Pax is less stressed

I caught up with my parents today - first chance to see them since they left a few months ago for their latest Bush camping and gem fossicking* adventures. 

They had originally only planned on a 6 to 7 week trip away - and then they began a weekly / fortnightly texting me that they were extending their stay.  Usually I don't stress about their long camping jaunts - they both know the bush well, and can judge if an area is safe to stay in (this is more to do with flood areas and/or bush fire prone zones than danger from our fellow man or animals or reptiles).  However my Mum has advanced cancer - currently held at bay by a course of medication - and I began to fear that things were not so well with her (more so than usual). And so my stress levels have been gradually rising the past month or so.

How can you tell a stressed Pax?

That would be the panda-eyed insomniac that begins to do way more online / email communications with distant friends (not always coherently of course) ; 

the Pax that ends up sending more short notes / postcards to adoptee's rather than letters of substance (because you can't ADD to their stress levels by going on about yours - it's just not fair) ;

the Pax that ends up sending extra R.A.K. parcels out - hoping that they make the recipient laugh/smile or groan (really.. one or two out of three is always the goal) ;

and the Pax that avoids making the big life decisions without second and third guessing since it's all a bit over-whelming;

So now my parents are home and the GREAT news is that my Mum is looking well.  She seems to have a lot more energy and zest for life than pre-trip, and is making plans for later in the year with a steely-eyed determination.

So I am gradually de-stressing. I have hopes of even sleeping more than 3 hours at a stretch (with the added bonus of not having workmates enquire about the pronounced shadows under my eyes) and with clarity of brain will hopefully come more clarity of soul.

And I will make those life decisions soon - I swear!  Just needing to get over the first of the renovation humps and I can begin to plot my course for the next and the next and the next.

Oh and because there is always one that asks.... No - my love life remains non-existent.  However I'm thinking of drafting a "life mate wanted ad" at some point.  Now how would that go....

Single pale female - with geekish predilections (and adopted "auntie" to four) seeks non-numpty male to have and to hold.  Promises to lavish attention; affection and musk sticks upon the chosen one.  Male must be aware of the dictionary definitions (and show ability to conform with) of the following words - fidelity, honesty, commitment; and must not have an unhealthy continuing fascination with ex-wife.  Tolerance for vagueness, MMORPGing and medieval hobbies would be counted as a plus. 
Applications should be lodged at the Sign of the Fox**

Gules, a fox sejant the dexter forepaw resting on a heart argent, on a chief ermine three hawk's lures gules

*Fossicking...  gem & gold hunting - usually by tedious and back breaking digging & panning.

** Oh come on - you knew I was a big goofy geek all along!

Pre-Christmas Paxing

Just a quick all around update.

*Justin is (according to Soldiers' Angels) now home and safe.  Glad he made it back safe & sound, sad that I never made a "connection" with him.

SA has over 1300 military persons waiting to adopt too.  I'll need to have a good look at my finances to see if I can afford to go back to having four adoptees at one time before I say yes or no to a new one (SA will allow you to have up to three at a time, and my fourth is my MP adopted via a friend). The cost of weekly letters and a monthly parcel does start to mount up when added to the mortgage and other bills I have.  But... then I think "there is someone out there putting their life on the line whilst I dither about at home, safe & sound"... definitely conflicted about it and feeling that I should do more.

*The Pink Pony of Pinkness arrived downrange and JJ's planning on an epic photo shoot with his buddies.  Very happy it reached him so quickly :).  He also received the Aussie Christmas wreath and tells me it is hanging in his work area.

*Must catch up with C & K and make sure they received their Santa stockings, and hopefully their Christmas wreaths.  Must also check if they need extra warm things.

*I joined a new Soldiers' Angels group recently too.  It's called "ePal" - it's a new program where you are assigned one person to exchange emails and chat with - no major expenditure is expected other than the time to make contact.  My person is (I think) Airforce. Sadly I've not heard anything back from him yet so I'm hoping he's safe & well (and hopefully not too disappointed/weirded out that he's acquired an Australian Angel and not a home grown one). 

*I have received three "please write back" notes from service members in the Cup Of Joe (Green Beans Coffee) program.  Initial contact emails sent and hopefully I'll get the chance to make a few new friends from this.

In at home news - I visited with my mum & dad yesterday. Mum is battling against constant fatigue so we keep the visits short and full of the happy.  Thursday she will hopefully find out the results of the last batch of tests she had - as to whether the cancer has entered her bone structure or not.  She's remaining up-beat yet quietly organising things for a worst-case scenario.
Family Christmas this year will be packed with as much family love and time as possible - just in case.

And I had better run - need to be at work in an hour (no rest for the Pax - at least not for the next 3 days!)

Pax status is AMBER

Hello My friends - I"m sorry for the lack of substance posts in the last month. Unfortunately a family health crisis popped up late June and I've been dealing with both the emotional and logistical stress since then. Now that my middle sibling has been advised (he's in Sydney so mum didn't want to call with the news until she had all the decisions made) I can mention it beyond one or two friends.

The Good news - my Mum will be going in for an operation on the 30th of July and her surgeon is cautiously optimistic.  The Bad news - it's a pretty aggressive cancer (two tumours) so recovery and follow up treatments will be on-going for a good while to come.  Any prayers you can spare to send her way would be appreciated.

I don't yet know if I will need to move back to their home to assist with the nursing. I have made the offer and have mentally plotted out the hows & can-dos to ensure I can keep my job and still be of help to the family.  I am also postponing my university studies for another year - I really don't need the added stress of juggling assignments when I want to be there for my mum.

So far my parents are resisting my good efforts (I suspect they feel that having one offspring - ie. my eldest brother - living with them is enough excitement for now; especially since brother R & I get on *exactly* like a house on fire) and they will be having a Blue Nurse carer come in daily to change the dressings and administer any medications.  I guess if I were there I'd be just doing the "keep a cheery face / do the housework / drive my dad insane*" thing, but I'd like to be involved if I can. So far the plan will be that I will be living at their home on the far side of Brisbane on weekends - and back to my place for the weekly working commute.

Eeh.. so yes.. I've been stressed.. non-communicative... shorting my friends; and worse - my adopted soldiers - with only hastily written emails, letters and postcards. I'm not currently sleeping beyond 3 or 4 hours a night and living on sugar & caffeine (lets NOT even talk about the pudge factor from that). I can see where I'm failing and will get my act together *after* the 30th. Till then I reserve the right to be a squirrilly basket-case.

Oh... and whereas other (normal) women manifest stress-coping factors by shopping, I seem to channel all that into adopting more bewildered Americans.  Just got my 3rd Soldiers' Angel adoptee for this year (I can have 3 SA's at a time plus my very special MP from TSBTS) and I'm about to introduce him to the joys of having a quirky Aussie Angel (Bwhahaha!). I do promise to instigate a "capture-release" program for them all at the end of their deployment (although I *have* noticed that the requests for timtams never seem to cease)

*I love my dad - we share a common sense of humour which any of you that know me well would say is a sad sad thing. Unfortunately we both manifest stress in hideously over-emotionally ways and the verbal fights can be devastating