YAY!!!! I START WORKING TODAY!!!

Finally, I get to start working! 9am. Today is a training and paperwork day, but I'm starting the same day as another employee, so we'll get to do it together! And I'll start earning a paycheck! Or as they spell it here...paycheque. ;) Ah, these crazy Canadians, eh? Using all these odd British spellings.

I should mention how I finally got the work permit. At the end of last week, I heard from Detroit (the Canadian consulate closest to my home state where they handle work permits) that they didn't feel they had jurisdiction due to me being in Canada already. But I'd already talked to the Canadian Immigration office and was told to send it back to the US. Catch 22! But---wait, border services is actually the issuer of the permit--can they break this mess open? YES!

So on Monday, I went to the border service office in my new home city (as there is an international airport here, we have a border services office) But they will only do this if you are getting off a plane. UGH!!!!

So on Tuesday...I drove to the US border (about a 2 1/2 hour trip). I got up really early was on the road by 6am, got to the border and started talking about getting the permit at 8:30. (I'm sticking with the time I felt it was--even if the border was using the same time as ND (Central daylight vs Central Standard(or Mountain) time. So after about 45 minutes....I am getting worried. I don't think this officer is going to give me a permit. UGH!!! He suggests I go into the US, get some coffee and a donut and relax for a while then come back across (as I would have to do anyway to get this permit) and we'll talk more then after he makes some calls.

So I do. And I make some calls too. To my employer--to let her know what the officer's problems are and that she may have to go to bat for me if she wants me. :) Which she does. A lot! So when the call came, and she was asked about me....she came through with flying colors! I'm sooooooooo happy! The entire problem boiled down to two things. One: Completed some post-secondary education. To me, to my employer, and as far as I've been able to tell, to everyone else who reads this phrase it means---you have something besides high school under your belt. Whether that is a tech school, some college coursework, or a degree is beside the point. The idea here is just that you have something other than just a high school diploma. The officer chose to interpret it as you have complete a course of study beyond high school and have a degree or certificate showing this. Which I don't. And don't need for this job. So he had to have it explained to him in small words....and he didn't like the fact that it was not his way. The second problem was like the first. Experience: 1-2 yrs in a social service field. He interpreted it to mean 1-2 years in the specific social service field of House supervision! Which is NOT what was intended. The experience part was just so you don't come into the job thinking it would be easy. The employer wanted candidates to 1: be a little bit older (hence the experience part so they don't get 18-20 year olds applying) and 2: wanted candidates who had worked with developmentally (intellectually is the word used up here) disabled people before. Which I have! so....anyway...back to the border.

While waiting for word back from employer and Service Canada (kind of an overall, umbrella gov't regulation/assistance organization), the officer decided to get really picky. He brought out the job listed and required me to play show and tell at how I met each and every criteria listed. EEK!!!! Thank God I had brought with me my training schedule from my last job, my resume, my letter of recommendation from my last employer, some of my training certificates, my background checks done in US, my CPR certification. But there were 3 things he was still harping on on the list 1) creativity (I started to wish I had brought my beading, sewing or drawings with me!) but he decided that if I knew how to do these things I was probably a creative person. 2) Cooking skills. Uh, well, I've been a wife(with a husband who didn't cook) and/or lived on my own for 16 years, and I haven't starved. I've cooked for many friends and family and no one has gotten sick. But what about "professional" experience? Well, I worked in a coffee shop for a while, and passed the state health inspection. He actually looked disappointed. Which brought us to number 3) housekeeping skills. UGH!!! What to say...I mean, yes, I know I'm not the neatest person on the planet, but I try and I do tend to keep things clean, if not perfectly neat. I know how to clean a toilet, run a vacuum, do dishes, etc. But what to say about it other than home experience..... OH wait...Way back in college....I was a PCA. (Personal Care Assistant) I did home cleaning there. Some of my clients had perfect minds stuck in imperfect bodies and needed someone to be their arms and legs...so I would make meals, clean house, do the same things this is saying. A reference? Well, if absolutely needed I could try...but that was....16 years ago. And I know at least 2 of the clients have passed away since then. One died while I was still assisting her. :(

So Mr. I don't think you deserve a work permit decides to leave it up to Service Canada (who has already given a positive labour market opinion on me taking this job!) as to whether or not I'm qualified to have it. So I'm waiting in their lobby for about 45 minutes when the phone rings. I can hear the conversation thru the wall...

Officer: Yes this is he.
Yes, I see how you're interpreting that, but...
Yes, I can understand that the employer want her, but.....
No, there is no reason she can't live in Canada, but.......
Fine, I guess that is the answer then.

And then....after another 20 minutes....he comes out of the office and states "Service Canada decided your qualifications are good enough. Your employer was even contacted and spoke on your behalf. So I guess I need to issue you a work permit.

SIGH of RELIEF!!!!

YES!!!!

I'm employed! Oh, wait...I need to get a SIN (social insurance number). Please let it be easier than this.

So another 2 1/2 hrs on the road, then to the Service Canada (told you--umbrella agency) office to get the SIN. Took all of 5 minutes. Walked (in glorious 65 degree spring weather) the 3 blocks to the health insurance office to fill out paperwork to get my health card. So as of yesterday...I have Canadian health insurance. And then found out I could start work...TODAY! YAY!!!!!

Easter Joy

Easter. It always seems to be a time of celebration. Whether it is an Easter egg hunt, a new dress, a time with family or friends, it is usually a time of joy. Not to mention the reason for all these fun times--the Reason for our joy--the reserection of Jesus.

Easter this year falls close to exactly when it fell 6 years ago. How do I know? Because 6 years ago I was in P'ville (my family's original home) saying a painful goodbye. I went for a week, knowing that there was a possibility that during that time, my mamma (maternal grandma) would leave this world for her heavenly home. And she did. On April 13, 2003. The night before, I had finally said my goodbye. I was booked on a flight to go home the next afternoon, and I knew this would be the last time I had to be alone with her. I cried. I told her how much I loved her, how much I hated seeing her hurting like this, even though she was not speaking and not really with us much. I knew she could hear me. And I told her that it was ok to leave. That I was OK. And the next morning, on Palm Sunday, she was gone.

April 13th is always bit of a bittersweet time for me. On the one hand, it's a time for me to remember a woman who I loved and respected and cared for maybe more than I have anyone else in my life. But it's also a time for me to mourn her leaving this world. I know where she is, I know she is watching over me, I can still feel her love holding me close. And that is why I start feeling Easter joy, knowing that she is in that crowd of heavenly supporters and she is waiting to see me again. And oh, the long talk we will have then. :)

R E S P E C T

So I read a blog of an aquantaince the other day on respect...and I started thinking back to when I went to a leadership seminar for a company I worked for a while back. The first morning of a 4 day retreat was spent on respect. The leaders take was that there are different types of respect.
The most basic kind is what most of us probably think of as good manners. Greeting other people we meet instead of ignoring them, paying attention when someone is talking to us, waiting for our turn to talk--you know all the things about social manners we (hopefully!) learned in our early years.

He stated the next type of respect was one we give based on position. For example--even if we dislike a world leader, if we were to meet that person most of us would still be polite, considerate, and give him/her the honors due the office. Same goes on smaller scale for things like bosses at work, leaders in churches, communities, teams, etc.

The last type of respect comes from knowing a person. After hearing about what they have done, seeing how they respond to problems, finding out what makes them tick. If these things make a positive impression on us, giving that person more respect, more of ourselves is much easier.

I liked his summing up: the first is one we should do just because it makes us a better person. It is part of what defines us as "good and civil beings". The second is one we should do because it will help us succeed in life. Knowing when to give deference can be the difference in getting a job, keeping a job, making a team, being a good citizen. Learning how to determine who merits that extra respect gives us a chance to choose friends wisely, find mentors in life, and know who to turn to when times are not good.

I think I've always been good at the first two. The third....I'm still trying to figure out. ;)

Palm Sunday

So yesterday was Palm Sunday. It felt both very normal and very different than last year all at the same time. The palms were very different than I was used to. Smaller in size (not as long or as wide) but each piece was actually made up of several (mine was 8) leaves all held together on the bottom. So I brought my palm home and looked up directions for making a cross. Wow lots of ways and some with directions I couldn't get. But I got two very nice looking variations to work as well as trying out a rose bud pattern (which didn't work so well)

Music at the new church is very different. For one thing...the congragation DOES sing! Which is such a different feeling from most Catholic churches. There doesn't appear to be a specific choir (but I need to ask about that--the group that sang yesterday maybe the choir. But if so, they are all older--I'd guess the youngest member of the group at retirement age--so I'm not sure if they'd welcome a young person like me. :)

Well, I suppose a stop by the church office and a talk with the church secretary would answer those questions. One of several things I hope to do today as I am having to wait again on the Work Visa. The paperwork for it has been sent off...and should arrive in Detroit today. Yep, it had to go to the US. But hopefully I won't have to. Time will tell.

A Positive LMO

What is an LMO? It's a Labour Market Opinion. And here in Canada you need a positive one to get a job as a foreign citizen. But you can't apply for your own....a company wanting to hire you has to apply. And the RRRC (my new employer in Canada) did just that about 5 weeks ago. And got back a positive response yesterday. :)


So this morning I head out to Immigration with all the paperwork I've completed so far and with any luck...get my work visa. So I can start work soon. YEAH!!!!!!! I'm soooo excited. I really want to get this long period of feeling like I only partly belong over and start feeling like I really do belong here (which is what a work visa can give me---the ability to get a SIN (social insurance number--kind of like SSN in the US), and having the SIN means I can get a driver's licence, a bank account and all those fun things you do when you move, but that I can't do yet. :(

But the Positive LMO was the last major hurdle. :) Now it's just little ones. :) I just can't stop smiling. :)

My new church

Yep, now that I have some time to write again...I think this may become a more regular thing. :) And once again....my faith seems to be something I'm going to be talking about regularly.

So anyway....while I was still in the US, a fellow choir member had suggested if I ever had the ability (IE either not working or working a job whose hours allowed it) I should go to weekday Mass. So I have. At a church I found here in Canada the last time I visited. And I must admit...I think I've found my church home. :)

The priest here is actually an immigrant too. But he's from much, much further away. He's from Ghana. He has a very different more evangelical style to him. He actively encourages the parish to sing more, become more involved and really think about what conversion means. Yep, I feel at home. :)

So this week, I've been going to weekday Mass. Which is VERY different from weekend Mass. As Fr. JB says..."On weekends, we're Catholic, on weekdays, we're Pentecostal" OK, not really. But instead of a prepared homily, Fr. JB just comes down and asks us what we got from the readings. And we kind of just throw out what is there in our hearts and he follows up with that, giving encouragement and additional verses to look up later. And during the prayers of the faithful.....we can actually just say out our own intentions. So it's really cool. And it's been a nice way to meet a few people from the church. Even if they are old enough to be my grandparents. ;)

Today was the celebration of the feast of the Annunciation. So I guess...it must be 9 months till Christmas. :) It was odd to be singing a song about Christ's birth....when we are so close to celebrating His death and Resurrection. But Fr. JB noted that without the Yes Lord, Here I am, I'm your willing servent of Mary at the Annunciation, there would be no Christmas, no Good Friday, No Easter. At which point he asked....how have you said Yes to God? And if you don't know what he is asking of you...how do you find out? Mary didn't know when she said yes, what she was agreeing to....and neither do we. But God reveals all in His time. And that even little yeses...to singing in choir, teaching CCD or serving on a commitee are still yes answers to God's call. Which is what He calls us to do, just say YES.

Yep, I found my new church home. :)

Oh and I found out today what the JB in Fr. name stands for...it's Jean Baptiste (John the Baptizer).

Updates on my life (take 4)

So I've been trying to update this blog for almost 3 months now....and failing miserably. This is the 4th attempt (hence the take 4!) The other 3 titles I had were "maybe a revision of my description is in order, an update on my past few months, and Pat. Since all of these and more kind of apply...here goes.



My description still states that these are the musings of a woman who is somewhat single, somewhat depressed and somewhat confused. But really...these are not good descriptions at all. I'm not single. I'm in the process of being divorced. And I will be single for as long or as short a time as I decide after that. More on that in a few paragraphs. :)



My depression is officially over. :) A few months ago I spoke with my doctor about going off the meds as my emotions had stablized and I was starting to worry about the long term effects of the drug. I've heard some bad things about going off the drug I was on last, not the least of which is....it's almost impossible to do. :( So I told my Dr. I wanted to try. And he agreed. So late last fall, into winter I slowly went off the meds. :) First skipping three doses a week, then 5, then 7 (I took 14 doses total each week--two per day). Yey...down to one pill a day! Then cutting the pills in 1/2 for a while, then skipping a couple days each week, then finally only taking the 1/2 tablet twice a week, then...none. Wow. My energy level went through the roof! It was amazing to me. And other things changed too. I started to feel again. Which has been both wonderful and somewhat scary. Between the depression and the drugs....I haven't felt this strongly about anything in....well almost 7 years now. It is amazing to me that I lived so long in such a truly horrid state of mind. I feel like I should be just hitting 30 years old because the last 7 years don't feel real.



The update on the past few months....well, lots of things have been happening. I am currently sitting in a new apartment, in a new city, in a different country, waiting for my work visa to be approved so I can start a new job. Yes, really. I'm in Canada. I've learned that Moose Jaw Saskatchewan is not just a punch line to an ad campaign for Intek Cleaning, but is a real city, near where I now live. And it all happened so fast that I'm still kind of amazed by it. But I am sooooo happy. I feel giddy even. I feel a bit like Maria in Sound of Music (the musical, not the real life Maria Von Trapp) The quote "When God closes a door, He always opens a window" so fits my life the last few months.



Which brings me to the 3rd post attempt...Pat. A few posts back, I mentioned a new friend Pat. And I need to mentioned him again, and well, catch the few readers of this blog up on my life. Pat came into my life slowly starting about 9 months ago. He came at a time when I was at a low point and really was supportive. He has been a Methodist minister, an EMT and a security officer for an airport. He loves to help people. Over the past 6-9 months, as I've been making decisions about my relationship with Curt, I've also been assessing my relationship with Pat.

After 3 months of being a friend, talking on the phone and thru internet, we finally met. And after 2 days of being with him....I almost left him cold. And then realized something very important. This wasn't someone who would give an inch if he felt strongly about something. But would walk thru hell itself for those he cares about. And I felt humbled to even be considered maybe worth caring about.

Even as I felt my life falling a bit apart with my decision to leave Curt, Pat was there to support. He never pushed, never gave opinions. Just listened, asked questions when he didn't understand, and asked for what I thought about the things I was saying. And thru it all....I found myself falling in love. I don't think I fall in love easily. And if I am very, very honest with myself....I think this maybe the deepest love I've ever had for another person. Far deeper 6 months in, than I have ever been with Curt....even 18 years after meeting Curt. It's so very strange. I find myself at a loss for words. The entire idea that I could love someone so much that I wouldn't doubt his love for me regardless of what was happening or what was said or not said, done or not done, well...I know I have a hard time with trusting people. And yet....I trust Pat. I realize it seems fast and odd and all kinds of things. But know that I am happy, secure and loved. :)

Now...if the Canadian Government will just let me have a work visa. :) Life would be great.