Out of the Deep Freeze..

 

Yes, I’ve been away from my blog for over a week. Been away from home and blogging just wasn’t in the forefront of my mind for the past little while. I flew to Edmontonl Now this fair city is not usually a popular travel destination in January, because it can get extremely cold, and I think this time it was a record breaker. Lucky us!! But, for me, I often visit in January because it’s my mom’s birthday, and I will brave the frigid temperatures to celebrate her special day.

My sis from Langley flew up as well,  so that was a bonus. We shared a bedroom and had lots of late night chats and even early, EARLY morning chats. Crazy! Once we got to bed at 12:30 a.m. and woke up at 4 a.m. and proceeded to continue our deep conversations. Then we maybe slept for 1 or 2 hours and that was it! The next day, I was completely wiped!

My dad, who is battling prostate cancer, is lookin’ good! He still has the same spunk and crazy humour  as ever, but I would say he has lost a little bit of weight. He still walks the hallways and stairs everyday, to keep up his physical health.  Now, the side effects of his meds (estrogen hormone therapy) are that he gets hot flushes and he may be slightly more irritable at times. I’d say that is true. Maybe it’s just his age, but he doesn’t tolerate noise and busyness as well as he used to. But, generally, he is doing really well, for which we are all thankful. One day at a time.

Mom was lookin’ good, too! She turned 75 years old while we were there. She may look older physically, and yes, her body is weakening, but her personality is all there in living color. She holds her own, and then some. My kids tell me I remind them of Oma… I am still processing that! ;0

I attended my niece’s wedding. It was LOVELY! Got to see lots of my other nieces, nephews, family and friends. All of my siblings together in one place! A good time was had by all.

I visited with my sis in law, who adopted 2 siblings from Ethiopia in 2010.  If you want to feel loved, just go to their house and spend some time with her children. They are always so excited to have visitors! Sharla  has written a memoir about her and my brother’s experiences and I purchased a copy of her book. It is GREAT! (I’ll write more about that later).

 

If you know my parents at all, they are spur-of-the-moment people. It’s quite humorous, actually. Not more than 6 months ago or so, they said farewell to their big, fat, old,  black and white cranky cat. Well, it seems Mom has often talked about how much she missed that feline. Just a few weeks ago, Dad decided to buy not one, but TWO 6 month old cats, from a neighbour.  I met these critters  for the first time, and my, they are a handful when they are awake! Always jumping on the counter or coffee table, trying to sneak people food. The spray bottle has had a workout this past week! Running through the condo like two little monkeys in a zoo, they exhaust themselves and nod off  pretty well anywhere and everywhere. They are the cutest little cats, I have to say! But, after they had climbed up on dad’s office cupboard, knocking over a lamp and a plant, I heard Mom mutter, “I knew by the second day this was just too much!”. But last I heard (this morning), she still thinks they’re the sweetest, so there is hope that she’ll hang on to them. But you never know… I’ll keep you posted.  

So, in summary, here’s how my visit went: 

Day 1-3 I’m so happy to be here and to have this wonderful time with my family!!!

Day 4 I’m homesick , thinking about how much I miss everyone.  To be honest, I’m feeling a little irritable.  Hormones, perhaps? ;)   It would be nice if family lived closer, because then visits wouldn’t be so compacted, trying to fit everything into a small window of time. It can get to be a bit much, sometimes.

Day 5   There is the risk of going stir crazy in the condo. It’s –32 outside. No one in their right mind is walking the streets!!So, I’m keeping busy with going out with friends I haven’t seen in a while, and coffee time at Second Cup with the sibs. FUN!

Day 6 Starting to think about all the things I have to catch up on or do when I get home. Starting to wish the holiday was a bit longer!

Day 7 Yay! I’m flying home today. It was fun to be here, but I really want to be home again. Besides, I caught a cold and I’m not feeling great. Easier to be sick at home than at someone else’s house.

Day 8 Waking up in my own bed, with a bad cold. But hopefully on the mend soon.

Love my parents, love my sibs, love my friends. But.. there’s no place like HOME!