A working Woman

I have been at my new job for a month now and have already learned so much. Due to the nature of my work I can't share to much because of confidentially. What I can say is that I am working with youth with mental health issues, behavioural issues, and or drug and alcohol issues. I work 24 shifts, now I am used to working weird hours as I have always worked shift work but these shifts have taken me a lot longer to get used to. I go to work at 9am and two days later I get off at 9am. Even tho I am at work for 24 hours at a time I get alot of down time, I am basically a house mom and do all the things you would at your own homes. Shop, groceries, cooking making it a home for the youths. What I love about my work is that I get alot of support, what is expected of me is clearly laid out for me and my employers have reasonable expectations, if my kiddo makes bad choices it's not a reflection of my work. Some of the problems with my work are the shifts themselves! I work days at a time, sleep alone try to do self care and relax while being on shift. I used to drive home after a 8 hr shift and pick a place on my route home, a landmark, and as I drove home I would allow myself to think about the day at work until that spot and then let it go so I would not be taking work home with me. I find it hard to let go and relax on my down time at this job because it feels like I am always at work. Instead of an office when I come onto shift I take over a bed room. My office/bed room consists of a bed, TV, desk, bathroom and closet. No computer and no Internet! Can you imagine no Internet at work, no maps to find a place or the ability to find events to keep the youth busy with.

All Hallows Eve

Those who know me know I love to be scared. October is my favorite month, and Autumn is my favorite season. The air gets cold, the leaves change colours and fall, the smell of wood burning fires all add to the add to the spooky feel of the season. I have had more pumpkin spice lattes then most people and have gone out and done all the traditional activities of fall. I went to the lantern festival celebrating the last full moon of summer, got lost in a corn maize, went to a farm and picked pumpkins all to get ready to celebrate Halloween. This year I carved pumpkins, took a scary train ride, went through a haunted house and took a ghost tour though Fort Langley as well as re watched every horror movie I could find. The ghost walk was amazing especially since we went on October 30th! Fort Langley, once a trading post for the Hudson Bay Company, is full of history some well documented and a lot of active spirits! We walked from the visitor center to the river following our guide leading the group by a candle lit lantern and telling us stories of the dead. We walked through two cemeteries on a clear cold night with the fog rolling in and leaves falling from the trees. The tour ended in the Fort where we were able to walk around the old buildings and sit around a bon fire to hear more ghost stories. Many believe that Halloween is the night that the veil between the living and dead is at it's weakest and that the dead visit the living. This is where the tradition of dressing up comes from, people would wear costumes to trick evil spirits walking amongst us that we are one of them so they won't visit us at our homes. So as the clock strikes midnight on all Hallows Eve I wonder if there are ghost walking amongst us.