I didn’t get out to do any mummering today, but I did get a good deal of work done in a casual manner and then stopped at Fenwick and Baker for some food and had a nice visit with several people. I also invited Bob to come to our family dinner because I couldn’t bear that he was going to be alone completely.
My footsteps next to Daryl‘s made me laugh today 
Robbies costume was great especially the shoes
I’m still feeling the effects of a sore throat so I didn’t dare go visit Jeanne in the hospital. She has chosen to go home on meds and I worry because she has lung issues and when she gets a cold of any kind, it’s pretty serious. I love my cousin very much and I wish that I could’ve gone to see her today, but I’m not gonna bring any extra germs around her.
I have a bit of a sore throat today and my breathing has been heavier the last few days. I really hope I’m not getting sick. I was glad that my two Lego orders arrived today. The one that was Jenna’s Christmas present and one that was for Lukas for his birthday and another one for Christmas. After work, I stopped to give him his birthday one as he turned 16 last Saturday. It was a box of six packages of random Formula One cars, and he seemed to enjoy putting them together very much and the fact that they worked very well.
I sat and worked on a puzzle in the kitchen. I had a small visit before coming home. I’m just a little worn out, but I did take the time to put together my gift with purchase, which is a beautiful gingerbread train.
It is nice to have a bit of Christmas going on in my home
At 5:38 am I felt a little poke in my side and it was time to get up. After breakfast, Gwen couldn’t wait to do the days puzzle. She was pretty good at it for just turned 4. I had them get dressed and I did Emmy’s hair.
This was part of last nights entertainment
I had Emmy help me break down all my Lego boxes and we fit them in one big Lego bag. Gwen thought the parts bags were the best and finally helped us put them into bags for recycling
Danika called that there were police roadblocks outside the trailer park and they couldn’t get in to pick up the girls for church. apparently something ‘spicy’ was going on and they had the tracker dog out. I wandered outside but there was only silence. That was when I remembered that I thought I’d heard a gun shot. I am so used to hearing random fireworks going off around here that didn’t even click. I texted Tracey and she said yes she had heard something as well. Ran offered us to get out and go to her place for safety, but I felt that unless they came around to tell us to shelter in place it must have been targeted and we were not in danger.
Malcolm dropped Danika and Thea at church and then around 11 was finally able to get in and pick up the girls. I proceeded to get myself ready to get on with the day as I was going to be meeting them at 1:30 for Santa Photos.
I was on the phone with Randy who wanted to make plans to meet for coffee when there was a knock on the door. It was an RCMP member and I laughed and said oh I would’ve expected you a few hours ago. He asked if I had seen anything and did I have a security camera which of course reminded me that I do and I started playing clips from around 9 o’clock when he said the incident had occurred and my camera caught at 9:06 3 different gunshots. He was very happy to learn this and did a quick recorded interview with me and then sent me a link to upload the recordings. I asked him what had happened and he said that someone was very angry at another person and was shooting, but I don’t believe anyone was hurt. I’m going to guess it was a domestic.
I did meet Randy at Starbucks and we had a nice visit as much as he is an enamoured of me and seems like a nice man. I think we’re a little bit too different. He’s a morning person not much into technology has a very simple life, but would love to go on a road trip with me. I have to think about that. It seems a little bit hasty to make a decision, but I did agree to go out for dinner with him while he is in town.
From there, I met at the mall for Santa pictures although Thea wouldn’t join Emmy and Gwen with me I did manage to get a little picture with her in the end. I can’t wait for Danika to send me some of the pictures when she gets the USB set up at home.
I headed off to superstore and used the gift card that I was given by a client to buy the rest of the groceries that I needed for Christmas breakfast and some Lego sets for myself as well as some 50% off Christmas lights and an inflatable Christmas tree. It was all covered by the gift card and was a lovely treat. I dropped the groceries off at home and then met the rest of the family at Santa, who had a good chuckle that I was there for the second time that day. Following the pictures, I was invited to join them all for the Crozier/Guedes Christmas dinner. I went back to superstore and I had exactly enough left on the card to cover buying a big Caesar salad to bring. Dinner was wonderful and I had stopped at home to pick up the Baja Rosa and black Sambuca to create volcano shots to share and they were a big hit.
I’m heading to bed early for me as I have been up for a very long time and had a great deal of excitement today
I started the beautiful day by dropping off a card and two poinsettias to Mike at Fenwick & Baker. Next was a quick stop to see if Lukas was around for a birthday hug but he wasn’t. I did let him know that his present was arriving on Monday
Danika and Malcolm dropped off Miss Emelia and Miss Gwendolyn. This will be the first sleepover for Gwen at my place. Emmy loved the necklace I got her on the ship. I think Gwen didn’t love the feel of hers around her neck
We spent a great deal of time sorting everything in the Tickle Trunk. There’s a great amount of kinder toy parts and it was fun to build a bunch of them and bag them in ziplocks. Emmy was very taken with my old book and will be taking it home with her
I made cupcakes and Emmy gave Gwen a facial with a mask she brought
The flip phone was a very interesting relic to both of them
At one point Gwen asked where the squirrel coconut was. I shall forever think of acorns that way
After dinner was more spa time. Emmy had also brought eye treatments. I love that Gwen’s favourite toys here are the wee plastic toaster, coffee maker and food processor that Rae and Ash played with when they were little.
Gwen went to sleep easily with 4 repeats of Blackbird by the Beatles
Emmy and I cast my vacation pictures to the TV and checked out some fun times together. She also went to bed as soon as she was asked.
It was lovely to go out for lunch at Bryxx to say goodbye to Layla as today was her last at CFEK.
I dropped off lip balms at the hospital cast clinic and a Williams gin for Dave before tucking into a lot of payroll runs.
When the day was done I headed to F&B and hung out with Dave, Mark, Heather and Mike, Dean, and a new guy that was visiting, Randy.
Small weird world he lives in the same complex that my mom used to live in in Ocean Park
We hit it off very well and he asked for my number and asked if he could take me out for dinner as he’s here for another 10 days. I did say yes and tomorrow we are to make a plan. That was a lovely surprise.
He walked me over to the theater, where I was meeting others to see Johnny Reid’s Christmas show as he was on the way to the hockey game with the guys
Johnny was fantastic and I very much enjoyed the show
Today I had several interesting clients in my office
Today I enjoyed the Christmas carols at Rotary lunch
Today I contemplated a client referral from the firm I used to work for
Today I picked up Bejea and went to F&B for something to eat and had a nice visit with my friends there, many of whom are taking off in different directions for Christmas. So long Michelle!
Today my ankle aches and I am anxious about what is to come but grateful that I was able to get a phone consultation with my surgeon for the 30th
Today I’m still feeling the impact of spending so many hours at the hospital yesterday. It is not the best place for an empath.
Today started fairly normal until I tried to book Mom a doctors appointment and was told to take her to the emergency. I reached out to Rae to see if she was available. She discern that the urgent care was taking people in fairly quickly this morning so I went and picked up Mom at 10:30 and brought her to urgent care where after a full intake with bail sitting there to keep her company if I had to leave, we found out that I needed to take her to emergency.
I brought her up there and settled her in with Bill at her side and headed back to the office to try to get some work done. He had to leave by 12:30 so at quarter after 12 I headed up to the hospital to switch him out and end up staying with her until dropping her off at home just before five.
Her feet are very swollen up and she has a UTI as I suspected. I put her prescriptions in to Safeway before I dropped her off., and then headed to my massage appointment at 5:15.
I was very emotional because it is hard for an empath to spend a day in the emergency room. Ashley did an OK job of taking away some of the anxiety.
After my massage, I picked up mom’s prescriptions and drop them off to her at her apartment before heading to Verna’s to make lip balm. I wanted to take some to the people at the hospital who once again have helped out. It turned out to be an incredible group of ladies who I enjoy, and we had a good visit.
Trudy needed a ride home and I was happy to oblige and ended up having a nice scotch with Dave and Tom and a good visit before heading home.
All in all, my friends helped make today a better day than it started out
Started off my day with errands. Picked up pills and shop for Mom, and stopped to give Diana her 60th birthday gift
Daryl scared me with his shirt
I went to meet the daughter of a woman from Kimberley who was delivering a Lego botanical that I bought. She told me she would be in black Ford F150 at Rick’s Meats. When I arrived there were 4 vehicles of that type in the very small parking lot. After securing my package another one drove in!!!
After work I headed to meet up with the Core Heritage Consulting perps for a Christmas party. Brett had invited me to join them with an event Jill had planned. I had no idea there was an archery place in Cranbrook underneath the Chamber of Commerce. We had a lot of fun for an hour and a half and then headed to Encore for pizza and drinks and good visit. It was a fun night all around 
I can’t seem to get to sleep without purging the information I got today by email. The report from the radiologist came up to say that my fibula fracture has not healed properly. I am going to wait two days to hear from my surgeon and if I do not in that time, then I will call her.
Today was relatively mild, rainy, and extremely windy come evening.
It was a heavy payroll day, and I also took on a new client out of Trail. Bejea reached out late afternoon, and I picked her up to go hang out at the Heidout for a little bit.
Came home to watch a season of Loot  and built my Lego frame, which I put one of my Picasso museum postcard in for now.
I puttered I doors and then went out to do a swack of yard work. I only have along the fence line left. The raspberries and Hollyhocks and willow have all been pruned and bagged. I also found my Christmas flamingo lights.
I connected my Apple TV account to my new TV and began enjoying Season 2 of Palm Royale.
At 8:30 I went and parked at the office and walked over just in time for the CPKC Holiday to arrive. the evening was fun with performance by the Bare Naked Ladies. Jim Creeggan was unable to be there so Ed Robertson’s son played bass. He was good and they had everyone singing along.
I came home and finally used the vanilla foot masks that Rae gave me in Florida
I went to my office mid afternoon and built the Japanese Maple that Doug gave me. I put the Christmas songs on blast and had a lovely time.
From there I headed to the arena for 50/50 at the Bucks vs Bandits game. We lost but I had a good time
Lallah gave me some home made cranberry sauce which I look forward to sharing at Christmas
I have circled back to add that I am sad for my friend, Julie, She lost her Mom today and I am sure it is a mixed blessing as her Mom has been struggling for a while. it is sad to lose another ‘Mom’ that helped me get through my teens alive
With the strange weather, we’re having it rained all the snow away yesterday and then woke up to snow this morning with it already beginning to rain again. Apparently there is even evacuation orders in Port Chilliwack again because of the atmospheric river that hit. I did find it interesting the formation that fell off my lights.
I picked up Rae-Anne at 11:15 to attend the chamber an annual fundraiser turkey drive luncheon. It was at Encore again this year and over $65,000 was raised with the amount being split evenly between the Food Bank and the Salvation Army locally. Jason Cavan from one of the local radio stations raised $38,000!
There was a Christmas tree decorating contest as usual and CFEK did their own crazy thing but this year tied for the worst tree, and there was a tie for the Best tree which was settled by rock paper scissors, and we won! Mike from strategic fire control and Rae-Anne and I received gift cards from Dash eatery for our reindeer tree
After stopping at Fenwick & baker for wing night, I came home and wrapped presents. I feel that it was a responsible kind of Christmas with everyone getting something that suited them and I didn’t need to spend a whole lot to find the right things. I am still waiting for a couple of things to come in the mail, but otherwise I am done. 
I started the day at the hospital, getting an x-ray and seeing my surgeon, Dr. Vaile. After checking everything out, she believes it is what I first thought that scar tissue has built up, and the nerve that goes across the front of my leg catches on it or is capsulated by it. She showed me the x-rays from right after the surgery compared to now and everything is exactly where it’s supposed to be, which is a huge relief considering I rolled my ankle a couple of times on the cobblestones on my trip. Her recommendation is that I find a good registered massage therapist or physical therapist who can massage it to break up the scar tissue. When I was on the trip, I did have a good foot massage on the ship and one by Rae-Anne in our hotel and both times and had them immediate positive effect on my ability to walk. She wants me to try and get a massage as often as possible. I am going to have to find someone who could get me in. Next month, her intention is to give me a shot of freezing and I think she said sailing into the scar tissue which breaks it up and that will help as well. It was such a relief to find out that there is nothing seriously wrong. My body isn’t trying to reject the metal or anything like that.
I had a good day at the office, but did find myself getting a little bit grumpy towards the end, which is the first time since I’ve been back. I struggle to not lecture my client that it is most important that when she gets an email she prints and gives me the invoices not when she gets around to it so that it becomes an an urgent thing for me to deal with. Anyway, I shall reclaim my Zen and focus on being kind.
I came home and did a little decorating in my living room, putting out some special decorations that were handy and built my Lego Nutcracker. He’s cute.
I really miss my Texas Posse. I need to make a plan that ensures when I’m going to see them all next. I feel similarly about my UK Besties. It is hard to have such strong connection and memories and not know when you’re going to see someone again, if ever.
When people ask me how my trip was my instant response is that it was life-changing. I have a joked that it was the most expensive therapy I’ve ever paid for but the most effective. It’s not really a joke. Along the way, I learned the value of me. I enjoyed so much spreading love and accepting love and just being me and experiencing the joy when people saw me again when I returned. I need a pin that feeling as a way point for when I start to slide mentally so that I can remember how good this feels right now.
It was super windy last night so I went outside early to find chaos
Mr & Mrs Snow were up to their old antics.
Looked like there was a big driveway party
I hung my wreath which always pleases me when I come home
It was lovely to get to the office and find a card from a board member who sat with us on Friday night.
Mid afternoon I got a text from Bejea asking if I could pick her up to go for a beverage after work. She had fallen last week and it was too far of a walk. I did and we had a good visit with Bob, catching up. It was Bob 67th birthday today so the three of us had a volcano shot in honour. Baja Rosa and Black Sambuca which tastes like tiger ice cream! I also had the Yorkies, which are new on the menu and they were delicious 
Funny enough the best part of my day may have been getting my teeth cleaned because my hygienist is eight months pregnant and several times while she was cleaning ended up with her belly up against the side of my face. Praying that the baby would kick. It seems so intimate and lovely and she is a lovely human who is looking forward to her first.
I was awake at 5:30 for the second day in a row not sure what that’s all about but I know that it leads to a very long day. I did manage to wrap up some files and that pleases me because one of them in particular was starting to worry away at my Zen mood. It started to snow again, which complicated things as far as the fact that we were driving to Kimberley at the end of the day. Mid afternoon, we took some photos and then decorated the tree outside my office. I came home and got changed picked up Rayann and then went to Groundfloor to pick up Bryan and James the two janitors and we all added for the CFEK Christmas dinner. This year it was at UVA in the Larix hotel in Kimberly, which used to be the Cominco Mine office building. They have done a beautiful job of renovating it. The restaurant was spectacular and we had the whole place to ourselves with a family style service of food. The courses just kept coming and they were fancy and delicious., big city quality. I had a great time getting to know the board member Tracey better and we agree that we need to get together for martinis in the near future. I took my time driving home dropped everyone off and I’m settled in for whatever weather the weekend brings.
triumphgal 