Climbing Back in the Saddle

Here it is, the first day "back" after 2 weeks that were more Roller Coaster Ride than "Holiday".

The conditions with our Mom that lead up to our whirlwind "Break" really had been building since last January with a spike in activity in September but things had settled into a new "normal" of late. Mom attended the One of a Kind Craft Show (in a wheel chair with Number One Son "driving") to do her Christmas shopping. (She even got to meet Blogger Brenda while she was there!)  She also attended the Theatre and various holiday events in December with her sister and their friends.

Right up until Christmas Eve she lived, as she wanted, in her own place, supported by a team of family and a dear childhood friend for everything from meal delivery (and lately, even service) to laundry and housework, shopping and transportation around town. As Christmas approached we had someone (Sometimes a succession of "some one's") with her all day until she went to bed for the night.

Christmas even started out pretty well. She happily wore a stylish outfit on her newly slender body. Under the tree there were gifts wrapped from her to everyone in attendance. She had a wonderful family visit after her triumphant arrival here on Christmas Day. After that though it was back to back all-nighters at the hospital following the emergency ambulance run, Mom's peaceful passing, my sister's arrival back in town then the flurry of activity around initiating duties as co-executor of Mom's estate, producing a 175 slide, 20 minute photo presentation of her life (18 hours over two days of scanning - my New Year's Eve and Day), two funeral home visitations, a big church service and reception, cremation and then internment, graveside ceremony and then finally a family dinner at mom's condo.

I know Mom would have been tickled pink at the send off. That feels good to be able to say!

On the home front, My Beloved, using up 2011 holiday days, held down the fort, or at least that's my impression because I rarely even saw him. Darling Daughter acted as my technology liaison working the phones and the Internet retrieving everything from maps and directions to telephone numbers to finding caterers and florists.Number One Son, with a heavy load of end-of-term homework and assignments looks like he's lost about 5 pounds in the absence of the usual meal service around here and the dog has taken to all kinds of terrible behaviour as he yearns for the attention he usually enjoys.

As for me, my head is still spinning!

There was knitting - so useful to wind down before trying to sleep each night. As you 'll soon see, the results are less than inspired!

Now though, I must head out into the sunshine, there's a fluffy white "fellow" here who's badly in need of a full grooming but who is also letting me know, as he always does, that no matter what else is happening, exercise has to happen too!

Thanks so much for all the kind words of encouragement and condolence in the comments. It was wonderfully heartwarming to read them at days' end when I could gather a few moments at my desk!

Thanks too for dropping by today!