Happy Samhain

"Life has been busy. Seems like that's all I say lately. Sarah has been in and out of the hospital, the news from my sister isn't good, another friend had a cancerous growth removed from her ear. I have had company, great conversations, good meals and a real feeling of friendship with those in my life lately. I have a lot to be thankful for and I have lost no one this year. For all those who have gone before, I say thank you for what you have left us with. Please continue to guide and inspire us in our lives.

On this, the day "in between" the here and the there, may we all feel touched by life and gain the strength we need to fight any battles in our lives or just to live day by day." I whisper.

Are you listening?

Update

"Life has been stressful and tiring so I haven't posted for a while. Here is a quick update on what has been going on. My eldest sister had her breast cancer surgery. It went well and the tests showed the cancer hasn't spread. She was told she would have to have radiation treatment and possibly chemo. A couple of days ago she and my mom took a trip up to Port Alberni to check on mom's place, pick up her mail etc. The next morning my sister had a serious infection at the surgery site and had to return to Victoria. She was immediately put on antibiotics. The weird thing is the locum for her specialist told her she would definatly have to have chemo, then he got her in to two cancer specialists today and her surgeon tomorrow. She wasn't suppose to see the specialists for another 3 weeks. Makes you think something isn't right.

My daughter Sarah is doing much better now, isn't having morning sickness like she was, is starting to put back on the weight she had lost. She is getting a lot of headaches though. Not good. The father of the baby has left for his posting in Ontario. It will be interesting to see how that goes. Sarah is working and doing well in school. She and I are having a good time getting reaquainted. I am glad she is at home and not on her own for this.

The Women in Black vigils are doing well. We have at least two people at each one which means that they can at least take place. I am being interviewed on CBC Radio on Monday morning. Hopefully that will bring us some good attention and maybe get more people out.

Sarah's puppy Sadie is growing like the perverbial weed. I can't believe how big she has gotten and how much more she weighs!! She is so cute and a very smart little puppy, but such exuberance.

I am really enjoying the volunteering I am doing with the Immigrant Women's English class. The women are so interesting and so willing to learn. I think we volunteers learn as much from them as they learn from us. On Wednesday we had women from Korea, Chile, Cuba and Columbia. Our students from Libya are not attending now as they are celebrating Ramedan. I will be glad to have them back as they are lovely women.

That is my life up to now. It seems like it is always one stressful thing after another. I can't believe how well I am handling it all." I whisper.

Are you listening?

Drumming

"I had my son buy me a drum for Christmas. He gave it to me early so I could learn to play it. Tonight I learned a rhythm 1 22 1 22 3 2, 1 22 1 22 3 2 . . . . I can actually play!!! As I have never felt myself to be at all musical or artistic, this is a great accomplishment for me. I know there are others who would think that I am nuts to be so thrilled by something so simple, but it takes me out of my comfort zone to do things like this, and I believe that is a good thing. It is how we grow. So thank you Debi for teaching me this simple tune and not laughing when I screwed up or lost the beat!

Fact versus Fiction

"I love to read, especially mysteries and non fiction. One of my favourite fiction authors is Kathy Reichs. Her character Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist, solves crimes, gleaming the truth from the bones of the victims. In real life there is a wonderful young woman, Clea Koff, who at the young age of 23, used her knowledge to help identify the victims of the genocide in Rwanda. She has since worked in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo identifying the victims of mass murder there as well.

We all react with sympathy to the victims and the survivors of atrocities such as these, carried out around the world. We also need to feel sympathy and thanks to the wonderful women and men who go to these places to uncover and find answers to these horrors. They become, in a way, victims to the crimes as well, as their lives are forever changed and haunted by the people they have given identities back to. The disappeared of the world, along with their families and society can be grateful that there are such wonderful people willing to do this horrifying work.

Read the book The Bone Woman to learn more. I have learned that no matter how entertaining it might be in fiction, in real life it is a job for those of incredible strength and courage," I whisper.

Are you listening?