It's not just me!

So just to let you all know that today someone shared an interesting tidbit with me. As we talked about the lovely (rainy) weather today she said that November has the highest suicide and death rates of any month here. Hmmm, wonder why?
See, I'm not crazy, it really is a lousy month. Don't worry, no thoughts of doing myself in have crossed my mind. Just had to share that ....it's not just me.

November@*!*Whining about weather

November has a whole different meaning to me up here. It used to be that November meant God turned the heater off and finally I had relief and could enjoy the outdoors again. There was Thanksgiving to look forward to and college football was in full swing. November used to be a great month!

November has a whole different meaning up here. Now it is a wet, dark month. I remember last year thinking it was possibly the longest yuckiest month of the year. We are off to the same start this year. Cold and wet and dark is November. Daylight savings time is over and that means it gets dark earlier and earlier this month. To add to the joy, it has rained the first two days so far. I know it sounds pessimistic but we are not off to a great start again this year. I think the darkness only amplifies the coldness and wetness.

I am sure everyone has their favorite time of year and their least favorite time of year. It has all changed for me up here. I used to hate summer and it's heat and humidity. I love summer up here! Long, warm days with lots of outdoor activities. Winter used to be one of my favorite times in the south because for me it was bearable to be outside and I like the fact that I didn't have to run the air conditioner all the time. Now I find myself dreading the frozen ground and icy sidewalks a little. I don't mind the cold as much as I mind the heat and humidity though so that is one advantage.

If only we did not have November to get through before everything freezes. Not a big fan of the cold, wet, dark month. Not even any holidays up here to look forward to in November.....glad we get to fly south for American Thanksgiving! Ahhhhh! And who knows....maybe November will surprise me this year and be beautiful, after all it has only been 2 days. It will still be dark though, November.

Mountains, Rivers and Reality

I got the opportunity to see the Canadian Rockies a few weeks ago. One of my cousins got married in Calgary and it was not only a great wedding but a great chance to go somewhere I have never been and see something I haven't seen. I've always heard how beautiful Calgary is and now I can agree, it is beautiful.

Outdoor weddings are always a risky venture, one thing you can't control is the weather. That being said, you can control your attitude about the weather. I've got to give the attitude award to my cousin and his bride. An early October wedding, outside, in the snow! It was spectacular! Cold, but beautiful. The backdrop of the mountains and snow covered trees made everything surreal. For a day we were all transported to a winter wonderland and the wedding was great fun.

TJ and I did some sightseeing and got to see the Banff Springs Hotel. I'm glad we got out to see the area and I think it may not be my last time in the Canadian Rockies, next time, skiing!

Our next stop is on the Seine River. That's right, Paris! From snow and mountains to sun and the Seine. Our daughter, Kelly, is studying in Paris this semester and what better excuse to visit?

Sidebar......TJ and I have been to Paris 4 times now and here is the progression as I see it.

First time, late 1980's, left 4 kids at home with a sitter, was very sad to be away from my 2 year old "baby", was young and it was my first time in France. Suffered severe jet lag due to the fact that I could not sleep on the plane because I was so excited to be going to France. Somewhat intimidated by the city and the language, probably did not attempt to speak much at all. Pinched myself daily because I had really made it to France, a lifelong goal. Vowed to go back someday.

Second time, 1996, 4 kids in tow, on our mission to take our children to Europe before they flew the nest. It was June, there was a heat wave, we were on a strict budget (read, 6 people in one very small, hot, noisy, room). The heat and the smog and our exhaustion made for a less than perfect visit and we were only there for 2 days (hurry, see all the sights with 4 hot, tired, shellshocked kids) before we had to start our journey through France and Italy.

Third time, April 2003, TJ, Michael, Kelly and I were visiting Katie, who was studying in Angers that spring. When I say it is nice to have a french speaking guide I mean it! Katie was our translator and it made things very nice. This was in the middle of the Iraq crisis and we did not know how welcome Americans would be. We were a little nervous, for no reason as it turned out. The French people were very friendly, I think having Katie as our voice had something to do with that. We did spend a few days in Paris but most of the trip was in the Loire valley.

We have come full circle, back to Paris without any kids. This time to visit that 2 year old "baby" who just celebrated her 21st birthday and is studying in Paris. No real agenda, 2 people in one large, quiet and cool room. We have seen the sights, this time we were there to just be. We still had that translator though, Kelly's french is coming along nicely. It was a true luxury to spend 6 days in Paris, and take it all in at a leisurely pace. I feel like I know so much more about the city now. It only took 20 years to get here!

Reality, the problem with going away is that you have to come home. For a few days it is nice to be back in a routine and settled but there is always that longing to be back at that cafe, or walking along that river or looking at those mountains seeing things you have never seen before. I guess I need to appreciate the routine of home as well as the joys of traveling. But it sure would be nice to walk home every night in the City of Light!

How many Prime Ministers Can You Name?

Last night we went to Trivia Night at our church. What an interesting night. I never knew how much I don't know about Canada! I was the token American on the team so ALL questions that had anything to do with the US. were referred to me. I knew some and not others as is to be expected. The thing I did not expect was how many of the questions were so Canadian. I heard names I have never in my life heard! How to give yourself a severe ego crush....try trivia in a country other than your home country. Ouch! How many prime ministers have there been? Who was the first one with a PhD? Who is the most decorated war hero from someplace I've never heard of? What were hockey pucks made out of in the 1800's? Yea, there were plenty of hockey questions too, another one of my shortcomings. Must get reading for next month!

We finished dead last out of 5 teams. We did have the most fun of any of the teams though and we got bonus points for our lovely drawings on our answer sheet and for our "spirit". Lesson learned....do the extra credit it might help. Our captain did a little drawing to depict each of our answers, if for no other reason than to entertain the "grader". It worked.

So after living here for a year and a half, I thought I was assimilating quite well. Wrong! I felt very foreign last night. How to get smacked right back into reality. It was a very nice evening and maybe I know a little more about Canada than I did before, if I can remember any of it.

Next time let's do baseball and presidents!

Some People's Trash= Other People's Treasure?

Trash day in Canada is something very different than trash day in the States. In the States you just throw stuff away, OK there is recycling in most places too. In Canada, to quote my cousin, you need a degree to figure out the trash here!

In Mississauga we have several different trash categories. First, you have a 2 bag limit each week for "trash". Second, you have the paper recycling box and the plastic, aluminum, etc. box. Third, you have the "green bin". The green bin is possibly the most disgusting trash bin in the world! This is the bin for all "organic" matter, that means fruit, vegetable, coffee grinds, tea bags, dead flowers, bones, fish, eggshells, grease, fat, sauces, dairy products, baked goods, paper towels and napkins, pizza boxes....yes, all the disgusting stuff that I used to put most of down the garbage disposal that I don't have here! Summertime is an especially lovely time for the green bin, smelly. You cannot put dead animals, dirty diapers or pet waste in the green bin though. Thank goodness!

Which brings me to today's topic....twice a year they lift the 2 bag limit and apparently the sky is the limit for these two, two week periods. They have "free trash" day or week in Nova Scotia in the summer too and talk about junk! You can drive up and down the road and there will be sofas, chairs, toilets, doors, windows, many appliances, Santa Claus decorations, bathtubs and all sorts of other treasures along the road for at least a week. With these "free" trash weeks also comes what can only be referred to as the worlds biggest street sale! People stop and pick up their new found treasures along the side of the road. My guess is that the city publishes the date for this and then waits a week to pick up the stuff, the result being they pick up half of what has been put by the side of the road.

Exhibit A, one grill, two chairs and a light fixture, oh and that nice bookcase!

It really is like a field day when you have the freedom to exceed the 2 bag limit. Throw it all away....NOW! We won't get this chance for another 6 months. I will admit to having possession of at least one item found by the side of the road on free trash week. It was a gift and we proudly display our plastic light up Santa next to our garden in Nova Scotia! (refer to picture in Summer, Part 3 posting) He makes a great scarecrow and who doesn't laugh when they see Santa next to the garden in July?

All kidding aside, I find that when I go somewhere with no recycling it just feels wrong to throw away that glass bottle or the can or the cardboard box. I am trained. I also have noticed how little actual "trash" we have. Must be the smaller family. But when I first heard the 2 bag limit I was trying to figure out how I could do it, now I sometimes only have one bag. How Canadian of me! I must have a degree.

Summer, the end

So I guess if this weekend is Labor Day weekend then it is the end of summer. How can winter last so long and summer be so short? (imagine asking that in Houston?!) It seems only yesterday that we were visiting with our friends Bob and Donna on their trip here and planning our long stay at the shore. Now it is over and it is back to real life and cooler weather.

About that cooler weather....I can remember when we would go shopping up here on vacation when I was in school and they had all the fall clothes out in August and in my reality it would be months before we could even think about wearing sweaters or cords or jackets and I wondered who buys this stuff so early? Are they kidding? Well, now I see the fall clothes and think, oh I better get some long pants or a jacket, I might need it soon. Shorts go in the drawer for another winter and bye bye tank tops and flip flops...sigh. I guess it is a good thing I like pants and long sleeves. But how will everyone see what is left of my tan with pants and long sleeves on? I have decided to push the season as far as I can and wear those shorts and sandals until I freeze! Two more weeks...haha.

Another observation....we always marveled at the fact that Canadians seem to do a lot of traveling. More than most people it always seemed to us. They are adventurous and really do see more of the world than the typical American. Looks like we are subscribing to that philosophy as well. We have done a lot of traveling since we moved here and it does not look like it is going to end. I tend to think that it is just the phase of life we are in right now but WOW! I can count 4 or 5 trips we are taking in the next 2 months. That is a lot! We are visiting new places as well as old favorites. We will be visiting our son Michael for Labor Day in Casper, WY. Our first trip to where he lives and we are both looking forward to going out west. Another exciting trip will be October when we go and visit Kelly who is studying in Paris for the semester. Why not? I think it is a great excuse to go to Paris. I might be more excited to see Kelly than the Eiffel Tower this time! Lots to look forward to but I still have to get my life going here too.

Back to work, at least a little. Another good thing about being up here is that no one really questions you when you ask for 2 months off to go to your cottage in Nova Scotia. Gotta love that! In the States they looked at me like I was crazy. I am definitely taking advantage of that while we live here!

Summer, Part 3?!

Garth and Hugh discussing life and "the games"
TJ's garden was Santa-ed

The Mini Olympics winning team

Pot luck with the cousins at the farmhouse

Time flies up here!

First there was the week with just TJ and I. We worked a lot and got organized. It was relatively quiet and we had a nice time.

Then Katie came up for a week. We enjoyed visiting and spending time together. TJ was gone for most of the visit until the weekend and then he came for a few days. I think he had a great 3 days! Perfect weather, just enough activities to be interesting but not too many to be exhausting.

Then there was the massive influx of people and "the games". Lots of cousins and many get togethers. It is always so hard to fit everything into a day. Where does the time go? We aren't working, we don't really have any obligations up here but still the time seems to just fly by. Can a day really be comprised of waking, eating, doing a few chores, exercising, beaching, visiting, a couple of meals, more visiting, laughing, playing and more visiting and going to bed completely exhausted and very late, only to wake up and do it all again? The answer is YES! We love it too! There are so many people here during "the games" that it is hard to fit them all into one day so we just have a continuous cycle of visiting and hanging out, oh, and the games. We lost this year, not enough key players here that week. Guess they chose to have a vacation instead of playing in the games. Still, a great week and super great weather!

Then comes the family time. Rachel, Matt, Daniel and Kelly and TJ all here for 10 days. Talk about busy! That Daniel is one moving man. He has an amazing curiosity about everything around him. He also loves the beach. It is so much fun to see him think about things and figure things out so quickly. This age is so physically tiring but they are wonders to watch. We had a great time with all of them here. We also know why young people have kids, whew! We have also had the most perfect weather of the summer for the last week. August is the time to be here, mid August, for those of you who are planning a future trip up here. Warm to hot days, cool nights and plenty of sunshine, no jellyfish and warm water to boot! We love it!

I'll just share a few pictures for your reading enjoyment. By no means all of the pictures but just a taste of the summer. It really has been one of "those" summers! Thanks be to God.