changing Seasons series.  It is a monthly photo feature hosted by Cardinal Guzman.