A Jar Of Happy Memories

I am not a superstitious person but I am beginning to believe that 2012 has been a cursed year.  Next year I am going to fill a jar with all the wonderful things and events that happen to me so that I can have a reminder at the end of the year.  I know if I try to think of any awesome times in 2012, I am hard pressed to remember anything amazing.  Especially these last two months.... My 'D' has informed me that he is having complications and may need another operation... I need to calm down but oh my gosh... really?

My leg is healing but slower than I thought, there are still times that I step down to get off the bus and I am so fearful my leg will buckle and I will fall flat on my face.  At least it is not all day weakness and pain anymore, so it's healing but taking its time.  I have just had a tough year over all, I have not been sick in the normal sense of a cold but I have been battling other types of health issues all year.  It can be quite tiresome to have to deal with chronic pain, I am in awe of the many people I know that deal with this pain for years on end.  What strength they have, I am not dealing with it as well but I work on that every day too.

I really need a change, the kind that can wipe this cloud that has been following me all year.  It started off with finding out that David and I were not going to be together as I had been sure we were meant to be together that it hit me very hard and emotionally I am still healing from that loss... to Andrea and I not talking, all because we don't have the same opinion, this saddens me... I don't understand, I wish we could just come to an agreement that we can have our own opinions and that is okay.  I only want to respect her and have her respect me.  I agree with her I have not been the typical mother, I am pretty unconventional... I say unique.  Being quirky is a part of me, I understand that is difficult for her to deal with but I love her with all my heart regardless of any of her quirkiness.

Then my leg became painful... it has not been a stellar year for me.  I am really looking forward to this changing soon, it has to just be a cycle.  2011 was a year that I could give many incredible experiences, I was very happy throughout the whole year.  So these things just have to go in cycles, life always changes.  Unfortunately David has had the same sort of year, it was just one thing after another culminating in him having health issues to deal with.   Honestly I think most people I know in my life are going through such hard to deal with issues, I pray it all changes for us in the near future.

So as I said earlier, one of those way that I am going to ensure there will be changes is that I will fill a jar with each good thing that happens to me, so that when I feel like nothing good is happening, I will just have to open the jar and read some of the memories.  The challenge that I read was to do this for a year, I am not going to put a limit on this, I am just going to go with it.  This will just be for me and I will share when I feel inspired to do so.

"Everything you want, also wants you" ~ Jack Canfield 

My Idea Of Camping

Why I do not camp?  Once you hear this story you'll understand why I made the choice to NEVER camp again.

Flashback to the fall of 1978 when I had joined up with Air Cadets on a promise from a friend that we would get to co pilot a plane (yes that's a crazy thing to do, I was 15 and it sounded thrilling). 

So, I get the plan... we're going to 'survival' camp on an island for the weekend. In case you didn't guess... I'm not a camper at the best of times but this trip did me in.  I'm a city girl through and through, I do love my comforts of home, such as a soft bed, heat, washroom... etc...  So this is me packing, blankets, pillows, tape recorder, batteries, make up...

Okay I know, where was I planning on wearing make up? lol.   We had to carry everything on our backs for a half hour hike, we finally got there, me exhausted to only find out that we had to build our own shelters?  Were they kidding me? 

I had to chop down trees, build our shelters and then cover it in heavy plastic.  I was wondering where the punch line was, none was coming...  instead I vaguely remember the nasty rations (I swear they were 50 years old, ick), if I had to eat like that for the rest of my life, I would be a toothpick, haha.

Did I mention it rained ALL weekend?  There were no washrooms, someone dug a hole; I'm not making this up.  I do not remember using this hole, I wiped the nightmare from my mind.  We sat by a fire for hours to cook and keep warm, I smelled nasty, of course there were no showers.

The end of the trip was just as bad, I had to hike all my stuff back to the boat; can you spell E-X-H-A-U-S-T-E-D?  I got home, stood under a shower, ate real food and then slept for hours in my cozy bed.  It was that day that I made a pledge to never camp again.  Not for my safety but for the safety of others, lol.

Let's fast forward to 2011, David was talking about going camping for work, now you all know I love my 'D' and would do just about anything for him.  I tentatively told him that I don't camp...  he laughed and said "my idea of camping is going to the Dominican".  Whew, we were of the same mind.

So almost 35 years later I have honored that pledge and I don't see it changing in the future ;)  My idea of camping is a luxury 5 start hotel located on white sandy beaches. 

"Everything you want, also wants you" ~ Jack Canfield