A Season of Calm Waters

Spring has given way to early summer, and there have been many changes in my little world. Soon we will be spending more time at our lake cottage, and for the first time in several years, our schedule will not revolve around my work commitments.

A few months ago, I made the difficult decision to leave my part-time position as a Recreation Facilitator at the personal care home and move into a casual role where I can pick up the occasional shift without being tied to a strict weekly schedule. The job has become more challenging as my arthritis progresses and as the workplace continues to evolve. I still love my coworkers and enjoy working with the residents, but both the activities and the needs of the residents are changing.

Right now, there is a talented and energetic recreation team in place, and I feel comfortable knowing that I am leaving the department in good hands. It feels like the right time for this transition.

This is a job that I have truly loved, and nothing about this decision was easy. But sometimes we simply know when the time is right.

I re-entered the workforce in 2014 after a devastating illness and health crisis. Recovering required years of hard work, determination, and patience. I then retrained in an entirely new field and slowly rebuilt a life that at one point I never thought I would have again.

There was a time when I believed I would never be able to work. Instead, I found myself in a role that I genuinely enjoyed and that gave me a sense of purpose. I am proud of what I accomplished. Even on the most difficult days, I went home knowing that I had made a difference in someone’s life.

Now I find myself searching for a new normal once again. Over the past few years, I set aside many of my own interests and activities in order to conserve my physical and mental energy for work. I was content with that choice, but now I find myself asking a familiar question: What comes next?

At the moment, I am tackling a major cleanout of old work and volunteer resources and supplies collected over many years. It is surprisingly emotional. Every box seems to hold memories, reminders of projects, people, and chapters of life that have now come to an end. It is difficult to accept that many of these materials will never be useful to me again.

There is a genuine sense of loss in that realization.

At the same time, I feel hopeful. I look forward to regaining strength, exploring new interests, and discovering opportunities that fit this next stage of life.

This summer feels like a different kind of season. Not a time for striving or proving myself, but one for restoring my energy, reconnecting with the things I love, and making room for whatever comes next. Every season has its purpose, and perhaps this one is simply asking me to slow down, pay attention, and rediscover joy.

Looking for joy has long been one of my personal compass points. Not the big, life-changing kind of joy, but the quiet kind found in sunsets, time with loved ones, a dog at your feet, meaningful work, and peaceful moments by the lake. As I begin this new season, I hope to follow that compass once again.

  Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Taking Time to be Creative

 Finding My Way Through Structure. Writing, Watercolour, and Creative Rhythm

Over the past while, I spent time working through a 40 day Instagram challenge and also a personal watercolour journal project. I gave me a bit of a seasonal framework—something to guide focus, creativity, and daily reflection.

What surprised me most was how much I benefited from having structure.

The instagram challenge gave me a simple daily prompt. The watercolour journal gave me 40 small, approachable painting ideas and tutorials. Nothing complicated. Nothing overwhelming. Just a gentle direction to follow.

And that made all the difference.

Instead of trying to decide what to create each day, I could focus on how I wanted to create in the moment. That small shift removed a lot of pressure and decision fatigue. It allowed me to simply begin.

Some days the process felt effortless. Other days it took more intention to sit down and follow through. But either way, I kept going. Not perfectly, but steadily.

What I noticed most was how calming it became.

The repetition of small creative actions helped quiet my thinking. It made space for reflection without forcing it. I found myself more in the moment paying attention to colour, texture, light, and the small choices I was making in each piece.

There was also a quiet sense of accomplishment in completing something with so many small steps. Forty paintings was intimidating in one way but it doesn’t sound like that great an ask on paper. Experiencing it day by day gave it weight. It became a record of attention and persistence, not just finished artwork.

I also realized something important for myself right now: structure can be supportive, not restrictive.

It can reduce overwhelm. It can make creativity more accessible. It can turn “I don’t know where to start” into “I just begin here.”

As I move forward rebuilding routines and energy, I’m holding onto that lesson. I don’t need everything to be spontaneous or perfectly inspired. Sometimes having a gentle framework is what makes creativity—and life—feel possible.

This experience also feels connected to something bigger I’m exploring again: how small, consistent practices can support wellbeing, focus, and emotional grounding.

Not through pressure. Not through perfection.

But through simple, repeatable moments of choosing to give my attention.

For now, I’m grateful I followed through. I’m grateful I kept it simple. And I’m grateful I gave myself permission to just work within a structure instead of constantly trying to create one from scratch.

It turns out that sometimes the easiest path is the one that already has a few guideposts along the way.

Welcome Back

Leading a Healthy Life — Reboot

It’s been a long time since I last posted here.

Life didn’t just get busy—it became complicated. 

Merlin on his first spring walk

Over the past couple of years, our family members experienced several serious private challenges. We said goodbye to our beloved dog, Jasper. I reached a point of deep stress and burnout at work. 

Then, during a serious bout of influenza, I went to the hospital with breathing complications. While there, I lost consciousness during a transfer for X-rays and experienced a fall that resulted in a fracture in my spine.

The recovery that followed was more complex than I expected, and navigating that period required stepping back from many parts of daily life.

By last spring, we were looking forward to time at the lake—hoping to rest, reset, and begin again. Instead, our cottage area was closed due to widespread forest fires that lasted for months and came far too close to our island. The smoke and poor air quality across the province made breathing difficult and kept us indoors, well into the summer.

In many ways, I stepped back from my usual activities and entered a quieter season—one of rest, recovery, and reflection.

But now, spring is here.

With it comes a sense of renewal and the gentle nudge to begin again. I find myself thinking about what this next phase of life might look like, and how I want to move forward.

The things I love are still here. My family and friends. A new little dog named Merlin. Photography, creative projects, and time spent in nature. These are constants—and anchors.

At the same time, I know there are areas that need attention. My energy, my fitness, and simply getting out into the world more regularly.

My family recently pointed out that, as a Recreation Facilitator, I likely already have the tools to start making those changes.

They’re probably right.

So—challenge accepted.

This space has always been about sharing my journey toward better health, while encouraging and learning alongside others. That hasn’t changed.

If anything, it feels more important than ever.

So here we go again.

Let’s take the next steps together—toward Leading a Healthy Life.

I’m still working on getting this blog running

 Thank-you for you patience

Technical problems

 I am working on fixing display issues with this blog. Wish me luck!

Returning to Work After Knee Replacement

I have been back at work for a month now.  I am officially on modified duties at my part-time job as a Recreation Facilitator in a long-term care home.  Over the years, I have had so many health issues that the tasks I do at work are usually a little lighter duty from a physical point of view.  My favourite activities to run at work reflect my personal interests. I love art and food programs, and I particularly enjoy leading reminiscence, discussion, and sensory-based programs. The younger coworkers take on the physical programs such as bowling, exercise programs, and adapted sports. For me it is also about bingo, movies, and parties.

This time, the plan was for me to return to short 4-hour shifts for a couple of months while I continue to heal and hopefully build up more stamina.  I will be back to my normal shifts in 4 weeks and no longer have any modifications other than avoiding the stairs.  I really depend on the elevator in my 9-story workplace!

 Let me tell you- this knee replacement has taken a toll on my energy, and it challenges my sleep and pain management.  I am at five months post left knee replacement now, and I walk and move well, and my leg feels very stable.  I don't have that sharp pain anymore, but I do have a lot of soreness and moderate pain most of the time. One tricky thing is that my knee was so bad that my leg was bowing out as the joint was collapsing. My body tried to adjust to that bad arthritic knee and changed to compensate.  Now that my leg is suddenly straight, everything needs to shift back again so my leg muscles and other knee are struggling.  My ankles aren't too happy either.

I am still doing my physio exercises, I am back in the pool attending a water based arthritis program, my daughters go on walks with me, and my job is also part of my therapy. I move around in so many different ways at work that it can't help but strengthen many muscles. By the time I get home, I'm exhausted but it is getting a bit easier as the weeks go by. I sometimes  get questioned about why I want to keep working at my job and doing the other things I struggle to do. I could retire at this point, and believe me, I have thought about doing just that. It sure would be easier to hang out at home than struggle to reclaim my ability to work.

Not long ago, I had a conversation with a person who is living with severe limitations related to her health. She told me that we need to realize life can go wrong and that we need to accept our lot in life. She has access to physical therapy but says she doesn't do the exercises because there is no point. She is making that choice.

 I choose to keep moving forward.  There are days when I pout or even cry. Maybe I choose to curl up in bed and watch a romance movie that is guaranteed to end happily. Then I remember that there are things I like to do and I still want to have new experiences.  I pout a little longer while planning how to move forward.  Next I get on with it and start to build toward my goals.

Should we accept our lot in life?  Instead, how about reaching out and taking steps to achieve what you can and make the best you can of your life?

How can you possibly know what you are truly capable of unless you choose to take action and then put real effort into finding out what you can achieve?

I Finally Got My Knee Replacement

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 I finally got brave enough. I now have a new knee.

Hello Everyone! So many little things have been going on over the past year, and a few big ones, so please forgive me if I play a little catch-up on the blog over the next while. I am home recovering and have the time and, hopefully, the energy to start blogging again. I certainly have a lot of ideas and experiences to share, and I will start with my latest joint replacement.

 My knees have been bad for over 10 years, and I was scheduled to have my left knee replaced in January 2021. Unfortunately, I dislocated my hip under 3 weeks before I was to have the knee surgery, and then broke my other hip September 2021! 

On May 19th, 2023, after a two year delay I finally got my brand new left knee.

My pain management was complicated because of allergies and my poor medication tolerance. I was in the hospital for 4 days while all that got sorted out. I have been home for almost a month and working on recovering.

The surgeon warned me from the beginning that this would be a rough recovery and that it could be much more painful than hip replacements. He also was very frank in saying that a large percentage of people are dissatisfied with the outcome of the surgery. Yup. Not reassuring. The nurse doing the presurgical orientation at the hospital a couple days before surgery was a little more optimistic. She said I would spend the first two weeks post-surgery thinking the knee surgery was the worst decision I ever made. She said that within 6 months to a year, I shall be glad that I made the decision to go ahead with the surgery. 

I didn't feel like I didn't have much choice about going ahead with the surgery. My knee was very unstable and gave me pain daily. I reached a point where I was telling friends and family to go places and do things without me while I stayed home, which is not like me. My lower leg bowed out due to the knee collapsing inward. It was so severe that I started to have real trouble with my ankle. The doctor said I could eventually wind up needing an ankle repair.

The other consideration was that I had been on a shorter wait list with the physician because of the cancelled surgery. I was also on a health department priority list because my surgery that got cancelled when I dislocated my hip was also through the period of Covid when the hospital closed its surgical wings. I had postponed so long that I was about to get bumped to the end of the list, and it could be over two years before I got another chance. When talking to the surgeon, he said my knee was so severe and breaking down so fast that the surgery could get more complicated and result in a more difficult recovery.

Yes, this has been a pretty miserable recovery so far, and the exercises are more challenging than the hip ones were. The last two hip replacements were due to traumatic events, so the pain was probably worse than the average hip replacement. I am finding the pain level is not that different from what I experienced with the last surgeries and recoveries. Happily, this time, there was progress in finding workable solutions to pain management for me, so that helped at the beginning. In terms of managing my activities, it is a LOT better without restrictions about bending or living with the fear of another dislocation.

My life currently revolves around doing my physio exercises and icing my knee. More on that next time.

Happy New Year!

 Here's to a Fantastic New Year! 

Photo by Hello I'm Nik on Unsplash

I have had a low-key Holiday season this year and have not gone out very much at all. I have only done a little shopping in the past month! I think it is time to start getting things done around here and to also find time to have some fun! 

How do you feel about a fresh start in the New Year?

 

I have had a tough time in the past couple of years with broken hips, arthritis, financial concerns and, oh.. a world with covid. I have found myself feeling increasingly negative.

 Now I don't normally see myself as a negative person, maybe a bit of a pragmatist or perhaps a bit critical. I'm always looking for solutions and improvements, but I'm not pessimistic in my outlook. I am hopeful and believe tomorrow will be a better day. 

The fact is that it will only be a better day, better month, and better life if you actually do something and make changes.

Yesterday I watched a video about work productivity, and it firmly stated we must make a list of what needs doing and start with the hard stuff first, like getting the bills paid and correspondence taken care of. It also said to try and have meetings later in the day. My thought was- what if the hard part of your day IS the meeting?. What if not having the meeting at the beginning of the day leads to confusion because everyone is not fully aware of things they need to know? You doing your hard stuff in the morning might make everyone else have a hard afternoon.

See? I can overthink things! And I really don't even set up any meetings! Ha.

I do agree that making lists, and adding to them as needed, is a smart move. It helps you keep organized and prioritize your time in the ways you need and want.

Your lists need to be more complete than the productivity expert in the video suggested. Life is not a to-do list of correspondence, bills and meetings. It is not about getting the laundry done daily, having the shiniest windows, or cooking gourmet meals every day. 

Your lists should include making time for fun, lifelong learning, for spending time with friends and loved ones. Consider putting your spiritual life on your list. Do you take the time and care of your health? 

Are you planning your days to have a full and satisfying life? 

• Do you focus enough on yourself?
• How about focusing on others? 
• Perhaps you want to be more involved in your groups and communities?
• What do you do to keep your mind, body, and spirit healthy?
• Do you build skills to support your personal interests or look toward your future projects?
• Do you have peaceful, restful moments in your day?
• 
  

I have been a Girl Guide Leader for a long time, and a traditional song at the end of many Guiding and Scouting events is called Day is Done. I truly embrace the sentiment of the song. 

 

Softly falls the light of day, 

As our campfire fades away.

Silently each Scout should ask 

Have I done my daily task?

 Have I kept my honour bright?

 Can I guiltless sleep tonight?

 Have I done and have I dared 

 Everything to be prepared?

 I wish you success with all your Hopes and Dreams for the coming year!