December Challenges -Day 5

Today Jamie asks us to share 10 things about ourselves.

1. My first home was on Cambridge St. in Winnipeg 61 years ago and I now live in Cambridge.

2. Between these 2 places,  I have moved over 25 times.  The longest place I lived in was a small place near Lindsay for 20 years. I moved from Winnipeg to Montreal( lived there 5 years and moved 3 x)  to Toronto (12 years, moved 5x)  to Ottawa (3 years,moved 4 x)  to Kingston (1 year, 1 place)  to the NWT (3 years. 1 place) back to Toronto (1 year, 1 place) to Alberta (3 years, moved 6 times)  and to Pontypool (20 years, 2 moves) and now to Cambridge (9 years, 2 moves).

3. I remarried at age 50 in 2002.

4. I have 3 children and 5 stepchildren (3 with my present husband)  and 8 step-grandkids (5 with my present husband)

5. I donated a kidney to my husband in 2003 - he has had it now for 10 years and is doing well.

6. I finally retired after 36 years in education at the end of June. All I ever wanted to be was a teacher.

7. I love reading and have waaaaay  too many books. I am trying to read what is on my shelves but I am too tempted by new books. That is my addiction.

8. I have returned to creating and writing and now have the time to pursue them.

9. I drive but I have a real fear of driving on major 400 series highways or going places I have never been. I have never had a panic attack - I just won't (or can't) drive.

10. I love tea and hate coffee. Unfortunately I love treats with my tea - something I am trying to change.

Kat asks us:

What was the greatest risk you took in 2013? What was the outcome?

For me the biggest risk was retiring. It took me a long time to make the decision. I knew I loved teaching but it was getting to be physically a challenge everyday. The arthritis in my knees caused pain everyday and since I cannot take anti-inflammatories, I usually just bore it.
I knew we would have been better off financially if I had worked another year or two but a few things swung the decision to that June:
* a close friend had just lost her sister that winter. Joanne was 62 and a teacher
*the upcoming class for September that I would most likely get was a definite challenge
*new principal, new challenges
*I was getting tired and I felt I was just not as effective as I once was

So I retired and I am glad I did. The pain is still there and I miss teaching every day, but I am writing more and creating more and I can pursue other interests when I want. Hopefully, finances will be okay for us in the future.