Because of the way families have been designed, we are all interconnected.
I may have gotten the diagnosis, but my mom has a daughter with breast cancer. And my kids have a mom with breast cancer. We're all adjusting to what that means. They're all pulling together for me. But I know they all have needs too. Different from mine. But just as real. Praying that they each have someone to talk to. Someone who'll listen to their fears. Someone who'll pray with them. Someone who'll check in on them. Someone who'll distract them now n then with something fun. Someone who'll remind them that this is all in God's hands when they get overwhelmed. Someone who'll lift them up when they're down.
We had dinner at Drew and Dani's last Sunday evening. Seeing we don't just get together 'because'... the purpose of our gathering was to talk.
About hard things. Just in case I'm dying.
My will
Medical Representation
Power of Attorney
Estate taxes, probate fees
Life insurance
I've been proud of them their whole lives.
But never as strongly as I was on Sunday night.
My boys are men. They, and Danica, were thoughtful, careful, mature, and true to themselves, acknowledging their strengths and identifying areas where they weren't ideally suited to take leadership. If they'll be making decisions for me someday, I am in good, capable, loving hands.
They each volunteered to take on a different role, which, in my opinion, they were perfect for. I am so very lucky they are mine.
I hope the other Aug First Ladies have 'people'.
It's not so lonely when your people rally round.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'd let the kids know The Plan:
On Monday night, after I follow the very specific washing/showering instructions, Dani will braid my hair. (I won't be able to wash it again for a week after... and when we can manage, she'll take me to her salon and do it in a lean-back sink.)
Julie (sister) was going to drive me to the surgical centre (Jimmy Pattison) on Tuesday morning, and she'll pick me up later in the day.
My mom will keep an eye on me during the days following surgery.
My cousin, Renee' will stop by in the evening to check on me/my drain for a couple evenings.
Max will sleep downstairs in my media room for a couple nights.
... and then I got a text from Max:
and I started to bawl.
I did not expect this.
I just feel so very well loved and cared for.
And we tweaked the Sept 3 plan:
He'll drive me in the morning.
Julie will be there when I wake up and will sit with me til I'm discharged.
I know.
And the lady who lives across the street asked my mom if she could take photos of the house. Somehow the conversation went from pics to my diagnosis. And turns out? She's an RN. She gave us her phone number. I'm to call her, post op, if I have any troubles, if I'm scared about something, if something doesn't feel right, if I have a fever, if I need someone to talk to. ANYTIME. DAY OR NIGHT. She will come right over. And apparently? The guy who lives RIGHT NEXT DOOR? Is an doctor.
Sometimes? God just shows off.
I have no immediate nursing help.
And now I have an abundance of it.
If I cry these days? Its because I'm the recipient of Good Things.
It's overwhelming.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a little bit more transparent than I usually am on this blog.
I wrote this in late July.
If you ask God questions like this, you can bet He's going to answer.
This month has been 30 days of revelation. Every. Single. Day. SOMEONE tells me something about myself.
I hope I live long enough to speak truth and life into the lives that matter to me.
Also? Know this. Even if you don't think you 'have words', YOU DO. Written or spoken or prayed, your words have washed over me and I am not the same person I was when I wrote that journal entry a month ago.
And?
If you don't have friends who'll say, in the driveway, in the front seats of your car, on the beach, at a picnic table, in a sunflower patch, in a restaurant, "can I pray for you now?" you should definitely find some friends that do. Because. There's something very holy/special hearing someone to talk to God about you.
Three things I'm thankful for:
1. A week filled with good memories, good conversations, good friends; from book buying, to riding the ferris wheel at the PNE to meeting Alex ...
2. Thankful for a fun Friday afternoon/evening in Fairhaven, then attending the Louise Penny event.
Book nerds unite.
#accurate:
Friends walking single file:
Louise Penny was HILARIOUS. And warm, kind, entertaining, intelligent and just plain lovely.
ALL of our peers were in the audience. Sold out theatre with 1200 people. 1100 of us were past child-bearing age. SO many great grey-haired people-watching opportunities...
3. Checked off a ton of items on my To Do list:
New reading glasses. I love them.
A new bra. Not lacy. Not push up. No underwire. Not red. It should keep the girls flattened and in place while I sleep. Fun.
And new slippers.
Bought the special surgical soap sponges for my pre-op showers.
Bought 76 gallons of apple juice for my pre-op prep. (Need to drink apple juice at midnight and again at 7:30 am to keep my blood sugars stablized while having surgery and recovering.)
Went through the car wash.
Vacuumed my truck out.
Filled it with gas. Twice.
Had a pedicure to have my polish removed and my heels softened.
(I had a mosquito bite on my right foot, and used the heel of my left foot to scratch it. I scraped off 16 layers of skin. It's still healing.)
4. Thankful for gifts of flowers, jams, jelly's, cards, hugs, time, words...
5. Thankful for the lyrics in songs like this one:
Good Good Father
I've heard a thousand stories of what they think you're like But I've heard the tender whispers of love in the dead of night And you tell me that you're pleased And that I'm never alone
You're a good good father It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are And I'm loved by you It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am
I've seen many searching for answers far and wide But I know we're all searching For answers only you provide 'Cause you know just what we need Before we say a word
You're a good good father It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are And I'm loved by you It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am
Oh, it's love so undeniable I, I can hardly speak Peace so unexplainable I, I can hardly think As you call me deeper still As you call me deeper still As you call me deeper still Into love, love, love
You're a good good father It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are And I'm loved by you It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am
You're a good good father It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are And I'm loved by you It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am You're a good good father
You are perfect in all of your ways
It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are
And I'm loved by you You are perfect in all of your ways It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am
The other day Max posted this pic to our family chat thread:
... he'd aged himself by about 30 years, making himself the same age I am now.
It's a little freaky.
Then he did his brothers and Dani:
(Not sure why the app doesn't do anything with hair on female images. )
My kids always thought they were the cloned generation of the older set of Obros (Mike, Mark, Kevin and Jason). I love that the app made it quite obvious that my boys are their own men. I wonder if I'll still be alive when they look like this?
I took a quick selfie at my desk and asked Max to age me as well.
Drew observed that I'll get my dad's nose as I get older.
And WHOA those are some nasty wrinkles. (This, tho? Is the face my eyes see in the mirror every morning...)
I downloaded the app (for a 3 day free trial) and noticed they have a 'Hollywood' filter (in addition to the 'age' filter) and I'd like you all to please apply this app TO YOUR EYES, so that when you look at me in real life, my face's bumps/lumps/divots and creases are all smoothed out.
Also? I should learn to apply make up better. What a difference it makes when your foundation is the right colour and your eyes have liner.
Also. My bangs are grown out.
So I may just keep the app and pay $2 per month to Hollywood my face on all future selfies. CHEAPER than plastic surgery.
(My funeral slide show is gonna be so kickass.)
In other news, I've made some progress on my Summer To Do List:
Make summer playlist. Might need help. Ask Facebook hive for recommendations.
Have pretty feet all summer. ⬜Pedicure - July DONE ⬜Pedicure - August
Go to dentist a million times. APPOINTMENTS MADE ⬜Get tooth #1 capped. ⬜Get tooth #2 capped
Replace/upgrade phone AND GET A SEXY PHONE CASE THIS TIME SO DONE. Went from an iPhone 6 to an iPhone 8, (PHONE WAS FREEEE) got 4 times the data, and 4 times the storage for $5 less per month. The phone matches my laptop. Rose gold on one side, white on the other. All housed in a (boring, but feminine pink) Otterbox case.
Download a yoga/stretching app (or find something suitable on Netflix?)
Read all of Louise Penny's books - Books 3 - 16 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ Wish I knew how to add check marks to those lil boxes. I'm on Book 8 of the series. Halfway done. I'll need to read more than 1 a week if I want to meet this goal.
Empty Master Bedroom closet at the lake
Sort through my bedroom closet in the basement
Take all resulting bags (of cleaning out closets) to Thrift Store (before Fall)
Bring contents of Under-the-Stairs closet upstairs for mom to sort through
See Spiderman movie with kids We're seeing Lion King instead. This Friday. So excited.
Level up in Pokemon Go (Level 37) Done. I might aim to level up to 38 by Sept 1. Nothing like having meaningful goals.
Buy new runners
Buy new shoes for work Done. I don't want to step foot into the mall again this summer.
Attend NT Wright event (July 24) Gahhhh! It's next week. So looking forward to this. I have 4 tickets; Girls Night Out.
Temporarily suspend gym membership.Walk 50,000 steps each week of summer. 12 weeks: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ FAILING miserably with this.
Learn a new skill (?) DONE? I know how to age someone. And glam someone. That's a skill, no?
Get camera repaired. DONE! $500 later, it's back in my hands. I missed it.
Plan, prepare, offer a Basecamp 3 training session at work DONE. Twice.
Lead devos once Will do on Aug 28
Do not accept/use a single plastic bag when shopping for groceries. Enter stores prepared. I've improved about 50%.
Think about trying Whole 30. In August. But don't beat yourself up if this doesn't happen. It sounds awful
Tackle the filing at work. Maybe do this in 4 efforts. File for two hours ⬜⬜⬜⬜ I reassessed the situation today and may have underestimated the size of the project.
Read bookclub book: The Eyre Affair
Walk in 8 different neighbourhoods. Drop off books in a shared library stand. ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ Walked in East Van, forgot to bring books. I suck.
Take 5 sunny days off work (unused vacation days) Go to a different beach each time: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ First one will be this Monday.
Try kayaking. Or not. I looked at the kayak last Sunday.
Watch the sun set from the lookout/viewpoint on Cypress Mountain
Talk to someone smart about trees, specifically about the ones in front of the house at Cultus.
Go to Bard on the Beach or Theatre Under the Stars Going to BOTH. Daughter-in-laws are the best.
Ride the Roller Coaster at Playland.
Make some decisions about May 2020 trip with kids
Move furniture into alcove in basement. Will need boys help. Be creative in asking.
Celebrate July birthdays DONE. Maxine. Patricia. Marg.
Celebrate August birthdays
Read Brene' Brown's Dare to Lead book
Try blogging 3 Things I'm Thankful For five times a week? WHOA, major fail.
Possibly come up with 12 more things. Was aiming for 50 items on this list. Attend a White Rock FREE CONCERT night. Bring lawnchairs and a friend; watch the sunset, listen to cover bands. DOING THIS TONIGHT! Beatles and Eagles songs for the win.
See Louise Penny at the end of the summer. TICKETS BOUGHT. 4 of us going. It's a Penny Summer... I love seasons with a theme.
Do a few photo shoots in front of grafitti'd/mural-ed walls in Vancouver. FIRST ONE DONE. Anyone want to pose/model/have a photo shoot done next time?
Make appointment to have moles removed from back. OH MY GOODNESS, so DONE. It took two and a half hours. Felt like 1000 angry bees were stinging me. Worked from home for 3 days covered in an ancient, secret, smelly, magical Indian ointment. My back has been itchy for a week. Starting to heal now; except for one. I think it's infected. Blechhhh.
Get suspicious lump removed from left boob. (Biopsy results came back last week. Betty's gotta go. Odds are in my favor; 90/10. So I'm only 10% worried.) WILL BE DONE on Friday morning. Aach, Summer 2019 -so much slicing and dicing and burning on my body. I love a season with a theme. Haha.
Go for a ride on that lil boat on the Fraser River in New West.
Is there still an umbrella art installation in Yaletown? I want to go there and take pics.
Be ready and available for an unexpected opportunity.
Put away my Christmas decorations. HOW EMBARRASSING. Haha. My display is still up. I hardly even notice it.
Buy colourful pillows for my very white room at the lake.
Go on a picnic.
Listen to a sermon series/Back to the Bible series.
I started blogging 15 (gasp!) years ago, back when the internet was just a baby. And Dooce was The Queen back then. She started a few years before me (before most of us, actually) and ruled The Mommy Blogger genre because of her raw transparency, her writing skills, her ability to tell a story (tell HER story) with humor and heart. And her story has been wild.
This is her second book, and it's about her ongoing struggle with crippling depression. It was so out-of-control that she was at the end, the absolute end of what she could handle. So she, her doctor, her mom and her psychiatrist, agreed that she was a good candidate for an experimental procedure where she would be clinically reduced to a state of being 'brain dead' (flat lined) ten times over the course of three weeks. (Like restarting your computer a few times to reboot all the factory settings.)
She outlines in detail, how desperate she was for help, how she felt during and after each procedure, and what life is like 18 months later. Fascinating.
This was our book selection for May: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.
I loved this book!
Reese describes it as 'incredibly funny', which it most definitely is NOT. It's got a few quirky light-hearted moments, but I cried more than I laughed. Cried because I identified with Eleanor on a few levels and ached for us both in certain parts. And the ending was perfectly satisfying. I love that in a book, a movie and a life.
As per usual, we had a great discussion about it at book club.
Can I say something? If you love reading, you should join/start a book club. I think we're in our tenth year, and it's just been getting better and better. So much stretching and growing and learning and enjoying. Members come and go over the years which keeps it interesting and grounded. And best of all, our original rules have relaxed and become suggestions. :)
Sheri read this at during our most recent read-a-thon weekend and loved it. (This will be a book that she reads out loud to her kids this fall. I will save this book so I can read it out loud to my not-yet-even-conceived grandchildren.)
It's a children's novel and it's lovely.
And I'm glad I read it. Sometimes a fairy tale is exactly the right thing to get lost in.
If murder mysteries are your fav genre, I'd recommend this book. Which is a story within a story. So, two books for the price of one, in essence. I read it in one day, (it was a sunny day at the lake over the long weekend in May). Sometimes I think that's the best way to read books. By binge-ing.
Every summer I attend a couple free public lectures Under The Green Roof at Regent College.
This year I'm going to hear NT Wright in July, and in May, Kim and I attended this:
YES. It was! (A totally inspiring evening.)
YES. Absolutely I'm going to read all Louise Penny's books this summer.
YES. I read the first one in one day.
YES. I can hardly wait to read the next one.
YES. I would love to visit Three Pines and have a meal or six in The Bistro.
And yes, last summer I attended a Louise Penny book reading and heard her speak. I admire her greatly.
Wednesday morning, as I was engaging in an extreme sport getting dressed (more specifically, pulling up my pants) I heard my shoulder crunch. And then I felt it. Shooting pains. And an immediate inability to move my arm in certain directions.
"This is going to be bothersome" I predicted.
After work, I drove into Vancouver to walkntalketc with a friend. We walked through her neighbourhood; me catching Pokemon and capturing images (absolutely committed to not allowing my impaired shoulder to interfere with my fav activities) - her talking about a recent thing in her life.
"Yeah, so this guy, who I met last year, but lost touch with, asked me if I wanted to sing back-up for him. He's in a band and they had a gig coming up at the end of May in White Rock ...
... so I said, sure, I'd love to.
We met and talked and he was great. He works in two different gyms as a trainer, and he sings in a band. He's around my age (early 40's), tall, black, fit..
... the other night, he put his hands on my shoulders and suggested I walk taller, with my head held high and my shoulders back... he's a really nice guy...
... Anyway... the band practice was coming up on Monday, so I told him to text me the address and I'd be there.
But I didn't hear from him on the next day. Or the following one. So on Saturday evening, I texted him and reminded him I needed the address...
I hadn't heard from him on Sunday, so I thought, "hmmm. Maybe he changed his mind, and doesn't want me there. Maybe he found someone else. Maybe he doesn't like me anymore. Maybe I did something wrong...
... so I checked Facebook to see if he had unfriended me.
... and it turned out, he had died.
He'd had a heart attack.
And died.
He's gone."
I was not expecting her story to end that way.
I had to stop and take a breath.
SO young. (From where I'm standing.)
So random. (He works in gyms. He's FIT.)
So .... something. I don't know what. But it was like a sucker-punch to the gut. And I didn't even know the guy.
About two minutes later, my shoulder needed attention. So as I lifted my arm to change equipment (alternate light phone for heavy camera) my shoulder yelled, my grip loosened and my camera crashed to the sidewalk. The lens was in pieces and the body was broken.
I picked up all the pieces, tucked everything into my vest pocket; then carried on walking and talking about men and dating and ice cream.
After we had our McDonald's McFlurrys, hugged and said goodbye, I sat in my truck for a few minutes looking at my messed up camera. I texted my kids. Who were immediate in their responses:
Drew: Oh no, mom!
Max: (who has the same camera as me) You can use mine, mom.
Clint: Good thing it was the 50mm lens. Sounds like it took most of the impact. Cannon cameras are very durable. It's probably fine.
I felt so known and so loved.
(I popped in on Clint at 11 pm on my way home, to show him the camera. Which he thinks might be repairable. He'll take it in for me.)
But today? (I'm writing this on Sunday May 5)
I do.
I spent the day reading one of her books;
On April 12 she tweeted: Between my trip to San Francisco and the flu, Dan has basically been solo parenting 2 little kids for a week and a half. When I thanked him for stepping up, he looked adoringly at our little girl and said, “Well look what I’ve got to work with!”
On April 14:
If you’re the praying type - I’m in the hospital with a flu + UTI combo and a severe allergic reaction to the antibiotics they gave me. (I’m totally going to miss GOT! )
And then a little while later...
Note: We’ve got HBO Go! So I won’t miss it entirely. Was just looking forward to the live experience. Thanks for your concerns on this which far exceeded concern for my health. Ha!
On April 19, her husband updated Rachel's blog:
During treatment for an infection Rachel began exhibiting unexpected symptoms. Doctors found that her brain was experiencing constant seizures. She is currently in the ICU. She is in a medically induced coma while the doctors work to determine the cause and solution.
And on Saturday May 4:
Early Thursday morning, May 2, Rachel experienced sudden and extreme changes in her vitals. The team at the hospital discovered extensive swelling of her brain and took emergency action to stabilize her. The team worked until Friday afternoon to the best of their ability to save her. This swelling event caused severe damage and ultimately was not survivable.
Rachel died early Saturday morning, May 4, 2019.
She was 37 years old; wife of Dan and mom to a 3 year old son and 1 year old daughter. And she was a history maker.
My Facebook timeline is bursting with posts of how her writing and her ministry have impacted lives. Quotes from her books are all over my Twitter feed. A hashtag to follow right now on Instagram is: #becauseofrhe
If you are a woman of faith, open your Insta account, search that hashtag and be inspired. Her one, short life, made a difference.
The book I read today, had these as the first words, written in the Foreword by Glennon Doyle Melton:
"Whenever I want to scare myself, I consider what would happen to the world if Rachel Held Evans stopped writing."
I started to cry when I realized I was reading those words the day after Rachel stopped writing.
Jen Hatmaker wrote this:
I have been unable to know how to talk about Rachel Held Evans since we lost her. My brain cannot catch up to my shattered heart. I can't make sense of the loss of her nor the future without her, so I've just been flattened. Irrationally, my mind keeps thinking, "But we need her." And why can't that obvious objection reverse this terrible loss? Doesn't God know we need her? Dan needs her. Her babies need her. Her sisters and friends need her. Her readers need her. This world needs her. This is patently unfair and unjust. I wanted to be by her side for another forty years.
So all I know to do is join the TENS OF THOUSANDS of people bearing witness to her faithfulness. The stories of her influence and friendship have laid me flat. I texted our friend group: "She was even better than I knew." I invite you to pay attention to #becauseofRHEand see what good fruit actually looks like.
It looks like beloved people who came back to Jesus because of her kindness. It looks like marginalized folks welcomed, celebrated, elevated, and honored; thanks be to God. It looks like righteousness. It looks like life and joy and abundance and godliness. It looks like a sister who led with courage, a lead blocker who cleared the way for hundreds of thousands of image bearers to move forward in Jesus. It looks like faith leaders from all across the spectrum, even those who sparred with Rachel on key issues, taking off their hats to honor a woman of great valor and even greater faith.
Thank you Jesus that you allowed me to be loved and led by Rachel. I know you have welcomed your faithful servant into glory. Tell her how much she was cherished. Tell her we love her and will see her again. There will one day be a line fifty miles long in heaven to thank her for her witness.
If you want to heal, you will always find the balm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also on Facebook today?
A post made by my friend, Brita:
I have real sadness to share.
My nephew Ron Renville, 47, passed away last night unexpectedly as he and Kristi were watching TV. We don’t know why yet. He was a Vancouver Firefighter, super Dad, followed Jesus, loved his wife and kids and family SO much.
HE is just fine.
We are all devastated.
My niece Kristin is strong and deep, but her beloved is gone and Ethan 14, and Zoe 12, have lost a guiding light.
We mourn with them and their friends, even as we all have hope, and know and rejoice that Ron is truly ok in heaven. They are so well loved by their strong friend group, church, firefighting community, and families.
Pray for courage and peace as many decisions are made. They are in the midst of building a house on their property and the visual reminder of their future will be ever present as it goes up.
We don’t ask why. Death is a guaranteed part of life. But we grieve.
So thanks in advance for your love and prayer.
~~~~~~~~~
Three deaths in the past 3 days.
I didn't know any of the deceased personally, but am feeling some strong feels about their passing.
They were all young (37, early 40's and 47) and my heart hurts for those who are grieving with their whole beings.
God, comfort the hurting and fill their hearts with hope. Please. Amen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Things I'm thankful for: (written in my journal at a picnic table on beside Mill Lake on Saturday May 4 evening. Due to an accident on the freeway, I was 40 minutes late for church. Instead of walking in late, I drove over to the park and wrote out a few things I was thankful for:)
1. Spring
2. green
3. fresh air
4. city lakes
5. families that walk, laugh, spend Saturday evenings together
6. couples who hold hands
7. weekends
8. non-rainy weekends
9. hope of eternal life
10. joy-filled people
11. the energy and enthusiasm toddlers have
12. birdsong
13. picnic tables
14. walking paths
15. patient friends who wait for me to take pics along the way
16. patient friends who don't mind if a catch a Pokemon or two while we walk
17. patient friends who listen to me talk and talk
18. friends
19. my kids' friends
20. young women who support and celebrate each other
21. water parks
22. warm breezes
23. comfy runners
24. fully loaded external batteries
25. sons
26. daughter in laws
27. tax refunds
28. friends who like to hang out, and read
29. book clubs
30. MY book club
31. lily-of-the-valley scented handcream
32. co-workers who help with challenging tasks
33. king size beds
34. ice cubes
35. inspiring sermons
36. good books
37. challenging talks
38. Advil
39. pretty
40. friends who feed me. :)
41. flat screen hi def TV's
42. British shows
43. notebooks
44. friends who sacrifice entire evenings to binge-watch your favorite actor with you
45. kids who love traditions
46. super hero movies
47. the smell of cut grass
48. people who don't cringe when I take pics of them
49. my team at work
50. forgiveness
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"This week" is actually about 2 and 1/2 weeks... from April 22 - May 10:
Proudest
moment this week: Instead of going to the accountant who's done my taxes since 1983, (last year they charged me $750) I stopped in at an H+R Block kiosk at the mall and got them to deal with my 7 tax papers (T4's and recepits). Only cost $150. How proud am I? Not as proud as I will be NEXT year when a friend will help me do it for free. But still. It was my proudest moment since my last blog post.
Most
embarrassing moment of the week:
Funniest
moment of the week:
Biggest
achievement of the week: One of my senior designers is going to Israel for a year, and because we don't have a HR person right now, the process of hiring a replacement kinda fell on me. SO very grateful for the support of an amazing team who are standing by my side as we go through resumes and conduct interviews. Wasn't expecting to care so much for those who are applying. I've learned so much during this process; the biggest one being I sure whine when I have to do something new for the first time. Sorry to everyone who's had to listen to me.
Best
moment of the week: I've just looked through my calendar to see what I've been up to. MAN. SO many good days in a row. All have been 'the best' ... walk Ft Langley with Andrea, walk the seawall with Heather, binge watched TV with Jenn, read-a-thon with Sherri and Kim, celebrate Clint and Dani's birthdays, walk through Vancouver with (the other) Kim, caught Pokemon with Heather, walked around Aldergrove Lake with Maureen, walked the promenade in New West, walked around Granville Island and False Creek with Sandra ... (you'd think all this walking was making a difference wouldn't you? Life is unfair sometimes.) But maybe the best moment was today. Today is Thursday May 9. It was 28 degrees out, so I took the day off. I drove up to the lake last night, and slept in (natch) this morning. Then sat in the sun on a lawn chair and breathed deeply. I was By Myself. No make up. Minimal clothing. Delightful breeze. Warm sun. Soft grass under my bare feet. Birdsong to break the silence. And an entertaining book that I read in one sitting the way the author intended. I surprised myself by sobbing near the end; I was utterly caught up in the story and it just touched a soft spot. Best days are always those days when books make you cry.
Best
holiday memory of the week: There were no official holidays this week, but Flex Days and Birthdays SHOULD be counted as holidays. So, with that in mind, the best holiday memory of the week was last Sunday when Clint, Max, Drew, Dani, my mom and I met at The Keg to celebrate Clint's and Dani's birthdays. Everyone was in good moods, the food was delish, as per usual, and someone from our way back past popped by to say hi. (One of the Van Dyke boys from Killarney Park, then Fraser Heights days. A fun blast from the past.) Afterwards, as per usual, the Ofam wandered over to Colossus to watch Avengers, End Game, where a few tears slipped out. Because the best superhero movies make your eyes sting and your heart hurt. Everyone knows that.
Best
advice I heard this week: It was suggested that I should try intermittent fasting.
Most
grateful for this week: At the risk of sounding terribly materialist, I am most thankful for an unexpectedly large tax refund. Yay! More teeth getting capped this year. Haha. (I've used up my lifetime allotment of dental work on my work plan. Sucks to be me. The hair follicles on my head may spring forth much fruit, but my teeth are crap.)
Favorite
family memory of the week: While Sunday April 28 was fun and good, the three sentences on our family chat the evening I dropped my camera was my favorite family memory.
Biggest
regret of this week: Only made it to the gym twice. I am ashamed and embarrassed and avoiding going back to my doctor's because, despite all the walking, I haven't lost a pound or an inch and I probably still have crappy blood sugar scores and why the hell can't I hate chocolate?
Best
thing I learned this week: With Clint's (somewhat) patient prompting, I learned how to connect my laptop to my TV with a HDMI cable. I also learned that there is no difference between a $200 HDMI cable and a $14.99 HDMI cable.
Biggest
change I made this week: Sad to say, my phone has been back in my bedroom at night. Arrrgggh.
Best
gift I received this week:
The words in the card were more than enough. But the lined, coil-bound notebook was lovely too.
She bought a new one, for the camera feature, and gave me her old one as a birthday present. More storage. Newer than mine. Just need to figure out sim cards. Or something.
... and a freshly bake craison orange glazed scone. Yummers.
New
friend this week: Haha! 17 NEW friends this week! From all around the world' Japan, Italy, Brazil, Indonesia, Sweden ... All I had to do was tweet "Anyone want to be my Pokemon Go friend?" SO many friendly Pokemon catchers around the world.
Most
inspiring person this week:
Rachel Held Evans
Word to
describe this week: Rich
Unexpected
obstacles I faced this week: My office is so hot. Some afternoons it was a real challenge to stay at my desk.
Even on rainy days when I wear my boots, my feet are on fire. I sit barefoot at my desk when no one's watching.
And I wear sleeveless tops exclusively.
I bought a full size fan and have it on all day, hoping the circulation of air will help with the temperature issues I'm having.
This is my new Facebook profile pic. I hate selfies.
But this is what I look like at work. Reading glasses all day.
Unexpected
surprise this week: My team did a "Creative Types" online test (takes 3 minutes) and I thought I'd be a Producer (seeing I'm a Project Manager n all) but it turned out, I am a DREAMER (which is horribly accurate and not anything I'm particularly proud of.) Oy. Dreamer. What are you?
The world is a place of beauty and magic in the eyes of a DREAMER. Where others see facts and figures, you see symbols, metaphors, and hidden meanings.
You’re deeply emotional and intuitive, with a vivid imagination—the quintessential idealist and romantic. The inner world is always where you’ve felt most at home. You’re happy to roam your mental landscape of thoughts, emotions, and fantasies for hours on end.
You’re naturally drawn to express your inner world through literary pursuits, music, and the visual arts. Think of yourself as the “magical realist” of the creative types: like the literary masters of that genre, you naturally infuse your everyday life with the beauty and wonder of the imagination.
Your greatest gift is your depth of sensitivity and empathy, which allows you to give voice to universal human emotions in a way that touches people on a profound level. Your greatest challenge is learning to balance dreaming with disciplined action—which starts with coming back to the present moment. Let your mind roam free, DREAMER, but don’t forget to return to the here and now. Practicing mindfulness will go a long way in helping you turn your dreams into reality.
Best
place I visited this week:
New
skill I learned this week:
Biggest
obsession this week: Trying to find a way to get all the crap out of the garage.
Best
food I ate this week: Anything not prepared by me. Italian pasta made by Kim, cinnamon pullaparts made by Sheri, chowmein made by Heather, steak and shrimp at The Keg... THIS IS WHY I LOOK LIKE I DO.
Best TV
I watched this week: Who has time to watch TV? (Other than the 6 hour binge that Jenn and I did...)
Best
movie I watched this week: Avengers End Game.
Books I read this week:
Best
song heard this week:
Most
excited about this for NEXT YEAR: A trip! With my kids! Next May! Not sure where yet, but it will be epic.
New
skill I want to learn NEXT YEAR:
Place I
want to visit NEXT YEAR: All the places. I have a list about ten miles long.
