Life on the Hill | Sydney, NS

My great uncle, John, passed away last week.  He was the last surviving member of his family and his passing marks the end of an era for our family.  You see, they were a family of five boys who spent their lives living in spitting distance from one another.  Can you imagine spending ninety years with your brother living next door, and your other brother living next door to him, and your other brother living next door to him, and your other brother living across the street?

The brothers had two sisters, Alice and Ellen, who both passed away before they were adults.  My grandfather's mother must have been a strong, strong woman - she lost her two girls and her husband and she continued on and raised her five boys.

The boys all built homes and families of their own on Kyte's Hill.  I think now of their lives, their stories, their memories, what life must have been like for them.  We have their photos and memories of the stories we've heard, but I wish we had more.  More time, more memories, more moments to take it all in and remember it.

Life will never be the same on the hill. 

Hug the ones you're with, capture your love with a photo, write down your stories - write down their stories.

 

xoxo

...Kare

email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

website:  http://www.karenkyte.com

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I Let the Cat Out of the Bag | Halifax, NS

I don't cook.    Jason moved in a year and a half ago and he does most of the cooking.  Most?  All.  When it's my turn to cook, we go out for dinner.

Awhile ago, Jason starting talking about chili.  Meh, I can make chili.  I mean, I have made chili... once.  You want it, I'll make it for you.  One cold Saturday evening, I threw everything into the slowcooker and made us some fantastic chili.  It was so good, I made it a couple of weeks later, too.

Jason gave it a ten out of ten!

I was feeling domestic tonight and made an old family favourite - Carole's Chicken.  This one only scored a 7.5.  :-(  Maybe scoring my cooking wasn't such a good idea after all.

But, crap - now Jason knows I can cook.  Well, he knows I can cook chili and chicken.  I didn't think this through very well...  I'm going to have to hide my cookbook!

:-)

...Kare

email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

website:  http://www.karenkyte.com

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Dear Tamoxifen... | Halifax, NS, Breast Cancer Survivor

We've been seeing each other for a little over four months now.  Once a day, every day, just before bed.  I was hopeful we'd have a good relationship, nice and easy.  But now we've gone over the line and turned a corner.  Our casual relationship has turned into a love/hate relationship.

There have been changes since we've started seeing each other.  They were subtle, not all at once.  There are the hot flashes.  Luckily, they have been few and far between.  I don't sleep well, but then I didn't sleep well before you came along - thank God (and my doctor) for little blue pills that help with that.  I'm still tired - is that you?  I don't know any more.

Then there are the mood swings.  They're no picnic - for me or for Jason; luckily, he gives me the space I need and is there to pick me up when I'm ready for it.

I was warned about your side effects.  I was hopeful, though.  And I'm still optimistic that this is it, that you won't become burdensome.  Time will tell.

On the upside, you reduce my risk of recurrence by up to 50%.  You win.

...Kare

email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

website:  http://www.karenkyte.com

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Dear Blog... | Halifax, NS

I'm sorry I've neglected you.  I'll be back soon, I promise.

xoxo

...Kare

email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

website:  http://www.karenkyte.com

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I Picture Hope - Giving Back | Halifax, NS, Breast Cancer Photographer

Getting a breast cancer diagnosis is such a scary time with so many thoughts, fears, and emotions.   I don't think you can imagine it unless you've been through it.  At least I couldn't imagine it til I heard the words myself.  Fear and denial are big ones, you've got to go through them before you get to strength, courage, and hope.

While I was going through the early days, I dealt with fear a lot.  Fear of the unknown.  Fear of surgery.  Fear of treatments.  Fear of changes I'd go through.  Before my surgery, the one thing I wanted was a photoshoot.  I felt it was important because I didn't know what was to come... surgery, chemo, radiation, who knows what else.  And I wanted to remember what I was like in that moment, full of fear and on the cusp of gathering my courage for what was to come.

And now, here I am ten months later.  I'm here to tell you that you can have strength, you can have courage, and you can have hope.  And I'd like to help you see that.  If you're going through treatments or are, like me, a survivor I'd like the chance to give you the photoshoot I so desperately wanted.  To remind you of who you are right now. 

My friend Camille Denae has gathered up photographers around the world, photographers ready to help remind those going through breast cancer treatments or those who have survived that there is hope.  I Picture Hope is here for you.  If you're in Halifax or the surrounding areas going through treatments (or have finished treatments) and would like to talk about a photoshoot, drop me a line, let's talk.  If you're visiting from away, check out the I Picture Hope facebook page and find a photographer in your neck of the woods.

xoxo

...Kare

email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

website:  http://www.karenkyte.com

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Cancer Sucks | Halifax, NS, Breast Cancer Survivor

As I was getting ready for work a few days ago, my mind flashed back to the date of diagnosis.  My heart raced and my eyes watered.  Why?  Why am I thinking about that today?  Ah, it was the 22nd... the monthiversary of my diagnosis.  It's been nine months, surely I won't think about it on the 22nd of each and every month.  Good God, enough is enough.

As I realized why I was thinking about my diagnosis, my thoughts turned to my Mom.  She's at the stage I was in February - her surgery is done, she's healing, and is waiting to find out what treatments she's going to need.  Waiting.  Waiting.  Waiting.  Waiting sucks, too, by the way.  But Mom handles it with courage and grace - and big heaping of "let's get 'er done" attitude.

I feel as though I were a puddle of mush during my cancer journey and I am in awe of my mother and the way she deals with hers.  Where it seemed like days before I even left the house after my surgery, she was raring to go.  It's true we each handle diagnosis and treatment our own way, no one can dictate how we should think or feel, or what we should do.  But if you're going through what Mom and I had to go through, I wish you strength.  I wish you courage.  I wish you hope.  And I wish you a big ol' heaping of "just get 'er done" attitude.  It's a good thing.

...Kare

email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

website:  http://www.karenkyte.com

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United Way | Halifax, NS

The annual United Way campaign is in full force at my day job.  We spent our lunchtime yesterday playing "Minute to Win It."  

Teams had to perform a task in under 60 seconds.

They had to get all the balls from one bottle to the other:

They had to stack cups, then unstack them:

They had to stack three golf balls - I don't think anyone got this one!

Just some of the fun and games we had today to promote the United Way campaign - remember, you only have another couple of days to pledge.

...Kare

email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

website:  http://www.karenkyte.com

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