Year End 2025 Wheat and Roses

A person can never know what any given day will bring. Sometimes what we planned or worried about can quickly become insignificant. What we thought was important when we got up fades away.

    On New Year's Eve 2024, I was at my mom's bedside as her long battle with Parkinson's Disease was coming to an end. This was difficult, but when the priest came to see her and said he was honoured to be there, I thought wow what a positive way to view being with someone at the end of their journey. His words changed my mindset that night. Mom passed away on January 2, 2025.

    The majority of my immediate family lives outside of Saskatchewan, so we decided to have her funeral when the weather was better for travelling.

    The family gathered in Prince Albert in April for Mom's funeral prayers and service. All of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who were in attendance participated in the service. It was beautiful. Mom would have been proud of the sendoff we gave her. She is with our dad now.

    We spent a couple of days visiting as a family, which was special as it's something we aren't able to do often.

The majority of my family: siblings, nieces, nephews, spouses, great-nieces, 

and nephews and Dad's youngest sister.

This Grandma (me) is done with bottles and diapers. Our five grandkids are all doing well. The oldest has her driver's license now, and they are all in school full-time except the youngest. They are living their best lives, enjoying school, their friends, and a variety of activities. The six and seven-year-olds kept the tooth fairy busy.

    The Hubs works in the agricultural industry full-time. He did manage to take a few breaks this year and go on a fishing trip in northern Saskatchewan, and attend an NHL game in Edmonton with our son and grandson.

    We spent the February Family Day weekend with our kids and grandkids, staying at a hotel, swimming and enjoying good food.

    It was a summer of forest fire smoke and wind, but we had many great days with our kids, grandkids, extended family, and friends camping, boating, and having backyard BBQs.

    One rainy September evening, our family attended a CFL game between the Saskatchewan Rough Riders and the Montreal Alouettes in Regina. The Riders lost that night but went on to defeat Montreal in the Grey Cup.

It was Family Night, so we all got to go on the field after the game in the rain.
Kids had a blast!

 
I continue to sub at the school as an administrative assistant and educational associate. My home-based business, Norma Galambos Lifestyle, keeps me busy. I did a couple of trade shows in the spring and summer and seven in the fall. I make all my own products, which I love doing, but it's time-consuming. At these sales, I sell bath and body products, candles, spice blends, drink rimmers, resin items and my children's books.

Trade Show

    I made these resin fridge magnets and keychains as gifts for my siblings, nieces, and nephews to mark the first Christmas without Mom/Grandma. The wheat was grown by Dad in 1938, and the rose petals are from the bush my grandmother planted at the farm in the 1930s. Then Mom cared for it for fifty years when they took over the farm. I brought the rose bush to my yard almost twenty years ago when Mom and Dad moved away. A piece of it also grows at my daughter's home. Old Rose, as I call her, is hardy and has definitely made the rounds.

Old Rose

On the writing front, I continued with promotion and sales of my children's books, and I have been working on new stories. I did several school author visits with my books and puppets, which were fun, and I hope to do more of them.

Author visit

    In November, I received notification that I was chosen as one of four recipients of an apprenticeship through the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild Mentorship Program. This opportunity will run from January to May 2026. I will be working with my mentor on the middle-grade novel that I have been writing.

    Continuing to learn and grow as a writer is important to me. I participated in two Virtual Writer in Residence sessions through the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild, attended the 2025 CANSCAIP (Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators and Performers) Conference in Saskatoon and participated in an online children's author critiquing workshop. From September to December, I took an online intensive creative writing class, which was a wonderful experience.

CANSCAIP Conference

Open mic at conference

I continue to enjoy working in our yard; being in nature gives me peace. However, the yard does seem to get bigger each year. I'm stoked that I bought myself a serious battery-operated trimmer and a leaf blower. Just don't sneak up on me when I'm wielding that trimmer….

The rose my bestie gave me when Mom passed.

    In the fall, the Hubs and I made winter pots and are enjoying them more than I expected.

We will spend Christmas with our children and grandchildren, and The Hubs' Mom. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate, and we will be able to do some skating, fishing, and snowmobiling.

My Intentions for 2026

· Focus on completing more of my middle-grade novel during my time in the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild Mentorship Program.

· Participate in the workshop, Crafting Your Literary Career Path, that the apprentices are invited to attend online in January.

· Look for writer/crafter learning opportunities.

· Edit and submit more children's book manuscripts for publication consideration.

· Attend tradeshows in my usual haunts. New products - I never know where I'm going to go in this direction. At this time last year, I didn't have a clue I was going to make a resin line, so who knows. One day, my children will inherit my massive collection of crafting supplies. They'll be so excited.

· Purchase plants I haven't tried for our yard and containers.

· Put up new bird houses as we love watching and listening to the birds that take up residence in our yard each spring, and get a peanut feeder for my favourite squirrel, Kevin.

· Grow random veggies in pots and pick berries.

· Spend more time at the lake and continue shenanigans with the grandkids.

Thank you for reading my work, purchasing my products and for your words of encouragement.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from my house to yours!

Norma