Family

My Family.

God luv 'em they're a pile of nut jobs from the get go. I love them dearly, but sweet mother mary, jesus hanging on a cross, they do try the patience.

My Mom and Dad as you may or may not know were up visiting me and Didier since last Sunday and left yesterday. It was a great visit. A fantastic visit - in that it happened at all, as this was their 4th attempt in 17 years to come visit, and only just, were they able to come, due to my Father's health - The Doctors only granting permission for him to travel the Thursday afternoon before they left on come up two days later.

But they DID arrive and health crises or not they were bound and determined to have a full visit. And so they did:

Sunday.

After arriving and 'freshening up' we went fpr a ride around the city, picked up some Bagels at Fairmount Bakery, then had brunch at Coras, then drove up the mountain, stooped at the belvedere looking east towards the Olympic Stadium...



...then to Beaver lake and a short walk to the Main Belvedere...


... over looking downtown. Then off to St-Joseph's Oratory...


... and a 2 hour visit inside and out, then a quick tour of Westmount to see how the obnoxiously rich live. Finally we made it home and relaxed.


Monday.
Thanksgiving.


Hello, all we did was eat!


Tuesday.
We took another tour around the city and headed to Old Montréal. We went to Notre Dame Basilica...



... and then Noël...


...the Christmas store near by. (you'll soon see this would becomse a trend)Walked around the cobbled streets a bit and chowed down at les Trois Brasseurs. Walked along some more heading to Place Jacques Cartier, and Hotel de Ville...


... and the law courts and then jumped back in the car and headed east to the Botanical Gardens...


...We toured the Green Houses (well most of then at any rate. They were renovating one - which then blocked access to 2 others... my favourite two: the Orchid Room and the Fern Room... the Bastards!) We toured the seasonal exhibit of the Pumpkin room where schools all over the city submit decorated pumpkins. I'll tell you this, kids have amazingly creative minds given the chance. The best were Shrek and Fiona...


...some penguins (made from gourds)...


... and the M+M guys...


...Very cute! Hell there were even a few with Leopard Print!!!


...Then we headed out side...


...walked through what remained of the roses and the rose garden and made our way to the Chinese Pavilion where the annual Chinese Lantern exhibit was...


Always incredible. Always breathtaking.


It succeeded again this year. After than a quick run out to Trudeau Airport to pick up a rent-a-car from a friend and then home, exhausted and beat we all slumped on the sofa.


Wednesday.
After breakfast we all filled into the Audi A4 Quattro and made our way to Québec City. After parking the car we took a short walk down to le Restaurant Aux Anciennes Canadiens...


... and had a terrific meal, then with our bellies full went walking around the city...


...for the next 3 hours. After checking into our hotel rooms we rested a bit then went out shopping again, to another Christmas shop: La Boutique du Noël...


...and then stopped into a small Crepe resto for a late dinner, and then made our way back to the hotel and passes out.


Thursday.
After another incredible breakfast, we packed the car and went shopping AGAIN! - to yet ANOTHER Christmas shop even! Le Royaume du Père Noël...


...took one last quick tour of the city and river and made our way further east to Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré...




After an hour or so in the church (and gift shop) we grabbed as bite to eat in a small diner and started our return drive to Montréal, but not before stopping off at les Chutes de Montmorecy. The trees all along or drive, both to and from Québec City were beautiful, but one you added in the falls well then the scene was complete. We took the cable car...


...to the top and walked along the hanging boardwalk to the top of the falls...


...took a few more pics and then made our way back down to the bottom. Back in Montreal 3 hours later we all ate some leftover turkey and passed out on the sofa, or more cleverly (well only Didier) went to bed!


Friday.
Another bit of a relaxing day. We were all so tired. We took it easy, going only for a short walk in the gaybourhood. And after Dinner we went to the Olympia Theatre to see a show... "The Best of Broadway" It was a song and dance spectacular with songs from Musicals old and new, going back to 42 nd Street right up to Mamma Mia and everything in-between. When Didier and I bought the tickets last month we figured it would be an enjoyable evening out, but personally I was not expecting that much. Was I ever pleasantly amazed. The show was nearly 2 hours of non-stop song and dance and just kept getting bigger and better as it went. My only disappointment was that they did not do anything from The Sound of Music... but then no one is perfect, so I forgave them. And the beauty of the night was, after the show we were only a short 5 block walk from home.


Saturday.
We all slept in a bit. I made my famous blueberry pancakes and then Mom and Dad were packing packing packing. Dad went out for a little last minute sightseeing and picture taking (alone, in the village... - I shudder to think what he took pics of - while at home Mom and I were frantically wrapping Christmas gifts... her wrapping things to stay here for me and Didier and I wrapping items for them to take home. By early afternoon we were packing the car with their luggage, heading back to Fairmount Bagel...


...to get some yummy goodness for them to take home and then we were at the train station...


...waiting in line for them to register their sleeper cars for the return home.

It was a whirlwind visit. I love that they were here, I love that they are gone and I love that they are already planning a return visit.

Family.
Ya gotta love 'em.
I do.

family ties

Sometimes the ties that bind us are loose but they are there....

Last night Didier and I had company. Sandra, Brittney and Brianna came for dinner. And no, before you ask, they're not drag queens... Sandra is my (first) First Cousin (I in fact only have two - her and her brother Todd), Brittney (her daughter) and Brianna (Brit's friend). They're up in Montréal from Halifax for Spring Break and are on a full tilt boogie, do not pass go, shopping expedition.

I received a Facebook message a couple weeks ago indicating they were headed up to Montréal for the week and wanted to know if we could get together and what was there to do (aside from shopping) We exchanged a few emails and planned to meet.

They came up via Via (heh) and were supposed to arrive at 8 am on Sunday. We were supposed to meet at their hotel and then D. and I were going to take them out for brunch and show them around a bit. But due to the massive snow storm on Saturday, they were twice delayed en route. They only arrived at 4 am on Monday morning. I apologized to them last night, because as you will recall, I am personally responsible for the amount of snow we received.

So, to take a breather from their don't eat-don't drink-don't sleep shopping extravaganza, they did take a timeout to come by our place. We sat around the living room, munching on corn chips and Didier's delicious guacamole. I threw together a yummy meal of mango chutney pork with rice and veggies. We chatted, getting caught up; which is no small feat... while our family is small and as I've said, I only have two first cousins, our family, like many, is not without it's long time dramas and issues. I'd go so far as to say that a family without such drama is actually the truly dysfunctional type, in that dysfunctional families are the norm, at least as far as with almost everyone I know. My family being no exception.

What is remarkable is that I couldn't tell you most of what those dramas are. I really, in all honesty don't know what the issues were/are between My father and his brother (Sandra's father) that caused such family rifts over so many years. Suffice to say, they are probably as truly insignificant as those my Brother harbours toward my parents and some others of the family - we get along, but then I last saw him in Dec 2005 and last spoke in an email almost a year ago and I've got no plans to bother with him going forward... (Hmmm, so I guess the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree). What you do do is stop trying to figure these things out. Stop asking questions. Stop trying to analyze and diagnose these things. Well, at least that what I did, mind you moving 1000 kms away from the overwhelming majority of that activity makes such cessations possible.

...back to Sandra and me...Thing is, I don't have many memories with Sandra. In fact, I can run them down for you now. (no worries it won't take long) :

- Christmas 1975 or 76 I can vaguely recall being over at my Uncle Roy and Aunt Betty's and being on the floor in the living room with Sandra and Todd, all dressed in our 'jammies' and playing.

- Aug 1997 when my Brother was married. I saw her for a bit then.

- Christmas 1995 or 96 and my Mom and I visited Aunt Betty and Sandra in their new apt, when Brit was but a wee baby...

- Christmas 2005 (do you see a trend here?!). Didier and I were at my parents and Sandra Betty and Brittney came over for a visit.

and then...
- March 12 2008, here in Mtl.

Yup, that's pretty much it! I am sure there were a few other occasions, but for all intents and purposes, these are all times I can lucidly recall being with Sandra. And yes, it's as much as a shame as it sounds.

We have a great visit last night. And what was really interesting to me, aside from interacting as adults - something it seems our parents were incapable of - was that through it all there was no baggage or issues for us. And even more comforting to me were our similar, but due to family dynamics, separate memories of our Grandmother. Though the night, without intending to, we both recounted, reminisced and recalled multiple memories of her. All the same but different... remembering the white boxes tied with string she'd bring from the French Bakery, her love of red-dyed pistachios (what is WITH those?!), her vocal dislike of nursing homes (even though the haze of old age and illness) and on and on.

Gotta say, Sandra is one fine lady. Raising her daughter alone (well not ALONE alone, but you know... single mom alone) and doing a great job of it...Brittney is turning into a fine young lady herself... although her apparent dislike of ice cream, cakes, cookies and all things 'sweet' is a bit of a caution.

We got on like a house on fire. I'm proud to call them my family and look forward to seeing them again. Didier and I have insisted they visit Mtl in the summer, when of course the list of things to do and see multiples like two rabbits in a burrow, and she scolded us that we had better not visit Halifax again without looking them up. All parties were in 100 agreeance.

So, sometimes the ties that bind are not tied too tight, but they're there.
And I'm glad they are.

Sept 2nd

Alas all good things must come to an end... and this was our last day on PEI. Morning really, as we intended to leave by 1 pm.

Didier and I took the opportunity of an morning low-tide to have one last walk down on the beach...

...where we were met by the only starfish to be found this season...

God I miss this place...


To give you an idea of the beauty of the beach... here is a 360 video I took... OK, it's ot the BEST quality again, but well I think you get the idea...

Back up to the cottage, and Mom and Dad returned from Charlottetown and Church. Didier and I served them Montréal's finest Smoked Meat (from Rubens) and then after some Apple Pie with Ice Cream (natch') it was time to say good buy...


I tell you I cried the 2 kilometers out to the highway. I hat leaving this place... I guess that's part of the reason I waited so long to go back... it's just so incredibly hard to leave...

---

On the road again... we traversed the Confederation Bridge once more, and cut across and up the Western edge of New Brunswick til we were back in La Belle Province again. We made our way to Rivière-du-Loup. We found a small hotel "Auberge Saint Patrice" and got a room, then headed 'downtown' for a bite to eat. We made it to "L'Estaminet"...


an incredibly terrific resto/tavern with, wait for it... 150 beer to choose from! I swear I died and went to heaven! IT's hard to pick a beer from a list 150 long so I copped out a bit and got my fav... Guinness extra Stout. After too much food (NO ice cream for Dessert... there simply was no room!) ...we headed back to the Inn and went to bed... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Aug 29th

Did we sleep in today? ... actually no. :-(

Today I was up BEFORE 9 am! (sick huh?)

I was off to visit my maternal Grandmother...

Ain't she a cutie?! 93 and still full of piss n' vinegar! I love my visits with her, as infrequent as they are, I cherish every moment. And why not, she tells me as well as everybody else that I'm her favourite! (and can you blame her? heh) In fact she said the only thing she misses as much as me, is her car. (and trust me she misses that car... the remaining population on Halifax does not share her sentiment regarding the car, as for me they are mixed. heh)

We always chat about family, past ands present. I always listen intently to her tales of times gone by... I can't get enough of therm. And she is always trying to get me to eat... none stop! On this visit I relented and had a piece of Lemon Meringue pie... at all of 10:30 am! lol But you know what, It was, (as ever) the best piece of pie you can imagine!

Unfortunately this was a short visit, 2 1/2 hours and then I had to be off, back to the parents...

...pack the car and head to PEI... This was only a drive of 300 kms, but crossed 3 provinces and one kick ass long bridge!



The Confederation Bridge is just under 13 kms across and this was my first time driving across it (as it was Didier's as well, in fact the first time he was ever on PEI, but not the last!)

Then just 20 mins after the crossing we were in Hampton, at Shangra-la. Or 'Suits Us" as Mom and Dad call it. It USED to be called "No-lak-a-nookie Lodge" but seems Mom has mellowed in her 60's and thought the name too provocative... whatever...

I hurried Didier to help me unload the car and then we rushed down to the beach... MY BEACH...

I grew up, summers on PEI on this beach since 1976. It was low tide and it was half past 6, time was a wastin'! I had not been to the cottage since August 11th 1991... I was long overdue.

Didier was as instantly in love with the beach and it's inhabitants as I was as a child... and he took pics to show it too!...

Hermet Crabs...

Snails...



Razor Clams...

Quahog clams... and me (of course!)

and much more, Blue Herons, Seagulls, Arctic Terns, Piping Plovers, Sandpipers, Cliff Swallows...

And more than anything else... sunset...

Time ceases to exist at sunset there. You are outside of time, it avoids the Sunset so that you can be enveloped by it...

And if that was not enough enchantment, as we were returning to the cottage as twilight set in we passed the abandoned sand castle of one of our neighbour's grandchildren...


...How is that for magic?

Once we got back to the cottage we realized, hey! we're hungry, so we took the car into Charlottetown (35 kms away) and went down to Peake's Wharf and had dinner at the Peake's Quay Restaurant. YUM! Seafood Pasta Marinara.

On the return trip to the cottage we looked at the Moon rising in the sky, so full (like our bellies) as it shone it's silver glow over the countryside.

Yet another perfect day.