Fall Camp - Karaoke Style

We were still at fall camp and lots of laughs and lots of memories. 

I had changed locations. This house belongs to the sister was next oldest to me. Her house was all on one level, so, it was easier to get around.  Due to the MSA, it is much more difficult to get around in someone else’s home than at my own. Our home has been adapted to make it easier for me. My family made a greatly appreciated effort to try to make it comfortable for me.

During our stay, we had lots of visitors from morning until night. It was a lot of fun.

One of the visitors was cute and adorable and I wanted to take him home with me. I even had his name picked out. Every time I held him, I called him Juneau. He was Alaskan Husky, after all. But, I knew that he would be too big for a condo. So, while I was there, I pretended that he was my dog.

One night, all the girls plus one got together for a karaoke night at this sister’s house. We had a blast! My nephew took a turn at the microphone. He said, “I’m gonna warn you first, this song is really, really loud” and then he broke out into Who Let the Dogs Out. We all laughed. We had some more good laughs when two of my sisters sung “You’re not woman enough to take my man” to each other.  They really put on a show.

We shared lots of good times and memories at this sister’s house and one of the things that stayed with me was from quote I saw in her house, “Families are tied together with heartstrings,” and ours truly is.

Fall Camp - Lighthouse Girls Visit

      

     
While at fall camp two of my dearest childhood friends came for a visit. I know they were so shocked to see the damage MSA has done so far, I know there is still so much to come. While growing up I was always the strong and tough one.  

      

 We spent so much time together when young.  We played,explores and laughed through childhood as we grew up together. Their late father was Low Point Lighthouse Keeper and their mom is an amazing dedicated wife and mother of four and most times me.  Their mom fixed many injuries, egos, and a great cook.. Their place was my home away from home. They took me on many family drives, circus events and so much more.

       Their dad took us up in this Lighthouse quite often, I remember nervously   climbing the three flights of stairs, passing the floating light on our way to the catwalk; we felt on top of the world here. This light floated in mercury, which would be changed once a month. This was before we knew how bad it is for our health, we often played with mercury and when they came to change this they would dump it in the ground I have often wondered if this was linked to the MSA?

  

        Our favorite memory is when their dad would mow the lawn and we would run around in our bare feet. Our feet would be all green and we went to beach to clean them. We had lots of laughs remembering the good ole days!

Fall Camp Out On The Mira

       

     It is funny how when our prayers are answered, in a way different than we ask, that we sometimes do not recognize them as being answered. Sometimes we just have to look and listen. This is what happened during fall camp. During the summer, Hunny and I tried our best to arrange a cottage weekend, but everything was booked. During fall camp, my sister’s neighbor came for a visit and while there she offered us her cottage.

      

    When we went to the cottage, she greeted us at the door and to our surprise we realized that the “cottage” was a house on a river. What a view to enjoy my morning coffee by… the fall leaves were in beautiful colour all around and the loons were on the river. I took a picture to send to Hunny to show him what he was missing.

     I was treated like a princess during the entire three days we were there. I was even an honorary member of the Red Hat Society for a day. While I do not recommend silk pajamas worn on silken sheets, we all had a good laugh at me sliding around the bed in the ones provided by our hostess.  Once they got me settled in bed, they barricaded me there with a chair, for my safety…they said.

       

      We enjoyed sitting by the fire on the deck (our hostess had a special stove for this purpose), watching the gorgeous sunset and just being in nature. Because of MSA I could not walk to appreciate the surrounding nature, but at this cottage nature surrounded me.

                        

Week One of Fall Camp

     We woke up in our place of birth and awaited the arrival of various family members to drop by our sisters for morning coffee, setting the tone for the day.

     

     We waited for our baby sister and her kids. They were coming to have breakfast with us. I love kids; they do not realize just how funny they really are. The youngest, who is only three, has this saying when he doesn’t like something, “that’s poithin  (poison)”. That is how I feel about MSA!

      We had a birthday party for my niece’s husband. It was his first birthday party, and what an introduction, most of my 13 siblings, their spouses and children were there. We had lots of stories and laughs.

       Another evening our niece and nephew planned and arranged a hors d’oeuvres night. Again most of my family and friends were there, appetites were sated and fun was had by all. As usual the round of stories began. My stomach was sore from laughing so much!

                                

It felt good to be surrounded by so much life! 

  

Fall Camp Begins

     Today we starting “Fall Camp”, we will be gone for three whole weeks.  With husband in the military this is something you get use to quickly is them leaving, but it will be  a big difference this time because I am the one leaving  my family and with MSA three weeks can be along time.

     When Hunny made our reservations he knew how important it would be for me to have extra seating as well as well as legroom.  We were lucky because   Hunny booked us first class and a direct flight. We had to fly west to Toronto, but this is the only way to get directly to Sydney. They sure do not want to take any chances with Security, so they really gave me the once over. My daughter made me a bag to put my catheter in; it looked like I just had a bag on my lap. So of course Security asked what was in there and it they had to scan it again, I took this as a compliment. They took me to the airplane in an aisle seat. The chair they used to transport handicap patrons.   I was terrified.   I felt like I was on a child’s chair that was going to break at any moment and I was strapped in it.

    Our nephew picked us up at the airport this made it so much easier on me. t was also late so this gave us time to adjust.  I would rather they come see me, than arriving to a bunch of people. Everyone respected my wishes no  questions  asked.

     
        When we got to my sister’s I knew it would be hard to see her and her to see me get out of the car and in the house. It was only a month I saw but we all know that in the MSA world a lot can happen in a month. Once in mostly everything is on one floor. There is one step between the bathroom and the bedroom, but I guess my brother made a ramp to take care of this concern for me, another sister had gotten a walker for me, the sister I was staying with asked her friend to ask him to make me a bed buddy.   No, this is not a man, this is an apparatus that helps me in and out of bed All this attention for one person, me!!!     

     Everyone had a magical part in this wonderful visit which I will share over the next few weeks.

Now was time to get a few hours shut eye before  the fun  begins!!