Getting a curve ball…

Photo by Alexas Fotos on Pexels.com To say that October has not gone according to plan is ... something of an understatement. I reached out to Dr. M at the centre to find out when I was on the radar to be seen as the fall is when we usually check in. The news I … Continue reading Getting a curve ball…

Remembering 9/11, its impact on my mental health journey

Due to the smoke from forest fires the moon was an orange-red on Sept. 10, 2022. (Kevin J Sabo photo) It seems almost fitting that the full moon last night was red. Twenty-one years ago, the United State was hit with an almost unimaginable tragedy. The events of Sept. 11, 2001 are forever etched in … Continue reading Remembering 9/11, its impact on my mental health journey

Over sharpening a blade…

Photo by Los Muertos Crew on Pexels.com My first week officially working full time is drawing to a close. Truth be told, there hasn't been much change from previous weeks aside from the security that it is full time, and in fact my workload has decreased a bit with no longer having as many regional … Continue reading Over sharpening a blade…

Finding routines…

Photo by Polina Zimmerman on Pexels.com I think something that has been helping my mental health so much lately has been a matter of routine. Getting up and going to bed at around the same time every day has really helped with that. Usually, my first alarm goes off at 0640-hrs, with me normally out … Continue reading Finding routines…

Well, October has been a train wreck…but it’s not all bad

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com It has been a minute since I've had the opportunity to write. First off, let me apologize for my absence. It's been over two weeks since my last blog post, and that is not right. That said, life has been busy. Secondly, October 2021 can suck it. It has been … Continue reading Well, October has been a train wreck…but it’s not all bad

Controlling the variables…

Photo by Emiliano Arano on Pexels.com I'm not going to mince words. I've been struggling over the last couple of weeks. This time of year is never good for me. Add in how busy I've been with work and school, and medication tweak, and the deaths of three friends in the community in the last … Continue reading Controlling the variables…

A bitter sweet day…

Photo by Anna Tarazevich on Pexels.com Today was bitter sweet. After nearly a year, I had my final appointment with the therapist from the local mental health unit. She is leaving the service as the end of next week, which has me sad. I had a good therapeutic relationship with her, and I feel that … Continue reading A bitter sweet day…

A reminder that you aren’t alone…

Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com When I can't find something, my brain freaks out. I search all over for the misplaced item. My focus goes out the window, and I struggle. I had just such an occurrence happen yesterday. I couldn't find the clip-on sunglasses for my glasses. I searched my work bag. I … Continue reading A reminder that you aren’t alone…

Crosses…

I live in a rural community. To facilitate travel, the area I live in is criss-crossed with highways. They are just like highways you will find anywhere in the prairies. Long. Straight. Dotted with crosses on the side of the highway, signifying where someone somebody loved came to a tragic ending. This cross is all … Continue reading Crosses…

Trauma…

Trauma affects everyone differently. Some people are able to push through the trauma, leaving them relatively unscathed. Some may crawl into the bottle while others may turn to self-harm. Generally speaking, people affected by trauma can have problems with their self-esteem and their self-identity. They can lose track of who they are. While my mental … Continue reading Trauma…

Complications…

Well, it has been a week. I'm still in Saskatchewan, helping out my mother-in-law as she recovers from surgery, which she had last Tuesday. While the surgery went well, she ended up having some complications in the days after the surgery, necessitating an overnight admission to the local hospital and an urgent trip back down … Continue reading Complications…

Where I’m supposed to be…

When I was a child, I wanted to be a marine biologist. As I got into high school my aspirations shifted, moving towards the Coast Guard or ambulance, of which I was fortunate to be able to get to work on the the latter. During my young adult years, I was all about working as … Continue reading Where I’m supposed to be…

Holding steady…

Photo by Alex Andrews on Pexels.com The weekend hasn't been overly busy, but it has been steady. Saturday, I spent most of the day studying, working on my 20th Century History course. It's been feeling good getting back into the swing of things. I also picked up my new office chair on Saturday, and I … Continue reading Holding steady…

Getting by with a bit of inconvenience…

Today has been another quiet day. I let myself sleep in again, trying to kick the remainder of this bug I've been fighting, and aside from heading out to grab groceries haven't been up to much. I've done a bit of gaming, rendering the world of Farcry 5, and also did some grocery shopping, and … Continue reading Getting by with a bit of inconvenience…

Living up to your dash…

Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán on Pexels.com I was recently watching a motivational video on Youtube, and came across a concept that has kind of stuck with me. The short version is, when we die, as we all inevitably will, what is on our tombstone? Usually your date of birth, a dash, and your date … Continue reading Living up to your dash…

Refocus

Despite the best of intentions, everyone can lose sight of their goals sometimes. Throw in mental health struggles, and the very effort of survival can throw goals a little off course, or right out of sight. Thinking about the last few weeks, I can see that despite the forward progress I've continued to make, that … Continue reading Refocus

Contemplation

Today has been quiet. I was at the church for our annual general meeting this morning, then some research and writing for a bit this afternoon. I was supposed to head to Halkirk to take some photos this afternoon, however since I can barely see across the street, I decided that discretion was the better … Continue reading Contemplation

We lost you a year ago…

I can't believe it's been a year since Lynn's sister passed away. It doesn't seem real. It doesn't seem possible. It seems like just yesterday that she was in our home for the Christmas Holidays, yet I know that that particular memory is over a year old. The last time we saw Brenda was when … Continue reading We lost you a year ago…

Changes and growth

Yesterday, I got the news I was expecting, but still don't like. H confirmed that yesterday was our last appointment "for now." He told me that the guy he was replacing is coming back later this month, although as far as he knows he is actively trying to get a position in Red Deer, and … Continue reading Changes and growth

Self-care

Today was a somewhat busy day. Being Friday, it was my day to cover the store. it wasn't overly busy, but it was steady. It did provide plenty of opportunity to get my next assignment edited and submitted. Five down, three to go. After I finished at the store, Lynn met me for supper, and … Continue reading Self-care

I remember 9/11

It's been eighteen years since the world was changed on that fateful September day. I remember, like a lot of people, exactly where I was when I heard the news that international terrorism had hit the shores of NorthAmerica. I remember turning on the television minutes before the news showed the second plane hitting the … Continue reading I remember 9/11

Shifting winds of life

Today was a quieter day. I covered the store this morning while Lynn had her table set up at our local monthly Farmers Market. The store was dead while I was in there, but apparently it got pretty busy after Lynn took over. After Lynn relieved me at the store, I headed up to the … Continue reading Shifting winds of life

The first step

Today was a nice low-key day. Finished up some work this morning, then went down to our local business centre where they were hosting a fund-raiser barbecue for our local victims services. I met Lynn there, got a few photos, then this afternoon was laid back. I got a workout in. Only 2.25 miles, I … Continue reading The first step

Breaking Away

I'm almost feeling guilty, but I'm breaking away for a few days. I'm heading down to Calgary to re-connect with some friends and get away and clear my mind. The reason I'm almost feeling guilty is because I'm leaving Lynn at home on her own with the dogs, during GISH no less. It's what I … Continue reading Breaking Away

July 1, a retrospective on the first six months of 2019.

At the half way point of the year, I find myself reflecting on the trials our family has faced. Losing Brenda in February, my subsequent hospital admission in March, some changes at the work, and the loss of friends causing me to attend more funerals this than I have been at in the last 10 … Continue reading July 1, a retrospective on the first six months of 2019.