I’m so grateful for Skype… it allows me to keep tabs on my lovely sister in Australia, who is busy feeding cockatoos. (Really, she’s actually very busy working two jobs before moving on to another part in in the country.) Part of our conversation:
Me: Are you sleeping well?
Anna: Actually, the last few days, I’ve been having really weird dreams.
Me: Are you taking your multi-vitamins?
Anna: Yes!
Me: When are you taking them?
Anna: At night.
Me: Aha! Anna! You’re not supposed to take them at night! They stimulate your brain too much! You have to take them in the morning!
Anna: Really? I didn’t know!
Me: Yeah! That’s funny, I did the same thing when I was in Quebec!
Since our phonecall, Anna’s been sleeping better!
She’s Leaving Home by Paul McCartney
One of the questions on my History of Winnipeg exam was a reflection on what Winnipeg meant to me. The teacher allowed for us to be as creative as we wanted, following the example of Guy Maddin’s My Winnipeg (a film that is more like visual poetry than film). I collected pictures I had taken since I moved here and realized that I didn’t have any photos of Saint-Norbert, the peaceful neighborhood I visited a few times growing up, and lived in a few months when I moved to Winnipeg. So, on Friday, Christian and I took a walk in Saint-Norbert along the dikes that wind around the neighborhood. Christian and I had fun revisiting all the spots we’d walk when we were dating and since it was cloudy, and some areas were flooded, I’ve resolved to return again in the summer, when the oak trees are full of leaves. In the meantime, this lichen was about as green as it got…
April 25, 2011 – 10:09 am
We hid 10 small eggs and four large Kinder surprises in our livingroom during Marie-Hélène’s nap. Christian’s parents arrived in time for the Easter egg hunt and asked us:
“Do you think she’ll know what to do?”
“She’ll catch on!” Christian said.
And sure enough, after showing her two hidden eggs, she was on the lookout for more. The problem afterwards was getting her to not eat all the chocolate. That, and getting her to smile for her picture.
She carries her new stuffed rabbit around, but the rabbit ears last only a few seconds… Personnally, I like the picture below. When I look at it, it strikes me how much she is growing up and becoming herself – an independent little character.
April 24, 2011 – 10:21 pm
Here’s the “what we had for supper on Easter” edition of the weekly menu plan… We’re sitting all nice and stuffed quite satisfied that everything turned out. Originally, we were planning brunch. I went to the Food Network website and their collection of recipes seduced me. The ham! The scalloped potatoes! The lemon desert! Suddenly, I wanted to make supper AND brunch… and then I felt Christian’s eyes… (the kind of eyes that look at me and tell me I’m a little unrealistic) and I settled for a compromise. Here’s how it went…
John joined us for a simple brunch. The star of the show was Paula Deen’s Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup. With 1447 positive reviews, it was practically guaranteed to be good. We ate it with scrambled eggs and pork sausage.
Supper was delicious, thanks again to Food Network. Michael Chiarello’s Toasted Spiced Ham Drizzled in Honey was the impressive centrepiece. We picked up the ham from a local meat market, ordered in advance and besides the delicious recipe, we’re sure it made the difference! We then made Ricardo’s Leek and Potato Gratin (a fancy title for scalloped potatoes)… I’d made it before and it has never failed me. Sides were carrots, corn and Rachel Ray’s super simple Orange Scented Green Beans. Salad and store bought French Bread are pretty much taken for granted in the Palud household. And there, that was our Easter feast.
Here’s hoping you had a lovely Easter with family, and a nice week ahead! Cheers! (I’ll be right back with pictures of our blue-eyed Easter sweetheart…)
April 19, 2011 – 12:00 pm
Do you see the little girl in the window, in the reflection of the tree branches covered with snow, in the house with the vines too shy to put forth buds? It is the girl, daughter of the Mama, both waiting for the snow and cold to leave, so they can take their bike and ride to the park, to slide on the slide and swing on the swings and not build any snowmen.
Perhaps today may not find you in such a contemplative mood… At times her lost in thought gaze, or moments of seriousness unnerve us, and we hurry in to make her smile. “She gets that from you.” Christian tells me. And so, genetics has endowed our daughter with a quality that makes her look smart, stern and as approachable as an icicle. Hopefully she makes friends easier than I do!
I’m no longer working for Travel Manitoba, but I must say it was a lovely contract while it lasted. I got to revisit some of the classics in and around Winnipeg. I got to visit new places, like Saint-Laurent, Portage la Prairie, the Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach, the Trappist Monastery near Holland, Matlock with its magnificent piers, and the Fossil Museum in Morden.
I tried new things, like birdwatching and icewall climbing. I almost tried snowkiting, but I didn’t register on time. I met new people and enjoyed interviewing them. I discovered the art of finding unique craft sales before Christmas, appreciating small town festivals, knocking off another museum on the list and enjoying an evening of live entertainment.
It’s been a fun ride, thanks to Travel Manitoba. Thank-you for joining in!
The last time I wore a watch, I was in highschool. I’d picked it from a Sears catalogue and Mom ordered it. It had a velcro strap and precious stones in the watch face. When I married Christian, he always wore a watch. Since I worked at an office, and the rest of the time, we were inseperable, there was never really a need for me to have a watch. I’d check the computer or ask Christian. About a year ago, the second of the two Roots watches he bought, built up a condensation in the watch face, like the first, and he decided he could live without a watch, like me. The problem is that neither of us have a cell phone. That led to me checking the time on receipts, alarm systems and phones. On a date, the two of us would compete with each other to see who would find the time first at Chapters. When I’d go bike riding with Marie-Hélène, I’d bring the kitchen timer… a rather clunky thing that was more or less reliable.
Finally, last week, I decided to get a watch. Christian’s mom went to Grand Forks and picked up a watch I’d chosen from Macy’s. Mornings out with Marie-Hélène have consequently been less stressful, and much more elegant. In fact, I’ve been so happy about my watch, that Christian wants one.
As you may have heard on the news, the Red River is flooding parts of the city and surrounding area. John has already volunteered once for sandbagging. Because he has strong arms. Unlike me. In fact, a sandbag probably weighs more than Marie-Hélène. So it’s not like my experience of hefting Marie-Hélène here and there has endowed me with muscular arms.
Friday night, Christian and I went to the floodway near our house. It is used to diverge the river around the city, and since it was in use, the city tried to discourage people from going to gawk. But one little sign wouldn’t discourage us… We parked the car and walked.
As we got closer, we realized that there is actually security personnel to keep us from walking on the floodway. On one side, the water flows through in a mad rush.
On the other, where it diverges, it is a pool of calm deceit. Blue on blue. And we weren’t the only ones curious to see the river diverge…
