In shock

edi......I share your thoughts about Nelson Mandela. Amazing person, it is/was quite inspiring to watch him live his life after being in prison for so long, without hatred or revenge or negativity. He truly showed what the human spirit can rise above, if determined enough to find a "better path". What an amazing time for liefie to be in South Africa.....I wonder what her experiences will be. We've all had times when we have felt our country "come together" ...... words cannot describe the emotion of it.

Hi

As expected, Morwenna's story at the support group was very moving; it was a good group; next week is our last official session

Edi - glad weather there has improved; wondering how your hip x-ray went, will you have to wait over the weekend before you get your results? Thanks for sharing the great picture of Maria

Nihahi - I also have been wondering what it must be like for Liefie to be in SA at this time, I also have a co-worker who was there, she will be back for work Monday

Morwenna - now I can't get 'six white boomers' out of my head

Caitlin - hope those keys stop being so elusive

I am so happy to finally be in off the roads here, they are skating rinks in many places. I was rear ended when I was driving home from the support group today - the guy was texting - got caught in slow bumper to bumper traffic there and back and then was driving my 18 yo DS around this afternoon. I don't plan to drive anywhere tomorrow!

Dakota - another busy sports weekend?

Take care everyone

Perhaps I should explain a couple of things.

First of all, Websister's Dream Story was uncannily the same as mine! Except I loved your description of the rose petals, W-S. I didn't give them that much thought!

Secondly, the reference to "Six White Boomers". I was traveling on the parking lot shuttle bus yesterday, and I realized that the music playing was Rolf Harris singing that song. It struck me as very funny for some reason, and I've been in a much lighter mood since then!

I do find these low temperatures so incredible that it just reduces me to giggles! ..... so long as I'm not out in the cold for too long. That's not so funny! Edi, Jackpot, can you even imagine being in temperatures like -30 today, -40 with wind chill???!!! I fear it is incipient hysteria!

All my blood tests came back normal today btw, so no known cause for my muscle twitches! (Still ongoing and mostly still in right quads, but occasionally other muscles). Shrug.

INR still low, I have to increase my warfarin to 8mg, which is higher than ever. Stoopid blood!

Anyway, no plans for the weekend, except perhaps to get a Christmas tree and make some almond roca .....

Hi girls,

Just a quick check in. Wedding last Saturday was so amazing - soft, beautiful, romantic, those two kids looked so good, and totally enraptured with each other. . . so good to see. Had a wonderful time with our family. We all stayed at a guest farm outside Stellenbosch close to the reception venue from Friday till Sunday. This week we've been busy driving down the south coast visiting several places with the Canadian friends. They are blown away by the beauty of S.A., the way of life, and how cheap everything is here. Tomorrow we are going to Namibia for the next week. They are flying home from there, we'll be coming back to Cape Town for more family visits and Christmas.

Will open a Facebook page later today, and let you know where you can look at wedding photos. I hope everybody here is doing all right. Did not read any posts - no time. Have good days everyone, and will check in again when I can. Thanks for the e-mail, Nihahi! That eagle story is absolutely beautiful!

Wow, so much to read and take in! Liefie so nice to hear from you and so glad everything went well. Even Vancouver and no doubt Port Alberni are really cold for us and it was -9C when I got up today. Nothing like Alberta but I am glad to be sitting in our warm house looking out at the sunny cold day.

I can relate to those of you with the problematic blood draws. I had my exchange surgery yesterday and the nurse did not even try to get the IV in. Anesthesiologist did it in the OR and used my only little vein where I have managed to get my blood draws. When I woke up the IV was on the inside of my arm and there was another "try" on my hand so he had to redo the IV a couple more times and now I fear that little vein that Lifelabs has been able to use will now be useless too.

As for the surgery, it went well and the nurses were very complimentary on how good my newly constructed breasts look. I was in and out of the hospital in a few hours and slept well last night. I will be taking it very easy and am lucky to have a friend here for the weekend. Lattes now and breakfast soon so all good!

hi all

Edi.....I can remember doing the same thing....hiding in the toilets on the ferry to get the free return trip, I think everybody's probably done that at some point haha....wonder if you could still get away with it now,

did the little ship get washed away completely?

Oh and I've got one chemo left on the 18th dec....really dreading it though I havnt done too well on tax and don't fancy being ill or worse in hospital Xmas week when I've got so much to do ....still at least it's nearly over, what better Xmas present is there than that

Morwenna....glad your blood results were normal, what else can they do find the cause of your muscle twitches?

How do you cope with -40 wind chill? We had -15 a couple of years ago with a bit of snow and the whole city came to a stand still haha

Liefie....glad you enjoyed the wedding, I'm a Postie by day but a part time wedding photographer so always love seeing photos of weddings...

Hope everyone's having a good weekend

Take care

Jackpot

hi ladies !!! Not to crazy a weekend. Just one hockey game tomorrow. Took the kids out with a dear friend last night roller blading. DD and I are getting manicures and pedicures. She is such a great kid I like to treat her !!!

morwenna...omg that is so cool...instant snow....I want it o be -40 lol

We drove to Louisville this AM - and thank heaven above, my keys were here - first place I looked. That's one less source of anxiety!

Edi and Jackpot, I do remember enjoying the trip across the Mersey. That's so funny that you both stowed away when you were younger in order to make the return voyage! Edi, my friend always said he was from Birkenhead, but I think his address was actually Upton. Maybe some day we can all cruise the Mersey together!

Dakota, great that you and your DD are having some girl time this weekend!

Morwenna, Almond Roca sounds yummy! My aunt used to make it at Christmas time. I really don't know how you stand the cold. It was about 9F (about -13C) in Indiana this morning and that's PLENTY cold enough for me!

I'm trying to up my cooking game again, this time with Boeuf Bourguignon. Not sure how it will turn out, but DH seems to appreciate the effort. Edi, this time I'm attempting to implement your tips on the roast potatoes.

Liefie, glad you're having a wonderful time in SA - can't wait to see wedding photos!

Movie, hope you're recovering well.

Everybody else, hope you're having a lovely weekend!

ok, well this is the recipe I was "attempting" to follow. http://www.recipegirl.com/2011/12/12/almond-roca-2/

Trouble is I don't have a sugar thermometer, so was trying to get to "hard crack" temperature by the cold water testing method. Did I mention I've never done anything like this before.....??

The recipe stated boil for exactly 12 minutes, but when I tested it at that point was nowhere near hard crack consistency. Then I was worried about boiling it too long, as it said beyond a certain point it would not set at all! Then it started to separate, and I panicked and decided not to cook it any more!

The chocolate on the top worked quite well (except dh had eaten half a bar!!!)

I put it out in the snow to cool. That worked too.

The end result .. hmmm, well It's sort of fudgy rather than brittle, and a wee bit greasy. I'm not convinced the end result was better than the individual ingredients LOL!

Well it was a nice way to spend an afternoon

I got a phone call yesterday from a guy who said he was James from Microsoft and he was calling about a problem with my computer. I belligerently told him I don't HAVE a computer and asked him who had told him I had a computer??? There was dead silence from his end after that, while I said "Hello? ..... Hello??..... Hello???". Then he hung up on me. I was quite disappointed!

The first Christmas we were here, my fridge was so full of food, so I put some bottles of Coke and fizzy stuff out in the garage. I wondered why they all froze solid, then I realized my garage was colder than my freezer! (By quite a lot!)

Cars are amusing in cold weather...... After you leave your car outside for a while, the tires sort of freeze, so when you drive off it feels like you are driving on square tires, assuming the car starts. On that subject, most cars here have electric "block heaters", that you can plug in at some parking lots (car parks). I've never actually used mine!

I know its really cold when my coat (bought from British Home Stores before I came over because I'd managed to pack my winter coat in our container which was going to take 6 weeks to get here) goes crispy! The other strange thing is your nose hairs freeze, and did you know people from "the Prairies" can tell the temperature by the sound (squeaky) the snow makes underfoot?

Life here is a regular barrel of laughs!

mo.....you know it's really cold in Calgary when......you see people driving down the road trailing the extension cord for the block heater, that they forgot to unplug! I saw 4 of them this morning,driving in Calgary!! We had to jump one persons car after class to get it started. But....supposedly this is coming to an end soon Let's hope so, eh!

We emigrated in 2005. The cold is still a relative novelty!

It doesn't usually stay severely cold for long though. We get Chinooks here in Alberta. (Google it cos I don't have enough battery left on my phone to explain!)

What's worrying you Edi? The fatigue?

Or do you have something else on your mind?

I'm just realizing how insecure I feel: I just saw tickets for sale for Globalfest next August, but realized I cannot yet plan that far ahead!

Edi...perhaps you have overdone? I wish I lived down the street, I would come and collect you and we would walk....and walk....me, with my 1/2" yellow sponge daisies on each new nipple (I must admit, they looks rather smashing...although they DO stick out a ways......make my breasts look like they have a frostinged flower perched right on top!). I NEED to walk, and am calling PS tomorrow first thing to see if I can start back at gym on the treadmill....and you need cheering up........(((hugs)))

Nihahi, Mowenna, and you Calgary-area ladies....stay warm, and quit sending your Arctic weather our way.....temp this morning was 9 */ windchill factor 5* below 0........ It's making my fake nipples pucker it's so darn cold!!!!!!

Dakota....daughter is so pretty...just like her mom! Hope you have enjoyed your "quiet " weekend.....

Caitlyn....GLAD your keys were found, safe and sound......

Liefie.....nice to hear from you....looking forward to photos and more!

To all......((hugs)), and stay warm, AND dry.......

XO

Edi, I can't tell you not to worry, but I think movie is very likely correct, and you have over-exerted yourself.

I had a really busy day today with dh, running some errand for his work, then shopping for a Christmas tree, then groceries, then shovelling snow and lighting up the outside tree, then erecting the tree indoors complete with water supply, cutting off the lowest branches, then dressing said tree, and the mantlepiece and staircase, then cooking supper.

I just sat down to eat supper and I ache completely from below my shoulder blades down to my low back!!! Quelle surprise!!!

It is hard to stay positive if you are feeling tired, unwell or in pain! I think what you and I have to do (along with countless others), is take one day at a time, and set mini-goals, short term and medium term plans, then when we start to feel we can confidently plan months, or a year ahead, or more, ..... This will be a measure of our true recovery from what we have endured, both physically and emotionally.

For now, I guess we do what we can, and try to resist beating ourselves up for not feeling better than we can manage at any given time or on any given day.

Chin up, chicken! xxx