Joy, Health and Abundance to All!

It's the day after Christmas or what is known in Canada as Boxing Day. The day for blowout post-Christmas sales, if you don't mind fighting the frenetic crowds of consumers and long lineups at the check-out. Not for me, thanks. Today I've got an injured husband to tend to. We had rain here on Christmas Eve and by Christmas morning that turned into icy-slick conditions. We were carrying our boxes of gifts out to the car to head to my parents for my family's Christmas celebration. Mac was walking in front of me and boom, his feet went out from under his 6'5" frame and his mile-long legs and he was down like a ton of bricks. And he in PAIN! He rolled around on the ground for a few minutes, holding his right arm and whimpering, almost crying with the pain. I was in shock! I am not used to seeing my big, strong husband down like that. It's usually me who is the clumsy one, who trips and falls. He, as usual was making sure the way was safe for me, who was also carrying a large box of gifts. It was horrible. It took everything in me not to start crying. And I am not generally a crier. He managed to get up after a few minutes. He did not want to go to hospital. WTF? MEN! AND, he still insisted on driving to my parents, which is about a 45 minute drive out to the country. He managed to drive there, but I called ahead and told them to have an icepack and some strong meds waiting for Mac when we got there. So, he was pretty much out of it for the day. My Dad gave him a couple of oxycontins from when he had his last surgery. Yes folks, I drove home. He has been taking it easy and moving pretty slowly today. Still won't go to hospital though. WTF? MEN! He keeps saying he'll see how he feels tomorrow. Today, he's pretty much hurting all over. Mostly the right hand, elbow and arm, but also the right hip, his neck and back somewhat. Luckily he already had a doctors appointment scheduled for Monday so I'll make sure he gets there at least. Hopefully he'll be okay in time for our vacation to Cuba! We are leaving on Monday, Jan 5th. Can't wait! Other than that Christmas was wonderful! The best present of all was getting to spend time with my 1 year old niece, the only child in our family. But not for long since my sister announced she is expecting again in August. Yippee!!! At least the pressure is off of me, the oldest child in our family to have any kids. And my brother brought his girlfriend for Christmas and it looks like they are starting to talk marriage as well. She is a lovely girl from our hometown and went to the same highschool we did. She has an 8 year old boy. She and my brother were looking at me and my sisters' wedding pictures and commenting on them. We both had "destination" weddings in tropical island resorts and she commented to him that that's the way she'd want to get married too and he seemed perfectly amenable to that. So...hopefully that will be our vacation for next winter!!! I love going away for family vacations. I know, it sounds corny, but we all have a blast together. It's nice because you can do your own thing when you want but you also always have someone there that you know to hang out with. It's the best of both worlds really. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So, I've found a job. That's really all it is though. A job. In a call-centre. Very low wages. And I have to talk to customers on the phone. I am not excited about it. However, I am grateful I have found something. It does have good points. It is only a 7 minute drive from my home. I could easily walk there in nice weather. Free parking. Good potential for quick advancement. It's full-time, and there are health benefits after 3 months, so we will actually be able to go to the dentist and get medical prescriptions again. Mac is self-employed, so no benefits from his job. My shift will be my permanent shift so I will always know what I'm working and will be able to make plans accordingly. It is one of those 24/7 environments so God only knows what shift I'll end up with. But it's always the same shift and the same 2 days off per week. So I could very well end up working every weekend. But, my employment insurance is ending next week, so low wages are better than no wages, and for that, I am grateful. But, I am keeping faith that by accepting this job I am opening myself up to the universe and to accepting more opportunities and abundance. I have by no means stopped searching for employment, and am still optimistic that the right job will come along which will adequately make use of my skills, experience and education, with great pay and benefits. I am manifesting my perfect new job and creating positive mantras and affirmations for myself. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So, on the political front, our Prime Minister smelled the coalition and ran away scared like a dog with his tail between his legs. No surprise there. He "prorogued" parliament. Or should I say, he had our Governor General prorogue parliament, until January 27, 2009. Not coincidentally, until after Barack Obama takes office (thank God!) in the U.S. Now, the GG had the power to say no to his request. She could have done any number of things, including appointing the coalition government, but no, she chose to do Steve's bidding. Oh, and by the way our GG, who is a representative of the Queen, (yes, that one, the Queen of England) is NOT an elected goverment representative. She is appointed to her position. And guess, just guess, who appoints her. Yep, you guessed it. The Prime Minister. Well, actually, the Queen appoints the GG on the "advice" of the PM. Now, it wasn't Stephen Harper who appointed her, but his predecessor of the Liberal Gov't, Paul Martin. But still...come on! Like she's really going to go against the PM. So, she let down the entire country by giving this charlatan a 7 week paid holiday to go into hiding, while people are losing their jobs and houses and can't support their families. Leaving us without a government to run the country. Great job Michaëlle Jean! NOT! At least he came out of hiding long enough to make the right decision to aid the auto sector with a loan, but of course Steve had to wait and see what good ole Bush would do in the U.S.of A. first. Harper (aka mini-Bush) seems to be incapable of making an independent decision or having an original thought underneath that ridiculous hairpiece of his. Ah well, we will persevere. I have my doubts that a coalition government will be a factor now, and I think Harper's move was exactly what he needed to make the movement lose steam and lose the quick momentum it had gained. But I still think the movement was effective in that it will force him to come up with a better plan for the country than he ever would have come up with on his own. I'm hopeful anyway... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So, that's my latest update. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and got to spend time with friends and family and the people who are important to you like I did, no matter what you do or don't celebrate at this time of year. Here's to a joyful, abundant, safe and healthy 2009 for all!