On permanence ...

I was thinking today about how long I've lived in this house and in this city - it's been 10 1/2 years in this house and more like 11 or 12 years in this city. Now that may not seem like a big deal to anyone else but let me tell you - it's the longest I've lived anywhere in my entire life. I've also been happier here than anywhere in my life.

The reason I'm bringing this up is because when I was walking today I realized I have memories attached to a lot of the places I walk by and a few I don't walk by that often. There is a wooden bridge near my home that arches over the railway tracks; J drove me over that same bumpy bridge when I was in labour with little M, now every time we go over it the kids all yell "Labour Bridge!! Aaaaa!" LOL because ever since that day I've said "I can't believe you took me over this bridge when I was in labour!"

I have other memories of other places - there's the spot I buried two of my pet rats back when I was going to college here. There's the spot I kissed K's father for the first time. The first place J ever took K & I when we met(her swim lessons). All sorts of memories.

Now of course there is a downside to all this permanence - I'm often unsure of just how much time has passed from one event to another. My life is so very much the same year after year that a few years down the line when I try to think "How long has it been?" I often draw a blank - it could be 3 years or it could be 7 or 8.

All this pondering aside(I do have funny thoughts); Christmas went well - I would include pics but they are the same as most Xmas pics are; kid with wrapped gift, kid opening gift, kid looking happy about gift, rinse and repeat. The kids were all happy about their gifts. I got a DS and the two Brain Age games that I have been playing everyday, I'm slowly improving my scores. I also got a new vacuum(yes I was happy about that) which has picked up so much dirt the first couple times I've used it I almost went into shock - dirt and enough hair to make more animals. I also got a new Stephen King book "Duma Key"(which I finished in about 3 days) and a few other things that I liked but slip my mind at the moment.

Mom is back with us after a short stay at her parent's house(she and her father don't get along, mostly due to the fact he's a huge chauvinist pig and she won't take guff from any man) but again we are happy to have her. Mom is a great influence on me because although I know she is in constant pain she still hops around once or twice a day and cleans something - it reminds me I have no excuses since I am not in constant pain. I could complain of a larger than average lazy bone but that's really no excuse and I know it. So things have been getting done. I still wish we had a little more space so she could have a room of her own and room to get her stuff out of storage but, alas, we have what we have and not a square foot more.

All in all I had a good 2008 - other than the aborted adoption of Bobby(and I'm sure he has found a good forever home) nothing too horrid happened. We got S and she's grown to be a lovely dog(we'll've owned her for one year exactly on Jan 12th) and even though we could use some training classes I'm not sure when I'll have that kind of money just laying around, things keep coming up. I got to go on a few train trips with the kids which was cool and lots of walks with S which is good for me. The kids are all another year older but none of them are causing me too much trouble, yet. I gotta say I'm pretty darn lucky and I know it.

Happy New year everyone - I'll do a new update again soon.

Cass :)