Just got back from my weekend in Peace River, my friend Allyson and I got away for Friday night and Saturday.  We stayed at an amazing place on the river in Peace River it is the old St. Augstine Mission house that has been  made into a hotel with suites.  Great place . Check it out at http://www.thirdmission.ca we stayed on the Third floor right at the top, quite a few stairs but well worth it.  A weekend of laughing talking, eating and red wine.  The highways were clear and dry, and I love the peace river valley and Dunvegan.  All in all great weekend. 

Back to my boring life

After all the fun in Rocky, I am back home again.  I had a good visit with T&G, helped out with making the cabinets for the kitchen in the basement, which is starting to look amazing.  It wasn't like we were super busy for the time I was there, but just nice to hang out.  For the second part of my vacation, Kane came to stay while T&C were in Hawaii, that was fun.  Kane can say my name now (which thrilled me to bits the first time I heard it).  We played, read some books, took a long walk.  I think Theresa is right, the ratio of 3 adults to one toddler is perfect.  We drove back to Edmonton after a quick stop at T&C's to hear all about the trip and see Tim's pictures.  Hawaii is truly a beautiful place.  Kane was pretty happy to have his Mom and Tim home, and to be in his own house again.  Saturday morning Grace and Sam came over for breakfast for a visit with their Mom and Dad (and me).  I haven't seen Sam since New Years, so it was good to catch up with him.  After everyone left I watched the hockey game, Edmonton won in a shootout.  Lisa did you watch The Fifth Estate this week?  It was all about psychopaths including Richard's old schoolmate Karla Homolka.  It was very creepy.

Happy Birthday Court

Kane colouring a Happy Birthday sign for his Mom.

Windy Winterpeg

This weekend I spent in Winnipeg, hanging out with Kirsten and the Wurmann gang. Got here on Saturday, leaving early early Tuesday morning. We have had a lovely time: saw Isaac's band play at an NDP "Manitoba social" (chips on paper plates and cheap beer), went to the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and of course, had many cocktails.

Isaac's band is great. They played all original songs, and they are very good songwriters. The drummer was in Costa Rica w/ parents, so they were drumless. Some iteration of acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synthesizer, bass, and ukelele. They were the hit of the night! And Isaac and friends patiently listened to a somewhat crazy old lady tell them that Isaac should be a Rhodes Scholar. (Not disputing that he should be.) The photo is me, Heidi Wurmann, and their dad, Erich. Fun!

Big Inuit art show at the WAG. It was broken up by decade, and it was quite neat to see how different artists worked. Kirsten's parents have some carvings by one of the artists in the show that they bought off him in the 1960s. And then we talked about her parents living in Yellowknife. Her mom was on the CBC, doing a program called Stories with Sharon, where she read books over the radio. Her biggest fans were apparently long-haul truckers.

We walked around downtown in frozen -32 / windy weather, went to the Fort Garry for cocktails and french fries, and ate some tasty Laotian food. I'm a little sad to go, but a little happy to see the cats.

Booboo has arrived

Barb and Dana got here just after lunch with Kane and we had a good visit over coffee. It sounds like they had a good time together.

We have got to the cupboard stage of our basement project. Geoff picked up the last of them when he got Jude in Edmonton, so Jude and I have been putting them together. This afternoon we had an extra helper. Kane has his own tools but is really not interested in plastic ones.

So happy to have him here.

Croci

They are showing their leaves here along with some daffodils poking up.
Signs of spring. I've heard some spring birds chirping and it is lighter when I am walking from car to work in the am.
Vancouver was good-hotel was nice and in great location. Plus excellent breakfasts.
We did not do too much, went to Granville Island, walked and walked, went to Chinatown and wanted to go to Sun Yat Sen gardens, but they were closed on Mondays. It was a good getaway trip. Sunday was sunny and windy, nice day to walk about. Monday light misty rain.
I have been obsessed with watching Walking Dead tv show. Who doesn't like zombies? Fictionally speaking of course. I have been thinking about Will's plan to hole up in Home Depot should an apocalypse occur. Sound planning.
I need to finish looking at article that a prof from last semester and I are going to submit. I doubt that it would get published, but really just sending it off is an accomplishment.
Class this semester is killing me. Quantitative data=not interesting to me. Strangely, I don't mind prof. I doodle all class and write notes to Terry sitting beside me. Plus class goes to 830, entirely too late for me, it makes me tired all week.

Happy Birthday Geoff

We have finally done something to post about

We went to the city on Friday so we could go with Sam to his last university awards luncheon on Saturday. The event was at the MacDonald Hotel. A good lunch as usual and they are very efficient in passing out all the awards, of which there are many. Sam wore one of his new made to measure suits so I have posted a picture for all to admire, especially Mom. After the awards we went to the lounge and had a drink, It was very good to visit with Sam since we usually see him with everyone else around which makes it harder to have a chat. He is very busy and somewhat stressed at work, in fact was going to go back to the office later on Saturday. But he and Nancy have planned a trip by train to Vancouver in May so maybe thinking about that will help him get through the busyness now.

We drove back last night because today was the parish annual meeting and Geoff will be going back on vestry so he thought he should be there. The roads were quite icy in patches and we had to stop for about 20 minutes just west of Alhambra while an accident was being cleared away.


Tim, Courtney and Kane stopped by today on their way out of town. They are both very ready for a break, especially Tim who has been working non-stop since Christmas. Kane will be staying at Courney's aunt's in Cochrane for a few days, then his other grandma will take him for a bit, then it will be our turn! Yay! Geoff is going back to the city on Wednesday to pick up more kitchen cabinets at Ikea so will bring Jude back on Thursday.

The new baby blanket I made, it turned out really well.

Happy Birthday Dad!

It it hard to believe that January is done and we are already in February, that should take care of the January blues but maybe not the February blues ( hopefully they will be light blue not dark).  Things are good here, had some very cold weather at the beginning of the week -36 without wind chill.  But on Friday it got to +5 that makes me tired the wild swings in the weather but I try to think that it is the down hill slid to spring, might be a long slide but still. 

We are planning to go to Vegas in March, will book the hotel and flights this weekend.  We have never been and are both looking forward to it.  March will be busy as I am going to Bob Seger with Judith and  I think Jim also.  I can hardly wait for both, hopefully February will go as fast as January. 

Does anyone have any good books or authors to recommend, I am looking for something new to read and need some inspiration.  Please help me out.

Wilf is going to north of Fort Nelson this week so I will be alone all week, I have talked to Henry and Ally and they will come over one night for supper, it will be good to have them over.  They seem to be settling in here, Ally starts her new job on Monday and Henry on Tuesday.

Today is Dad's birthday and I am thinking about him lots.  some how the birthday's where we celebrated with Fred stand out in my mind, the one in Prince George where they were both smoking the big stogies.  Makes me laugh.