January 8

Once upon a time, not all that long ago (1956 to be exact) there was a baby girl born in the Bulkley Valley hospital in Smithers, BC. She was about a month early, and not fully developed. Her parents were told that she would not survive. Her lungs would not open, so she could not breath... say your goodbyes. Her Dad, however, was not one to just take such a thing without a second opinion, so called in another doctor. This second doctor knew things the first had not, so he phoned another hospital, one in Vancouver, and as he worked on the baby girl the doctor in Vancouver told him what to do. Together they saved the life of that little girl, got her lungs to open so she could breath right, and put her into an incubator so she could recouporate and finish developing. (Later when she was old enough and was told about this time in her life, she is sure she was told it was for 6 weeks she was in the incubator, though and elderly mother now says no, it was only 4 weeks. No one knows for sure, but it was a long time in the life of a baby.)

As the little girl grew up, she had pnumonia and was hospitalized, around age 2. Other health issues plagued her as well, but she always got through it. This little girl was a survivor!!

Since then there has been so much, good and not so good, happen in her life as she grew from baby to todler, to teenager, to adult, and on to middle age... and now maybe even past that. Today, all by herself, this baby girl turned 53. Named after her grandmother, she has lived many more years than her namesake did.

Mom wanted me to go to her place today and out for dinner this evening. My oldest sister Anne, her boyfriend Bruce, and her grand daughter Nicole were coming up to visit (from New Westminster), arriving about 6pm and they were all going out for Chinese at their favorite restaurant. However, I had a Camera Club meeting tonight and besides, I think Anne & crew will be happier to visit Mom without me anywhere around. They did not come up on my birthday because of the occasion, they had planned to come up a week ago but the roads were too bad for travelling, so they put it off.

Tuesday is my day to go visit Mom, then on the way back stop in the town between for my Toastmasters meeting. Mom and I can have a nice dinner that night. I'm old enough that it doesn't have to be on the exact day.

It was interesting to go out to Camera Club tonight. People sent in their images and they were shown with our new projector. These images were shown and feedback was given, along with tips that people thought would make for better photographs. There was also a short "educational" to start off the evening, on what makes the difference between a picture and a photograph. I look forward to the day when I can take photos like what I saw tonight. There were sure some incredibly good ones there.