My Life Story in a Nutshell

Karissa of "A Fresh Start on a Budget" is hosting an interesting challenge - blogging every day in September, by responding to prompts.

The first prompt asks: Your life story in 300 words or less

I would have to say that much of my life has been about moving and change. I was born in Winnipeg, moved to Montreal as a baby and left there when I was 8. Toronto was my home for the next 20 years, although we moved around a bit due to the nature of my dad's work.  I am the second oldest of 5, with 3 brothers and 1 sister. I lost my dad when I was 20.

I always wanted to be a teacher and after obtaining a BA and BEd, I started teaching in the NorthWest Territories, a place few people have really seen. I taught for 3 years there and was able to visit Yellowknife, Inuvik, Tuktoyuktuk, Aklavik and Whitehorse. It was an amazing experience.

                                                               Driving the Dempster Highway

                                                        Watching dog sled races



I had a son there, born in Inuvik

                                                                 Carrying my son with a baby belt

I returned home a single mother when my son was almost a year old and stayed there for a year, before accepting a job in a small community north of Grand Prairie, Alberta. That was a challenging time but we survived and I met my husband.
We married, moved several times and I had a daughter in Cold Lake, Alberta and then a son in Lindsay. Ontario. We finally settled in a small community south of Lindsay where I would settle for the longest time of my life - 19 years.

Finally, though, the strains in my marriage proved too much and we separated and eventually divorced.
I had been teaching most of these years and continued to teach in Bowmanville, mostly Grade 3.

Online, I met a man and eventually we married  in 2002. (for a detailed description read here for how we met and the coincidence of me being a match to give Bill a kidney).

After the transplant in 2003, we moved to Cambridge, where we have been living ever since.
After 36 years in education, I finally retired last June. This will be the first September I will not be gearing up for school - a strange feeling for sure.
I hope now to pursue art, writing and volunteer work.