A long time has passed since I've sat down long enough to bring this blog up-to-date. Life's creative journey continues to be intense, passionate and hopeful despite the obstacles placed in my path and those who are close to me.

Stephen and I are shop stewards. December was a tension-filled, emotional month with lay-offs, snarky comments by co-workers Stephen and I least expected, also by the usual bullies. We tried to keep the peace while listening with compassion to those who have tears. I prayed for the storm and its aftermath to pass quickly.

ADP (Adult Day Program of the Activities Department) wasn't touched during the lay-offs. However Floor Activities positions (myself & 2 others) were reduced from full-time to part-time. I was lucky in that I was at the top in seniority and had first pick. I picked Day Time; the others were "mop up" positions. Also all LPNs & RCAs were laid off as well. Stephen has 24 years seniority, so he was able to gain another Full-Time position. Many others weren't so fortunate. So many tears, so much heartache and so much wrongly placed anger.

"Mop up" positions are those that 1) take place when I'm not there, and 2) work evenings with some overlap while I'm on.

My daughter, Sophia, and her boyfriend, T.L., arrived from Kelowna in the morning of December 24th to stay with us for the holidays. Together we enjoyed Christmas Eve Mass at St. John the Divine's Anglican Church. We all (and the cats included -- the bird stayed with Stephen's Mum) visited my Mum and Dad in Nanaimo overnight to enjoy another Christmas Dinner. Dad cough hasn't improved and is most distressing to hear. However he seemed happy to see us all. T.L. and Sophia shopped in Nanaimo a bit and later, after we returned to Victoria, they did more shopping and saw friends. A warm, wonderful Christmas Holiday was enjoyed by all.

On Sunday, January 16th, D.S. and I went to G.C.'s Memorial at James Bay New Horizons on Menzies. I shared with her a few symptoms that I had been suffering from lately that were very much like the precancer symptoms I had in 2007. D.S. was shocked. I wept heavily at one point during the service. D.S. and I shared a few recollections of G.C. with others that afternoon. D.S. remarked to me while we sipped our tea afterwards, "You cannot go before me. You're too young."

The Crones' Cauldron is down one. D.S. is too unsettled where she lives right now and A.V. is visiting her daughter in the USA while her house is up for sale, so the Crones' Cauldron Writing Group definitely has to wait.

On Saturday, January 29th, Stephen brought a large birthday cake with red and yellow roses on top, so I could share it with the senior residents who came to the Social Hour program. They sang "Happy Birthday" to me twice! As there was still a lot of cake left over, I shared the rest with staff on every floor, including the kitchen and housekeeping staff. All were touched by the offer and enjoyed the cake.

Later, Stephen treated me to a lovely vegetarian dinner at Studio 18, a restaurant o the 18th floor of a hotel. A great view of Victoria at night! The warme, sweet blueberry dessert with soft ice cream and bits of candied ginger made the evening all the more tantalizing.

On Saturday, February 5th, we celebrated Stephen's birthday at Romano's Macaroni & Grill. An opera student/waitress served him chocolate cake smothered with warm chocolate sauce topped with candles and she sang "Happy Birthday" to him in Italian!

I'm still interviewing people from the Film Industry for the Greater Victoria Film Commission's online newsletter. I've finished writing columns for a 1st Assistant Director - a nice, no nonsense chap - and an Extras Casting Director - an extremely busy, but very kind woman. I'm going to be interviewing an individual in Production next week. It never ceases to amaze me how much work goes into the making of just one film.

Since early this month, I've been going to the Greater Victoria Film Commission volunteer meetings for the Oscar Night Gala. The Gala will be held at the Grand Pacific Hotel on Sunday, February 27th. On February 1st, I've started going to the Calling All Artists' sessions at Congregation Beth Emanual, again -- once a month in preparation for the gala in the Fall. On Wednesday evenings, I'm taking my 2nd Acting course.

Tuesday evenings prove full for Stephen's Water Colour lessons. Also, he's busy browsing around shops and planning to build the new backyard fence which he hopes to complete in the summer.

Yes! We lead very busy and creative lives.

We both began our new shifts at work on February 1st, too. Our shifts have changed. Miraculously, we're now off on the same days and we go home together so we're together in the evenings -- almost-- I have Acting classes on Wednesdays and Stephen has his Water Colour classes on Tuesdays.

Stephen now works on the Dementia floor, the most emotionally draining and physically demanding until they get more lifts. I work 2nd floor in the AM and ALL floors in the PM, except on Tuesdays and Thursdays in which I concentrate on 2nd & 1st floors in PM. It's rough, but at least Stephen and I have each other.

Last Wednesday night, when I drove to my Acting course, I discovered Fisgard St (in Chinatown) all lit up with cheery red lanterns and colourful lights overhead. It proved somewhat distracting while driving. I had to really slow down. Also, a strange, yet intriguing incident happened to me after two of us fellow students assisted our acting teacher, J.M., take out an old T.V. for pick-up outside; a pigeon landed on my head just as I walked back in through the door and down the stairs! It was released back outside, however it did stay just outside the door for a very long time. Later, when I showed a huge boxful of books to J.M., he expressed his overwhelming gratitude for all the drama, script & theatre books (from my writer-friend A.V.) which I brought over that night. J.M. said, "The school's been trying to expand their library and this is a very big boost. You tell your friend that the Young Actors' School very much appreciates this gift." I enjoyed seeing the Chinese lanterns and lights again when I drive home after my class ended at 10PM. Festivities and fun things to do last for 14 days in Victoria's Chinatown.

I had been suffering from diarrhea to near diarrhea-like symptoms and feelings of nausea (no vomitting) since mid December. During one of my visits (and several tests later) to the doctor's, he (a stand-in DR for Dr. A.) gave me Nexium. When I remarked, "I was given Nexium when I had my precancer of the uterus in 2006 and 2007. It was just the way my body reacted." He stared at me for what seemed the longest time. Then he blurted, "I'm ordering a CAT Scan."

I took the Nexium as ordered, but it did NOT work -- just like in 2007. A few days later, in desperation, I walked to a well known Chinese Medical Practitioner downtown, Dr. P. I was squeezed in for an immediate appointment. His herbal medicine began working within 24 hours in controlling my nausea AND my bowels! The next time I saw him, he canned one remedy (for the nausea) and gave me medicine for my uterus/fibroids.

On Monday, February 7th, Stephen drove me to the Victoria General Hospital for my CT Scan. God knows if my fibroids are disappearing and my uterine walls are finally thinning as they should for a woman my age. I hope Dr. P.'s medicine proves to be the panacea.

We won't know the results of the CT Scan for a week -- I guess around next Monday.

That's all I'm able to share for now. :-)