A dash of Winnipeg

Monday November 10, 2014

Temperature: -10*C (14*F)

Goal time to spend outdoors: 18 minutes (goal not reached, double sad face)

Today I drove to Winnipeg with Little C, and picked my mom up along the way. First we browsed around Polo Park because I wanted to check out the new wing on the upper floor of the mall (which used to be a Zellers but is now a mix of mostly-new-to-us stores) that had been developed and OF COURSE they put The Disney Store right next to Anthropologie! Now Little C will probably (okay, always) get to visit his soon-to-be favourite store while I visit mine!

After our mall adventure we whipped around the city to be on time for my appointment to get my hearing aid checked out. My device has been acting up, draining battery power ridiculously fast so it’s either go broke getting it fixed or go broke buying hearing aid batteries.

After my appointment we went to a chain restaurant (Perkins) for lunch and then drove out of the city, since by then it was 3pm and I didn’t want to be too late arriving home. It’s not fair for Little C to have a late night just because I’d like to shop!

Once we arrived home it was dark out (as it will be now at 5pm), my husband wasn’t back from work yet and the last thing I wanted to do was stick the baby in the stroller again after he’d been cooped up all day. Because of all this I stayed home until Big C arrived, which happened to be later than usual (an unexpected truck showed up to load grain, which backed everything up).

I intended to go outside once Big C had showered and could watch the baby, when a knock on the door sent the baby and puppy into a tailspin. A friend had dropped by to give us a toque that her mom had knitted for the baby (which was super cute but unfortunately too small) and stayed for a short visit.

After she left I got distracted by social media (SO easy to do, amirite people?!) and then all of the sudden it was time for Little C to have his bath.

After Little C went to sleep I suddenly realized it was after 8pm and I wanted something to eat. I whipped up a simple salad and ate that, followed by leftover cake and watched our Monday night programs in the living room. I know it’s a terrible habit, watching tv while eating supper. But it was late! And Castle was on! Excuses, excuses.

After tv was over it was 11pm and I was ready for bed. I felt kind of ashamed, I knew I had totally put aside spending time outdoors in favour of lazy pleasures and easy ways out. I was too ‘busy’ which is a total crock of bull since I easily could have made time in the evening if I had forgone tv and food. It’s amazing how I can convince myself I’m too busy when in reality I’m just not very good at organizing my time.

Indoor Kitty

Sunday November 9, 2014

Temperature: maaaaaybe -4*C (maaaaaybe 24*F)

Goal time to spend outdoors: 18 minutes (Goal not reached. Sad face.)

So today I baked a cake. And then baked another cake. And kept Little C out of trouble. And kept Peggy Sue out of trouble. And visited with my sister and bro-in-law when they stopped by to pick up a freezer. And made a salad. And drove to my parents’ place to celebrate family members’ birthdays. And ate a lot of food. And watched a slide show of my sister’s wedding photos. And drove home, almost falling asleep along the way, which forced Big C to carry the conversation with me so I’d stay awake. And clambered into bed immediately after we arrived home. And fell promptly into glorious sleep which I did not wake up from until 7:30am the next day.

But I don’t think I was outside for more than 10 minutes the whole day. I was an indoor kitty, and I yearned to be free.

Family Time

Saturday November 8, 2014

Temperature: -7*C with the windchill (19*F with the windchill)

Goal time to spend outdoors: 17 minutes (goal achieved)

Yet another overcast day. What the heck?! It’s usually very sunny here so I don’t know what’s going on. Ah well. I’m hoping when it’s finally sunny again I’ll appreciate those warm(ish) rays that much more.

Today I had a lot of company on this walk. Besides the baby, Big C and Peggy Sue came along which was a lovely change of pace. It’s always nice to enjoy the fresh air with people you adore and are able to converse with about everything and anything that comes to your mind.

We walked up the first avenue, down the highway along the edge of the village and then back into the shelter of houses along the middle avenue (yeah, there are only three avenues here). Being first time parents ‘n all we were a bit concerned about Little C not being warm enough, but he was bundled up in his outer clothes and thick blanket and we rolled the ‘window’ part of the cover down so no cold air could get through, so I wasn’t terribly worried. I have a feeling though that it’s time to properly figure out what an 8 month old baby should be wearing in sub-zero temps…

The strong northwest wind blew chilly air on our cheeks, although we were fairly prepared for today’s foray, bundling up in toques and gloves. (well, I was only wearing one mitten since I couldn’t find it’s pair. Yes, I am that person. Whatever.)

My lone mitten. Yes it’s old and ratty. But it still does the job of keeping my hand warm! If only I could find it’s pair…

We braced ourselves while walking west, squinting into the wind and talking out the side of our mouths. We tried to walk quickly along the highway and hurry back into town to enjoy the second half of our walk with the wind at our back. Sometimes I swear that wind could just pick me up and blow me away. (Okay, that’s an exaggeration. But seriously. It’s windy. Did I mention it’s windy? Ok, I’ll shut up about it now.)

I SO enjoy spending time with my little family, talking with my husband and doting on our pets and baby with him. We don’t get much time to spend together, and sometimes the hours we do have together is spent ignoring each other for the sake of technology (damn you, smartphones!). So when we do make an effort to REALLY be together, it’s very wonderful 🙂

Nostalgia

Thursday November 6, 2014

Temperature: 2*C (36*F)

Goal time to spend outdoors: 17 minutes (goal achieved)

This morning I was in my hometown of Treherne because I had an appointment to get my INR levels checked at the hospital (I developed a blood clot after giving birth to Little C so am now on blood thinners). After my appointment I drove down a few streets in town and parked the car in front of the town restaurant (yes, at the moment there is only one. We are THAT small.) that happened to be my place of employment during my high schools years. Oh, the memories!

It was a clear, crisp, sunny day plus I had brought along Little C’s stroller with us (you never know what you need, and babies need a lot of STUFF) and I had some time to kill before lunch, so out came the stroller. I clicked Little C’s bucket into the base, packed the blanket on top of him for warmth, adjusted his hat and away we went.

I walked down a hill, past the church I attended as a child, past the plot of land where my babysitter used to live (the house has been torn down and a mini-McMansion is being built in it’s place), past the land where my grandma used to have a house (we tore it down when she passed away and whoever bought the land brought a ratty trailer onto the space), past the lodge that my grandma lived in for a short time, past the stores and banks on the main streets of town that I used to frequent, past the empty plot of land the hardware my parents used to own (the building has been torn down).

I kept thinking that everything is so weird now. Bits of the town are totally unchanged and other pieces are flat out gone from this world, remaining only in my heart and memory. I took a moment to travel back in time, if only in my head, and saw my friend’s house that is now gone and replaced by another house, and a building that used to be a cafe and is now a physical therapy office.

Things are always changing.

Businesses, families, the weather. Everything just keeps rolling and moving and growing and breaking apart, only to keep moving and grow again. Sometimes it’s a little too much for my heart to take. Once in a while I fleetingly wish things would just stay still, that time would slow down to a crawl. But then I remember that change is the correct way of the world. That facing the things we fear is good for the soul (or essence, or personality, however you want to describe it) and that being sad once in a while is okay, since it makes being happy that much more special.

I wasn’t sad, not really. I felt nostalgic and bittersweet. I hadn’t lived here in over 10 years. The past is past, what’s done is done. If anything, I think I was a little sad for the girl I had once been and was no longer. She was a great girl, I think, and sometimes I miss her and her naivete. I had a lovely childhood. My home was a safe and loving home, my town was a safe and picturesque town.

As I strolled past the credit union I waved to a man who was once a little boy that went to the same babysitter as me. He parked a pick-up truck with his name on the back declaring he owned a construction business. I laughed a little. I remembered him dancing with me in a living room and being embarrassed that he liked to dance. His sister once bit me on my arm so hard she drew blood and their brother, who I went to school with, was the golden boy in our grade, well-liked by almost everyone.

How time flies. How things change. How some of it remains eternal. I love it all.

That Mild Feeling

Wednesday November 5, 2014

Temperature:  2*C (36*F)

Goal time to spend outdoors: 17 minutes (goal achieved!)

Pretty sight, but didn’t give myself time to get a good shot. Next time!

This afternoon Little C and I got ourselves organized (although, let’s be real here, I do most of the heavy lifting) and smoothly transitioned (meaning the baby didn’t fight like a deranged animal to resist putting his arms through the jacket sleeves and his feet into shoes) from indoor hermits into outdoor butterflies.

We walked to the credit union, where I am currently on maternity leave from, and I had a nice chat with my co-workers and my supervisor while I got some financial things taken care of. Of course they all had to have a good look at Little C, and my supervisor – who is the awesomest supervisor I could ask for, no really I just adore her to bits – played with the baby for a minute (or 3 or 4 or more).

As we left the credit union I steered the stroller down the main street in town and enjoyed the crisp fall air and bright sights. The world was slightly grey, but my mood was so shiny it might as well have been sunny out. It was such a nice change to walk around town during the day, I felt like it had been ages since I had done so (even though I’m sure it hasn’t been THAT long).

I decided to roam around the east edge of town, which goes slightly downhill, and there I noticed the construction site at the highway where the province is rebuilding a bridge. I made a mental note that if I’m going out of town during the day to use a different entrance as to avoid the hassle of backed-up traffic (I just don’t have the patience for that).

Around the corner we turned and back into town we were. I pushed the stroller up a steep incline and noticed objects in bushes and ditches that had been thrown away, essentially garbage. I had the fleeting thought that spring and fall are very revealing seasons. Things that were tossed away to be hidden underneath piles of snow will be revealed in the spring and things that were set aside in the summer trees will be revealed in autumn once the leaves fall.

Today was an extremely mild walk and really this was the kind of day that I savor.  Light breeze, light sounds, light step. Nothing heavy. Nothing stark or dark. A truly pleasant walk on a crisp fall day is a rare bird indeed, and one that I’m thankful for!

Midnight Blue at Six O’clock

November 4, 2014

Temperature: 1*C (34*F)

Goal time to spend outdoors: 17 minutes (goal achieved)

Huzzah! Tonight there was no wind! Just a slight breeze, which is a lovely change from the gusts we’ve been experiencing lately. I sometimes cower inside my house and car to just avoid the cold winds. Is it just me? Am I that much of a lazy chicken?

My first venture outdoors today was foiled by the baby. I bundled him up in the stroller and put the plastic cover over everything but half way to the credit union I realized Little C wasn’t wearing mittens and the plastic cover wasn’t doing it’s job shielding the baby from the wind. The wind was lifting the cover up and throwing it around the stroller so I quickly whipped the stroller around in the direction toward home to find a different cover.

Once we were back in the garage I searched and searched for a specific cover we have that fits snugly over the bottom of the stroller but to no avail. The damned thing wasn’t to be found anywhere! I even called Big C at work to command him to tell me what he had done with it (which was desperately rude of me, I’m so lucky he loves me at my worst AND my best!) as I was feeling grouchy. I’d been up since 4am with the baby, and I hadn’t eaten or showered yet. Grouchy grouchy grouchy. Then the baby, who is usually quiet and is mostly just observant during his time in the stroller, started to whine and cry so I unbundled him out of the stroller and took him indoors. It turned out he was wet and hungry so I gave up my thoughts of outdoorsiness and focused on changing his diaper and feeding him food (we’re now trying rutabaga!) and decided to carve out time later to go outside.

When Big C came home for lunch, he came bearing a half and half pizza (at our wedding my sister told him in her speech ‘If she’s upset…FEED HER OR GIVE HER COFFEE’ and I think he took it to heart) and he found the blasted stroller cover, which was hiding in my bicycle basket in a cupboard. What a guy! Lunch was served, the baby went down for a nap and my mom came over for a visit and by 5pm I was in good spirits but needed to get out of the house for a bit.

I walked to the grocery store to pick up a few things. I decided to take the ‘long’ way home and went around the block instead of cutting through a side street. On my way home I met a puppy trotting along the empty street. It was a little unsettling to come across him (or her) in the dark (daylight savings means it’s almost dark by 5pm) but he (or she?) was very friendly.

After dropping off the groceries at home I went back outside and wandered down the avenue. It was not a quiet walk by any means, as I could hear the heavy traffic on the highway of commuters driving home, as well as people in town coming and going in vehicles.

Dark, it gets dark very early now. The sky turned midnight blue so streetlights (people….livin’ just to find emotion hidin’ somewhere in the niiiiiiiight. Sorry, the word ‘streetlight’ gets me singing that Journey song every. single. time.) and a very big moon shone to guide my way down the pavement.

I forgot my gloves but my hands were not too cold since the wind was not around to play Jack Frost with my fingers. I stuck my fists inside the sleeves of my mom’s jacket (I just realized that my mom’s coat could be described as the equivalent of a puffer coat or a quilted jacket.

I felt sort of like a peeping Tomathia a few times as I walked by a few houses that had lights on and no curtains drawn, so I could glimpse into their home for a fleeting second and see them cooking supper or chatting in their living room. I kept on walking but it made me softly smile at the thought of people bundled up in their warm homes and I was once again reminded at how lucky we are to live in such a peaceful village.

I send out warm and cozy thoughts to whoever is reading this post (and really, to all people) on this crisp autumn night!

Dark

November 3, 2014 Temperature: 4*C (39*F) Goal time to spend outdoors:17 minutes (goal achieved!) Just a quick shout out to my Daddy, today is his birthday! Happy Birthday Dad, you’re pretty awesome! Okay, so today was a grey day for me. It seems, with the exception of yesterday and the day before, that we’ve had nothing but grey skies and strong winds to mark our days and this is starting to depress me. Manitoba is usually very sunny, so that’s what I’m used to! Usually I don’t mind grey days. I find the enveloping clouds moody and tempestuous, a fitting description for my own attitude at times (hey, let’s be real, I can’t ALWAYS be sunny and cheerful), but lately I long for the sun to break out and happy rays to penetrate my skin. A brewing headache aided in my poor mood today. I spent the majority of my time trying to fight it off with movement, coffee, water and Tylenol which helped for the most part, but it still lingered around my forehead and ears. I could feel that my back was  ‘out’ and my muscles were inflamed and I tried to knead muscles but it was in vain since, of course, they were in hard to reach spots. Our world was just starting to turn dark when I turned onto the avenue by myself and the street lamps popped on to guide my way down the road. A west wind forced the air blowing in my face to become colder, it bit and nipped at my chin and eyes. I had the rare foresight to wear a toque and mittens (I generally overestimate my capacity to handle the weather bare-skinned) so this walk was actually pleasantly brisk rather than unpleasantly chilly. Although the sun was gone, it was light enough as I turned around to walk back home  to see where I was going but just dark enough to let my imagination move into spooky territory. Clowns popping out of trees and chasing me with a sharp knife was the top contender (thank you so much American Horror Story. I’ve never been scared of clowns before but you did a bang up job of taking care of that and although in my head I know that clowns are harmless I’ll never look at them the same way again). However, I like to think I’m realist enough to mentally stamp those thoughts into the ground and instead I focused on thinking about my evening plans with Little C. It wasn’t THAT cold outside but I had wanted to make an effort to be prepared for the chill because I’m usually not (prepared, that is). However my feet started to burn with heat from the thick socks and lined boots I wore and it felt at odds with my cold knees and thighs, clad only in thin leggings. I fear I’ll never get this ‘in-between’ weather down pat and am always under or over dressed in one place or another. I read all these ‘How-to’ guides for everything but I don’t think I’ll ever get it right when it comes to dressing for the weather!

Peaceful

Sunday November 2, 2014

Temperature:  4*C  (39*F)

Goal time to spend outdoors: 17 minutes (goal reached)

Sparkling moon. My iPhone just doesn’t do it justice.

After a busy day of driving, meetings, a quick trip to Portage la Prairie with my mom and sister (and, of course, the baby), and in between family togetherness I finally got the chance to spend time outside when we arrived back to my parents’ home just before supper and I took Peggy Sue for a walk around the yard. When I say ‘yard’ I don’t mean a small patch of grass – a la city – as my parents live on an acreage outside of a town. Their ‘yard’ is 4 acres big with lots of space, wood and grass. And tons of antique agriculture equipment (it’s our thing).

It was dusk when Peggy Sue and I wandered around the yard and the temperature with dipping by the minute, which our corner of the world (and probably most other places) tends to do once the sun goes down. I was wearing a thick red sweater that surprisingly keeps a lot of heat in, so I wasn’t too worried about the chill. It was mostly my hands that got cold because, once again, I had forgotten gloves.

My face. And Peggy’s bum is behind my shoulder.

We stopped to talk to Big C, who had spent the day helping my dad cut wood for the coming winter. I think he said there’s enough wood to last until Christmas, which is awesome (they have an outdoor stove that helps heat the house and slashes the heating bill to minimum)! Still, here’s to hoping this year’s winter is not unreasonably cold like last year (-50*C with the wind chill was not unheard of).

As Peggy and I strolled around the yard, the crunch and rustle of leaves underneath our feet sounded almost musical, like a playful tribute to the fallen objects and a feeling of gratefulness welled up in me that I can still his this music (I am severely hard of hearing, even with 2 hearing aids).

As we strolled down the mossy path where just two weeks ago we posed for some of my sister’s wedding portraits, I was struck by the colour of the open, dark grey-blue sky and how the luminous moon, almost full and so very bright, was a stark contrast to the seemingly black trees with their branches reaching up and outward.

Dusk Beauty

It was a beautiful, peaceful walk and I was once again struck, as I so often am here, by just how much I feel safe here, and how much I love coming ‘home’.

New Beginnings

November 1, 2014

Temperature: 3*C (37*F)

I made it over halfway to the grocery store (the joys of living in a small village means it is located only a few blocks away from my house) before I realized I forgot my wallet, so I walked back home to retrieve it and then made the trek again to the store. A very strong north wind whipped everything up around me, making the air chillier than it needed to be. I’m going to start recording the wind chill temperature because it gets seriously cold here in the prairies once the wind is involved.

With the earth tilting, spinning on it’s axis, the sun is no longer high in the sky in the afternoon but rather always in the corner of our eye to the south. After Halloween it seems like we all realize that soon it will be dark by 5pm, especially with tomorrow’s time change and so I choose to try to take advantage of all the sunny afternoons I have at home, before my maternity leave is over and I have to go back to work (that is a depressing thought).

Long shadow and the beginning of golden rays at 2:30pm

Today I chose a slow stroll down the avenue, writing notes furiously while I walked and periodically looking up at my surroundings and not quite believing that it is November now. What the hell?! I hope it doesn’t snow for a while. As much as I like winter (and I really do) autumn always seems so fleeting so I hope it lingers around a bit longer.

My phone died in the midst of my furious typing, which is when I got thrown out of my trance, and I squinted in the rays of the blinding sun. I knew it had been at least 16 minutes so I turned around to go home. The cold wind whipped into my face and stung my eyes which made me squint even harder and my tongue and lips became parched, so I quickened my pace while leaning into the wind.

Once my house was in view I walked even faster, eager to clamber indoors and out of the strong rays of sunlight and whipping wind. Entering my warm house to the smell of my French Toast candle and the sound of silence as my husband and Peggy Sue relaxed on the couch was pure invitation to relax and enjoy this simple day of a new month.

Happy Halloween!

Friday October 31, 2014

Happy Halloween!

Temperature: 5*C (41*F)

Goal time to spend outdoors: 16 minutes (goal not reached. sad face)

I woke up super early, around 4am, and could. not. fall. back. to. sleep. Boo to that. So after scrolling through Instagram for a while I got up from my warm comfy bed and parked my butt on my warm comfy couch, popped in our DVD of Corpse Bride and proceeded to write for the next half hour.

After a short cat nap on the couch, I made some coffee and popped in our DVD of the The Craft and proceeded to play with Little C, who had woken up around 6:30am, and enjoyed the quiet morning.

I was out of sorts all day, maybe because I had gotten up so early, and had to really make an effort to focus on what I was doing at home. I had to write out everything I had planned to do, from ‘put runner and candles on table’ to ‘put costume on Little C’ and the like. This funk lasted until we were in the car driving to my parents’ and Big C’s grandparents’ houses to ‘trick r treat’ (which is really just a euphemism for ‘show the baby off’).

Our spooky sidewalk

When we got home Big C showered and dressed in his costume before we went for a short walk to his aunt’s house to ‘trick r treat’ (again, euphemism). Then it was back to our house, as we could see down the street that one of our friends’ house was empty and in the other house they were just sitting down to eat supper (bay window, no curtain) and we didn’t want to bother them.

We got ourselves organized and started supper. My sister and her husband were coming over to visit so we prepared a simple supper of garlic mashed potatoes and oven-roasted ham. We eagerly awaited trick r treaters but hardly any stopped by all night. I’m not sure if it was the weather (very windy, which made it extra chilly) or if kids’ enthusiasm for Halloween is waning, or if some of them went to a different town or something else entirely but we only got like 10 kids the entire night.

Anyways, supper was on, Little C was full of energy, Big C and I were watching The Simpson’s Halloween episodes when my sister and bro-in-law arrived. Then it was time for visiting, drinks, playing with the baby, pictures and a late supper with a side of Hocus Pocus!

Before we knew it, it was midnight and our guests drove home, after which I fell asleep on the couch. It was such a fast-paced day but I really felt a little ashamed (a little, not a lot) because I could have made time to go outside but I didn’t.

I could blame it on outside forces, on the fact that I was in a funk, that it was too windy, we were too busy, etc. But the truth is that i just ignored my goal and didn’t make time for it.

Hopefully, lesson learned!

One of my favourite costumes, worn in 2011