Clover

Pink clover growing in park

The heatwave in Europe is hitting us hard. Though temperatures are not soaring high, you can feel the heat beating hard on your skin. Luckily we're not having those forest fires that Europe of plagued with.

Then again weirdly other parts of Europe are inundated with rain, floods and hail. The weather is apocalyptic, to say the least. We could do with the rain and hail. The grain harvest is over and the fruit on trees are just appearing. They need water to mature. So why not rain on our side of the world?

One thing I noticed with joy ... the pink clover that I secretly sowed in the park outside Damascus Gate have grown and blossomed. The flowers are not as big but they are numerous so from far they look like a pink carpet. And alongside them are the wild white clover. These park greenery has daily watering so they're flourishing well. That's a little plus in an otherwise hot and humid summer.

Heat

Amazing bougainvillea 

 Yesterday we received reports that several cities have opened their bomb shelters, as the country prepares for war again. People are rattled. But no panic. We've been there before. No mad rush to stock up. Everything is calm. Everyone hopes of course for the best that nothing will happen.

War or not, summer continues. The heat is stifling and so is the humidity.  School children continue with their excursions. Groups of pilgrims have returned. And while the rest of the plants wither in the heat ... the amazing bougainvillea is blooming like crazy all over the country. It thrives on unforgiving heat and sunlight. Even little twigs of bougainvillea have broken out in colour which are very intense. Such is the mystery of life.

Boom

Few people at Damascus Gate
market

 Two enormous explosions shook our house ... and the entire city just now. Doors and windows rattled ... I think glass were damaged ... it was very shocking. The birds were screaming and flying all around the room. I never experienced such a profound explosion. 

My first thought ... and still is ... is that it's sonic boom from an aircraft. It has to be. There were no missile sirens or warnings so it was nothing threatening. But being so loud and physical, it frightened many people and also animals.

Well that was probably the highlight of the day. It's still very stiflingly hot and humid. I tried to do some work but diarrhoea ruined my whole morning. The doctor gave me aluminum peroxide and magnesium peroxide to stop my nausea and vomiting. I wonder if that triggered my diarrhoea. I'm not sure what's worse for me today ... the sonic booms or the medicines.

Hot

Cloudless skies

 The weather continues to soar in the high 20s and low 30s. The sky is cloudless and the sun is relentless. The ground is so hot you can feel the heat waves rising from the paving stones. I'm sure the gum from the soles of your shoes will melt if you stay too long under the sun. In fact wearing shoes is bad advice. Your feet will cook in your shoes in this heat. I see many ... most ... people wearing sandals or slippers instead.

Weekends are very busy in our house. Everyone is travelling everywhere in the country to provide Masses in various languages.  One had to travel 3 hours to the northern border to celebrate Mass! Their dedication to the migrant communities is fantastic.

My swollen hand and foot have reduced but not entirely. The fingers and toes are stiff and difficult to bend. But it's better. Hospital has warned that I must not be stressed as it will definitely affect my heart and result in heart dysfunction. The heat isn't helping.

Sick

Kitten at the Gate

 It's been a year since my open heart triple bypass. Things should be improving except it isn't. Acid reflux due to the numerous medications I take every day is suffocating me 24 hrs a day. From nausea to vomiting and severe diarrhoea ... I've been to the doctor twice. Two days back Dr Thaer put me on two strong antacid medication. The night medication is working ... I could finally sleep last night after a very long time. No choking sensation, no nausea.

However the day before, I had a dull pain radiating down my left head to shoulder and arm. The left hand is quite swollen. So is the left foot. Doc examined me and said I'm not yet totally healed.  The heart still has problems and the nervous system is still bit short-circuited. Doc changed the dosage of 3 medications and hopefully the swelling will go down. For the past month I was also under observation for prostate problems. My PSA had shot up so high Doc sent me to a urologist who then orders an ultrasound and one month medication before a second PSA test. That was done last week and yesterday Doc said it went down by one point. Not terribly optimistic but at least it went down a notch. 

The truth is: I'm not feeling my best.