December seems a very long time ago now, though it just ended yesterday.
We spent Christmas in BC, at Juniper's mother's farm outside of Winlaw. That's sort of near Nelson, pretty much IN the pass, in case you're trying to find it on a map. We drove out on Christmas Eve and returned on New Year's Eve. The drive wasn't too bad on either day, which was good!
The house is basically a little cabin with additions (one unfinished at the moment). They have electricity and some indoor plumbing, so we could take a bath indoors and do dishes and everything (they have hot water), but the toilet is in an outhouse. Exciting adventures at Christmas! *grin*
Our own pets are all doing well. Roy will be getting spayed sometime soon (during January), and then we're thinking about adopting a mama cat from the Humane Society. People are apparently unable to teach Roy manners, so we're hoping that an older female will be able to help us in that department. Plus, she really does need more company.
Isabella never did drop any piglets, so she's definitely just fat. The guinea pigs will both be going to the vet in either January or February for a checkup, and we'll deal with Guido's operation then.
New years mean new plans, and my main goals for 2009 are to stay on track with my writing, to stay on board with my elimination diet and exercise plan, and to get the house cleaned, tidied, and presentable. I know I can do it, I just have to stay focused and not freak out if I stumble once in a while!
Speaking of my writing: at the beginning of December, my desktop computer decided to eat my flash drive. This meant that basically all of my writing disappeared! I was heartbroken. That was three years of my life that I no longer had access to, and Juniper wasn't able to make it readable. (The information wasn't erased, it was completely garbled.) Luckily, one of the guys who did NaNoWriMo this year is a programmer (doing his masters), and he has been able to salvage some of my files. Here's hoping we can get back most of it and I'm not as far behind as I think I am!
Work continues apace; I go back to the office on Monday and will be hanging out with LM again on Thursday next week. It feels really good to have this sort of thing settled and organized.
...and that seems to be it for now. Nothing earth-shattering to report, really. Well, aside from my data loss and partial recovery. *wink*
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope 2009 is a good one for you all!
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Newsletter #9 :: October & November 2008
Well, October kind of got away from me, what with all the preparations for NaNoWriMo 2008! So you get two months for the price of one in this entry. :)
Personal stuff first, as usual.
Juniper and I spent Thanksgiving (in October, of course, as we're Canadian) with Juniper's father. We had lamb for dinner, and I made the mint sauce - my first time ever, and I actually did a decent job! I'd say the highlight of that visit was playing Carcassonne with Juniper's six-year old brother and the four-year old boy who was visiting that day. The four-year old won the game, and I lost, but I was helping the children! Go figure that one out, people. :P
And then, of course, NaNoWriMo events took over my life. Juniper is a NaNo widower. (More on NaNo later, I promise.)
The guinea pigs are both doing well and are as greedy as ever. I don't know if Isabella is actually pregnant, though. She really should have had the babies by now, if she is. I'm thinking a vet appointment is in her future, because she really is a strange shape if she's just fat. Guido is doing exceptionally well, and I'm hoping to get him neutered in the new year.
Roy is currently in heat. She's going to have to be spayed soon, too. I just need to find a good vet who won't charge an arm and a leg, you know? We got her some toy mice - those ones that are small but furry-ish - and she loves chasing them. We also have one on a fishing line, and that is hilarious to play with while we're watching TV. Oh, and then there's the catnip... Roy high is really funny. (Am I evil for enjoying that?)
Moving right along... I managed to lose about fifteen pounds during September and October. My diet thing fell by the wayside during November (NaNo will do that to a person), but I did manage to maintain my weight, which is great! I fell off the exercise bandwagon, but I plan to start again tomorrow (December 1). The diet will come back into play in January.
As for NaNoWriMo, well...
This was quite the year, both for me as ML and as a writer. We had two weekly write-ins, tons of online write-ins in our chat room, three parties (well, the last one is on December 5), two 12-hour write-ins (a first for Calgary), and a couple of unofficial write-ins (which I didn't go to). I have also been keeping track of the progress of all of my local participants and granting them points for certain things (e.g., attending parties and write-ins, putting Tim in their novels, reaching word count goals), giving out prizes to the winners of word wars at our write-ins... it's practically its own full-time job! I even did an interview for an article (in FFWD, a local entertainment weekly) and a radio interview (on AM770)!
And... I won NaNoWriMo this year! I am so proud of myself, people! This is my second win, and the book I wrote is the sequel to my other winning novel (from 2006). The 2006 novel is about a thirteen-year old girl who makes her first friends when she starts attending a school for kids who don't do well in a regular school environment, and this one takes place a year later and is about her best friend testifying in the trial of the man who molested her (the best friend) in the first book. It needs to be edited and rewritten, but I think it's a pretty decent story, and I like the characters.
As I write this post, I am attending the final online party for our Calgary "Wrimotaurs" - tons of word wars to help people make that 50,000 word goal.
I am still working at ACDS, and just passed my three-month performance appraisal with flying colours! I'm doing all kinds of things there now, including designing some marketing pieces for the department and for the standards. Apparently the other departments might use me, too. It's kind of weird to think about, but it's cool, too. I really like doing design work, and they seem to think I do a good job, even though I have no formal training, so I guess it's okay...!
Working with that fourteen-year old girl is still a regular fun thing in my life. We have a good time together, I think. (Well, I enjoy my time with her, at least.) We usually go to the library or a coffee shop, and sometimes we go shopping for things. One day we went to Zellers and bought bubble bath and lip gloss; another week it was Indigo for a book. I also babysit and do respite here and there, on a semi-regular basis (by which I mean that I have some regular families I work for, but not a regular night that I'm there). It's all good.
That ladies' night event at church went really well, and I think everyone had a great time. The next event is, unfortunately, on December 5, so I can't be there since I have to host a NaNo party that night. The church is going Christmas caroling!
Speaking of Christmas, Juniper and I will be going to BC to visit his mother for Christmas this year. Also speaking of Christmas, I am somewhat saddened that we have now entered the time of year when I can't listen to the radio anymore because the stations will all be playing Christmas songs constantly, and I can't stand it. It's not Christmas, it's Advent! Play winter songs, play Advent songs. Don't play Christmas songs until Christmas Eve at the earliest! Please!
Okay, rant over.
And so is this update. I'll try to make my December post on time, but may have to post late depending on when we come back from BC.
Personal stuff first, as usual.
Juniper and I spent Thanksgiving (in October, of course, as we're Canadian) with Juniper's father. We had lamb for dinner, and I made the mint sauce - my first time ever, and I actually did a decent job! I'd say the highlight of that visit was playing Carcassonne with Juniper's six-year old brother and the four-year old boy who was visiting that day. The four-year old won the game, and I lost, but I was helping the children! Go figure that one out, people. :P
And then, of course, NaNoWriMo events took over my life. Juniper is a NaNo widower. (More on NaNo later, I promise.)
The guinea pigs are both doing well and are as greedy as ever. I don't know if Isabella is actually pregnant, though. She really should have had the babies by now, if she is. I'm thinking a vet appointment is in her future, because she really is a strange shape if she's just fat. Guido is doing exceptionally well, and I'm hoping to get him neutered in the new year.
Roy is currently in heat. She's going to have to be spayed soon, too. I just need to find a good vet who won't charge an arm and a leg, you know? We got her some toy mice - those ones that are small but furry-ish - and she loves chasing them. We also have one on a fishing line, and that is hilarious to play with while we're watching TV. Oh, and then there's the catnip... Roy high is really funny. (Am I evil for enjoying that?)
Moving right along... I managed to lose about fifteen pounds during September and October. My diet thing fell by the wayside during November (NaNo will do that to a person), but I did manage to maintain my weight, which is great! I fell off the exercise bandwagon, but I plan to start again tomorrow (December 1). The diet will come back into play in January.
As for NaNoWriMo, well...
This was quite the year, both for me as ML and as a writer. We had two weekly write-ins, tons of online write-ins in our chat room, three parties (well, the last one is on December 5), two 12-hour write-ins (a first for Calgary), and a couple of unofficial write-ins (which I didn't go to). I have also been keeping track of the progress of all of my local participants and granting them points for certain things (e.g., attending parties and write-ins, putting Tim in their novels, reaching word count goals), giving out prizes to the winners of word wars at our write-ins... it's practically its own full-time job! I even did an interview for an article (in FFWD, a local entertainment weekly) and a radio interview (on AM770)!
And... I won NaNoWriMo this year! I am so proud of myself, people! This is my second win, and the book I wrote is the sequel to my other winning novel (from 2006). The 2006 novel is about a thirteen-year old girl who makes her first friends when she starts attending a school for kids who don't do well in a regular school environment, and this one takes place a year later and is about her best friend testifying in the trial of the man who molested her (the best friend) in the first book. It needs to be edited and rewritten, but I think it's a pretty decent story, and I like the characters.As I write this post, I am attending the final online party for our Calgary "Wrimotaurs" - tons of word wars to help people make that 50,000 word goal.
I am still working at ACDS, and just passed my three-month performance appraisal with flying colours! I'm doing all kinds of things there now, including designing some marketing pieces for the department and for the standards. Apparently the other departments might use me, too. It's kind of weird to think about, but it's cool, too. I really like doing design work, and they seem to think I do a good job, even though I have no formal training, so I guess it's okay...!
Working with that fourteen-year old girl is still a regular fun thing in my life. We have a good time together, I think. (Well, I enjoy my time with her, at least.) We usually go to the library or a coffee shop, and sometimes we go shopping for things. One day we went to Zellers and bought bubble bath and lip gloss; another week it was Indigo for a book. I also babysit and do respite here and there, on a semi-regular basis (by which I mean that I have some regular families I work for, but not a regular night that I'm there). It's all good.
That ladies' night event at church went really well, and I think everyone had a great time. The next event is, unfortunately, on December 5, so I can't be there since I have to host a NaNo party that night. The church is going Christmas caroling!
Speaking of Christmas, Juniper and I will be going to BC to visit his mother for Christmas this year. Also speaking of Christmas, I am somewhat saddened that we have now entered the time of year when I can't listen to the radio anymore because the stations will all be playing Christmas songs constantly, and I can't stand it. It's not Christmas, it's Advent! Play winter songs, play Advent songs. Don't play Christmas songs until Christmas Eve at the earliest! Please!
Okay, rant over.
And so is this update. I'll try to make my December post on time, but may have to post late depending on when we come back from BC.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Newsletter #8 :: September 2008
September was a great month.
Juniper's birthday was on the fifth, which (amazingly enough) is the same day as Bethany's fiance's birthday! (The number of "coincidences" that I've found with my family and Bethany is rather astounding.) Juniper is now an "old man" of thirty, though he has decided to remain twenty-nine forever. (Reminds me somewhat of a certain uncle...)
My own birthday, of course, was on the fourteenth, which fell on a Sunday this year. Alas, I am not thirty-one, though one of my cards said I was! *cough* Matthew *cough* I am now thirty-two. It was a nice day, though we didn't celebrate with a lot of fanfare. I don't throw parties often, and haven't had an actual birthday party since I was fifteen or something. I did, however, receive gifts: Mom and Dad gave me the first season of The Mary Tyler Moore Show on DVD (it was my favourite TV show when I was five or something) and one of those little keychain digital cameras (see below for some photos I took with it); Michael gave me a car emergency kit, which includes a set of jumper cables - something I've been saying I should own for several years now; and Jonathan and Cindy gave me a talking pedometer, which I have made good use of in the past few weeks! My gift from Matthew arrived that week - The Essential Dazzler, a graphic novel collection of every appearance she's made in Marvel Comics (well, the first volume, anyway).
Both Isabella (top photo) and Guido (bottom photo) are gaining weight apace, which is a good thing for both right now. Isabella weighed in at 1146 grams tonight, and Guido is now 1022 grams. This is a great increase for both, especially for Guido; since I brought him home, he's gained close to 200 grams! They're still a bit flipped for what I'm used to, though; typically, a male is 1100-1200 grams (at least), and a female is 800-1000 grams.
Speaking of weight, I'm losing some! In September, I lost about seven pounds. I'm looking forwards to continuing this trend through October!
How did I do it, you ask? Simple: I put myself on an elimination diet (as an experiment, not in order to lose weight) and started exercising regularly. I'm currently not eating milk products, wheat etc. (i.e., no gluten), carrots or corn (both disagree with me), or preservatives and other chemical additives. It's a good thing the Bowness Health Food Store is right across the street!
I've started going to an aquacize class twice a week. Shouldice pool is nearby, and I go there on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m. It's a solid hour of water aerobics - a great workout. I've also taken up walking, which is where the new pedometer comes in! So far, I have learned that I can walk just under one kilometer in about ten minutes, and I take just over 100 steps in that time. I listen to music while I walk, rather than using a workout tape; the tapes don't always go at a pace that works for me, and I'm able to maintain a quick pace even when the songs I'm listening to are a little slow.
Roy went into heat for the second time in her life. She'll be a year old soon, so I'm giving her a mix of kitten chow and adult cat food. She's also getting half a small tin of wet food every night at dinner time (this keeps her from trying to eat our dinner). She's a rather vocal little thing, but I suspect she's part Siamese, so that would explain much about her personality.
NaNoWriMo begins in one month, and things are already feeling a bit crazy! I have lots to do with the chatnano.net web site to get it ready, plus I volunteered to moderate an extra forum this year. It's not as busy as my main one, but it's still extra work! Sometimes I think I'm a tad insane...
I have now been working at ACDS for just over one month. It's a good place to work, and the people are a lot of fun! I also still work with the 14yo girl once a week, of course; I'm a very busy person! With the election coming up, I'm thinking that I should write to the candidates in my riding (and CC the PTB in their parties) with some questions and information about the things that are important to me and mine - in particular, disability services (particularly autism-related), the silly copyright bill, and the ridiculous herbal bill. I'm sure there will be more as I look at the parties' web sites to acquaint myself with their platforms - something I always do, so I can see what they stand for!
Our first ladies' ministry event at the church will happen on October 9; a dessert night that I designed the invitation for! I really like this design thing, and I seem to be somewhat talented at it.
Band is fun, of course, and I love the people I sing with. Someday soon, I'm going to bring my clarinet to practice and play it! Haha! *grin*
I don't have any other photos to share right now, as I haven't taken those rolls in to be developed yet. Hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later; be on the lookout for photos!
Juniper's birthday was on the fifth, which (amazingly enough) is the same day as Bethany's fiance's birthday! (The number of "coincidences" that I've found with my family and Bethany is rather astounding.) Juniper is now an "old man" of thirty, though he has decided to remain twenty-nine forever. (Reminds me somewhat of a certain uncle...)
My own birthday, of course, was on the fourteenth, which fell on a Sunday this year. Alas, I am not thirty-one, though one of my cards said I was! *cough* Matthew *cough* I am now thirty-two. It was a nice day, though we didn't celebrate with a lot of fanfare. I don't throw parties often, and haven't had an actual birthday party since I was fifteen or something. I did, however, receive gifts: Mom and Dad gave me the first season of The Mary Tyler Moore Show on DVD (it was my favourite TV show when I was five or something) and one of those little keychain digital cameras (see below for some photos I took with it); Michael gave me a car emergency kit, which includes a set of jumper cables - something I've been saying I should own for several years now; and Jonathan and Cindy gave me a talking pedometer, which I have made good use of in the past few weeks! My gift from Matthew arrived that week - The Essential Dazzler, a graphic novel collection of every appearance she's made in Marvel Comics (well, the first volume, anyway).
Both Isabella (top photo) and Guido (bottom photo) are gaining weight apace, which is a good thing for both right now. Isabella weighed in at 1146 grams tonight, and Guido is now 1022 grams. This is a great increase for both, especially for Guido; since I brought him home, he's gained close to 200 grams! They're still a bit flipped for what I'm used to, though; typically, a male is 1100-1200 grams (at least), and a female is 800-1000 grams.
Speaking of weight, I'm losing some! In September, I lost about seven pounds. I'm looking forwards to continuing this trend through October!How did I do it, you ask? Simple: I put myself on an elimination diet (as an experiment, not in order to lose weight) and started exercising regularly. I'm currently not eating milk products, wheat etc. (i.e., no gluten), carrots or corn (both disagree with me), or preservatives and other chemical additives. It's a good thing the Bowness Health Food Store is right across the street!
I've started going to an aquacize class twice a week. Shouldice pool is nearby, and I go there on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m. It's a solid hour of water aerobics - a great workout. I've also taken up walking, which is where the new pedometer comes in! So far, I have learned that I can walk just under one kilometer in about ten minutes, and I take just over 100 steps in that time. I listen to music while I walk, rather than using a workout tape; the tapes don't always go at a pace that works for me, and I'm able to maintain a quick pace even when the songs I'm listening to are a little slow.
Roy went into heat for the second time in her life. She'll be a year old soon, so I'm giving her a mix of kitten chow and adult cat food. She's also getting half a small tin of wet food every night at dinner time (this keeps her from trying to eat our dinner). She's a rather vocal little thing, but I suspect she's part Siamese, so that would explain much about her personality.
NaNoWriMo begins in one month, and things are already feeling a bit crazy! I have lots to do with the chatnano.net web site to get it ready, plus I volunteered to moderate an extra forum this year. It's not as busy as my main one, but it's still extra work! Sometimes I think I'm a tad insane...
I have now been working at ACDS for just over one month. It's a good place to work, and the people are a lot of fun! I also still work with the 14yo girl once a week, of course; I'm a very busy person! With the election coming up, I'm thinking that I should write to the candidates in my riding (and CC the PTB in their parties) with some questions and information about the things that are important to me and mine - in particular, disability services (particularly autism-related), the silly copyright bill, and the ridiculous herbal bill. I'm sure there will be more as I look at the parties' web sites to acquaint myself with their platforms - something I always do, so I can see what they stand for!
Our first ladies' ministry event at the church will happen on October 9; a dessert night that I designed the invitation for! I really like this design thing, and I seem to be somewhat talented at it.
Band is fun, of course, and I love the people I sing with. Someday soon, I'm going to bring my clarinet to practice and play it! Haha! *grin*
I don't have any other photos to share right now, as I haven't taken those rolls in to be developed yet. Hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later; be on the lookout for photos!
Monday, September 01, 2008
Newsletter #7 :: August 2008
It's been quite a month, busy with all kinds of wonderful and crazy things.
August began with a lazy long weekend. Then, after two days of work, Juniper and I headed off to BC for a wedding! We left after work on August 6. The wedding was on August 8, on Vancouver Island (the north tip - Qualicum Beach). I took photos of our trip and have posted them to Facebook (eventually they'll be on Flickr, too). Since I had no photos to share last time, though, I'll post a couple of my favourite shots (there's one roll of film yet to be developed, and I have another roll I've taken since we got back, so I'll have more pictures to post in September's issue).
The sun, setting behind some trees at the beach.
I had a lot of fun playing with exposure times and stuff using the camera I had with me.
It's a Minolta 35mm camera, and it has a manual-focus lens on it and stuff.
A mountain on the way home. I love the way the clouds hang in front of the peak there.
That fuzzy bit in the back is a tunnel for the railway. It's not focused because I was playing with my focus and got the flowers in the front in focus instead. This is a little small for you to be able to tell that, unfortunately.
Now, what else can I tell you about August...?
August saw my joyful acquisition of two new guinea pigs; however, they are not both males as I had planned.
I adopted Isabella from some people in Airdrie. She'd been needing a new home for at least a month (listed on Facebook Marketplace), and I learned that she had had a cagemate, who had died. Isabella is pregnant, so I will be looking for homes for her babies in a few weeks; I estimate her to be about six weeks or so, which gives her another six weeks to go. I could, of course, be wrong; only a visit to the vet will tell for sure.
I took in Guido from my friend Jen, who is moving and can't keep her pets (anyone want a declawed calico cat who is a good mouser?). He's a small little man, but likes people well enough. We're all still getting used to each other; I'm hoping to get him neutered within the next few weeks, so that he and Isabella can live together once her babies have found their new homes.
Of course, we still have the cat, who is as mischeivous as ever. I need to get her into the vet soon, too, for a checkup and her shots and a deworming. Oh, and to be spayed. She needs all that if she's going to be allowed outside (something she desperately wants). Roy's favourite things to do seem to include scratching at things that can't be scratched (pieces of plastic, windows, etc.) and lying on top of Guido's cage.
Family has been around a lot this month, with Mom & Dad out for Adriana's birthday on the 20th and Aunt Kath and Uncle Chuck out for a wedding this past weekend. We've had family lunches, family dinners, and family brunches! On August 23, we went out to Lake Louise and hiked all the way up to the Tea House at Lake Agnes. I seriously felt like I was going to die, it hurt so much. That's how desperately I need to get in shape. But I made it, in 2 hours 20 minutes, and I'm planning to work hard so that I can try again next year - and hopefully make the hike in much less time! (Pictures from the hike are on an as-yet undeveloped roll of film.)
My writing continues to move slowly, as always. I am nearing the ends of my current projects, however, and I hope to be able to finish my current drafts by the end of October, so that I can focus solely on my NaNoWriMo novel! Well, my novel and all the other things I do in relation to NaNoWriMo - I moderate a forum, act as ML (municipal liaison) for Calgary, and run the new chatnano.net web site.
I was let go from LEAD at the beginning of August. This was somewhat disappointing, but I had already begun looking for something else, so it wasn't the worst thing in the world. I was jobless for a couple of weeks, but on August 25 I began my new position. I am now an Editorial Administrative Assistant in the Standards and Accreditation branch of the Alberta Council of Disability Services (ACDS). ACDS develops the standards and certification program for agencies that provide services to individuals with disabilities in Alberta. Basically, if an agency wants to receive funding from Persons with Developmental Disabilties (a government funding body), it has to comply with our standards and maintain certification. Every three years, we perform a survey and create a report detailing agencies' certification. Our focus is on quality of life for the individuals receiving service - something I am very much behind!
I continue to work once a week with that 14yo girl I mentioned before, and I am of course available for the odd babysitting or respite shift.
Church is quite the family affair, with myself, Michael, Juniper, Cindy, Adriana, and (of course) Jonathan there every Sunday. Mom & Dad were here for church on August 24, and I was on music, Michael was on projection, and Juniper was on sound; Jonathan presided over the Eucharist that week, as Stephen Hambidge (our senior pastor) has returned to work after his six-month sabbatical.
We are beginning a ladies' ministry at the church, and I'm supposed to be helping with the leadership of it. Unfortunately, I have yet to attend a meeting. I was unable to be at the first one because Mom & Dad were here, and I had to miss the second one because I forgot about it and we only had one vehicle with us. They are occuring after church, which is a great time, but if we only have one vehicle at church on a Sunday morning, Juniper & Michael have to wait around for me or I have to call for a ride after we're done. That's less than ideal! Next week, we'll definitely have two vehicles with us, though, as I will have to go early since I'm on music, and Juniper isn't doing sound.
So, that's a bit of an update for everyone who wants to know what's going on with me. Next month, I might have more pictures to show off; we'll have to wait and see!
August began with a lazy long weekend. Then, after two days of work, Juniper and I headed off to BC for a wedding! We left after work on August 6. The wedding was on August 8, on Vancouver Island (the north tip - Qualicum Beach). I took photos of our trip and have posted them to Facebook (eventually they'll be on Flickr, too). Since I had no photos to share last time, though, I'll post a couple of my favourite shots (there's one roll of film yet to be developed, and I have another roll I've taken since we got back, so I'll have more pictures to post in September's issue).
The sun, setting behind some trees at the beach.
Juniper's brother's house in Courtenay. We slept in the tent (that big orange thing to the left).
I had a lot of fun playing with exposure times and stuff using the camera I had with me.It's a Minolta 35mm camera, and it has a manual-focus lens on it and stuff.
A mountain on the way home. I love the way the clouds hang in front of the peak there.
That fuzzy bit in the back is a tunnel for the railway. It's not focused because I was playing with my focus and got the flowers in the front in focus instead. This is a little small for you to be able to tell that, unfortunately.Now, what else can I tell you about August...?
August saw my joyful acquisition of two new guinea pigs; however, they are not both males as I had planned.
I adopted Isabella from some people in Airdrie. She'd been needing a new home for at least a month (listed on Facebook Marketplace), and I learned that she had had a cagemate, who had died. Isabella is pregnant, so I will be looking for homes for her babies in a few weeks; I estimate her to be about six weeks or so, which gives her another six weeks to go. I could, of course, be wrong; only a visit to the vet will tell for sure.
I took in Guido from my friend Jen, who is moving and can't keep her pets (anyone want a declawed calico cat who is a good mouser?). He's a small little man, but likes people well enough. We're all still getting used to each other; I'm hoping to get him neutered within the next few weeks, so that he and Isabella can live together once her babies have found their new homes.
Of course, we still have the cat, who is as mischeivous as ever. I need to get her into the vet soon, too, for a checkup and her shots and a deworming. Oh, and to be spayed. She needs all that if she's going to be allowed outside (something she desperately wants). Roy's favourite things to do seem to include scratching at things that can't be scratched (pieces of plastic, windows, etc.) and lying on top of Guido's cage.
Family has been around a lot this month, with Mom & Dad out for Adriana's birthday on the 20th and Aunt Kath and Uncle Chuck out for a wedding this past weekend. We've had family lunches, family dinners, and family brunches! On August 23, we went out to Lake Louise and hiked all the way up to the Tea House at Lake Agnes. I seriously felt like I was going to die, it hurt so much. That's how desperately I need to get in shape. But I made it, in 2 hours 20 minutes, and I'm planning to work hard so that I can try again next year - and hopefully make the hike in much less time! (Pictures from the hike are on an as-yet undeveloped roll of film.)
My writing continues to move slowly, as always. I am nearing the ends of my current projects, however, and I hope to be able to finish my current drafts by the end of October, so that I can focus solely on my NaNoWriMo novel! Well, my novel and all the other things I do in relation to NaNoWriMo - I moderate a forum, act as ML (municipal liaison) for Calgary, and run the new chatnano.net web site.
I was let go from LEAD at the beginning of August. This was somewhat disappointing, but I had already begun looking for something else, so it wasn't the worst thing in the world. I was jobless for a couple of weeks, but on August 25 I began my new position. I am now an Editorial Administrative Assistant in the Standards and Accreditation branch of the Alberta Council of Disability Services (ACDS). ACDS develops the standards and certification program for agencies that provide services to individuals with disabilities in Alberta. Basically, if an agency wants to receive funding from Persons with Developmental Disabilties (a government funding body), it has to comply with our standards and maintain certification. Every three years, we perform a survey and create a report detailing agencies' certification. Our focus is on quality of life for the individuals receiving service - something I am very much behind!
I continue to work once a week with that 14yo girl I mentioned before, and I am of course available for the odd babysitting or respite shift.
Church is quite the family affair, with myself, Michael, Juniper, Cindy, Adriana, and (of course) Jonathan there every Sunday. Mom & Dad were here for church on August 24, and I was on music, Michael was on projection, and Juniper was on sound; Jonathan presided over the Eucharist that week, as Stephen Hambidge (our senior pastor) has returned to work after his six-month sabbatical.
We are beginning a ladies' ministry at the church, and I'm supposed to be helping with the leadership of it. Unfortunately, I have yet to attend a meeting. I was unable to be at the first one because Mom & Dad were here, and I had to miss the second one because I forgot about it and we only had one vehicle with us. They are occuring after church, which is a great time, but if we only have one vehicle at church on a Sunday morning, Juniper & Michael have to wait around for me or I have to call for a ride after we're done. That's less than ideal! Next week, we'll definitely have two vehicles with us, though, as I will have to go early since I'm on music, and Juniper isn't doing sound.
So, that's a bit of an update for everyone who wants to know what's going on with me. Next month, I might have more pictures to show off; we'll have to wait and see!
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Newsletter #6 :: Better late than never!
This newsletter has three sections: personal, professional, and spiritual. It’s not really split up using headers, but it was easier for me to write something that made sense across the board by making myself follow a flow of topics. If you know me at all well, you know that I can get rather tangential at times.
**This issue has no photos, but I will make up for it later, I promise!**
I've moved a lot in the last year. In October, I moved in with a family I was going to nanny for. Then, at the end of January, I moved to share a house with my boyfriend (more on him later). And in May, we moved into Bowness. Hopefully we're settled and will remain so for a while!
The house we're in now is a 1950's style bungalow with a developed basement. Upstairs there is a large living room, a huge kitchen, and three bedrooms (oh, and a full bathroom), as well as a front entry way and a back entry way that is so large it doubles as a dining room! Downstairs there are two rooms we're using as offices, a bathroom with a shower, and a rec room - as well as the wonderful laundry area. The house is on a double lot, so we have tons of parking. The back yard is also quite large, and there are hedges all around it for privacy. Not to mention the fire pit! Oh, and there's also a shed that's attached to the house, but you can't get into it from the house - you have to go outside.
Alas and alack, I am currently without guinea pigs. Katonia died of pneumonia just before we moved, and Napoleon seemed to just waste away without her to chat with. I will be getting two new males mid-August, however, and I am quite excited about it - as I'm sure you can imagine!
Meanwhile, life is made interesting by the kitten we adopted in November. Roy is a female tortie, full of mischief and desirous of attention. The story goes, there were mice in the old place, and I convinced my boyfriend that he should get a cat to get rid of them. We knew there were at least two mice, so I named one Fred and he named the other Sigfried. Of course the cat had to be Roy, regardless of its sex.
My social life is as unbusy as ever, especially since I moved in with Juniper. I met him in October 2007, at the autism meetup group I attend, and we became fast friends. It didn't take long for us to figure out that we belonged together, and I have sported a lovely promise ring on my left finger since the end of November. Juniper works for a fireplace installation company, but he is a hardware engineer (he designs computer circuits and the like); as soon as he has a job in his field and we are a little more stable financially, we'll be getting engaged. (Things are looking good, so keep your fingers crossed!)
I haven't seen my best friend since she was up at Christmas, but hopefully I'll get to see her again soon. I know she's loving it in San Francisco, and she's pursuing her dreams, so I'm glad she's happy. She's even met someone - hopefully I can meet him someday!
My little niece, Adriana, will be turning one year old on August 20. She's been walking for almost two months already, and is quite dexterous. Words are coming a little less slowly, but she's making purposeful sounds, so I'm not concerned. She's also quite good at communicating non-verbally, so it'll come when she's ready. (And if you thought I wouldn't be on the lookout for delays etc. you don't know me very well.)
I went off my Dexedrine in October and dropped the Cipralex in May, which was a good thing as I don't want to be on medication for my whole life. It was dicey there for a while, though, as withdrawal was decidedly not fun, but I came through it okay. Now I'm dealing with the odd depressive episode, but I'm tracking my moods online, so hopefully I'll be able to find a pattern.
NaNoWriMo 2007 was another no-win situation for me. However, I seem to have come into my own as Municipal Liaison, and am now running twice-monthly writers' meets for the locals who participated in the event. We're gearing up for October (mainly because that's when the site will be ready for this year, and when we need to have lots of advertising out and about), and I'm excited! I'm also excited about my novel this year, which will be the sequel to the one I wrote in 2006. Stick with what works.
I also participated in both NaNoEdMo and Script Frenzy this year, and lost both. Ah, well, there's always next year!
Of course, the best thing I've done with regards to NaNo this year is the development of the chatnano.net web site. I provide web-based chatting for various regions there, and now there are blogs available, too. This service is something I'm really excited to be able to provide the community.
At the end of January, I quit working for Christ Church and began working for the LEAD Foundation, which is an organization that provides 1:1 in-home support services for developmentally disabled children. There've been some ups and downs with that over the last few months, as with any new job. It's very different to be working for an agency after spending so many years as a private contractor.
Private clients are primarily respite and babysitting now. I still work with the girl I mentioned in my last newsletter; she'll be 14 on August 20. She's a lot of fun, but of course we have our moments.
My article for Calgary's Child was, in fact, accepted and printed in their September-October issue. I've also since done a book review (solicited - and I have another one coming up) and written a booklet for parents of newly-diagnosed autistic children. For more about what I'm up to writing-wise, you can check out my newly-redesigned web site and blog!
Michael, Juniper, and I attend Holy Trinity on a regular basis. Juniper (who was a Christian before we met but wasn't attending church) helps out with the sound board occasionally, and Michael handles the demands of the projection ministry on a semi-regular basis. As for me, well, I did end up joining the music team, and I sing with them once or twice a month. I've stepped down from chalice and nursery duties for now, but I may rejoin those teams after Christmas.
Cursillo was very interesting for me. I don't know if I'll work another weekend, though. I'm not against doing so, but I don't know that these retreats are really what I'm meant for. I am involved with some TEC renewal right now, but I don't know if I'll work TEC weekends, either.
My prayer life is still in the works. Carving out time for things isn't my strong point, it seems. Hopefully I will begin to get a better handle on this.
Please don't hesitate to e-mail me, comment to this blog post, drop me a line on Facebook, phone me (assuming you have the number), or come by and visit (if you know the address). I look forwards to hearing from you - time with friends is something I consider to be a priority!
**This issue has no photos, but I will make up for it later, I promise!**
I've moved a lot in the last year. In October, I moved in with a family I was going to nanny for. Then, at the end of January, I moved to share a house with my boyfriend (more on him later). And in May, we moved into Bowness. Hopefully we're settled and will remain so for a while!
The house we're in now is a 1950's style bungalow with a developed basement. Upstairs there is a large living room, a huge kitchen, and three bedrooms (oh, and a full bathroom), as well as a front entry way and a back entry way that is so large it doubles as a dining room! Downstairs there are two rooms we're using as offices, a bathroom with a shower, and a rec room - as well as the wonderful laundry area. The house is on a double lot, so we have tons of parking. The back yard is also quite large, and there are hedges all around it for privacy. Not to mention the fire pit! Oh, and there's also a shed that's attached to the house, but you can't get into it from the house - you have to go outside.
Alas and alack, I am currently without guinea pigs. Katonia died of pneumonia just before we moved, and Napoleon seemed to just waste away without her to chat with. I will be getting two new males mid-August, however, and I am quite excited about it - as I'm sure you can imagine!
Meanwhile, life is made interesting by the kitten we adopted in November. Roy is a female tortie, full of mischief and desirous of attention. The story goes, there were mice in the old place, and I convinced my boyfriend that he should get a cat to get rid of them. We knew there were at least two mice, so I named one Fred and he named the other Sigfried. Of course the cat had to be Roy, regardless of its sex.
My social life is as unbusy as ever, especially since I moved in with Juniper. I met him in October 2007, at the autism meetup group I attend, and we became fast friends. It didn't take long for us to figure out that we belonged together, and I have sported a lovely promise ring on my left finger since the end of November. Juniper works for a fireplace installation company, but he is a hardware engineer (he designs computer circuits and the like); as soon as he has a job in his field and we are a little more stable financially, we'll be getting engaged. (Things are looking good, so keep your fingers crossed!)
I haven't seen my best friend since she was up at Christmas, but hopefully I'll get to see her again soon. I know she's loving it in San Francisco, and she's pursuing her dreams, so I'm glad she's happy. She's even met someone - hopefully I can meet him someday!
My little niece, Adriana, will be turning one year old on August 20. She's been walking for almost two months already, and is quite dexterous. Words are coming a little less slowly, but she's making purposeful sounds, so I'm not concerned. She's also quite good at communicating non-verbally, so it'll come when she's ready. (And if you thought I wouldn't be on the lookout for delays etc. you don't know me very well.)
I went off my Dexedrine in October and dropped the Cipralex in May, which was a good thing as I don't want to be on medication for my whole life. It was dicey there for a while, though, as withdrawal was decidedly not fun, but I came through it okay. Now I'm dealing with the odd depressive episode, but I'm tracking my moods online, so hopefully I'll be able to find a pattern.
NaNoWriMo 2007 was another no-win situation for me. However, I seem to have come into my own as Municipal Liaison, and am now running twice-monthly writers' meets for the locals who participated in the event. We're gearing up for October (mainly because that's when the site will be ready for this year, and when we need to have lots of advertising out and about), and I'm excited! I'm also excited about my novel this year, which will be the sequel to the one I wrote in 2006. Stick with what works.
I also participated in both NaNoEdMo and Script Frenzy this year, and lost both. Ah, well, there's always next year!
Of course, the best thing I've done with regards to NaNo this year is the development of the chatnano.net web site. I provide web-based chatting for various regions there, and now there are blogs available, too. This service is something I'm really excited to be able to provide the community.
At the end of January, I quit working for Christ Church and began working for the LEAD Foundation, which is an organization that provides 1:1 in-home support services for developmentally disabled children. There've been some ups and downs with that over the last few months, as with any new job. It's very different to be working for an agency after spending so many years as a private contractor.
Private clients are primarily respite and babysitting now. I still work with the girl I mentioned in my last newsletter; she'll be 14 on August 20. She's a lot of fun, but of course we have our moments.
My article for Calgary's Child was, in fact, accepted and printed in their September-October issue. I've also since done a book review (solicited - and I have another one coming up) and written a booklet for parents of newly-diagnosed autistic children. For more about what I'm up to writing-wise, you can check out my newly-redesigned web site and blog!
Michael, Juniper, and I attend Holy Trinity on a regular basis. Juniper (who was a Christian before we met but wasn't attending church) helps out with the sound board occasionally, and Michael handles the demands of the projection ministry on a semi-regular basis. As for me, well, I did end up joining the music team, and I sing with them once or twice a month. I've stepped down from chalice and nursery duties for now, but I may rejoin those teams after Christmas.
Cursillo was very interesting for me. I don't know if I'll work another weekend, though. I'm not against doing so, but I don't know that these retreats are really what I'm meant for. I am involved with some TEC renewal right now, but I don't know if I'll work TEC weekends, either.
My prayer life is still in the works. Carving out time for things isn't my strong point, it seems. Hopefully I will begin to get a better handle on this.
Please don't hesitate to e-mail me, comment to this blog post, drop me a line on Facebook, phone me (assuming you have the number), or come by and visit (if you know the address). I look forwards to hearing from you - time with friends is something I consider to be a priority!
Monday, January 08, 2007
Newsletter #5
This newsletter has three sections: personal, professional, and spiritual. It’s not really split up using headers, but it was easier for me to write something that made sense across the board by making myself follow a flow of topics. If you know me at all well, you know that I can get rather tangential at times.
I moved again, at the end of February of this year. My new roommate, Christine, is an old friend with whom I had recently reconnected. We are living in a gorgeous two-storey townhouse that has a garage as the 'basement'. It is quite spacious, has a fireplace in the living room, and it's all... white.
I don't have tons of photos, so I can't really take you on a "tour", per se, but I can certainly show you what I've got!
This is one end of my bedroom. The bedrooms are upstairs, on the second floor. I love my "tower windows"! The room is really long but narrow-ish, so it's good I still sleep in just a twin-size bed.
Christine's room is on the other end of the house from mine, and in between there's a small bathroom with a bathtub/shower combo (my bathroom) and a closet that contains the washer and dryer. There's a counter on the other side of the hall from the bathroom and the closet (basically above/along the stairs) that has cupboards underneath it for linens and stuff. Christine's room is more square than mine is, and she has an ensuite bathroom with a steam shower!
This is where the guinea pigs lived when we first moved in. Until Christine's dog was going nuts trying to get in their cages with them, saying hi, and whatnot! The stairs to go up to the bedrooms are over to the left in this picture, so when you come downstairs in the morning you see those three windows right away. There are some really nice trees outside the windows.
Here's the lovely fireplace in the living room! It's really nice to sit in front of when it's cold outside and you're watching TV or reading a book, let me tell you!
And this is the kitchen. Yay! There's so much room in it, and the fridge is huge!
Sadly, my darling Princess passed away on January 21, 2007. She was my darling baby, of course. I came home after church that day, and she was lying in the door of the igloo she shared with Katonia, struggling for breath. Poor Katty was trapped inside the igloo.
I held Princess for the last hour of her life, and when she finally died, I cried - it was awful. I took her body to the Humane Society the next day for cremation.
Napoleon and Katonia continue to kiss through the bars of their cages, wishing they could just be together. Katty is quite the little scaredy-'Kat', and the slightest motion will send her into her igloo. But she's also really smart and will show me what she wants when I ask her what she's yelling for in the morning! Napoleon is all about the girl, of course, and continues to think that he can fly. It's amazing how fast he can go when he really wants to - he almost does fly!
It's been killer hot here, of course, so I got creative and started putting frozen water bottles in the piglets' cages for them to cuddle up with when they get too hot. Katty, as you can see, fell in love with hers almost immediately! They do look different now, as I made fleece covers for them so the guinea pigs wouldn't get frostbite.
They are absolutely the cutest little critters in my life right now.
As for important people in my life, well, my best friend is moving to San Francisco in a couple of weeks for school. She is following her dream of being an illustrator, and I know she can do it! I had a boyfriend for six months last year; it was long-distance and definitely wasn't the right time or combination of people, though it was very good when it was good. I also had a two-week romance with someone else this year, but that wasn't meant to be, either. I figure, when it's the right time and the right person then it'll be obvious. So until then, I'm doing my best to be happy with what I have - friends, family, work, etc. I do have quite a full life!
Jonathan & Cindy are expecting a baby any day now. I'm excited to become an Auntie for the first time! The baptism will be later this month. (Oh, and if the baby's already here and nobody told me, heads will roll!)
On top of that, Matthew is getting married in October! Jennifer is a great young woman, and I'm happy that I did get to meet her at Jonny's wedding, which is when I met Cindy for the first time...! So, it's quite the year for big events in my family. I'm kind of hoping next year is a little calmer...
As for me, myself, and I: I was diagnosed with moderate clinical depression in September of last year, and am currently taking 20mg Cipralex every morning. Having that happen was seriously amazing; I'm finally - for the first time in my life - experiencing actual emotions, instead of the extremes of "omygoodnessit'stotallyamazing", "omygoodnesstheworldisending", and basically neutral/nothing. I don't get the extreme highs or the extreme lows anymore, and overall I'm happily content with things as they are. It's seriously amazing to see how beautiful the world really is, and to be able to actually enjoy it!
I'm also back on Dexedrine; the Strattera I was taking gave me dyslexia and nearly destroyed my reading comprehension - neither of which is ideal for a writer and a reader!
I'm also working on my time management and organizational skills, and I just had my first meeting with a woman who is going to help me get my finances under control.
I won NaNoWriMo 2006, which was an amazing triumph for me! I also found my niche in the realm of being Municipal Liaison, and I'm really looking forwards to this year. Of course, I wouldn't be me if I wasn't also moderating forums on the NaNoWriMo web site and working behind the scenes for some of their other projects.
Work has been impacted positively by my meds adjustments and the time management work I'm doing. I'm accomplishing a lot each day, even when I have tons to get through (like I did today!), and it feels SOOO good.
Client-wise (as in, children I work with), I now babysit regularly on Tuesdays (6yo twins and their 10yo brother; I went to preschool for two years with one of the twins when I first moved back to Calgary). I also have a new client for the 1:1 work I used to do full-time. She's 12yo and I work with her on Mondays. Then there's a family with a 7yo autistic boy whom I babysit occasionally, and another family with a 7yo autistic boy and a 4yo non-autistic boy whom I babysit even less often. And, of course, my 12yo respite shift, which is on break for the summer. I was working with him on Wednesdays and the occasional Saturday during the school year; we'll see what happens in September.
I wrote an article for Calgary's Child and hope to hear shortly about whether or not they are accepting it for publication. If they do, there will be clippings available, trust me!
Michael and I continue to attend Holy Trinity on Sunday mornings. We both have a few friends there (some of them are mutual), which is really nice for us. I help out in the nursery once in a while, and continue to serve on the chalice team on a regular basis (as well as nearly every Sunday during the summer). Anthony Packwood, our music director, has recently stepped down from his position at the church, and Scott Fallows, who is replacing Anthony in the role, has asked me to think about joining the team in September. Another thing my new time management skills will help me decide!
And, of course, just because I simply wasn't busy enough, I've agreed to work the Women's Cursillo weekend in November. I'm the backup speaker for "Laity", so I'll be in the conference room participating in the discussions all weekend. I'm really looking forwards to it - I've worked TEC a lot, but never in the conference room, and there is definitely a different feel to Cursillo.
I have finally gotten around to asking someone to act as my Spiritual Director, and she is taking it under advisement and prayer. I'm working still on my personal prayer life, but I'm confident that - again - my new time management skills will come in quite handy for making sure that (and my God-type writing) happens!
I can, of course, be reached via e-mail at janna@thehoskincentre.com, and my web site can be found at http://jannalouise.thehoskincentre.com. My other blogs are linked in the sidebar here.
I moved again, at the end of February of this year. My new roommate, Christine, is an old friend with whom I had recently reconnected. We are living in a gorgeous two-storey townhouse that has a garage as the 'basement'. It is quite spacious, has a fireplace in the living room, and it's all... white.
I don't have tons of photos, so I can't really take you on a "tour", per se, but I can certainly show you what I've got!
This is one end of my bedroom. The bedrooms are upstairs, on the second floor. I love my "tower windows"! The room is really long but narrow-ish, so it's good I still sleep in just a twin-size bed.Christine's room is on the other end of the house from mine, and in between there's a small bathroom with a bathtub/shower combo (my bathroom) and a closet that contains the washer and dryer. There's a counter on the other side of the hall from the bathroom and the closet (basically above/along the stairs) that has cupboards underneath it for linens and stuff. Christine's room is more square than mine is, and she has an ensuite bathroom with a steam shower!
This is where the guinea pigs lived when we first moved in. Until Christine's dog was going nuts trying to get in their cages with them, saying hi, and whatnot! The stairs to go up to the bedrooms are over to the left in this picture, so when you come downstairs in the morning you see those three windows right away. There are some really nice trees outside the windows.Here's the lovely fireplace in the living room! It's really nice to sit in front of when it's cold outside and you're watching TV or reading a book, let me tell you!And this is the kitchen. Yay! There's so much room in it, and the fridge is huge!Sadly, my darling Princess passed away on January 21, 2007. She was my darling baby, of course. I came home after church that day, and she was lying in the door of the igloo she shared with Katonia, struggling for breath. Poor Katty was trapped inside the igloo.I held Princess for the last hour of her life, and when she finally died, I cried - it was awful. I took her body to the Humane Society the next day for cremation.
Napoleon and Katonia continue to kiss through the bars of their cages, wishing they could just be together. Katty is quite the little scaredy-'Kat', and the slightest motion will send her into her igloo. But she's also really smart and will show me what she wants when I ask her what she's yelling for in the morning! Napoleon is all about the girl, of course, and continues to think that he can fly. It's amazing how fast he can go when he really wants to - he almost does fly!It's been killer hot here, of course, so I got creative and started putting frozen water bottles in the piglets' cages for them to cuddle up with when they get too hot. Katty, as you can see, fell in love with hers almost immediately! They do look different now, as I made fleece covers for them so the guinea pigs wouldn't get frostbite.They are absolutely the cutest little critters in my life right now.
As for important people in my life, well, my best friend is moving to San Francisco in a couple of weeks for school. She is following her dream of being an illustrator, and I know she can do it! I had a boyfriend for six months last year; it was long-distance and definitely wasn't the right time or combination of people, though it was very good when it was good. I also had a two-week romance with someone else this year, but that wasn't meant to be, either. I figure, when it's the right time and the right person then it'll be obvious. So until then, I'm doing my best to be happy with what I have - friends, family, work, etc. I do have quite a full life!
Jonathan & Cindy are expecting a baby any day now. I'm excited to become an Auntie for the first time! The baptism will be later this month. (Oh, and if the baby's already here and nobody told me, heads will roll!)
On top of that, Matthew is getting married in October! Jennifer is a great young woman, and I'm happy that I did get to meet her at Jonny's wedding, which is when I met Cindy for the first time...! So, it's quite the year for big events in my family. I'm kind of hoping next year is a little calmer...
As for me, myself, and I: I was diagnosed with moderate clinical depression in September of last year, and am currently taking 20mg Cipralex every morning. Having that happen was seriously amazing; I'm finally - for the first time in my life - experiencing actual emotions, instead of the extremes of "omygoodnessit'stotallyamazing", "omygoodnesstheworldisending", and basically neutral/nothing. I don't get the extreme highs or the extreme lows anymore, and overall I'm happily content with things as they are. It's seriously amazing to see how beautiful the world really is, and to be able to actually enjoy it!
I'm also back on Dexedrine; the Strattera I was taking gave me dyslexia and nearly destroyed my reading comprehension - neither of which is ideal for a writer and a reader!
I'm also working on my time management and organizational skills, and I just had my first meeting with a woman who is going to help me get my finances under control.
I won NaNoWriMo 2006, which was an amazing triumph for me! I also found my niche in the realm of being Municipal Liaison, and I'm really looking forwards to this year. Of course, I wouldn't be me if I wasn't also moderating forums on the NaNoWriMo web site and working behind the scenes for some of their other projects.
Work has been impacted positively by my meds adjustments and the time management work I'm doing. I'm accomplishing a lot each day, even when I have tons to get through (like I did today!), and it feels SOOO good.
Client-wise (as in, children I work with), I now babysit regularly on Tuesdays (6yo twins and their 10yo brother; I went to preschool for two years with one of the twins when I first moved back to Calgary). I also have a new client for the 1:1 work I used to do full-time. She's 12yo and I work with her on Mondays. Then there's a family with a 7yo autistic boy whom I babysit occasionally, and another family with a 7yo autistic boy and a 4yo non-autistic boy whom I babysit even less often. And, of course, my 12yo respite shift, which is on break for the summer. I was working with him on Wednesdays and the occasional Saturday during the school year; we'll see what happens in September.
I wrote an article for Calgary's Child and hope to hear shortly about whether or not they are accepting it for publication. If they do, there will be clippings available, trust me!
Michael and I continue to attend Holy Trinity on Sunday mornings. We both have a few friends there (some of them are mutual), which is really nice for us. I help out in the nursery once in a while, and continue to serve on the chalice team on a regular basis (as well as nearly every Sunday during the summer). Anthony Packwood, our music director, has recently stepped down from his position at the church, and Scott Fallows, who is replacing Anthony in the role, has asked me to think about joining the team in September. Another thing my new time management skills will help me decide!
And, of course, just because I simply wasn't busy enough, I've agreed to work the Women's Cursillo weekend in November. I'm the backup speaker for "Laity", so I'll be in the conference room participating in the discussions all weekend. I'm really looking forwards to it - I've worked TEC a lot, but never in the conference room, and there is definitely a different feel to Cursillo.
I have finally gotten around to asking someone to act as my Spiritual Director, and she is taking it under advisement and prayer. I'm working still on my personal prayer life, but I'm confident that - again - my new time management skills will come in quite handy for making sure that (and my God-type writing) happens!
I can, of course, be reached via e-mail at janna@thehoskincentre.com, and my web site can be found at http://jannalouise.thehoskincentre.com. My other blogs are linked in the sidebar here.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Newsletter #4
You are currently reading the fourth issue of my newsletter. It is coming to you because you were once a client, or you are a friend of some sort, or you are a family member (or any combination of these three!).
I thought it would be nice to create such a thing because there are many people with whom I find it difficult to maintain regular contact, and having a newsletter means everyone has pretty much the same information at the same time, so you know what to ask questions about if you write or e-mail me. The newsletter also lets me share my favourite photos with friends and family. :)
The newsletter has three sections: personal, professional, and spiritual. It’s not really split up using headers, but it was easier for me to write something that made sense across the board by making myself follow a flow of topics. If you know me at all well, you know that I can get rather tangential at times. ;)
I have to apologise right now for not being more regular with my updates. I think that moving the newsletter to this blog will help with that - feel free to pass the link along to anyone you think might like to read it, and hopefully I'll be able to keep it properly up-to-date!
Last August, I moved into a 4plex with Tammy, as detailed in my last newsletter. At the end of this week, I'll be moving into a basement (more on that once I'm moved in - definitely with pictures to go along with it!) and Tammy is moving into another house. Well, her things are moving into the other house; she's vanning (teaching VBS in rural communities all summer) so won't actually be living there until September. It's been an interesting year, and my new living arrangements promise to be exciting as well!
This summer is incredibly hot. I expect it's the same as last summer was, but I'm feeling it more because I spend my days in a church office - with no air conditioning! Ack! I spend my evenings in my bedroom for the most part; I recently switched from cable to DSL for my internet access, and as a result I was able to move my computer from the living room to my bedroom - a boon for the summer, to be sure!
The guinea pigs will be undergoing a downsize of their cage with the move next weekend. I'll be housing Princess & Katonia together just a few months more; I'm hoping to be able to get Napoleon in to see the vet in October. Then (after the requisite month to make sure the sperm are all dead) I'll switch things up and put him in with Katty and let Princess live alone in her old age. Poor girl. She truly is a loner-pig, and I feel badly for her sometimes, having to deal with Katonia's idiocy sometimes.
Expect a photo-filled guinea pig newsletter at some point in the near future!
I managed to kill my Humphreys, finally - left 'em out on the balcony and didn't water them for months. I'm going to start watering them again, see if they're actually still alive in there. I might own the plant that never dies! :D I also killed a cactus. (Takes talent, that.) The rest are still alive (except the veggies & spices), but I need to water them more often.
I've been spending more time with my bestest lately, which is great. We go to concerts and parties, watch TV, or just talk. We usually hang out at least once a week outside of Monday night Tehillah.
Oyah, Jonny got married on August 27, 2005. Pictures abound, and I took most of the ones here with Michael's digital camera. How cool is that? (Michael was best man, so he couldn't take pics.) Mike & I went to Jonathan's & Cindy's for Thanksgiving in October, because they live in Unity, SK, which is only about five hours away from Calgary. And then Jonny got ordained priest on November 1! My favourite pictures (taken by Michael and scammed off his flickr account by me) are the one of Jonathan with Dad & Uncle Derek, and the pair of Mom & Dad and Cindy & Jonny (the "old" and the "new").
I also have me a boyfriend again. We've been together since the end of March of this year. It's a Long-Distance Relationship (LDR); he lives in England. No, we have not met in person yet. We have plans for Christmas (he'll come here). That's about all I want to share with the world at the moment, but I'm sure there'll be more in future newsletters.
Now, specifically regarding myself, because I need to tell everyone about this eventually and it's in other things you might come across at some point on the web... I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in February 2005. Obviously I did not suddenly "get" AD/HD, as it's not that kind of disorder - by definition, symptoms must be present prior to age seven. For some of you, this is a surprise - I'm successful etc. - but for others, I'm sure, it's more of an "aha!" moment - as in, "Aha! That explains everything!" (It doesn't, really, but it comes close.) I also have strong tendencies towards anxiety disorders and the like, which is how I even managed this long - anxiety used as coping mechanism. Treatment is vital with something like this - with both medication and therapy/counseling.
I had to change doctors to get medication, but I did get put on Concerta in February and took it until the end of June - at which time my prescription ran out and I didn't bother getting another one because I didn't feel it was really helping anyhow. I learned quite the opposite that July, so I went back and asked for something else in August. I was on 30mg Dexedrine per day, with 20mg in the morning and 10mg at noon, until February of this year. I currently take 36mg of Strattera every morning.
Side-effects of medications are..."fun".
Concerta only comes in increments of 18mg, and the stimulant in it (the same as is in Ritalin) can cause anxiety and insomnia. When I started it, at a dose of 36mg, I went through three days or so of mood swings and panic attacks. The best was the night I was up until 2 or 3am, crying and shaking (over nothing) - knowing it's due to meds doesn't make it any easier to deal with. Once I'd evened out, we tried upping the dose to 54mg. Mistake. Trust me on that one... I took it at that dose for one week and one week only, it was that bad. I went back down to 36mg, but it really wasn't doing a lot for me. There was also a backlash each evening when it wore off - I only had to take it once a day, but come evening I'd have mood shifts.
The Dexedrine was a much smoother ride. Dextroamphetamine doesn't produce the same anxiety, and it wears off much more slowly in the evening. Side effects in the beginning weren't fun... I had dry mouth for about a week that resulted in a bit of a sore throat/cold issue, and loss of appetite meant I wasn't eating much of anything for a few weeks. My appetite came back, thank goodness, and while I continued to lose weight (Dexedrine was originally developed as a diet pill), it wasn't unhealthily fast and I almost got down to where the BMI says I ought to be. I lost about 35lbs last year, and about 20lbs of that was since I started on Dexedrine. It's a lot of fun to walk into a clothing store and be able to find trendy clothes that fit properly!
Strattera is closely related to antidepressants, so it helps with my mood swings. I've found the same results with Strattera as I had with Dexedrine, minus negative side-effects. Also minus the weight loss, which is sad, but I've got plans to eat healthier and exercise more! Mostly it's sad because I've regained a lot of the weight I'd lost, which is just kind of depressing some days.
Other good health things - no more caffeinated drinks for Janna. The caffeine actually interferes with amphetamines, and now that I'm on Strattera, it actually hits me the way it hits other people. So, no more Jolt or Pepsi for me! (I never did like Coca-Cola.) Since I never drank coffee and didn't really drink much tea to begin with, it's not been too much of a hassle for me.
I was seeing a counsellor at the Calgary Counselling Centre once every few weeks until the end of February, and it helped a lot. I started going there back in the summer of 2004, and I went through three counsellors. I've recently applied to go back, and I'm hoping for the same person I had at the end there, but I'm not sure she'll still be there. That's because it's a teaching place, and so people go for their internships and often go elsewhere once they're finished. I don't mind the changes, though - it keeps things interesting, and new people have different ways of looking at things. My sessions focus on learning new strategies to deal with issues/problems, and I usually come away with some "homework" (something to work on for my next session).
I attempted NaNoWriMo again this year (National Novel Writing Month - attempting to write 50,000 words of a novel during the month of November). I lost (badly) but have high hopes for 2006! I was also Municipal Liaison for the first time. I will likely do that job again this year, and I have tons of ideas for that.
I've actually been doing a fair amount of writing, mostly personal - essays, blog entries, and poetry/songs - and have a list of projects to work on over the next while. Some of it is fiction, but some of it is non-fiction. I'm really looking forwards to spending time writing stories and researching articles.
And... a lot of artwork. I take art supplies with me to church every Sunday morning, and carry them to Tehillah on Monday nights and even to concerts! I try to stay small, though sometimes bigger is needed. If I can't do big, then I do a small sketch and then get at it later on a larger piece of paper or a painting board. I haven't tried painting on canvas yet... that's next.
Now, everyone will be shocked, but...
I am only working with two autistic children now.
I know, you never thought you'd see the day, right?
Well, that wonderful job I wrote about in my last update (the one at the fitness centre) fell through. I spent September working with the 8yo boy who's in an AVB program, another 8yo boy & his mother, and a 13yo girl. I also did respite for the 5yo boy and that same 10yo boy. It was relaxing, because for the most part I wasn't working any mornings at all, but there wasn't a lot of money coming in. (I was, of course, applying for jobs and everything.)
Finally, I got a job.
On October 4, 2005, I started my new full-time position. I am the General Secretary for Christ Church, an Anglican church here in Calgary. It's in Elbow Park, and it's only fifteen minutes away from my home (about half an hour away from my new one, but whatever)! The best part is that I can continue to attend Holy Trinity on Sunday mornings, so I get to have actual worship when I go to services.
This job is great. I quite like it, though it's definitely giving my organizational skills a huge challenge! There's always something happening, and that keeps me stimulated (which is good). Time management has been a bit of an issue, but I'm learning, and people are very forgiving. During the week after Christmas, I rearranged my office and reorganized the stationery supply room. Then I redid the filing system - went through the old ones and sorted out everything so it's logical and (especially) find-able.
Now, in the midst of all of this...
Scheduling for my clients became a bit of an issue. Due to time conflicts, I had to drop the 8yo & his mother. And then, at the end of November, I dropped the other 8yo. I was working too many hours and had no time for myself whatsoever. Case in point: I have trouble remembering to eat when I'm hungry and just sitting at home with nothing to do; before I dropped those clients and changed my hours with the 13yo girl to later in the evening, I was often lucky if I ate one meal in a day - before 9.00 p.m. That just results in high stress levels and, honestly, really poor health.
In January, I also stopped working with the 13yo girl (time conflicts). For a few months, I only did respite a couple of Saturdays a month with that 10yo boy (who is now 11), who really likes me for some reason. (I missed all of November due to it being NaNoWriMo, and when I returned in December his mother said he'd asked about me a lot prior and was watching for me out the window that day.) As for that 5yo, well, I do occasional baby-sitting when his Dad's in town (he works overseas). And in April, I added a 6yo boy who is a lot of fun. I do respite, baby-sitting, and aide work (yes all three, depending on the day and hours I'm working and so on).
And that is work!
As mentioned previously, I continue to attend Holy Trinity. I am still a member of the Chalice team, and administer the chalice every three weeks. I recently joined the nursery team, so I'm going to get to play with babies every few weeks, too! That's exciting - I'm really looking forwards to it. I've also stopped attending the small group I was a part of. It's nobody's fault, really; I just didn't feel that it was meeting my particular needs. I haven't replaced it with any other activities; I've found that taking the time for myself is more productive, in the long run.
I wound up resigning my position as secretary for TEC back in August, due to high stress levels. I actually resigned from TEC; I stopped attending THING unless Ekklesia was playing, I quit the band I'd been developing, and I returned all of the music paraphernalia I'd been looking after to the Program Coordinator. I'm still involved in the periphery, but I'm definitely not going to let myself get that involved again!
I am definitely still looking to attend Wholeness Through Christ, as prayer ministry is something I feel drawn to. I am also seeking a Spiritual Director, and hoping to discern my vocation through that. My world has opened up since August, and the possibilities are both exciting and frightening - I need some help to keep me on track with God.
I've also begun writing daily devotionals. I'm finding this to be quite helpful in my walk with God, and the discipline of doing daily devotionals has always been something I wanted to cultivate, so it's pulling double duty for me.
To see other things I've been writing lately, you can go to my profile (linked in the sidebar) and see all my other blogs. Enjoy!
If you would like to contact me at all, please e-mail me at janna@thehoskincentre. Also, please visit my web site at http://jannalouise.thehoskincentre.com!
Peace & Blessings,
Janna Hoskin
I thought it would be nice to create such a thing because there are many people with whom I find it difficult to maintain regular contact, and having a newsletter means everyone has pretty much the same information at the same time, so you know what to ask questions about if you write or e-mail me. The newsletter also lets me share my favourite photos with friends and family. :)
The newsletter has three sections: personal, professional, and spiritual. It’s not really split up using headers, but it was easier for me to write something that made sense across the board by making myself follow a flow of topics. If you know me at all well, you know that I can get rather tangential at times. ;)
I have to apologise right now for not being more regular with my updates. I think that moving the newsletter to this blog will help with that - feel free to pass the link along to anyone you think might like to read it, and hopefully I'll be able to keep it properly up-to-date!
Last August, I moved into a 4plex with Tammy, as detailed in my last newsletter. At the end of this week, I'll be moving into a basement (more on that once I'm moved in - definitely with pictures to go along with it!) and Tammy is moving into another house. Well, her things are moving into the other house; she's vanning (teaching VBS in rural communities all summer) so won't actually be living there until September. It's been an interesting year, and my new living arrangements promise to be exciting as well!
This summer is incredibly hot. I expect it's the same as last summer was, but I'm feeling it more because I spend my days in a church office - with no air conditioning! Ack! I spend my evenings in my bedroom for the most part; I recently switched from cable to DSL for my internet access, and as a result I was able to move my computer from the living room to my bedroom - a boon for the summer, to be sure!
The guinea pigs will be undergoing a downsize of their cage with the move next weekend. I'll be housing Princess & Katonia together just a few months more; I'm hoping to be able to get Napoleon in to see the vet in October. Then (after the requisite month to make sure the sperm are all dead) I'll switch things up and put him in with Katty and let Princess live alone in her old age. Poor girl. She truly is a loner-pig, and I feel badly for her sometimes, having to deal with Katonia's idiocy sometimes.
Expect a photo-filled guinea pig newsletter at some point in the near future!
I managed to kill my Humphreys, finally - left 'em out on the balcony and didn't water them for months. I'm going to start watering them again, see if they're actually still alive in there. I might own the plant that never dies! :D I also killed a cactus. (Takes talent, that.) The rest are still alive (except the veggies & spices), but I need to water them more often.
I've been spending more time with my bestest lately, which is great. We go to concerts and parties, watch TV, or just talk. We usually hang out at least once a week outside of Monday night Tehillah.
Oyah, Jonny got married on August 27, 2005. Pictures abound, and I took most of the ones here with Michael's digital camera. How cool is that? (Michael was best man, so he couldn't take pics.) Mike & I went to Jonathan's & Cindy's for Thanksgiving in October, because they live in Unity, SK, which is only about five hours away from Calgary. And then Jonny got ordained priest on November 1! My favourite pictures (taken by Michael and scammed off his flickr account by me) are the one of Jonathan with Dad & Uncle Derek, and the pair of Mom & Dad and Cindy & Jonny (the "old" and the "new").
I also have me a boyfriend again. We've been together since the end of March of this year. It's a Long-Distance Relationship (LDR); he lives in England. No, we have not met in person yet. We have plans for Christmas (he'll come here). That's about all I want to share with the world at the moment, but I'm sure there'll be more in future newsletters.
Now, specifically regarding myself, because I need to tell everyone about this eventually and it's in other things you might come across at some point on the web... I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in February 2005. Obviously I did not suddenly "get" AD/HD, as it's not that kind of disorder - by definition, symptoms must be present prior to age seven. For some of you, this is a surprise - I'm successful etc. - but for others, I'm sure, it's more of an "aha!" moment - as in, "Aha! That explains everything!" (It doesn't, really, but it comes close.) I also have strong tendencies towards anxiety disorders and the like, which is how I even managed this long - anxiety used as coping mechanism. Treatment is vital with something like this - with both medication and therapy/counseling.
I had to change doctors to get medication, but I did get put on Concerta in February and took it until the end of June - at which time my prescription ran out and I didn't bother getting another one because I didn't feel it was really helping anyhow. I learned quite the opposite that July, so I went back and asked for something else in August. I was on 30mg Dexedrine per day, with 20mg in the morning and 10mg at noon, until February of this year. I currently take 36mg of Strattera every morning.
Side-effects of medications are..."fun".
Concerta only comes in increments of 18mg, and the stimulant in it (the same as is in Ritalin) can cause anxiety and insomnia. When I started it, at a dose of 36mg, I went through three days or so of mood swings and panic attacks. The best was the night I was up until 2 or 3am, crying and shaking (over nothing) - knowing it's due to meds doesn't make it any easier to deal with. Once I'd evened out, we tried upping the dose to 54mg. Mistake. Trust me on that one... I took it at that dose for one week and one week only, it was that bad. I went back down to 36mg, but it really wasn't doing a lot for me. There was also a backlash each evening when it wore off - I only had to take it once a day, but come evening I'd have mood shifts.
The Dexedrine was a much smoother ride. Dextroamphetamine doesn't produce the same anxiety, and it wears off much more slowly in the evening. Side effects in the beginning weren't fun... I had dry mouth for about a week that resulted in a bit of a sore throat/cold issue, and loss of appetite meant I wasn't eating much of anything for a few weeks. My appetite came back, thank goodness, and while I continued to lose weight (Dexedrine was originally developed as a diet pill), it wasn't unhealthily fast and I almost got down to where the BMI says I ought to be. I lost about 35lbs last year, and about 20lbs of that was since I started on Dexedrine. It's a lot of fun to walk into a clothing store and be able to find trendy clothes that fit properly!
Strattera is closely related to antidepressants, so it helps with my mood swings. I've found the same results with Strattera as I had with Dexedrine, minus negative side-effects. Also minus the weight loss, which is sad, but I've got plans to eat healthier and exercise more! Mostly it's sad because I've regained a lot of the weight I'd lost, which is just kind of depressing some days.
Other good health things - no more caffeinated drinks for Janna. The caffeine actually interferes with amphetamines, and now that I'm on Strattera, it actually hits me the way it hits other people. So, no more Jolt or Pepsi for me! (I never did like Coca-Cola.) Since I never drank coffee and didn't really drink much tea to begin with, it's not been too much of a hassle for me.
I was seeing a counsellor at the Calgary Counselling Centre once every few weeks until the end of February, and it helped a lot. I started going there back in the summer of 2004, and I went through three counsellors. I've recently applied to go back, and I'm hoping for the same person I had at the end there, but I'm not sure she'll still be there. That's because it's a teaching place, and so people go for their internships and often go elsewhere once they're finished. I don't mind the changes, though - it keeps things interesting, and new people have different ways of looking at things. My sessions focus on learning new strategies to deal with issues/problems, and I usually come away with some "homework" (something to work on for my next session).
I attempted NaNoWriMo again this year (National Novel Writing Month - attempting to write 50,000 words of a novel during the month of November). I lost (badly) but have high hopes for 2006! I was also Municipal Liaison for the first time. I will likely do that job again this year, and I have tons of ideas for that.
I've actually been doing a fair amount of writing, mostly personal - essays, blog entries, and poetry/songs - and have a list of projects to work on over the next while. Some of it is fiction, but some of it is non-fiction. I'm really looking forwards to spending time writing stories and researching articles.
And... a lot of artwork. I take art supplies with me to church every Sunday morning, and carry them to Tehillah on Monday nights and even to concerts! I try to stay small, though sometimes bigger is needed. If I can't do big, then I do a small sketch and then get at it later on a larger piece of paper or a painting board. I haven't tried painting on canvas yet... that's next.
Now, everyone will be shocked, but...
I am only working with two autistic children now.
I know, you never thought you'd see the day, right?
Well, that wonderful job I wrote about in my last update (the one at the fitness centre) fell through. I spent September working with the 8yo boy who's in an AVB program, another 8yo boy & his mother, and a 13yo girl. I also did respite for the 5yo boy and that same 10yo boy. It was relaxing, because for the most part I wasn't working any mornings at all, but there wasn't a lot of money coming in. (I was, of course, applying for jobs and everything.)
Finally, I got a job.
On October 4, 2005, I started my new full-time position. I am the General Secretary for Christ Church, an Anglican church here in Calgary. It's in Elbow Park, and it's only fifteen minutes away from my home (about half an hour away from my new one, but whatever)! The best part is that I can continue to attend Holy Trinity on Sunday mornings, so I get to have actual worship when I go to services.
This job is great. I quite like it, though it's definitely giving my organizational skills a huge challenge! There's always something happening, and that keeps me stimulated (which is good). Time management has been a bit of an issue, but I'm learning, and people are very forgiving. During the week after Christmas, I rearranged my office and reorganized the stationery supply room. Then I redid the filing system - went through the old ones and sorted out everything so it's logical and (especially) find-able.
Now, in the midst of all of this...
Scheduling for my clients became a bit of an issue. Due to time conflicts, I had to drop the 8yo & his mother. And then, at the end of November, I dropped the other 8yo. I was working too many hours and had no time for myself whatsoever. Case in point: I have trouble remembering to eat when I'm hungry and just sitting at home with nothing to do; before I dropped those clients and changed my hours with the 13yo girl to later in the evening, I was often lucky if I ate one meal in a day - before 9.00 p.m. That just results in high stress levels and, honestly, really poor health.
In January, I also stopped working with the 13yo girl (time conflicts). For a few months, I only did respite a couple of Saturdays a month with that 10yo boy (who is now 11), who really likes me for some reason. (I missed all of November due to it being NaNoWriMo, and when I returned in December his mother said he'd asked about me a lot prior and was watching for me out the window that day.) As for that 5yo, well, I do occasional baby-sitting when his Dad's in town (he works overseas). And in April, I added a 6yo boy who is a lot of fun. I do respite, baby-sitting, and aide work (yes all three, depending on the day and hours I'm working and so on).
And that is work!
As mentioned previously, I continue to attend Holy Trinity. I am still a member of the Chalice team, and administer the chalice every three weeks. I recently joined the nursery team, so I'm going to get to play with babies every few weeks, too! That's exciting - I'm really looking forwards to it. I've also stopped attending the small group I was a part of. It's nobody's fault, really; I just didn't feel that it was meeting my particular needs. I haven't replaced it with any other activities; I've found that taking the time for myself is more productive, in the long run.
I wound up resigning my position as secretary for TEC back in August, due to high stress levels. I actually resigned from TEC; I stopped attending THING unless Ekklesia was playing, I quit the band I'd been developing, and I returned all of the music paraphernalia I'd been looking after to the Program Coordinator. I'm still involved in the periphery, but I'm definitely not going to let myself get that involved again!
I am definitely still looking to attend Wholeness Through Christ, as prayer ministry is something I feel drawn to. I am also seeking a Spiritual Director, and hoping to discern my vocation through that. My world has opened up since August, and the possibilities are both exciting and frightening - I need some help to keep me on track with God.
I've also begun writing daily devotionals. I'm finding this to be quite helpful in my walk with God, and the discipline of doing daily devotionals has always been something I wanted to cultivate, so it's pulling double duty for me.
To see other things I've been writing lately, you can go to my profile (linked in the sidebar) and see all my other blogs. Enjoy!
If you would like to contact me at all, please e-mail me at janna@thehoskincentre. Also, please visit my web site at http://jannalouise.thehoskincentre.com!
Peace & Blessings,
Janna Hoskin
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