WINTERLUDE

Any thoughts about my upcoming CT scan next week were pushed aside as Terry and I visited Ottawa last weekend to celebrate our daughter Janice’s birthday. It was my first road trip in a long time and I thoroughly enjoyed our get away for a multitude of reasons.

As we drove north on the 416 into Ottawa, we realized that the nation’s capital had not escaped the grips of winter like the folks in Toronto have this year. Mounds of snow at the side of the highway were evidence that plows had recently been busy.  As we entered the city, the sight of people wearing parkas and toques seemed novel to us ‘southerners’. We crossed a bridge and noticed scores of people skating on the Rideau Canal. It was exhilarating to have found winter, at least for a few days that is.

On Saturday, we took in Winterlude with Janice, her husband Kevin and eleven month old Isla as well as my daughter Carolyn and her boyfriend Chris. I don’t know how much of the festivities Isla actually saw as she was bundled tightly to her father’s chest in a snugli. Winterlude is a three week winter celebration that has been going on in Ottawa every February since 1979. As well as skating on the canal, there are ice sculptures at Confederation Park and snow slides and lots of activities for kids at Jacques Cartier Park. We took in the snow sculptures as well as some maple syrup candy and beaver tails

Three more highlights of the day were enjoying a Colonnade pizza, watching the Leafs demolish the Sens 5-0 on Kevin’s 55 inch HD TV and celebrating Jan’s birthday with a tuxedo cake and a new board game called Wits and Wagers...a fun game designed for math types like me and Carolyn’s boyfriend although the birthday girl and Terry did all the winning.

Both Janice and Carolyn and their partners are attentive to the fact that a few weeks back, I declared, in a blog entry, my resolve to eat more healthy this new year. Little did I realize that they took me at my word as Janice served up a hearty chili dish and a meatless spaghetti dinner for us during our stay while Kevin prepared fresh salads and introduced me to a delicious humus spread. Carolyn and Chris made us a special soup with lentils, leeks and a few other things that sounded ominous to me….but that tasted wonderful.

Of course, spending time with Isla is always a delight, even if it’s in the last pew of a church like it was on Sunday morning. She’s taking a few baby steps on her own now, usually when distracted by something in her surroundings. Like me, she’s testing her limits, discovering her new world, and happy and secure in the knowledge that she’s surrounded by a loving family.