Wednesday, April 30, 2008

If there a Physician in the house?


Alright already! I give! Uncle!

Whatever it takes, just please let me feel better.

I was down and out all weekend and Monday. I started out on Tuesday at work, that is until my fellow co-workers made me go home. Nice co-workers. But here we are on Wednesday and I am determined to hold out until the final bell at 4:30pm.

It's a simple head cold, but its affecting every part of me. I sound like I've been a smoker from birth or Kathleen Turner, take your pick. I swear there is a large gum ball lodged in my throat, and every nook and cranny of my sinus's are stuffed with expanding cotton swaths. And to top it off my husband tells me that I'm snoring louder than normal.

Sound like fun, don't it.

I was sent a lovely bowl of virtual chicken soup this morning, and sooth my ravaged soul. Thanks Ms. V! Love ya, mean it.

I will survive! I must survive! I have to go to a church retreat this weekend - I'm the registrar and don't have much choice.

I think I can. I think I can. I can! I can! I can!!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Drill my head please

It's early Sunday evening and I have spent the entire weekend on the couch or in bed sleeping. A head cold has knocked me flat. I did get dressed today, but it looks doubtful for tomorrow.

I've lost count of the movies I've watched. However I can honestly say I will never get back the 2 and a 1/2 hours I spent watching "There will be blood". Can anyone explain to me why it was up for and got so many Oscars?

Friday, April 25, 2008

Another Friday Update and stuff

If this is Friday it must be update day!

What a week ....

The feelings of a black cloud surrounding me is still present and accounted for. But this too shall pass, and hopefully take the crappy weather with it.

My Aunt passed away this week on Wednesday. I never did get back to the hospital to see her, but I am glad that I did get a chance to see her when I did. She was 83 and never married, and before I had my hubby in my life I often wondered if I'd turn out like her. She always had an edge about her. Of years of living on her own, living with her own rules, and no one else to wear down the rough edges.

The one area that I was sure would be different between us was that I was (and still am) convinced I'd turn into that "old cat lady". You know, that old lady down the streets who can't say no to any stray cats, and will eventually get evicted from her small apartment because of the kitty litter all over the place.

I digress .....

So on top of my Aunts funeral next week, we have also had a lovely lady (and a friend) from our church pass away on Thursday. She would have been in her early to mid 70's, and was showing signs of Alzheimer's. Her husband took her into the hospital last Friday for an assessment and they wanted to keep her overnight for observation. The hospital called him in on Saturday morning to tell them that she had an "aggressive leukemia" and only had weeks to live. Five days later she was gone.

I really hate cancer. It has no boundaries, is not age restrictive, and can be either slow and painful, or short and not so sweet. My 44 year old friend is not doing better, and probably only has weeks to live unless there is a massive miracle with her name on it. I do believe in miracles, but this one is testing my limits.

I KNOW that God is good all the time. All the time God is good. But sometimes its so hard to see His hand in things. That said, I do see His hand in my friend with Alzheimer's life. He saved her from a frustrating, debilitating illness that could have gone on for years. But instead He choose to take her swiftly. Thank you Lord.

I am determined to leave this post on an up swing, and I will. This last week it was decided that I would fly back east and visit a childhood girlfriend of mine. We've known each other since we were 11 & 12, and although she's been out here twice in the last 8 years, I haven't been back to visit her since her wedding in 1982. Bad me.

Growing up I considered her family my family. I loved going out to their tobacco farm and helping in harvest season. Their dining room table was always an interesting place to share a meal. Way more fun than at my house.

Her father passed away this last year, and I never got a chance to tell her parents how important they were to me during some very difficult tween and teen years. So I am hoping to be able to chat with her mom, and hug her, and tell her how much she means to me.

I'm very excited about taking this trip. Even though it costs more to fly within Canada than it does to fly to London, England. Oh well, it will be well worth every penny.

Have a most excellent weekend people!!!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Wrong on SOOO Many levels

I woke up to MORE snowing, and continued snowing.

It's April people!!

This is Victoria people!

Doesn't the weather elf realize we have reputation to uphold?

We have a freaking "Flower Count" in February for goodness sake.

The Canadian jokes is that we mow our lawns and Christmas day, and when everyone else is using their snowblowers to clear out their driveways of snow, we're using the same thing to push blossoms off the street.

This is just so wrong on so many levels.

On the positive side - - I will not be able to go anywhere today, and I can craft craft craft!!!

Friday, April 18, 2008

Another week, another 'catch-up'

Once again I stand amazed that another week has flown by. It’s Friday again.

To update you on the previous entry ….

My mother-in-law was discharged on Wednesday (in which I mean - we had pop-in-law with us, staring at the wall from his chair in our living room, for 9 days), and they traveled back up island on Thursday. Although her surgery went well, the fall out pneumonia, then bad reaction from receiving blood ….. not so good. Once she got well enough to get feisty with the nurses and doctors, they kicked her out. Now, she is back in her own home and being well taken care of by dad.

Last night was the first night we had the house back to ourselves … and it was good. It truly felt different.

My 44 year old friend that was given the news of cancer last week started chemo on Monday, and a second dose on Wednesday. They are hoping that the chemo will shrink the cancer cells in her liver enough for her to go home for a bit, be with her young family, and get her affairs in order. She is an incredible warrior right now.

I don’t have an update on my Aunt. I did get in to visit her on Saturday, but haven’t had to time to return.

The one thing that I keep reminding myself of this week is that there is always someone out there that is worse off than you. Basically, we have absolutely nothing to complain about in this life. Hubby and I are (relatively) healthy, (relatively) financially ok, and in a stable marriage. All things being relative. And please don’t take this as a complaint – but boy life can sure be exhausting. There simply is not enough time for long hot baths, or quiet times to read an escape book.

I hope to gain back some funny bone soon. I miss writing about nothing and its irrelevance and irreverence to daily life. I long for my bed and a good nights sleep.

Happy Friday everyone. Keep up the good work.

++++++++++++++

Post Script 10 minutes later:
The ultimate insult after a long week - dateline - Victoria, B.C. - April 18, 2008 - 4pm in the afternoon - IT'S SNOWING OUTSIDE, AND THE GROUND IS STAYING WHITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, April 11, 2008

Catch Up

I realize I haven’t been as attentive to my blog as normal. Sorry about that. Life just seems to move at a quicker and quicker pace, and this week …. feels out of control. ( I admit it, I’m a control freak at heart )

As much as hubby and I are doing great it feels like everyone and everything around us is falling apart. And I just don’t know how to be positive in the midst of it.

This week alone:
My mother-in-law (who is 76, but don’t tell her I told you) had a third surgery on her back. She has advance spinal Stenosis, and is in much pain much of the time. We hope and pray that this surgery will give we some relief from the pain and a little better quality of life. Unfortunately, I have had the sniffles all week and haven’t felt that I should visit her. My in-laws don’t live in this city, so we have the hubby’s dad staying with us all the while mom is in hospital.

An pseudo Aunt who is 83 is also in hospital with pneumonia, and I haven’t been able to visit her either.

We got news earlier this week that a friend of ours (She's 44 on the 19th) has just this week been diagnosed with cancer. It is in her liver and lungs and is inoperable. Her twin sister is looking after her two small children (16 months and 4.5 years), while her husband has basically taken up residence at the hospital. A miracle is needed.

And that’s only this week.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not whining. I am very blessed, and have little to no complaints. My heart is sore and tired of all the sadness, and I feel rather helpless to aid those around me who need support.

The weather still sucks and I just want to run away and lie on a beach somewhere. Anyone want to come along?