A couple of weeks - this is my opportunity to "de-stress" before January hits ... most challenging right in the midst of the Christmas chaos.
My cousin Becky from Africa (my bestie in the fam) stays with me for a spell when she comes for her yearly visits.
Being a missionary, she certainly understands (better than anyone) how necessary it is to regroup. We thought a trip to Banff would be highly medicinal for both of us.
Driving though a blizzard lead us to sunny banff, where it was melting while freezing in Edmonton.
My cousin and I share the same humor, so thats pretty safe.... uh.... maybe not.
I got to say that the wrestling match at The Bay was a bit over the top. Once we start laughing, it becomes dangerous. 6 customers and a cashier observed 2 ladies in their 40's fighting over who should pay for a certain shirt (NOT her), resulting in a shove and a hip check into the till, moving the counter back an inch, people scattering with the lassoing of our scarves, and pinching of certain "areas" which still hurt even through wool. Domino effect in the line, as I fell... well you can guess whats next. She won, only because she's relentless and while laughing, all my effective karate moves are out the window.
It was a great release. I have a new shirt, a longer scarf, learned some new missionary stories (about Aids and HIV), shared some fantastic African coffee, a sore gut from laughing (and wrestling), and most of all - my memories.
God bless my cousin Becky.
I actually have some of my gifts purchased (which puts me way ahead of the previous years). Finding room in my house to store 1,500 units of Paul Mitchell Pink, 300 units of Kali Pink, merchandise, Kali Bears and pledge packages) is now a thing of the past.
Once strategically stacked, we would drape a LARGE tree shirt over and pluck our pink TREE on top (2006 - vaulted ceilings was a selling feature.)
Now we have storage (donated by Affordable Storage, a storage room at Make-A-Wish.
I found a place for my pink tree (on the floor this year), and gifts are accumulating as Kali wraps alll of them, it almost feels festively normal.
This has left me opportunity to shop a bit, but I finding this challenging as I walk around aimlessly (while my list sits on the kitchen table).
I stare at the Cookies By George stand, wipe the drool with my scarf and seek out a Starbucks instead. As they say, coffee allows us to do dumb things quicker.
Last night I brought the girls to Kingsway, but they lost me. Had I brought my prosthesis (phone) with me, I would not have dumped all of my change into a broken payphone, forcing me to beg the cashier at Smitties to us their phone.
I walked the entire parking lot and front lobby several times for 20 minutes feeling like a disoriented senior, and relating to what a lost child would feel like. I was kinda scared. Would have been easier I suppose, if my girls had tried to contain their amusement.
This got me thinking about my later years (with Alzheimer's in the family), who would look after me? They are telling me that they are gaining experience everyday, so it should be a walk in the park by then.
Christmas is in 6 days. Once though that, Massacure will be my renewed focus.
Our assistant Brandy, working with Nicki, is a big relief to allow me to take this time. Posters and Kali Bears for our McDonald's restaurants are in production, Kali Pink should be in the Save-On's and Sobeys next week, Red Deer Massacure coming together nicely (thanks to Darcy Ouelette), and media events being planned.
Taking Santa to RMH on Thursday - will update you then.
Cheers!
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