Concussions, a Lesion and 2 Aneurysms oh my!

This week I had a stay in hospital for a couple of days because of 2 aneurysms found in a recent CT scan. The experience has left many friends and family with questions as to why I was there and what is in store for the future of my noggin. Though I shared some quick updates while I was in the hospital, I wasn't able to share many details or answer any questions. So this post is for all of the folks who care to know the full story...not so easily squeezed into a facebook update. ;)

To understand the present I will start with a quick recap of the history of issues with my head due to many concussions and a wonky pituitary. The pituitary problem was discovered about 15 years ago when I was suffering all kinds of weird symptoms that had my doctor concerned I may have MS, so she had me booked for an MRI. The first MRI showed there was nothing wrong with my grey matter so MS was not the cause, but they made me come back next day for another as they had seen something else they wanted to focus on. The second MRI showed something wrong with my pituitary gland but the neurologist wasn't sure if it was a lesion or tumour, so I was booked for another six months later to see if there was any growth of the spot.

Once I knew the concern was my pituitary I did some research on what the heck that gland actually does, and when I found out it controls all the hormones in my body I decided being on birth control pills, which play with your hormones to prevent pregnancy, probably wasn't a good idea so I stopped taking them. This alone caused many of my symptoms to subside and things got better. After the 3rd MRI showed it was not a tumour on my pituitary, it was determined that the lesion was not a threat to me (certainly not worth the risk of surgery to do anything about it) and I would have to live with it. Stress causes it to flame up a bit which wreaks a little havoc on me, but self awareness and stress management helped me get along just fine once I understood what was going on in my head and its impacts on my body overall.

The tales of the many blows to my head are a whole post on their own (and really these stories are funnier told in person with all of my dramatic gesturing heheh), but one of the worst was the last one almost 7 years ago while we were on strike. I was trying to get Sasha to sleep in my arms as this was back in the days she still needed naps, and I sat down in my camping chair, which unfortunatly was placed too close to the corner of a large concrete planter. When I sat down the back of my head coned right on the corner of the planter causing those around me to say "it sounds like your head just cracked open!". Sometime between then and now I found I had actually cracked my skull a bit that day!

I still have post concussive issues, but like the pituitary problem, once I know what is wrong and how to manage it I'm able to live with it. What else can one do?

Towards the end of February I started having a whole new feeling in my head I wasn't used to. And a few days later I had an explosive pain in the centre of my head that almost debilitated me. It happened while giving a presentation with my fellow PAC members to our school board, who are planning to cut the inner city funding to our community school that helps children in so many working poor families in our neighbourhood. Anyone who knows me is aware of my passion for strong neighbourhood public schools for all, and having my daughters school face negative consequences made the fight to protect them even more personal. Sasha has friends that would be hungry at school if not for our breakfast and lunch program, and who would struggle so much without the extra staff and supports our school is able to offer with the inner city funding. The changes are scary for people we care about, so even though I have experience speaking to the board, this time was actually a bit stressful I suppose. And that stress, on top of months that have had me stressed from work instability, financial worry, trying to juggle too many volunteer hats and falling behind on my list of tasks led to the sudden tension spasm explosion in my mind.

Thankfully, I have learned it was not a genuine bursting, or I might not be around to tell this tale. Clearly I AM still here, so you already know this story has a happy ending. :)

Because of my history of cronic head pain for whatever reason, once we were done with our presentation I simply went home. I skipped the Co-op Board meeting I was supposed to go to next and went to bed early. Figured I should take it easy like any other time my head is suffering. After a while I noticed that weird throbbing that was unfamiliar to me was not going anywhere and had become fairly intense, so I finally went to the doctor to make sure this new sensation was documented.

She was concerned about the explosive pain I had which is often a sign of stroke, and told me she was gonna send me for a CT scan to find out what might have caused it. The scan was scheduled for about 3 weeks later, so I figured if the medical world wasn't too concerned about rushing me in, and I was still functioning ok after so long, it was likely no big deal. Continue with taking it easy, skip a meeting here and a social event there and all should be good.

I went for the scan on Tuesday afternoon (5 1/2 wks after the explosion in my head). Tuesday evening after Sasha was in bed I got a call from my doctor. The scan had found 2 aneurysms in my head and she was going to speak to a neurosurgeon in the morning to see what should be done! I spent that evening reading up on brain aneurysms to find that there are many procedures used to deal with them depending on where they are located in the brain, and not all procedures require surgery. Got a little freaked out at the range of recovery times, and also from scary consequences of aneurysms bursting which significantly reduce your chance of survival, and if you survive increases your chances of permanent brain damage.

I fell asleep that night thanking my body for breathing.

By lunch time the next day I called her and said I wanted to know what was going on, and it turned out the neurosurgeon she had been trying to reach was out of town til Friday. She called me right back after she contacted another at VGH who wanted me to go to the ER right away and get admitted so they could assess the situation. Kinda scared me that things were moving so fast now.

Finally settled into my temporary bed. A room with three walls,
one made of glass. I could watch the nurses at their station in the
reflection. Not very interesting, but helped me know I wasn't alone.

It was 6 hours from the time I got there to the time I was actually in a bed on the 5th floor for neurology patients. The first night I was watched like a hawk by my nurse, and was awoken every hour with the same routine: check my blood pressure, shine bright light in my eyes to make my pupils dilate, take my temperature, ask me questions like 'what's your name, where are you, whats the date', and run me through a series of tasks to check my motor skills. All these things are done to make sure I haven't suffered any neuro damage. I also wasn't allowed any food or drink so I was ready if I needed to be rushed off to surgery at any time.

A room with a view. Kept hoping to see my buddy land an
ambulance on the helipad, but the only chopper that landed
came while I was having a test done so I missed the action!

The hourly check ups continued throughout the next day, whenever I wasn't being wheeled away for a test that would help the neurosurgeons prepare a plan of action.

The day started with an xray to make sure heart and lungs looked ok for surgery. Then I had a walk about with the physiotherapist who would help me in recovery after any potential surgery. At lunchtime I was taken for an MRI. A little while later I went for the Cerebral Angiogram...this one made me nervous. Well, really it was the waiver I had to sign before going in acknowledging that I might have a stroke during the procedure that made me nervous. Ummm. Wasn't I in the hospital to prevent having a stroke?!

Once they had me on the table I started trembling and even weeping a little as the fear started kicking in. Apparently they get this reaction a lot. When they offered me something to help me relax I said 'hell ya!' in my head, but my imporing head nod and puppy dog eyes got the point across equally well. Once they gave me something to relax we moved right along.

The angiogram was one I've never had before and some have asked me what it is, so here is my summary of what was a pretty intense experience. They insert a catheter into an artery in the groin area which goes up to the arteries in your neck and uses a special dye and camera to take pictures of the blood flow in the blood vessels of the head and neck. I watched the show going on inside my veins on a giant monitor right beside of me (seriously large, the screen was almost as long as my body!) They warn you when the dye is going into each of the arteries in your neck that you will feel "some heat and some discomfort as it passes through" which translates into "there will be hot flames shooting through your head and when it goes through your eyeballs prepare for searing pain" - or maybe that's just my experience. But they were right when they told me the sensation would pass quickly, it did. And an hour and a half later the whole thing was done. Phew.

After all the tests were done it was a waiting game for the neurosurgery team to decide what, if any, treatment would be required to deal with my aneurysms. I was anxious to know which procedure would be done so I could start wrapping my head around the possible recovery time which could be anywhere from a week to over a year depending on how it goes. The neurosurgeon didn't visit me til later in the evening, and then he told me they had determined no surgical procedures would be required. Yahoo!

They had not found any evidence of a rupture, and after comparing my current scans to ones done in the past, it seems the aneurysms had been there quite a while. One from waaay back, and the second seen on the scan after my last conscussion. So I had in fact been living with these things for many years, which is quite common. You can live with an aneurysm and have no symptoms or problems ever. It's only dangerous if they rupture or are in a place in your brain where you could die or suffer brain damage if they rupture.

My little friends (for you have to embrace these kind of things if you have to live with them) are not under the skull, so if they rupture there is no danger of bleeding on the brain. There is danger of other problems if they rupture, but given their location below my skull, the danger of the surgery is not worth it at this time.

The monitor we watched hourly for
my latest blood pressure reading.

It turns out the biggest problem now is my blood pressure. It has always been 'a touch high' when tested throughout my life, but it seems its no longer in a healthy range. So I will now be taking medication to stabilize my blood pressure as it presents the biggest danger of any ruptures occuring from my aneurysms.

Yay! I get to eat again!
First meal in 2 days.

Once I was given the all clear from the neurosurgeons, the last half a day of my stay was a waiting game for the neurology team to come assess me and give their approval for me to go as well. No significant damage done so I was officially free. The main purpose for my admittance had been to fast track all the tests needed to prepare me for any surgical procedure they thought I might need. If my doctor had booked all these tests it could have been many months to come up with the answers they were able to clarify in only a day or two by having me come through the ER. All worth it in my opinion.

Now that I have a handle on the various types of pain I'm dealing with in my head, and the various impacts they have on my body overall, I know what I need to do to take better care of myself. Primarily, manage my blood pressure and do a better job of managing my stress. The clear cut instruction of "if you need to take anything to relieve pain in your head, you need to stop as much as you can and take it easy until you don't need the pain relief anymore". Also, I tend to wait til I'm in a lot of pain before taking anything to relieve it, and I've been told to not wait so long on that. Pain can cause blood pressure to spike as well. It was also made clear to me that I really don't get headaches like normal people and if not taken seriously the outcome could require more than just a few days off work to recover.

Some things, like work instability, are out of my control. But other things, like my task list from volunteer responsibilities, are within my control. So now I'm reflecting on what I can let go of to give myself more time to take care of me. More quality time and less responsibility. My problem is that I really enjoy being involved in the communities I live and work in...so these are not easy choices for me. How do I stay involved without overdoing it?

Along with the new blood pressure medications, it may alleviate some concern for you to know that my cranium will continue to be monitored over time. I will be referred to a new neurologist who I will see somewhat regularly, and in one year I will go back to VGH to have the same tests done I had while in hospital. Though I am not super keen to do the cerebral angiogram again and hope that won't be necessary!

I've always been a person full of gratitude for the bounty of good in my life, but now that gratitude is seriously overflowing. This experience really solidified that we are surrounded by an amazing community of family, friends and neighbours who fill my life with an ridiculous abundance of happy, and which has always kept me afloat when I start to sink from bouts of depression. I learned a long time ago that friends are the best life preservers you can have. And whatever comes our way we are not alone to face the challenges...that makes stres reduction soooooooooooo much easier! :)

Serious gratitude to all of you that lifted my spirit while I was trying not to be terrified, and for supporting Mark and Sasha by bringing them food, offering to run errands and take care of them, so I never had a worry for them while I worried about myself. Words just can't express how full of gratitude I really am.

I also have to mention my gratitude to all the nurses and staff that took great care of me while I was in for my short stay at Vancouver General Hospital, and my gratitude that as a Canadian I was able to go through all of this medical mayhem over the years without fear of not being able to afford the care I needed. I can't even imagine the stress this would put on families who live in countries that don't provide full health care for all of its citizens. We've got a good thing going in this country - Stop messing with it Harper!!

So there you have it folks. My cranium keeps taking a licking but it hasn't knocked me out yet! I was already doing many things right to take care of myself before this experience, and now my blood pressure has given me something new to work on. It'll be a few more days til my body gets used to being on the new meds so I'm taking it very easy in the next while to adjust to it. But I still have much to do in this life of mine and I will continue to live to the fullest that I can handle every day...while allowing myself to have days doing nothing more often too. That's not going to be as hard for me now as it used to be. ;)

I promise to keep taking good care of myself so I can be around to share hugaroos with all of you for many years to come.
:D xo

Song for a Cloudy Day

While we walk to school, or anywhere actually, Sasha often makes up songs as we go. She is really good at off the cuff rhymes and melodies. However, we never remember them.

"Sunshine Song" is one easy little ditty she wrote when she was about 4 years old that stuck, and we sing that often. I should post that one one day...but here are the lyrics:
Sunshine sunshine
Shine in the morning
Sunshine sunshine
Shine at lunch time
Sunshine sunshine
Shine in the afternoon
Sunshine sunshine
Now you set

The other day it was a particularly cloudy morning, so naturally the song she started making up was a cloudy day song.

This time there was one line in particular that totally embedded itself in my head. As I walked to work after dropping her off the tune repeated in my mind over and over. Then a follow up line came to mind. I shared the 2 line combo with her when I picked her up and we determined we had a nice chorus for a song!

We have many musical friends in our life and I thought it might be fun to invite them to help her finish a song. I asked her if she would like to try a collaborative music project with some fellow creative folks who can add a line and continue building on the tune she started. She thought that was a great idea!

So, here's what we've got so far with our "Song for a Cloudy Day":



Sasha's line that started it all is:
Yes, there are grey clouds over the city
and it's about to rain

My addition was:
but when you live in a rainforest
why bother to complain

We welcome all of you to add a line, create a verse, show us how to play this tune on the guitar (for me) or piano (for her), funk it up, rock it up...play with it however you feel inspired to and then share your contribution with us! :)

Then I'm going to compile all the bits we receive from folks to edit the final "Song for a Cloudy Day" video with Sasha for her to share. I will work with her through the editing process so she can learn from it, and also share her own amazing and imaginative ideas.

Sasha says she will share updates on what she learns on her blog, and if you want to play along with us on this collaborative musical adventure, here's the link:
welcometosashasworld.blogspot.ca

(July 25 - noticed that Mark has added a new verse on Sasha's blog. Now it's your turn!)

letting go of grief

Me and death go back a long way.

Death has played a big part in shaping my ability to face every day with a positive attitude and general tendency to look on the bright side of life. But I've noticed that death has also spread a grey cloud that's been niggling away at my thoughts for a while now. Bringing me down when I'm alone, and making it harder and harder to be that bundle of happy.

After much reflection I'm now aware that I've been grieving, and for longer than I realized. I've taken the time to process this and the act of writing and sharing these thoughts is part of the process that will help me breath and let it go.

The initial impact of this grief hit me when the tsunami wave hit Thailand and surrounding shores in 2004. We were visiting family in the states for the holidays and while we were there paid no attention to any news at all. A media blackout to relax and enjoy our stay.

One night in bed I just started bawling. Uncontrollable sobs wrenching me and my heart feeling crushed. I had no idea why. Poor Mark worried he or someone had done something to upset me, and perhaps I was not being truthful when I said "I don't know what's wrong, but I feel so sad. Like I'm drowning in grief." For hours that night I cried without knowing why my mind was full of images of countless people screaming out for loved ones they couldn't find.

When we returned home and saw a news story on the devastation that the tsunami had caused days before, Mark noted that the time the wave hit was when I began losing myself in tears. I was stunned. Like the collective grief of the victims of that wave had washed across the pacific and found me unawares in Washington state.

The feelings from that moment were so intense they linger today, and have become a piece of my ongoing grief for the turmoil people continue to face from war and environmental chaos on a regular basis around the world.

That night the wave of feeling was like collecting all of the grief I had experienced with death over my lifetime hitting me at once...multiplied exponentially.

My experience began with the smell of death when I was around 9 years old. There was a house that kids in my neighbourhood claimed was haunted. A small bungalow that was run down and very neglected looking, we would tip toe around this place now and then trying to see if we could find any sign of life inside...worried we might get caught by a witch!

But one day we noticed the house had a bad stench we didn't want to get near anymore. Not long after, we passed by to find an ambulance taking away a covered body and heard a grown up nearby filling in the neighbours on how the old woman who lived there had died, and how no one knew until she started decomposing and the mail carrier reported the smell.

The lesson that I learned from that experience was that I didn't ever want to become old and lonely. To die and have no one who missed me enough to realize I wasn't around anymore.

A few years later was the first death of someone I cared about when I was 12. She was 13 and we were hanging out at the park across from her house when she suddenly slumped and dropped to the ground. As soon as I realized she was unresponsive I ran to her house to alert her parents and call an ambulance.

Her death from a brain aneurysm taught me the lesson that life could end in a moment - for no apparent reason even. This was when I consciously chose to enjoy every day and make the best of it no matter what. Maintain an attitude of gratitude for every experience I live through.

By the time I chose to move to Vancouver in '97 at the age of 24, I had mourned the loss of more than 30 people who died from accidents, suicides, murders, illnesses and disease like aids and cancer in only a dozen years. After my arrival on the west coast there was a lucky seven years when no one I knew passed away...but then one of my inspiring mentors lost her struggle with cancer when it came back a third time, and soon after another inspiring mentor died from a heart attack. Then the wave. Death was back. A slow trickle over the years.

I thought I had stopped counting once more than 40 people had passed away, but early in September there was a day when I received news of two amazing people dying on the same day (along with a series of other bad news tales, too much bad news for one day). One from a random accident and one who lost their fight with cancer. I suddenly knew I was one death away from losing 50 friends in my lifetime, and I've been raw with emotion and on the verge of tears non-stop ever since.

Last week I said goodbye to the soul of a generous and kind man who was that 50th person I've been lucky enough to know before their passing, and I was laughing and chatting with him less than an hour from the time of his stroke. "see you next week"

I wonder how it is possible to have mourned the loss of 50 people. Old and young, from all walks of life, before I have even hit 40. Family, close friends, mentors, and my first true love.

Whenever I start to relax and forget about death, it comes back to take another life. Living in a peaceful corner of the world, I hate that I have still come to fear the next day I will receive news of someone dying. The downside to life as a social butterfly who loves meeting new people and who builds strong connections with others so easily.

The many memorials/funerals/wakes I've attended have taught me that death is a fact of life...but it's one that sucks. Sucks air from your lungs and makes breathing difficult when it's someone close to your heart. Wreaks havoc on emotions and mental health while grief has you in its clutches. The passing of even a casual acquaintance can shatter your world for a while when you have become so dependent on there presence in some way. That smile, now only a memory.

The somberness of a funeral is darkest when the loss of life seems meaningless. Random accidents that rob a life too quickly are dark, but not as dark as suicides where every person there wonders if they could have done something/said something differently to make that person choose life. Celebrations of long lives well lived are full of joyful tears to accompany the sorrow. Those who pass from disease usually have the benefit of time to say farewells before they go. Bittersweet because their death means an end to suffering they endured before passing.

Painful and tragic - every death - to those who miss them.

But if you are fortunate enough to have a network of caring around you, the days will slowly get easier. Grey cloud of grief in my head has not been able to cover the daily light I have from shiny happy people around me. That is why it took me so long to realize it was intense grief I was battling inside.

Another part of my grief comes from confronting the reality that I'm now at the age where my close friends are worrying about/suffering heart attacks and other illnesses. One of my best friends, an incredible force of positive energy to all who know him, had a heart attack last year which snapped me out of denial and into my own mid-life reality.
Cancer still consumes more and more people I know (themselves or their loved ones) and many of the elders in my life have reached that age which statistics prepare us for as the end of the average life span.

With all this in mind, my gratitude for every day I can get with friends and family is hard to express.

The biggest grief is my worry over things I can't control for the life of my daughter. Every year she makes it to another birthday celebration I feel blessed that she made it past the lifespan of another child I've known that died too young. This dread will follow me her whole life, but I will have to keep letting her go every day to live her life anyways. The most concise quote I have ever found to descibe the emotions of parenthood:
"Making the decision to have a child is momentous.  It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."  ~Elizabeth Stone.

My memory of my young friends death went through a perceptual shift once Sasha was born. Standing with her dad while he was on the phone with the ambulance, for the first time I went from simply watching her mom through the window, holding Tammy in her arms. To my ears inside the home, her howls were silent. Now, my heart shatters at what that moment was like for her, and I can hear those screams to the heavens. Worse is when I think of myself ever in that position.

I have an abundance of gratitude for every day that Sasha (and every child and youth in our family tribe) continues to grow, flourish and stumble through life. When words fail me all I can do is get in as many hugs as I can.

I know I will continue to have reason to grieve in the future, but the cloud that has been casting shadows in the back of my mind does not feel like it is suffocating me anymore. The past couple of years of writers block have been due to this wall of grief I couldn't get around/through/over/under. Turns out it wasn't just a wall, it was a mountain disguised as a series of bumps in the road. The summit has been passed and now I'm ready to roll with what lies on the other side.

A determined daily practise of reflecting on the countless things I'm full of gratitude for is my key. I love my family, friends, community, where I work - everything. This is what has always kept me afloat. Its hard to really be sad when you have so much in your life that genuinely makes you happy. The good news I have never lost sight of that. And now that I have acknowledged the grief that was building within me, I can focus on writing about the positive stuff again.

One day at a time...grateful as always to all of you who share your smiles, hugs and presence with me and help make my life totally worth living. :)

A Super Sasha Story

A fun collaborative creation on a lazy Sunday morning.

Sasha says "let's make a book together!" She tells the tale. I write it out for her. She draws the pictures. She narrates while I film. I edit and post for your viewing pleasure.

Hope you enjoy "Super Sasha and the Power to Help"   : )

zombie talk

Over the long weekend we were lucky to have Keyan staying with us (while his parents enjoyed a weekend get-a-way they won in the folk fest raffle - remember you can't win if you don't play, hehe) and I particularly enjoyed a nice lazy Monday morning hanging out with him and Sasha.

While a birthday card is made (and I play with the camera), Sasha and Keyan talk about flowers, fairies, zombies, werewolves and ghosts. Then I had a little fun playing with the footage. The result: this cute moment in time you may enjoy : )

Tales of a Green City Racer

Tucked behind the the Great Northern Way campus, and the BCIT Green Roof Research Facility, you will find a new Evergreen project - an urban orchard!

 And here is where we began one of the most enjoyable and challenging family adventures ever!!

 I enlisted Mark and Sasha to join me on a team to compete in the inaugural Green City Race organized by Evergreen, which is one of my ultimate favourite environmental organizations that focuses on bringing all kinds of awesome greenery to cities and schools around Canada.

The little orchard just happened to have a small stage, so while we waited for the race to begin after registering, Sasha chose to pump us full of positive green energy with a spontaneous green song.




As the "Whittam Greens" our family joined 55 other racers (in teams of 2-3 people) on an Amazing Race style journey around Vancouver by foot and transit.

One of the organizers took to the stage next and shared a summary of the rules: After we complete the first challenge we will be given a bag full of clues, and other useful things we may need during the race - like a day pass for transit! Once you reach the destination of your first clue you will be able to answer the follow up question on the clue sheet. The answer to the question will some how reveal the number for your next clue. Keep going til you answer all your clues and make it to the finish line.

In between random clues there will be a couple of challenges for your team to complete before you can be given your next clue number.

There was a Hint Line we could call if we found ourselves stuck, but it costs you a few points. And we were not finished all of our clues by 2:30, we were to call this number for help to find our way to the finish line before time ran out.

Smart phones had been recommended because some clues would require internet access to solve, and the other option was to have someone you can call to help look things up for you. Our phones are pretty basic, so we went with option B and enlisted a few 'phone-a-friend' back up helpers for our team. (a couple of my Britannia co-workers and Marks library staff network)

With the race basics covered we were introduced to our very first challenge - plant an apple tree! As a team we had to dig a hole, plant the tree and make sure it was done right so when the volunteer checks your work the tree doesn't come out.
Done. Gravenstein now added to our list of apples to try. :)

Once we collected our bag of tricks we were on our way!

Another way of earning bonus points during the race was to capture a team member within a photo from a list of ideas they provided. The list included things like 'holding a reusable mug/drink container'. Have you ever seen this done with such pizazz?

Sasha earned us some extra funky points for poses like this one. ;)

We also captured 'using a cloth bag' and 'examples of recycling and garbage containers'. Yes, I actually had a reason to take pictures of these things this time! (unlike all the pics I've acquired over the years just because waste management and its various containers is a fascination of mine)

Our first clue was related to the number of goals in the Greenest City 2020 Action plan for Vancouver which I have read a bunch of times. If I had trusted my gut we could have saved a half hour of time getting to the destination pretty quick. However, once I second guessed myself we called for help and hearing conflicting info we took the Canada Line up to King Edward instead.

Another back up call ended up confirming my original instinct to the answer, and then we walked up Cambie back to where we should have been while enjoying the beautiful day and taking pics for bonus points as we strolled.

We found a coffee shop where we could get a pic of Sasha holding some 'fair trade coffee beans'  (sorry Kirsten! we didn't find any Cafe Etico while we raced around!)

More funky funk poses from Sasha with another garbage bin (I love these Big Belly solar compactors!), with an electric car power up station, and the food garden outside City Hall.

 

With this herb garden from the Green Streets program finally found, our next clue informed us we were up for a challenge on the lawn of City Hall. I wish I had a picture to show you from the water race we completed together as it was a lot of fun! Sasha and I first used our 4 hands to carry the bucket of water to the half way point of the field marked by flags to show the distances we had to travel. Once to the first flag I hopped on one foot with the bucket to the 2nd flag. Mark then ran around a tree with the bucket before all 3 of us ran back to the starting point.

(Update: my wish was granted by Evergreen who sent me pics of our family racing! yay! So here is your action shot!) 

Surprisingly, we barely lost any water and also earned a few points for funk and team spirit. Then they stamped our point collection sheet and gave us our next clue number. Our next clue took us to the Baxter House, a heritage house built in 1913 as the home for Truman S Baxter who was the mayor of Vancouver at that time.

This was when we ended up calling the hint line for help as we were having a difficult time finding the "sign of inspiration in the laneway" next to the heritage house that our clue eluded to. It didn't help that there was a garage sale going on before this door, as well as a construction fence. If we had walked further down the lane we eventually would have found this sign which says "Be the change you want to see in the world".(We did find it after we were told it was on a door a few garages in...oh. there it is!)

After a snack, some hydration and a few deep breaths to re-energize and get back into race mode we were on to solve the next clue which I figured would be found at the Neighbourhood Energy Utility serving Southeast False Creek down at the base of the Cambie Bridge.

As we made our way north it was awesome to stumble across a random flash mob practise by the latest artist installation by the Canada Line at Broadway.

The clue to find the energy station would have been tricky if I wasn't one of those people that actually explores the city web site in my spare time. (the site honestly has lots of interesting things to discover!) Especially around the time of the Olympics I was following development around Southeast False Creek (aka Olympic Village) so the energy plant was another thing I already investigated, and even visited on one of my walks along the sea wall. The little garden wasn't there when I check it out last time, and was a nice addition to the area.

 

Nearby we got this pic of Sasha pointing at an example of 'illegal dumping' off in the distance.

Here are 2 more of my fave bonus point photos we collected on our travels to the site of our next clue: 'gesture of thanks to a transit worker' and the 'random act of green kindness' we stumbled upon. Glad we were able to sign the petition from Youth for Climate Justice Now to stop the expansion of oil development on the coast, which is something we support completely.

Our next destination was the MOBY garden which I have been a fan of for years. Passing this garden once during a wave of negative emotion at the end of the civic strike (that had both Mark and I on the picket line for 3 months) re-inspired my hope that things can get better...even when it doesn't always feel like it. Genuine positive change is a generational struggle that will continue til we get it right, or we don't. Garden projects like MOBY are proof anything is possible when community organizes together, and provides plenty of reason for hope. And it has a cob building! C'mon. What's not to love about this place?

After the garden the next clue was to find out what kind of fruit Bandidas Taqueria has stopped serving because of its unsustainable food miles. I've yet to sample the food at this restaurant but have had it on my list of places to try for a long while as it is one of those places that emphasizes  local, organic, fair trade and every other ethical consideration we value when it comes to our food. And they support community groups and artists to boot. If you are curious about which fruit got the chop off their menu it is pineapple.

From there we were unable to decipher the next clue to find the spot for our last challenge of the race. Part of the clue we figured out was Germany with the help of two phone back ups (the question was to do with which country had the highest rate of solar energy per capita at 43%). But not even our super skilled librarian or community info staff contacts were able to figure out where in Vancouver we could find a plaza with connections to Germany and  'foursquare' based on the wording of the clue.

Thankfully for our intellectual egos, we found out at the end of the race that we were not the only ones who struggled with that one! Google really does work differently for everyone after all.

As it turns out there is a lovely garden by 29th Ave station called the German-Canadian Heritage Garden. One day we'll go check that out now that I know it exists. :)

So there was one clue and one challenge we didn't get done, but Mark quickly determined the solution to the final clue in our bag was the Woodwards building.

Back on the Skytrain and away we go to the finish line!

...and a final couple of bonus photos before we check in. "find a public water fountain' and 'leave a thank you note on the handlebar of a bicycle'. check and check. (Our note said "Thank you for riding your bicycle! Cheers to a greener world :D")

The Whittams Greens were not the first team in, but we also weren't the last!! Haza! Prizes were given for the team that brought the most funk to the race - undeniably the Loraxettes (we speak for the trees!)  and for the top 2 teams which scored insanely high points overall and mastered the race in every way.  I loved that the trophies were repurposed trinkets from thrift stores, while the prize gifts were things like eco spa packages. Quality where it matters ;)

After 3 1/2 hours as Green City Racers we were exhilerated and exhausted. The journey was intense yet totally wonder-full!! Our goal when we began was to simply enjoy the challenge, see how many clues we could solve before time was up, explore and learn some cool things about green initiatives in our great city. This mission was completed with gusto! We got to play in a friendly competition with passionate keen-to-be-green folks, put our critical thinking skills to work, visit some of the spots we already love, find many new things we didn't know about, got a dose of history and a dose of a visionary green future...and plenty of sunshine and exercise!

We learned more about how we work together as a team and are more aware of our strengths and weaknesses. (you'd think after all our years together that we would have figured out how to avoid getting cranky with each other under pressure...but we sure have gotten better at getting over it quickly, lol) Next year we will have a smart phone with us for sure, as I found there were a few things I could have easily found with internet at my fingertips. We are full of gratitude for all the help we did get by phone as it was nice of people to share their time to help the Whittam Greens make it to the next level of the race. (Sandy and Kia, you rock ladies!) It broadened our team and added to the overall race experience.

At the end of it all, the best part for Sasha was that they awarded her a small trophy for being the youngest racer (the only child actually) to complete the Green City Race! She was totally overjoyed! While waiting for the bus home she says "mommy please take a picture of me loving my trophy". ummm, ok.

 

We are totally looking forward to racing around town again next year in the 2nd Annual Green City Race, and hope you will join us for the fun. Gotta warn you though...the Whittam Greens will be upping the funk factor, and if we have our own smart phone (like everyone else)  we know we've actually got what it takes to win it next time! Win or not, it has proven to be a fabulous family fun adventure indeed! :D

Many thanks to all the great staff and volunteers at Evergreen for their hard work pulling off a terrific event! Cheers to all of you from the

school daze

This was taken last September on Sasha's first day of kindergarten as we walked to school with a couple of our friendly neighbours. Orion is her bestie, and I'm happy his mom Keely is a friend of mine as well. At this point, he is also the boy she wants to marry. When she's not declaring she's done with him.  ;)

A lot has changed since my last post just before her 4th birthday, while many things have stayed the same. I have started many posts but never finished any of them. They may start appearing as tales buried in the past, and only those of you who really want to find the hidden treasure will.

But honestly, there are so many things to share from the past 2 years I will likely never get around to that. I'm focusing on the future and all that lays ahead now that Sasha has begun her public school experience. I have a whole post worth of thoughts to share on her time at Mt Pleasant Elementary so far, but for now I want you to know that we couldn't have found a better teacher for her if we tried, and all the parents and staff we have met have been great! It is really an awesome neighbourhood school. :)

I need to pinch myself every day when I get overwhelmed by my gratitude for the uber community we have been able to find within our co-op, her school and beyond. You can tell when I start gushing that I'm full of things to say...so I'll leave it with - I'm thankful.

If you ever want to hear about the year I worked a wig shop, the Tourism Challenge epic urban hikes and family adventures of 2010 and 2011, our Circle Farm tours around the lower mainland every summer, adventures with Oma, and life in general over this lost time period with our Whittam clan...well, give me a call, drop me a line, invite us for a meal, and we can regale each other with stories galore.

This year is another bound to be full of adventure, and I'm also back into writing mode with many hats to share perspectives from. This blog is for all my rants, raves and ponderings that don't fit into my writing for the Educate Me Documentary Project (launching our new social media campaign soon) and my new role as the Britannia Green Team Co-ordinator. Still juggling some auxilary hours as cashier/clerical staff and at the museum so there is never a dull moment in my work life with every day holding something different.

Education and all things green continue to consume my thinking and therefore these thoughts are likely to make frequent guest appearances here. Just part of who I am. But this blog is mainly for reflections on family adventures, community a plenty, creative tangents. We are a family that loves to explore our local world and that introduces us to many things that get me thinking...so I have lots of things I want to write about that simply don't fit elsewhere.

Katmar Baby is really about entertaining the friends and family who love us warts and all (well, we don't actually have any warts at this point, but we certainly aren't perfect...nor do we want to be). Some of you have pestered me to come back to this creative writing outlet because you miss my written ramblings.

I hope you handful of fabulous encouraging folks (and mom, of course) enjoy. ;)

new decade begins

A pretty positive start to the new year overall...and its spring already! how did that happen??

I really am trying to get in the habit of writing a bit more frequently so my updates don't turn into long summaries of our whirlwind life in retrospect...but I had a wee bit of writers block in all areas of life when this year began. Now that the mental wall has come down I'm back in the writing zone and catching up on things.

The end of my stable hours at the Info Centre, and adjusting to a whole new weekly changing work schedule had me feeling quite anxious for a while. Not as nice working mostly nights and weekends as I am now back to taking whatever hours I can get and that is usually what I'm offered. Feast or famine auxiliary life has its stresses, but the flexibility has worked for us so far. And up to this point I've been getting enough hours at Britannia (between the Info Centre & the pool) and the MOV for us to stay afloat just fine. This has helped me relax a bit more lately. :)

Some tales from the beginning of this new decade were worthy of their own posts, like the Olympic ramblings, farewell to ravishing beasts, spring potlucks and a moving adventure, and the rest I will recap as best I can here.

The adorable pic of Sasha above was the night she had her first hair cut a la mommy. Trimmed her bangs and the longest of the curls at the back. She's not much for barrettes or ponytails,  so we needed to cut the hair in front so she could see ;)


Mark and I had a couple of date nites to start the year off. The first was dinner and a hockey game as we enjoyed his tix I got him for Christmas. Super fun night, and a bonus that the Canucks actually won that night too! yay

Our other night out was to see my buddy Matt in his theatre show "Hobson's Choice" (vid clip) How's that for a balance? Sports and theatre in one month. :D




After our food and drink the night of the game, we began a family cleanse and started the Wild Rose meal plan for 12 days. Basically, we cut out flour, sugar and dairy which turned out to be a lot less challenging than we expected. Cheese, bread and wine were a touch difficult to live without, but we don't eat very many processed foods, so we approached it as an opportunity to simply try a bunch of new recipes, and I was determined to conquer my fear of beets. I love to eat them but always worried about the mess of them so never prepared them myself. You can ask Mark sometime just how far I've come with my culinary skills and trying new things in the kitchen since we met. He still doesn't like to watch me use a knife (though he's the one who keeps cutting himself...not me, hehe) but my prep skills have come along way too and I have mastered many yummy meals! And the beets weren't so scary after all, lol.

The best part of our time of cleanse was the way Sasha eagerly jumped into it and loved it. We had to pack a special lunch and snacks for her throughout the cleanse, and she would carry her lunch bag every day excited to show everybody what she got to have. I was worried it might be tricky for her to eat different things than everyone else, but it was only hard one day when they had a snack that Sasha is a particularly big fan of. Other than that the whole menu change was fairly easy for us all.

Well, aside from the caffeine headaches Mark and I suffered the first couple of days. We didn't have to cut out coffee, but without milk and sugar I don't enjoy it as much, so I switched to herbal teas...and we were pretty darn cranky for a day or two there.

Anyways, we did actually feel better at the end of the cleanse and decided we would like to do it again in the fall. The 6 pills a day that you have to take as herbal supplements during the cleanse are a bit hard to swallow (aha), but we did achieve the goal of learning a bunch of great new recipes to add to our menu mix.

Another goal to achieve has been getting us all on track with the dentist. I realized last fall that it was time to consider taking Sasha for her first exam of her teeth. Before getting her started it was time for Mark and I to get to have a little dental catch-up ourselves. Here's an embarassing little secret: I had not been to the dentist since I moved to Vancouver in 1997. I know, I know. And we didn't even have a really good excuse since we have his dental plan and everything. 2 procrastinators = neglected dental appointments. Time to change that!!

I'm happy to say that for me, it took one 'new patient' appointment, 2 cleanings - one for each side of my mouth, and 2 fillings...and my teeth are all caught up. Seems I take pretty good care of them which was nice to hear! Mark is a different story, but he too will be caught up soon...and let's see which role model the kids choose to follow when it comes to brushing, hehe.

Sasha will have her first dentist appointment after her bday...which is at the end of this month! I can't say my 3 year old anymore because Sasha is gonna be 4 years old very soon! I will have a post dedicated to all of the thoughts I have to share about that later. For now I'm back to the day to day focus, and doesn't time move slowly living in the now?  Full of great moments of help and play around the house. I love that Sasha is really into board games which has opened a whole new level of family play time :)






Before the olympics we noticed something new on our walks to and from daycare (and on my walks to Britannia) Back then it was usually getting dark when we picked her up at the end of the day, so she first noticed it because it was a bright new light in the distance. From the top of the hill at China Creek park you can see this giant piece of public art which is called the Monument for East Vancouver by artist Ken Lum and is based on a symbol that has a long history and has become a common tattoo even. The piece reminds me too much of a neon sign for some kind of chapel, but it certainly makes for interesting conversation with people from East Van, and Sasha loves it. She can read all the letters, and she likes to declare now that she is "so happy I live in our neighbourhood of East Van" which was something she didn't know before this was put in place. What do you think?


Another interesting conversation piece I've enjoyed is the Aquaponics experiment that has been going on in the Britannia Info Centre. Our food security coordinator Ian Marcus, along with some Brit Secondary students who are doing science projects on different ways to grow food, are now enjoying the greens of their labours (well, mostly Ian's labour! what a stress adventure learning how to get this thing to work!) I love seeing food growing in the office, and its fascinating that the fish poop can feed the plants! They continue to grown even more since my last 'after' pic here.

I feel it is an exciting time to be a part of Britannia as there is a new focus on the future of the centre. Not to simply get on the next capital plan for some small (and much needed larger) problems can be fixed, but to create a master plan that is bold and sustainable in its vision. Britannia has an amazing history and is a unique model for a hub of community services. Right now is a great time to share your own ideas at somethingishappening@britanniacentre.org or fill in the survey at britanniacentre.org (link is on the front page) if you'd like to have your say. I found the open house that was held recently featuring a few different ways of gathering community input to the next level of planning, was a really fascinating process. And the skill of the people who can just draw everything you imagine and tell them about is crazy impressive!

The ultimate balance for us in crazy times is a healthy dose of friendship time. Mark has the boys over fairly often, and I'm lucky to have play time out of the home! Like a matinee movie date with Ali (love her facial reaction to "what do you think of all that pretty fencing around the olympic village below?") where we saw Avatar and ate her dreamy crepes in the theatre, hehe; also had a fun nite out with Victoria where I finally got to try Cafe Katmandu. Both of these dates included nice long walks which goes so well with great conversation and good food digestion :)


There are many staff I work with at the pool that have become solid friends over the years, and I was thrilled that Erinn held a fabulous feast (a full on carribean fest of delicious food!!) in her home and a chance for Mark and Sasha to finally meet a few more members of the fabu pool crew! Only managed a few worthy pics tho:



A live music night with friends at Cafe Deux Soleils with a few pitchers of sangria - you know I was in heaven! ;)


A great treat was time with our island friends before they moved back to the city and welcomed baby Maia to the world!

Our co-op was approved for all of the grant and loan money we need to start the renovations to all of the exterior. More info to come as the process begins to move forward, but the first investment was a new appliance contract so we all have new fridges and stoves! First sign of all the changes to come - wheeee!

A family adventure one day had us walking around town and ending up at Kalamata greek restaurant before going home. On the way we had to stop at the Canada Line station at Broadway, where for some reason they have a few cute little cow statues. Not sure why...

I'm sure that I have missed something, but I feel you are pretty well up to date on us wacky folks by this point. Time for you to send me a quick note with what is new with you!

We have a lot to look forward to in the year to come, so there will continue to be much to read about! I'm off to Montreal in May and also get to try the Tourism Challenge again this month (what stamps will we adventure for this year?), our 10th wedding anniversary is in June, and family camping adventure this summer - yeeeepa!

Here is a last little something to put a smile on your face: Sasha's last version of "Oh Canada"