Wow... it has been a month or more since I posted last. I was so busy before Christmas and then went down to visit Mom and my family over Christmas and spent more than two weeks away and had a very good visit with my Mom who is doing so marvelously. This past year has been a total growing experience for us all... learning how to live our lives without my Father. Mom especially has had a rough road to travel, learning how to live without her husband after 56 years of marriage. But she has come so far and despite the loneliness at nighttime especially, she is amazingly independent and has settled into a groove of sorts. So many have been so wonderful to her by helping out where and when they can. I know my Mom is so grateful to them for all their loving attention to her.
Mom amazes me with all her activities... she puts me to shame. She is so busy all the time, and keeps her body young and healthy by moving around and bowling in three leagues a week, as well as constantly stimulating her brain by doing puzzles and word games. I hope to be in as good shape as she is at her age. Bravo Mother!
Another highlight of my time with family was the arrival of my brother Dave. Dave and I were so close when we were still at home and into our twenties, before I moved away out west. I had missed the bond we shared and so getting the chance to spend time with him was so special. It was like going back in time and we had a lot of laughs. We even did something so crazy when both of us almost adopted puppies from the Toronto Humane Society via Dave's wife Mayra. Mom was flabbergasted at the possibility of having a puppy running around peeing and pooping all over the house during Christmas. In retrospect it was probably a bad choice but it didn't come to pass anyway.
My other brother Mike and my sister in law Debbie arrived on the Monday night before Christmas and they stayed until Christmas Eve morning. It was great having all us kids back together again... much different circumstances than the last time when we gathered to see our Dad for the last time. We had a good visit and did quite a bit of reminiscing and laughing.
Since my return home to Elliot Lake I have had lots to do to keep myself busy, getting settled back in and getting the Christmas decorations put away for another year as well as putting the house back to rights. Not to mention mountains of laundry!
We had an incredibly snowy December here in Elliot Lake. We have way more snow than we had the entire winter last year. Everyone in town has been kept very busy cleaning up the snow and our snowbank out front is humongous. Larger than last year. Bruce had to build steps in it so that he could climb up to add more snow to the very top. He noticed people walking past and pointing at it. It is a sight to see for sure. It has pretty much blocked our view of the homes across the street. Our own little fortress!
Since I have been back we have not had too much more snow and even a couple of days of much needed sunshine. I know I am not totally alone in this but I hope we have a snow free January... enough is enough.
When I arrived down south they had no snow to speak of but it started snowing the very next day and several more times after that and there we were out shoveling my Mom's walkway and driveway. I had thought I was going to be having a wonderfully balmy holiday away from Elliot Lake aka the North Pole, but it turned out to be almost as much of a winter wonderland as what I had gleefully left behind. Shortly after Christmas it turned very mild and we had a day of heavy rain and it washed away most of the snow and there was even one day that felt very springlike with sunshine and mild temperatures. It was so enjoyable!!!!
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For many years I have made some pretty pointless resolutions... very quickly discarded. I have decided not to set myself up for failure this year. Instead I plan on quietly making some changes in my life... hopefully for the better. Trying some new things and making some much needed lifestyle changes. So many times I have resolved to lose my excess baggage... my weight, by starting some crazy diet and workout plan but I am not going to focus on my weight this year. I am going to try to make some small changes, one step at a time, in order to start leading a healthier life. Hopefully the weight loss will naturally follow.
And other changes that might produce a healthier emotional state and a stronger spirit.
I am not going to impose stringent time limits on myself and will work towards small improvements, one day at a time.
The two photos are of a beautiful sky one evening at my Mom's. I am really intrigued with sky for some reason. It had just turned dusk and I was in awe over the cloud formations amongst the sunset. I quickly ran to get my camera and stood out on the front porch trying to capture the beauty before it turned to dark. I don't think I really managed to capture what I saw... likely didn't have the camera set properly. One of my changes this year is to try to learn more about photography and in that attempt I have ordered a couple of books with the intention of teaching myself. Hopefully my photos in my blogging will show a vast improvement over the coming year.
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Happy 2009 to all my faithful readers!!!
