...and so it begins....

        "She decided to free herself, dance into the wind, create a new language.  And birds fluttered around her writing "Yes" in the sky.  It is here where she must begin to tell her story."

....and so it begins again, my blog that is, with words from a new journal I bought in December.  The journal was purchased to record events and thoughts about spending "Christmas holidays" away from home for the first time in my 55 years.  Not a word was written in the journal...too busy enjoying the view, the people, the sights, sounds and smells of Dominican Republic. (not to mention the hot days, warm starry nights, warm ocean, the rejuvenating sunshine, long walks on white sand beaches, meeting new people from all over the world....Fantastic Time!!!

.......why spend Christmas away from home and family????   The main reason was that neither of my sons were coming home this year.....one is in Edmonton and it so expensive for him to fly home during peak traveling time, the other, spent Christmas with his girl friends family a 5 hour drive away. My side of the family are all over an hour away from where I live and enjoy a simpler celebration of holidays. Christmas with my husbands family is a week long event of overindulgence in every  sense of the word.  I just can't handle the excess ....the food, gifts, gatherings, parties etc.    When we returned I had everyone over for an afternoon and dinner of exchanging small gifts, visiting and a great but simple oven dinner.  It was fun, simple and over in less than a day!.  I don't like the commercialization of this holiday or any other holiday.  As I grow older, I find my path turning towards a simpler observance of the changing seasons -not one dictated to me by the stores and Hallmark Cards.

......and so my story begins again.  In the absence of posting I have still read my favourite blogs.  So much has happened.......loved ones ill or dying, beloved pets passing on.  Unfortunately 'tis the same here......This past summer we have lost several neighbours and high school friends all to various forms of cancer....still others are enduring the hardships of treatment......such a hideous disease.

......I have adjusted as well as anyone can to having M.E.  Recently I was diagnosed with asthma and degenerative disc disease as well. I've learned to pace myself....sieze the days I feel good and do the things I enjoy the most. I love to travel and we have decided to do more of that.  We spent a wonderful week in Cape Breton Island with our best friends and the dogs in August.  Emile was born there and has lots of family...stories for another day......I'm off to Florida for our March break with my husbands sister....a story yet to come.....

This is the most unwinter day today....leaden grey skies...40mm of rain so far today with a big freeze coming tonight......but it was warm and misty....soft drizzly rain and snow fog when I walked Nellie this afternoon.....

A Week of Contrasts

I lay in bed for awhile after I awoke, too stiff to make the great effort to get up and reflected on the past week. A week of contrasts for sure. My two boys plus a girlfriend are here -that in itself is a contrast as it is the first time in 18 months they've all been here. It is quiet now as they are all still asleep, but when they are all up, the house rings out with voices and laughter, catching up on activities and adventures. Nellie, while loving all the extra attention is stressed as evidenced by the whining and terrible terrier behaviour of grabbing toys and shaking them. I am not a clean freak, but everywhere I look, there is evidence of kids -socks balled up and left all over, dishes in the sink, tables, computer desk, bathroom -who eats in the bathroom????? I do love them dearly but I am more used to my couple ways than I thought I was.
Christmas was not all I had hoped it would be. Christmas Eve day, I had a very bad fall. We were having our traditional family skate/hockey game that has been a tradition for 30 years now. Family/kids/grandkids, inlaws etc. from 3 to 87 participate. I'm a good skater but as I was skating along talking to a cousin, I tripped ??? and fell headlong onto the ice. Instinctively the hands went up to protect my face and as a reult I hit the ice fully on the chest. The wind was knocked out of me and I recalled the only other time in my life when the wind was completly knocked out of me was when I was a child of 9, playing baseball and the batters ball struck me in the chest. It took what seemed like forever to get even a little air in my lungs again. That was it for me. JJ helped me off the ice to the change room. I thought I should likely go to the hospital to get checked out, but knowing they don't do anything for ribs if they are cracked/broken and our small local hospital is notorious for 6 hour waits to see anyone I opted to just go home. After all I reasoned, I had 20 people coming this evening for dinner, preparations to finsh and it was going to hurt more tomorrow. I enjoyed the evening thanks in part to painkillers and 2 pomegranate martinis -couldn't do cleanup and could hardly get into bed. I am a side sleeper -that was out, but lying on my back felt like I had a truck sitting on my chest. I didn't get alot of sleep, I was so uncomfortable, could only breath very shallowly and even that hurt. JJ said I moaned all night -I don't recall. I admit, getting out of bed in the morning made me cry. Once I was up I was better, but oh was the chest wall hurting, Again I carried on with the traditional breakfast for my husbands sisters and my own family. It was simple and JJ helped a bit. Oven bacon, eggs, cinnamon buns and fruit. I stayed home while Lindsay and JJ went to pick up Ryan and his girlfriend who arrived early afternoon by train from Toronto. We went to watch my sister in laws grandchildren and family open gifts and have dinner -which I love -young children are so much fun at Christmas. With the help of pain killers I got through the day -retired early with a double dose of muscle relaxants.
I still haven't gone to get checked out but as for a self diagnosis I'm sure I have bruised ribs with possibly a few cracked ones. I checked some medical sites for descriptions. I skipped the traditional Boxing Day extended family gathering and stayed home by myself so I wouldn't have to pretend I was OK. I'm not OK but doing the typical mom thing I want my kids to eat well when they are home and enjoy themselves. When they are gone I will really be able to relax and recover before returning to work next week. I received some great books and yarn as gifts -we were hoping to go skiing but that's out for awhile......skipping the whole Christmas thing and going to a tropical island with hot sunny beaches and warm turquois water sounds really appealing....maybe next year......

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Busy, stressful week is over - we were pet sitters again last weekend, a dog and 3 cats - but our animals all get along thankfully - it was the dreadful cold rain/snow last weekend combined with fighting off a throat infection that got the better of me. I didn't feel well again until Wed. Now the much cooler temperatures have arrived - it has been minus 8 - 10 degrees with the wind chill all week. Today the winds died down and the morning was better -snapped a few this morning of the eastern tip of the island with the mist rising off the water - it looks so cold though - not so cold to stop Nellie from wading into the river to get a drink -she is such a "hot" dog!!

Nellie is in need of a hair cut but with all the wet last week and little attention from me -she had lots of new matts that I'll have to spend this weekend getting out!! I was so happy last night to learn that my youngest son is coming home from Edmonton for Christmas. I have to get busy and finish up Christmas gifts. He arrives home on the 19, then we're heading to Toronto to visit my other son, then on to my older sister's farm -where a reunion of sorts will take place as all her girls will be home this year too - it will be CRAZY -hearing about adventures, schools, new boyfriends etc., then back home on the 23 to get ready for all the other side of the family to descend - I can't wait....... I love all the family events at Christmas.......