An Alberta Family Fun Vacation! Woo!

This past Easter weekend we closed up the store and headed to Jasper for a few days, just the family.  It was really nice.  We stayed at the Sawridge, which was very comfortable, with nice restaurants, and a pool which was a big highlight for the boys.  It was a quick trip, but there is something about the mountain air that recharges me.

We got in Friday evening, had a little supper, and then went for a little walk towards the town.  It was a bit rainy so we retreated to the hotel where we settled in and played charades and taboo like games (it's an App on my husband's iPad and it's terrific).  We even got the electronics obsessed 12 year-old involved by playing the video game and Pokémon categories! Then we snuggled in and watched Frozen on the hotel TV.  My older son and husband hadn't seen it before so this seemed like the right time.  I liked it just as much the second time!

On Saturday we started with a nice buffet breakfast at the hotel and then headed into town for a little exploration.  I like Jasper and it was nice to window shop a bit.  We also checked out the VIA rail station which is like a mini-museum in some respects. The boys, however, wanted to get to the wilderness, so we drove up to Lac Beauvert and hiked around the lake.  we got some great walking in and wanted to try and make it to the JPL, but the little guy kiboshed that and we instead headed back to the van.  He was just not able to walk too much more (late night, tired camper!).  We instead headed back to Jasper where we grabbed some Pizza before returning to the hotel to make good use of the hotel's pool.  Mark caught a nap and I read while the boys played and swam.  I think they could easily have stayed in the pool for hours and hours. 

The next morning was Easter and the boys woke up to an Egg Hunt in the room, followed by an Egg Hunt in the hotel.  They got a lot of chocolate, luckily not much that I like.  The Easter Bunny was smart about that! After all the hunting we hit the road and drove back to Edmonton for Easter dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's with family and yet another Egg Hunt. 

It was nice to have this little mini-vacation and to enjoy one of our Province's treasures.  We have gone to Drumheller before, and I think next I would like to take them to Banff.  So much wonderful to see!

Relaxed... for now...

This weekend was wonderful!  Mom and I drove down to Calgary, picked up Annemarie at the airport, and then headed to Banff for our Spa Weekend to celebrate Mom's 70th Birthday!  While in Calgary, Mom called Steven and it turned out Sara was down for family week or something and since it was on the way, we swung by his apartment for a quick visit.  Then on to Banff!

It's nice to have a weekend with very little on the agenda.  The Banff Springs Hotel is wonderful and we explored a little bit that first night and had a yummy bite to eat.  Saturday was the big spa day and we all had a relaxation massage, a facial and a manicure and pedicure.  I feel so good right now. I had never had a massage before and I can tell you they are now my favorite thing in the whole world! That evening we went for dinner, went in search of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce for the birthday girl and then did a little shopping. It was a great night of eating and drinking and talking with two of my favorite people in the whole world. The next morning we had a leisurely breakfast (2 hours - a lot of talking!) and then hit the road for Calgary and home. On Friday night and Saturday it had snowed so it looked gorgeous!

The relaxation was great.  The location sublime.  The company ideal.  It was wonderful!

I now progress into a very busy couple of weeks - out every night and sometimes two events each night.  I am glad I got this relaxation vibe going...

Celebrating my Mother, Nancy Strand - 70 Years Young!

This past weekend my mother turned 70 years old.  It is hard to believe it when you look at her, but she is.  She does not seem like a typical 70 year old, at least not what we stereotypically think of when we think of someone that age.  She is active in the community, in our family and in the country overall (she's into politics, to put it lightly).  I hope I inherit those qualities that have kept her so young!

To celebrate this occasion, my siblings and I put on a little party for her.  All the immediate family was there and many of her friends came out to celebrate with us.  We had food aplenty and drinks and photos to share and crafts for the kids.  My mother was delighted and had a wonderful time visiting with her friends and family.  It was a lovely way to spend the day and I was very pleased to see her so happy!

I know many people will say that they have The Best Mom in the world - but I know that I do. I try to emulate her where I can in my own role as mother.  I do not ever think I am as good as she is at it, but I try. She had five children and I know that each one of us believe we are her favorite - she makes us feel that way.  She does the same now with her grandchildren. It is hard to explain what makes her so great as a mom and as a person - once you meet her, you know.

The Ubiquitous End of Year Post... My Year in Review

2011 Here it goes. For more detail, of course, you can flip through the whole Blog, but I know that I wrote more sparsely at different times of the year and sometimes my writing was motivated more by the emotional state of my life than the actual events. So a look back seems to bring out the significance in what happened this year.

Theatrical Events:
It was busy in 2011. The first half of the year I wrapped up my tenure as AD of Walterdale. I started the season knee-deep in Rabbit Hole and I think that will always be one of the most satisfying directorial experiences of my life. I had challenges that fed my personal needs. I had a terrific cast, production team and crew. I had to make some tough decisions. I had a script that I really wanted to serve and I think I did that. I also complicated my life by overlapping rehearsals for that show with The Threepenny Opera. I enjoyed doing that show. It too had elements that really made me work. The music in that show was some of the most challenging I have ever sung. Like G & S, Weill is not in my wheelhouse, meaning I had to work. So many fabulous people and it was great to be onstage in the season. I confess, I was trying to find a way to do as much as I could before the end of my tenure. So that led into my first 'real' set design for Village of Idiots. I was more nervous about that than any acting or directing job I have ever done. I worked with the wonderful Linette Smith in a kind of full-circle sort of way (she directed Steel Magnolias which was my second show at Walterdale, but the one where I really knew I was home). The summer meant Fringe and this year I was so happy to re-visit and re-draft Pieces. I was thrilled with the response form both critics and audiences. I can tell you quite honestly that the sounds of sniffling audiences makes me very happy. I also really enjoyed working with my cast and Team. The luxury of doing your own Fringe show is picking the people you want to work with. I was happy with our picks. I was also happy with the new draft as I felt that it was so much closer to the story I wanted to tell. Fall rolled into A Little Night Music at Festival Place. Another wonderful new family and the joy of singing Sondheim. And then I wrapped up the year as Master Painter for Wyrd Sisters at Walterdale. This was a fun challenge as I did not have my mentor, Joan, on hand so I had to solve the painting mystery myself and I also brought my kids on board to be my crew. Someday I see Gibson as having the potential to be an excellent set painter. Oliver might be too, if he gets paid, but I doubt he has the patience for detail work.

Educational Events:
I did Drama 209 first semester and Drama 257 second semester. Drama 209 is the second theatre history course at the U of A and you travel from just after Shakespeare to Ibsen. I really enjoyed it and find that aside from the essays I really love theatre history. Good thing I kick major butt on the exams! Drama 257 is scene study and while I really enjoyed the class, particularly my classmates, it really made me ask questions about what I was doing at University. I haven't fully answered this question but I was frustrated because although I enjoyed the course I didn't really learn anything I didn't already know. It did remind me that I was lazy about some of the character prep work that I could be doing. It also shook up my approach to objectives and tactics because I think I do them a lot more instinctively and less formally and really they are so useful, but it was more like a refresher course than an eye-opener. It is making me re-think my second semester choice. Outside of University I went to Playworks Ink in the Fall and for one very short weekend I was reminded of how much I love writing and how little time I put into it. I have so many plays I need to write. I need to make time for that writing. I don't. I need to.

Personal/Family/All the Rest:
* This year we said goodbye to Smeep, our beloved cat. This was very hard for me. She was a wonderful member of our family. I still expect her to greet me when I come home and the bumps and thumps in the night have no explanation any more. We had her longer than Oliver.
* Oliver and Gibson started basketball and for half a year it took over our lives. Well, mine anyhow. I have a better idea of how it works now and know that it means the Fall will be challenging for scheduling in other activities, but it has been very cool to watch Oliver grow as a player and start to think like a team player and an athlete.
*My cousin Margaret got married and I got to travel on my own to San Francisco/Berkley for a great family reunion - too short, as always.
* I taught my first (hopefully of many) Workshop By Request in Calmar. It was on Giving and Receiving Direction and I had so much fun with this wonderful group who have a fabulous attitude towards what they do.
* I did not gain weight, but I haven't really significantly lost any. This has to change. I am working on trying to streamline my life so that I am doing only the projects I want to do and therefore can have enough to be happy and not too much so that I can't work more on my physical shape. I just don't want that whole diet and fitness thing to take over my life. I think that would depress me and make me want to eat... I did lose 10 lbs in the last 10 weeks of 2011 and have a great support group online with my extended family. So hopefully I can continue this momentum into the new year. I am comfortable with 10 lbs in 10 weeks. It's not crazy. It's realistic.
* I did not write as much as I would have liked. This is also about time. I need to make the time for it. Pieces was a lovely opportunity and I do have a half a draft I was supposed to finish for December 15th to send to Daniel MacIvor. I need to finish that and do more. I must.

It's been a good year.

A Nice Review, a Wedding, Family and Exhaustion...

The Gateway had a nice review of Village of Idiots and they even mentioned my set:

http://thegatewayonline.ca/articles/arts-entertainment/2011/07/10/absurdity-rules-walterdale-s-wacky-world-idiots

Thought I would share. There was a pretty good review in the Sun as well, but they didn't say anything about the set, so I didn't post the link. This Blog is about me, after all... Well, really this review is better so why not just read it?

I got back from my San Francisco/Berkeley trip for my cousin's wedding on Sunday evening. I had left Thursday morning and enjoyed the 3 1/2 vacation slash family reunion slash wedding. It would have been the perfect trip to take the boys on since there were dinosaurs at the wedding and a whole bunch of kid cousins, but I did my best to enjoy it without them. I did a lot of visiting, but it always feels like you don't get to do enough. I was wishing I had made my return on Monday instead of Sunday so I would have had that one last day... but alas...

I am now tired. I have had rehearsals for Pieces (Fringe 2011) this week. Tonight was very giddy. We are off-book so that is good, but there is still a lot of "line" so work is needed. I am happy with where we are at and now we have a 2 1/2 week break until we can rehearse again. And then we go hard! Tonight we did media photos and from what I saw on the camera they looked pretty good. One of our cast is a very good photographer and she took some lovely shots. It really takes a village... Next week I meet with Sound Designer Magnolia and my lovely SM Kim and we have a track through the script for cues, etc... so we can figure some of that stuff out before we hit the space. I want to be ready when we walk in there.

I am so tired. I am pretty sure it is all the overlap of multiple projects and the travelling and all that, but today I shut my eyes and opened them and it was 2 hours later. I need to get my energy back! As of this weekend one project will be done (Village) and my ADship will be technically over and I will have a break on Pieces so I can work on my lines for A Little Night Music. I am missing a Production Meeting for Wyrd Sisters tomorrow night because I have Night Music rehearsal, but I told them what I think they need to know at this point so I am good there. I am only Master Painter for that show after all...

Looking Forward...

Tomorrow (Wed, July 6th) is Opening Night of Village of Idiots. I am excited and sad about this. It marks the last Opening Night of my tenure as Artistic Director, so there is a sadness about seeing this journey end. I have learned a lot and met a lot of friends over the last few years. I have made mistakes, and learned from them. I hope that I am passing on what is needed to the incoming AD. I have been trying to do so, but I also don't want to be overbearing or come across like I am trying to still do the job. I will miss it. I know that this job and what I learned from it will serve me in the future, but like anything 'unknown' it is scary to move on. I am also excited about the Opening. Openings are always fun and because I got the opportunity to design the set I am anxious to see the reception of that.

I also have to pack tomorrow. I am going on a wee holiday to San Francisco for my cousin's wedding. I am so looking forward to seeing my cousins and siblings and aunts and uncles who will be there. I have a list of things to do before I go... when I come back, I dive right back into Pieces and A Little Night Music and finishing the run of Village... I am looking forward, but the path is cluttered...

A New Year!

I had a nice, relatively quiet Christmas with fun for the kids at Grandma and Grandpa Strand's on Christmas Eve and then having them (G&G) over for Christmas dinner on the actual day. The turkey was smaller to reflect the smaller crowd and that meant a later start time to the preparations and a much more relaxed day as a whole. I was surprised and delighted by a new camera (Yay!) and a few days later the arrival of The Tudors - Boxed set. Both were on my wish list. I recognize more and more as I get older that I am hard to buy for because I feel like I have everything I need except time and how can you give that? I also got 3 hours with a personal trainer from the Mom and Dad and that will be put to good use. My eldest brother and his wife got mine and Mark's names and they overwhelmed us with movie and restaurant gift certificates. We have used one of the movie gift certs to see the latest Harry Potter when the boys had school Monday but the store was closed. Very nice to be able to go out without the chilluns and although some of you might think 'what?! and you went to a kid's movie?!?!' I have to say it is not one that they are old enough to see in my opinion and although Oliver might be old enough, we have a rule that he has to read the book before he can see the movie and he is only on book 3 so far.

The boys were over-blessed again with bounty. Legos were assembled as were bionicles and puzzles and DS games were played abundantly. They wore the clothes that Mom and Dad got them and looked cute in their new pyjamas from G&G Finlay and Mom and Dad. I got to play a few Board Games because an adult was needed to figure out the rules and referee. Much fun. They also decorated their gingerbread men and ate their fair share of Lindor and Purdy's chocolate!

The week immediately following Christmas struck the household with illness. Mark and Oliver were throwing up for a few days and I was hit by something respiratory/achy all over/dry coughy... I am still in recovery as I feel okay for the most part but am still dealing with coughing fits that prevent me from sleeping well. I am hoping it is over soon... please... pretty please. Luckily I had The Tudors to keep me company as I lay on the couch for about a week.

This week is the week of beginnings... rehearsals start for Threepenny and re-start for Rabbit Hole. I have a very busy month and a half ahead of me. I am not sure how much singing I will be able to do tonight at the first Threepenny music rehearsal but I will bring my digital recorder to capture all the work and practise with that if I can't sing much myself.

This Past Weekend Was Crazy Busy...

So I expect Christmas to be the opposite. I had many things on the go this weekend and I think I managed to get them all done in a satisfactory way. The weekend followed a very busy week wherein I was at the boy's school for Child Check, 2 field trips (one in-school, one out of school), and 2 Christmas Concerts. The blizzard that hit on Wednesday prevented me from doing what I had planned to do in the daytime on Thursday, but alas, that is what happens. Annie (my sis) came to visit on the weekend and while we dealt with the constantly imprecise schedules of our siblings we managed to work out a pretty good visit. She played Wii with the boys a couple of afternoons/evenings and they were in heaven with that. She and I visited and caught the latest Narnia Movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (not the best book to film adaptation).

Sunday I was at Walterdale for 2 rehearsals - Rabbit Hole in the afternoon and Threepenny in the evening. Around the rehearsals I squeezed in studying for my Drama 208 (Theatre History) Final. I wrote that on Monday morning. I think I did okay. The first half was delightful. I knew it all. I knew the second half too, but my brain was very tired and I do not think I crafted my answers as best as I could have. We shall see. I keep telling myself that I am not doing the course for marks, but I have never been the kind of student who could let things slide so I have a hard time letting go of that. It's done now so that's good.

After the exam I squeezed in a visit with Wanda. It was almost not to be as she was in a wee car accident on the way to lunch, however she managed to get the police report done and her vehicle and self were not injured so she came up to the house and we visited there. So good to see her! I must plan a trip to Calgary to see her for a real visit!

Then Monday night I had my final rehearsal for Rabbit Hole before we break for Christmas. We finished early (always a bonus) and I am resting today doing cards and cleaning a bit. Tomorrow I will attempt the 'shopping'. My list is short and since the crowd expected for Christmas dinner is smaller this year I expect a restful weekend. We do not plan to travel either weekend (that could change) and I really just want to relax and maybe work on my lines...

Time on My Own...

This weekend Mark took the boys to a Finlay Family Reunion while I stayed home alone and enjoyed the alone time. I was not just being a party pooper, but I have had a month of weekends with 'stuff to do' on all of them (Final Tech Weekend, Show Opening/High School Reunion/company staying at my house, Show Closing/Family Reunion, Visit from Sis and Bro-in-law/Double kid's birthday party) and I needed a major break. Yes, I know, it has been 2 weeks since Whorehouse closed, but I spent a couple of weeks in there with the boys and one of those weeks was rainy (so we were housebound) and the other was sunny (so we were majorly out and about) and I felt exhausted. Plus, being in between projects is always a challenge for me. I have done some work on Rabbit Hole, but I am happiest when I am actively working on something.

The reunion was out at a lake, complete with campfire, mosquitoes, and fishing - for some this would be heaven - for me, I find that more stressful than you can ever know. I am NOT a campfire in the woods person. Anyhow, the boys and Mark had a good time. I got some major cleaning done and tonnes of laundry and cooked and watched two of my movies that I have had on the shelf for a while (Atonement and Slumdog Millionaire). I finished my book (The Book of Negroes) and I did some errands. I slept in and stayed up late and I enjoyed the silence. No DS game sound. No YTV on in the background. No kids yelling at each other in either play or fight.

They are home again and the DS Players are in full force and I have had to ask Gibson 4 times to turn the sound off. Timmy Turner is on the TV and there has been one minor skirmish. Ah...

Nine Years Ago Yesterday...

I became a Mom. Oliver turned 9 yesterday and we spent this entire weekend in birthday mode. My niece Ariana turned 3 last Monday but since my sis and her husband were in town this weekend the birthday party was held on Saturday afternoon (complete with bouncy castle and sprinkler). Sunday we celebrated Oliver's birthday at my Mom and Dad's. It was more low-key as we were expecting my brother and his family but they were held up at the lake. But the time they got there my nieces were wiped out. In any case, we played a new game (Quirkle - given to Oliver from Auntie Annie and Uncle Greg) which was a big hit. We also enjoyed the DQ Ice Cream Cake, which is a perennial favorite!

It is hard to really think that I can quantify my being a mother in time. It was easier to do that when I was newer to the job, but now it feels as though I have always been a Mom. I do enjoy the changes and evolutions in my children as they grow into different people. 9 seems like it will be an interesting year with Oliver.

Aftermath...

It all went very well, but perhaps we let the boys stay up too late and eat too much crap. We are off to visit Mark's family tomorrow and he would like to leave by 11:30 a.m. I do not think that is going to happen. I want to sleep in. I still need to pack. They boys need to not be rushed around on someone else's time table. They have had a couple of very exciting days, and very late nights and excited early mornings.

I got a Webkinz. A Hippopotamus. I think someone heard me singing.

Tradition!

Tonight we will head over to Ma and Pa Strand's for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of Oyster Stew (it's my Dad's family's thing). Despite not being overly fond of the stew, I will eat mine, because it takes like Christmas for me. I think there has only been one or two years when I did not have Oyster Stew on Christmas Eve. Once when I hosted Christmas Eve in Fort McMurray, I made Lasagna. I think Mark and I spent one Christmas Eve in Olds early on in the marriage. After supper and after the clean-up, we will all gather in the living room and in a somewhat organized chaos, we will open all our gifts from family (Santa's gifts are for Christmas morning). Some time during the evening Annemarie and Paul will either call, or be called and in that way, we will all be there. It is the best night. After all the gift opening, there is usually game playing and visiting and eating lots of sugar cookies and possibly chips and dip.

When we were little, we used to get big boxes from the States from our Aunts and Uncles and Grandparents. We were the only ones in Canada and we would eye these boxes with such greed. They wouldn't be opened until Christmas Eve when my dad would use one of his jackknifes to slice through the tape. One Christmas I got my first Narnia book (my older brother and sister also got one, so we have the first three books of the series) from my Aunt Janice and Uncle Adam. The gifts were small, but precious, as they came from afar. And this tradition, as well as our semi-regular family reunions, helped to keep our extended family as close as it is.

As I said before, it is the best night. I would rather miss Christmas and the turkey and deal with oyster stew than miss Christmas Eve at Ma and Pa Strand's.

Jam Packed Day

Drive kids to school (bus is over 1 hour late)
Child Check
Sneak peek of Gibson's Christmas Concert
Shopping for A's present
Dry cleaners
Empty dishwasher/dryer/fold laundry/wash load
Lunch w/A
Shopping w/A
- Mr. Big & Tall
- Indigo
- Moore's
- Mark's Work Wear House
- Mexx
Tim's for Hot Chocolate
Pick up Ollie
Watch the Wii Play
Make supper - Burgers
Watch more Wii
Visit
Drive A to Mom and Dad's

Smells Like Christmas!

I baked cookies today. I had to replenish all the ones I obviously made too early because they are gone! These ones will go in the deep freeze instead of the kitchen freezer and that should 'help'. I am enjoying having more nights home. I have a few things to get done and this is the last week of school before Christmas so I have to get a lot of it done before the kids are off. We are no longer YMCA members so I am not doing the YMCA camps this year. It's getting easier with both boys. They can usually do 3-4 hours of relatively pleasant interaction and play before a flare up. I am waiting for the day when Gibson is big enough to teach Oliver that it is not a good idea to hit him. I discourage the violence, with consequences, discussions, strategies for better communication etc... but nothing beats a once smaller child standing up for himself and teaching the older one that it's time to stop or get hurt yourself.

My sister comes to visit tomorrow. It is a busy weekend, but I am looking forward to it! Yay! I told Mark he needed to get his present for her before she leaves on Tuesday morning so he is likely shopping tonight before coming home from work.

Cat Update

Smeep is home. She seems to be doing well and we will find out in a week or so about the results from the lab. She is leaving the sutures alone and is a bit clingy, but that is expected. Hopefully all will be well.

It strikes me as strange compared to how we dealt with our pets as children. I am pretty sure we did not take any of our cats for yearly shots. We let them run around outside and the only time they went to the vet was to get fixed or if they were visibly injured. If the repair cost a significant amount of money I am pretty sure that my parents went the way of euthanasia. But Smeep is a part of our family. She's been here longer than the boys have. I couldn't see not getting the lump removed and tested, although I was relieved that it cost less than the $500 the doctor originally quoted. Who knows, down the line it may cost more.

When I was picking her up there was an elderly gentlemen leaving the back room alone who looked quite shook up as though he'd been crying. The vet came out and said "sorry for your loss" and it struck me how gentle all the staff was with him. He looked like a weathered farmer type of guy. I really liked the way the staff was behaving and it made me feel that we have a good doctor for our Smeep.

I Love Hosting Parties!

Last night was my 3rd Annual 40th Birthday Party. I do not have it to prolong my youth, but rather because the 1st one was so fun, I decided to keep having that party, once a year, every year, until I hit 50! I was a month off the actual birth date, but Sweeney kind of ate up the month of October, so no worries! In any case, it was so much fun. I am blessed to know so many wonderful, fun and talented people. They kept the karaoke machine running all night long from 7:20 p.m. until 3:15 a.m. (I was pretty good in my assessment that the party would go to 3:00 a.m.). We had people ranging in age from 3 1/2 months to older than me (I am not outing anyone's age!). We had the Fuss Cupcakes that I love (I think I will invest in more minis and less full size ones next year - that way you can try more than one and not feel like a piggy!). I missed a few people that couldn't make it, or forgot, or got ill at the last minute, but the BEST was that my sister surprised me by flying in from Toronto for the party. Only my Mom knew she was coming. She was in the city for approximately 24 hours! How cool is that!?! I am pretty sure she had fun, so hopefully it was worth it for her - I definitely appreciated it!

Next year it will be just as much fun! I promise!

Crossing My Fingers

Tonight my husband is auditioning for a show. Usually that is my thing to do, but the opportunity fits him better and the time commitment nestles in a good place for me (After Sweeney and before Whorehouse) so I suggested he audition. If he gets the part then it will mean a little bit of a role reversal but that could be cool. I have to watch my scheduling as it is, but this would give him an opportunity to get out there and show what he can do. I trust the director of the show so I think it would be a great opportunity. I cross my fingers and think good auditioning thoughts and send them out across the city!

Stretching Out to Eternity...

This week, my Grandmother, Margaret Ann Strand, passed away. We were expecting it. We had about a week's notice that the infection she had was not improving and that there was little the doctors could do about it. She was ready to go. We were not ready for her to leave us. All her life she looked after other people. She was one of the oldest of several children so she no doubt spent much of her childhood helping to care for the younger children in the family. She married my Grandfather and they had 5 children, whom she raised into wonderful, strong willed, smart and educated adults. My grandfather had several bouts of cancer (lung and prostate) and she spent much of the end of his life caring for him as well as providing support for her 5 adult children and their families. After my grandfather passed away 9 years ago she became the one everyone looked after. It must be hard to shift to that position. We corresponded quite a bit. I love letter writing and she was always good to write back. We mostly wrote about what we were doing, but underneath the chit chat of everyday life and little adventures there was always the tone that she was so very proud of me. I always felt like one of her favorites, but I am pretty sure that everyone of my cousins and siblings felt the same thing. She was like that. Her love for us was unmeasurable and infinite. My middle name is her first. That is why I use the middle initial when I do theatre and writing work. It is in homage to her and always has been. She may be gone from this world, but she will always be with me. As I have in the past, I will continue to make decisions factoring in 'what would Grandma think?' I will miss her.

I Keep Thinking About my Grandmother...

Can't seem to write much more about it than that. It is hard to be in limbo, but wanting the limbo to end doesn't feel good either. I wish I was there and I wish I had a more recent update and I wish all the other stuff in my life wasn't distracting me (but I am glad it is distracting, as well). Blah.

Home again... Things to do...

It is good to breathe the Edmonton air. Already the boys both sound better so I wonder if the 'cold' that both of them were hit with was really allergies to something in Minnesota. We got in later than expected last night. A delayed flight to Toronto from Thunder Bay in the morning resulted in re-scheduling our connection and spending far too much time in the Thunder Bay Airport. I lost it a bit here and there, but was more frustrated with Air Canada (not having anyone on the desk, not being able to seat us together initially, delaying the flight to begin with...) and I know that it is difficult to expect 2 young boys to stand still for an hour while we wait for help to fix the problems. It is good to be home, and now we wait for my luggage which they said would be here this morning but will likely not make it until the afternoon based on the phone call I just received. I indicated to the caller that I was a little annoyed that it would not be here in the morning as I had been told it would be. I did not recite the litany of my day yesterday to drive home the point, but I am thinking of calling the number on the card I got yesterday and reciting that litany to them so that I get made a bit of a priority. They hold you hostage. I can't even leave to get my other suitcase from my parent's house because I have to be home for the airplane one. This means that we are going to be low on clothes until I actually have the dirty clothes from travelling to wash. So, if you see me in the next few days and you wonder why I am wearing what I am wearing, that is why...

The reunion was good. Being on my own with the boys meant that I had to frequently truncate conversations and occasionally leave the party early to get Gibson back to the suite to settle down. I managed to make sure that Oliver didn't always have to leave with us, so that was good. Both boys had a blast with their new-found second cousins. A distinct highlight came at a Performance of Beauty and The Beast when Oliver had little Katy sit on his lap because she was scared. I also truly loved the granddaughter's tea with Grandma. It was so nice to visit and even more so in that configuration. I had another hour long visit with Grandma on my own, but the patter of memory and laughter at the tea was far more comfortable and joyful. It was not tainted with the fear that this might be the last visit, but instead was light and funny and natural and I think Grandma had a wonderful time, too.

I got back to approximately 120-130 emails between my 3 email accounts. I sorted and responded for over 2 hours last night and woke up to another 25 this morning. Such is my life. It was kind of nice to be completely away from a computer for almost a week. The disconnect helped me to disconnect. Now I am back and back to business...