Vancouver 2010 Canada vs. United States

Tomorrow Canada and the US play each other in the gold medal hockey game in the Olympics . This game sums up my life right now. Not knowing much about hockey....I do realize the magnitude of this game. What a perfect way to end this Olympics?

My dilemma- who to cheer for? My patriotic side says USA- don't be a traitor to your country. My emotional side says Canada. They are the host country and I feel their WANT. Living here changes everything....my friends, neighbors, newscasters, newspapers, and radio announcers are all cheering for Canada. But I am an American living in Canada for the last 2 years. What to do?

I do have a very emotional connection to Canada. I associate it with so many great things in my life. Summers are defined by time at the shore in Nova Scotia. A breath of fresh air and fun with cousins and summer friends. How can you not love this?

Yes, I feel a loyalty to the US, I was born and raised there-but Canada is that grandparent that spoils you or that treasured friend who always brings good food and great times. There are no bad feelings or memories- it is all good- yes, even the broken arm and the health care system. I have learned a lot from Canada. I will be sad to leave and oh so thankful for the opportunity to return to the arms of that embracing grandparent, every summer.

Who will I cheer for tomorrow? The offense....and the defense.....I win either way.

P.S. I should always listen to Canadian music while writing about hockey! This blog brought to you by Spirit of the West.

Ode to February

February........month of snow. At least the last two years.

February.......the month of skiing.

February.....month of visitors and traveling.

February.....the month the Saints won the Super Bowl!

February.....Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday and Lent

View of Lake Louise through the window of an ice castle.

My new house?


Lake Louise in February

View of the harborfront from the top of the CN Tower
(notice the lack of snow in Toronto this year)

Colts vs. Saints

Just Embrace It

We sold our house. This means we are one step closer to moving back down south. One step closer to living in a sauna.

I remember the first winter we lived here and one of my friends from the shore said how much he hated winter. He has lived in Canada all of his life, so I can't really relate to having winter after winter of cold. This is my third winter and call me crazy, but I kind of like it. Anyway, my friend said to make it through winter you just have to embrace it and make the most of it while it lasts. Good advice. I took it to heart. I really have tried to embrace winter up here. I enjoy skiing. I enjoy that cold burst of air that hits my face when I go outside. I enjoy the walks outside in the cold, I even enjoy the snow and shoveling the driveway. I don't enjoy the gray days but the sunny, blue sky days make up for the gray ones. I think I have done a good job of embracing the cold.

As I think about moving back down south, I inevitably think about the long hot and humid summers. I never liked the heat and humidity. Kind of like my friend who never liked the long winters up here. So maybe I will just have to take that advice again in reverse. I will just have to embrace the heat and humidity. Like subfreezing temperatures and snow are inevitable up here, heat and humidity are inevitable in Houston. Already I find myself dreading having my clothes instantly stick to my body when I go outside and having sweat drip down my face and my back....and front, for months. Embracing this is going to be a challenge.

Looking on the bright side, I remember being able to run outside every month of the year. I liked running when I lived there before. I like bike riding, so now I can bike almost any time of the year again, this will be a change I can embrace. It might take a while and I think I'll have to work much harder but maybe if I keep telling myself those words they will sink in and I can embrace the heat.

Stay tuned....

One thing I really have missed

I was in Baton Rouge weekend before last. Unless you live under a rock, you know the Saints are in the Super Bowl this year! Being raised in Louisiana, the Saints were our team. They were always our losing team. Until the last few years! When I landed in Baton Rouge on Friday, it was like being in a alternate universe! A black and gold one. Everyone is so excited about the Saints. One thing that is very different between the States and Canada seems to be a passion for football. In the States people are passionate about football.... college football, high school football, pro football. Up here, not so much. I miss that!

Everywhere we went this weekend there were people wearing black and gold clothing, with Mardi Gras beads in Saints colors, cars with Saints flags flying from them, the colors were everywhere. The papers were full of articles about the Saints. There was a palpable atmosphere of excitement for the NFC championship game on Sunday. And then they won! I had the pleasure of watching the game with true fans..... I miss doing that!

In attempt to bring a little of the south to Canada, I have decided to have a Super Bowl party, complete with Cajun food and plenty of New Orleans flavor. I have Mardi Gras beads and authentic Louisiana crawfish and plan to cook lots of southern favorites. Here is hoping the voodoo works! Who Dat!

Second Year Savasana

My life is a lot like my yoga. As I was attempting to do one of the more challenging poses today at yoga and the instructor was telling us to relax and not make it so hard and to just give in to the pose, I had a thought. Moving and living in a different place can be likened to going to yoga over time. How? Here goes....(my mind does wander a bit at yoga!)

My first yoga classes were very challenging. I was very sore after every class, for weeks. I kept wondering when it would get easier, surely after doing this 3 times a week I would be able to do all the poses and my body would not feel like it had been stretched like a rubber band afterwards. It has been a year and a half that I've been going to this class and I don't get sore after every class, only the particularly challenging ones, and I can do poses I could not do when I started. Still not a pro by any stretch, pun intended, but getting better.

When we move somewhere new the first year is like those first weeks of yoga class. Everything is unfamiliar and there are many challenges. Where to live, where to shop, find a doctor, find a dentist, where do you get your car repaired, building a new social network, learning the area and when will I feel like I belong? You are "sore" for a year just trying to make a new life. This is not to say there is no joy in the first year. There are countless victories that come through the year, just like the first time you can do the crow pose or a headstand. But these are firsts and not routine just yet, it takes time and practice for it to become part of you.

The second year is letting everything "set in". I had that thought as we were doing our final Savasana, corpse pose, today and the instructor said this pose helps the work of the class "set in" to our bodies... just like the second year. Everything is starting to feel familiar, and life is a little easier, just like some of those poses. The second year is when all of the work of the first year pays off. I sure do like the second year more than the first, can I just start on year two next time?
Namaste

Rain, Shine, Sleet or Snow

On Tuesday I was driving to a meeting, through the snow down the slippery streets and saw something that just baffles me. It was well below freezing and snowing.....and there she was, a mom taking a run pushing her running stroller with her child inside the stroller, covered by the plastic sheet of course. What was her thought process on this one? "Oh, look it's snowing, I guess I'll go out for a run...and take the baby. Maybe we can both wipe out on the icy sidewalk!" Or, maybe they were both just tired of being inside and getting a little cabin fever so they needed a little airing out.
I am constantly amazed in the winter up here to what lengths people will go to in order to get their excercise. Last night on my drive home there they were...the Running Room group taking their nightly run, all in dark clothing, on the slushy street in the sub freezing temps. That is dedication.
It is times like these that make me thankful for my hot yoga classes, inside and very warm!

"Boomie"

This video was taken on Christmas morning. TJ had a blast playing with Daniel and building and booming all day! What a kid!

Daniel loved watching this video over and over and just cracked up at himself every time.