PROMO! 25% off editing spots available for May, June and July if pre-booked by the end of March (no deposit required until 2 weeks before start). Keep me busy while the garden grows, and before canning season starts! I’ve been itching to get back to work with freelance…

The excitement has only been building as we wait for BeeGirl’s call from the lawyer’s office… In the meantime, I’m plugging away at getting as much Belfire and freelance work in and finished before the move starts, and I’m still searching for a high speed internet provider because the alternative is dial-up.

Yes, there are places in the world where dial-up not only still exists, but seems to be the only reliable access to the outside world.

It’s almost enough to make me question our plans, here. Almost, but then I look at the wall rotting in the bathroom, or the fact our kitchen cold water line froze over the weekend – just that one line. Just in the kitchen. Then I realize hey, I’d suffer through slow speeds and no Netflix if it means I can have a safe roof over my head and my desk. Thankfully BeeGirl is willing to rent to her old mom.

The little community we’re going to be moving to is quite interesting. Currently they’re running numerous fundraisers to revitalize the community centre, including a GoFundMe campaign, a psychic fair in April, and rumors of monthly pot-luck dinners with silver collection at the door. In a way, it reminds a great deal of Thornhill, where I grew up (yes, part of New Bedlam); once a bustle of prairie activity, it has slowly lost many of its amenities. I can remember the curling rink in Thornhill (barely), and the short-lived skating rink. Obviously I remember the store & post office since Gran & Gramps ran them, and I remember the garage and grain elevators. Altamont has managed to retain their garage, their post office, skating rink and curling rink – and now they’re fighting to keep their community centre as well. That’s ALL Thornhill has left. Community passivity took over when the ‘old guard’ became too old to go on, and the boomers relied on the bigger towns to feed their needs.

And that sucks.

I’m going to fight my sometimes overwhelming anxiety and (believe it or not) insane shyness, and participate in community efforts. So, uh… remind me to come out from under the bubble once in a while, okay?

Okay.

<3 JL