We had some snow.  Yesterday's walk with Charlie.  About three weeks ago there was a scarf hanging on that fence to the left, no idea where it came from.  Nobody claimed it, even though lots of people could see it as they were out walking.  Then about a week ago, the scarf moved to a bush on the right.  Still nothing.  A couple of days ago, I figured it was long enough and took the scarf home.  I was going to wash it and donate it.  I washed and dried that scarf and then I looked at the label.  It's made of cashmere.  Jack now has a cashmere scarf.

There is nothing going on here.  I spent most of the week working on a quilt for Jack, listening to the radio.  

I did finally here from the lawyer centre and because it is me asking for the advice and not Katie, it will be more costly.  I thanked the lady and told her that I did not want to take up services for low income people and could contact a lawyer myself.  I called an estate lawyer yesterday and did not hear back.  I'll try again on Monday.

I was reading about this Canada Disability Benefit and apparently the federal government is to blame as well for the poor roll out.  Whoever is ultimately repsonsible for this fuckery, a pox upon them!

 

It was cold this morning, and it still is.  I took Charlie for a walk but didn't go far as my face was too cold.  I did take a few photos in the back yard though.  For some reason my raspberries produced fruit twice this summer, once late in the fall which I didn't even notice until is was too late to pick them.

I tried Boud's oatmeal bars and can confirm that they are easy to make and delicious.  Next time I may put a tablespoon of cocoa powder in instead of the cinnamon, or maybe both.

 I meant to work on Jack's quilt today but I also had some navy beans soaking, so I made baked beans and the oatmeal bars.  That seemed to take up some time.  And then I was also reading blogs and doing laundry.  Now it's after lunch and it's early dismissal today for Jack, so I'll pick him up at school and we'll take Heidi to the dog park for a walk.

As I sit at my desk typing, I can see a squirrel foraging in the back yard.  I just took off with a fallen pear in it's mouth (the pears are quite small, ornamental).

Otherwise, nothing is going on in my life.  I miss Jack's skills group and I miss my pottery group.  I am in the middle of trying to figure out how to apply for trusteeship for Miss Katie because an informal trustee is not good enough for someone and her Canada Disability Benefit has been denied.  I also found out that as of July next year, she will be put on ADAP which "...will empower Albertans with disabilities to pursue fullfilling job opportunities...".  If anybody is medically unable to work, they will be moved back to AISH.  As per usual, the government of Alberta does everything ass backwards.  I'd love to see Katie working for Danielle Smith.  Katie is great at shaking hands and pulling hair.  If the job was too stressful, she could bang her face on the wall or floor like she does at home when stressed.  

I wrote a letter to the Minister of whatever fucking department takes care of AISH and a manager called me a couple of hours later, saying she had been instructed to call me.  She was very nice but could not answer my questions about trusteeship, not could the Office of the Public Guardian.  Everyone says call a lawyer.  My daughter lives below the poverty level, but she should pay for a lawyer that this fucking government department should be able to answer?

This seems exceedingly complicated and expensive for disabled people to sort out, but of course nobody asked me.  Maybe that's why I'm a little grumpy today.  I am waiting for a call back from the Edmonton Community Legal Centre which provides free legal advice for low income people, so far, 48 hours and nothing.  

Two more mugs that I made.  Pine cones with pine needles, and oak leaves.  I love both of these mugs.

Jack has been having a hard time sleeping for the past few weeks and when I though about it, I realized he's had a hard time sleeping since he stayed overnight for Halloween with his grandma and his mom.  Last week he finally told us why, he told us about a movie his mom was watching which involved robbery, killing, and dismemberment.  Why on earth would this bother a child?

His mom denies watching such a movie with him in the room, but Jack's behavior says otherwise.  In the mean time, we're now taking turns with him in our beds and nobody is really sleeping that well.  He prefers poppa's bed because poppa is big and he knows poppa can protect him.  I assured him that I could also protect him, with farts, and then I let out a fart.  He thought that was pretty funny.

I'm trying to sort out Katie's Canada Disability Benefit that the provincial government insists that all people in the province of Alberta who are on AISH apply for, so that the provincial government can then call that earnings and claw it back.  It's $200/month which turns into about $150 million for the provincial government.  Did I mention that our provincial government is despicable?

So I had to apply for Canada Disability Credit and the Canada Disability Benefit and now I have to apply to be her trustee as well, so that I can deal with these because nobody can talk to me on the phone about her applications because I'm not her trustee (or at least that's their best guess because they can't access her file, because I'm not her trustee, maybe).  We didn't apply to be trustees fifteen years ago because nobody told us to.  There are 10 forms for all of us to fill in, which amounts to 66 pages of forms, plus her doctor has to fill in another Capacity Assessment Report.  Of course, all of these forms cost money as well.  We're able to pay but not everyone is.

I'm rage cleaning, but not really.  More irritation cleaning.  I seldom get into a rage these days which is lovely.  And I'll walk the dogs after lunch and that will help as well.

Two of the mugs that I made this last session.  I used plants, pressed into the clay, to make the imprints.  The ferns are from my garden and the wild grass is from my walks with the dogs.  The glaze is faux celadon.

Sabine asked me to list my coping strategies to deal with ADHD that I've learned the hard way.

When I was young, I was always late for everything.  I would leave home at the time I was supposed to be someplace.  Over the years I've learned to think backwards to get to places on time, which usually works, but not 100% of the time.  If I have an appointment for 10 am, I know I need to shower and get dressed (20-30 min), drive there (the other end of Sherwood Park is 10-15 min, Edmonton is usually 30 min to downtown).  If I need to pick up Katie for a doctor appointment, her house is 15 minutes away, takes 10 minutes to get her in the car, and to get to her doctor is 30 minutes.  Google maps has really helped with this because it can tell you how long the drive is.  I then just back up the time, so I know when I have to shower and leave the house.  I usually build in extra time for things I didn't expect, like long lights.  I'm also teaching Jack this.  It probably sounds pretty basic but when I was young, it was not basic for me.  It took a long time to learn.

Small talk is difficult for me.  I much prefer in depth, personal conversations, which a lot of people really don't feel comfortable with.  Nursing helped me there.  I learned to make small talk with people while I was caring for them.  Working in diagnostic imaging also helped because we had the same people over and over again.  I often remembered my patients, at the beginning anyway, and they appreciated that I remembered them.  I ask questions.  People usually like to talk about themselves and I let them.  I also listen and I try not to interrupt.  I also make my responses personal as well, so that there is a connection.  Having a good memory helped, although that ship has sailed:)

Understanding that I need quiet time was big for me.  I had three kids, one disabled/autistic, two with ADHD, and an alcoholic ex husband.  Our house was chaotic but I tried so hard to make it a stable, peaceful place.  I don't know that I was that successful but I tried so fucking hard.  Katie especially needed a quiet place, a predictable place, which helped me.  It was hard for me to slow down and accept peace, but I think she made me and that helped me more than I realized.  

I make lists about everything.  What I need to do, where I need to go, groceries lists, and I have a calendar with everything on it.  I also use tricks to remind me.  If I am doing laundry, but need to get something from upstairs, I leave the basket in the hallway so I will see it and it will remind me when I come back downstairs that I am doing laundry.  If I'm warming up clothes in the dryer to fold them, I will leave the light on in the laundry room to remind me so that the clothes don't warm up for another 20 minutes when they only need a few minutes to get the wrinkles out.  If I need to clean the bathtub, I'll sprinkle the cleaner in the bathtub and then I can't even use the bathtub until I clean it.  My keys always go in my purse, I use muscle memory a lot.  It helps if I leave things in the same place all the time too.  When I go to a mall or a store, I try to always park in the same place, to help me find the car again.  Routines help me a lot.  I also use timers now so I don't get lost doing something and all of a sudden 30 or 60 minutes have passed without me realizing it.

I also have a hard time with overstimulation.  Busy, noisy places drain me and I avoid them now.  I seek out quiet spaces like the dog park and the woods.  That helps calm me.  

Exercise has also always helped me.  I lifted weights and did cardio in the gym for years and then in my late thirties I discovered race walking.  The exercise was wonderful, but so were the people.  I understand now how much walking helps calm my mind and my body, especially when I'm upset or angry.

Learning more about ADHD has really helped too.  Understanding how my brain is wired, why I do the things I do, has made me feel less crazy and too much, and more accepting of myself.  I'm not doing this on purpose.  My ex always told me I was too much, so did my family.  Too loud.  Too dramatic.  Too emotional, just too fucking much.  I was a disappointment to my ex husband, to my children, to my coworkers, to my friends and to my parents and siblings.  That weighs pretty heavy on a person and no wonder I ended up depressed.

Now I understand a lot better why I am the way I am.  I'm not a bad person, not a crazy person, and not too much.  I am just me.  Someone who loves hard, who feels deeply, who talks too much about personal stuff, who has a hard time sitting still, who loves learning new skills and then wants to move on to learn another new skill, who loves both stimulation and peace and quiet, and someone who is finally starting to love herself (warts and all).

Yesterday the government of Alberta once again used the Nothwithstanding Clause to strip trans children of their rights to medical care.  Trans children will not be allowed to seek medical help in postponing puberty to allow them time to explore their gender identity without irreversible physical changes occuring, or to use gender affirming hormone therapy to induce physical changes that align with a person's gender identity.  Children under 18 have never been able to have any kinds of surgery related to their gender, they have to be adults to make that decision.  However, parents, children and doctors could use hormone therapy to help the kids get through puberty.  That option has been removed by the provincial government, a government that is run by closed minded bigots who believe everyone must think as them.

There are now 9 recall petitions circulating for Alberta MLAs, and they're mad about it, so is the Premier.  She says that Albertans aren't using the recall legislation properly, the legislation that she pushed through.  Oh the irony.

We had our last Skills Group yesterday.  It was a day to go over what we had learned, what had worked, or not worked, and a chance to say goodbye.  It's hard to believe it's been ten weeks already.  We also found out yesterday that the docs are going to make a referral for Jack to go to a trauma treatment group.  Children who have experienced trauma in their lives have a hard time with attachment.  I'm thankful that we'll be able to access this resource and of course there is a part of me that is angry that Jack had to go through any of this.  Can't change the past though, just do better going forward.

Pottery is done for this year.  Yesterday I glazed my last pieces and when they come out of the kiln there will be photos.  I'm curious to see how they turned out because I got a lot more adventurous with glaze this fall, I've been watching videos:)  The ladies and I will continue to meet up as a book club though which I'm very happy about.  I wanted a group of friends my age(ish) when I retired and I found one.  And they're all interested in reading and pottery, does it get better?

We've had snow twice, just a tiny bit.  It's supposed to be above 0C tomorrow, so hopefully the ice and snow will melt again.  I have to walk Jack to the bus stop in the mornings and he slipped a couple of times on the ice.  I'll have to check his boots when he comes home, to see if he needs new ones with better grips.  I managed to stay upright.  Yay.

I'm also working on Jack's quilt and it's coming along nicely.  I'm almost done making the squares and then it just needs to be sewn together and taken to the quilting lady who quilts it for me.  She has a long arm quilting machine.

And now for some funny.

 People with ADHD don't just get tired.

We get overloaded, by noise, by decisions, by everyone needing something from us, at the same time.

We don't choose the shutdown stage.  It's our brain choosing survival, because when you've masked all day, smiled while panicking, and tried to be on for everyone, your nervous system taps out.

This stage isn't laziness, it's not flakiness.  It's a self protective freeze.  A biological response to chronic overstimulation.  ADHD brains crave rest, but rarely feel safe enough to get it.

We call it burnout but it's deeper than that.  It's grief, guilt, and exhaustion all rolled into silence.  And  most of us try to hide it because we think we're the problem.

We're not broken, or too much.  We're just trying to exist in a world that keeps asking for more without ever learning how our brains work.

ADHD isn't a failure to pay attention; it's paying attention to the things others don't notice.

Five gifts of ADHD-from Lara Honos-Webb

Creativity

Attunement to nature

Interpersonal intuition

Energetic Enthusiasm

Emotional Sensitivty

 More things associated with ADHD 

Knocking things over, bumping into walls, and missing my mouth when I eat or drink.

Checking the time and immediately forgetting what time it is.

Feeling energized by big creative projects, but totally overwhelmed by basic household tasks.

Having brilliant ideas with zero executive function to follow through.  

Complaining about how tired I am and then procrastinating sleep because it feels boring.

Oversharing something personal or blurting out something sarcastic and then spiralling about it for days.

ADHD is correlated with "Justice Sensitivity."  We have a hard time "getting over" something being unjust.  We fight for the underdog.

We feel things strongly.  We have a hard time with emotional regulation.  We also absorb information like a fire hose.  News. Data.  I makes life hard.

Fixating one one meal for weeks.  Same food.  Every day.  Then suddenly you don't want it anymore.

You can do hard things but you can't return a package.  You've launched businesses or birthed humans but opening the mail feels impossible.  It's not laziness, it's mental load triage.

Needing background noise to focus but also getting distracted by it.  Too much silence, can't think.  Too much sound, can't focus.  It's a tightrope.

Replaying the same song or movie, over and over.  It calms your system.  It keeps things predictable.

The one thing that needs to be done and you've been avoiding it for weeks, even though it's important, you just can't deal with it.  Welcome to decision fatigue, or as I now think of it, I just don't have the band width right now to deal with it.

ADHD is tidal.

Noradrenaline and dopamine are dysregulated.  When these levels are low, the tide is out, and your attention is low.

When these levels are high, the tide comes rushing in, your attention level and energy levels rise dramatically.

 Girls who grew up with undiagnosed ADHD often become women who:

Live in constant fear of disappointing people and get anxious when someone's upset with them.

Are so used to feeling like they're the problem that they assume everything is their fault, never trusting themselves enough to consider that someone else might be.

Over-explain, over-apologize, and overcompensate because they've spent a lifetime feeling like too much and not enough all at once.

Build successful careers but secretly feel like they're failing and worry they'll be found out.

Lose their footing the moment structure disappears, like during maternity leave or while staying home with kids.

Stuggle even more when their hormones shift during perimenopause, and spend years trying to treat the wrong thing (anxiety, depression) before finalley discovering it was ADHD all along.

ADHD Gwen

And also this.

Can we talk about how people get overstimulated, and it's mistaken for anger?  No, they're not angry-the TV is way too loud, the dryer's running, someone's mowing the lawn, the phone won't stop dinging, their shirt feels too tight, their hair isn't sitting right, and there are crumbs on the floor that they can feel under their feet.  They're not mad, they're just overstimulated and just need a minute to pull themselves together.  Dr. Fatima Fizwan

This week I'm going to post some things I've learned about ADHD in the last year.  It's helped me a lot.  I feel less broken and more seen.

From BusinessLogics

ADHD isn't about "being distracted".  It's a complex brain wiring full of strengths most people overlook.  Here are 11 truths about ADHD that change everything...

1.  Attention isn't absent, it's unmanaged.  ADHD can dive into hours of hyperfocus when something excites them.  But daily tasks?  They slip from awareness.  It's not a lack of focus, it's a lack of focus control.

2.  ADHD doesn't end with childhood.  It's not a "kids-only condition.  For millions, it continues into adulthood but shows differently.  Hyperactivity shifts into restlessness.  Impulsivity becomes overwhelm.  

3.  Novelty fuels the ADHD mind.  Routine feels like slow torture.  But in a fast, creative, high-stimulation environments?  People with ADHD thrive.  They shine in careers where urgency, feedback and creativity collide.

4.  Emotional pain cuts deeper.  Rejection sensitivity is very real.  Criticism, being ignored, or failing can feel like physical pain.  It's not "overreacting".  Brain scans show higher activity in regions tired to social pain.

5.  Wired for risk and reward.  ADHD minds lean toward risk-taking, vision, and bold decisions.  That's why many entrepreneurs and innovators have ADHD.  They struggle in rigid systems but excel at building their own.

6.  The executive function bottleneck.  Planning, priorititzing, and starting tasks often feel like climbing everest.  It's not laziness.  It's a brainwired to struggle with self-regulation without the right support.

7.  Movement sharpens focus.  Fidgeting, pacing, bouncing a leg-these aren't distractions.  They're the brain's way of self-regulating.  Exercise, especially cardio, floods the brain with dopamine and norephinephrine boosting focus and mood.

8.  Structure creates freedom.  Timers, lists, visual reminders help, external structures reduces overwhelm and makes room for creativity.

9.  Sleep struggles are real.  Up to 75% of people with ADHD have delayed sleep patterns.  Their circadian rhythms run late, so "just go to bed earlier" doesn't work.  Light therapy and consisten sleep habits are game changers.

10.  Dopamine drives everything.  ADHD brains regulate dopamine differently.  That why novelty, urgency, and rewards are so powerful-they spike dopamine.  This reframes ADHD as a motivation disorder, not a discipline disorder.

11.  Strengths hidden in plain sight.  Creativity, resilience, empthay, and energy.  ADHD is a different operating system.  It powers some of the world's most innovative thinkers.

And these because they're funny and true.

Jack has been at a coding class all week during the fall break, so I thought we could take Heidi for a walk at the dog park when I picked him up yesterday.  He was happy to get outside and walk.  We all needed the exercise and Heidi was especially happy to wander off leash.

There was a fine dusting of snow last night so I'll wait a little while to walk the dogs this morning, and I will wear my ice cleats (even though I hate them).  They feel weird on my feet and make a horrible noise on cement.  I am tired of slipping and falling though.

I just finished sending off a blistering comment to our contemptible premier with regards to her last three years in office, all of her broken promises, and all of the money she has wasted in this province.  Somewhat satisfying.  Right now there are only two MLAs with active recall petitions being signed, with more in the pipeline.  More satisfying.  I'm also gathering signatures for a petition to stop public tax dollars from going to private schools.  

As the weather is now upleasant, I've decided to restart work on the quilts that are works in progress.  I started on Jack's yesterday.  It won't take long and when I have it together, I will take a photo of it.  Not sure if he'll like it but the fabric has been bought already, and it is Superman.  

Skills building group on Wednesday was excellent again.  I didn't cry this time which was nice.  We talked about a variety of topics, but mostly problem solving and active listening.  They're good skills to have now and to have going forward as Jack gets older and the problems get more complicated.  I always have a hard time knowing if Jack's behaviors are normal or from his trauma, so asked the pediatric psychiatrists.  They all declared the behaviors were normal in children.  Thank you.

I'm also working really hard on staying calm at suppertime and bathtime, or the witching hour/hours.  Everybody is tired and hungry.  But I'm working on it.  Jack was kind enough to offer me a way to keep calm the other night, which didn't irritate me at all (it did irritate me but I kept my mouth shut).  I guess on the pro side, he's learning new ways of dealing with his anger and the anger of others.  They also spend a lot of time working on how to deal with bullying from other the kids (in my life it was a huge problem).  

All of the kids are in the group are old enough to realize they are different and I think that carries some shame for them sadly.  I always point out to Jack that I have the same thoughts and behaviors as he does, that it's okay, he's not the only one.  He's been worried about bad thoughts lately.  When I asked him what kinds of bad thoughts, he told me he thinks about swear words a lot.  I told him, me too:)  I also told him that if he needs to get them out, he can tell me the swear words while we're in the car, and it will be private (a way to safely vent).

I'm off to quilt.

 An old building left behind in Bankhead in 1922, the lamp building.

The winner of this weeks how many times will I fall, goes to Sabine.  She said things come in threes and she was right.  I slipped and fell again this morning on the tiniest patch of snow where Charlie pooped.  I hurt my left wrist and hip, just to mix it up a little, nothing broken though.

I am getting nervous about walking though.  I went home and licked my wounds, did some cooking and laundry and then tried again with a different dog.  No falling but I worry about falling now.

Nothing much going on right now.  Jack is in code ninja camp again for the week while school has fall break.  I'm crocheting an afghan for my husband's aunt in the evenings, no pattern so it's easy to do and keeps my hands busy.  The last two days of pottery are next week, only glazing to be done.  I was sad that I wouldn't be seeing much of them, so asked if anybody was interested in a book club.  They were all interested, so we'll also be having a book club.  The first book chosen is "The Briar Club" by Kate Quinn, and how did I not know that this was the same author that wrote "The Alice Network",  "The Rose Code" and "The Huntress"?  Should be a good read.

 It's snowing here, although it's supposed to be above freezing next week.  I took Charlie out for a walk yesterday and slipped on some ice, unseen under the fresh snow.  I landed on my ass and my right elbow, nothing broken thankfully, but everything on my right side is sore today.  As mum would say, fool them and live.  Two falls in one week, it's like I'm going for some kind of record.

Jack is getting his covid and flu vaccinations this morning.  He's not a fan of needles but I'll use some EMLA cream to make it easier for him.  I forsee a weekend of watching movies for us.

Thanks to Debbie, I found these memes which bring me so much joy.  Have a safe weekend.

Two Jack Lake, named after two Jacks. 

 Morning walk with Charlie yesterday.  

We took Jack to his skills building group yesterday and it was good, until it wasn't.  We were talking about a tool called ALSUP  which can be used to identify lagging skills.  For some reason I don't like this tool, it feels to clinical and judgemental.  It's not really, but that is how I felt.

Then one of the leaders of the group put something up on the board about ADHD and how it can affect the lives of people.  There was a list of four things.

1. School

2. Social

3. Safety

4. Self esteem

We talked briefly about these things, how much school can be affected, how people with ADHD can make impulsive decisions that affect their safety, how their social skills lag significantly and cause problems, and finally what all of this does to their self esteem.

This all touched a nerve with me and then the lady beside me started talking about her eight year old daughter, and how her daughter struggles, and it was like she was talking about me when I was eight years old.  It was all too much for me and I started crying and couldn't stop, I had to leave.  I cried a lot on the drive home, pulled it together for the evening, but when I went to bed I sobbed again.  Charlie looked quite concerned with me but I needed to let it out.

So I thought a lot about this.  School wasn't a huge problem for me, I was smart, with an excellent memory.  I had a hard time paying attention in school because it was kind of boring and I liked to daydream, but I made honours.  I could have learned a lot more, could have put in more effort, but I didn't.

My social skills were awful, which I understand now, but of course as a child I didn't know.  I learned over the years to improve my social skills and nursing helped a lot as well.  I learned how to talk to people and I learned how to listen to people.  I paid attention to what worked and what didn't and it hurt a lot because I often got it wrong, but I kept trying.  I'd say my social skills are adequate now but I still don't understand things like small talk, but I can do it.  I'm sure most people find me a little/lot outspoken about things that I believe are important.  I still interupt people at times but I try so hard not to.  I still lose my train of thought and kind of ping pong around in conversations, which I'm sure irritates people.  I'm still easily distracted and I still overshare and I as I write all of this down I wonder if my social skills are adequate:)

What really touched a nerve with me was safety.  People with ADHD can be very impulsive, putting them in unsafe situations.  The leader touched on a few things like unsafe sex and unplanned pregnancies which describe me.  I had sex with people who were not safe, I had unprotected sex, and I had way too many partners (too much information but I really don't care).  I got pregnant with my son when I was only twenty, way too young to bring a child into this world, especially with my son's biological father (an alcoholic sociopath).  

I haven't done as many unsafe things as some people with ADHD.  I didn't experiment with drugs, although I did try hash once and couldn't sleep for two days.  I did try weed, did not like that either, thankfully.  There was no MDMA or ketamine or crystal meth when I was a teen.  I drank way too much when I was young which was related to the sex I had.  I put myself at risk and I just realized that yesterday.  I am thankful I wasn't sexually assaulted or in an accident because of alcohol use.

Needless to say, my self esteem has taken a beating over the years.  I thought I was a social misfit (I was), I thought I was unloveable (I'm not), I thought I was selfish (sometimes, but mostly I was just trying to keep my head above water, and I was overstimulated a lot of the time).  Basically I just felt like a fuckup which probably had a lot to do with my depression (that and the overthinking).

Anyway, all of this hit me yesterday in the middle of our class and it was too much.  The grief hit me like a ton of bricks.  I imagined how different my life might have been if I had had early intervention like this when I was a kid, or if my children had had this kind of intervention, how much better all of our lives might have been.  I am so thankful I can do this for my grandson but I still feel so much grief and sadness for myself and for my children, two generations of hurt people who didn't ask for any of this and didn't know there were options.

So that's my life today.  I'm sad but acknowledging that I'm grieving helps me.

We made it to Canmore and back.  The wedding was lovely, except for the actual ceremony which took place in the pouring rain.  It was 5C and there was also a strong wind which made it feel even colder, but we all survived, although there was a fair bit of grumbling.  The rest of the wedding celebrations took place indoors in a lovely venue with the mountains all around.  My nephew was the officiant and he did a wonderful job, even as his script was dissolving in the rain:)  My niece was beautiful, her groom was handsome, and the whole thing was so nice.

I caught up with family as we all stayed at the same hotel.  There was a lot of talking and hugging, and catching up.  I hadn't seen most of my sister in law's family in twenty years and I was shocked at how much older everyone looked, unlike me, whom I have watched age in the mirror everyday for the past twenty years.  My sister in law and I even had time for a nice long walk, which we both love.

There was Proseco and speeches that made me cry (probably helped along by the Proseco).  My niece and her new husband were both good sports about the weather, and the speeches made by friends and parents.    

The day of the the wedding my husband and I drove up to Lake Minnewanka to visit Bankhead, TwoJack Lake, and Johnson Lake.  All was going well.  We went for a nice walk at Bankhead (an old coal mining town which was disassembled and moved in 1922 when the mine was shut down).  It was raining lightly, so not too bad.  We ran into two bachelor elk, enjoying the peace and quiet, and we promptly left them to enjoy the peace and quiet.  

We carried on to Johnson Lake which neither of us had seen before.  There is a sweet little bridge and a creek there.  I was busy taking photos, moving down the creek, while my husband was on the phone, trying to sort out a problem with the MRI scanner long distance.

I was doing fine, watching my footing, not doing anything stupid when I hit a patch of mud that was as slippery as ice.  The worst part is the my right knee was forced into hyperextension, not something my knee can do anymore, thanks to arthritis.  I screamed, because it hurt, a lot.  My husband heard me, hung up the phone and came running (he thought I was being attacked by a wild animal), at which point he also discovered the mud was as slippery as ice.  He fell flat on his back.  He got right back up, found me, and helped me up.  Both of us were covered in mud, shaken up, and sore.  He has bad arthritis in his one hip and an old back injury, plus we're not young anymore.  

We drove into Banff, a couple of minutes away and found a pharmacy.  I went in to buy some muscle relaxants and ibuprofen.  When I came out of the pharmacy I saw a woman who looked really rough, and then I realized it was a mirror:)  My hair was flattened and soaking wet, and I was covered in mud, quite the sight.

We went back to the hotel, rested, took pills, and were fine to go to the wedding thankfully.

My husband was still sore yesterday as we drove back home but feels much better today.  I'm doing fine with no ill effects thank goodness.  

The photo below was the scene of the mud crime, nothing dangerous, just unexpected.

We'll definitely be going back to Canmore.  We've never visited there, just stopped there for gas and lunch on the way through.  It's a lovely town, with new moutains and trails to explore, that we've never seen before.  Plus they had the most amazing quilt shop that I've ever seen.  Maybe we'll go back in the spring and take Jack.