September is done. Bring on October

I am so very glad that September has ended. It is the month of contradictions for me. On the good side I left home at 19 years of age, drove across the country in a van with a guy and 2 cats to start my adult life in Calgary in 1975. We arrived during an Indian summer similar to the one we are currently having. We explored the mountains and lived at Restwell Campsite in Canmore like a couple of gypsies. I wish we could have settled in Canmore bought property and we would have been millionaires by now.

I married Sandy on Sept 23,1983 that was a good thing to do at the time. It gave me my 2 girls. I also had a great friend for 9 more years and then 5 years of WTF. In 1989 in Sept I had a mis-carriage in my 2nd trimester. I sank into a terrible depression when I didn't know or recognize what depression was. Every winter after that until I knew what SAD was I suffered. That was one of the contributing factors on my part for the mariage breakdown. That happened in Sept 1994. From 89/94 was a very long 5 years of turbulance.

On the good side again I started my classes at SAIT in 1996 for my library tech training. In 1998 I started my career at Mount Royal College. Every September we watch a newby batch of students arrive and wander around with that dazed but awed look on their faces. 

It is again time to enjoy Sept. This year has been a very blessed year. I had Shauna stay for awhile. I have heard from Laura that she will soon leave work to take it easy before the baby arrives. Glad she has stopped working at the bar and will soon stop at the greasy spoon job. There has also been the most glorious fall weather for everyone to enjoy. 

However I am getting ready for the change in the season. October has always been a good month. There is football, Thanksgiving, Octoberfest and best of all Halloween!

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. Fabulous days!

To start the day there was the most spectacular sunrise to take photos of. I thought when I went out the door at 6:30 that there was a huge fire off to the east. It was pitch black out expect for the orange glow on the horizon. It was so dark because of the billowing cloud cover. Once I realized it was the sunrise I went back in to retrieve my camera and got up the hill to take photos on the dusk/dawn setting. I started to drive to work and had to stop and take more pictures because It was continuing to get more and more beautiful.

Work was actually fun. TGIF! I meet the most beautiful student who we may hire to paint a mural on our entrance window. I had emailed him on a reference from the bookstore. He walked up to the desk and asked where he could find Debbie Henson. Damn near fell off my chair. It was one of those instant attraction moments. He is in his 30's alas just a baby. I told Judy T. that she has to be there for the next meeting when he brings in his portofolio. I couldn't concentrate on much of what he was saying. Danger danger!

Rest of the day was good as I finally finished the inventory on the 40 new laptops, labeling and re-labeling is done! They have been flying off the shelves. Got home and had my 30 minute power nap. Took Shauna to the Fish Creek Folk Club. It was a funny fabulous evening with a group of 3 women, The Refugees. One had played with The Nitty Griitty Dirt Band, another had played with Bob Dylan and toured with Elton John, the other had been in a trio with 2 guys from the Police but not Sting. I loved their harmonies and humour!

On the way home we stopped in and picked up a case of Grasshopper beer because Jocelyn was coming over to visit. She brought Tim with her and we had a great evening until 2:15 a.m. for me they partied until 3:30.

Today I am off to see a speaker talking about food and hunger in the world everyone who has heard her speak raves about her. Name is Dr. Vandana Shiva. Then this evening I am off to a huge Drumming circle at Canada Olympic Park.

Tomorrow I may need to rest up! or I might just head down to the Calgary International Film Festival. I haven't gone for a couple of years and I always feel like I am missing out on something special. Or I might go to Bowness Park with Kootenay for the Responsible Dog Ownership Day.

My 1983 Wedding Day

Today would have been my 28th wedding anniverary. I woke up and thought about that for a milli second. Shauna is going to visit her Dad today which I find kind of ironic. He no doubt doesn't even remember the date. The Historian that doesn't remember dates that always made me laugh. I think it is selective memory. I am off to a busy day at work trying to finish up stuff that I have been to busy to get done and people need done! Tonight is the 1st night of Fish Creek Folk Club concerts series for the year. I will pause briefly at 2:30 on the this day the 23 and recall 1983. Then I'll get into the car and drive home have a nap and head out to enjoy a night of music!
As I wrote this my favorite Dylan song has been on in the Folk Roots station, Forever Young. "May you stay Forever Young. May you grow up to be......"

This has been one very wierd week

This is always a strange week for me. Between the marriage break down and the wedding anniversary. I am often dragged back into the past at the oddest times. For example I have just discovered that I get the music stations now on cable. I love the Galaxy Folk Roots channel. I came into the house and turned it on to hear Roads to Moscow by Al Stewart. A very obscure tune that Sandy loved because of the historic content. I haven't heard that song in decades. It took me right back to the piano bar we all sat in one night in 1978 and when the piano man asked if anyone had a request. A very drunk Sandy yells out "Roads to Moscow it's my favorite song."  "Sorry fella I don't know that one" the piano man answered back. "I'll play Feelings for you instead." We all laughed hysterically. That was before we were even dating. I remember thinking he was a nut case. It has been a great week to have Shauna here. She reminds me that something great did come out of all the pain and suffering I went through to be done with him.

My Sad Day turns into Glad Day Sept 16

Today is the day in 1994 that my ex husband told me "I don't love you any more I'm In love with someone else and I want out." I spent 5 years crying my eyes out on this day. Then I really got on with life wouldn't give it a thought. For some crazy reason I have been bothered by it this year. Maybe because a good friend has just gone through a bad break up. Perhaps that hurt and pain made me remember my own. I am thankful now that it happened. Maybe not for the totally devasting way that it did. However I feel I became who I was meant to be not someone I was trying to be. I will always wonder who my kids would have become if we had remained together. I bet they would not have been half as interesting as they have become!

9/11

I didn't think I would watch the ceremonies of this day but I did. I turned on the TV and CBC news network was there. Obama and Bush plus their wives where shaking hands with people at ground zero. I decided that I was up at 6:30 for a reason. It was worth watching from an historic point of view. The speeches were very well done by the 2 presidents and the NYC mayors as they quoted other people. It was very moving.

When they switched it over to the Pentagon there were the speeches I had expected some one to make. Joe Biden made a powerful and interesting speech. Interesting because he spoke about the 9/11 generation. How they have become the greatest fighting force. He mentioned fighting troops in Afghanistan and made a secondary mention of Iraq. He made it sound like they are the only troops fighting. As we Canucks know we told the Americans that we wouldn't go into Iraq with them. We went to Afghanistan instead. We were called cowards by many Americans but luckily PM Crietien stood firm. We have fought and lost troops while the Americans looked for weapons of mass destruction elsewhere. Did they or did they not find anything. If American troops had been in Afghanistan we would have had their mighty force with us from the beginning. Now that they are there it will be like WWII they will be the only ones to have ever been there. I love the individual Americans I meet when I travel there but I get so angry at the arrogance and the ignorance that is often evident in their leaders.

I am still amazed by those people on the plane that crashed into the field in Shanksville . The bravery of those people has always impressed me. Isn't it sad that they haven't been able to raise all the money that they need to finish that memorial as they wish. If that plane had flown only 2 seconds longer it would have hit a school. They took over the plane with butter knives and pots of boiling water. They passed their cell phones around so everyone could have the chance to phone loved ones.They are all still buried in the ground where the plane crashed including the terrorists.

Then there are the people in Gander, Newfoundland. They took in and comforted all those folks that where diverted when the Americans closed their air space. They had a ceremony in the town's hockey rink. How Canadian eh? The American Ambassador to Canada made a heartfelt speech. A children's choir of grade 2 students sang. The Newfoundland people spoke in their plain language with that charm only they have. The music was beautiful. From a piper playing Amazing Grace to the military band playing the Maple Leaf Forever and A Long Way to Tippararey.

We must remember although it is a small number in comparison to the number of Americans we lost 24 Canadians on 9/11.

On a much happier note the little 3 year old boy that people have been searching for was returned home by his abductor. He is safe and sound in his parents arms.

The Summer that goes on and on

I can not believe that I can sit out in my back yard at 7:30 and enjoy 28 degrees. There is a week of above normal temps coming at us. it is so very nice to have. As I am writing this a flock of 12 geese just flew over head. The leaves on the Mayday tree next door are starting to turn red. They are both reminding me that this to shall pass.

Too bad I am back at work and there is no AC in the building. We may blow out the electrical if everyone turns on the individual fans we have running. Had a meeting yesterday and the heat was on in the room by the break we all had rosey red cheeks. I am doing OK in the heat but I do have a headache by the end of the day. 

Students have arrived for orientation the past 2 days so the halls have been crazy busy. Our nice quite campus has once again erupted into a mass of humanity. Classes start up tomorrow. Professors all showed up today asking a gazzillion questions about copywrite and PPR for videos. One woman asked Pam at Info then Peter and then myself the same question. She had already been in a week ago and I talked to her then. She thinks if she keeps asking we will tell her something different and God help us if they all react this way. She was even asking othe faculty standing at the desk. One told her to ask us the other one told her wrong information. It's going to be a very steep learning curve for them.

i have had a couple of productive weeks and managed to things I wanted to do at the beginning of summer done. I spray painted Lily's bed, bought her a funky new 70's purple bedspread. Got my new washer and dryer delivered. They couldn't set it up for me because the hose attachment had fused itself to the cold water tap. My brilliant girl Laura suggested that I use CLR and it worked. Just like in the late night commerials that she watches. It took me a week to get someone in to help me fix the levels so I could use the machines. Deni and I figured it out and we can not understand why guys like to do that kind of stuff. I did at least 10 loads of laundry. sheets and blankets mostly. 

Labour Day was very quiet in my neighbourhood. Most people went away because the weather was so beautiful. It was nice to have the time and energy to get stuff done. i invited my Mom and Daryl over to watch the Labour Day Classic and to have BBQ dinner. The game was terrible for the Stamps they lost big time. The best part before the game a CF15 jet fighter roared through the stadium. Then he roared directly over my house. I was outside and looked straight up and he was banking a turn and I could see the pilot he was so low. I have never seen one that close. What a thrill!

i am planning my trip to Toronto to see Laura and her new baby in January. I am having a tough time even thinking about how cold it will be then. I want Mom to come with me because those 2 brothers of mine are not making an effort to come out and see her. I hope the trip won't be to difficult for her. I don't understand how she can sit and watch baseball for hours but finds it difficult to sit on a plane for a 4 hour flight. I only want to stay a week in winter. I will try to drive back in the summer for an extended visit. 

This weekend is the Spruce Meadows Masters I will go for one day. Last year was also beautiful weather. I wasn't going to go this year but I know I will miss it if I don't attend. I took some fantastic pictures last year with my then brand new camera. I also want to get to the Glenbow museum to see and exhibit of costumes from movies such Johnny Depps Pirates costume.

It is now 8:30 and I am sitting in deep twilight my favorite time of day. The moon has risen over the top of my lilac hedge and the light in the west is a soft orange pinkish glow with a clear blue sky above. the temperature has now dropped down 10 degrees in an hour. time to head in as my bare feet are telling me that 18 C is not as comfortable as 28 C was!