spt thursday: outreach

spt thursday: outreach, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

Holding out a hand to help - it doesn't have to be filled with gifts, money or anything more bountiful than a kind word or good wishes.
There's a gratitude meme currently making its way round Facebook. I'm not a great fan of overt or forced gratitude. I generally gag if I see mention of being blessed.
But today, this week, I'm feeling truly filled with it - for friends IRL and online who have shared our first world stresses and joy with kind words, gentle support and encouragement; for offers of help, a safe place for our cat, a bed, a joke, sympathy, advice, storage for my soldering gear, and ultimately a place to live temporarily while we wait for our new home.
Each Facebook 'like', each comment, each suggestion, offer and cheer leaves me, mr ebb and the wee guy feeling like we're in the middle of a giant international hug.
Thank you.
I am truly grateful xoxo

wordless wednesday: the trees, breathing

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midlife Monday: so today ...

midlife Monday: so today ..., originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

first day back at school
+
first day at middle school
+
played Frisbee on the field
+
full version of Minecraft downloaded
+
out for dinner
+
found coloured pencils for tomorrow's full day at school
+
warm happy glow from all the Facebook love (thank you for sharing our excitement guys - was like you were there in the room with us!)
+
celebrated buying a house
+
packed boxes, sorted out a property inspection, and updated some insurance
= happy :)

the daily pussy: omnipresent

wordless wednesday: back on track?

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#firstworldproblem homelessnesslessness

#firstworldproblem homelessnesslessness, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

It’s been only three-and-a-half weeks since we sold the house.

Three-and-a-half weeks.

Twenty five days.

25 days in which we haven’t had an offer accepted or found somewhere else to live.

I’m not doing too well with this situation.

And each time I feel myself crumble, I think - this is ridiculous.

We’re not going to be destitute. We’re not bankrupt. We won’t be out on the streets.

We have a week’s short term sorted; we have an amazing network of friends who have offered beds, rooms, sanctuary.

We won’t be without accommodation; we won’t be houseless.

This week seems worse, not sure why but just worse. I’m tired of getting my hopes up and seeing unsuitable houses or finding that safety net options have been withdrawn or sold. I’m tired of thinking through all the temp/short term/rental what ifs for partitioning possessions, furniture, storage, vans … yaddah yaddah yaddah I can no longer think straight.

This week is crunch week - it’s the deadline I gave us to find somewhere before I turn my energy to sorting out a rental place and booking temporary storage and a removal van and possessions/furniture we can move ourselves and on and on and on.

Maybe this is why this week seems worse. This is face the music week. But as I say, we won’t be homeless, destitute, impoverished … just not in possession of a home. On our way back from Vancouver, the Wee Guy piped up from the back of the car - It’s always nice to get home after a day out. And I think this is where my stress is coming from - in a month, we won’t have a home to come back to; we’ll be in temporary digs, making do, goods and chattels in storage, cursing that this is packed and that is missing … not houseless, just homeless.

PS: This morning we got what might be good news. Not sure if I want to wake up in case it’s a dream. Stay tuned.

self portrait thursday: reflected

self portrait thursday: reflected, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

on my mind?
devolution or independence
thirteen years ago
world change
once in my lifetime (please, just once)
#firstworldproblem
house/home/roof
what now, and when to do it?
clarity (please)
VP (how'd I get roped into that one?)

wordless wednesday: book of days

Click here to view this photo book larger

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wordless wednesday: left or right?

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i can't do this ....

.... but there's no reason to stop you.

This summer, the amazing VancouverMom blogger group learned that one of their own, Marilyn from A Lot of Loves, had been placed in a medically induced coma as treatment for serious complications arising from a complicated surgical procedure. In addition to the ripples of shock and concern, the main online talk was about what the group could do for Marilyn and her family, how to leverage the power of this online connected bunch of savvy communicators for good. But what indeed?

As part of her ongoing therapy, Marilyn had received numerous units of blood. Her husband, when asked what the group could do, suggested that simply giving blood would be very much appreciated This inspired a number of the group to suggest a blood drive - donating a unit and then blogging to spread awareness for this precious natural resource. Go moms! It's in you to give! So since then, they've been rolling up their sleeves and flexing their forearms at a local blood donation station near you.

Hmmm.
This is something I cannot do as I'm doubly damned for blood donations here, with my UK residency compounding my tainted-by-cancer diagnosis. Fears of mad cow and metastatic bundles floating around my body preclude me from offering any more than an autologous donation.

So I can't roll up my sleeve for the needle, but I can roll up my sleeves and type. Here's my message to you - get out there and donate your blood.
You'll not miss it.
You will replace what you give in a few weeks, and you generally won't even notice it's gone in the meantime.
You could save a life.

... and if you can't, do what i'm doing and shout out about it ;)

For more information on where to donate and whether you are eligible, check out the Canadian Blood Services.

• To donate, you must be at least 17 years of age, in general good health, and feeling well on the day of your donation.
• You must weigh at least 50 kg (110 lb).
• The minimum time between blood donations is 56 days (8 weeks).
• You must have a hemoglobin of at least 125 g/L.
• You must wait until the day after a dental cleaning or filling, and 72 hours after a tooth extraction, root canal or dental surgery.
• If you've had a cold, flu or sore throat you must recover fully before donating.
• If you've had ear or body piercing or tattooing, you must wait at least six months before donating.

An InLinkz Link-up

midlife monday:anniversary

Thirteen years ago, mr ebb and I embarked on the greatest adventure of our life together and landed in Vancouver  for the start of a temporary spell of living abroad.
I say temporary, cos we hung on to our flat in London, left some belongings n storage there, and made arrangements to continue careers rather than move lock, stock and barrel to the other side of the pond.
I had plans - experience life on the wild west coast and fit in some career-enhancing research. It would continue with a postdoctoral career development grant, combining clinical research with enhanced medical qualification once back in the UK.
One of the first spanners in the works was the smiley chap in the stroller above.
And I've written about the earlier event that made me re-consider my priorities.
So, more than a decade on, 13 years older and wiser, we're still here in BC. I no longer have the "if this, then that" desire to move back to the UK if anything dire happens - this place is now my home (even though we've sold what we're living in and getting a teensy bit freaked about finding another dwelling).
BC is where my friends are; it's where my family is; it's where I am growing up and where my Wee Guy is doing likewise. Even though we pondered somewhat on moving back to Europe, it was with the same intention we had on moving to Vancouver all those years ago - eventually we would go home.
But this place is now home. This is where we have the connections, the ties that bind
And this is where we would return.
This is where we stay.