First Cub Meeting Back

For anyone new to my blogroll, I am a Cub Scout Leader in the Scouts Canada program.. Girls & boys aged 8-10/11..

Because of my mental health issues, I had decided that I would not participate in the first few meetings cuz I didn’t want to expose the kids to me potentially having an inappropriate emotional outburst

So, other than parents who don’t read emails that say “Hey! We’re not at the church this week! Dress for outside!” It was good..

The three or four who didn’t dress appropriately, well, they got soaked, cuz it was raining. But in the email I warned them!! Let’s hope they read the next one cuz they gotta bring stuff.. Stuff from the hike.

We didnt loose any kids.

I think I surprised then with the jungle closing.. While Johnathan, a senior Cub, had helped Scouter Ryan, apparently they fell short of my enthusiasm.. lol.

So next week we are at the church making airplanes & painting rocks.. that should be fun. 🙂

How Am I A Functional Cub Scout Leader

Some days I’m not & others I push through to the detriment of .my health.

A Bit of Background

I started in the Girl Guide program at age 8.. I stuck it out earning my Wings in Brownies, my All Around Cord in Guides and most of my Canada Cord in Pathfinders before I got pissed at my leader for not giving me my badges. I was a junior leader for a year and then switched to the Dark side.. lol..

I joined Venturers at 16, continuing into Rovers and joining the leadership ranks as group committee, Scout Leader, Venturer advisor, Service team and finally as Popcorn Fundraiser Coordinator Then my health started to get really bad, I was no longer able to function in Scouting in any capacity & took a 10 year break. After going through hell with my health & my relationship, I returned home and to Scouting

My nephew wanted to be a youth leader with Beavers, so I joined with him. All I did was come to meetings & help. After 2 years he wanted to move up to Cubs, so I moved up with him. My first year was similar to what I did with Beavers, but our contact Scouter didn’t do planning very well and I wanted to expand my wings a little as did one of the other leaders (Raksha) did too. We set up a planning meeting. Akela told is last minute that he wasn’t coming which we were not surprised with cuz he’d only done a few meetings the year prior. So we started planning & an hour later Kaa, who was running our previous week to week program, called & let us know he was moving away & leaving the pack. Thanks for the notice guys.

So, Raksha and I took over the pack. Initially she was Contact Scouter, but I was the one interacting & teaching the youth the most. While it was exhausting, it was rewarding.. & just after our winter camp and spring break, COVID hit. Virtual took off alot of pressure in some aspects, but Raksha & I made a good team, comimenting each other’s strengths. We made it work. It took us 2 weeks to re-evaluate, but we kept going (that push is a whole different story) doing virtual then hybrid , now back full-time (for now) in-person. Unfortunately, we have amalgamated 2 other packs, dissolving them cimpletely. We are currently linked with another group working together as one pack

How I Cope.

I do not work because due to my health I can not be consistent or reliable. That does help. So Tuesdays are spent relaxing, with prep for meetings done on the weekend prior or the day prior.

We have very open communication & have a Facebook chat group for all the leadership. This is used to share information clarify details and to make sure the paperwork for each group is consistent when submitted. It also allows us to keep track of each other like if something comes up & a leader can’t make it, it’s posted there so everyone knows.

This year we have 6 scouters, 1 youth leader, and have grown to about 20 youth. Next year we will lose Raksha, & the youth leader but between the two packs, we will gain 3 Scouters and possibly another youth leader. So there is alot of support and shared responsibilities which makes things so much easier.

My key role is to run the meetings and make sure everything runs smoothly. This starts before opening and ended after closing The scouter who has this role usually has the name Akela. But, our Akela is named Koolaid🤣.

My specific duties include making sure we have the proper equipment and supplies for the meeting. Flags, for outdoor meeting are stored in my garage or my car. Lol. Different leaders may be running the activity but I make sure we have organized what is needed . Sometimes this requires requesting donations, or actual prep work or some organization. I make sure this is in place for the meeting.

The running of activities is shared between us, so I’m usually in a support role during activities I could run almost the entire program, I have the skills, and knowhow to do so, but that would be too much.

I run the meeting At our meeting place (the other pack has a location we use too) or outdoors, I have the cubs set up & take down the flags & totem. I run the opening & closing. I organize the other scouters in their support roles.

The kids see me, despite whether they are registered with my group or the other, as the contact point. For example at Cuboree last week, one of the girls in the other pack came to my tent, passing 4 other leaders tents, 3 of whom were from her group to get help from me. So I’m in the middle of changing & I hear “Koolaid, I’m cold” That was an easy fix – I put her child sized summer bag inside my extra adult sized indoor bag. *Poof* problem solved.

On days where I am not well, I am honest with the other leadership. We have an open & ongoing Facebook chat, so I can let them know. If necessary, make arrangements for anything I have for the meeting to be picked up & to give specific instruction about the meeting. I’m upfront with the youth as well – even have had “Don’t touch Koolaid” nights when my Alloidynia acts up.

Camping with Cubs.

So I’m.sure you are dying to know how I go camping with 20 kids. Well, this camp we actually merged the other Oshawa group with ours for the weekend, so we actually had up to 24 kids at any given time. But we also had additional leadership, 7-8 leaders at any given time.

My tent: I brought my own personal tent that I know how to set up, situated beside third year youth, hoping the younger kids will hit up the other scouters before me (& we know how well that worked). I have a double high queen mattress with a portable power source to run the pump. I have some actual bedding for the mattress. So I can use my sleeping bag more as a blanket, but also have a spare sleeping bag, a blanket & my camp poncho with extra sleepwear should I get cold.

We take advantage of the organizers running a group kitchen so we did not have the stress of cooking & cleaning up outside. Now with winter camp, in a cabin it’s easier to arrange cooking, eating & cleanup. At our last winter camp, our youth leader said he was an early riser, so we gave him kitchen duty both mornings so Raksha & I had some extra time to get ourselves moving

I do not drink coffee, nor am I a fan of tea.. So I’m sure you are wondering how the hell I manage without caffeine. I don’t. To camp I will bring 2 – 710mL bottles of Coke. One for each morning. So I get a slow regular infusion of Coke during the morning, but as soon as that is done, I switch to water, or Koolaid (about 3 calories) for the duration of the day. While I do enjoy hot chocolate, I’m picky plus it’s only offered at campfire. I do not need more caffeine at 10 o’clock at night before bed, bit I will take apple cider if offered. Since I’m exhausted from the day’s activities, I don’t need my body to be artificially stimulated to stay up later than need be.

I also wear ear plugs. Some of the kids get chatty at night and if they aren’t bothering the other youth I can just pop the plugs in & go nite nit.

To wake up, I set my alarm for a half hour before I need to be up for my body to adjust & to take any regularly required & any additionally required meds so that when I’m actually getting up, I have these helpful meds in my system.

More to come in the future….

Tattoos with Fibro

I’ve not had any tattoos prior to this year, so I don’t know what it’s like to have any ink done with a body that does not have pain. Honestly because I’ve been dealing with chronic pain issues since adolescent, I don’t think I could have even had the opportunity to do so.

I have 2 pieces done thus far. They are both rewards for my weight loss.

On my upper left arm, a little bigger than I was expecting, is my Scouter Koolaid tattoo I was given the name Koolaid by a patrol of scouts in my early 20s. So, basically is the scouting fleur-de-lis with the Koolaid guy super imposed on top. With the cub sign shown in his right hand.

This tattoo was actually quite painful. I had a hard time tolerating the pain. I was gritting my teeth the entire time but I persisted because I knew it was temporary pain and would eventually stop

On the top of the backside of my right shoulder, I have a butterfly. This butterfly is similar in style to a monarch butterfly but instead of the orange, black and white, mine is coloured inshades of purple and white. It is unique & really cool in that it is almost 3D in nature and you can see the shadow of it behind the butterfly. The text surrounding the butterfly reads “Fibromyalgia Awareness”.

This tattoo was significantly easier despite having more chronic pain issues in the area. For the majority of the work I was able to just sit and relax as he drew on the back of my shoulder. In fact, the upper lettering where I says “Fibromyalgia”, that actually tickled. Go figure There was one spot however that was a problem. Near the end of the work, the artist was adding white for highlights, he hit a flat mole on my back That sent a single big sharp jolt of pain through me. But that was the only pain I had from that one.

The artist, given that these two were my very first two and done right one after the other, he was not only surprised but suitably impressed that I only jumped that one single time. Apparently that is not the norm.

I do have one final one planned as my final reward for reaching & maintaining my goal weight. That one is going to be a collection of roses on my bum/ hip/ lower back in shades of bright pink & purple, maybe blue. The text to accompany that tat is “Neon Rose”, the online alias I have used since I was 16, so long long time ago.

When Lilly passes, I will be getting her paw print on me aswell in commemoration.

Cub Camp with Fibro – First camp after COVID

This weekend is Cuboree, which is our first in person overnight camp since February 2020. This means most of our kids have never camped in-person as a Cub. Of 21 youth, we have 2 who have.

Normally each group would be running independently with their own food and kitchen and supplies and such. Fortunately the Cuboree Committee decided to offer a meal plan The Scouters who are in the participating groups have planned the menu, supplies, equipment & food. The kitchen is being organized & run by council level Scouters who have no group . From us, they only require one Scouter from our group to help with food prep. Not me! Yay!

Normally for camp we would plan the menu, organize our equipment, shop for food and supplies as well as having food preparation done with the youth. We have, fortunately, none of that this year. We’ve been flying by the seat of our pants this year’s so I just gotta say Thank God The most prevalent leaders both have Fibromyalgia & the related cognitive issues so it’s been an interesting year.

& its supposed to rain on Saturday. *Sigh*

my apologies if this doesn’t make sence cuz it’s a busy week & my brain is now fried & I still gotta run the camp!

Allodynia

Allodynia is a type of pain that many of us with Fibromyalgia have. It is basically a extreme sensitively to touch. People with this can have extraordinary pain from simple every day contact like combing one’s hair.

My Allodynia

I don’t know if my situation is unique, but mine seems come and go, and it can vary depending on the amount of pressure.

Some days I’m golden. I have zero issues. Other days, I will shed a hair from my head and when it falls on to my unsuspecting arm I am in excruciating pain. Other times I with just come in light contact with something and the pain is agonizing, but I can have firm contact like a hug and there’s nothing. I don’t get it.

There appears to be no rhyme or reason as to which circumstances will crop up on any given day. Fortunately, it does not change from one to another on the fly. I’m more likely to switch from one to another on different days. So on one day I’m good, but the next day it hurts to brush my hair or even my teeth (yes, it can impact my gums).

I have found that the most noticable instigator of this type of pain is from a hair touching my skin, either stopping, caught on hard or leg hair, or feeling it as the single hair strand bounces on my skin as it falls. Because of this, I tend to brush or comb my hair fairly frequently. My sister was surprised when I mentioned that I will brush my hair several times a day, vs the once or twice she brushes her hair. I also tend to pull my hair back or up to prevent loose hairs from falling.

The other way it frequently hurts is a casual touch. A light hand on the shoulder. Someone brushing by me. My mom no longer touches me because of the number of times I have flinched unless I have asked her to, like rubbing A535 into my back. My sister is the same. My neices & nephew tend to forget. My intimate relationships don’t seem to be impacted as much cuz those touches tend to be more firm.

The hardest part is incidental touches by others who don’t know me as well. I am a leader in scouting. I’ve had youth come and touch my shoulder from behind so I’m in prepared, or a hug from a child who forgets they aren’t allowed to touch without consent.

There are also times when I know to expect contact. A perfect example is another scouting situation. As the ‘head’ leader (usually called Akela, but the Scouts named me Koolaid before I went to Cubs) I do opening & closing. This includes the challenge. I yell “Pack! .. Pack Pack Pack!” and the youth come running to challenge me, as I am the head wolf (hence wolf cubs). They come to a tight circle around me, but every meeting someone will run too far or have a hand out or jostle with another youth & contact is made Because I know it’s likely coming from somewhere, I can prepare for it and it’s less of an issue.

Lately, it doesn’t seem to be as much of an issue as it has been in the past. I don’t know why. Is it the improvement in my overall health? Is it my weight-loss? Is it than my activity level has changed? Is it that my pain levels had dropped? Is it a change in medications? I have no clue.

if you experience this condition, how does it impact you?

Stress Impacts the Body

You all know stress impacts the human body. No one knows this more than people with Fibromyalgia. Part of our issue is that our muscles cannot relax because of the pain signals we are receiving at all times. Add stress to that, with most common physical reaction to stress is muscle tension. So adding tension to an already agitated muscle makes for a disaster.

No one knows yet 100% of the cause of Fibro. If it’s actually a physiological issue or if it’s a neurological reaction? Either way, the addition of the tension to the already agitated muscle, skyrockets the pain, with definite real pain.. Not just a neurological misfire that we could potentially be having.

And before anyone says I’m minimizing pain, I am not. People with fibromyalgia feel pain every single day. – it’s the cause we don’t know. We don’t know if the cause is something physical in the muscles, we don’t know if it’s part of the nerve chain or even something in the brain. We.just don’t know And as many of you know, I’m in a remission with my Fibro. I still feel pain, but I’m better managed and had made alot of changes a few years back. As a result, my pain levels rarely rate over a 5 – right now. I have, in the past, been bed bound. So I’ve been at both ends of the spectrum. I am the last person to downplay anyone’s pain let alone someone with Fibromyalgia.

But back to stress… I’ve been dealing with some pretty intense issues lately.. The big 2: 1. Problems with my Mom & our relationship.. 2. Issues with the guy I’m seeing – relationship may be ending. And I don’t think either one reads this blog. Those are the big ones but there is always in additional normal day to day stresses..

So….. On Monday night I had a breakdown. A complete emotional & mental breakdown (this does not include the meltdown I had earlier that day). I was in such hysterics that at times I could barely breathe.. You also don’t want to see what my kitchen looks like, cuz it all hit me as I was cooking stir-fry, which means three pots on the stove, each carefully times so everything finished hot at the same time. Interestingly enough I could feel myself deteriorating and the rice was pretty much done, the meat was pretty much done and the vegetables were almost done so I took the presence of mind to grab storage containers and just put everything in the fridge because there was no way I was going to be able to eat it and I have no family to feed. But I didn’t give myself enough leeway and ended up destroying the contents of the shelves with the storage containers.. Apparently I have a decent arm because I found, after the fact, empty storage containers or lids in my dining area, my office area, one almost in the living room and also my bedroom.

I ended up calling the local mental health line & spoke with a gentleman named Craig who listened & offered support..Initially, my mind had been racing with a lot of dark negative thoughts.. But I finally got calmed down enough after over an hour of venting. & I was no longer in that dark and twisted headspace.

I woke up Tuesday morning physically & emotionally wiped. Unfortunately this was one of the days that I just can’t say no. I had to drop my mom off at her doctor’s appointments because she no longer drives. I still also had to finish prepping my Cub Scout meeting.. Which meant I also had to run my Cub Scout meeting because this week got dropped in my lap on Sunday. The meeting went well and I was able to get out of my head for almost 2 hours not thinking about those big two issues. By the time I got home in the evening after my meeting, I stripped down, showered, got extra medicated and watched some mindless TV. That’s all my body would let me do – I pretty much hit the wall. Oh & eat some of the stir fry from the night before – lol.

And this excessive physical reaction is 100% due to stress exasperating the Fibromyalgia and some of my ppother chronic pain issues.

My Scouting

The Who When Where Why & How I Do Cub Scouts

At age 5 my Mom enrolled me in Brownies, then I went up to Guides. I did one year of Guides then quit cuz I didn’t like the program, wasn’t having fun & it conflicted with my dance class. 4 months later Mom puts me in another Company where I did enjoy the program.

But, during this time, my older brother went through the Boy Scout program. For meeting nights when Mom was working & I was not old enough to be left on my own, I got to be present at Cub & Scout meetings. . I remember the real wolf head that they had for the cub totem. I remember playing Barbie’s in the gym change room while Cub or Scout meetings were going on. Being a girl I wasn’t allowed to participate, but I do remember sitting &: watching different parts of the meetings. I remember tagging along to the rifle range (again not allowed to be alone at home), but I was not allowed to shoot because of my age, but probably my gender too cuz it was still “Boy Scouts”.

So I kept on in Girl Guides, earning my All-Around Cord. Up to Pathfinders I went. I was on track, or even ahead of schedule to earning my Canada Cord until my leader refused to accept the paperwork, from another Guider, confirm that I had organized & implemented by own full weekend camp. So I quit & went to the Guide shop and bought it for myself. My next year, I was a Junior Leader for the Brownie pack I grew up on.

The next year, I was hedging about what to do.. & was chatting with my friends Chris & Joann. I asked what they were up to that night. Jo said homework, but Chris said he had a Venturer meeting at Samac, shooting rifles. First words out of my mouth “Can I come?” Followed by “How much is registration?” I haven’t looked back.

I continued in Scouting as a youth to age 26. I started leadership at age 18 the took a break for post-secondary, returning back to the organization to my original group. I it was my Troop scouts who gave me the name Koolaid.. & that is a story in its own..

Over the years, I’ve worked with 2 colonies, 3 packs, 4 troops, 1 company & in a Service Scouter role.

In my younger days, I preferred, as you can tell, working at troop level.. Unfortunately, due to health I I ended up completely withdrawing from Scouting for a number of years as I worked through my health & my relationship. After 10 years, I left that relationship which helped my health. I wanted to return to scouting, but I knew I could not physically function at the level needed for Scouts. My nephew, a scout, wanted to be an SiT (Kim/Keeo) so he & I joined the colony.. 2 years later he wanted to go up to cubs, and I went with him. After 2 more years, he chose to continue his SiT at the troop level.. I stayed in Cubs for 2 reasons, he was old enough now that I didn’t need to be with him. And 2, I had found my niche

So, what do I get out of it? Besides free range time with the troop? Hehe.. Ok – Serious now. I like knowing I’m helping teach the new generation. I like working with this level – they don’t have that pre-teen attitude that fully blooms at 12-14.. I like being looked up to, knowing I mentoring some be in some small way. I like that I can walk through the mall & hear a voice say “Hey! Koolaid!” Knowing that he (or she) remembers me , shows I *am* having an impact on these kids.. I like the activities we do. Many are the same as scouts, just not as advanced. I like having something consistent in my schedule. I know I always have something scheduled on Tuesdays & Wednesdays from 6:45-8 .. I like hearing the kids laughing, getting along, learning together, competing against each other and just having fun! I like how it makes me feel as a person – this is the shallow one.

My years in Guiding topped out at 9 years, but that does not include the years I helped at guide & brownie camps for my Goddaughters. I was not officially registered for theses events.

My youth Scouting years topped out at 10 years. My leadership years are a little more clouded.. Scouts Canada’s records say I’m on year 20 & with my Rover years, that seems about right..

There are overlapping years of youth & leadership years which is why the number doesn’t seem to match up. So, all told I have 32 years (including this one) within these two organizations.. With many more to come!!

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Yes, I realize I missed the how.. How can I do this stuff with Fibro.. *that* is another post.

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Edit: Due lack of leadership availability, my Wednesday pack has closed and has merged in with my Tuesday pack.

Socializing While In Pain

Do I socialize when I’m in pain?

Yup, I socialize, otherwise I’d be a hermit!

Yup! Otherwise I’d be a hermit. Plus, very few friends can identify how much I’m in pain. My bff & my sister can tell by looking at me.. I have other friends & family who have learned the signs.

Mom can tell usually just by looking at me.. not always, but usually.. My sister is pretty good.. Her kids & hubby not so much – ironically I think the kid of hers that would recognize the best is her youngest, because he has seen me the most over the last few years.

My guy friend T has, over the last 3½ years learned quite a bit about how to read the non-verbal clues.

My BFF also has fibro & is sometimes a little too focused on her own fibro to catch my issues. Only reason I can gauge her easily is that she has an emotional response to her issues that I don’t even think she’s aware of.

My second BFF also has his own issues, and usually only sees me on better days.. I don’t think he’s even seen me at mediocre or worse in a long time..

Them there’s some of the Scouters I work with.. Raksha 13th & I have become good friends through Scouting & Rainbow I’ve known since grade 8 or 9, but through guiding & scouting as well. They are pretty good a picking things up.

There are other friends who are less prevalent in my life but even they can recognize some signs if I’m having issues

What I Can Do.

So, there is the basics of who I tend to see most, then the next thing is *what I can do*. Mind you the days when I’m seriously f****d up due to symptoms, I don’t talk to anyone unless I haveta Haveta HAVETA.

Now pain & other symptoms varyy from week to week, day to day, even hour to hour.. Fortunately in the last few years the hour to hour option seems to happen less and less frequently, but for a long time that is how I had to play it.

When my pain levels are super high, any communication is digital.. To everyone. If you’re lucky..

^{Digital Communication Only on my Worst Days, At Best}

Next level down:

• Mild exercise like walking my dog around the court
• Have company over for low maintenance visits
• Socialize for dinner with Mom & Dad

^{Exercise by walking the Dog Around the Court Is All I Can Handle Some Days.}

As my pain levels drop, I can be more sociable in activities that require less interaction such as:

• Hanging out with selects friends in a quiet environment, such as a campfire, living room, patio, poolside, dock.. This would be BFF’s, & T, for the most part
• Walking around the neighbourhood
• Watching the kids’ soccer games
• Visiting the family cottage for a few days
• Visiting the gym for a hot tub!

^{Hanging out with Friends, in Front of the Campfire, or Otherwise, Though we use Chairs – LOL}

As the pain levels drop a moderate to low level I can usually do the following:

• Karaoke
• General.Cub Scout Activities
• Marksmanship
• Hangout with friends in a noisier, bigger, busier location like a restaurant or bar
• Moderate exercise like the walks with my sister & the pups
• cub Scout meetings!
• Glamping at my BFF’s cottage
• Concerts (depending on who, I may go on a worse day & accept the consequences)
• Professional sporting events like the Leafs, TFC or The Rock.. & to a lesser extent, Argos, Jays or Raptors..

^{Concerts with Friends Are Always Fun!!}

So assuming my pain level is low, there is a lot I can do. I can:

• More strenuous exercise such as cycling
• Visit the gym for Aquafit, yoga, weights, or the track. I had gotten in a few slow Zumba classes in before COVID..
• I can Camp – not the glamping like at the cottage, but camping with friends, and even my Cub Scouts . In fact we were going to Camp Impressa for a year end camp earlier this month with my senior Cubs & the Scouts (See more in this post).. & I just went camping 2 weekends ago with T
• Sporting activities like soccer with the girls or golfing with T
• Some of the more physical activities in Cub Scouts.. Such as teaching how to put up tents, waterproofing the bedroll, setting up grey water, basic orienteering, limited kayaking/canoeing, etc..
• The Pheonix. – Dancing at the club!
• Hiking (like fairly flat, fairly short, nothing overnight – Second Marsh near me is a good example)
• Roadtrip!

Easy Hiking with Friends

What I can not do.

There are so many things now that I would like to do that I just not in the cards. These are activities the I’ve either done or were at one point on the bucket list. This includes activities such as:

• White water rafting. T wants to go – I can do the camping part, but not the rafting part
• Backpacking/ Hiking. This includes longer hikes, more challenging hikes, or overnight hikes. I can not lug an air mattress through the wilderness 😄
• Winter outdoor camping
• Amusements parks – can’t do most of the rides, and way too much walking.
• Skiing
• Horseback Riding
• Zip-lining (not sure I’d do that anyways)

_{^{Canada’s Wonderland, the Prominent Amusement Park in the Toronto Ontario Area.}}

What would you like to do that you know you will never do again?

Following Doctor’s Orders

Previously, i had posted about my pain physician limiting my physical activities – not allowed to go to Cub/Scout camp. . I wrote about why & here’s a quick summary from the post

My pain was creeping up and Iwasn’t doing anything to rest. After spiking again last weekend, I had a regularly scheduled appointment with my pain doc. She reviewed my comments & my paperwork and we had a discussion She said that I was overdoing it & if I kept pushing I was going to significantly hurt myself, possibly slamming right out of my semi-remission. So, she said “No, you are not to go.”

^{My Pain Doctor *ordered* me to not go to Cub/Scout Camp.}

So my Doctor said no, & I’m glad she did! Cuz she was right.

Last Thursday I helped the Howlers clean off the canoes so they could use them. (We don’t wanna contaminate the algae or other slime or bugs of one body of water to a new environment)

On Friday afternoon I helped get everyone off, including the trailers for the canoes & equipment.

^{Cubs At Camp}

On Saturday, I finally woke at 10am on 6 hours sleep cuz my pain was keeping me up. Unfortunately, I woke in more pain than I fell asleep in.

i have a pattern – I feel worse first thing & feel good until I approach bed time.. I hurt in the morning because I’m still – I haven’t been moving or stimulating my muscles while I sleep unless of my restless legs are keeping me up of course. When bedtime approaches, I start too slow down and that makes me more aware of my body and the pain and inflammation that I’ve been ignoring comes to light. I have always been like this as a kid – I would be ill, but better in the evenings & want to go to guides or soccer or dance…

Instead of Cub Camp, Saturday activities ended up included folding laundry and reading a book in the lounger in the backyard. Not alot of activity.

So I went to bed on Saturday night in lots of pain. Woke up Sunday with lots of pain.

Sunday required me to pack for the cottage, which was fun..it took me several hours to get my stuff organized & packed (yet still left swimsuits at home).. Imagine, had I gone to camp, how much pain I would be in. Packing up Sunday morning and making a 4 hour drive home, then unpacking equipment at our storage area. Afterwards, add in me trying to unpack from camp, do some laundry and then repack for the cottage all in a few hours then drive almost 2 hours up here..

imagine if I had tried to do camp, I would not have been able to pack for the cottage, let alone make it here for at least 2 days, possibly up to 4 or 5..

So, as the days have progressed, I’m having to be careful.. We (Lilly & I) ran errands on Tuesday, and spontaneously stopped at a local conservation area to take the pup for a walk (6 km later we are both dying) .. I walked around in the cool lake water to help the pain and heat in my leggs as well as a quick dip for Lil for that & heat relief… It helped a bit..

We took Wednesday easy.. Went about 500m in the kayak before I remembered I had a webinar in 20 minutes! & that was my exercise.. And yesterday I crashed out.. not even making it outta bed until 7 – in the evening..

So while, besides yesterday, I’m doing “ok”.. I was managing pain at about a 4/10. Imagine where I would have been had I gone to camp.. Besides packing, I’d be driving 4 hours to the camp ground, help set up three sites, including tents, kitchens and shelter. Poor sleep Friday night would almost be a given, but up between 7am & 8am for breakfast & on my feet going all day, including canoeing with the kids, hiking, games, skills training, archery, helping with 3 meals a day in some capacity, etc. No breaks, no stops, no naps untill after campfire, if I made it that long, starting at 9:30-10pm start.. so in bed for midnight.

^{Cubs & Scouts Camping c at Camp Impressa}

Sunday would have consisted of breakfast & packing the equipment all up & reorganizing the trailer. Then the 4 hour drive back as I mentioned earlier..

if you add all that activity on minimum sleep, are you really all that surprised that I would have crashed on Monday. Which I kind of did anyways just from packing up with the cottage.. if without that activity my pain levels are at a 4, maybe 5. Imagine what level I would have been at had I actually participated. I figure probably near 9/10 and I tend to go to the ER between the levels of 7 and 8!

Normally, if I’m ‘well’ I can do camp Friday – Sunday, then crash for 2 days.. but I can normally make it through camp.. but I wasn’t starting at ‘well’..

So, yeah I am so glad my pain doc ordered me to stay home..

Scout Popcorn

It’s Baa-aak!!!

_{Family Movie Night In}

Yes. I know. You missed it in the fall, but we have finally started the 2020-2021 Popcorn campaign..

Who: You

What: We have a new supplier of Nut-free, Gluten-free, Premium, Canadian Popcorn products They include popping kernels, Caramel Corn, Belgian Chocolate Drizzled Caramel Corn and Popcorn Seasoning. We also offer bundles of popped kernels in combinations with Cheddar, Butter,. Sweet & Salty,. Dill, Salt & Vinegar, and BBQ Flavours.

Where: http://www.ScoutPopcorn.ca

When: the campaign runs April 15 – June 15 2021

Why: Scouts Canada says it’s to help support Scouting Groups in funding more great adventures and most importantly, you give kids something to look forward to. PThisvfundraisevall.supportd the No Youth Left Behind subsidy program, helping youth facing economic barriers experience the benefits of Scouting..

Why Us: I’m with the 1st & 13th/30th Oshawa Cub packs. 2 weeks after the word shut down in March 2020, the 13th Oshawa started back up again, in a virtual environment. 2 weeks later we were joined by the 1st Oshawa to run the 2 packs together for the remained of the Scouting Year, including a virtual camp in June.

We know this had been hard on the youth and for some of them, Cubs was their only social.interaction with friends outside of their Bubble. Because of that, we continued on through the summer part time including a second virtual camp requested by the youth..

Due to lack of available leadership, in September we amagimated the 21st Oshawa into the 1st & 13th Oshawa Packs.. We have been bouncing between virtual & in-person meetings depending on the government & Scouts Canada restrictions. We also had the 30th merge with the 13th in January..

To run our programs, the youth need supplies for virtual activities, and even some supplies for in-person activities (cuz you never know what we will get flipped in virtual only). So, we have been providing this to the youth with very little funding, as we are not currently braking weekly dues. Every 6 weeks or so, the youth receive Cub Adventure Kits with supplies such as paint, wax, popsicle sticks, rope, first aid supplies, seeds, dirt, building kits for birdhouses, Kub Kars, drink stations & other projects, rocks, origami, Soapstone and snacks.

It is through the support of people like you who purchase the Scouts Canada products like the Scout Popcorn, Scout Coffee & Scout Seeds. And for that I, WE, Thank You.

Note: While the 1st Oshawa is not participating in this fundraiser, you with find the 13th Oshawa Cub Pack listed with our other sections, as well as the 30th Oshawa.