Vancouver Day 2

We did not hike Grouse Mountain.

We did not go to the Capilano suspension bridge as planned.

We did not go to Whytecliffe Park.

Why? We started our day getting not one but 3 of Caitlin's tires patched after last nights flat tire. I can see occasionally driving over a nail - I do it all the time at the dump - but 3 in less than 2 weeks since she had her car checked out?

Then we went to CAA and got emergency medical insurance. Just in case.

Then we did go to Lynn Valley suspension bridge and ecology centre. Beautiful.




By the time we finished there it was raining harder and harder so we gave up outdoor activities, went out for lunch then back to the hotel.

Make sure you check out Caitlin's blog tomorrow for concert updates! All being well we leave here tomorrow morning and head south.

Spinning

This year was going to be my quiet year. Because I hurt my hands shoveling snow I only worked 3 or sometimes 4 days a week instead of full time. We went on a family vacation to Bar Harbor and Kevin and I had a few days away in Muskoka at a lovely B & B. Tori went back to University as scheduled. All according to plan.

Then chaos.

My dad was taken to the hospital on September 19 when my sister noticed his speech was garbled. He was diagnosed with a stroke that day but the doctors felt something wasn't right. The next day more tests and the diagnosis was changed to a brain tumour. He spent 3 days on a stretcher in emerg before being moved upstairs. The care he received in emerg was good but you must remember that they don't carry pillows and blankets for long term stays and that stretchers are not meant for tall men. The second night I stayed with him to help out and let my mom get some rest. Once he was moved to the ward there were many more tests and finally the recommendation for the gamma knife as his weak mitral valve and lung cancer rendered him unsuitable for invasive surgery. He underwent this procedure at Princess Margaret at 6 am on October 4. Kudos to Leanne for getting my parents there at that hour. This shot was taken just before 7 am. The next day was their 55th wedding anniversary.

Since then he has had good days and bad days. Mostly he just wants to sleep. His speech is still hard to understand most of the time. He understands us but we don't always understand him. It is so frustrating for everyone. His spirits are good considering the circumstances.

So you can imagine what my days are like now. Work 3 days, travel to my parents for 2, back home to get caught up and pay attention to the dogs, back to my parents, back to home and work .... I feel like I am on merry-go-round spinning out of control a lot of days.

Last week Connor was in Florida with his cousins and Kevin was in New Brunswick on business so things really spun faster without their weight to anchor the ride. And tomorrow I leave for BC so I can drive back with Caitlin who feels the need to be here with all that is going on. So in less than 10 days our family has covered most of the continent. Coast to coast to coast and now we are filling in the middle.

I am getting off the merry-go-round and onto a roller coaster through the mountains of the northern US.

Geocaching

We had a crazy, busy, great week with Caitlin.  We had hoped to go canoeing while she was home but the days we were free were too cold and windy.  So we decided to go geocaching instead.  We haven't been in years and Caitlin has never been.  Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunt using handheld GPS units.  The "treasures" are usually tupperware containers filled with booty such as key chains, pens, traceable coins or bills, dinky cars etc.  You remove a piece of the treasure and leave one you have brought.  Then you sign the log and replace the treasure chest in it's hiding spot.  Most of the hunts we have done are through county forests or parks and some are quite rugged.  The first one yesterday was like that.  We were bushwacking for 10 minutes and going in circles.  We realized the map didn't match the GPS co-ordinates and we were right beside a construction site so we think that cache is gone.  We moved on.  The rest of our caches were very open.  The first was at this old pioneer cemetery.  

This cache is a micro or nano cache.  You can see how small it is in Caitlin's hand.  No treasure - just a piece of rolled up paper to sign. 

Our next cache was also in a cemetery.  Strange because we have never been to a cemetery to geo-cache before.  The cache was way over the hill hidden in the branches of a pear tree.   
Then we went to scenic Creemore, where we had hot drinks and home-baked goodies and found 3 caches.  Shown below is the historic jail and a picture of the 3 of us.  The picture was taken by Amanda who came along with us for the day.  Amanda has been part of our life since we moved here.   Connor and Amanda have almost always been in the same class.  I babysat Amanda and her brother for years, then Tori did.  One year Amanda's mom watched Connor.  Amanda is horse crazy too and loves hanging around Caitlin.  She gets most of Caitlin's horse hand-me-downs.

What we've been up to

Caitlin got her taxes done.  Here she is with her accountant.  Note the accountant's professional attire (pyjamas) and her well coiffed hair. Poor woman can't afford a desk or computer. 

We have walked the dogs, biked, biked with the dogs, run with the dogs, biked again - at least two activities a day.  Caitlin has seen her best friend and gone to the movies 3 times (the rest of us went once). Yesterday we went riding.  The last time I rode a horse was 25 years ago on holiday in Waterton Lakes.  Since then I have led a lot of horses with kids on them and watched a lot of lessons but was never able to ride again.  I wasn't nervous but my horse likes to find his own way around obstacles and mud and ran me into a bunch of big branches and scratched and bruised my leg.  It was still fun and we will have to go again together. 

Then we went for pedicures.  This was my second professional pedicure.  An event of that magnitude also needs pictures.   See our pretty flowers?  Can you guess whose feet are whose?

23 years ago

These two entered my life.  I became a mother for the first time. I had a routine pregnancy until a second heartbeat was detected at 24 weeks.  We didn't believe it until an ultrasound confirmed it 2 weeks later.  Other people (not my doctor) had said all along I was large but what did we know?  It was our first pregnancy so we had nothing to compare it to.  Because we were living in Labrador and there were no obstetricians or pediatricians I was sent home early where there was better care.  The babies were originally due January 1 but as is common with multiple births they were early.  Their delivery was pretty "normal" (I won't bore you with the details) and Caitlin and Alec arrived in the wee hours of the morning.  My mother (who repeatedly said she was not old enough to be a grandmother) was so excited when she phoned her brother that she told him I had a little girl - 5 -13 and a boy 6 ft 4.  

Is anyone every really prepared to be a parent?  The first 6 months were exhausting - I only "remember" what we have pictures of.  They crawled up the stairs at 6 months and walked at 9 months.  But the rewards so far outweighed the bad times and I am proud of the adults they have become.

A few pictures from the years.

 

First day of school 

Caitlin

Since she was 17 we seem to be always saying goodbye to Caitlin.  She has spent 2 summers at camp working, 2 years at college, 2 seasons in Jasper and 1 winter living at her grandmother's.  This time she is determined to stay in Jasper or at least that area when her current contract at Jasper Park Lodge is done in October.  I hope it works out.  I have been thinking about what it will be like without her here.

She is great at caring for the dogs.  They will really, really miss her taking them to the beach and the forest for runs.  Now I have to walk them - usually just around the neighbourhood.

She is a very good big sister to Tori.  Caitlin drives her a lot of places and loans her car to her a lot (even after she ran into a curb and destroyed a rim).  They go to the gym together and do lots of other stuff together.

Less complaints about cooking and food.

Less complaints about turning lights on when we are trying to navigate the house in the dark (this from a child who couldn't sleep without a night light - now she can't stand the hall light on for 10 seconds!)

Caitlin has worked with me on and off for the last 3 years.  Even though gardening is not something she is interested in, she has always worked hard and done the job well.  She needed less instruction than some of the adults I have trained and gets along well with the rest of the team.  I have been lucky to work beside both Caitlin and Alec.  Working with your child allows you a whole different perspective.

It will be a lot quieter.  For now I know I will relish the peace but there will always be an empty place in our home only she can fill.

Follow the rest of her adventures at Country Girl

Meet the Author

Cantering Caitlin and 4 other Wasaga Beach authors gave a talk at our local library today.  The focus was how they got their books published (and how you could get yourself published).  Caitlin did a great job!  She was the only one to do a power point (all the other authors were over 50, many well over).  She didn't appear nervous and answered all questions.  Several young girls from an elementary school came with their teacher just to meet her!  She sold a few copies of her book but I am sure gained a lot in experience.   

There were 2 fiction books, one on fishing, one about everyone being psychic and a non-fiction on women in the fishing/sailing industry in Newfoundland.  The only one not self-published is the one about Newfoundland women.  

Well done Caitlin.  We are proud of you.

A big day for Caitlin and an even bigger day for Alec

Today was another busy day for our household.  Not only was it Caitlin and Alec's 22nd birthday it was Alec's graduation from Basic Training.  So I thought it was appropriate to  get a picture of them together. 

Man do I feel old today!  Could be that I am just really tired after a week of nursing Connor?  Yes, let's just say that is it and not the advancing years.  Connor did make it but it took a lot out of him.  He is still sleeping.

Caitlin's Turn

I hardly ever talk about Caitlin because she has her own blog but it is definitely my turn to brag about her.  One of her dreams was to write a book and last year she self-published Unlikely Heroes - Keeley.  It has been a hit with all the 10 -14 year old girls we know.  They are clamouring for the next book (Caitlin is planning a trilogy).  Yesterday Caitlin was honoured by the University of Guelph at their Campus Author Recognition Evening.  Students, Alumni and faculty (current and retired) were eligible.  42 of the 88 titles were written by the staff - mostly texts.  Kevin, Caitlin, Connor and I travelled to the campus for the occasion.  It was very nice.  There was lots of food and a few short speeches.  After the speeches the librarian Caitlin had been emailing found her and arranged an interview with the alumni newspaper.  

On the wall behind her is a poster featuring her novel.  All the authors were given a mounted copy of the poster to keep.  That was really nice!  Here is a link to her book page if anybody wants to see it.

 http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail~bookid~40039.aspx