YOU WHAT ??

       I sold my house and so far have nowhere to live when I come back to Canada in July!  Sounds crazy?  Well, let me tell you about it.

       For about a year, I have said to myself that I should start thinking about moving into an apartment or a condo in the next 5 years.  This polymyalgy flare-up was a yellow light for me: my health is not getting better and better as the years go by.  Rather, I must be realistic, knowing that my energy level and mobility will gradually decrease. 

       When I was home for a fast trip in February, I visited dear friends, Lucie and Normand Bédard.  They are from Trois-Rivières and have been wanting to move to Repentigny, as Normand has retired, but their house hadn`t sold.  Dropping me at the doorstep of my home, they said how much they liked my house and if it were for sale, they would seriously be interested ...................

       Lights went on in my brain and we began a serious discussion.  Yes, I would be interested; yes, they would make an offer when they sold their house.  I thought I had lots of time!

       Last week they had a serious offer, which they accepted.  Whoa!  Was I ready to sell so quickly?  After reflection, a conversation with an old friend who gives me financial advice, and a conversation (or two) with my Abba, I said yes!  Sitting back in my chair, I reflected ..... Do you know what you just did?  You sold your home via Skype.  You are in Belgium and not even there!  They have to move in in June and you won't even be home until the end of July!  Are you crazy?  No,  I love challenges and to sell without an agent to dear friends who love my house is ideal.  The 3 of us will work out the details, and we've already started!!

     I am into my last months here in Brussels and at St. Andrew's.  I can't begin to tell you how difficult this is going to be.  I love this city.  Its dimensions are human and its culture rich and varied.  There's always a new place to walk in or discover.  And I love the congregation at St. Andrew's.  My integration was almost seamless, and now I have to rip us apart.  So many have become my friends.  I am trying to find different ones to replace me in my activities, and not accept too many new jobs or visits.  That's hard!

     My "contract" finishes on June 30th.  I will stay until the end of July, as I am teaching linguistics to the new group of PCA missionaries.  Instead of going to New York, they are coming to Brussels this year, which suits me just fine.

     The next months are going to be full, crazy-busy and emotional.  Think I'm up to it?!!

 my home here

the famous Mannekin-Pis wearing a well-known costume!

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

I couldn't let this day go by without acknowledging all the beautiful women in my life. 

Over the years,

you have made me laugh
I have watched you grow up into a beautiful woman
you have held my hand when I've been afraid
you have cried with me
you have kicked my butt when necessary
I have been your mentor
we have talked through so many issues
you have been my encourager through the years
you have prayed for me and with me
you have challenged me on my daily walk with Christ
you have brainstormed with me to help me "see straight"
you have disagreed with me yet still loved me
you have been my friend
I have depended so much on you
you have cheered me on in my adventures
you have shared your life with me
you have strengthened my faith
you have picked me up when I "blew it"
you have stretched me in wonderful ways

I shut my eyes and I see you and I thank my Abba for you.
I love you

WHOA! LET'S BACK UP A BIT!

My goodness, time flies when you're having fun!  Here it is March!  I need to go back and fill you in on the months before Christmas, which were anything but fun from the point of view of my health ....



In October, after going back to Canada for Caden's wedding to Matt Seburn, I started to develop pain in my legs, making sitting down and standing up gradually more painful.  I thought it was just the result of lifting a very heavy suitcase up two flights of stairs between subway levels.  However, it wasn't getting any better and I was beginning to feel pain in my arms as well.  What is this??  Tendinitis in both arms?


I had already booked my trip to Armenia at the beginning of November. I didn't want to miss that, so I went, and carried a cushion with me.  I became known among the group as "Nancy with the blue bag" and on the bus, in the restaurants and museums, I sat on my cushion as long as I could, then got up and walked around.  In my bedroom, I discovered I was having more and more pain putting on my clothes.




Coming home to Brussels, I went to see an orthopedist who ordered scans, x-rays and a blood test.  I stupidly hesitated in going to a clinic because I didn't know how much all this was going to cost, and my Quebec Health Insurance was not going to cover any medical expenses here in Belgium (another whole story in itself!).



Besides, I had already booked 4 days in Vienna to see the Christmas markets, and I didn't want to cancel that!  So I went off to Vienna by plane, in increasing pain.  Every movement was now painful, whether rolling over in bed, taking off my eiderdown, pulling myself upright, walking, sitting, reaching, carrying, dressing myself, and so on.  I made myself enjoy Vienna - it is a beautiful city as you saw in the photo album I sent out - and just struggled with the pain and moved about slowly.  I even was brave enough to stand up at the back of a very small hall during a chamber ensemble concert!




I finally convinced myself that my health was worth more than a hole in my budget, so I went and got the tests when I arrived home, and made another appointment with the doctor when I knew he would have the results.  He told me my body "mechanics" were fine but that the blood test showed I had inflammation in my blood, so I needed to see a rheumatologist.  Which I did.




What a blessing to me this rheumatologist!  She examined and questioned me for two hours.  I told her I had done some surfing on the internet and wondered if I might have polymyalgy rheumatica.  She said we'd know after I started taking cortisone.  She could see how debilitated I was with the pain and started me off on a high dose (32 mg daily for you medical people) for a week.  She gave me her personal phone number and I was to call her after 5 days......


What a difference the cortisone made!!  I could almost feel the pain diminish in my body.  When I called the doctor and told her, she chuckled and said: "Madame, congratulations! You have diagnosed yourself correctly.  You have polymyalgy rheumatica."  I thought of my doctor father who took great pleasure in getting his diagnoses spot on.  I'm sure he would have been proud of me!


And so, since just before Christmas, I have been taking cortisone, in diminishing amounts, and feeling the pain diminish too.  The only remaining pain is in my upper legs, and it's bearable.  I'm down to 8 mg daily and still under doctor's care.   Dr. Montet is monitoring me weekly and makes me feel secure in her able hands.  I am very grateful for her. 


Polymyalgy rheumatica is an inflammation of the blood.  It flares up for seemingly no apparent reason and is so far not categorised as an auto-immune system problem.  At the moment, I don't know if it will go away or if this is something I'll have for the rest of my life. 


Lying in my bed, unable to move, I was afraid.  I had some good chats with my Abba. Not so much Why? but rather What do I do now?  How do I plan my future?  "Abba, if this is going to be part of my life from now on, teach me how to accept it and live with it."  I have lost so much that I didn't think I would lose my health too, but I now know I can.  I need to be wise and plan wisely for the future.


I also have more compassion for people who live in constant pain, and for elderly people who must move slowly because of pain.


But enough about my pain.  I just wanted to give you an honest backdrop for all the fun news I give you.  Belgian medical care is super.


Sorry there are no pictures this time.  I didn't really think you'd like to see a bottle of cortisone or me sitting on a cushion!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014 !

From my house over here in Brussels

to yours over there

my prayers and best wishes for

a good and blessed New Year

that will continue to be full of adventure for all of us

MY BELGIAN CHRISTMAS

December 24, 2013

....... I'm thinking of you all.

What's Christmas going to be like for me this year?

Today and tomorrow are rainy, grey days with heavy winds and no sun.  Great beginning!

My little tree is lit and I am touched to see the little parcels underneath it, put there by friends here and family in Canada.  Means a lot when one is alone. 

Colourful and happy Christmas cards line my window ledge and my email box is stuffed full of Christmas letters.  Thank-you so much!  They remind me I'm still part of your lives. 

Tonight, at 11:30, we will meet at St. Andrew's for a watchnight service.  At midnight, I will have the privilege of lighting the 5th Advent candle.  Christ is born!

Tomorrow, in Brit style, we'll have a Christmas Day service at 11 am.  I'll be saying the Prayer for Others.  The church will be packed full - about 300 of us.  Many families have gone away for the holidays but others arrive to fill the pews - children home from school in England, grandparents sharing this special time with family here, visitors to the city and also those for whom only Christmas (and Easter) are their link to the church.  It will be a happy, musical, warm service.

I'll run home from church and Skype my grandchildren who will be in the process of tearing paper off their gifts as fast as possible (morning in eastern Canada) and Grandma wants to sit in and watch!  Caden and Matt will be sharing Christmas with Matt's family in Fort Erie, so I'll want to check in on that too.

And then I'll take the tram up to the Gardners' home for Christmas dinner.  Andrew and Julie and their daughters have lovingly invited me to share this day with them again this year.  All of them are superb cooks and Andrew will have wines to go with each dish!  There will be lots of laughter, and oohs when Karalynn brings in the flaming plum pudding!

Night falls.  Rain patters on my windows.  I light my candle.  I am alone but I know I am surrounded by love and hugs from many friends here and many of you "over there".

"Christians share an odd belief in parallel universes.  One universe consists of glass and steel and wool clothes and leather briefcases and the smell of freshly ground coffee.  The other consists of angels and sinister spiritual forces and somewhere out there places called Heaven and Hell.  We palpably inhabit the material world; it takes faith to consider oneself a citizen of the other, invisible world....At Christmas, the Lord of both worlds descends to live by the rules of the one.  In Bethlehem, the two worlds came together, realigned; what Jesus went on to accomplish on planet Earth made it possible for God someday to resolve all disharmonies in both worlds.  No wonder a choir of angels broke out in spontaneous song, disturbing not only a few shepherds but the entire universe!"  (Ph. Yancey)

CATCHING UP

I just reread the last few posts in my blog and realised it's been awhile since I wrote to you about life here in Brussels.

There are many different facets to my daily life here, and each one sparkles in its own way and together they make most of my days interesting.

I love the outdoor food markets - the colours and textures and variety appeal to my artistic side.  Produce is so fresh and lots of people buy here daily.  And I can hardly pass in front of a bakery without going in!  The windows are filled with so many different shapes and kinds of breads, croissants, brioches, fruit tarts, little cakes and sandwiches, and the aroma of fresh baking fills my nostrils every time the door opens.

To walk along the streets of Brussels is an adventure in itself.  Be careful where you walk or you'll knock over the little paper cup of the beggar who is kneeling in the middle of the sidewalk, holding a sign that says: "S'il vous plaît, aidez-moi, j'ai faim".  Coming towards you is a group of school girls, one black, one Asian, one white and one North African and they're laughing and talking French together.  An older lady is walking along with her dog; the latter stops and poops right in front of you and the lady just waits and then walks on.  The store windows take your breath away: the window-dressing is artsy and the clothes are so fashionable.  Even in cold weather, there are people having coffee or a glass of wine on the outdoor restaurant terraces - people from many countries speaking many languages.


Get into a tram or a bus and in a few minutes, you'll hear an accordion or a guitar playing and a voice singing a well-known song.  It's a Rom (gypsy) who earns his living this way.  When he's finished, he'll come around to you (or send his child) with his little cup, then get off at the next stop.  The driver starts and brakes jerkily (haven't found one yet that doesn't!) so you have to hang on to something or you'll fall over or into the person beside you!  Happens all the time ...  And you discover, if you look closely at the outside of the tram, that it is made by Bombardier, a Quebec firm! 

I love my friends.  Each one is special.  Some are Belgian, a lot are Scottish, two are American, one is Japanese, two are Canadian, three are French, two are Spanish, several are African .... most are my age, some are beautifully young and full of life, some are men, most are women ... and we speak either English or French or Dutch together.  Do you get the picture?  I move around in a multi-cultural world and revel in it.

Look in my apartment window during my "kick back and relax" times and you'll see me emailing home, skyping with family or friends, reading, making albums of my photos on my computer or watching TV.  Or I might be planning my next day out in Brussels or a trip somewhere I haven't been.  I try to go out one day a week to discover something new in Brussels.  As for a trip, I have just come home from Armenia - which will be the subject of my next post.  I am singing in the Brussels Christmas Choir and am the only female tenor!  And I am so grateful for friends who call up and say: Want to go to a show?  Want to go for a walk?  Want to take in a concert?  Want to eat out or have coffee?

And my workplace.  Do you love your workplace as much as I love mine?  It is always a joy (but hard, regular work too) to gather the children around my knees on Sunday morning and give the children's talk, or lead the congregation in prayer for others, or open the service in prayer.  It's a privilege to sit over coffee and listen to someone tell me their needs, their joys or their pain.  It's heartbreaking to hear two friends tell you they have cancer but I can encourage them with prayer and my presence.  It's a challenge but exciting to prepare a Bible study for 12 eager women.  To encourage my 94-year friend Alf to enjoy life, and to take my 91-year-old friend Edith out to tea in a pretty place are monthly goals of mine.  And to see a new group come to life called Caring For One Another is one of my biggest thrills this year.

Andrew and the elders asked me if I would stay .... a third year.  After considerable reflexion and prayer, I said I would compromise and stay until the end of June 2014.  It will be hard to leave but the time has come for me to return to Canada. 

But lots can happen in 6 months and I'm looking forward to the challenge and the fun!

I think this post will serve as my Christmas letter to you all this year.  I will be here in St. Andrew's for Christmas, and will spend the day itself at the family service in the morning (what Brits do) and the rest of the day with the Gardner family at the manse, with other "waifs" they will have gathered in, who will be alone that day.  Always fun and great food and wine.

MY REFLEXION TODAY

Prayer is not a means of removing the unknown and unpredictable elements in life, but rather a way of including the unknown and unpredictable in the outworking of the grace of God in our lives.      - Ray Anderson