Christmas

A quiet Christmas and I think that was ok. There were a lot of emotions to process.

Christmas eve it was just the two of us here at home. We put the Christmas tree downstairs and lit a fire in the fireplace (definitely a novelty) and watched a movie.

This morning instead of kids waking us up it was the cats, who were waiting for their breakfast.

It has snowed throughout the night and looked pretty with that new blanket covering everything. DH went and shoveled our driveway and the two neighbours (who were my neighbours growing up) then went back to the old house and shoveled there and our driveway neighbor.

He came home and we went downstairs to do our one gift exchange. Even better was watching the boys (the cats) open their first Christmas presents ever. It made me smile.

DH got me a new kitchen aide mixer, as both mine and my mom's were old generic ones who were tired from years of cookie making.

We had brunch here, just like we have had many times over the years, except that it was just the two of us. Good news though, the new smoke detector works and is ridiculously sensitive. Ahhh bacon.


We went to DH's sister's house for an early Christmas supper. Very quiet over there too. Just the two of them and my brother in law's brother from Calgary. It always bothered me how they just....sat for Christmas, even when the kids were young. Our family Christmas's were always busy doing things together. Her cats saved me though.

I did a quick stop at my oldest sister's house and visited with her grandkids for about 30 minutes and then headed home.

DH and I are curled up again downstairs to watch a movie. So very different from every Christmas we have spent.

Surfacing

I am writing to you from our new house - my childhood house.

Not gonna lie. It was a tough fall.

Going straight from dad's passing to the funeral to will issues to work to a severe case of tendonitis to hubby's torn ligaments to 5 weeks and 2 rounds of pneumonia for me - all the while trying to clean and paint and steam clean carpets at the new house....it's taken its toll.

I am still fighting depression. Still sick and coughing and weak. Money has gotten a bit out of hand.

I am appreciating this couple weeks of downtime to just breathe.

Half the new house is still unpacked and sorted. Most of our stuff is still at the old house where DS2 is holding down the fort.

I finished work Friday last week and came home and just sat. Sure there's lots to do but the hump and grind of the past 2 and a half years has eased and it was super odd to just...have...time.

I didn't quite know what to do with myself.

So for those of you still peeking to see if I am alive, thank you.

I am trying to get back to normal. or new normal. 

Where the money stands

wow I just realized I haven't done one of these since July. This life change has definitely affected me in more ways than I can count.

Debt

Mortgage - $3 461.92

College LOC - $9 000.00

Total Debt - $12 461.92

Planned Savings

TFSA - $9400

RRSP - $14 262

TFSA 2019 - $600

Back to School - $200 (used $300

Summer 2019 - $300

Christmas 2019 - $500

The mortgage will be done in a few months and by then we will be out of the house and probably know if we are keeping it  for the short term future or preparing to sell. If we keep it then we have to start saving monthly for the property tax, which we've never had to pay before as they were included in the mortgage.

The college line of credit is now below 10 000 so that is good. Hopefully there are no murphy events and I can work to eliminate this in the next 18 months

September change

well I guess a girl should clean out her vehicle more often. Between my change jar and my vehicle I had $200 in change. Mostly toonies and loonies. It all went towards my TFSA savings. Struggling to get it to that $1000

made it through September

First month of school done.

A milestone birthday done

and my first Health 'murphy'

My arm had been bugging me in mid September. Came home after school and it got worse. By midnight I couldn't move my arm and severe pain. Only would grow worse over the weekend.

Three hospital visits later including 2 pain shots, an Xray and a cortisone shot...… severe tendinitis in the shoulder. I missed a week of work. Couldn't do a thing without massive pain.

It took 14 days until I could lift my arm shoulder height  and that was probably only because of the cortisone shot.

I feel like I am starting all over again with a very tough class.

Physio 2x a week now until I have full mobility and zero pain.