December synopsis

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted a blog entry. But December has flown by and I'm just now catching up.

On December 1st I held a little opening for my one-person art show and it was a big success. Lots of friends came by to celebrate with me and many of them were kind enough to actually purchase some of my paintings. And a woman I didn't even know purchased the two largest paintings as well as a couple more.

A couple of days after that I was felled by my first experience with crippling sciatic pain. For three days I couldn't sit or stand or walk. Finally on December 10 I went to the walk-in clinic and was given a prescription for a muscle relaxant and anti-spasm medication called apo-baclofen. What a relief to have the pain and pressure dissipate!

Since then I continued with my life while somewhat loopy on these drugs. I went to my weekly painting class, attended my book club Christmas potluck dinner, joined a big group for a celebratory dinner, met a friend from the Janion for a drink, visited a couple of art shows, joined the Mah Jongg party at the Union Club, had lunch with some friends, put on a dinner party and generally celebrated the season. A lot of it is a blur actually because I wasn't really all there!

During that time I was taking the medication but gradually trying to come off it to see if in fact the sciatica was going away. By Christmas eve I was ready to stop the drug completely and I'm doing quite a bit better.  I don't know if this pain came from something I did through the BackFit program I've been doing or if it's something else. Next week I'm seeing my doctor for results of an x-ray.
But now I'm feeling better and starting to get my life into some semblance of organization.

Christmas was a family time with son Jamie here and my sister Jan hosting us for Christmas eve and again for Christmas dinner at her beautiful home.  My brother and his family came over as well as Ben and Kande and his mother Heather and a couple of other friends.  There were 12 people for a fabulous turkey dinner. Plus the two little dogs Toby and Pippa, who love getting together and play until they drop.

Here are the cooks in the kitchen  (Rebecca, the master gravy maker on the left and my brother Charles doing the honours carving the bird. Jan, the hostess and chief cook is in both of these).

Here are some of the guests waiting for dinner (Ben and Jamie, Harry's two boys on the couch and Laine, my brother's wife and Ben's partner Kande by the piano).

A

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                                                     And here are Toby and Pippa gearing up for another play session

Here's the festive table set for dinner...

 
























And below are my niece Calla and her mom opening presents in the living room. Calla is wearing her new ski goggles, a gift from Jamie.




And speaking of gifts, I want to show you this lovely water colour painting done by talented Calla as a gift to me. She has captured the essence of our dear departed Maggie so perfectly.

It was a wonderful Christmas celebration and we're all looking forward to a peaceful and happy new year. I wish the same for all of you.