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A Fresh Start

Hi, I’m Tess, and I love writing. It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog entry, so here’s to a fresh start. In 2020, I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. Navigating that diagnosis has had its share of ups and downs, but I’m now stable on my medications, and this October will mark four years since my last psychiatric hospitalization. I’ll share more of that story another time. From my Bipolar journey came an unexpected love: running. For a few years, I trained heavily and even ran my first half marathon—something I never thought I’d do. Honestly, I still can’t believe I did it. But over time, shin splints became a recurring issue. I’d stop, heal, start again, and repeat. Eventually, I took a longer break. During that break, I regained some of the weight I had lost, and running didn’t feel as exciting. The comparison game with other runners crept in, and I felt like my weight was holding me back physically and mentally. I also realized my family needed more of me. This...
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The Story of Zelda: Our Mighty Little Kitten

Towards the end of June, my friend posted on Facebook that she had taken in a 5-week-old kitten. She couldn’t keep her long-term and was looking for someone to give the tiny furball a forever home. We already had two cats and two guinea pigs, but my heart ached for this little kitten. After talking it over with Michael, we agreed—our family had room for one more. That’s when I learned her backstory. Zelda had been found outside of Lethbridge by a couple and handed over to the RCMP. The RCMP then reached out to my friend in hopes of giving her a second chance at life. When she was rescued, one of her eyes was mostly glued shut, she was congested, and she needed to be syringe-fed before slowly transitioning to soft food. No other kittens were found nearby—likely her mom had died or abandoned her. At first, my friend called her Vida —Spanish for “life.” It was a fitting name, but we wanted something that felt uniquely hers. Michael suggested Gandalf the Grey (which made me smile), but I ...
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Rediscovering My Love for Reading

I used to be an avid bookworm as a child and well into my teen years. But somewhere in college, my love for reading fizzled out. Books became something I had to read for classes, not something I picked up for fun. I briefly rekindled that spark when I commuted to work as a health care aide and borrowed audiobooks from the library. But after that, life took over—kids happened, and reading simply fell off my radar. Even when I did think about it, I found it hard to focus long enough to really get into a book. I’d often see my husband reading before bed, and more than once he suggested I give it another try. I always brushed it off. Then, at the end of 2023, I decided to try my first digital audiobook—and it just took off from there. By 2024, I was truly hooked. I ended the year having read 48 books—something I never imagined I could do.  This year, in 2025, I set an even bigger goal: 100 books. So far, I’ve finished 68. There have been some slower months, but I’...
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Biking Through the Years: From Country Roads to City Loops

  When I think back to my childhood, one memory that stands out is learning to ride a bike. It didn’t come as quickly for me as it did for my friends. While many of them had mastered it by age six, I didn’t quite get the hang of it until I was seven. At the time, I remember feeling pretty upset about being "behind." But once I figured it out, there was no stopping me. In those early years, we lived out in the country, so most of my biking adventures were confined to riding up and down our long driveway. Occasionally, I’d bike along the dirt road nearby. But my favorite biking memories began after we moved to Penticton. That’s when family bike rides became a thing. I especially remember one of our first rides along a popular area called “The Channel.” Everything was going smoothly—until my brother suddenly slammed into the back of my other brother. The cause? A snake had slithered across the path, startling him into an abrupt stop. It shook all of us up a bit, but thankfully...
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Living with Bipolar: Between Strength and Struggle

May 16th marked five years since I received my bipolar diagnosis. It’s been a journey — one filled with highs and lows — but today, I’m grateful to say I’m stable on my medication and, in many ways, doing well. To those around me, I may look like I have it all together. On the outside, it might seem like I’m thriving — and in some areas, I am. But the reality is that I still struggle. Living with bipolar isn’t a one-time hurdle; it’s a daily balancing act . Lately, I’ve noticed something: whenever the weather shifts to rain , I start to sink. Not into a severe depression, but a moderate, persistent low . This has been especially true this spring — and as I reflect, I realize this happens pretty much every time it rains. While I do my best to focus on positive things to lift my mood, it doesn’t always work. Some days, all I want is to wrap myself in a blanket and lie in a fetal position on my bed . But sometimes I can’t. I’m still a mom , and my kids need me. That’s a reality that ...
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