Colours of Dawn

Been a long time since I posted and not sure what my status on this blog will be.  I have had quite a few changes over the last 16 months. It has been really busy but then who isn’t busy.

We spent a lot of time traveling to visit my FIL (1.5 hours one way) who was moved from the acute bed near my MIL to a care facility in a town far away.  We would pick him up and take him 45 minutes to visit my MIL then back to the town he was living in, have supper and then drive home.  Made for a long road trip every couple of weeks.  We were also still working on cleaning out their home which was 45 minutes away and was on a separate time.  On January 5th of this year we sold their home (possession date Feb 23) and 2 hours later my MIL passed away at the age of 89.  She had suffered with Alzheimer’s for many years a week or two before, started going downhill in responsiveness.  We had a lovely service for here near home.

Zayal’s dance studio had arranged a trip to LA and we had decided to join along with Chadya.  Sirdar and I ended up making plans with our friends Rhonda and Dan (who we had gone to Cuba last year in February) to take a one week cruise out of Houston.  So we used airmiles to book the girls flights to LA and our round trip flights to LA and bought a flight from there to Houston and back.  We had a lovely trip visiting Roatan, Belize and Cozumel along the way, then went back to LA, stayed near the airport, met our girls the next day and took the shuttle together to Disney.  Zayal danced with her group on a Disney stage one day, had a workshop at the Edge Studio and we all did a city tour and went to Universal as well as days at Disney.  It was a great experience.

When we got back we finished my in-laws house.  We then had one place to travel to and the burden was so much lighter.  My FIL who turned 87 in May was ailing and complaining and we felt helpless waiting for him to be transferred to a facility closer to us.  By May he was using his wheelchair most of the time within the home and when we took him out as well.  He could stand to go into the vehicle and out but still we were using the chair for most things and he was weak and exhausted after we took him out for supper (could have been his supper meds).  We got a call in August letting us know it was time to move him to the (place of our choice) which is 15 minutes from our country home.  We were excited and he a little apprehensive about the change but we pushed forward.  The move was great!  Within 2 days he was walking most of the time and he uses his wheelchair to sit in to watch TV.  He goes to the workout room daily and visits with the other people in the building.  He is living again and our hearts filled with joy seeing his new lease on life.  He was able to come to our grandson’s second birthday, used a cane in the house and got his own plate of food and carried it to the other room.  He was able to come to my parent’s place for thanksgiving (both places too far to travel before) and stay for hours and hours and although tired after had a great time.

This thanksgiving was a little different for us.  Sirdar, Jacinta, Traftan and I travelled early in the day 3.5 hours for a small memorial for his other mom.  We didn’t know her really well and she suffered from dementia in the last few years.  She passed away September 25, 92 and half (and a day) years from her birth.  She didn’t want a funeral and her ashes were buried with her second husband whose family took care of her and knew her well.  We were able to meet them and thank them for being there for her and their kindness.  We then travelled out to my parent’s/brother’s place for dinner and our annual thanksgiving walk with the family.  This year our grandson was old enough to run around on the bales (with help) and got to walk much of the way.  He is old enough to want to keep up with our 3 year old nephew and be part of the crowd.  It is such a joy watching him.

On to our family.  Jacinta and Darius are living in the same city my FIL is which would be considered our home town since it is in our country address.  They have a lovely home they bought just before they got married.  They have two grey kitties who are adorable of course.  Traftan and Karissa live on an acreage just outside the neighbouring town 8 km away from them.  They have the little guy and a new baby on the way this month or early next month; not long now.  Chadya is going to university taking Early childhood learning and childcare and doing very well.  The last couple of years she has worked in a school as a TA for special needs kids and had 2-3 junior high students she worked with most of the time.  Chadya’s boyfriend of 3 years has been working in Washington DC for the last 1.5 years and Chadya has had lots of travel opportunities.  Zayal is in a different university majoring in psychology and her minor keeps changing.  She is doing well also. She focused a lot last year on dance, music and performing arts.  For the June production of A Mermaid Tale, she was a mermaid sister and was in numerous scenes and around 8 dances.

That means this year I am no longer home schooling (I technically was last year even though Zayal took some university courses as well).  Last school year with all that was going one, I decided to try some new things.  Because I was no longer running the sports program (I had run it for 5 years), I was free on Tuesday nights to finally join adult hiphop at the studio Zayal has danced at for years.  Chadya also joined which was a new experience for both of us who had never danced before. We also tried out the adult contemporary class and stayed with it for the year, another interesting yet different experience. The adult hip hop class was in the production in June which again was an amazing experience being part of something so big and complicated.  I also worked the water in some of the scenes and was a changer for Zayal along with her friend.  The Theatre bought the rights to the show and the show was remounted on Oct 15 and 16 for three shows which meant a few rehearsals through summer and a recognition on how rusty one can get as well as how fast it can come back.  I am in adult hip hop again this year and we will be doing Marida the Brave in June.

I also started learning Spanish on Duolingo after returning from Cuba 1.5 years ago.  I have been pretty consistent with it yet takes me awhile to understand/formulate a response to my Spanish friends in person.  I can read it not bad though.  Zayal asked me to play piano for her worship team last fall as well and it didn’t take me many minutes to realize I was in over my head with no notes to use as a guideline.  Although 20 years ago when I played at church, I played by chording, it was with some notes to guide me and I had an idea of timing from them.  This was way different especially since many of the songs have off-beats and she didn’t always have a drummer.  I took lessons for 6 weeks and struggle through a couple times of doing it.  It was so tough and piano lesson day fell on the same day as both dance classes I was struggling to wrap my brain around.

At the same time, I was finishing up my sports nutrition course.  I had signed up the January of last year and thought I would have lots of time but then life happened with my FIL’s heart attack in March and so it went.  I had to get the course done by the end beginning of January and by September had done only 30% of it.  I did finish the course with a 93% which I was happy with.

So, that is what I have been doing over the last year.  I kept up with volleyball, wallyball, basketball and some running.  I played racquetball regularly for awhile until my playing partner moved and I went snowboarding regularly in the winter (but not as much as I wanted to).  Last summer we (Sirdar and I) did no cycling (went out 3 times in spring) and it was depressing.  This summer we got out there and we did our third leg on our journey across Canada.  We did Whiterock to Calgary 3 years ago, then 2 years ago, Calgary to Winnipeg and this summer we went from Winnipeg to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.  It was a grand adventure and we look forward to the next leg of the journey.  We also did the Tour de l’Alberta, an untimed recreational ride.  We did the 160 km route which was actually 168 km.  I lived to tell about it.  Sirdar did much better and was my rock when I was feeling spent.

Now that I am not home schooling I have been trying to do a bit of catch up around the place.  There is so much that got out of hand when we were taking care of other things and daily I do just a little here and there.  We have had a fabulous summer and fall and I have made some strides in the yard.  I have so much to organize in the house and have been a regular visitor to Goodwill for dropping off things.  I have been writing an article for a home school magazine under health for the last 2.5 years and want to continue that.  I have been thinking for the last couple of years about what I want to do as an encore job.  I am going to take a personal trainer course starting in November.   With the things I have been doing over the years that are fitness related, I believe I can inspire people to do more.  I am working on a FB page and another blog which will be more public.  This is my personal blog and I have friends who might notice I post and visit.  I am undecided how public I want to be with this one so may at some time make it private.  I may just let it go.  Everything is transitioning now and I have some direction but not all the details are mapped out.  I will link my other blog to FB but still have a bunch of work to do on it.  I have forgotten how to navigate as an admin so came over here to figure things out and decided to share here first.  I do have one post up on the blog I started last night which is MUCH shorter than this one 🙂 .  Here is the link: A New Dawn

Keep watching folks.  You never know what I may do next.

Happy Canada Day.  I was out in the garden today thinking I should write a blog post.  It has been so long and I have so much to say.  So, here I am, after a good day gardening and sitting by the fire getting good a smoky, I came in and had a shower and relaxing decided it was a good time to do some writing.  Six months into the year and things have changed so much since the last time I posted.  

The winter months seemed to drag on, but at least it wasn’t too cold.  I tend not to get to bent out of shape about winter anyway.  I did get to go snowboarding regularly since I was running the sports program.  I was excited in March to go find a new snowboard.  It is new to me anyway; went to one of those sports stores that do second hand sports equipment.  I got new boots a couple years ago when there was a big sale at a sports store closing out.  The board I found didn’t have bindings but I was able to pick up some really nice new ones at the store where I got the board for a really big discounted price.  Love the whole set up.  Since I got it in March, I only got to use it a couple times so I am not against winter coming again in November.  

At the beginning of January, my friend RJ started bugging me to have Sirdar and I go with her and her husband on a trip.  She started researching and by the third week of January we were convinced to go to Cuba with them; a relaxing all inclusive vacation.  We booked our two week trip on January 27th and left on February 11th.  The weather there was amazing.  We did a couple excursions, the first one, a plane ride to Havana for the day (we were 400 km from Havana, at Cayo Santa Maria).  That was a good long day.  A couple days later, we did a catamaran trip.  That was fun.  The snorkelling was pretty good.  I didn’t go because I can’t swim and had not learned to use my snorkelling stuff before going out.  We were happy to have our excursions done because that night, Sirdar and RJ ended up with food poisoning.  We believed it was from the seafood restaurant we ate at the night before.  RJ and Sirdar had all the same things, seafood salad, seafood soup, and lobster.  RJ’s husband DJ and I had tomato salad, pumpkin bisque and chicken.  They were pretty sick the first night.  RJ through up but Sirdar didn’t.  They were sick and recovering for a week and still had ‘days’ when we got back.  It wasn’t too bad after the first couple days; they were able to enjoy lying around in the sun at the pool and beach.  Sirdar said it was probably good because it slowed down his eating at the buffet.  The trip was very nice.  It was our first winter, tropical vacation.  We had great company; I wasn’t sure how it would go, traveling with another couple, but we didn’t get on each other’s nerves and I would definitely go somewhere with them again.  People ask if we would go back to Cuba.  I definitely would, but there are so many places to go and there are lots of people who have been suggesting trips to do together, so we will just have to see what happens.

When we returned from Cuba, I decided to embark on another new thing.  Many of my friends from other countries have been suggesting rather strongly that I (along with other mutual friends), learn Spanish.  So when I got back, I downloaded an app (Duolingo) to my phone and my journey began.  Habit is the best way to learn something new so I started doing a bit each night.  I got to 85 consecutive days and even though I had worked on it day 86, I didn’t complete a round so I had to start again.  I have only purposely missed one day, due to a late concert and so I am about 4.5 months in and doing pretty good.  It is a little overwhelming and my memory isn’t that great to remember all the words (and sometimes I mix it up with the little bit of French I learned in high school), but it is coming slowly.  

Aside from learning Spanish, I also signed up for a sports nutrition course at the beginning of January.  I was going pretty good on it until spring and it has been on hold for a couple months.  I have a year to complete it and I am thinking come fall, I will go hard on it to get it done.  It am familiar with a lot of it and the science so it isn’t like learning something completely new.

I took a spin class again this spring (did one a couple years ago for the first time).  This one was easier, probably because of our bike trips the last couple of years.  My first ride outside in May was with Sirdar, and a friend who does triathlons.  As per usual going with a new guy, there seems to be a bit of push to do well, so of course I tried to keep up too.  It all worked out, but we ended up going 53 km with an average pace of 25 km/hr and I for one was pretty tired when we got home.  I have only been out a couple times since then.  More on that in a bit.

I kept up with volleyball, wallyball, and basketball through spring and winter.  They all ended here in the last couple weeks in June.  I haven’t kept up too much on exercise, but hopefully will get back in the swing soon.  Last summer Sirdar and I joined a ball team; my first time playing since a teen.  It was fun, but didn’t have a team this year.  I have subbed for a team once this spring and on call for when they need me again.  I am hoping to get on my bike a little more but not feeling overly motivated.  We cancelled our bike trip this year.  We went from Calgary to Winnipeg last summer and planned to go from Winnipeg to Sault St. Marie this summer, leaving June 26 but unfortunately it didn’t pan out.  Hopefully next year.

Sirdar’s dad had a heart attack the beginning of May.  He had one in March 3 years ago which is when Sirdar’s mom ended up going into extended care due to her Alzheimer’s.  We postponed our first bike trip that year and did it the following year.  Sirdar’s dad had rented an apartment in the manor attached to the hospital and auxiliary hospital (where mom is) in case he lost his licence or there was a storm and he couldn’t drive the 13 km home to his house.  We were very thankful he had it when he got out of the hospital.  We got home care going and it lasted a day or two and he was in the hospital.  They didn’t feel he was able to care for himself and he was struggling with some health issues.  He is now being placed with mom (with less care) when there is space, and we are working on getting them moved to our town.  Currently they are an hour and a quarter highway drive from us.  

So with all that going on, as well as me going to pick him up a couple times to take him to appointments in the city (45 min to an hour drive from where I pick him up) and back.  Also, we need to sell his house.  He and mom lived in it for 3 years after their car accident with her having Alzheimer’s and then he lived there 3 years after the last heart attack.  He didn’t up keep well, although I must say it could have been worse.  It is a rather decent sized bungalow with a basement and the house is full.

I planted a garden.  The spring seemed cold and rainy and I got my garden in late.  Didn’t worry much since it was so cold.  It is doing pretty good now with a decent amount of rain and some heat.  Someone told me I shouldn’t have a garden considering the other stuff going on, but having a garden is one thing that brings me joy and without going on our trip, I am able to keep the weeds at bay.  

I got new chickens last week.  The babies are growing fast.  We got both egg layers and meat chickens.  In the past the meat chickens have been at my parents but they are getting older and with coordinating families for the final day was getting more difficult.  We are each doing our own and giving some to my parents and brother for supplying the feed.  We will be doing that in September.  

In less than 3 weeks we have a wedding.  Actually we are going to my cousin’s son’s wedding this weekend, then next weekend going to a family friend’s wedding and the following weekend, our daughter will be getting married.  She has a family friend who stepped up to help with the planning so I haven’t been too involved, but there are things to do and we have spent a couple of Sunday’s at her two wedding showers plus a Saturday evening at a shower for the friend of the family.  There are hair and other appointments coming up and hopefully the dress that is arriving tomorrow will fit or there will be alterations to get done.  

Alrighty then, that is my last 6 months in a nutshell.  Gotta go.

First things first, Happy New Year.  Next you are probably wondering, “Where the heck have you been?”  I’ve been around and those who are friends with me on fb have seen me pop up here and there.  I have been busy because that is how I roll.  I have been disorganized in some things, again because that is how I roll.  This post is not an effort to make sure I write in my blog regularly.  In fact, I may not write again for another 1.5 years.  I hope that isn’t the case and as usual, have some better intentions than that.  

I have been writing some articles for our home school magazine.  I might try and post them here.  I have somehow ended up as admin on a Fb group as well as on a FB page.  I am figuring out some of that stuff too.  My kids are about all growed up so life is taking a big switcheroo.  I am trying to find my way around the changes.  I’m not one of those mom’s in a panic about an empty nest or feeling depressed by it, but still there are changes and when your kids are all close in age, the changes come fast and furious.

I’m coming to the close of my time running the home school sports program.  I will hand it over to someone come May.  I am trying to figure out what I want to do for an encore.  There have been exciting things happening in my life too.  Biggest things of last year; I have a grandson, I have a future son-in-law and I have new eyes.

Our grandson was born in October to our son and daughter-in-law, a day after their second anniversary.  Our oldest daughter became engaged this summer to the man she met the night of our son’s wedding.  They will be married in July on our both her birthday and our anniversary.  I had eye surgery in November 1st which was the first birthday of my new nephew who I haven’t written about.  He is my youngest sister TK’s son and brother to 3 older sisters.  I had laser eye surgery to correct my near sightedness.  I had bad eyesight so the experience was exciting and life changing.  Sirdar had one eye done a couple weeks ago so he has mono vision.  His eyes weren’t as bad but he can now see near and far.  

I also got a laptop.  Sirdar took advantage of a black Friday special and got me one.  I have been on the computer a little more recreationally than before.  I was using my phone for Fb and some looking up of info but the lap top is way more handy for that and although I tried to get onto my blog to potentially post from my phone, I never did figure it out.  

My husband’s aunt passed away back in June at the age of 95.  We were looking after her needs while she was in the home and took care of funeral arrangements.  Sirdar’s parents are still doing okay despite my MIL having Alzheimers and both of them aging.

We did the second leg of our cycling trip from coast to coast going from Calgary to Winnipeg, 1372 km in 13 days.  Would love to do a detailed account but that’s where I got stuck a year and a half ago.  I have had so much to write about but overwhelmed myself with life and the ideas to write about.  So, I am going with the advice my sister has for having a great marriage, and applying it to myself.  That advice, ‘lower your expectations’.  Hopefully with low expectations of my posts, I will get more done.  Or maybe not; my expectations are really low 🙂 .

And on that note, I am going to end this post.  Happy New Year.