22 years ago today

.... i was getting ready for a wedding. Mine. Yes boys and girls, i took the plunge. Funny expression that.... Plunge does imply leaping in over your head doesn't it? Sometimes the water's really nice once you get used to it. Sometimes you just go down under. I treaded water for awhile. But in my case i was dragged under by an unfaithful and emotionally bereft man who had no social skills to speak of and a chip on his shoulder the size of Chicago. I found the courage to get out, staggering back up on the beach to try to find my way back to the road.

And i did.

But it was a struggle for awhile. I had to move back to NOva Scotia from Ontario (thanks Mom and Dad :) and it took nearly a year to get a job. I got back out on my own about a year after that and it slowly came back for me. I started to travel a little bit. My dream trip to the UK and a trip to Italy as well as a visit to Newfoundland and some "away" courses throught work. Some of this did add to the debt i already had and there were money struggles for quite awhile culminating in a 12 week strike in 1999. But then...

Money troubles disappeared. The internet came online and i made many wonderful friends all over the world. I've been traveling to see friends in various places once or twice a year, i have enough money to handle any debts i accumulate.

When i think of where i was 22 years ago today and where i am now, what a difference. But the biggest difference is *who* i am now in comparison. I was always pretty grounded and mature for my age but as i got older and my confidence grew with me, i was able to shed a lot of the insecurities and fears and really get to know ME. And DAMN! i *like* who i see in the mirror! Oh sure there's things i would change if i could do it by snapping my fingers and there are things i think i can change if i really try, wouldn't we all? But the things that i can change aren't going to make the "me" that i am that much different. Just more...hmm.... what's the word.... multi-dimensional? That'll have to do for now i guess.

Well that was a nice afternoon.

Wasn't what i thought it was going to be. I expected to walk to the terminal and go over to pick up my prints. But i was talking to Josephine and she was taking the kids on a ride across the harbour on the ferry and we decided to meet up at McDonald's after so the boys could run and make noise and i could visit with her and her daughter Tangraya whom i haven't seen in awhile.

I picked up my prints and they turned out really good. Only i am sure i asked for some of them to be centered on the page and some to be enlarged to the full size and they did them all (the corrie ones) full size. They look good though. The three prints of the Old Cross (cottage) turned out the way i asked them because i didn't ask them to do them larger. Anyway they'll be fine for ping raffle prizes. They cost buttons so will only charge the cost price for the prizes but i think i will see if they could be sold for 10 dollars. 5 seems far too cheap. I'm keeping one of each back so i can make more copies if people were interested.

AFter i picked those up, i went into a fabulous second hand store off Spring Garden road. They have a lot of great retro clothes, shoes, bags, accessories and also non-retro stuff too. I was just browsing but ended up buying a few things. A husband and wife (i'm assuming) run it and he said he had a skirt that might fit me that they had only just got in. Turned out it was a dress but yes it fit. It's unusual. I looked at it and thought EW. but i knew it would fit so thought it might be one of those that look better on than on the hanger. It did! it's got dark zig zags through it but the base colour is sort of pale brown/yellow ... it doesn't sound like much does it? but it's actually not bad at all. I also found chocolate brown suede flat shoes to go with it and i bought my mum something there for Mother's day as well. Can't say what it is cause she reads this :)

Back to Dartmouth to meet them all at McD's and had a taco salad and coffee and tried to talk over all the kids screaming in the play room ! Nice visit though. Home, and i've put laundry on and done a few other tasks. I might go for that walk later on.

corrie ping get together tomorrow so i'm going to miss tai chi. Sharon will have to remember the new moves or we'll have a tutorial sesson at work with our coworker that's taking it over the winter.

( One of my best friends, Jo and her daughter Tangraya )