Sunday, July 26, 2009

Awake from the dead

Well, I wasn't actually dead, but didn't have any words to write in me.

2009 has been a challenging year for me. It began with serious bouts of pneumonia that then got complicated with bronchitis (lasting from January to March and then recovering from it after that). I missed lots of work, had temperatures as high as 104F and didn't have much energy for anything but sleep and work. I had to cancel my fun activities - such as singing and curling so that I could continue working. However, it was getting VERY stressful at work due to a boss that was unsympathetic about my health and who began putting more deadlines and pressure on me. In April I began looking for alternative work - which my boss found out about and decided to let me go before I could find anything. There are tough times out there these days but I do have high credentials so I hope to get something full-time soon (perhaps even with a better salary). In the interim I've had a few small jobs to keep me busy. The stress of the winter and early spring is gone and my health has returned so it wasn't a bad thing to have these changes (but would have preferred it without a gap in employment).

As such, the words for a blog didn't come.

But, these days I've been spending lots of time with wonderful friends. I spent a week-end with Anne Marie and other friends at the beginning of July, then had a friend down from Ottawa the next week-end and went camping with other friends last week-end. My weeks have been spent looking for work, gardening (when not raining), and doing a few small marketing, pr or writing jobs on the side for some old clients I had when I did full time consulting. Oh, I'm also struggling with not spending lots of money too.

In August I'll be looking forward to a friend visiting from Hungary (who used to live in Toronto but retired in her native land), taking a week-end in the country to enjoy corn-on-the-cob season and maybe doing some small renovations in my basement that are labour rather than financially intensive. .... and if I'm lucky ..... negotiating new employment when all the offers come in !!!!

Hopefully, I'll get more words back to write in a blog. Until then .... bisous

4 comments:

Vallypee said...

Oh Lesley I'm so sorry to hear you've had such a tough time. To have health problems is bad enough but to have an unsympathetic boss to compound it is even worse. I'm glad you feel more upbeat about it though and have good friends to share things with too. No one is truer than Anne Marie, I know so if you have a few more like her around, then you are blessed indeed!!

Good luck with the job search. I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for in time. Meanwhile i wish you plenty of small jobs to tide you over..that's what I'm doing at the moment too xxx

grace said...

Hi Lesley,

I am sorry too. What a tough time you have been going through. You do sound better and more 'alive'! :)
I hope everything works out, and so glad to see you posted here at your blog! Nice to see you.

Dale said...

Welcome back, Lesley!

I know how you feel when writing doesn't come freely. It's so much easier when things are going well.

It's good to hear your health has returned and the stress is less. Both act in negative ways on each other.

It's good spending time away and with good friends, too. Beth and I are planning a trip to visit Mum and Dad at the end of September. We hope to be able to see you, too!

Good luck on the empoyment front!

xo

Anne-Marie said...

Hi Lesley,
I hope you had a relaxing weekend and that all goes well today.

xx
AM

P.S. - Val, you're so sweet to say that.