Visit out west :)

How to summarize 3 weeks of various adventures in a few paragraphs? Well, I will try my best with a few photos, and shorter descriptions. And key words or phrases or something.

 

This is serious stuff

with Leslie

Ski date with Bro and Sis-in-Law

with Bela, it’s been so long!

 

12 hour trip because of a late plane. Ice Age 4. From minus 1 to minus 20. And minus 20 is cold when you are accustomed to around 0 degrees. Fortunately the cold spell only lasted until just after Boxing Day, and in the mountains it was warmer – at least when we were skiing. 

with Mwansa

with Lisi

Hanging out with my grandparents. Crosswords. Playing crib with my grandpa and getting stinked-lined, which would be frustrating if it wasn’t the first time I had played crib in years Going to church and getting put on the spot to share haha. Eating a gluten-free burger in a restaurant (pretty fancy!) Singing lots of Christmas carols. Gluten-free Christmas cookies, mincemeat tarts, homemade eggnog, spanish cream, stuffing…mmmm. First Christmas dinner with just my parents and grandparents since before my siblings were born Classic silly photos with the whole family. Celebrating the 70 year anniversary of when my grandparents were engaged.

serving the famously delicious spanish cream

practicing the perfect swing-out pose

Three trips to the mountains for snowboarding: one Mom and daughter time, one with spectacular views, and one snow day with 10+cm fresh powder to enjoy. And one crazy fall where I flipped 10 feet and strained some muscles between my ribs :S. But I kept going. Two skating trips to Bowness lagoon on borrowed skates. Two nights of swing dancing until my legs and feet wanted to give out. Haven’t been swing dancing in Québec for a long time, so it was such a pleasure to see old friends and meet new ones on the dance floor in Calgary! One movie night with my Dad and sister to see the Hobbit – and since I don’t want to gripe too much about it, I will say it was lovely . Games night with tile rummy. New Years Eve party and an attempt to play Just dance 4. Ligretto face-off with my good friend L. Skyping with my German exchange partner from grade 11 and seeing her daughter. And many, many cofee dates and visits with good friends. Including I. who I haven’t seen in over 7 years because she moved back to Brasil. So cool

with Jill, and yes it’s too warm for a jacket inside…

apparently you can fly on a snowboard…

with Bro skating

I should not forget to mention my late-night reading sessions. During a visit to a friend’s house, I noticed she had many books from one of my favourite fantasy author’s as a teenager. Whereupon I was sent home with the first of a new series that I read over 2 days, or perhaps I should say late nights And so I borrowed the 2nd book, and the 3rd that my friend has purchased with her xmas gift card just when thinking about me being interested in reading it. Over 1500 pages in the space of one week. On top of my other activities. Short nights but they were worth it

ski date with the Momma

Also, I am learning how to knit! Firstly, my Grandma was able to show me the rudimentaries and then I spent some time with my sister’s mom-in-law to practice. She gifted me with some knitting needles, yarn and a first project idea I could bring my plastic needles on the plane, and unfortunately one of them broke during the flight back to Montreal. I tried to use duct tape to fix it, but the yarn kept getting caught on the tape and I was having a rather difficult time. Which meant starting all over as I transfered the yarn to a larger size of needle. Alas. But it’s more practice!

Trying to look sad because I have to tear up all of my knitting so far…

Got to hang out in Montreal for a few days to visit another friend who has left now for 2 years. Had some good sushi, some good cheese and some good bread. Spent Friday morning with the DTS in Montreal and discovered the “People’s Potato” student’s kitchen at Concordia university. They offer vegan meals at lunch, for free or for donation. This meal was tasty AND gluten-free First time adventure on the metro and bus system with a big, heavy suitcase. Encounter with angel helpers in human form, who helped me to carry my suitcase up and down metro station stairs. Definitely grateful for that! 

Goofin’ around with Angie

Lovely ladies!

with Jenya

Movies nights with air-popped microwave popcorn. (yes, it’s possible). Trip to Val St-Come to watch the world cup freestyle skiing. More late-night reading. Unpacking explosion. Discovering matcha powder in tea. What can I say, it’s been a full few weeks and good ones at that.

Look at that tasty sushi spread

with the DTS girls at the People’s Potato…doesn’t the soup look tasty?

I felt so blessed by people’s generosity and the sharing we did during my visits. It was so great to be out west and now I am glad to be back here. Have to see what kinds of adventures await in 2013! 

Thanks for reading! À la prochaine!

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