Migrains

As years have past since 1989, when I was rear-ended twice in one week, my headaches have progressed to migraines. I try to be careful that I do not irritate my neck and back; I usually abstain from activities that could cause one of these migraines. Yesterday was not one of those days. This house, that we now call home, has carpets in all the bedrooms and on the landing which means they have to be vacuumed.

Yesterday I had a momentary lapse of memory as to the reason I never vacuum. It is not because we have been carpet less in our home for the past six years or that I've been working full-time for the past four and a half years. The reason for the taboo on vacuuming is because it is one of the hardest household chores to perform. Let me explain; when a person has had surgery, especially any type of abdominal surgery, the doctors will tell you, 'no vacuuming for at least six weeks'. This isn't so you can have a break from doing your household chores, it's because it can cause more damage than any other chore in the home.

That being said, yesterday I pulled out the vacuum and did what any other housewife will do, vacuum the carpets. I found it really hard and wondered if I would suffer the next day. The next day being today. Oh boy! At about 6 o'clock this morning I woke up with a migraine that felt like my head was splitting in two. I did not analyse it I just took my medication and slept until I could function. A few hours later, the migraine gone, I took stock of what I did yesterday that would cause me to wake-up with a migraine... vacuuming! I should have stopped as soon as I realised how hard I was finding the chore, but we don't listen to our bodies, we just go full steam ahead and suffer later.

I get migraines quite often, the trouble is they are full blown before I realise I have one. How can that be? You may well ask. I suffer with chronic pain which is under control with medication. This medication masks the minor irritating start to a headache. The majority of the time I do not recognise why I feel ill until the migraine is already beyond coping with. I've been lucky and only ended up in emergency once because I could not get the pain under control or stop the retching and dry heaves.

Will I learn from all this? I can say I will not be doing any more vacuuming, that will be Richard's job. I probably will do other things that will irritate my neck and trigger a migraine, but NOT vacuuming, it just is not worth all the pain.

Hand Rail In Place

This is big news! It means I shall now be safe climbing and descending the stairs. Neal and Lloyd from Redeemer Lutheran Church phoned yesterday to ask if it was a good time for them to come and help install one of our much needed handrails. Of course I said yes... but Richard wasn't quite ready as his plans were to make a big pot of chili... Ah! the best laid plans!

Neal and Lloyd arrived soon after and the work commenced. Actually the questions came first.

"How high do you want the rail?"
And that's where I came in; "As close to the same height as the main rail."
"Do you want it to end at the same point or more towards the window?"
"I believe it's better for me to have railing past the top step so I no longer have to grasp the window ledge."
"What about at the bottom of the stairs? You probably don't want it past the last step!"

The decision was made and about 10 inches was cut off of the new rail. Then it was time to find studs. Now remember this house was built in 1912 therefore the walls were plaster not gyproc board; but renovations have been made; insulation and gyproc have been added over the original walls. The studs were not easy to find. The top bracket was placed and then the bottom bracket. Now did we want one or two more brackets?

Two were decided upon but we could not find studs evenly placed in order to make the brackets look esthetically pleasing. We decided that plugs would be used to insure the other two brackets looked well placed and would hold. This all took several hours. What did I do other than answer questions? I went up and down the stairs checking that the railing was placed just right for my use.

So there you are the new railing is placed so I will not fall on the stairs. Thanks to Neal, Lloyd and Richard for looking out for my safety.

New Home Update

I thought it was time to show you what our home is beginning to look like now.

This is the living room, sorry it's a bit on the dark side. We repainted the walls a soft green, replacing the original blue. There is also new flooring. We had the dirty carpets and various other layers of flooring removed. Our furniture was on the large size so we had to purchase a love seat.

The dinning room. We have not changed any of the wall colours but the new flooring was continued into this room and then into the hall area. It still looks pretty cluttered as all our pictures are either on the table, piano or propped against the wall. We have yet to decide where to put what pictures.

The kitchen has new fridge and stove; we brought our portable dishwasher with us and still need to remove the old built in one as it leaks everywhere. We've added a white shelving unit (that isn't in this picture) by the side of the stove and several of our extra small appliances live there.

You will notice the new burgundy paint on the one wall we are going to continue this colour to the right of the stairs; this is the front door wall, there is also a window on this wall which is reflecting burgundy wall making the paint look a bit lighter there. You can't see the new flooring but it is also in this area. We have a small bookcase to place where the box and cat scratching post are, this will probably be the new home for the photo albums. The stairwell wall will be where the family pictures will hang.

This is the largest of the three bedrooms and as you can see we've taken it over as our study. This room needs lots of sorting out as there are still boxes to be emptied and small display shelves to be hung ready for my thimble collection. This will also be used as a guest room. We are considering buying a futon to put here which will double as a comfortable place to read.

If you remember from the original pictures of the house this room was a dirty orange colour. Before the furniture arrive the colour was changed to blue. I'm really happy with this room other than it needs pictures on the walls.

This is the other bedroom which we haven't done anything to other than place furniture in the room again it needs pictures on the walls.

Slowly the house is starting to look like our home. The picture hanging will take some time as we have more pictures than wall space; and of course we have to finish painting the hall area. All in all things are working out nicely by Spring the inside should be done for now and it will be time to work on the outside.

Christmas

The Whole Family

This Christmas was wonderful. We had only been in our house four days when Lynda arrived with her two boys, Kegan and Chase. She helped to unpack a few boxes and move furniture to make room for everyone. Three days later Evette arrived with her husband, Richard and son, Zachary. Now we needed at least another piece of furniture in the living room in order for everyone to sit comfortably. We found a love seat which would accommodate two, but was enough because most of the time not everyone needed a place to sit and once the comfortable chairs were taken then the dinning room chairs were used.

In addition to the freezer, the two box springs, Richard's bike and the boxed Christmas tree, two strollers were added to the porch. The car seats were used for the babies in the living room when they weren't on someones lap or playing on the babies gym mat that Evette brought with her.

Zachary and Chase on the gym mat.

One of the first things Richard did was to pass the chores out. Smiley (Evette's husband Richard) would do the snow shoveling. The two girls would work out a menu and help in the kitchen with the meals. I would cook the Christmas dinner with the help of everyone else. Ian would be in charge of clearing dishes and packing the dishwasher once he arrived. Richard would be busy with Church duties and I would help as needed. Most of the time I was holding my two little grandsons; or helping with Kegan.

Lynda and Evette Christmas afternoon

Kegan had a little job too. Kegan handed the gifts out and put the wrapping paper in the garbage bag. Part of our family tradition is to have only one person open a gift at a time so gift opening took most of the afternoon. This meant that Kegan was kept amused all afternoon as he tried to help everyone open their gifts.

Kegan on Grandpa's knee having a story read

It became difficult at times for Richard to read to his grandson as Wyneken would get jealous and insist on sitting on the book. He did not want to be left out of the activities.

Zachary, Nanny and Chase

This was my favourite time, when ever I had the chance I would have at least one of the babies and sometimes both. As these two little ones are only 13 days apart it was like having twins in the house. Actually several of the ladies at church thought they were twins and found it very interesting that each baby belonged to one of our girls.

Smiley (Richard) on the Wii Fit board

This was the favourite activity of Evette, Smiley and Lynda. Once Kegan was in bed and usually when Richard and I had turned in they would play on the Wii and drink beer or what ever was the drink of choice. The two girls made sure they had breast milk on hand for those times when they could not nurse their son due to their enjoyment the night before.

Ian doing his favourite activity

Ian was only with us for two days as he had to get back to Fernie, BC to be on duty on the 27th. The other three kids tried to get him to play on the Wii with them but he wouldn't. At least we had his favourite Christmas food, mince tarts, Lynda made them for us.

This was the best Christmas Richard and I have had since the children were young. Actually it is the first Christmas in about 15 years that all three of our children were home with us and of course the bonus was the addition of a son-in-law and three grandsons. Even though Christmas dinner was a fiasco, due to us not having a hood fan in the kitchen and it being far too cold to have the doors open and allow the smoke from the oven to escape. I had wanted us all to be sitting down at the dinning room table with the table looking festive, instead we sat around the living room with our plates of food on our laps. I did shed a few tears because I had wanted this perfect Christmas dinner and it didn't happen. But it was perfect because our whole family were home with us.

Ian, as I said left Boxing Day, Evette, Richard and Zachary left on the Saturday after Christmas and Lynda left on the Monday. I was glad that their leaving was staggered as it gave me chance to prepare for the next one to leave. I shed quiet tears as each family member left for their own homes. Ian to Fernie, BC. Evette and family to Victoria and then later they will be heading back to England. Lynda and her boys to Nanaimo, BC.

Hopefully we will see Lynda and the boys in the summer, maybe Ian too. It may be a few years before we see Evette, Richard and Zachary again.

Thank you kids for coming for Christmas and lets not leave it so many years before we do this again. I love you all.