June 30, 2009

Wow....I cannot believe that we are at the end of June already. It just doesn't seem possible and yet....there it is. My birthday is coming up Friday....48 this year. Great number isn't it? Ok...so I act like I'm 12 but contrary to what people tell me I actually DO look my age! Thank goodness for L'oreal!

I leave for Montreal on Tuesday for the Brain Injury Association of Canada's annual conference. This is the last year that we will be holding the conference in Pierrefonds at the monastery. Beginning next year we will be moving the conference around the country. I think that will be a positive move as it will allow more survivors to attend.

My friends Paul & Beatriz are in Winnipeg visiting from Toronto. Paul and I were in the same class in law school here and I don't think I've seen him in person since 2003. So we got together for coffee this morning and then walked up to the Winnipeg Art Gallery to take in the Fafard show currently staged there. I LOVE the WAG!!! It was nice to go through it with an artist (Paul - pre-lawyer days!) who was able to explain different things to me and I honestly felt that I gained a new appreciation for some of the artists.

After the WAG I went to pick up my stepdad Leo and took him on an appointment. Then I just came home because while I was out with Leo I suddenly began to feel as though I'm coming down with something. Stuffed all sorts of vitamins down my throat and I'm now sitting here with my second cup of hot tea! I don't care what anyone says, tea cures just about anything!

Well I think I am going to go try to get the rest of this tea down me and then make it an early bedtime!

Hope all of you are well and please enjoy the Canada Day celebrations!

Rafi's Bar Mitzvah......or

how two days out can totally exhaust me these days!

My friends' eldest son, Rafi, celebrated his Bar Mitzvah on Saturday at the synagogue and then yesterday was the party. I think that Samuel and I arrived at shul by 9:15 Saturday morning, which is pretty close to the beginning of the first service and in more than enough time for the Torah service which begins at 10:00 a.m. I received the most incredible honour...I was asked to hold the Torah during the prayers. I'm sure I was absolutely glowing I was so happy!

Rafi did an amazing job in leading most of the service. It never ceases to amaze me how Jewish children, especially the boys, seem to undergo this incredible transformation upon attaining the age of 13 for boys and 12 for girls when they take on the responsibility of performing the mitzvot. All of a sudden girls become women and boys become men.

Rafi has inherited his father's voice which has a wonderful deep tenor to it. It is also easily apparent how well loved he is by the confidence and presence which he exudes and that was amply present on Saturday.

We left the synagogue around 2:30 p.m. after kiddush and then did some running around, including dropping off clothes for Grandpa Leo at the personal care home then picking up some shoes for my sister at the shoe repair in Grant Park Mall. We had an evening in, watching some of the episodes from the first season of Gilmore Girls that Jon & Michelle bought me as a present one year.

Then Sunday the festivities continued with a Bar Mitzvah celebration from 11:30 until 4:30 so we actually left about 5 p.m.!

We had another quiet evening and a reasonably early night but just being out those two days left me exhausted! I woke up about 8:30 this morning, got up went to the loo and then fell back into bed and didn't wake up until almost noon.

The effects of my brain injury are resolving but it amazes me how easily I become fatigued. It's not like I was mountain climbing all weekend or anything! Oh well.....c'est la vie!

Anyway, off to the doctor's now to get my prescriptions refilled....they are the ones that ward of the debilitating headaches that have plagued me since the collision....so I REALLY don't want to be without!

Have a wonderful day!

Barb

Entry for June 28, 2009

A plea for help!!!!

The Manitoba Brain Injury Assn is a not for profit group which helps ABI survivors & families cope and provides resources....we don't receive any regular government funding and I would like to encourage anyone who is looking for a charitable association to support to choose the MBIA.....Things are to the point where we may have to close the doors on this very necessary resource, please contact the office for details of how you can help! Remember, every little bit helps. If you cannot support us financially, perhaps you know others who can so please feel free to forward this message to your friends and family. Donations can be made online through the CanadaHelps.org website.

www.mbia.ca or (204) 975-3271

With thanks,

Barb