Cancer, family, hockey, rain.......

Anyone else out there struggling on a Monday morning?? Like not motivated to get anything done? Probably just me. I sent the kids off this morning, kissed Del good-bye as he left for work, and then I wondered what do I do?? The sky is gray, the yard is mud covered in water, and what the heck do you want to get started on this fine day??? No, I'm not going to whine the whole blog long. I'm getting into a rut though. I am getting discouraged with the weather. Anyone want a refresher on the expenses incurred this spring/summer, on getting the crop into the ground? Harvest looks like its in the tank. Hmmmm, ya think the bankers are sweating yet?? :-) Farmers are certainly sweating it!!

Alright, lets change the subject. Let's talk hockey. One of my favorite subjects. It can be!! Jayde had hockey tryouts this weekend. I thought I was pretty calm and prepared heading into this weekend, but I realized yesterday, I wasn't as relaxed as I thought I was. Let me paint you a picture. Close your eyes and put yourself in the rink. There was approximately 55 kids at the rink, divided into 3 groups for the weekend. Every child spent 8 hours on the ice doing drills and scrimmages. They alternated the three groups through all the activities during the weekend. Jayde's group was on the ice Friday at 915 pm, then Saturday at 115 and again at 630. Then Sunday, he was on at 1145 and 245. His group had the last session yesterday. Anyway, the deal is that there is 1 team going to play in the city league. All these players are trying out for 17 defence/forwards, and 2 goalies. All players receive an evaluation at the end of the weekend, and a 'pass' or 'no pass' for this team. There were 3 men evaluating from the stands, and 2 people on ice who ran the on ice functions. So, the 2nd last session yesterday, (the one before Jayde's), the kids got undressed and went for their verdicts. The rink is a combination hockey/curling rink. The indoor viewing area are seperated by a kitchen and hallway. The kids were told to leave their equipment in the hockey area and to wait in the hallway, with doors at either end closed, and they would go in one by one, and discuss the weekend with the evaluators. Can you imagine??? The parents are all in the hockey viewing area, WAITING! Once the kid got their evaluation done with, they were told to exit out the curling rink doors, so the other kids wouldn't know if it was yes or no for them. Suspenseful, yes! Some kids had taken their equipment outside before they went into the hall so then didn't have to come around and back into the rink. So, I'm watching Jayde's drills and waiting with some friends while their kids are getting their results. Took forever!!! Now imagine, QUIET,, very quiet, in the rink. Parents are wondering, did he make it??? Del got to leave early with a friend and his kid. And so I was left with another parent, waiting on their kid who's a goalie. Waited, and waited some more. Del texted me to let me know our first friends kid made it. YAY!!! By now, Jayde's group is off the ice, getting changed. We're still waiting for kids from the first group. The next group is now assembling in the hallway. Finally our friends son comes into the rink to get his equipment, and we go outside with him. He's elated. He made it!! I'm so excited for him. He's telling us how everything happened in his session. Now, its to wait for Jayde. The other friends leave. To explain this, Jayde and these other two kids have played together for a long time. They're good friends. I'm thinking, Jayde's not gonna make it. He's not a flashy player. He's just a big defenceman who plays a solid game of hockey, loving every minute of it! I go wait in my truck. And wait some more. I watch the kids filter out of those curling rink doors and leave with their parents. I'm trying to read a book. Finally, I see my boy. He goes and gets his equipnment and comes to the truck. He loads it in the box and gets in the truck. I can't tell by his face, what his verdict is. I ask, "So?" His reply, "Back on Tuesday." YES! Good for him. But, its not over. All the kids who were told they made it, are coming back on Tuesday and Thursday for further evaluation, and further cuts will occur after Thursday. Oh, Man! Jayde was so excited. So, for now, a reprieve, till Thursday night. A little dramatic, eh?? Just for the crazy game of hockey.

My family was at our house on Saturday evening, to celebrate dad's 72nd birthday. Not everyone could make it. Oh, well, we celebrate anyway. Had a good time. Salads, BBQed sausage and hamburgers, chips, veggies, and black forest cake for desert. Relaxing visits. It's so good to spend time together. Mom sat on a recliner between the dining and living room. That way she could see everyone at once. The men chatting around the dining table, and the women 'gossiping' in the living room. :-) I watched my mom a fair bit. Seriously, I think she's deteriorating. She looks good for her disease, but she's gone down. She's lost some more weight, her color has changed a bit-don't know if anyone else would notice that-, she's requiring analgesics 3x/day-which doesn't take away her pain-, and she looks wiped. Maybe it was just a bad day, I don't know. I am trying to be prepared for her CT results which we get at her oncology appt this Wed. Realistically, I don't know if those results will be positive. When I look at the person in front of me, I'm preparing for bad news. Sorry, maybe I shouldn't be honest. Maybe, I should only write 'good' things. Maybe, I'm trying to overprepare myself. But, I'm being honest. I need to take her shopping for clothes on Wednesday. She has lost so much weight that she is quite limited in what she has to wear. So off to the store we go. She maybe feeling horrible, but it doesn't mean she has to look like she doesn't have anything to wear that looks good!
My aunt wrote me a long letter following one of my previous blogs-the one where i talked about family. Yes, I'm going to follow up on that letter, probably on this blog, I just have to prepare myself mentally to do it. Have to sort out the thoughts. Yes, Aunt Violet, I will do, I'm not ignoring it!! It was really special to receive her letter. Not many people send written letters anymore. I'm definitley going to keep that one!!
I'm going to make a good supper today. Don't know what it will be yet, but I'm going to dig something our of the freezer and create a fabulous meal! Hmmm, wonder what it will be......

I'll update you all after Wednesday's appt. Probably not until Thursday though.....