Memory Lane

I've seen this on both Peter's Peapod and Winchester Academy. So now I'm going to give this a try...

15 Years Ago...I was 23 years old and living with Michael's Aunt Karen, cousins Mary, Carol & Micky (their boys were 5 and 2 with Carol due in November). Michael and I had been together almost a year and a half. I was working at my first job in a nursing home in West Haven. In October I moved to my own apartment in North Haven. I was taking classes towards getting into the Master's program at Southern.

10 Years Ago...I was 28 years old and we were planning our wedding in October. I was just entering my final year of the Master's program and would be graduating in the spring. When I look back I was crazy-busy: working 30 hours/week at an AIDS facility, doing 25 hours/week Internship at an inpatient Hospice facility, writing a thesis, taking three classes and oh yes, trying to enjoy my first year as a newlywed. Ahh, the energy of youth!!! In August, I had totaled my car (just to add to the stress of being six weeks from the wedding) so I had just gotten a new car. I was busy trying to get all my papers in before I took two weeks off for the wedding! I was also diagnosed with High Blood Pressure (which runs on my mother's side of the family) and started on medication.

5 Years Ago...I was 33 years old and home with Tucker, who was 17 mos. old. I had lost my job in February and enjoyed being home with him! I actually got a ton of scrapbooking done! I was a Creative Memories consultant. I would start working at a nursing home in Westerly, RI the end of October. We had just found out my dad's cancer had returned in the remaining part of his right lung (he was diagnosed in 2002 and half of his right lung removed then). He had the rest of his right lung removed in August; he would start chemo in October and then radiation in January. Despite having only one lung, my father brought us all to tears when we walked the survivors lap at the Cancer Relay in October.

3 Years Ago...I was 35 years old and my dad would have been gone for a year in October. I had been working at then-CT VNA, SE (name changed to Backus Home Health Care in October 2007)for about a year and a half. Tucker was 3 years old and VERY into Thomas the Tank Engine; it was our first year to see Thomas at Essex. I went to see Reba, Brad Paisley, and Terri Clark with my m-i-l, s-i-l, and niece, thus beginning my obsession with Brad Paisley! My mother and I reinstated our annual mother-daughter trip to Lancaster, PA which had been on hold since Tucker was born and with my dad being sick. I had just had some cervical polyps removed (gyn problems had been going on since I had Tucker is 2002). I was still experiencing the same pain so again nothing was really solved! I had also just been diagnosed with Hashimoto's, which basically means I'm predisposed to developing Hypothyroidism.

1 Year Ago...I was 37 years old and Tucker had just started kindergarten. I was still working full time for CT VNA, SE soon to become Backus Home Health Care. I had just had an endometrial ablation done in August and Yeah! the pain/issues I had had since Tucker was born were finally gone and so was my period (just a wonderful side-effect, don't you think?!)

Today...I am 38 years old, unemployed, and working per diem for a home care agency. Tucker has started 1st grade and playing soccer for the third year. I am Vice-president of the PTO at Tucker's school and will be starting volunteering in his school library this week. Surprisingly, I am enjoying the stay-at-home mom thing and loving the extra time with Tucker.

Tomorrow...who knows what the day may bring?