Letting Go, "Finding Marnie"

My apologies for not posting in a while. It's been a crazy, crazy time for us, and to be honest, the one med I'm now on for various chronic pain conditions is knocking me for a loop.

I am going to be weaning myself off of that medication over time, with my doctor's supervision. I'd rather get the shocks/zaps from the TN over feeling like a bloody zombie. I'm unable to work due to a constant *brain fog*, and my vision is messed up to the point where I am scared to drive - both symptoms are side effects of this medication. I'm not myself, and I HATE it. I want to be able to think without my brain skipping like a broken record. 

This medication has also made the stress of August worse... It magnified everything for me.

The fridge decided to give up the ghost on July 31st. It didn't owe us anything, it was Nanny's old one, and we inherited after she passed away. It was about 20 years old too, and the brand isn't even made nowadays. So we got a new one, although we had to wait a week for it to be delivered.

It's chrome, and I think it's so PRETTY! It seems larger than the old one but I'm not sure why. Probably because there's a lot more room on the door?

The fridge dying we could handle... The next one was pretty awful, mainly for Hubby.

The engine in our dear sweet big car, the 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood, suffered a fatal blow when its cam shaft started going. It was at our mechanic's place (Tim) at the time, so he was able to look things over.

It's not worth getting another engine for her. We may get two more years out of it, five if we don't drive it too much... Since it's Hubby's main vehicle, we decided it was time to let it go and look for a new vehicle.

So far, no luck. Hubby is now using my main car, my itty bitty Focus, as his main vehicle. Yeah. He's being razzed a bit for not driving that 19 footer. LOL

The third and final one was the toughest for all of us......

Last weekend, we noticed something was off with Amber, our kitty. She wasn't eating much, but drinking a lot, and she was unable to control her bum. She was constantly messing on herself and everywhere else.

She deteriorated so fast... One day she was fine, the next, she wasn't. We did our best to help her, but nothing worked. We decided she needed to go to the vet... And I didn't expect her to come home.

Monday, August 20th, 2018... Amber crossed the Rainbow Bridge at 8:55 a.m. in my husband's arms, and he stayed with her for a while afterwards. Our veterinarian thinks she had either liver failure or kidney failure, or a combination of both. (Both will make a cat go downhill in less than a week) He said we did the right thing, any attempts to help her and prolong her life would have made her miserable, and she would have passed away anyway.

Knowing all of this didn't help me at all. For the last 8 years since we adopted her, the last six since Noelle passed away, Amber has been my constant companion... She was always nearby if I needed her - cuddles, a meow, or just seeing her helped me a lot with the anxiety issues and depression. She was *THE* cat that was here the entire time I was writing, editing, getting rejections, and everything else for Stricken. No other cat was here for it. She was my writing supervisor, my beloved writing buddy too.

I started crying over the weekend, spent my birthday on the 19th in tears, and haven't really stopped bawling at all since we realized we may lose Amber. Knowing she's gone and won't be coming home really, really hit me hard. So hard that I said no more cats for a while. (This is really strange for me, because I have *never* been without a cat my entire life)

My poor mom called to wish me a happy birthday and wound up getting a blubbering mess instead of her oldest daughter. I know I worried her, a lot... Mom knows how strongly I bond with my cats, and she knows how much Amber and I loved each other.

We didn't talk about getting a cat much, other than I said I wanted a rescue kitty from the shelter or a foster home (I am a firm believer in saving a life, or more than one), and I wanted all new stuff for the new cat, *IF* we decided to get another one.

Meanwhile, our son was going on about how much he wanted to see Amber... I don't think he fully got that she was gone for good, not until we had to sit him down and explain it to him in detail. This in turn, upset him, because Amber was his buddy too. He'd play on his Wii upstairs and she'd nap on his bed, or sit on his windowsill and watch the birdies and meow at anyone outside. 

He finally started asking, then *nagging* to get another kitty. He missed having one. So did I, but I wanted time to mourn my sweet Amber properly, and to start moving forward.

Friday night was when I realized what was going on with me regarding the medication I'm on for the trigeminal end of things, and I discussed things with Hubby on Saturday morning. 

He told me that I don't seem like myself because I don't have a feline counterpart. Not exactly his words, but that's what it basically comes down to. I need a cat to love, spoil and talk to, and Amber's passing meant I do not have that. He said that we could visit the shelter when I'm ready, and not beforehand.

It was a tough decision... I kept thinking of Amber, and the more I thought of her, the more I cried. 

At the same time, I knew in my heart that's the place we'd find a kitty for us. I wasn't sure when we'd find them yet... Or if I was ready.

Saturday, August 25, 2018: We arrive at S.H.A.I.D. Tree Animal Shelter to visit their cats, unsure if we're going to adopt one or not. I wanted a cat about six months to two years old... Old enough to be big enough so we wouldn't have to kitten proof the house, but young enough to be silly and playful.

Unfortunately the two I had been looking at on their website had already been adopted to loving homes. All of the other cats were either really small kittens, feral, or at least 8 to 10 years old...

Except for one particular fluffball. She is a four year old black and white cat, with an unusual coat. Plus she started meowing the instant she saw us, rubbing her face along the bars of the cage and demanding attention. I put my hand down to her, and she smooched it. Several times. The lady who was helping us, Vicki, said the kitty was brought in by a loving owner who could no longer keep her due to lifestyle changes, and it was done reluctantly. (I don't know the circumstances, I didn't ask) 

This big ball of fur kept talking to us and demanding attention while we were being greeted by the friendlier kittens. One had the runs, and although she was friendly and loved attention, she wasn't ready to be adopted out yet. She wasn't even six weeks old yet. The shelter doesn't like adopting out babies younger than 8 weeks, unless the person adopting will foster them first, and if they're not well, they stay in the shelter until deemed healthy. 

I went into the other room, and met a few other cats, while this particular black and white fluffball kept talking her head off.

Hubby reached down to her, and she started kissing his fingers, and licking them... Which reminded us of our old sweetheart, Birdie. She was a big licker. LOL

We finally asked if I could hold the talking kitty, whose name turned out to be MARNIE. Vicki placed her in my arms, and Marnie instantly settled down, started purring and snuggled in as if to say "MINE!". 

She also gave my son a lot of kisses. 

That sealed it. Within twenty minutes, I was signing the adoption papers, and Marnie was in the carrier, ready to go to her new home. 

Discovering one of the "Kitty TV Portals".

The instant we let her out of the carrier, she did a little exploring, but went upstairs, into my son's bedroom, and pretty much stayed there the entire afternoon. Wherever he went, Marnie followed. She really, really bonded with him first, although she is loving up to Hubby and myself.  I don't think she's stopped purring since we let her out of the carrier. She's unsure of things, but happy to be out of that cage and with people who are spoiling her to bits.

She knows where her food and water are, and the litter box, but so far has either hung out upstairs with our son, or as you see in the photo, on Amber's old perch in front of the kitchen window, by my office. Each time I look over there, I see a really, REALLY fluffy tail.

It looks odd right now, considering Amber was a short hair, and had a skinny tail. Marnie's is ultra fluffy, and almost looks like a skunk's. One of my old school chums, who is a veterinarian out west, told me he thinks she's either part or full Maine Coon Cat. No problems on my end, I love Maine Coons, although I'd be happy if she was just a regular domestic longhair. Seriously, her tail fur is at least 3 to four inches long, so is the fur on her body... It's really soft and silky too. Noelle had soft fur, but had nothing on Marnie. 

I will always love and miss Amber to bits... It's been eight years since Birdie passed, and I still cry over her... BUT it's time to let go and move on. Amber would understand I cannot live without a kitty to love and spoil, and knows how hard life is on a cat without a home. She was a homeless kitten when Nanny brought her home in 2005... She turned out to be a sweetheart, the most laid back cat I've ever met. She will always be my baby, my writing buddy and monitor kitty, but since she's no longer here, we need someone else to fill in the hole she left behind when she passed away. I am still crying over Amber, and I probably will for a while... Grief has no boundaries and no time limit. 

Marnie seems to know we needed her, like she needed someone to love and spoil her. She is always talking to us, always smooching, and never afraid to ask for some love... Which we are happy to give. I needed a cat to love. She needed a home. 

I'll keep everyone posted on how things are going with Marnie. I'm not expecting her to be a writing supervisor or Monitor Kitty - that was Amber. I am expecting a lot of zaniness, and lots of silly revenge for things like leaving her alone all day, Marnie style. 

Life just got really, really interesting. Let's see where we go this time. 

I leave you with one of my new favorites... Thank you Lorrie for introducing me to GODSMACK.... "Under Your Scars".

Occipital Neuralgia and More...

Confession time.

I have more than one chronic illness, as some of you know. What a lot of you don't know is exactly what it entails.

It's called Occipital Neuralgia, and it can be quite disabling.

The Occipital Neuralgia Awareness Ribbon.

Occipital neuralgia is basically a type of migraine, but it doesn't happen in the actual skull, it happens in the scalp. It is caused by four nerves, two on each side: the lesser occipital nerve which goes up the outside of the back part of the head, closer to the ears, and the greater occipital nerves, which go up the back of the head parallel to each side of the spine.

When those nerves get injured, compressed, and irritated, they can cause a permanent headache, as well as "zinging" and burning pain along each of the nerves - I liken it to an AC current. It goes one way, then the other, back and forth along the nerves. It goes up the back of the head through the scalp, across the top of the head, and into the forehead and behind the eyes. Sometimes only one side is affected, others, both are. 

Here's a diagram showing the location of the occipital nerves:

It can "flare" up, meaning instead of the usual amount of pain from it - a five to six in my case - it can go to a 10 or higher on the pain scale. Think flat on one's back, and not even prescription pain medications will put a dent in it.

According to www.hopkinsmedicine.org, occipital neuralgia can make the scalp so sensitive to touch that combing the hair, washing the hair, or laying on a pillow can be "nearly impossible" due to the amount of pain one has. 

Symptoms of Occipital Neuralgia include:

I have pretty much every symptom on that list, especially when I am in the middle of a flare up. I wear sunglasses even during a blizzard or hurricane outside, and I have a constant headache. I've had this since I was a child... I've learned how to avoid triggers for it over the years, and I've also learned that the instant things start going crazy to just lay down and think happy thoughts - after popping a few ASA pills. I can't take anything prescription wise due to my son, and anything other than ASA either doesn't work or gives me a bad reaction... So ASA it is, and yes, it does work. Sometimes. It brings things down to a manageable level.

Up until a few months ago, I was managing without a lot of intervention. I could function with the pain until I got a bad flare up, then I'd have to sleep it off with ice packs wrapped around my head in a dark room. 

However, around the middle of November, I started noticing that it was on almost a constant flare up. It seemed I couldn't go three days without being flat on my back for a few hours, or I was flaring almost constantly. I finally gave in and said I need help.

Hubby noted that when I say I need help with my occipital neuralgia, it's BAD... Bad enough that I was almost begging for something like morphine.

I hate prescription pain killers for the record, and narcotics in general - I had a bad reaction to morphine during labor with my son - so when I say I'll even take a shot of morphine or stronger, I am in so much pain that I am willing to do almost anything to stop it.... I can take a *LOT* before I get there. 

So I talked to my family doctor, and she made arrangements for me to try something different - a nerve block. What happens is the doctor injects some kind of local anesthesia into the nerves, and hopefully after the initial overall numbness wears off, the nerves have calmed down enough that they are not causing any zapping pains.

I saw the doctor for this eleven days ago, on January 10th, in Dartmouth. I am terrified of needles in general, despite getting tons of them in the last few years due to the diabetes, so of course, I was shaking like a leaf when I went in.

We went over my history then he did an exam of my neck, shoulders and head, with pokes and a LOT of pushing on various areas to see what hurt and what didn't. The instant he hit the greater occipital nerves, I yelped. It shot a HUGE zap along both of the nerves so painful that I saw stars. 

It's definitely occipital neuralgia. That was the test for it.

I got the nerve blocks that day. It hurt like heck going in, but after about a minute or so, I wasn't feeling much. 

After the second side was done, I sat up, caught my breath and moved my head around. 

Nothing. Not even a teeny zing.

It was the least amount of pain I had in my head in about 35 years. I felt fantastic!

You could have cracked me in the back of the head with a 2 by 4, and I probably wouldn't have felt it for a few hours after that!

Four hours was the tell... If it wore off and I got the zinging again, that particular nerve block wasn't going to work for me. I would have to get something different like cortisone. That hurts even more.... 

I was also given an order for acupuncture via physiotherapy. I'm now waiting for the call to go in and start the sessions. I can't wait!

Eleven days later... I'm still without the zapping. No dull ache. No pain in the eyes.

NOTHING.

I'm now wondering why I didn't do this sooner. This is freaking awesome! I can think without hurting for the first time in ages!

In fact, I am feeling so darn good that I've decided to catch up on a lot of things I've been neglecting for the last while... I've been putting off doing a lot of reorganizing and rearranging things in the kitchen. I finally got around to doing it this week, and the place looks amazing! 

I wanted a new office... I was right in the walkway in the cubby hole opposite the stairs. It was cramped, cluttered, drafty and my son could easily read over my shoulder... Not good! I was fed up and finally decided to switch things around.

My new office is in the corner of the kitchen, on the kitchen table. It's warmer, more private, and best of all, no stairs for the damn cat to run up and use as a platform for dive bombing. To my back is the eastern wall of the kitchen, and to my right is the northern wall. The table is facing the back of the house, I can see the entire room from here, including Amber's sleeping box with her blankie into it. 

My old Pentium 90 is still here, and still works. That's what's under the monitor. 

Amber isn't impressed. She can no longer sit on top of the monitor and look out the window. I said she can go suck cat litter if she doesn't like it. 

She does still sit on top of the monitor though, as y'all can see...

Me and my purple.... LOL

So I thought the dive bombing had come to an end without stairs to use as a platform.

WRONG.

What you are seeing is my printer on top of the old tower for my Vista system - the one that originally housed the hard drive that's now in my current system. This is to the direct left of my computer chair. In fact I was in the chair when I took this photo... Just to give everyone a perspective of how things are here. Behind the curtain in the back is the old computer area and stairway.

Anyway... Amber now likes to sit on the printer and look out the window.

However, she realized I was sitting here the other day, and the next thing I knew, I had a cat flying for my head.

Again.  *head desk*

I still say that crazy kitty is trying to kill me... I never thought I'd be dive bombed after moving the computer. Seriously.

Guess I shouldn't have told her to go suck cat litter, eh? *SIGH* 

Idiot cat.

Have a great week everyone, I'll be posting another update about the writing soon!

I leave you with another song by GHOST... "Ritual". Enjoy!!

We Salute You

Whoa, another week gone. This year is going so darn fast!

I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the "Holiday Shopping" tunnel - gift wise. We managed to get the majority of the remainder of the gifts out of the way this past week, thanks to a few orders from my favorite online shopping site, and a trip to Halifax. We have two full and two partial gifts to get, as well as the "extras" for Son. 

The next major bit will be the wrapping. I need more paper, tags, and tape. Thank the stars I have over a month to get *that* done. I abhor wrapping almost as I hate shopping. I despise shopping for the record... Unless it's earring or book related. Then I tend to go overboard... 

We started our shopping in January so we could just pick up things as we saw them, and wouldn't have a huge bill right at the holiday season. I like it, it's much more relaxed to do it that way.

Our outdoor holiday decorations are almost finished too... We have a kaleidoscope LED light that shines red, green and blue splashes of light over the front of the house, and Nanny's old light up candles framing the main door on the side. I still want a huge, sparkly silver bow to put on the front door to make it ultra pretty.

Yeah, I'm actually trying this year. Shocker, eh? I haven't enjoyed the holidays since my father passed away in 1997, and it got worse after we lost Nanny in 2010. It's not a good time of year for me. Daddy's birthday was December 25th... That says a lot.

Anyway........ The thumb is better. I took the bandages off completely the day after I wrote the previous entry... I kind of took things off to change the bandage and the flap of skin just fell off. Since it looked really clean, I left it open. It's not bothering me at all now. It's almost healed. No scabs. Just a small patch of newer looking skin, and the possibility of a scar. Better than losing the thumb....

Amber is still improving, and getting sassier by the day. She's been on the vet food for four weeks now and is like her old self. I'm getting dive bombed upwards of six, seven, or more times a day. Anyone who follows my main profile will sometimes see score tallies for "Shithead" and myself. She dive bombs me, I kiss her tummy... She gets revenge, and I get her back. 

In other words, a typical day at my house.

I am still writing for anyone who is interested. I'm almost done chapter one of the MSIP, and I hope to wrap that up later this week, so I can get moving in chapter two before the school holiday break. I've started a timeline of the entire story so I don't get mixed up and have them "going at it" in chapter three.... Like I did in another one. Oops! (That one is now in the "rewrite pile"!)

Finally.... On a sad note, I see Malcolm Young of AC/DC has passed away, at the young age of 64. 

I leave all of you with "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)" from 1981.

Sleep peacefully, Mr. Young. 

National Diabetes Day and More

It's time for me to come out of the "chronic illness closet" and announce what I have that's a "life long condition".

In 2015, I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes (insulin resistant or inefficient insulin). It is *genetic* in my case - it was inherited from my Daddy, who is suspected of having it for over 20 years before he was diagnosed... The doctors could tell by the amount of damage to his eyes, and to the veins in his legs.

Daddy passed away less than six months after his diagnosis in 1997... He was only 56 years old.

Since November is Diabetes Awareness month, I ask everyone reading this to get their A1C hemoglobin glucose checked - especially if you have a parent or another relative with type II diabetes. Kids of parents who had/have it have a 50-50 chance of developing it later in life. The sooner it's caught, the better your chances for a longer, fuller and healthier life. 

***Contrary to what some will tell you, there is NO cure for Type I or Type II diabetes. Anyone who claims that is severely misinformed.***

This little accident prone author did something ultra stupid last weekend...

I was slicing carrots using a mandoline slicer, and my hand slipped.... I wound up slicing my thumb wide open. It's at an angle which means there's a flap of skin that's holding the clot in place. Yeah.... I was using the grip but things slipped and that's when I cut myself.

It's healing slowly, but still sore... It is right on the spot that touches the space bar when I hit it. Not fun. In fact, it's quite uncomfortable, and was quite painful during the first day or so after the injury occurred. 

The worst of it is, it's my right thumb. I'm right handed......... *SIGH*

I won't show you the aftermath. It's bloody, and gross all around. I do have photos of the bandages an hour after the accident, and a photo of the wound itself taken a few days later, but it's all too nasty for public viewing. I'll show photos in the "later parts of healing" instead.......

Two days later, at the afternoon bus stop... Bandages galore. 

November 7, 2017.

It wasn't very comfortable then but it was a LOT better than throbbing all of the time like it was on Sunday...

Taken just today. I'm down to one bandage! I'd let it go without, but it is still pretty uncomfortable to hit the space bar..........

November 13, 2017.

It's still pretty gross looking too, but not like it did the day it happened. Yuck!

WRITING...

Even with the injured thumb, I still managed to get some writing done this week... I'm on a roll with this one manuscript again so far, and I hope this continues. If things go right, I hope to have its first draft done by the end of June. Hopefully with a little luck, this one will be off to my beloved publisher sometime before the end of next year. (And if I'm really lucky, I'll have the final companion book at least on the go by then too!)

I've been getting dive bombed by a crazy cat while working too... Or just sitting at the computer. 

Amber wasn't doing well for the longest time. That poor cat had gas galore, and couldn't pass any without "splattering" a bit most times... Plus her feces were not normal. Think runny. She lost a lot of weight, and hasn't been feeling great.

We discussed things, and I remembered that she was on the vet recommended food when we adopted her, Noelle and Angel. We couldn't afford to keep four cats on it - Birdie HATED it anyway - so they were switched over to one of the supermarket brands once the remainder of the food from Nanny's ran out.

Amber started losing weight, which became a little noticeable after we lost the dog in 2011, but it really started showing up once Noelle passed away. She wasn't getting the canned food either, because she didn't eat it. So we kept her on the dye free supermarket stuff, not realizing the cat wasn't going to do well off it.

The bottom line is she is now back on the vet recommended food, and is doing marvelously! Within three days, her eyes had brightened considerably, and her catitude was back to normal. I noticed an increase in dive bombing over the following week, and her energy level has jumped considerably.

Best of all, she *rarely* passes gas, she's no longer having accidents all of the time, and things are no longer messy! AND she's gained a little weight! Her tummy is getting a touch bigger. 

Her fur is a LOT thicker and silkier, she's taking much better care of herself too. 

It's a relief to see our Amber back to being herself. I really thought we were going to lose her, and soon. She's only 11 years old, and has at least a few more years left in her. The longer she lives with a better quality of life the better.

Sure, the food is ultra expensive - think four times what the supermarket brand costs for the same amount - but she's our one and only right now, and she's worth it. More than worth it.

She doesn't eat as much of this stuff either, so in a way it balances out. Instead of going  through a 3 KG bag of food in two weeks like she was before, she's going through one in about five to six weeks. She's been on it just over 3 weeks and there's more than half a bag left. I'd say that is a good thing!

Finally, we had an amazing Halloween/Samhain. Son dressed up in his usual, and I did all black and purple this year. Black shirt and jeans, my black sneakers with the purple laces, and even my black hoodie with my pen name on it in purple (gift from the mom in law and youngest brother in law last year).... Heck even my rings were black and purple for the  most part - the exception being my wedding band, which is plain with gold. I have a gothic style ring that's black with purple stones, and a black band that has purple stones in it, as well as two eternity bands in... you guessed it, PURPLE!!! I also had a black and purple witch hat and even feather earrings... Yeah, I went nuts, but who cares? At least my normal, every day look was actually toned down compared to what else was out there that night!

Witchy metal chick alert!

 

You can see my earrings better in this one:

Left hand:

Right hand!

Normally I wear an assortment of colors from my birth stone (pale green peridot) to the amethyst, but I wanted straight black and purple for the day. I'll probably do something similar IF I ever make a public appearance as an author... Yeah, like that will happen! LOL

I leave you with the official video for "Aces High" by Iron Maiden. Have a great week everyone! 

Brainstorming...

I hate choosing a title for a story. 

I never seem to choose one that suits the story and has a lot of punch at the same time. My title choices tend to be boring, really boring.

Hearts Remembering. Yeah, it says what the story is about but it doesn't have pizzazz in my opinion. I'm so glad I changed it at the last minute, it did turn out to be *gold* after all. (Long story!)

In case anyone's wondering, I'm trying to think of a one or two word title for the current WIP, one with a lot of punch yet gives a hint to what the story is about - a modern day romance. 

So far a number of ideas have gone through my mind, but none really suit the story, the characters or me, and some of them are already in use.

I was thinking "Smitten" but Husband and Peapod both said it's too close to my upcoming book's title, Stricken. So that idea is out, for now at least.

I put things out there for my Facebook friends to help me brainstorm, after a short rant about how much I hate settling on a title, especially one that feels blah. Maybe with a little luck, talking things out with them will result in a good idea. 

It did when I was trying to come up with a good, solid name for the leading man in Stricken years ago. Lightening may strike again, in a different area.

One can hope at least. 

Anyway, I did manage to get some work done on the WIP, the one I'm trying to find a title for. Thursday was it, and it was only 2 hours of work time before the bus arrived.

It was still productive, a 2200 word day. I managed to wrap up a chapter and put in a huge key scene, along with finish two smaller ones. I was so deep into it that I even wrote after Son was home from school, a rarity considering how noisy he is when he's home. I wanted that scene *done* dang it, so I could continue on in a fresh chapter and scene next week.

I'm pretty close to 3/4 of the way finished this one's rough draft, or possibly more. I'm almost at the anti climax so that's good, I think. 

Who knows, I may actually get this one done before my deadline of March 10th. The rate I'm going it's quite possible. 

Have a lovely weekend everyone. I'm hoping to get more done this week, and I'll update when I can. 

Once again, I leave you with a photo of Amber from Thursday, doing her "Writing Su-purr-visor Impreshun". Silly furball. LOL 

"God Invented Days Like This for Drinkin'"....

HAPPY 149th BIRTHDAY CANADA!!!

Credit: FirstCovers.com

July 1, 1867: Under Her Royal Majesty, Queen Victoria, taken from the British North American Act...

"We do ordain, declare, and command that on and after the First day of July, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty-seven, the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, shall form and be One Dominion, under the name of Canada."

Henceforth, my gorgeous nation was born, and my amazing province of NOVA SCOTIA was one of the original four provinces.

Yes, I love my nation, and I'm proud to be Canadian!

Since summer is now official going, a quick update about Son...

He has graduated into Junior High school (Grade 6 on his campus) with ALL As and Bs, including an A in his most hated subject, French.

I kid y'all not. An A in FRENCH of all subjects.

Baffling, eh? LOL 

I think my best pal fainted when she read that in Facebook the other day!

He had a fantastic last day of elementary school. He played with his friends, raised hell with his classmates and was awarded "Classroom Greeter" award for his sunshine every morning.

It was made even more bittersweet knowing he wasn't the only one moving on.

His old resource teacher, Mr. R, is leaving the school.. Moving upwards in the system. Mr. R has been promoted to Principal of my old elementary school. 

The students at PRCE are VERY lucky. Mr. R is a fantastic teacher, and a really nice guy all around. They are going to thrive with him as Principal.

As sad as seeing him leave the campus was, maybe it's best if he's not there. Son won't look for him as much, and will probably have an easier time adjusting to the new building with NEW teachers, and of course, a new Resource Teacher. 

We're gearing up for the start of school even though Summer Vacation has barely started... 11 weeks can go by so damn fast. Thank heavens we already have a good chunk of his school supply list purchased already - leftovers from Grade 5. LOL

Plans include visiting my mother in law, hopefully seeing my mother a few times, hanging out with Hubby's brothers and Tim (at live music shows and other places), trips to our favorite beach, day trips to our favorite spots in the western half of the province, and other fun things.

I can't remember if I posted this on the blog or not for my readers, but here's something to make you laugh... Hubby was changing the litterbox last week and she kept making dives for the door. Amber wasn't impressed when I held her on her back with her paws up in the air and her tummy exposed for KISSES!!! She looked so disgusted I *had* to grab my phone and snap a photo of it! 

Who's a PO'ed puddy tat?? LOL Hope it made you smile!

I leave y'all with the FIRST OFFICIAL VIDEO from local classic metal band WHOM GODS DESTROY, the hard rock version of their country song, "God Invented Days Like This For Drinkin'"... A perfect anthem for those hot, long summer weekends. Enjoy!!!!!

Have a fun and safe LONG WEEKEND EVERYONE! Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians, and Happy 4th of July to my American friends and family! (I am part American for the record, my great grandmother was born in BOSTON of all the places!)...

The Final Countdown...

It's the final countdown...

Countdown to summer - two days away - countdown to Father's Day - Tomorrow, and lastly, the countdown to Son's last day in Grade Five....

Which also means his last day in Elementary school.

Thursday. Thursday, June 23rd is the last day Son will be an elementary school student, he will be graduating from the little school into Junior High and the "Big School" on June 29th. 

The countdown to saying goodbye to his elementary school autism team has begun too.

Some members like Cathy from the Autism Centre will be traveling with us to the next level, so will Barb from Assistive Technology, but we will leave his current Resource Teacher, the Vice Principal, and lastly his Teacher's Aide behind as he takes a giant leap from one level to the next. 

I had my first Transition Meeting with the Grade Six team on June 7th... They all seem like great people and some of them can not wait to get Son in their class! The Junior High Resource Teacher is very excited to be teaching Son this coming fall, and can't wait for summer to get over. She's already making plans for his time with her, and even has ideas on ways to help him if he's in the middle of a "stuck" episode (where he can't move on to the next activity), and get him even more interested in scholar pursuits. She's high energy, which is what Son needs. 

I hadn't met the Grade Six teachers yet but I like them. One even asked me if we can get some instrumental heavy metal songs for his reading time, because she puts "yoga music" to help the kids concentrate on their reading... Which would set Son off. He HATES anything other than heavy metal and rock - yes, that is MY influence, OOPS! (NOT!) -  so we're now looking at instrumental pieces by Disturbed and other bands he likes so he can listen to it on his school tablet with the ear phones and not have to worry about him taking a meltdown.

What really made me happy was meeting one of the TA's for Grade Six. She's a former school mate of mine! She was a year ahead of me in school, but her brother and I were in the same grade from Primary upwards... And BOTH of her parents taught me. Her mom was my grade 4 teacher, and her dad was my grade 5 teacher. I loved both of them, and they are two of my favorite all time teachers to this day. I wish either or both of them were still teaching now, so there was a chance Son would be lucky enough to be in one of their classes........... It was a relief knowing I already know one of the TAs somewhat (it's been years since I saw her, but we did recognize each other!).... That reassures me Son is in AWESOME hands, even though Mrs. T won't be with him next year - she helps out with Elementary students only (poo! :( )... However, he's allowed visiting her once in a while at the Little School, same goes for all of his old teachers over there. 

Orientation night for ALL parents and students entering the junior high - grade six for our school, grade 7 for the other feeder schools - was on June 13th. We didn't go on the tour because Son already knows where most things are over at the big school - he takes Music, sometimes Gym class, and eats lunch in the Cafeteria there - and we will be getting a personalized tour the day before school opens in September. It was the Resource Teacher's idea, and I'm glad she asked about it, because if she hadn't, I was going to. LOL 

As for Son, he's pretty excited about moving forward... Although I don't think it's really sunk in to his brain what's really going on this coming fall just yet. I don't think it will until he's actually *there* in the classroom on the first day of school, in a new building with new teachers, a new TA, and new faces from the Grade 7 wing staring back at him. I think it'll sink in then and we'll have a few really rough spots.

I hope not. I want him to enjoy his school years. I hated mine, because I was the fat girl and bullied from Primary to my graduating year.

I'm just grateful he's only moving from one building to another on the same campus. When I started junior high - ironically at the same school complex, but another building, the current building was built in 1997, I graduated into high school in the late 80s - I had been at one of the feeder schools, and my class was only 30 students, compared to the 50 plus that had come from the elementary end of the complex. 

He already knows the majority of students that will be in Junior High this coming fall, thank heavens.... Our neighbor's daughter will be there, she's in Grade 8 this coming year, she and her friends were always good with Son, probably because they knew he needed help with some things, and they are great kids. I thank my lucky star that she's still there, and will be for Son's first two years of Junior high.

Yeah, busy times. I hope things go smoothly. Wish us luck! :) 

So........ I've been doing more work on an older manuscript that was started a couple of years ago, but never finished. "Away to Me" kind of took over the brain halfway through writing this one manuscript, so it was set aside. 

Although it's been on my mind a LOT, I really didn't think I'd ever finish it. Well, I've looked at it, did a lot of revisions, and I'm considering MORE once school starts up again in the fall. I may rewrite it - or the premise of it at least - or I may leave it as is but just edit and do a LOT of revisions and polishing to get it "just right". 

Peapod and I have been discussing things in regard to it, and although I'm not "overcome" by this one again, just looking at it is good enough for me. It goes to show I'm not dead in the water with the writing, and it shows that maybe "Away to Me" and "Hearts Remembering" will not be the only stories I write. I hope I can write again anyway..... If not, I may wind up shooting someone..... 

It's also countdown to "TWO YEARS SMOKE FREE"... Today marks ONE YEAR, ELEVEN MONTHS SMOKE FREE! :) My reward is going to see LIVE MUSIC thanks to Troubled Waters, they are holding an event in town again on the 24th. It's a release party for Flesh Cauldron's album "Lightening Leather", and it features them, WHOM GODS DESTROY and other local metal bands. 

Come on, y'all KNOW I can't resist live metal music, especially if Whom Gods Destroy is playing! LOL 

Can't wait!

Have a great weekend everyone! I leave you with photos of Amber, lazying in the sunlight on top of my monitor. 

*waves* 

The Grass Has 'Riz....

Another month has passed, and things are changing again...

It's hard to believe we are almost through yet another school year, and this time, we will be saying good bye to a very special group of people. 

Son will be graduating from elementary school this year, and going to junior high/middle school in the fall. Students at the school's complex graduate after grade five, while other feeder schools tend to go until grade six. 

Sad to say we will be saying good bye to Son's elementary school team, and one member has been on it since the beginning in 2010, his resources teacher, Mr. R. Mr. R has not been there just for Son, but for Hubby and I as well. He's been a great source of support, knowledge, and wisdom. He's been more than a teacher to Son, he's been his friend.

It's not like Son will be leaving the complex completely though. He's just moving on to the junior high building, and has already asked if he can visit his former teachers and his pals in the elementary end of the school. I think it would be good for him to do that, it would make the transition into a different building a little easier for him, even though he's already taking classes like Music over there, and eating lunch in the cafeteria.

The month of June will comprise of an orientation for parents of students entering Grades 6 and 7 - which I hope includes a tour of the Grade 6 wing in the school; as well as a Transition Meeting for me where I meet all of Son's Grade 6 teachers, the Principal, and any new members of his Mainstreaming Education Team; and his Grade 6 orientation. 

Yeah, it's going to be a wacky month. 

This weekend is Son's 12th birthday, and he's asking for Star Wars stuff. I'm so proud. *smug grin* 

With summer on the way, that means warmer weather and BUGS. We just had the peak of black fly season last weekend, the Victoria Day weekend, and as they start to go away (thank heavens), I'm seeing more mosquitoes around. Yuck all around.

But that means the flowers are blooming, and a lot of trees are in full blossom. I've been snapping photos of various trees and shrubs as spring has progressed.

I do have a new camera, well new to me at least. It was given to me by my longtime pal and corgi addict, D. It's a gorgeous camera and takes great photos, see for yourself....

The last two are of apple blossoms on a tree near Son's morning bus stop. Aren't they pretty?

I've also been capturing Miss Amber on "film", just because....

She's laying on her TARDIS blanket in the first photo, on my son's lap in the last two. Yes, her fur is really that glossy!

My exercise regime continues, even with me suffering from one hell of a chest cold (thanks to Son for giving it to me, grumble!). My pal D and I decided the bugs were too bad last week to go for our four mile trek outdoors again, so we decided to check out an indoor track at a local sports complex. 

It was awesome. I did a full five laps - which is a kilometer, one lap is about 209 meters - and she did a full seven laps, a whole mile, or 1.6 km approximately. No bugs, climate controlled, and best of all, we didn't have to cross the Fisherman's Memorial Highway (also known as Provincial Highway #103) to get to the road with the beaver dam. 

It was nice to be able to take a walk without worrying if I was going to be inhaling flies...

I've noticed a few things, like how I'm able to go for much longer without needing to rest or even getting winded... And the other day, the bus came very early. I wasn't even outside yet! I ran out of the house and to the bus stop in record time, about 300 yards from our driveway, all without breaking a sweat or getting winded. My only problem was that I'm big busted, and well, things were bouncing a lot. I think I'm going to have to invest in a proper sports bra if I ever take up jogging or running... It was NOT pretty!

I'm going to be going back to that track again, either by myself, with D and her mom, or with Son. He's been to the complex several times with the school and he loves the walk and run track. 

I've been doing a few exercises writing wise too, nothing that actually goes into a story. This is to get my mind into the mindset of writing again, as well as see how far my creativity can go. So far, it's not easy but hey, I've been sick and I'm now just starting to feel well enough to try again. 

When I'm not doing exercises for writing, I'm reading. A LOT! I've read two more books on the Kindle App for the tablets, and I'm going to get MORE when we get somewhere with Wifi, hopefully this weekend.

I also have two *new* Star Wars books, one of the "Legends" and one of the new canon books, it was released last year just before "The Force Awakens" hit theaters. I haven't finished the Legends one yet, but the other one was an immediate hook, and I finished it the day it came in the mail from Amazon. Yeah. Leave it to me to read something that quickly!

I think I'm going to get a few of the SW Legends books on Kindle, the ones I haven't read yet... Or I may just get the actual books. I haven't decided yet. 

I leave you with the newest music video from Whom Gods Destroy, the hard rock version of their country song, "God Made Days Like This for Drinkin'". Enjoy, and have a great weekend everyone!