Thursday, September 27, 2007

Recovering......

Our friends from across the line and overseas have departed. Their visit required two visits to the Lower Mainland, one overnight (at J and C's) and one day trip. The first was to connect with them in Aldergrove and convoy with them up to Kamloops. Unfortunately, we were sideswiped by a very large pickup on the Coq......so large that the dent in the car I was riding was made by his tires, not his bumper. No one was hurt, but we were shaken up and lost the other member of our convoy temporarily. (I believe we passed each going in opposite directions as they were looking for us!!) We finally met up in Merritt. After getting that sorted out, the visit proceeded onwards. We did a day trip to Craigellachie to see The Last Spike and get an ice cream at the Dutchman's Dairy. We also just did some hangin' out in Kamloops and DH took them on a tour around Kamloops and the WildLife Park while I had some downtime. They arrived on Thursday and left on the following Monday. We also drove down with them to Langley and saw them on their way down to the border and then after a quick visit with J, we headed back home. It was a long day. All in all...it was a good visit...lots of catching up and visiting.

However.....

....visits like this are a joy and pain for me. A joy...because I love seeing our dear friends and talking and visiting with them. I have known them for many years and it's always a pleasure to connect again. A pain...because I take at least 2-3 days to recover...sometimes longer. I force myself to be"up" during the visit, even if on my own, and pay the piper when it's over....I crash. The past two days I have done nothing but emails, reading and sleeping with some errands in between (which are exhausting but necessary!!)

It's all a part of the living with fibromyalgia and I have to keep reminding myself of that. Luckily I have been sleeping relatively well, but the fatique lasts all day. Hopefully it will improve with time and rest.....for a while a least.

Sometimes I want my old life back....in fact a lot of the time I want my old life back...where I could walk, ride my bike, get out of bed without wincing in pain, sleep through the night (although that's rarely happened!!), work in the garden, climb stairs with some energy, shop 'til I drop,.......sigh.....a different life entirely.

It's all about making a new life within my limitations. An ongoing project that hopefully I will have sorted before next year when I turn 60!!

Slainte!!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Awaiting guests......

We have guests coming.....from England...via Portland, Oregon, where they are staying with another old friend. They all have visited us many times when we lived in Langley and now they are going to travel the extra 3 1/2 hours up the highway to visit us in Kamloops. It's rather exciting. We will be going down tomorrow to overnight and connect with them and convoy back up here. The plus side of this is that, although our son will not be there to see them, his lady will be and so she will get to meet them...which is a good thing.

Today was spent getting the house in some semblance of order and getting beds sorted etc....tomorrrow we will do some last minute grocery shopping. I'm not really sure what we will do during their visit, but I'm sure playing it by ear will be the best way.......

I have known one lady in this group for over thirty years. I met her on my flight home from England in 1973. She was flying back home to Portland via Vancouver. We were delayed in Gatwick airport for 13 hours....and got to know each other quite well. She was an RN and we have kept in touch over the years with visits, phone calls, letters and in later years, emails. She gave her approval of DH when I introduced him and she also predicted both my pregnancies....thereby giving herself honorary godmother status for both our children (not in the religious sense). About 16 years ago she decided at age 56 to marry a former beau and move back home to England - just outside Manchester. Her husband is a hoot. A gentle soul who adores her and puts up with her moods. They make a loverly couple!!! The other lady in the group is a good friend who shared an apartment with J (my old friend) for many years when she lived in Portland. Over the years, J has had numerous medical problems but has still managed to keep moving and travelling. Whenever I ask how she is...her comment..." Ah..fair to middlin'...could be worse!!" She knows her limitations, but still manages to do the things she likes. I'm really looking forward to seeing her again...(as well as the others of course!!)

So...the bed downstairs is set up, studio is cleaned, a few more things to be done....but now it's time for dindins....

Slainte!!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

End of Summer and a new season begins.....

So...after spending the month of August hibernating we did our annual sojourn to Osoyoos for some R&R away from home and home responsibilities.....and.....to visit some wineries, some new to us and some old friends (so to speak). We came back with less wine than previous years, but that was a conscious decision for financial reasons. For the first time we found wineries closed because they were sold out (a problem one runs into when travelling in the off season!!), however, the ones we like so much were open and had the wine we wanted. Some had changed their tasting rooms, added restaurants, bistros and some stayed the same. All in all, winery wise, a good trip.

On the motel side of things, we found that this year for the first time, we became one of that group of "regulars" which feels good. We have all booked for the same time next year.
I think, finally, that I have gleaned the way in which I want to use my holiday. It's taken a few years, but I think I've got it (like Eliza Dolittle!!) It's all about how one approaches it...and I approach it differently from DH. He finds his relaxation by reading, sitting on the patio and swimming and taking side trips, wineries, museums etc. I too enjoy those things, but if I'm not feeling up to it, I like to sit inside (where it's cooler) reading, drinking tea, writing....it's all about doing what I want to do. I tended to feel guilty not taking advantage of the patio, lake, and all the other good things. I realized however, that holidays are not just about doing all that stuff, it's all about not doing the stuff that you do at home.....and not feeling guilty about it....if that makes sense. So...once I explained my way of looking at things....DH still grumbled about it...but I think he understood. So....all in all a good and enlightening week away!!

It is now the beginning of the new symphony season...and we begin with Brahms. How wonderful is that?? The programme - Piano Concerto No. 2 and Symphony No. 3. .....and I have been practicing.....even with a silent mute whilst on holidays. (Gosh I'm keen!!) I have....2 rehearsals tomorrow (Thursday), 2 rehearsals on Friday, 1 on Saturday and concert Saturday night. It will be tiring...but I'm really looking forward to it.

So I have put my art on the back burner for the time being....and working on a writing project that I started a couple of years ago. It's about the steps one takes to re-invent oneself. An interesting thought.....considering that I'm listening to Martina McBride sing "My baby loves me just the way that I am"....but then these steps could lead in a circle and one could reinvent the original.....couldn't one???

Enough blithering....
Slainte!!